Is Getting the COVID Vaccine Taking the Mark of the Beast?

Posted byceopatePosted inUncategorized

Barbra sent in the following comment to my blog: “I am new to your blog but loved the honesty and caring it portrays. I know this may make you laugh, but I have a sibling who will not get vaccinated. Why?… Because it’s the sign of the beast in the book of Revelations! I mean Holy Cow! I can’t seem to change his mind. Any suggestions?”

I replied to Barbra that I didn’t laugh because this was not the first time people had expressed this concern to me, and those people were very sincere in their concern. I also was told of a woman who came to the hospital severely ill with COVID and subsequently died, but explained prior to her death that she did not take the vaccine because she did not want a chip implanted in her.

As a Christian, I am getting tired of politicians waving their Bibles for photo ops, while not demonstrating the behaviors that the Bible commands of us. Frankly, I wish politicians would spend more time reading their Bibles than waiving them around. So, when people actually want their behaviors to comport with the word of God, I am thrilled and always happy to try to answer their questions. So, I respect that these people expressing their concern about the vaccine are God-fearing and want to do the right thing by God.

With that said, to answer this question, we must turn to the scripture itself. The short answer is that we can conclusively and definitively state that getting the COVID vaccine is not taking the mark of the Beast. What follows is my analysis of scripture that provides us with this answer.

As Barbra points out in her question, the reference to the mark of the Beast occurs in the Book of Revelation. My favorite translation is the New Living Translation, so I will quote scripture from that unless I indicate that I am using a different translation.

The reference to the mark of the Beast occurs in Revelation 13:16-17:

He required everyone – great and small, rich and poor, slave and free – to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.

So, to interpret what is meant by this passage, we must put it in context. Who is he? What is this mark? Why would whoever he is require people to take this mark? Who is the beast?

Revelation is the last book of the New Testament of the Bible. It was written by the apostle John. It is a difficult book for most Christians to understand because it uses apocalyptic language, rich with imagery and symbolism that would have been more familiar to early Church Christians than to us today. While many Christians view Revelation with fear, it is actually a book of hope and great comfort for Christians. Those who should view the book with fear are those who probably won’t read it – those who do not know and have not accepted Christ as their savior.

In fact, God tells us in Revelation 1:3:

God blesses the one who reads this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to it and obey what it says.

One of the reasons that this prophecy is a blessing is it describes the ultimate triumph of good over evil, God over Satan. We live in a world full of sin. We live in a world where truth has become the enemy and people pervert the word of the Bible and proclaim to be Christians while at the same time expressing hate of others. The good news is that God will only let Satan rule this world for a limited period of time before God and His armies come back, take control of the world, and rule over this world after banishing Satan forever.

So, the majority of the book of Revelation is prophecy (i.e., it provides us divine revelation about future events) and describes what happens in “end times.”

The beginning of the “End Times” is signaled by the rebirth of Israel as a nation, which occurred in 1948. This is the fulfillment of the dry bones prophecy in Ezekiel 37, which is interpreted in Ezekiel 37:21: “I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.” This sets the stage for the Tribulation period[1]. Thus, we are living in the end times.

It is clear that the rebirth of Israel as a nation is necessary for the fulfilment of future biblical prophecies to be possible. For example, the peace covenant between the antichrist and the leaders of Israel that signals the start of Tribulation would not be possible if there was no nation of Israel.

The Tribulation referred to in the book of Revelation is the Great Tribulation – a seven-year period where the Holy Spirit, the “great restrainer” is removed, allowing Satan to have free reign. It will be a period of false peace, world-wide disasters and tremendous loss of life. In a mockery of the triune God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Satan will have his own trinity – Satan (also referred to as the Dragon – a counterfeit God), the Antichrist (also referred to as the Beast – a counterfeit Christ), and the False Prophet (a counterfeit Holy Spirit). Paul warned of a “man of lawlessness” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3,8-9 in a reference to the antichrist. It is John who refers to the antichrist as “the beast” in Revelation 13:1-10.

Now, while God through John does not give us a strict chronology of events and complete clarity as to what all those events are, He does provide some important facts and timelines. As mentioned above, the Bible provides us with an event that signals the beginning of “end times.” Because of that, we know that we are living in those end times. But, the Tribulation comes later (we are in end times, but we have not yet gone through Tribulation) and we know that the antichrist (the beast) is not revealed and does not rise to prominence until the Tribulation period. Thus, no one can be taking the mark of the beast until they are in the Tribulation period and the beast has been revealed. This is how we can be confident that the COVID vaccine does not involve taking the mark of the beast.

Now we can answer the questions about Revelation 13:16-17. Who is “he”? We can tell from the context of the earlier portion of Revelation 13 that the “he” is a reference to the False Prophet. What is the mark? We don’t know. The Bible does not tell us, other than it will be necessary to buy and sell things during this period of the Tribulation. We also know that those who refuse to take the mark will be persecuted by Satan and we know that when God comes back to reclaim His rightful place as King, those who have taken the mark will be punished for taking the mark. We don’t even know whether the mark is something physical – some believe it will be of the nature of a tattoo, others believe it will be a computer chip of some kind – but it may not be a physical mark as it appears to once again be a perversion of the actions of God to preserve His people by Satan to destroy his followers. Revelation 7:3-4:

Wait! Don’t hurt the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants[2]. And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God.

Who is the beast? This is the name John gives to the antichrist.

There are other clues that we are progressing towards the Tribulation period.

The Bible tells us that there will be growing apostasy. Apostasy means a falling away from the truth; willful departure or defection from the faith; or abandonment of the faith.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 King James Version (KJV):

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

The reference to “latter times” means the “End Times.” We are certainly seeing this prophecy being fulfilled today, and it will greatly increase during the Tribulation. People are promoting lies and conspiracy theories in some cases for power, in others for money, and yet others to curry favor. They are willing to promote lies that will harm others, all the while professing to be Christians. These are the people God refers to in Matthew 7:22-23, where He says that on judgment day, many will call out His name, but He will reply, I never knew you.  Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.

This is why I am very careful about the sources I read, listen to and study. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 tells us that we are to “test everything.” That means that we must constantly evaluate news, doctrine, philosophies, theories and everything else we are told or read against scripture. If it is consistent with scripture, it may or may not be true; but if it is inconsistent with scripture, it is false. We have to be careful about our sources and realize that in the End Times (which we are in now), the Bible teaches us that many, including leaders, will promote false teachings, false religions, false doctrines and the promotion of cults. We see evidence of this every day. We have seen false teachers and many cults since 1948. We see how easily people can be misled, how easily people will adopt beliefs that are verifiably false and how leaders will promote those lies or misinformation in order to further their own goals.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NASB):

3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

2 Timothy 3:1-8 (NASB):

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these. 6 For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, worthless in regard to the faith.

We are warned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 not to be deceived. Especially dangerous will be those lies that have some element of truth or those promoted by charismatic leaders who promote falsehoods as supposed Christians, but saying other things or demonstrating behaviors that are clearly unbiblical.

When both the creation of the nation state of Israel and the growing apostasy have occurred (and they have), all the pre-conditions for the Tribulation to take place are met. For pre-tribulationists (the view I support), the only remaining event prior to the start of Tribulation is the Rapture.

Rapture

At the time of the rapture, the dead in Christ will be resurrected and those Christians living at the time will be instantly translated into their resurrection bodies and both groups of people will be “caught up” to meet Christ in midair and taken directly to heaven.

John 14:1-3 (NASB):

Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 (NASB):  

Behold, I am telling you a [a]mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 (NASB):

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

[There are many views of when the Rapture occurs: pre-tribulationism (which I subscribe to), mid-tribulationism, post-tribulationism, partial rapture, pre-wrath view and others.]

