If the YouTube video above is not available, here are two other ways to view:

20REV-27 – Q&A-07

210116AM

Bonnie & I are headed down to the studio to film another Q&A session with our Exploring Revelation Course students. This question tonight has come up so OFTEN and so WIDELY that we are addressing it with a whole Q&A Hour.

It is about the COVID-19 Vaccination, the Mark of the Beast, are Christians supposed to oppose this vaccine (and others, etc.). These young people are on Social Media so much that they have heard an awful lot of un-Biblical ideas, conspiracy theories, and misguided believers who are well-meaning but not well-versed in the Scriptures.

So, pray for us these next couple of hours if you think of it. Here are a few pictures of the marker board and some of the teaching slides. When we finish and get this class off to the students, we will post it for you also.

Thanks again to so many of you that help us by prayer, and support us here on the FrontLines of teaching the NextGeneration how to understand and apply God’s Word. It is a THRILL to PARTNER with each of you!

Transcription

The question is, does God say whether or not the vaccine could be the mark of the beast? Yes.

God says the COVID vaccine is not the mark of the beast.

Now think with me, look at the next slide. We are getting both rounds, my wife and I. By the way, this entire session, this Q & A is being filmed by my wonderful wife. Both of us who are full-time missionaries are getting both rounds of the vaccine so that we can continue our missionary travel.

Now you asked this, look at the next slide. How did you come to such a clear conclusion? Simple the same way all of us should. By studying God’s word. Look, no matter what you read in the news, no matter what you hear on television, no matter what network you’re watching. In fact, I would suggest you watch more than one network, but wherever you’re getting your news, you need to come to a conclusion by studying God’s word.

Trends have three characteristics.

  • Greater frequency,
  • greater intensity,
  • greater visibility.

Now look at the trend of global pandemics. By the way, there are 10 trends in the Bible. Jesus said, nation will rise against nation, I just read that, kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and, there it is, pestilences and earthquakes in various places.

There’s COVID-19.

That brings us to the first question. Who or what is the antichrist? Now remember where we are. We’re in Exploring Revelation, you’re just joining in, if you’re not in the course you just found this on YouTube. This is a regular course. It’s a 20-session course going through the whole book of Revelation. So many of my students have been sending me messages on both YouTube and on Facebook and emails. They’ve said, What about the COVID 19 vaccine? Does it have anything to do with the mark of the beast? That’s the question and I’m answering it. I’ve already answered it and I’m answering again. No, it’s not the mark of the beast, but it does have something to do with the Anti-Christ. Here’s what it has to do…

Open in your Bible to 1 John chapter 2  and verse 18. I’m going to go there too. It’s just before Revelation. So, if you’re in Revelation backup, 1 John 2, and then look on the slide. 1 John 2:18-22. Then we’re going to look at 2 Thessalonians 2:3. So, let’s start right here in these two verses. You just listen as I read these to you, verse 18,

“Little children, It is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Anti-Christ is coming, even now,” look at this, “many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”

Revelation 13 introduces us. to the beast and the false prophet, indwelt by the dragon, which is Satan. That is the person of the Anti-Christ. So any time before that moment in Revelation 13, you can’t get the mark of the beast.

Next slide. Now, remember Jesus talked about the birth pangs, and I already mentioned this; they’re going to grow stronger, closer, and become inescapable.

All the end of the world characteristics has this frequency, intensity, and visibility. That’s where COVID-19 comes in. This is just one of the diseases that are going to get more frequent, intense, and global.

Keep going in the slides, deceptions are going to get stronger. That’s why you need to know the word of God. Diseases are going to get stronger and closer and inescapable and so are disasters.

Now, next question, where’s the mark of the beast in the Bible. We already read it. It’s revelation 13:16. So, the Bible does tell us when the mark of the beast comes around and it’s actually well into the tribulation time.

Next slide. It says in verse 16 of revelation, 13, that on their right hands or their foreheads. Now let me just show you a little bit of stuff we’re getting very comfortable with right now. Every camera looks at your eyes, your mouth and this kind of triangle of your face. That’s how my iPhone identifies people in every picture. We have other biometrics right here, our fingerprints. All of our fingerprint, our facial triangulation, as well as our voice, as well as all the different biometric parts, right down to our DNA. All of these are part of this 666 preparation.

