Thanks man. Most guys can't get into a theological discussion without getting pissy (which is kind of ironic...but that's a topic all of it's own). And you could very well be 100% correct in your assessment. I just like to keep an open mind and not get too locked down to believing in absolutes in every situation. Some situations yes, but not all.
I actually started to bring up the buying/selling point, but I figured it would be too lengthy and would put anyone off from reading it. I can remember propaganda from back in the day when barcodes were going to be the mark of the beast. Literally, people didn't want barcodes on their peas and carrots. Carrots bought with barcodes were supporting the devil. Somehow. And eventually people would end up getting barcoded. Again, just throwing this out as an example. This was a huge deal and made it's way through churches everywhere. Many different people, many different faiths. Of course, this was all before the internet. Can you imagine what an uproar it would have caused if it happened today?
Could a visible physical mark still be it? Absolutely. Could it be the "invisible tattoo" mentioned? Yep. Buuuuut...don't forget...the masses will be deceived. Deception is the key thing. So...let's think outside the box. What if...you had to pledge your loyalty to someone/something before you were accepted into the marketplace? What if you had to commit a sinful act of some kind to buy/sell? I'm not suggesting a human sacrifice at the front door before you get in, but something. He already said if you've thought about committing a sin, you're already sinned in your heart. Perhaps it would just be a willingness to commit a sin if needed to buy/sell. In other words, you didn't actually have to do it, just be willing to do it if you had to. You've chosen a side you just haven't acted on it yet.
I've got a lot of theories. But that's all they are. If I were Jewish, I'd say the market would only be open on the sabbath. There's a lot of things that could end up fitting the bill. With the recent hassle of just buying TP, it kind of gives a taste of what people would do. About the only thing I know is I'll probably regret a theological discussion in The Pit.
I can definitely see where you're coming from on some of your points here^ yes. It might get ugly, and I believe it will be something that isn't going to be a convenient thing for the believer to "walk by faith" and remain devoted and faithfull to Christ if he/she is living in whatever day such events take place. But then again it really never is a convenient thing to walk by faith, and make the right choices.
But in the case of these types of events which you and I are speaking of, I believe it will be intensified, just as it must have been for some of Christ's followers to be burned at the stake for believing in the name of Jesus, and refusing to denounce, or renounce his name. IN that sense, we in the USA and in some other countries have had it fairly easy to practice our faith. But that might change someday, and perhaps sooner that we would like to think. And yes, I do remember some flakey Christians in the 80's making a big deal about bar codes, and even about seeing the number 666 on the cash register when they went to ring out at the store. I think that many of them had flakey pastors that they chose to listen to in the churches they went to, and perhaps some of them didn't get all that nonsense from thier pastors, but from some rip-off con artist so called pastors they saw on TV who were telling them everything that they wanted to hear, in an attempt to get their monatary donations.
Not that I ever followed and belived any pastor blindly, but I was very fortunate during the late 80's and early 90's to have a real great down to earth pastor in the church I went to for 8 years straight, who spoke out against christians being flakey like that. He would say things like" OK so the license plate they they issued to you at the motor vehicle department has "666" in it's number. So what? Does that maen you recived the "mark of the beast" and you have commited and devouted your life to the anti-christ? nonsense!!....God's grace is more effective, and more powerful than that. It isn't like you made a decision to sell out to the devil, and begin reading the satanic bible, or began attending rituals where lucifer is being worshiped instead of Christ. But what I belive it DOES mean is that God in a number of subtle ways is allowing us to have wake up calls, and letting us know that just as the bride of Christ is being prepared for his second coming, so is the bride of the antichrist, and that the antichrist is also coming. Exactly when, nobody really knows the time nor the hour, nor the day, but you better focus your mind on your savior lest you get distracted and fall away, as the Bible says that many will in "the latter days" before Christ returns."
He went on" "so you don't need to freak out over that cash register that displayed a $6.66 figure when you were rung up. That's ridiculous if you think that anything like that would undo what the blood of Christ has done in your life. Instead, let it serve as a wake up call and a small reminder to you look up, (spiritualy speaking) for our redemption draws near,and don't get too caught up in the things of this world, for Jesus called satan the god of this world in the book of Matthew". ...and that he is and he will be, until Christ himself returns to this earth for his bride, (the Church) and I don't mean the building. I hope I didn't get too lengthy with that. And I hear ya...I'm sure it won't be long before the un believers jump into this thread in an effort to distract, disrupt, and attack us for daring to speak of God's Word. Deep down iside I think that some people actually see it as a threat to them even though it really isn't at all. But I digress....
Oh BTW, then there's the "rapture" of the Church spoken of in the the first book of Thesalonians 4:16 & 17, (even though the word "rapture" isn't found in there, but merely a word that we the church use to describe the event where Christ will take his people away before the horrific events of "the great tribulation" will take place on this earth as the book of Reveralation describes, just as Noah and his family of eith people were taken away and shut up inside the ark that was built BEFORE God's judgement fell back then in the 40 day flood. So how much of this Bill Gates and other elitist's control and population reduction that the church of Chirst will have to endure before the rapture? Nobody knows the answer to that either. Can these events be starting in the generations that follow us? I don't know that either. I guess all we can do is to keep our prayer life active, and hope and pray for the best, and prepare for the worst, (spiritually and physically).