Pre-tribulationism

The Church[3] will not go through the judgments prophesied in Revelation 4-18. Support for this view comes from:

  1. A literal interpretation of the Bible. The Bible is a compilation of many different forms of literature. A literal approach means that when the language is clear and unambiguous, we should accept it literally. On the other hand, we understand that some portions of the Bible are not meant to be read literally, such as parables and apocalyptic literature. This is also true in our everyday life in interpreting what others say. We take others literally, but we know when not to. If I say, it is raining outside, others would be right to conclude that wherever I am located, there is precipitation and rainfall. On the other hand, if I say, it is raining cats and dogs, one would be justified to believe it is raining wherever I am, but one is not intended to believe that cats and dogs are actually falling from the skies.
    1. Revelation 3:10 (NASB): Because you have kept My word of perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of the testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who live on the earth. This is a critical promise. God is not promising to spare Christians from all trials in their lives, but rather from “the hour of the testing, that hour which is about to come” or as some other translations state it, “the hour of trial that is coming” – a clear reference to the Great Tribulation.
    1. The Greek word John used is translated “from” carries the meaning of separation, in other words, that believers will be completely separated from these trials/events.
    1. Throughout Tribulation, saints are killed. The word “saint” is not a reference to our colloquial use and meaning of the term, but rather the term for all who are saved in Christ. How can this be if the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation? It is because the Church saints are raptured, but Tribulation saints are not. We currently are living in the Church age, which started at the Pentecost. Church saints are those that were saved prior to the beginning of Tribulation. They will be raptured prior to the start of the Tribulation. There are others who are not saved prior to the Rapture, but become saved during the Tribulation. They are referred to as Tribulation saints and many of them will be martyred during the Tribulation.
    1. There are many references to the Tribulation in the Old Testament and New Testament, yet none of them mention the Church, supporting the notion that the Church is raptured prior to the Tribulation and therefore not present during this 7-year time period.
    1. The great increase in apostasy and the events during the Tribulation occur because of the removal of “the restrainer”- the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells in believers, thus, when believers are raptured just prior to the Tribulation, it makes sense that the restrainer is removed allowing Satan and the antichrist to put their plans into effect, though the plans will ultimately fail because God remains all-powerful and in control.

Second Thessalonians 2:3-7 (NASB): No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction[4], 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God[5]. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains[6] will do so until He is removed. 

  • The Church is not appointed to wrath. Romans 5:9 (NASB): Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NASB): For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus delivers us from the wrath to come.
    • The Rapture is not the Second Coming. Christ does not come to earth in the rapture; he meets us in the air. In the Rapture, Christ comes for His saints. In the Second Coming, Christ comes with His saints.
    • The Rapture occurs in the “twinkling of an eye.” 1 Cor. 15:51-52. In other words, the Rapture occurs suddenly and quickly. The Greek word for “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 implies a sudden, jerking, violent rendering or taking, much like you might pull a child’s arm who is in the path of a car.
    • References in the Bible to the “blessed hope” refer to the Rapture. Titus 2:13 (NASB): looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. The blessing is not only that we will be spared from the Tribulation and its judgments, but that once raptured, we will no longer have to face sickness, sadness, pain or death.

Other views:

Mid-tribulationism

This view holds that the Rapture will occur midway through the 7-year Tribulation, and that the taking up of the two witnesses of Revelation 11 following their resurrection represents the rapture of the Church. Mid-tribulationists believe this to be consistent with the verses that indicate the Church will be delivered from the wrath, and the wrath in Tribulation begins at the midpoint of Tribulation.

Why I do not support this view:

  1. It is not consistent with the literal interpretation of the other scripture I have provided above.
  2. There is no indication in the Bible that the two witnesses represent the Church. It is not entirely clear who the two witnesses are, but there are arguments to be made that they are Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah. But whoever they are, much of Revelation 11 doesn’t make sense unless the witnesses are literally two individuals, not the entire Church.
  3. While the greatest wrath is during the last half of the Tribulation with the most severe judgments, the entire Tribulation period is a “time of trouble” and a period of time characterized by wrath given the acts of ungodly men- growing apostasy and rampant sin with the withdrawal of the restrainer.

Post-tribulationism

This view holds that God will rapture the Church after the Tribulation at the Second Coming. Post-tribulationists argue that Revelation 20:4-6 refers to all believers being resurrected at the end of Tribulation. They also believe that the reference to saints during the Tribulation means the Church has not previously been raptured. Post-tribulationists also believe that Matthew 24:37-40 is describing the Rapture at the Second Coming.

Why I do not support this view:

  1. Rev. 20:4-6 is referring to the resurrection of the Tribulation saints, not the Church saints.
  2. The reference to saints during the Tribulation refers to those persons who were saved after the Rapture, not the Church saints.
  3. Matthew 24:37-40 describes those who are not saved who are taken away to judgment, not raptured to heaven.

So, I hope that this analysis leaves you convinced that the COVID vaccine cannot be the mark of the beast. First, while we are living in end times, the Tribulation has not yet begun. The antichrist is not revealed until the Tribulation period and one cannot take the mark of the beast until one knows how the beast is. Second, as I hope I have made the case, if you are a true Christian who has acknowledged Christ as your savior and repented of your sins, you will not be here for any part of the Tribulation period, so you will not have to make the choice whether to accept the mark of the beast. That will be the choice to be made by those who go through the Tribulation, including those who only come to know and accept Christ after the Rapture and after the Tribulation period is well underway.  

One way that we follow God’s commandments to love others and protect the children is to get vaccinated so that we help bring an end to this pandemic.

[1] There are many references to trials and tribulation throughout the Bible and certainly, we all experience trials and tribulation throughout our lives. However, when I refer to Tribulation in the context of the End Times, I am referring to the “Great Tribulation,” which is a reference to a specific 7-year period of time rather than the general tribulation that we experience throughout our lives.

[2] Those that will be sealed by God are those who come to know Christ and accept Him as savior once the Tribulation begins, after the Rapture has already taken place. God does not need a physical mark to know His children. He knows us by what is in our hearts, our words and our actions that follow.

[3] In the Bible, Church means all those who are saved in Christ during the Church age (which we are living in right now). It has nothing to do with earthly churches. It includes all those, Jews and gentiles, who have been saved through repentance of sin, confession of belief in Christ and asked Jesus into their hearts and lives.

[4] These are references to the antichrist.

[5] This refers to the abomination of desolation.

[6] This refers to the Holy Spirit.

123 thoughts on “Is Getting the COVID Vaccine Taking the Mark of the Beast?”

  1. This world would be a better place if the politicians stayed in the statehouse and the preachers stayed in the church house.

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  2. Unbelievably well laid out! WOW! Thank you! I see now that all of these conspiracy theories were actually predicted as part of the end times. And I hope many will take comfort in seeing clearly that the vaccine can’t be the mark of the beast, based on how and when the mark is prophesied to become available, as well as what it will be used for.

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    1. You are most welcome, Tiffany. Yes, unfortunately, as we get further and further into the end times, we will see more lies, conspiracy theories, false teaching, hunger, natural disasters and epidemics or pandemics. They way I look at it is that throughout the Bible, God has given warnings and has given His people second, third and more chances to repent, and all of these things we are witnessing are just fore-tastes of what is to come. Certainly, the Bible’s description of these events during the Tribulation is far worse than what we have experienced, but I believe God is giving us a wake-up call and mini-examples of what is to come to help skeptics understand that all of those things prophesied to occur in Revelation are not fanciful, but really can take place. As Christians, we should not fear this, because this is not for us to go through. Rather, it is to remind us that we must be a light and effective witness for others so that they need not go through this time of tribulation and so they can be assured of their eternal destiny. I fear God will deal harshly with those who are current leaders, professing to be Christians, waiving their Bibles for photo ops, but lying to people and not caring for others as He has commanded.

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      1. How can anyone get saved after the Holy Spirit is removed allowing Satan to rule? Therefore there won’t be trib saints…

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      2. Bri,
        Great question and great insight. I think that in my effort to keep the blog post from getting too lengthy and with my focus being on other aspects, I probably was not careful enough and clear enough on this point. The scripture is very clear that there are tribulation saints. In fact, consistent with the nature of God, He continues to give humans multiple chances to repent and be saved (“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but to come to repentence.” 2 Peter 3:9). So, clearly, people are saved during the Tribulation and you are quite right that we are saved through the power of the Holy Spirit. I should have been more clear that it is the restraint of the Holy Spirit that is removed, not the Holy Spirit itself. Thank you for your question and providing me with the opportunity to clarify.

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  3. Thank you so much! I’m going to use this to help maybe get my brother straightened out! You are very wise and I love reading your blogs!

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  4. I knew you were a scholar especially with Revelation. Very good presentation. Our son Bryan Johnston is graduating from the Chaplain class on August 12. Both you and Lynette and Karla were Instrumental in that opportunity. I wanted to invite you and Lynette to come at 3pm. He has been so blessed to be a part of that and knows that is where God has led him. He would love to meet you both. Hope you can come. God Bless you both.

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    1. Thanks so much, Kathy. Due to the surge in delta, we are limiting our attendance at indoor events or large outdoor gatherings where there will not be adequate distancing. But, I am so proud to learn that he is graduating and I hope that you will convey congratulations to him from Lynette and me.

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  5. Thank you for responding and I will let him know. I totally understand and we wouldn’t be going either if it wasn’t such an important event. Tim is on Hospice and we don’t do much but enjoy and thank God for each new day. Again your post was amazing and so much thought and research was put into it. Thank you.

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      1. Thank you he has never recovered from when he was in the hospital. I stopped working and have been taking care of him. Hope you guys are well.

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    1. Petri,
      I can understand the temptation to equate the vaccines with “pharmakeia.” However, John and the Bible cannot possibly mean pharmakeia in Revelation 18:23. To know what is meant, we must understand the possible meanings of the Greek word “pharmakeia” and the context of Revelation 18. While the word can mean poison, it has many other meanings including sorcery, magic, and the practice of magic arts.

      Like any word, we must place it in context to understand how the word is being used. The context of Revelation 18 is the fall of Babylon. John used the term Babylon metaphorically to represent the evil world power at the time of the Tribulation in comparison to the evil ancient Jews and Christians would have understood in their time associated with ancient Babylon. The timing of this is the late Tribulation period. So, recall, while we are living in end times, the Tribulation has not even begun yet. So, Revelation 18 is describing a future event that cannot possibly be occurring today.

      The specific verse is describing one of the evils of this future evil world power and that is deception. Thus, in context, the word pharmakeia appears to be referring to sorcery or the magical arts associated with Satan and the demons.

      The context assures us that the reference cannot possibly be to the current day COVID vaccines. On the other hand, characteristics of the time we are currently living in is associated with lies, deception and false teachers. Thus, we must be extra careful to not jump to conclusions and not believe all of the lies and conspiracy theories that many are putting out there, Instead, the Bible teaches us to test everything against the word of God. When we do, we must clearly see that this verse of the Bible and this use of the word pharmakeia cannot possibly be a reference to the COVID vaccines.

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  7. Thank you for this because my husband has to get the vaccine for work and I’ve had a few believers tell me this is the mark

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  8. Toward the end of this, you basically take away the choice of vaccine rejection. How is that remotely Christian?!

    You are supposed to hate the sin and not the sinner… how are we supposed to trust a world government strategy in forcing a vaccine that has a 99.96% survival rate?

    We are told to take the vaccine by main stream media that no doubt lies and manipulated…

    The book of revelation clearly mentions a single global total control of the population. Covid is precisely that!

    I believe you are wrong on this. To add, this might not be the mark of the beast; but the vaccine is being pushed by those who left the faith – or who were always godless to begin with

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Jay. I certainly acknowledge that I could be wrong about my interpretation. I think we should always pray for wisdom and discernment and always test what we say against scripture.
      First of all, it is certainly not my intention to take away choice, nor do I think a fair reading of my last sentence indicates that. That sentence reads, “One way that we follow God’s commandments to love others and protect the children is to get vaccinated so that we help bring an end to this pandemic.” I only indicate that it is one way. It is not the only way and it does not state that if you don’t take the vaccine you are not following God’s commandments. I think getting vaccinated is ONE way that you can care for others and protect children and that is very consistent with Christian teachings. I am not saying the converse that if you do not get the vaccine, you are not Christian. We know that is not true from scripture.
      Perhaps the mainstream media does lie, I don’t know who you are referring to, but I would urge you to consider the fact that lies are promulgated by non-mainstream sources, as well. Again, that is why we must test all that we are being told to determine truth.
      The book of Revelation clearly does mention a single world leader – Satan – who takes over after the removal of the restrainer, after the emergence of the beast (antichrist) and following a battle in which the beast conquers other world leaders. None of those things have happened yet, so it cannot be COVID and the single world leader is Satan joined in an unholy trinity with the antichrist and false prophet, not a disease, so, again, it cannot be COVID.
      I also think we need to be careful making pronouncements about who is a Christian and who is not. I know many doctors and scientists who profess Christ, who have been vaccinated and who encourage others to be vaccinated.
      Anyway, I am sure nothing I have stated is going to persuade you, and that is fine. I just want to clear up the misunderstanding by some that taking the vaccine would be taking the mark of the beast. It is not. There may be other reasons someone doesn’t want to get vaccinated, but I wanted those who were willing to look at the word of God to understand this would not be a good reason for rejecting the vaccine. Take care.

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  9. Me and my husband recently got the vaccine and yes I know We shouldn’t hear all the stories going out there but I am so worried now that I got it …did we do the right thing .I do believe in God I don’t go to church as much as I should…But I hope and pray we get into the wrong decision

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    1. You absolutely did the right thing. Please be sure to get both doses of the vaccine as soon as it is time for the second dose, because one dose does not provide adequate protection against delta. I am so glad you got vaccinated. Please encourage your friends and family to do so.

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  10. Hello their sir,

    I am very grateful for this post, however my thoughts about this being related to the Mark of the Beast are only intensified after reading. I see that you are a Pre Trib, which I held to for years but have now become leary after going through Daniel, Mathew 24, ect. Why would Christ give warnings to “run to the hills” and escape if they were to be raptured before hand. Also why are we told to watch, to read and to prepare? I still struggle with this. And as for a world ruler last year I saw the (WHO) overcome all racial and religious barriers and emerge to a place that all were subject to Their will, IE giving up freedoms to go out ect. And it was all done through fear. I agree that their are some missing elements to the narrative kind of like a person dressed as a police officer for Halloween, that is directed to a crime in progress but answers just because I am dressed like this doesn’t mean I am an officer. If the current events dictate that this is not the Antichrist then we are given a front row seat to see how he is going to emerge and how it’s possible for so many to be decieved.

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    1. Thank you for your comment. You raise a lot of good questions.

      Let’s start with the pre-trib position. I outlined a lot of the reasons why I hold that position, but let me add what was probably most influential in my conclusion. I hold to a literal interpretation of the Bible. Even though I generally interpret scripture literally, that does not mean one should adhere to that interpretation rigidly when it is clear that a parable is being used or metaphorical language is being used. Certainly Revelation uses an abundance of metaphors. Despite this, I still interpret Revelation literally, except where it is clear that a literal interpretation is not intended. In other words. I believe that there will be an antichrist. I believe there will be a peace agreement brokered by the antichrist. I believe that the antichrist will break the treaty, and people will be forced to worship him or risk being martyred. I believe there will be a series of judgments. I believe in the Second Coming of Christ at the end of Tribulation. I also believe that John is giving us a chronology – an order that things will occur in. I think there is room for much debate about the exact details of the judgment, what the mark of the beast will consist of, etc. But, if you look at all these events that are prophesied, it is clear to me that these events have not yet and could not yet have occurred. So, again, the antichrist is not revealed until the Tribulation period and in my view after the rapture. If we agree that the Tribulation has not yet occurred (remember, it cannot occur until after the reformation of the nation of Israel and that occurred in our lifetimes. Certainly, we have all had tribulation in our lives, but we cannot seriously point to world-wide events that in any way resemble the prophesies related to the Great Tribulation.) So, we don’t know who is the antichrist yet and without an antichrist, there is no mark of the beast. Also, it seems clear from scripture that the antichrist is a person, not an organization. Remember, before the antichrist establishes world rule and forces people to his will, he brokers the peace agreement between Israel and her enemies. Clearly, that is not the WHO.

      I also believe this position is entirely consistent with the prophesies in the book of Daniel (unlike Revelation, many of the prophesies in Daniel have already been fulfilled. In fact, I believe that Daniel is one of the best examples of why we can know the Bible is true because prophesies in the book were fulfilled many hundreds of years later.) and with Matthew 24.

      I want to commend you on your reading of scripture and your excellent question regarding the seeming inconsistency between a pre-tribulational rapture and Jesus’ warnings to the Jewish people to escape to the hills or mountains. I think that Matthew 24 is very challenging. the reason is that the disciples start off asking him a question about two different events all wrapped up in one question – the destruction of the temple and the timing of his return. The focus of Matthew 24:1-35 is in answering the first part of the question and Matthew 24:36-51 focuses on the latter. It is only when you realize these two events are completely different and separated by thousands of years (although, obviously, the disciples would not have known this) and that Jesus answers both questions in the same chapter, so we have to parse these apart that Matthew 24 begins to make great sense.

      The verse you point to relates to the Roman invasion and destruction of the temple culminating in 70 A.D. Jesus was foretelling the invasion and destruction of the city and the massacre of Jews, thus, the warning to be on alert and run to the hills when it begins. The surrounding mountains had caves that could provide hide-outs and safety from the invading Roman army. Obviously, during the Tribulation, there is no place to hide as God’s judgments will reach large swaths of the earth.

      So, pray for God’s wisdom and discernment and go back and study these passages and see if you concur with my interpretation. If you do, you will realize that:
      1. We are living in end times.
      2. The Tribulation has not yet begun.
      3. The antichrist has not yet been revealed.
      4. The WHO is not the antichrist.
      5. The COVID vaccine cannot possibly be the mark of the beast.

      Good luck!

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    1. Thanks, Don. I hope that Pastor Keion is encouraging people to get vaccinated and that you have made the decision to be vaccinated. Thanks for following the blog!

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  12. I think people are looking at this wrong. It’s not the vaccine that’s the mark but potentially the need for proof that you have had the vaccine could trend towards receiving such a mark. With so many forgeries out now the government will push a plan for a forgery proof method to insure vaccination compliance. Slippery slope.