So, look up from the slide for a second. Let me tell you something, is the COVID-19 vaccine, the mark of the beast. No. Repeat after me, is the COVID vaccine the mark of the beast. No. You know what it is? It’s part of the stronger, closer, inescapable birth pangs of deception going on in the world of disasters all around us and of diseases.

Back to the slide don’t ever confuse the 666 Mark with all these biometrics and all the facial recognition and all the DNA coding. Okay. All of that stuff is just preparatory, but it’s not the mark.

Next slide. Do you remember? We have comfortably all allowed, PayPal, and MasterCard, and Visa, and Apple Pay, and Venmo, and now the new global coin that that Facebook is launching. That is all also part of Satan’s plan.

Next slide. Let me back up, this whole COVID-19 contact tracing to 3 billion people, that came out. Look at this. It was in April, right after the March awareness the world had. Did you know that 3 billion people right now can be regularly tracked by Apple and Google? That’s how many people they know everything about because either they have an iPhone or they have Google mail or Google maps or whatever. That is all part of this global deception, disease disaster. Does it mean you should get rid of your Gmail account? No. You should, if you want to, but you don’t have to, it’s not the mark of the beast. Should you get rid of your iPhone? Maybe you should. They’re expensive and fragile, but it’s not that you’re partaking in anything to do with the person, the Anti-Christ. It’s just all part of the general direction our world is going toward globalism. That’s the spirit of the antichrist, the world united, worshiping the Earth. The whole ecology movement of mother Earth is part of the group, world worship of Satan rather than the true creator.

Back to the slides. So, we come to the third question. What did the mark mean to the early church? Now, turn in your Bibles to revelation 2, I’m going to show you more slides, but Revelation 2 starting in verse 8. Now remember, we’re in the middle of the Exploring Revelation course right here. We spend a whole hour looking at the seven churches in the course but look at verse 8.

“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last,” it’s Jesus, “who was dead, and came to life. ‘I know your works, tribulation and poverty, but you are rich; and I know the blasphemy of those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.”

Now look at verse 10. “Don’t fear the things which you’re about to suffer.” What is that next slide?

He’s talking about, Jesus is warning them about, the near extinction of Christianity event.

Did you know in history, look at the next slide, there were periods of persecution. Here’s a survey of Church history, a short history of the early church. Persecution, Nero – you know about him. He’s alive during the time of Peter and Paul. He persecuted people in Rome. Then Domitian and Trajan and all of these, Marcus Aurelius and Septimius Severus they expanded too provincial persecution. So, this is local – up here with a local persecution with Nero. These became provincial, kind of like States. Different areas of the Roman empire had persecution. By the time we get to down here in the fourth century, really with Diocletian, what we have is, and I’ll get to the next slide.

We have what Revelation 2:10 says, don’t fear the things which are going to happen. The near extinction of Christianity. Now, what did Jesus say? By the way, I love this picture. You see these archways here. This is the forum, in here, what you see in the distance that’s the forum. Right inside of those arches, you enter the forum. So, this is the pathway to the forum in the time of the New Testament. As you walked in on this pathway to the forum and went by this little desk here, there would be Roman Legionnaires, the city clerk. There would be a little bowl of incense right here and a little kind of fire burning of coals. Everybody in the city was marching down this pathway right here and they would stop at this desk. They would take a pinch of incense, throw it on the fire, and the clerk would hand them a little slip of paper. They were a loyal citizen. Any Christian who would not put that incense on and say Caesar is Lord, would be imprisoned, persecuted, or even executed.

That caused all who are in Christ Jesus, see what is Paul said? All of us who did not go along with the world and Satan in the system will suffer persecution. I’m not talking about people that don’t like the government, like what has gone on with this horrible capital riot. I’m not talking about that. That was lawlessness.  Look up from a second from the sides, what we all watched last Wednesday was rioting, lawlessness, nothing Christian about it. Any Christian that had anything to do with that should be ashamed of themselves. We are not called to overthrow governments. We are not called to riot to get our way. The early Christians were called to suffer. They had an emperor who was godless and who said, you must worship me. They said we have to obey God rather than you. So, we’re not going to riot and we’re not going to be lawless. You can punish us, but we will serve and worship Christ.

Notice who will suffer in your slides, all who are godly.

Basically, throughout history God has used the persecution of His church to advance the gospel.

In Jesus’ letter to Smyrna that we just looked at, He does not promise they’ll escape with their lives. That’s not the goal that we escape with our lives. God wants us to suffer for Christ.

