Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name (vv. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me, declares the LORD. to be highly effective for preventing disease, and Learn what to do if you have COVID-19? There is something hard-wired in all humans that compels us to search after the divine or find something spiritual. As of 10 February 2023, a total of 662,514,513 vaccine doses have been administered. In June 13.1 million fewer Americans were Bible engaged than in January. The number 6, then, would be the number of imperfection and unholy incompletion. Bible readingalong with other forms of community and discipleship, such as going to church or participating in a small groupappear to contribute to peoples sense of well-being and happiness, said Tyler VanderWeele, director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard Universitys T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Consider the following scriptures: Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. Im sure there are more. From cities to rural towns, stay informed on where COVID-19 is spreading to understand how it could affect families, commerce, and travel. The only name that has really gotten a strong following is Nero. Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines, September 7, 2021, Retrieved from What were seeing is that as people are just given the opportunity to share and listen to each other and to process and to engage on Scripture in a group setting, were seeing those trauma symptoms come down.. Some have been repeated by large media Does the Bible Mention What to Give Up for Lent? In the middle of a global pandemic, a contentious election, and social unrest, the American Bible Society (ABS), with assistance from Harvard Universitys Human Flourishing Program, found a strong correlation between Scripture reading and hope. Emergency roomphysician Stephen Smith at Hennepin Healthcaretold USA TODAY he hasn't heard the 'mark of the beast' as a reason to not get vaccinated but a few other outlandish reasons. Rev. Williams has worked in hospitals inTexas, New York, California and Hawaii in her three years as a nurse. vaccinated against COVID-19. The onset of a plague in the Bible has always been a portent for the destruction of civilization or way of life, brought about by the hands of a wrathful God in response to acts of apostasy and other acts of disobedience against Him. The trend in hospitalization rate refers to the trend in the 7-day rate of new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 population. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. The first age group to provide a substantial contribution to the death toll is 45-54 years, who contribute nearly 5% of all coronavirus deaths. The study also found that social connectedness didnt decline as much as one might expect. This chapter focuses on the final years before the Israelite's exile to Babylon. In the ancient world every letter corresponded to a number, just like A might equal 1, and B equal 2, C equal 3, and so on. The second beast is an accomplice to the first. without symptoms, May 1, 2021, Retrieved from If, however, doctors or politicians or members of the media or anyone else, for that matter, elevates himself to a position of Godlike authority and knowledge, then that is what Revelation warns Christians against. According to Evans' studies, the majority of "mark of the beast" believers appear to be politically conservative and from Protestant Christianbackgrounds. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. More details on the reporting schedule. The Apostle John did not identify what the mark looks like, although some theologians translate Scripture to associate the number "666" with it. last week, the total remained essentially unchanged Thursday. They had been looking at a human flourishing measure developed at Harvard and decided to include some questions about security, happiness, and mental health in the study of Bible use. Turn!," the Pete Seeger song that became a hit for the Byrds. Learn more >>. Jan 13, 2021 issue. Daily engagement had already been declining, but worsened during the pandemic, according to the annual State of the Bible report. About half (49%) of Americans with a family member living in their household who died of coronavirus said they increased their use of the Bible2.3 times more than average. Within that overall decrease, the Bible centered segment was most impacted, decreasing by 9.7 million. I started this series when the whole world was talking about COVID-19, and some people were wondering if the signs of Revelation were unfoldingor would soon unfoldbefore our eyes. Financial and material stability, as would be expected, took the heaviest blow for many people, falling by 16.7 percent. Faith communities have demonstrated incredible resilience, innovation, and empathy through the pandemic, ABS president and CEO Robert Briggs said. While most Bible readers (65%) prefer a printed version, millennials are about as likely to read the Bible digitally (52%) as they are in print (48%). He convinces us that sex will be most fulfilling when it is most free of commitment and ethical norms. Every letter could also be a number, so names could be translated into numbers. "In Revelation 14,we learn thatthose who take the mark are doomed," he said. Its a more effective