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    1. Hi Knighton,
      You bring up a good point. However, there are certainly some who believe that there is some kind of a chip in the vaccine itself (let me be clear, there is not). You are right that it might be some form of documentation, however, the Bible is not clear on whether the mark is something physical or not, whether it is some kind of outwardly visible mark, or as you suggest, some kind of documentation.

      But, I do want to stress to readers, whether we are talking about the COVID vaccines themselves, the vaccine card or something else associated with the COVID vaccines, I want to reiterate that from a plain reading of scripture, none of these can be the mark of the beast that is referenced in the book of Revelation for all the reasons that I mention in the blog post. We can also be reassured simply on the base of common sense. The entire purpose of the mark of the beast is to identify those who will pledge their allegiance and worship to the beast (antichrist). As we know, anyone over age 12 is able to get the vaccine, so there has been no decision on the part of those vaccinated to pledge allegiance to anyone, let alone the beast, who hasn’t even been revealed yet.

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  13. Many are being forced, coerced, manipulated, convinced, to get the Covid shot, or made to feel guilty or an outcast if they do not get the Covid shot. What happened to HIPAA?! That went out the door! Technically, it is not a vaccine. It does not have the Covid virus in it or any variant in it. It may not be the mark of the beast, but it is a precursor to it. Amazing how so many don’t question, do research, and simply go along with it. Many have become very ill and many have died after getting a shot. This is nothing like chicken pox, measles, TB and the like, none of which were experimented on humans like the Covid shot. It is a human right not to get it or to get it. At least in America. God means what He says. He’s giving us a preview of what’s to come. Wake up! Only those who know His word and prophecy can hear Him. He knows His children and His children know Him. The rest will live a short time without any good on earth. Can’t imagine what’s that’s going to be like. I don’t want to know. I seek His truth. His word and promises never go void.

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    1. Hi Monica,
      I applaud your dedication to the scripture and your faith in prophecy. I share all those sentiments.
      But, I do want to point out several things which are misunderstandings.
      First, HIPAA is still law, but people think that HIPAA applies to many people and businesses that it simply does not apply and they think it apples to many situations that it simply does not apply. It is not a blanket privacy law.
      Second, these are indeed vaccines. A vaccine need not have the infectious virus or organism in it to be a vaccine – many do not. Probably one of the most common vaccines, the tetanus shot, does not have the organism that causes tetanus in it.
      Finally, it is true that many people have died after receiving their vaccine, but it is not true that they died from the vaccine. If you look at a huge population of people, such as the American people, a large number of people die every day. If you go back to 2017, far before COVID, and look at the average number of deaths per day, you would find that 7 – 8 thousand people die every day. When you look at the number of deaths following vaccination, it is actually a bit less than we would have predicted based on the number of people who die in previous years under normal circumstances. Some people who want to scare people about the vaccines have pointed to these deaths as vaccine deaths and they simply are not.
      As you point out, we are seeing many of the things the scripture warns us of during the end times, including deception, and we must be on guard for those who would wish to deceive us. I hope that this helps. Thanks for following my blog!

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  14. I just want to say that I have been so frustrated with many Christians and their rejection of the vaccination that I began questioning myself. I prayed and asked God to please show me if I am wrong in my thought process and to please show me. He then led me to your website. Thank you for the time that you have clearly dedicated into learning God’s word and allowing yourself to be a vessel of God. God Bless you.

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    1. Wow, Lori!
      You have made my day! I am so pleased that God has used me to provide this information to some who need it. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
      Stay safe and thank you for following my blog!

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  15. Thank you very much for the explanation, I’ve been bombarded with so much negativity surrounding the vaccine. Your words ha e truly made put me more at ease wuth taking the vaccine, God bless you.

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    1. May,
      I am so pleased to hear that. There certainly is a lot of false information out there. I am so glad that you have trusted me to provide you with facts. Please get vaccinated ASAP. Things are getting very bad out there. God bless you and stay safe!!

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  16. Appreciating the time and effort you put into your website and in depth information you offer. It’s awesome to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same outdated rehashed material. Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.

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  17. why the people of USA, EUROPA, AUSTRALIA TO PROTEST GOT VACCINE? AND MANY AS http://WWW.NEWTIMEENDBEGINNING, RAPTUREREADY IS ANTI VACCINE? LOVE FROM INDONEISA, i AM FUNDAMENTAL, PRETIB AND RAPTURE. iN CHRIST , I DO NOT WORRIED ABOUT VIRUS COVID. THANK YOU COMFORT BY CHRIST JESUS

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    1. Thank you, Tonni!

      Our faith should be placed in Jesus as our savior and in our eternal destiny. It is unbiblical to have faith that God will protect from hardship, trials, illness, or death. God does not promise us tomorrow.

      It would indeed be a poor testimony if Christians were not to take steps to protect ourselves. If we as Christians tell non-Christians that we have faith and that God will protect us, but then we are in an accident, we get sick or we die, which happens to Christians every day, then non-Christians will question then what good is faith? This is why we need to understand what God’s promises are to us, by clear study of scripture.

      If a typhoon was coming to Indonesia and all the Christians were to put God to the test and stand outside without any protection in the face of the typhoon and perish as a result, then they will have been a poor witness for the faith, and understandably, non-Christians would conclude that our God is not all-powerful or even real. Great harm comes from attributing to God a promise to protect us from earthly consequences.

      I don’t worry about my eternal destiny, but I do worry about getting sick, spreading it to others and foolishly putting myself in harm’s way when people in my family depend upon me.

      Even a cursory reading of the Bible will soon demonstrate that throughout the Old and New Testaments, God did not prevent His disciples and other followers from disease or death. We must realize that it is unbiblical and harmful to our testimony to give non-Christians the impression that God will protect us from COVID. He certainly can protect those He chooses to, if He so chooses, but He has never promised in scripture to do so.

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  18. I have struggled with this for months and for many of the same concerns stated previously by others. After reading this, I realized that there is not any one thing we do or don’t do that puts us in favor (or disfavor if you prefer) with God. As long as we have faith and believe, that’s all that matters and God will take care of the rest. Taking or not taking the vaccine will not “doom” us in the eyes of the Lord. God doesn’t “set us up” by letting us take a vaccine which would condemn us in some way. It’s a personal choice and so do what is best for yourself.

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    1. Hi Sammy,

      Correct. Our salvation is not contingent upon receiving or forgoing any vaccination.

      Nevertheless, there are a lot of people knowingly spreading misinformation and deceiving people. I think they need to repent and if I were them, I would not want to accelerate the time when I am standing before the Almighty on His Throne to give an account of my life before I had the opportunity to repent. Getting vaccinated might buy them some time, though I very much suspect that many who are spreading these lies are vaccinated themselves and just don’t want others to know it.

      Thanks for following the blog!

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  19. Thank you for the thoughtful post, but you don’t seem to address the notion that sparked this as a serious, good faith question. Revelation says, “no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark..” This denial of economic participation to those who refuse the mark is key. The vaccine mandates have become divorced from reason. People with natural immunity from prior COVID recovery are not exempt in the U.S. even though natural immunity is arguably at least as effective as vaccine induced immunity. Official power used to shame and exclude people from economic participation for refusing what is often an unnecessary risk with no added societal benefit seems quite on point. I am not asserting that the vaccines are the mark, but the way the mandates are being handled can be seen as pointing that way. It is a good faith, reasonable question to explore.

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    1. Hi Timothy,

      It is a fair question, but I think the premise is faulty.

      Again, going back to scripture, the significance of the mark of the beast is not the denial of economic participation – of course, that is a powerful incentive – but the purpose of people taking the mark is to pledge their allegiance and loyalty to the antichrist.

      This makes sense that what is happening today is quite different when we look at other restrictions on participation in economic activity that few, if any, would equate to taking the mark of the beast – e.g., cannot purchase groceries without cash, check or credit/debit card; cannot travel outside the country without a passport, cannot rent a car without a driver’s license, etc. To emphasize the point again – the denial of participation in economic activity is the consequence for failing to take the mark of the beast (by the way, so is martyrdom for many), but we must not fail to appreciate that the most significant thing is the pledge made to the antichrist. Certainly, there is no such thing occurring with the COVID vaccines.

      Second, while I am not proposing or defending vaccine mandates, I would disagree that they are divorced from reason. You may disagree with those reasons, but there are valid reasons on the part of many who are implementing them. Certainly, I would think that you must agree that the mandates are not completely arbitrary. Many may not be persuaded by the reasons, but those implementing the mandates do have reasons.

      Third, I must point out that the science proves your statement that natural immunity provides at least as effective immunity as that of vaccines wrong. In fact, a recent study showed that those with natural immunity were 2.41 times more likely to become re-infected if not vaccinated after they recover from COVID. Further, the legitimate scientific, medical and public health community is in complete agreement that vaccination will provide societal benefit. Again, you may not conclude that the vaccine would provide benefit to you, but that is a wholly different matter than the well proven benefit of vaccinations to reducing mortality and the burden on hospitals, which are both clearly benefits to society.

