India’s Baptists and Presbyterian Mark of the Beast Fears

Some in India fear its census because of the “mark of the beast”:

Fear of the Devil holding up census in Mizoram

Express India – June 16, 2010

The fear of the ‘Beast’ or the Devil in the Christian-dominated state of Mizoram has caused almost 1,000 families to refuse to enroll their names in the National Population Register (NPR) taken up along with the Census 2011 here from May 15. The dread stems from Chapter 13 Verse 17 of the Book of Revelations in the Bible which says “… and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the name of the Beast or the number of his name.” The problem has stemmed from the Unique Identification Authority of India stipulating that none one could buy or sell property without the Unique ID card. According to adherents of the belief, since buying or selling of property made one a follower of the Beast, one having the UID card, which authorised property transactions, automatically made one a follower of the Devil.

Those refusing to be enumerated belong to the Mizoram Presbyterian Church and the Baptist Church of Mizoram.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Fear-of-the-Devil-holding-up-census-in-Mizoram/634530/

Such fears, however, are unfounded.

Revelation 13 teaches:

16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Note that to “buy or sell” one apparently only has to have one of three things. Not necessarily all three.

Related to the mark, the late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

Those who receive the plagues are breakers of God’s Commandments, and also at the same time receivers of the MARK! It becomes more and more plain that the mark of the beast represents COMMANDMENT-BREAKING.

Notice this again in Colossians 3:5-6: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry [transgressions of some of the Ten Commandments]: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.” (Armstrong HW. The Mark of the Beast. 1952, booklet)

The above is important to keep in mind while reviewing some additional relevant biblical passages about the mark and those that worship the beast’s image:

20 ..he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. (Revelation 19:20)

11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:11)

2 So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. (Revelation 16:2)

A striking part of the above is that those punished above do not necessarily include those who bought and sold while only having the number of the beast’s name. If the number is on a national or supranational identification card, apparently those people could buy and sell and are not targeted by the first angel in Revelation 16:2. National identification cards with numbers have existed for decades, and thus of themselves do not seem to invoke the wrath of God. And while the Beast will apparently have one, that is simply not the mark of the Beast.

But, having the mark and worshiping the image of the Beast is something that generates wrath and punishment–this clearly violates at least two on the ten commandments. But simply having an identification card with a number on it does not seem to be what the Bible is warning about.

(I have been researching the “mark of the beast”, “image of the beast”, and the end-time “abomination of desolation” lately and hope to post a lengthy article on it later this year.)

Until then, some items of possibly related interest may include:

Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the LCG views this, and compares this to Ellen White.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?
India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage and discusses some of the witness to them (including those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings.