Mark of the Beast communication system may now be under development
I believe that any Mark of Beast System where no man can buy or sell cannot realistically be established worldwide until there is a worldwide communication system where even the poor and the rural people of the world have access. Since I live in a place where high-speed Internet is still not available or feasible I keep on top of the news on any new high-speed Internet developments.
If we are in the last days like I believe, I really also have to wonder how there can be any totally controlled buy/sell system in place on earth at a time when there are so many people in the world that still do not have access to electricity and communications and it also appears that they won’t have for decades.
From what I knew, it appeared to me that a world buy/sell system would not be possible until some new communications technology was developed. Up until yesterday, I did not see any such system on the near horizon. If you bear with me for a minute I will get to the point about a possible communication system that will fill the bill. First I want to give you some background information, you might find the information useful.
As I said, as of right now, high-speed Internet is still not feasible for me. There is no DSL or cable available here and the present satellite Internet systems that are available are not much of an improvement over dial-up. They are expensive, they are not very fast, they are subject to interference by rain and snow and all the satellite providers put severe bandwidth limitations on their service. I actually already exceed their daily or monthly limits using my dial-up connection. Therefore, these present satellite services are not going to be the answer for me or the answer for 5 billion other people on earth that still do not have good access to the Internet.
Recently I have been looking into Verizon because a workman that came here claimed he was getting good reception on his Verizon iPhone. So we have been looking into that but the Verizon store will not lend us a data device and I am not about to buy equipment and get into a long-term contract before I know if it actually works here most of the time. Even if the Verizon service is better than dial-up or satellite, Verizon will probably only be 3G here for the next two years. We will be one of the last areas in the country to get 4G, but Verizon does have plans to get 4G wherever they have service by 2013. Nevertheless, since I do not know if 3G will work here yet, I cannot assume that 4G will work here either even when it arrives. Therefore the research for a high-speed Internet solution for me continued.
While researching this stuff I came across a satellite terrestrial hybrid system that is about ready to hit the market place. It is called LightSquared . The lightSquared website says this system
“will be the first Open wireless broadband network using a technology called Long Term Evolution (LTE), the most widely adopted 4G standard in the world. Its LTE network will be combined with one of the largest commercial satellites ever launched, to provide coverage of the entire United States. This integrated LTE-satellite network is a world first.”
That sounded exciting because it looks like the answer for my problem, so I checked into it some more. The $600 million dollar satellite is already in space and the terrestrial tower hotspots are now under development. They plan to have 40,000 hotspots across the United States all using 4G LTE. They say that this terrestrial system will cover 92 percent of the United States by 2015.
With this terrestrial satellite hybrid system, if you get in an area of the country where the land based system does not work the satellite system will seamlessly take over. The main difference will be slower Internet speed when you are on the satellite. They plan to market this Open system through various local vendors and that should drive down the cost of high-speed Internet for everyone.
About the only major bug left to work out in this system is that it may jam some GPS devices that do not have a strong enough filter to keep out the noise from the nearby radio wavelength that this new hybrid system uses. It seems GPS manufactures are the one to blame because they should have realized that this wavelength would be used someday. They should have built-in noise filters. Anyway, that problem is likely to be solved, the only question is who pays the costs for the filters and upgrades? Nevertheless, the FCC is not going to let them turn this system on until these things are worked out but they still believe the system will be turned on this year. Like all new Internet systems the big cities will be the first to have access to it.
That sounds great for Internet because Verizon and others will have 4G LTE covering most of the United States as well by 2013, so there is going to be a lot of high-speed available to almost everyone at very competitive prices. Even so, with LightSquared, those out of the range of towers that have to resort to satellite for Internet will not get 4G LTE they will get high-speed but it will not be at the speeds of the terrestrial based 4G LTE systems. Satellite Internet also have a latency problem because they are in stationery orbit about 22,000 miles from the earth. So it takes a second or so for the four-way trip that is required before that data you requested gets back to your device. That makes real-time applications like voice and interactive gaming about impossible. Also, since the satellite is in stationery orbit it will not reach everywhere in the world, so although this will cover most of the US it really cannot be the communication system that solves the Mark of the Beast buy/sell dilemma.
So lo and behold, in my further research, I came across another satellite system that is under development that actually does solve all of the problems and it is coming almost as soon. The system is called Commstellation and it is due to go online in 2014 or 2015. It will be a system of 78 low orbit mini satellites that will cover the whole earth. It will be relatively inexpensive and the latency problem will be solved because each satellite will orbit only 1000km above the earth. In other words these satellites will be about 30 or 40 times closer to earth than the stationary satellites. Maybe the best way to describe this type of satellite system would be to think of the GPS networks of satellites but put high speed data transfer on them and have more of them in orbit. There will always be one or more satellites available for your communications device. Since the satellites are much closer to the earth they will communicate 10 to 20 times faster than the high altitude systems. There will not be the huge costs either, since the plan is to have 14 satellites launched on just one rocket. The whole system will be put up with just 6 rockets in 2014 or 2015. There will be coverage overlap and backup satellites so 100 percent of the globe will be covered all the time.
I have to eat a little crow here because Chuck Missler in a Bible prophecy conference in 2008 said that there would be a satellite system up in five years that would cover the whole earth. I thought he was blowing smoke. To me that seemed highly unlikely and I said so in a post and a critique that I wrote on that 2008 Bible Prophecy conference (now deleted). I have to give credit where credit is due. Chuck Missler was only off by a year or two. I really did not see any possibility of global internet coverage coming that quickly but Commstellation is making me a believer.
This also puts a critical piece into the prophetic puzzle because there had to be some kind of world communication system accessible to everyone, even the poor nations, before any literal mark of the Beast buy/sell system could be implemented in the whole world.
It sounds feasible to me that the communications system called Commstellation will actually be in place by 2015 as advertised. After that, it probably will soon become integrated with other high-speed systems somehow. I do not expect this one system to be able to handle all of the communications of the world but it will fill in where only satellite can reach. So, soon there will be global high-speed coverage everywhere on earth and I guess they could put up more satellites if that becomes necessary.
So let’s assume that it will be in place by 2015 as advertised. It would still take time to do the integration with other high-speed systems and low-cost devices powered by kinetic energy will have to be manufactured so that even poor people without electrical power can access the Internet. At the rate that the cost of electronics keeps falling and are using less and less power it is very feasible that within 10 years after the system is working that all people on earth will have the means to access the Internet from anywhere on the earth. I am sure the big charitable foundations will help with the costs of these devices and help bring this Internet capability to everyone on earth.
Then couple this communication system with a computer chip or code in or on your own body that gives you access to the world market place and you have everything necessary to literally fulfill the buy/sell Bible prophecy.
So I think by around 2025, the only thing that the world will be waiting for to implement the Beast buy/sell system is the decree by the False Prophet (the second Beast).
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 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.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Don Koenig founded www.thepropheticyears.com website in 1999 after almost thirty years of independent study on the Bible and learning from many astute teachers within Christendom. Don created his website to write about Bible prophecy, biblical discernment and his Christian worldviews. Don wrote a free Revelation commentary ebook in 2004 named "The Revelation of Jesus Christ Through The Ages". The World and Church and Bible Prophecy section of this website was started in 2007. 
Don,
Data Communications used to be my niche’.
I can tell you that there is already a better than satellite, DSL, Cable, etc. system in place…it has been in place for years, it’s potentially faster than modern internet speeds, and it’s already in most homes.
It’s electricity power.
Data going through your electric wall socket or BPL (BROADBAND OVER POWER LINES) would beat all of the modern mess. You can buy a cheap system to LAN your home now. Line noises would determine your data speeds, up to speeds much faster than what’s available today.
There’s 1 small problem & 1 big problem as I remember.
The small problem, is that it would eliminate Ham Radio & other shortwave transmissions…personally, I think it’s worth that but I’m not a Ham Radio Operator.
The bigger problem is that there would have to be an IEEE standard and transformers would have to be modified or, worse case scenario, replaced because of line noise.
But, there ‘ya go…everyone would have High Speed iNET.
Last I knew, it test marketed in some areas.
I remember the Ham Radio people throwing a big fit over this a few years back.
Well, everyone with electricity would have iNET, I should have said. Kinetic Energy for those without electricity would be a good idea.
I forgot to mention one very big factor in BPL.
The phone companies, cable companies, etc are fighting on behalf of the Ham Radio people in court to prevent BPL from becoming a reality $$$,$$$,$$$.
Another case of the man keeping us down.
Very interesting post. Don, thanks for taking the time to explain all of this to the less tech savvy of your readers. (and I’m impressed with your giving credit where credit is due, that takes guts).
David,
I am aware of the possibility of High speed internet over electrical lines and I know that it is being tested in some area of Texas. If I remember right I think the big problem has been the transformers.
Replacing or modifying transformers would be hugely expensive. I am not certain that the electric companies could even absorb that cost and still deliver high speed Internet at competitive rates. Heck, if they can they might as well also modify the transformers to protect them from an EMP at the same time.
If they can make this high speed Internet feasible it will be another means of high speed Internet, but it still does not solve the problem for billions of people in the third world that do not even have electricity. Heck my other property does not even have electricity and it will cost $15,000 to bring it just a half mile and I live in America. Commstellation and kinetic energy powered data devices would fill that gap for high speed Internet. No other system I know will do that.
Why would electric line high speed Internet eliminate Ham and shortwave transmissions? If that is the case it’s a really big problem.
Hey Don,
I did not see any mention of the nano sized microprocessors mentioned here. Supposedly they can be sprinkled like dust anywhere one chooses and create a self powered network, with each one capable of linking to all around it. The cost is supposed to be very affordable and they are getting smaller all the time. I have read several articles about this technology online and it already exists, they just keep making them smaller and smaller. Mated with what Apple is supposedly working on (one’s mind being actually linked in a network) who knows what system could be used. Man’s knowledge is truly exponentially increasing!
Johnny,
Theory about what is possible is not present reality or practical. I think there could be a neural link to the Internet and it could have a role in the Beast system. But right now I am talking about how the Internet can be available to everyone in the world so the worldwide buy/sell system becomes possible within fifteen years.
There still is the issue with Babylon being the world capital. It has not even started being built and it will supposedly be a magnificent city. I don’t see how Babylon can be ready in even 50 years.
Babylon can be rebuilt in a decade if there is enough money. There is some development going on there now and there are plans in place for further development of Babylon. Dubai and many modern cities in China were built in a decade. Keep in mind that Iraq probably will be pumping more oil than Saudi Arabia in fifteen or twenty years. Also keep in mind that this will be the headquarters of the world with someone who claims to be God in charge and the people of the world will believe him and send their tributes to him.
Only the very old transformers (that need to be changed anyway) would need to be changed. The modern transformers would not need to be modified physically themselves, but would have to have line conditioners put on them (to eliminate noise in the line) on the physical line or lines, pretty cheap really when compared to the pipe line of modern communications.
No, this does not fix the problem of poor nations with electricity.
BPL apparently sends out a pulse that attracts Ham & short wave radio like an antenna and destroys their signal.
I don’t see where this would be an issue though. If/when BPL becomes reality, we will all be carrying devices that will let us communicate anywhere in the world instantly anyway.
The phone companies would cease to exist and, therefore, they are taking up the fight of the Ham Radio operator, I think this says a lot in itself.
I’ve heard speculation that Uncle Sam is not for BPL because it would make it very difficult to monitor and control the internet…so with telco’s and government fighting it, yea, it might not happen.
As far as the mark of the beast itself…
I do remember hearing about a company in Ohio in 2008 that gave the employees 1 year notice that they were going to implement a mandatory chip implant for access to the facility. I don’t have the current article so take that for what it’s worth.
I know that India is working on a national ID system, up to, and including microchip implants, current news.
In the U.S., George Bush signed The REAL ID Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109-13, 119 Stat. 302, enacted May 11, 2005, was an Act of Congress that modified U.S. federal law pertaining to security, authentication, and issuance procedures standards for the state driver’s licenses and identification (ID) cards, as well as various immigration issues pertaining to terrorism.
And Jack “I’m not setting dates” Van Impe says that the Bilderberg organization has a plan for 2017 in accordance with micro-chipping all people on earth. Take that for what it’s worth.
Sorry to be a Blog Hog again…I’ll go onto another topic and let others comment on this.
So if they destroy Ham and shortwave what is the backup communications system the day the lights go out in Georgia?
David,
Jack Van Impe twenty or thirty years ago used to teach that there was a computer in Belgium named the BEAST and that this is the computer that would control the world. Van Impe spouts every source he hears as fact and does not even care if the source is pagan.
Most know that this chip technology exists but until it because publicly acceptable its not going to be widespread. Even so, getting chipped is not taking the mark of the Beast.
Only after the angel announces to everyone that anyone that takes the mark of the Beast will be damned will it mean that. Until then we are all really just guessing what its all about.
My guess is that it will be advertised as some leap forward in evolution and it either changes one into a chimera or a trans-human so that you are no longer fully human and thus cannot be saved by the fully Human Kinsman Redeemer, or that it is just a formal initiation and a signing of allegiance to the Devil with the wordily buy/sell privileges. I actually think it will be both.
If the electricity power goes out by EMP or whatever, then shortwave/Ham would work again because the power lines wouldn’t be emitting the pulse. But with no active power grid and only battery power, it would all be limited anyway…correct ?
Correct?
Not exactly! If they make it impossible for there to be Ham operators and Shortwave stations why would there be any still in existence to fall back on the night the lights go out in Georgia? Ham radio can transmit for quite a while off of batteries and short wave stations generally have back up generators.
The BEAST does exist but I thought it was in England. I know a bit about this because I had to get a Federal Commercial Drivers License and during the (non-Christian source) course training, they talked about the BEAST computer that stores the Federal information.I think your last paragraph is feasible and as you’ve pointed out before, I think it’s going to be sold to the public as the in thing to do, the cool new tech, security, fighting crime because your personal assets can’t be stolen etc….brought to us with a great sales pitch seamlessly on a TV commercial followed by a Viagra commercial, for example.I don’t think it will be a hard sale given where the world is today with terrorism & crime…and of course, what is coming with the anarchy in the world that will occur when the world economic bubble truly bursts.Of course, your right, this is all just speculation.
I don’t know what the ‘powers that be’ will decide and why, I’m just glad we have such good decision makers in Washington to think all this out for us (sarcasm) : )
I’m sure that “Project Echelon” plays a big part in all this also…the future of the internet and the “mark of the beast”.
An excellent and thought provoking article. And pretty scary. Good thing we know who wins in the end.
Hey Don, Why can’t the world leader just pass a law requiring a mark, that everyone has to show before buying or selling products. If you buy items over the internet, they could have you show proof of your mark at your local police station and they issue you an authorization number for use online. In the country or local store just show them the mark. Plus offer rewards to anyone who turns in the “unmarked”.?
Yes it was an interesting article/topic.
I’ve been wondering if this unresolved financial crisis will lead America and much of the developed world into a cashless society, not necessarily chips but even just debit cards then migrating to a chip system down the road. Eliminating all cash transactions would bring in more tax revenues and make drug dealing more problematic without a stealth monetary system.
And what about the tribulation saints, at least some of them should make it through to the end, what will they do? barter for goods, use gold and silver for exchange or will these be declared verboten so as to cut off any means of escaping the governments control and endless money printing. Maybe commune life on self sufficient rural farms will be the only way for them to survive. I suppose with the massive destruction of life not just during the 3.5 year tribulation but even the years leading up to that time, providing for basic food, clothing and shelter may be all there is to daily life.
I just hope you are right about a pre-tribulation rapture. It sure would solve a lot of issues for me to get raptured out of here, the sooner the better.
Jeff,
I suppose that is possible but if you left it up to the local vendors there would be a whole lot of non compliance. I think the prophecy makes it pretty clear than no man will be able to buy or sell without his name, mark or number so that leads me to believe that it will be a totally controlled system.
Tim,
I would think that it will be an all electronic system and since it will be controlled by a supernatural intelligence there will no longer be endless printing of money under the Beast. Government overspending is what gets us to the end system, it is not the end system.
It seems the tribulation saints will have to rely on each other and on God. I do not think gold or silver will be useful for barter in the last days.
David,
There have been more than one agency that have nicknamed their commuter system the BEAST but that is not what we are talking about. There never was a BEAST computer in Brussels that had the capabilities to control all world commerce as VAN IMPE implied over twenty years ago.
Don,
Another thought provoking article.
Yes, the Bible does says “no man” will be able to buy or sell, but sometimes the Bible uses exaggeration to make a point. I believe the “no man will be able to buy or sell” will be the law of the land, however, many will continue to buy and sell, specifically those who didn’t take the Mark of the Beast. An example of the Bible’s use of exaggeration might be Deu. 1:10 where the children of Israel are on the the East side of the Jordan River, waiting to cross over and the Bible says: “The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.” Obviously, their number didn’t equal 70 sextillion, but we get the point; there were a great number of people camped there.
As for those who do not take the Mark of the Beast . . . in order to survive — and many do survive to enter the millennium — I can envision a thriving black market where gold and silver may very well have a place.
Obviously some will find ways to get stuff but you can be sure that the government of the Beast is not going to make it easy.
I do not think Gold and Silver will be used as an exchange. Are those that are not going to take the mark going to collect Gold and Silver to save it for after the second coming? Are they really going to give away what they need to survive for 3.5 years for gold and silver? I don’t think so and the Bible seems to indicate otherwise.
Yes, of course in the final days of wrath when what is happening to the world finally becomes clear to those who are perishing, then the gold and silver will be worthless. But in the beginning of the tribulation, don’t you think some of the people who have taken the mark will secretly trade with those who have not? If they think the Anti-Christ is truly going to save the world, wouldn’t they be trying to get their hands on the silver and gold of those “foolish” folks who refuse to play “Dear Leader’s” game?
Of course, it’s all speculation. And all of this will be a moot point for we who go in the rapture. As Chuck Missler is wont to say, “We’ll be watching it all from the mezzanine.”
Doug,
I do not see non believers that take the Mark trading anything with believers. Believers will be the enemy and there will be spies everywhere.
Ez seems to indicate that silver will become worthless, of course we do not know if that is real silver or just silver like worthless coins but it does says their Gold shall be removed. (as in taken from them). My conjecture is that all Gold will be confiscated to build the golden city of the Antichrist. I think that is implied in the following verse.
WOOOWWW, I had a completely different perception of the USA. Any jungle village here in Mexico has a fast internet connection. The only places there isn’t fast internet are the newly built neighborhoods, but 3 or 4 months after the neighborhood is populated TELMEX and the rest of the internet providers start sending people to ask if we would like to have a telephone line at home and the internet comes with it. You pay nothing for the telephone service and you only pay like 15 dollars (200 pesos) a month for the internet. Anyway, there are many people here who cannot afford having internet, nor a computer at home. A year ago Mexican government announced on the radio that they are planning to build a network which will cover the whole country with a completely FREE wireless internet service, so wherever you are in Mexico, you get FREE internet access. I don’t remember if they said something about the connection speed.
I think just about every small town in the USA has high speed Internet available now but many people in America just do not live in or even near any town.
Tim, I think that tribulation saints will have to gather together like all bad guys got together around David, and they will have to hide, if they want to survive those days. They won’t be able to barter for any goods, nor will they be able to sell any gold to anyone because they will be hated by everyone in the world. I was born and raised in a communist country and my grandfather (my mom’s father) was MARKED as an enemy of the state. While he had been in the concentration camp my grandmother hadn’t been given job, hadn’t had any money, nor even home. So, she hasn’t been able to buy or sell anything to anyone, neither has she had any friends who would talk to her because of fear of persecution. I think that even if tribulation saints have any relatives who have the mark of the beast on their foreheads or right hands, they won’t be able to get helped by them because even they will be persecuted by the state. I think that many of them will be killed by the beast government only because they have some Christian relatives who will be considered world’s biggest problem ever! I also think that if people really want to understand what tribulation saints are going to live in, they have to take a closer look on what we lived in the times of communism. Communism, I think, is just a glimpse of what end days will be like. Of course, the end times will be WAY WORSE!
I just pray to the Lord to keep me from being entangled with the tares. The tares are inescapable, but I guess it’s almost always been that way. I’m even paranoid that purple is my favorite color – but that’s only coincidence (or so I tell myself). Then again, I like turquoise too. Hopefully turquoise isn’t some sort of beast symbolism. My heart is in the right place, even if I can’t escape throwing an old movie on as background chatter. Somebody will probably find something wrong with “Dances with Wolves” for all I know. Just impossible, frankly. Definitely not sitting in a bar, let’s put it that way. And then there’s the internet. I’m not even on facebook. Only a guitar forum – and this is no place to argue over hobbies.
Martin,
It sounds to me like you’ve experienced and seen more than most of us have as a sampling of what the tribulation and even the tough times ahead before the tribulation will be like. It is heart wrenching to hear what humans do to one another.
Craig,
In am of the opinion that the Lord will guide us of what we should and shouldn’t do. I wouldn’t get to caught up with superstitions and no way should anyone condemn you for your hobbies…just my opinion.
Don’s blog here might be called my hobby, it makes me happy, just blogging to other Christians.
Martin, what you describe sounds extremely frightening, both what happened during the communists reign as well as what potentially could happen during the tribulation period.
It would seem like the typical Tribulation Saint would have to be young and healthy to run, hide and scavenge a living for 3.5 years. I’ve read that homeless people migrate to warmer climes like Florida or San Diego so they have a chance of surviving outdoors, however even there you wouldn’t be able to beg for change since you couldn’t buy food anyways. Older persons even if they owned their own homes would not be able to buy groceries or pay their utility bills, hence no chance of survival except the few with self sufficient farms.
Tim,
(that’s just my point of view, of course, you may have your own, and you may be thoroughly right, and I may be wrong)
there won’t be self sufficient farms. The beast will come among us to kill us. How could you possibly live on a farm when beast’s police is looking to kill you. People will be betrayed by relatives, which means that police have already been looking for them. You will have to hide. A furious beast will be ruling the planet during a short period of time and his purpose will be killing people, and having total control over the world and its population, he will be happily expressing his nature of a murderer and a liar. In my point of view, having seen a small part of the horrors of communism, not even his court will be spared by his anger. The enemy is a KILLER and a LIAR. I think that he doesn’t care if you will go down the hell with him. I think he just wants you DEAD. I sometimes recommend people to re-read Orwell’s 1984. At least you will be able to feel what living in constant fear and hopelessness is like.
Martin,
I could envision a scenario where the rapture were to occur shortly before the tribulation and for speculation purposes let’s say 1/3 of America was taken. This would create many vacant houses for the Saints to hide out in and greatly disrupt an otherwise normally functioning society. Some small towns in the bible belt could almost become desserted. Of course you are probably right and many Saints will be martyred.
I guess it’s not a good witness but yea I already know what it’s like to live in constant fear and hopelessness.
Yeah, I was talking about after rapture life on Earth. Jesus says to go to the mountains. I guess mountains will be the only save place to run and hide.
I would think that is would be better to plan not to live through the great tribulation on earth than to plan to live to live through it. The later posters seems to forget that it is not just government that you have to deal with. There is the water turning to blood, the great earthquakes, the stinging locusts where people wish they could die, the wars, wormwood, the great heat, the darkness. Let’s not get focused on the period of God’s wrath on earth because that is really not meant for the Church.
Martin,
Actually, Jesus tells those in Jerusalem to flee to the mountains of Jordan after the Holy Place is defiled. We know Israel will be supernaturally protected their during the 3 1/2 years. There is nothing that says the rest of the world will be protected in the mountains.
Hey guys I think we could be failing to see two important things. This is my logic. I think the verse Rev 13:11: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.”happens in mid tribulation. If so then, by this time many wars have been going on. You know that technology increases more rapidly in war time than during peace. So we have to take into account the possibility of new hi-tech inventions and developments that we do not have in place at this moment or would think of in the first 3½ years of tribulation.
Also we could be underestimating Satan’s power to do prodigies. The second Beast (the false prophet) will have he’s own share of power from Satan. Actually he will be able to make fire to come down from the sky and amaze people with it. Now, this is no ordinary laser gun. This is a wonder. Couldn’t the hi-tech to control people be a wonder also? The other miracle is that he will make the image of the beast to have life. Whether it is a hologram or a statue, it will have life of its own. The dwellers of the earth are the ones who make the image but it is the false prophet who gives it life, enough life to kill those who won’t praise it. So here is an example of hi-tech intermingled with dark spiritual power. We could call this “spiritech” () Any one has a better word for it?). After doing miracles and wonders, would he use exclusively low-to-earth technology to control world commerce? I don’t think so.
Maybe it will be much more advanced than we can even know at this point and that is why I lean toward the fringe view that speculates that the mark including some kind of a neural link to allow access to all the acquired knowledge by man and perhaps even the knowledge of Satan and his angels. However, for any system the basic infrastructure first has to be in place because it simply is impossible to build a worldwide buy/sell infrastructure instantaneous. The only other alternative is this is all done through some spiritual supernatural communications and if so, why even warn people about not taking the mark allowing them to buy and sell, when supernatural communications really will not offer anyone the possibility to reject it?
This is Satan’s best effort to be omnipresent omnipotent and omniscient.
I think it is easy to get bogged down on the technology issue in stead of the “why” issue. satan cannot do anything to harm God even and including hurting any part of God’s creation without first having obtained permision (JOB) however what man chooses by free will is allowed. The “Why” is because satan wants to take away mans opportunity to be saved and so get at God. Imagine a man hooked into a system which can contol his thought processes. Imagine a whole world full of people who have used their free will to hook into a system that takes away their ability to make any further free will choices…satan would like that. The what become clearer when you know the why. The mark, whatever the technology, is simply a device that enables a person to go online with the system that will eventually be used to control these minds.
I, too, am curious as to how the mark of the beast will come into existence. Here is an interesting article about biometric ID’ing in India, and it may go as far as not being able to buy or sell without it:
http://www.infowars.com/india-implements-first-biometric-id-program-for-all-of-its-1-2-billion-residents/