      Finally, let’s keep in mind that for decades, we have had many vaccine mandates for school children to attend school in person, for people to work in hospitals and for people to serve in the military.

      We must be careful in our analogies. A Nampa City Council member made a comparison of public health measures to the Holocaust. Obviously, there is no comparison and to make such a comparison is incredibly ignorant and insensitive. A doctor recently referred to the COVID vaccine as “needle rape.” This is similarly offensive and inappropriate to compare a vaccination to one of the most psychologically devastating and violent violations of another person that can occur. Finally, Tribulation will be a truly terrible time for those who must endure it. We should resist equating a requirement for COVID vaccination to making a decision that will affect a person’s eternal destiny.

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    2. Hi Shamgar,

      I have studied the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines carefully. I have a lot of knowledge and experience with vaccines. I took the Moderna vaccine myself. I really don’t see “red flags” of these two vaccines. They are both safe and effective. With that safe, no medication, vitamin, supplement, or vaccine is completely free from potential side effects and adverse effects. One must always weigh the benefits against the risks. For me, it is a no brainer that the risks of COVID are far worse than those of the vaccine.

      Please keep in mind that we have FAR more data and evidence on the vaccines than most of the alternative treatments that some are promoting for prevention and treatment of COVID.

      Also keep in mind that the reason we don’t have to worry about measles, mumps, smallpox and polio is because of vaccines.

      Of course there is the possibility, in fact, I believe it is certain to be the case, that I will be surprised and amazed at many things in the future. God did not explain every detail about what is coming. However, what He has told us is true and what we can know from what He has told us is that no one can be taking the mark of the beast (antichrist) until the antichrist is revealed.

      Finally, I want to caution you and others that what you have said is very important – we must use discernment and we must be alert to deception. But, the Bible explains that much of the deception we must be on the look at is from men as opposed to governments. We are cautioned that there will be many false teachers. These are not governments, they are individuals. The ultimate source of decption will be the antichrist and false prophet spewing the lies of Satan. The antichrist will set up a world government during Tribulation, but the head of that government and source of lies will be Satan. My point is, please do not just assume that it is only elected leaders or governments that are trying to deceive you. Be discerning about all of your sources of news and information.

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  20. Behold, I am telling you a [a]mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet;

    The last trumpet, the seventh trumpet. If you want literal interpretation, then the time is told to you. The last trumpet judgement is when the rapture happens.

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    1. Hi Charles,
      Even when interpreting the Bible literally, we still need to pay attention to context. If I use the word “he” in two different articles I write, “he” literally means a male, but the two uses of the word “he” need not refer to the same male person. We determine that from context. There is little in 1 Corinthians or 1 Thessalonians to suggest that the trumpet referred to is a trumpet judgment as used in Revelation. The context of the use of trumpet you refer to above seems to be the general use of trumpet in the Bible to confer an announcement, a signal, or a sign to the Church, where as Revelation uses trumpets in the context of judgments.

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  21. Hello Dr. Pate, just found this blog and found it interesting. So it sounds like you are ALL IN FAVOR of GOVT mandates, and you are doing your duty to help bolster and support that initiative. Jesus spoke on several occasions to not be deceived, and yes it was in context to certain questions and situations. But, his words still ring loud and clear: Take heed that no man deceive you. I believe that God prepares his people for the future, tomorrow, next month, next year. I also think he wants us to trust him, and not in every case run to the Socialist arm Big Brothered ran governments and drink their free Kool-Aid and take in all their political and power grabbing solutions and ideas. Look at their track record and what they endorse and believe. Sure you can find some social redeeming elements in their programs: but, you have to admit that most of their (current admin) initiatives are humanistic, God-degrading, social and sexually perverted, and corrupt. So, with that heading the mix of things, how can we comfortably say just do what they say, it will be just fine. I’m not sure what sort of Dr. you are, but if you could please provide your medical experience and credentials, we might could feel better about your whole hearted, open-ended endorsement of the experimental vaccines. I’m not trying to trash you here, just want to know where you get your medical expertise. Also just want to learn more about your rocket science-confidence that these vaccines are all great for the entire world wide population, although the true and associated mortality rate is exceptionally low risk. Thanks, Kendall

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  22. I would suggest to reconsider your thoughts on mid-tribulationism. There is evidence in the Bible that supports this like one being the rapture of God’s people out of Egypt. It happened in the middle of Egypt’s tribulation. There are other examples but I would suggest to open your mind about it. Rabbi Kirk Schneider has some of the best information on this topic. Westerns, especially the United States seem to have a very egotistically view on the end times. Most believe “I believe therefore when Jesus comes I won’t endure the bad stuff and get to go directly with Him.” I think over the years more and more priests want to believe that and teach it but when I read the Bible I feel like my interpretation is very different.

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    1. Hi Misty,

      You are correct. There are certainly arguments to be made for mid-tribulationism. I do not believe that the Bible is crystal-clear on this and that only one view can be correct and supported by scripture. I tried to convey that, but perhaps did not get that point across well. Personally, I am more persuaded by the arguments for pre-tribulationism, but I certainly do not rule out other interpretations.

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  23. Great post! Although I disagree about the shot being a good idea. The institutions promoting it are worldly, evil and known for being liars. To be honest, when someone tells me they’re a Christian and says they got the shot, I don’t believe them. Succumbing to fear on that level indicates a certain degree of indoctrination that I can’t imagine someone with the Holy Spirit succumbing to.

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    1. Hi Erica,

      Thank you for your comment. I would caution you about making generalizations about people and what is in their heart.

      First of all, there are worldly organizations that certainly are liars and may not be motivated to do good; but there are other organizations that do try to help people and are committed to the truth. We should judge them individually, rather than painting them all with the same brush.

      Similarly, there are many Christians who have been vaccinated, and many who have not. The test for determining whether someone is a Christian is not whether they got a vaccine, but by their words and actions that demonstrate a commitment to following God’s word and commandments.

      I find that people who are vaccine hesitant have many different reasons for being hesitant. Similarly, while some who get vaccinated may be getting vaccinated out of fear (which, I don’t see as unreasonable), others tell me that they got vaccinated out of concern for others. .

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  24. Hello Dr. Pate, God Bless your efforts here: just found this blog and found it interesting. So it sounds like you are ALL IN FAVOR of GOVT mandates, and you are doing your duty to help bolster and support that initiative. Jesus spoke on several occasions to not be deceived, and yes it was in context to certain questions and situations. But, his words still ring loud and clear: Take heed that no man deceive you. I believe that God prepares his people for the future, tomorrow, next month, next year. I also think he wants us to trust him, and not in every case run to the Socialist arm Big Brothered ran governments and drink their free kool-aid and take in all their political and power grabbing solutions and ideas. Look at their track record and what they endorse and believe. Sure you can find some social redeeming elements in their programs: but, you have to admit that most of their (current admin) initiatives are humanistic, God-degrading, social and sexually perverted, and corrupt. So, with that heading the mix of things, how can we comfortably say just do what they say, it will be just fine. I’m not sure what sort of Dr. you are, but if you could provide your medical experience and credentials, we might could feel better about your whole hearted, open-ended endorsement of the experimental vaccines. I’m not trying to trash you here, just want to know where you get your medical expertise.