Now question number four. How does the antichrist use the 666 mark? Look back in your Bibles in Revelation. Remember to understand issues, to understand what’s going on around us, to understand any portion of scripture, we look at the context. Look what Revelation 13:17 says. It says, “and that no one can buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

Now look up for a second, I’ll explain something. Many people think that the mark of the beast could be tied to the COVID vaccine. Why? Number one, because many countries are now saying, as in France, you can’t travel on the metro, on the mass transit, unless you’re vaccinated. Many countries are saying, Qantas Airlines in Australia, you can’t fly on our airplane without you being vaccinated. There’s actually legislation that was proposed, we don’t know if it will go through, that people cannot work in America, at their job without a vaccine. You say, that’s terrible, that’s crazy. Wait a minute, do you remember you can’t go to school without a polio vaccine. You can’t go to camp unless you have your tetanus shot, right? Do you know, we’re already in this world that is very interconnected, and we don’t want to spread diseases. If you don’t have your measles shot, you can’t go to school. I can see very soon that the COVID-19 vaccine will have very much to do with working and traveling. Is it the mark of the beast? No. Is it part of the birth pangs? Yes. We’re not supposed to avoid Satan slowly taking over the world. We’re not supposed to try and overthrow the world that’s going the wrong direction. What are we supposed to do? Share the gospel with them.

So, how does the antichrist use the mark? Look at this slide, the fourth question. He uses it to get people to submit to him.

Number five. Can someone be marked and not know, like with the vaccine? No. Why? Look at revelation 13:16. Remember the Bible answers it.

“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor.” This is the Anti-Christ and the false prophet. They are not operating right now; they are not presently unveiled. They are not world rulers. So, there is no mark of the beast that someone can be marked with and not know it, like with a vaccine.

Next question, number six. Can anyone be forgiven or saved after taking the mark and get saved during the tribulation? Or is the mark an unpardonable sin. Turn in your Bibles, remember the Bible answers this in two places. Number one, Mark 3:28. Let me define the unpardonable sin, Mark 3, let me turn back there with you, verse 28. Jesus is speaking. “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemes they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.” What is the unpardonable sin? It’s described in verse 30, “because they said, ‘He…” Jesus Christ “…has an unclean spirit.'” Look up for a second. Guess what? It is not possible to commit the unpardonable sin of Mark chapter 3 today. Why? Because it was to say, Jesus Christ was not God the Son, but that He was working in the power of Satan. It was looking at Jesus Christ as He ministered and raised people from the dead, and fed people, and gave them sight and hearing; saying, He’s doing that through the power of the devil. So, that unpardonable sin is not possible to be committed today, but there is an unforgivable unpardonable sin. What is that? It’s never being saved. Once we go through life and reject the offer of salvation, it’s too late to have our sins forgiven. So, really there is an unforgivable sin, and that is not believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Back to Mark 3:28, look in your Bible, “all sins will be forgiven[…] whatever blasphemies they may utter.”

Do you think it’s possible that people will be saved in the tribulation under the rule of the Anti-Christ? Yes. Look at chapter 7 in your Bible, chapter 7. Look what, it says about this. Verse 9,

“I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne.”

They all “fall on their faces”, verse 11.

So, verse 14, John says, sir who are these?

Verse 13, “who are these arrayed in white,” this huge crowd, John says, who are they?

Verse 14. “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation.”

Did you know, more people are going to be saved during the tribulation than any other time in history? It’s going to be the single greatest outpouring of the grace of God in the world.

So, look back at the sides. Can anyone be forgiven or saved after taking the mark or getting saved during the tribulation? Or is the mark the pardonable sin? The Bible does not say the mark is an unpardonable sin and yes, people will be saved out of the tribulation.

Here’s the last one before we go. What’s the only defense against Satan, the Anti-Christ and the mark of the beast? Two verses, Ephesians 1:13 and John 10:28. So, turn in your Bible with me to Ephesians 1. I want to talk with you about these two verses. Ephesians 1, now look in your Bible and you should Mark this one in your Bible, okay?

It says, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were…” what? “Sealed.”