and dramatic literary device than saying,After some time [momentous moment] began. It also helps the sacred author highlight theological parallels. Peter Feaman, a top Republican National Committee official in Florida, said last month that vaccines are"the mark of the beast" and comparable to a "false god." But the evidence shows that Americans who actively engage with the Bible and in corporate worship score higher on every measure of human flourishing, including better mental and physical health and a deeper sense of character and virtue. serious side-effects are very rare.4 The very real danger from a COVID-19 Christian love requires that we do whatever we can to care for Remember, the first beast is the perversion of the state, and the second beast is the perversion of Christianity. Chris Hall, president of the spiritual formation ministry Renovar, said disruption of life rhythms likely hurt Bible engagement. As the spread of the coronavirus continues, both Christians and non-believers alike ask themselves, Does this fulfill biblical plague prophecies?. The researchers soon realized that since they used the human flourishing measures in the January study, they had inadvertently set a comparison point to measure how people were doing during COVID-19. outlets. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. Sign up for our newsletter: In other words, 666 is mans counterfeit to the holy Trinity of 777. Gretchen Whitmer encouraging vaccines in Michigan:"Diabolical Michigan Governor Whiter wants her citizens to get the Mark of the Beast to participate in society.". US AMA: COVID-19 vaccines: patient FAQs 5 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The annual report also showed that millennials read the Bible more frequently than any other generation, with 26 percent reading it multiple times each week. We should expect similar religious language and themes, which is why we must be wise. You cant download a hug, said Donald Whitney, professor of biblical spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Until the question came again. "People with spiritual beliefs that all things are influenced by religion are more likely to believe 'mark of the beast,' which is in every Christian's Bible, but people will focus on particular passages in the Bible to support their belief system," Evans said. It certainly is the verse that has produced the most fruitless debate. A lack of in-person connection with churches and small groups also could have played a role, according to the report. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. In May, Feaman wrote on his blog of Gov. First, it is far from certain that most of Johns audience would have known Hebrew. The connection is only a correlation. Why do people callCOVID-19 vaccine the 'mark of the beast? There are other scriptures in the Bible, where God declares plagues over nations as an act of divine judgment for disobedience. systems. In each case, the pictures and numbers mean something, but they refer to general truths, not to specific people or referents. In verse 11, we saw the second beast as a false Christ. With regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, the current global concern is not necessarily the virus itself; according to the WHO, flu-related viruses claim between 290,000-650,000 lives every year. Help train Christians to boldly share the good news of Jesus Christ in a way that clearly communicates to this secular age. Evangelicals Vaccine Skepticism Isnt Coming from the Pulpit More than a third (35%) of Americans say they never read the Bibleunchanged from last year but up from 25 percent at the annual reports inception in 2011. So the number of the beast could refer to Nero. So, as Jesus said, there is no good reason to believe The number of people in China aged between 16 and 59 has been gradually declining since 2012. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain (v. 15). Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. The second beast is a false prophet. This imagery comes from Daniel 8 where Daniel sees a vision of a ram with two horns. What have we seen with this second beast? Thats consistent with previous findings that practicing Christian millennials know the Bible as well as or better than their parents and grandparents. United Methodist: Kevin, for example, in our simplified scheme would be 11+5+22+9+14, which equals 61. We should expect other religions to talk about love and morality. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed but he marches on forever (Habakkuk 3:5-6). Nero fits with the story line of Revelation better than the other alternatives. In the first century there was a large imperial cult. This is, in part, due to a change from agrarian to urban lifestyles over time, ease of travel between countries and exposure to diverse people, and increased interactions between people and animals. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. now controlled or eliminated those diseases as major threats.5, We now have vaccines that have the ability to put an end to the COVID-19 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed (v. 12). And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain (v. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead. Everyone 12 and (not representing all COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong) 107. I once came across these three tongue-in-cheek rules for calculating the number of the beast: if the proper name doesnt work, add a title; if Greek doesnt work try Hebrew or Latin; if that doesnt work try a different spelling. China's number of working people has fallen by more than 41 million in the past three years, reflecting both the coronavirus pandemic's toll on the economy and a decline in the working . Sixty percent read the Bible four times per year or less. In doing so, we will publish COVID-19 data once a week, on Thursday. The coronavirus pandemic has caused great suffering and even death for many People who never read the Bible are slightly more hopeful than those who rarely read it, according to the study. National Data Resources CDC COVID Data Tracker. Share your feedback here. When he asked the mother if she had been vaccinated, Smith said her response was"Oh no, that turns you into a zombie.". c. Percentages are based on provisional estimates of the end-year population for 2021. Jeremiah lived about nine hundred years after the covenant made with the Israelites and God through Moses. But there are questions to ask of his critique as well. Many people wonder why God has allowed it to happen, and is it an omen "Studies show that any conflicts between religion and science are not about facts, they are more about values and morals," said John Evans,a professor of sociology and religious studies at the University of California, San Diego. Pope Francis urges people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 The imagery in Revelation is broader and less exact. Thirty-six percent of those with a neighbor who died of the virus increased their Bible use (1.7 times more than average), and 33 percent of those with a close personal friend who died increased their use (1.6 times more than average). The church age is symbolized by pictures (the measured temple, the trampled witnesses, the woman protected in the wilderness) and numbers (42 months, 1260 days, 3 years). Like the coronavirus, the afflicted contracted the above viruses through person-to-person contact via body fluids or touching surfaces with the virus and afterwards touching their eyes or mouth. The number forty appears many times in the Bible: Generally speaking, the number forty has been considered to be used in the Bible as a rounded number. "There is a small group of people who believe in 'the mark of the beast,' and I think what's driving that thought process is starting with various concerns about receiving the coronavirus vaccine that are not specifically religious.". And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose(Romans 8:28). Third, none of the early church fathers calculated Neron Kaisar from 666. Any or all of these may serve as background imagery for these verses, but the mark in reality is not a visible mark. There were priests and sacred rituals and officials insisting on the deity of the emperor. people around the world. Theres a text that identifies Jesuss gematria name as 888, which is supposed to be significant because 8 is the number of re-creation. This "teaches" the body's immune system to fight the virus that has that specific spike . What do health care workers say? The scripture reads: "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. Church closures during the pandemic likely impacted the decrease in Bible engagement, according to ABS. They encouraged, and sometimes made mandatory, the worship of the state. Local believers and their Syrian colleagues serve Christians and Muslims alike in cooperative effort at relief aid. Although the coronavirus is the most disastrous plague that has impacted humanity this century, there is no evidence in the Bible to suggest that COVID-19 is one of the plagues prophesied in Scripture. (Matthew 24:27, 24:36-39, 24:44). Or, you can text the keyword LACOVID to 898-211 for . ', "There is a small group of people who believe in 'the mark of the beast,' and I think what's driving that thought process is starting with various concerns about receiving the coronavirus vaccine that are not specifically religious.". Throughout history, pandemics and epidemics have emerged and have wrought havoc on the world on an average of about two per century. Nero killed himself in AD 68, but it was rumored that he would come back to life or was still living, just like the beast received a fatal wound that was healed. As of September 10, 2021 63% of the US population over 12 has been fully Over 2 billion people are fully vaccinated world-wide. If you have questions about coronavirus, please contact the Louisiana 211 Network by dialing dial 211. Doubts and fears caused by the barrage of malicious misinformation on social Here's my humble opinion (he said humbly! All these are the beginning of birth pains.. Open. But the coronavirus pandemic has brought new attention to Browne's book, "End of Days: Predictions . And again. vaccinated helps to protect you, and also helps to protect other people who Portugus, Some people didnt lose their jobs and saved money by staying home, putting them in a better relative financial position, while others suffered greatly from the economic shutdown. "God will not doom people for taking something unwittingly.". The risk of getting COVID-19 varies between and within . This is a common trend when people go through trauma, according to Scott Ross, who works on trauma healing with churches at ABS. The ONS Covid infection survey estimates an average of 219,600 people were infected . In a recent sermon, Trump-supporting pastor Jack Hibbs said that the COVID-19 vaccine is "conditioning" people for the Mark of the Beast, a Biblical prophecy of a bodily mark that will be forced . "I'm exhausted and tired of seeing so many people die, but I will do my damnedest to try and keep my patients alive.". 