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    1. Hi Kendall,

      Thanks for following the blog. Great questions.
      First, I am a board-certified internal medicine specialist. I went to medical school at Baylor College of Medicine and then did my residency in internal medicine in the Texas Medical Center. I was then given the honor of being chief medical resident at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston. I subsequently practiced medicine in the Texas Medical Center, served as the chief of General Internal Medicine at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and was on the volunteer faculty for Baylor College of Medicine teaching medical students and residents before I went into hospital and health system administration.
      Second, it would not be accurate to say that I am all in favor of government mandates.
      You are exactly correct that Jesus warned His followers (and us through their writings) that there would be false teachers and deception in End Times, and as I have made the case, we are living in End Times. Certainly, we have seen many false teachers just as He prophesized and there are leaders, shamefully some doctors, and many others, including foreign countries, spreading lies and disinformation on various platforms.
      Jesus was always clear that we are to put our trust in Him and the word of God and not in man or governments.
      A person can sometimes do very good things in the sight of the Lord and at other times do wrong. The same thing is true of governments. Jesus said there would be much deception, but He did not say that everything would be deception.
      So, how are we Christians to tell what is deception and what is not? How I do it is I first measure everything and everyone against the word of God. If someone tells me something that is unbiblical, then I know it is a lie. Now, I would add that to do this, we have to be students of the word. I have seen all too often that instead of starting with the word of God and then applying it to situations, many people that claim to be Christians have very little understanding of scripture and they form an opinion before going to the word and then pull out some verse that is out of context and that they don’t understand the meaning and then put it forth as support for their preformed opinion. That is not we are to live our lives according to scripture. I often pray before going to scripture that God will help me understand its meaning and how to apply it to my question.
      However, the Bible does not directly answer everyone of life’s questions.
      So, next I look at the entirety of what the person is telling me. For example, if a person or group is telling people that we should do or not do something, but their speech or writing is filled with hate or not caring for others, then I know that other aspects of what they are saying or writing are unbiblical, so I am going to be less inclined to follow their guidance on something else for which there is no clear biblical guidance.
      I don’t blindly give people advice. I look at scientific studies, I look at the data, I look to see if others have reproduced these findings, I apply my own expertise, I look to the opinion of other experts who are recognized by their peers as experts, and I look to see if all of this matches up to what we are actually seeing when we care for patients.
      So, here is my advice. Study the word. The Bible tells us that learning scripture and having it on our heart is part of the armor of God to protect us from evil and deception. Study the word so that you understand that context and what it teaches us. Pray for understanding. If you want to consider my advice, test everything I say against the scripture and pray that God will show you whether you can trust me or should not. But also do this with all the sources of your information, not just governments, but news sources, specific people, etc. Are they demonstrating love, caring for others and is everything else they are saying and doing consistent with what the Bible teaches us. I think these things will help you.
      Thanks for following the blog!

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  25. Dr. Pate. PLEASE APPROVE MY COMMENTS….THANKS

    Hello Dr. Pate, God Bless your efforts here: just found this blog and found it interesting. So it sounds like you are ALL IN FAVOR of GOVT mandates, and you are doing your duty to help bolster and support that initiative. Jesus spoke on several occasions to not be deceived, and yes it was in context to certain questions and situations. But, his words still ring loud and clear: Take heed that no man deceive you. I believe that God prepares his people for the future, tomorrow, next month, next year. I also think he wants us to trust him, and not in every case run to the Socialist arm Big Brothered ran governments and drink their free kool-aid and take in all their political and power grabbing solutions and ideas. Look at their track record and what they endorse and believe. Sure you can find some social redeeming elements in their programs: but, you have to admit that most of their (current admin) initiatives are humanistic, God-degrading, social and sexually perverted, and corrupt. So, with that heading the mix of things, how can we comfortably say just do what they say, it will be just fine. I’m not sure what sort of Dr. you are, but if you could provide your medical experience and credentials, we might could feel better about your whole hearted, open-ended endorsement of the experimental vaccines. I’m not trying to trash you here, just want to know where you get your medical expertise.

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  27. I appreciate your insight. There is so much swirling around is. My concern, however, is the swiftness with which we all bowed to this, and the virtue signaling – sometimes worst amongst Christians! I’ve seen many declaring how Jesus would handle this, thus if this isn’t your response, you’re not being truly Christlike/probably not really saved. How sad! While I don’t believe this vaccine is the mark of the beast, I am genuinely concerned for those who may not withstand when things are in line prophetically speaking and they eagerly do the next thing required to be able to function in society/make a living. I think we are right to examine what this all means in light of what we are told will come.

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    1. Hi BJ,

      Totally agree. Thanks for your note.
      You are right. Some of the most disappointing behavior has been from Christians, and especially some religious leaders. These are the times that we must cling to the word and rely on scripture and show our love and caring for all our neighbors.
      God does not want us to be deceived and we must be guarded and more discerning in who and what information we place our trust.
      Personally, I believe that God has given us foretastes of what is to come as we witness plagues, famines, and natural disasters to help us believe and trust that what is prophesied can certainly occur. That is not to induce fear, but to cause people to come to Christ, confess their sins and accept Him as our savior.

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  28. I agree with most if your comments, except on salvation. John 3:1-5 declares you must be born again if water and Spirit or you cannot enter into the kingdom or even see it. You must be baptized in Jesus name , acts 2:38 and receive the Holy ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues everyone in the Bible was Baptized this way. Acts 2:4, 2:38, 8:16, 10:40-, 19:1-… all these accounts point to the same plan of salvation. Colossians 3:17. Acts 4:12. there is not one scripture found in the Bible where anyone was ever Baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost nor accepting the Lord as your personal Saviour. do not be deceived. there is only one Lord, one faith and one Baptism Ephesians 4:5

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    1. Hi Gary,
      Thank you for your comment. I agree with most of what you have stated, but we need to be careful to note that while baptism is an important part of professing your faith, salvation is not conditioned upon baptism, speaking in tongues or any other formalities. Perhaps this is best demonstrated in Luke 23:39-43 when the thief on the cross calls out to Jesus “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus replies to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” Clearly, the thief’s acknowledgement that Jesus is God and his acknowledgement of his sins in the preceding verses and his request for Jesus to be his savior are sufficient in that Jesus then makes the promise that the thief join Jesus in heaven that very day. There is no mention in scripture that the thief spoke in tongues nor that there was some sort of display of baptism while on the cross.

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  30. Thank you so much for this posting. I have started to hear that this was the mark of the beast from people and I wanted to get some others side of it. I think your post was well written and I agree that the mark will come after the rapture.

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    1. Wonderful, Mark! I am so glad that we could come to that reasoned position together. I am quite confident that is a scripturally based conclusion.
      I hope you got vaccinated. If not, please do so ASAP. Thanks for following the blog!

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    2. Mark. It is important, as Dr. Pate explains, to be scripturally based. That is why you must not accept the words of Dr. Pate or myself and study for yourself and pray for the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and guidance.

      The vaccine doesn’t have the complete characteristics of the mark but it’s not too many steps behind. The Tribulation is going to start soon (could be days, could be a few years) and there are numerous verses in the Bible that point to the rapture being at the moment Christ is returning. Study Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2 together. Some say Matthew 24 is only for the Jews, but Paul (in 2 Thessalonians 2) repeats some key truths about how to know who the Antichrist is that Jesus brings up in Matthew 24. Paul is speaking to the church. Therefore, the argument that the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 24 is only pertaining to the Jews is false.

      Also consider that the famous rapture verse of 1 Thessalonians 4 is then referenced in 2 Thessalonians 2. Paul says he’s making a clarification about what he first wrote about the coming of the Lord and the gathering to meet him. There was some confusion about that rapture verse and whether things had already happened. Paul clarifies with talking about, as Jesus did in Matthew 24, the “falling away” (or apostasy) and the man of sin (abomination that causes desolation as prophesied in Daniel (chapters 9-12). So, from what both Jesus and Paul describe, it seems it’ll be difficult for us to even know who the Antichrist is for sure until the “abomination of desolation” moment which appears to happen at, or around, the time of the great “falling away” or apostasy of the church.

      Also, Mark 13:24-27:
      ““But in those days, following that distress, “ ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”

      Luke 17:28-30:
      “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is REVEALED.” – When Jesus returns, that is when his wrath will pour out (but we will be raptured). Reference Zechariah‬ ‭14:3-5‬ where it describes how Jesus will go out to fight against the nations and then stand on the Mount of Olives.

      ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:22-23‬
      “Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.” – there’s an order to the resurrection… first Christ was raise, then all who belong to Christ will be raised WHEN HE COMES BACK.

      Again, study scripture, pray, and let the Holy Spirit reveal His truth to you. Don’t be dogmatic about whether the rapture is before or after the Tribulation but be prepared for EITHER. This is the wisest course of action because then you’d be prepared for both scenarios. And don’t trust anyone telling you to take the vaccine or not. Again, seek the Holy Spirit and let HIM give the conviction he wants for you. Or… maybe the Holy Spirit has already given you that conviction and you sought man’s opinion instead??

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  31. Greetings Dr Pate,
    I see the covid vaccine much like the annual flu vaccine, there will be future covid vaccine ‘boosters’ as needed, covid isn’t similar to the illnesses mentioned ”measles, mumps, polio, etc. so there will be more covid vaccines required in the future as it mutates, God willing a future vaccine may rid us of , this plague from Wuhan.
    There are many fulfillments of prophecy taking place everyday, Thanks for your blog , I felt this vaccine is not a mark anymore than the smallpox vaccine that left a circular scar on many arms, or the polio vaccine etc, May God Bless us and keep us safe from deception and illness, in Jesus Name

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  32. The mark is not a literal mark. It is symbolic of one’s allegiance to the Antichrist and the kingdom of Satan. We should be searching for Christ, not the Antichrist. This notion is the vaccines are the mark of the beast is a fearmongers lie from Satan!!

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      1. Let us all get vaccinated by faith, and thank God for this wonderful blessing we have received to finally put an end to this pandemic. This is a sacrifice to protect our neighbors, demonstrating God’s love for humanity. I pray that God would continue to use me and others to free others from this condemning lie! Satan is working to further divide the body of Christ through these false, fearmongering prophecies. Why should any man be condemned to Hell for taking a vaccine?!? If it were the mark of the beast, I would be burning in the lake of fire right now! Do you see how condescending it sounds? Not only that, but they twisted the Scriptures to suit their own agenda!!! I had zero idea of what this mark “, or what the Antichrist was during the first few months of the lockdown when these prophecies started coming out in the open. I was highly skeptical at first. After doing an in-depth study of Revelations 13 and its context, the Holy Spirit revealed and confirmed to me that these mark of the beast theories were false prophecies. Sure eough, I then was confirmed that these clever sounding claims were actually lies from Satan. How evil!!! We are free through the blood of Jesus, no matter if we take the vaccine!
        Also, here is an in-depth essay I wrote to my Christian friends regarding this controversary.
        https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s2vQ0Q59pFfI5_oqNtP6yfk5kcwB6XhvDyVyJZUh3Es/edit?usp=drivesdk

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  33. I agree that we should not fear Coenid-19, and that only God knows the future of this pandemic. However, I do believe that this vaccine is not a control mechanism, but a blessing from God. You guys are taking this for granted. So what if we have a variant that does not cover these vaccines? Sure, we should not solely rely on the things of this evil world. Yet, God can use our medical experts and the scientists who spent this whole year of lockdown researching and testing these vaccines. As for getting these shots, we should not rely on deceptive prophecies, nor should you rely on the clfms of men, but the Holy Spirit Himself, who will give you wisdom and guidance. We may not understand this new technology, but we should trust that God is chsing this situation for the welfare of His people. 🙂

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  34. When people tell me that I am fearing the virus rather than trusting in God, I question those who ask that. Those that aren’t willing to take the vaccine for other than justifiable health reasons, are the ones living in fear in my humble opinion. Every time I see someone intentionally not wearing a mask around others because they “won’t be controlled” I get angry. I see a selfish person who has no regards to the health and well being of those around them. The Bible says to love your neighbors as yourself. We as Christians are not in a special bubble protected from this virus. I feel Satan Is trying to cause division in the church we need to pray for wisdom, discernment, and protection from being deceived. Not only for our family, friends, neighbors, and country, but for ourselves.

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      1. Amen, Lori! If there is any virus we need to be protected from, it is sin!! It is the deceptive lies of Satan!!! Get vaccinated, people!

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    2. Amen! Also, Shangar, I did an investigation into the pharmakeia claims. It turns out you were refering to Revelations 18:23, which states, “The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you; for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived.”
      Throughout Scripture, the term “sorcery” has several Greek translations. Some Bible translations reference this word more times than others. In Revelations 18:23, sorcery is translated as “pharmakeia”, which is closely related to pharmacy. However, the context of chapter 18 reveals a prophecy of Babylon’s fall and judgement for her sins. The merchants being referenced in this passage were actually engaging in witchcraft, and were using potions to contact demonic spirits in the spirit realm. Babylon was deceived by their witchcraft. These potions were used for hallucinations, which was a common pagan practice of the times. Today, there are no signs that there was demonic activity or contacting of spirits involved in the process of developing vaccines. While we should fully trust God for healing, we should also be grateful for the wonderful work that our scientists and healthcare workers continue to do throughout this pandemic, especially in the testing and delivering of vaccines. Why are we using Scripture to deceive and sppead fear and division among each other instead of encouraging others to sacrifice their own egos, and protect their families from this virus?? Like I said yesterday, we must pray for one another so that we may not be led astray by these lies. Guess what? I am fully vaccinated, people! And there is no way that ANY man can tell me that I am a follower of witchcraft or other evil practices just because I protect my fellow neighbors by following the guidelines. Unless you have a medical condition or are underage, the choice rests between you and God. I WILL continue to advocate for the welfare of God’s children, and I REFUSE to bow down to the work of Satan!!
      🙂

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  35. If people would stop acting like children we wouldn’t be in this position. But to clarify, I do agree that people shouldn’t be forced to get the vaccine, I just think we should want to in order to protect everyone and end this pandemic. I commend you on your knowledge of scriptures. But that does not mean that you are wise in your thoughts. Yes lives have been affected by this pandemic. But if it weren’t for modern day medicine we would be in a far worse predicament. God gave us the ability to discover medicine and use it to heal people in addition to his ability to miraculously heal us. No where in the Bible does “pharmakia” reference a vaccine. If it is in reference to medicine in addition to sorcery, that doesn’t mean all medicine is bad.
    We could go back and forth in this, but I don’t think we will sway one another.

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  36. Dr. Pate,

    Can you speak to the issue as to whether or not the COVID vaccine contains aborted fetus? This is something I was told recently and while I don’t believe it to be true, it is a disturbing thought, and would welcome it to be put to rest. Thank you.

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    1. Hi Terry,

      I am happy to confirm for you that none of the approved vaccines in the U.S. have any amount of aborted fetus in them. Thanks for providing me with the opportunity to debunk that rumor.

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      2. None of the vaccines in the USA are approved. They are ALL still EUA.
        The co I work for is mandating the shot. The form we must sign if we do so states clearly they are EUA.
        the inventor of mRna Robert Malone says don’t take it it will alter our DNA.
        I will stay as God created me.

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      3. Hi Cecelia,
        That is certainly your right and your decision not to get vaccinated, but allow me to correct a few things, so at least if that is going to be your decision, you can make it based on accurate information.
        It is not true that all of the vaccines are still only authorized and not approved. The form you are referring to is either incorrect or simply not updated. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the FDA. So, if that is your concern, then please get the Pfizer vaccine.
        Keep in mind that Dr. Malone helped develop this technology because he saw the therapeutic benefits. His published research papers do not indicate that the mRNA alters the cell’s DNA. He has only gone on the attack and begun spreading misinformation about the vaccines after he feels that he has been cut out by the pharmaceutical companies for his developments and is not receiving the credit he deserves. We understand how these vaccines work and they absolutely do not alter your DNA.
        Finally, I recognize that you want to stay the way God created you, but none of us can. We were born into a world of sin and disease. Our bodies deteriorate with age. Your immune system has already been shaped and formed by the particular circumstances of the pathogens to which you have been exposed. You will always be a child of God, but your body will not be the same way God created it given the foods, artificial preservatives, antibiotics used in the development of many of our foods, infections you have been exposed to, medications you have taken, childhood vaccines you no doubt received, etc. Getting vaccinated doesn’t change the fact that you are a child of God. It does not affect your eternal destiny. But, it could affect when you or someone you care about will stand before His throne. Good luck with your decision.

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    2. I would like to preface this statement by saying that I DO NOT support abortion. With that said, I did much research on the use of the fetal tissues in vaccinations and after much reflection and prayer here is my stance on this controversial subject. I do not believe it is a sin. Not the act of abortion, that of course is a sin. But the use of their cell lines in my opinion is not. It is so sad that these two babies were aborted and never had a chance to grow up. I would like to clarify however, that these two babies were not aborted for the purpose of science. To date, scientists regrow the kidney cell line (HEK-293) from a fetus from 1973 and the retinal cell line (PER.6) from a fetus from 1985. No other fetus’s are being used. While the abortions are tragic, I would like to think that those precious babies did not die in vain, that something good came from evil. If a child is tragically murdered, is it a sin to donate their organs to save another child from dying? https://www.health.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/COVID%20Vaccine%20Page/COVID-19_Vaccine_Fetal_Cell_Handout.pdf

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    1. Check out authors Ron Rhodes or David Jeremiah. There are many others, but they tend to write a lot on this subject and have a strong scriptural basis for their writings.

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  38. Aloha Dr.,
    While I am not a scholar of scripture, I was brought up believing in Christ and still do. For a long time I was worried that this was the mark of the beast and getting the vax was off the table. I was convinced by me wanting to try everything I can to protect my daughter from exposure, even if its not 100% protection . Do you believe in God sending messeges through dreams? A long long time ago as a child I had a dream about all this, very vivid and to this day I remember the whole dream, which is very abnormal. Even though I am vaccinated I am worried that I did the wrong thing:/. Things that bother me the most is that in Hawaii Vax cards are mandatory to do things like eat at resturaunts etc. That sounds like the beginning of not being able to buy and sell. Also, believing in science vs God is maybe symbolically taking the mark? Because i have experienced miracles that can’t be explained by science so why should we rely on something man made instead of faith.(though I’ve tried to justify that by saying to myself that God is the reason the vaccine ie giving the knowledge to us to help combat this.). In scripture it did say the end time will come like a thief in the night and no one knows except God. So trying to chronologically time everything seems to be pointless. The only thing we can do is be wary. Satan knows the scripture as well as any believer. I really hope the feeling I have is wrong. Reading what you wrote does give me a little comfort, so I do appreciate that. Sorry I’m not as versed as some of the other commentors.

