Is the Mark of the Beast a Microchip?

In October 2004, the Food and Drug Administration approved the marketing of a microchip implantable under the skin of humans for medical identification. Paranoid prophecy pundits immediately began touting Verichip technology as the mark of the Beast spoken of in Revelation 13. Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 broadcast and the 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘜𝘯𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 podcast, notes that contrary to such newspaper eschatology, there is no biblical basis for believing that the mark of the Beast is a silicon microchip. Biblically, the mark of the Beast is a parody of the mark of the Lamb. Just as the mark on the foreheads of the 144,000 in Revelation 14 symbolizes identity with the Lamb, so the mark in Revelation 13 symbolizes identity with the Beast. The mark of the Beast is not something that can be taken inadvertently. It is the intentional denial—in thought, word, and deed—of the lordship of Jesus Christ. Thus, rather than fearfully avoiding microchip technology, we should with fear and trembling resist the temptation to be conformed to the evil systems of this world. Instead, we must boldly accept the mark of the Lamb by offering our bodies as living sacrifices and by being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1–2).