Chips

As he wrote to the church at Thessalonica, Paul definitely had the last days on his minds.  In his first and second books to that that church, he pointed to the coming of Jesus, as well as the coming of the
Antichrist. In 2nd Thessalonians 2, we can read:
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

God lays out His prophetic timetable in the Scriptures, and world events are falling into place in order to usher in a seven-year period of tribulation on the earth, followed by the 1000-year reign of Christ. Paul issues his warning, but did not want his readers to be "shaken" or "troubled."  As believers in Christ, we have the promise of the Word of God that we will see Him, He will return, and we will be taken up with Him.  This gives us hope for our future, and as we see the signs, we can respond with a sense of anticipation.

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There is a day that believers in Christ are anticipating, the day that He will return to claim His church. 1st Thessalonians 4 states:
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

A Wisconsin tech company has announced that it will be offering a microchip to its employees that will enable them to enter the building, as well as to purchase food on-site.  That's the word from Three Square Market, according to a USA Today story, which will make available a rice-sized chip to be implanted between the thumb and forefinger.  The company's CEO, Todd Westby is quoted here:

"We foresee the use of RFID technology to drive everything from making purchases in our office break room market, opening doors, use of copy machines, logging into our office computers, unlocking phones, sharing business cards, storing medical/health information, and used as payment at other RFID terminals..." 

He added, "Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities, etc."  The story points out that RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification.  Three Square is partnering with a Swedish company that already has a number of employees who are "chipped."  The story notes that Westby says there is no GPS tracking with the chip.

NBC News pointed this out:

Privacy protections were among the concerns when it was first rolled out, and fundamentalist religious groups publicly objected to the tiny tags as being the "mark of the beast" mentioned in the Bible's Book of Revelation.

Even though NBC did not quote one of these "fundamentalist" believers, CBN News rightly pointed out:

Many Christians express concerns about microchip implants because they see the idea as a prelude to "the mark of the Beast" as described in the book of Revelation.

Here's that verse about the End Times from Revelation 13:16-17 (NIV): "It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name."

When Apple Pay technology came out a few years ago, consumer privacy expert and bestselling author Dr. Katherine Albrecht told CBN News, "We're kind of moving closer and closer to that 'right hand' and closer and closer to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy about the mark of the Beast."

Jerry Newcombe, writing at WND.com, indicates that people believing in the return of Jesus by the year 2050 comprise over a-third of the population:

A Pew poll from July 2010 focused on whether Jesus would come back within four decades: “By the year 2050, 41 percent of Americans believe that Jesus Christ definitely (23 perent) {sic} or probably (18 percent) will have returned to earth.”

Newcombe warns against what he calls "newspaper exegesis," and writes:

Regardless of whether this story on buying a bag of chips in a break room in Wisconsin by means of a microchip planted in the hand has anything to do with the return of Christ, I take great comfort in knowing that one day Jesus will come back.

Radio preacher Chuck Swindoll gives us great insight for living, on keeping the return of Christ in perspective: “There’s something about Christ’s soon return that stirs up our urgency and keeps us involved. … What we need is balance. We need to be informed and aware, thinking it could occur at any moment, but carrying out our lives as responsibly as if His return would not be for another two or three generations.”

Newcombe adds, "Or possibly longer."

Here are the facts:

The microchip and RFID technology are certainly being utilized and, while convenience is a leading factor, privacy and moral concerns abound.

When you consider that Scripture teaches that what is called the "mark of the beast" in Revelation will become a mandatory element, without which no one can buy and sell, it's not too much of a stretch to see how implanted technology could lead to a fulfillment of prophecy.

The "mark" is a tool that will be used by the Antichrist.  The Bible teaches that those loyal to him will take the mark, those who are not will reject it.  So, there is the question of methodology, but there is also the matter of meaning.  And, to whom will people on the earth swear their allegiance?

Of course, for those who believe that Jesus will take His Church to be with Him in the rapture, that event would predate the distribution of the "mark."  But, these technological developments can help us to see how that man of perdition could actually control the lives of people by regulating their ability to buy and sell.  And, as the NBC News piece might suggest, it gives an opportunity to consider the scenario of the end times.  This technology, you might say, could indicate that we are at a point on the timeline on which another Bible prophecy might come to pass.

Finally, we have to make sure that we are ready when Jesus comes to receive His Church.  The Bible teaches that we are to strive to be found faithful.  So, there is a sense of urgency; we need to make sure that Jesus is the Lord and Savior of our lives and that we are walking in obedience to His Word.