40 370: 110 : Uzbekistan 251,071 1637 241486 0.7%: 23 7,948 7,302 231 48: 111 : . Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): . "Sometimes these statements arepackaged to look like Bible Prophecy," he said, "but they arefalse andmisapplied because many people do not understand what the Bible actually says about these things.". Peer-reviewed data has deemed the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines safe, and they demonstrated 94% to 95% effectiveness against the virus, according to a study published in the New. The pandemic doesnt seem to have changed the overall percentage of Bible readers, according to the follow-up study, but Americans who lost loved ones to COVID-19 were more likely to increase their Bible use. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Baptist: National Well-Being Measures Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Online Samples shows that happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, feelings of meaning and purpose, and financial and material stability all declined sharply between January and June. LDS: 3 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (1 Peter 5:7) 7. website: Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering? COVID-19 vaccination coverage As of January 29, 2023 Received at least one dose The "mark of the beast" in the New Testament's Book of Revelation signalsanallegiance to Satan or those who reject God's memorial of creatorship. to be highly effective for preventing disease, and serious side-effects are very rare.4The very real danger from a COVID-19 infection is much greater than any theoretical risk from the vaccine. Thats where the picture comes from, but what it points to is a counterfeit Christ. media are causing many people to avoid vaccination. Does COVID-19 Fulfill Biblical Plague Prophecies? Elijah, you recall, called down fire from heaven to burn up the sacrifices in full view of the prophets of Baal. What is the significance of the number forty in Scripture? New Delhi: China's number of working people has fallen by more than 41 million in the past three years, reflecting both the coronavirus pandemic's toll on the economy and a decline in the working age population, according to a report. adults without any controversy God made us for God. In the first half of chapter 13, were introduced to a beast from the sea. safeguard themselves, others through immunization, US CDC: Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination Forty days and nights of rain during the flood, The Jews journeyed through the desert for forty years to the Promised Land, The prophet Ezekiel laid on his right side for forty days to symbolize the sins of Judah, Elijah fasted for forty days on Mount Horeb. To counter a pandemic-prompted morass in Bible engagement, Hall said, learn to read the Bible in a new way. That could include using a Bible app that plays music as a person reads or a Bible app that reads a selected passage aloud over and over. Let me bring this short series to a close by trying to explain what may be the most famous sign in Revelation: the mark of the beast. But this survey reveals that a big opportunity still remains for Christian organizations to make an impact on Scripture engagement.. Thats more or less the approach most people take, and it yields a hundred different answers. But there are also problems with the calculation. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.. He entices us to make money the desire of our hearts. As one author puts it, it doesnt tell us much that a certain key fits the lock, if its a lock that works with almost any key. Protect Yourself & Others, August 13, 2021, Retrieved from Because of its references to 'diseases' and 'plagues', it seems to be designed for what the world is going through at the moment with the coronavirus. Some fringe conspiracy theorists are connecting COVID-19 vaccines to the mark of the beast. Rather, it is the alarming rate at which the COVID-19 virus is spreading, its highly infectious nature, and the fact that a vaccine has not yet been discovered that is causing widespread consternation. Forty is a composite number, a refactorable number, an octagonal number, andas the sum of the first four pentagonal numbers: + + + = it is a pentagonal pyramidal number. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? How false worship today resembles false worship in the Old Testament. There are also a number of treatments available. The two most recent pandemics we have encountered this century are the swine flu, that claimed 200,000 lives between 2009-2010, and the Ebola virus that tallied a death toll of 11,000 between 2014-2016. That's down from 774.7 million in 2019. VanderWeeles own family spent more time together, and his kids started communicating with grandparents regularly over the internet. Psalm 91 is a beautiful song that speaks of trust in God in the darkest of times.