I remember when my father built our home in the 1960s in Michigan. He put up the cement blocks and then he got these buckets of black tar. He spent the longest time painting the outside of the basement of our house with black tar. What was he doing? He was sealing the blocks so that water couldn’t get in and mold and ruin our house inside those blocks. It says in Ephesians 1:13, you and I were sealed. Sealed from what? From the penetration, from the ability Satan has to enter us. We are kept, Peter said, by the power of God, through faith unto salvation.

Now, what does John 10 say. Turn back from Ephesians to John 10? This is where we’re going to end our look. What’s the question? Remember, does Revelation explain that the mark of the beast could be a vaccine? It certainly does explain that and it’s not a vaccine.  What does the scripture say about the only remedy to make sure we don’t get the mark of the beast? It’s not the vaccine. How to make sure you never get marked by the beast, John 10:28-30.  Jesus is speaking and he says,

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone”, not even the Anti-Christ, not even the devil, not even the dragon, Satan, the beast, the Anti-Christ or the false prophet, no one shall snatch them, keep reading “out of My hand”, verse 28.

“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” Wow.

How do you know if you have eternal life? Look at verse 27 of chapter 10. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

The scriptures tell us that the only defense against Satan, the Anti-Christ and the mark of the beast is being born again, is knowing Jesus Christ, is calling on the name of the Lord. If you have never called on the name of the Lord, while you’re watching this little video, why don’t you think about right now, reaching out to Him by faith saying Lord Jesus, I believe. I believe you’re who you said you are. You are the Christ. You are the Son of God. You are God in human flesh. You are God the Son. You are Jesus Christ who died on the cross in my place. God be merciful to me as sinner. I call on you. You know what I’m saying? A lot of different things. There is no little prayer that you have to pray or just the right words to get saved. It’s talking to Jesus as your only hope, in reaching out to Him, just like you were falling off a cliff and saying, Jesus saved me. Reaching out to Him by faith. That’s the only defense against the Anti-Christ.

Look back at your slides. Why is that so important? Because completely confusing times are coming. There’s coming a time when the whole world is going to be faced with Satan in a human body, the beast, Anti-Christ.

How do you escape the mark of the beast? There’s only one way. The only protection from Satan is God’s signature.

You see on this slide, we have to say, God, I’m forgiven, you remove my debts. I’m justified because I believe on Christ. When you believe on Christ, He gives us a new heart. I’m regenerated. I’m reconciled. I’m adopted into God’s family. I’m redeemed, god owns me now. He’s making me a new person. That’s the only protection.

What I’d like to say to you is, if you’d like to join our class, we have two courses on YouTube. I invite you to number one, Understanding Revelation, the 20-class study that you’re listening to the one little session of question and answer. We teach through every verse and every doctrine and every truth in Revelation. Another course, that’s even more encompassing, how to understand the Bible. We covered the whole Bible by looking at the 52 key chapters of the Bible. Those are just two of the courses we offer.

That course on Revelation is in a book, it’s called Living Hope for the End of Days. In fact, if you look up from the slides, it’s right here, this is the entire course. Living Hope for the End of Days, it’s the whole book of Revelation. This book took 10 years for me to write. It’s my dissertation from Dallas Theological Seminary. This goes through every verse, every doctrine of the book of Revelation and ties it to all the rest of the books of the Bible.

Real quickly, if you’re just joining us this is a Q & A; How does Revelation explain if the mark of the beast could be the vaccine? It’s not. The mark of the beast is the mark of a person during the end of the world. When the birth pangs are crescendo-ing. The world is deceived. Diseases are killing. As Revelation says, one out of every two people in the world, basically 40 some percent of the world, dies in this very short time. Disasters are all around.

It’s not COVID-19, but COVID-19 is just one of the birth pangs. Should you get the vaccine? That’s a medical decision that you should make.  You asked me if I’m going to get the vaccine. I have my mumps shot, I have my rubella shop, I have my tetanus shot, I have my polio shot, I get my flu shot every year, and Lord willing Bonnie and I are in line to get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine so we can continue being missionaries and traveling to all the nations of the world.

Thank you for joining our Q & A. John Barnett here. My wonderful wife Bonnie, doing all the recording here in the virtual classroom. Thanks for joining this Q & A. God bless you.

Slides


Check Out All The Sermons In The Series

You can find all the sermons and short clips from this series, Exploring The Book of Revelation here.

Looking To Study The Bible Like Dr. Barnett?

Dr. Barnett has curated an Amazon page with a large collection of resources he uses in his study of God’s Word. You can check it out here.