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    1. No, Jacob. You did the right thing. Yes, I believe that God can communicate to us in many different ways and forms. What we must be careful about is so can demons. Therefore, we must test all things against the word. Obviously, God is not going to send us a message that is in conflict with the scripture.

      Keep in mind that we have to do many things for our right to buy and sell – driver’s license, passports, permits, use credit cards or checks issued by banks, etc. The key thing is not that we can identify what is the mark of the beast by whether it imposes a restriction on our ability to buy or sell, the mark will involve an explicit choice we will have to make during Tribulation (which we are not in yet, so it is too early for this to even be an issue), as to whether we will follow Christ or the antichrist. The mark is an indication that we have pledged our allegiance to the antichrist. You can’t make that decision and make that pledge until the Tribulation and until the antichrist is revealed and neither of those events have occurred yet, so this vaccine clearly cannot be the mark. Please don’t fret. You made the right decision – as a parent, medically and scripturally.

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    1. He absolutely is the great deceiver. But, again, in this instance, put everything in context. What is the purpose of the mark? To express allegiance to the antichrist. You won’t have true allegiance if you trick people into taking the mark, but they have no idea what it is for. No, in this case, the mark is intended to be a choice, for which failure to do so incurs penalties – inability to buy and sell.

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      1. Hey Jacob,
        This is Maia, and I recently joined this article two weeks ago. I appreciate your humility, honesty, and dedication to the truth presented through Jesus Christ. I would like to acknowledge your concern regarding your decision in taking the Covid vaccine. I understand that you recently have had fears that the vaccines are the mark of the beast, and have been receiving “visions” and “dreams”. I would like to reiterate that this is a fearmongering lie. You see, this conspiracy theorists twisted Revelations Scripture to instill fear and condemnation into this climate of division and hatred.
        Scripture tells us that the “mark” would be engraved in the right hand and the forehead, and no one will be able to buy or sell anything without it. This mark would be implanted by a false prophet (the second beast), and would be required by the Antichrist, who is believed to be the son of Satan, performing deceitful and wicked works. He would then rule during the seven year Tribulation. While many Christians and Bible scholars interpret the mysteries of this mark differently, we must not take the book of Revelations in a literal way. The book is rather symbolic in nature. For instance, in Revelations 2:9, the “synagogue of Satan” is not a literal synagogue built by Satan, but rather a symbolic representation of the true nature of false prophets, and the heart of those who believe they are Christian, when in fact, they are deceived by Satan. The metaphor was specifically addressed to the Seven Churches which were incredibly divided as a result of discord and false prophecy. Now, going back to Revelations 13, when I think of the function of the mark of the beast, I picture an ID that is scanned through a barcode. The ID reveals who you are, and is often associated with certain numbers. In the same way, the mark of the beast is a seal which identifies one’s allegiance to the Antichrist and the kingdom of Satan as a whole. It includes the name (or the image) of the beast, and his number, which is 666. This cannot be taken accidentally, but rather, it will be a willful decision to reject Christ, and to worship the beast (and Satan.) This is a counterfeit version of the mark of the Holy Spirit, which is given to Christians after receiving salvation.
        Given this information, the real Antichrist has not yet been revealed, although many antichrists have come to this world already. But, let me encourage you, and give you some closure here. I believe that this vaccine is a blessing from God, and we should be grateful that He has opened the gateway to a brighter future, both for the advancement of medicine and scientific treatment, and for many families who want to finally hug and celebrate the wonderful gift of life together. By taking ⠹ vaccine, you are not swearing an oath to follow Satan, or deny your faith. God wants each and every one of us to live a healthy and prosperous life, and I believe that this treatment would not only reduce the spread of the virus, but it would give our front line workers relief knowing that they do not have to have restless nights, wondering if that 65-year-old mother will be placed in a coma for several weeks. However, I do believe that we, as humans, are given free will. We have the freedom to make decisions that we feel would benefit our needs. So, whether or not you choose to get the shot, I respect your decision, and do not pass judgement on you. But, I believe that we are living in an era where conspiracy theories are very rampant and active throughout social media and news outlets. This is why we need to “test the spirits” to discern whether these revelations are truly from God. As followers of Christ, we were not given a spirit of fear! If love can cast out fear, then fear casts out truth, which is found in love. Fear separates us from the peace that God desires for us. If we love our neighbor as ourselves, wouldn’t we be willing to take this great sacrifice to not only save ourselves from contracting the virus, but to save that child with cancer, or to save that grandmother who has a compromised immune system?
        Based on the evidence presented through Scripture, and the revelations presented through the Holy Spirit, I would like to reassure you that this claim that this vaccine is the mark of the beast is a lie based on fear, straight out of the mouth of Satan! How dare we claim to trust God, and become a force that spreads fear-mongering lies that sow division, anger, and hatred within the same “temple” we believe is being destroyed by changing our DNA!? The temple of the Spirit is not just within the physical body, but is within the body of Christ (the church)! If you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you to get vaccinated, but trust God to give you the best results that would protect your health. Let us all work together to trust that God will continue to protect our families from this virus, and from anything that may harm us. Trust God, and not the claims of men! Whatever happens to us after the pandemic, God will still be with us. God will fight for us, and all we need to do is be still, and rest on His promises for us.
        Jacob, I admire you exercising spiritual discernment and seeking wisdom in these uncertain times. But, you dontime EVER have to be fearful of Satan and His schemes! Yes, we should be vigilant, but we should only fear God Himself. And by that, I mean loving and praising Him with awe and with reverence. You are a child of the light of Jesus Christ. Why should we be afraid of the darkness if it no longer has dominion over us? Jesus died on the cross for all our sin, and He defeated all principalities and powers, including Satan. No demon from Hell or human on Earth can snatch you out of God’s hands. Not even a vaccine. You are covered by the blood of Jesus.
        I know there is so much confusion and uncertainty about these treatments, but I believe that God is using our scientists and our medical professionals to ensure the safety and welfare of His children.
        Finally, may you be encouraged by this passage from Matthew 6:25, which states, “Therefore, I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will put on. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Then, Matthew 6:34 states, “Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.” Do not fear what may come to you in the future. We may not control the outcome of these Covid-19 vaccines– no vaccine is absolutely perfect in preventing all infections. Some people still get the virus with these vaccines, but at least the severity is not as bad as those who are unvaccinated. If you have medical conditions or are underage, this may be an exception. I will be reaching out to you if you ever need anything, or just need someone to talk to and encourage you. I love you, and I wish for the best for your family and your children during season of testing. Remember, Jesus has brought you out of darkness, and there is no condemnation for those “who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
        Standing Against The Kingdom of Satan! 🙂

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  40. Appreciate your article and your reasoned, patient approach. However, more and more studies are contradicting point #6 concerning natural immunity. (See https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/15/natural-immunity-vaccine-mandate/)

    I believe the reason so many are hesitant, resistant and even suspicious that there is an alternative (nefarious) motive is the push to take a vaccine that may be unnecessary if you have had COVID. It’s not even discussed in so much of the official literature/statements, which is foolish IMHO.,

    I think a better approach would be to give unvaxxed people an option to get tested to see if T-cells and antibodies are still present at an effective level. Assuming the goal really is stopping the spread, that ought to be just as good as a vaccination.

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    1. Rick, these are great thoughts. The problem is that we still don’t know the immune correlates for this virus, (2) the T-cell testing is not widely available and can only be done in specialized labs (and I would assume is very expensive). It is possible that we will determine the immune correlates soon and perhaps much easier and less expensive testing will become available so that your very reasonable suggestion becomes feasible.

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  41. Most Christians have not read the bible all the way through..I am not talking about jumping to 1 part then go to another part..ask the holy spirit to help you.then read from front to back.you have the the word of God in your hand see what it says for your self.not what someone alse thinks it says.

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    1. AMEN! It is striking how few Christians are knowledgeable about what is in the Bible. Unfortunately, that is exactly why others can pull a verse or two out of context and mislead Christians – a prime example being the assertion that getting the vaccine is the mark of the beast that is prophesized in Revelation.

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  42. The following is quoted from an interview from ‘God’s Latter Rain,’ in May of 1976, with the developer of permanent freeze and laser beam marking. His name is Keith Farrell. He was engaged by the United States Department of Agriculture to teach and study at Washington Stoats University in Pullman, Washington. He was a researcher and lecturer on Physiology – Pharmacology at the college of Veterinary Medicine and his dream was for “Universal Animal Identification.” The article titled the ‘Mark’ is Ready, opens with statements:

    “Can you imagine 6,000 dairy cattle being marked each week with computer compatible symbols that can be detected by an electric scanner and fed into a computer…Can you fashion in mind a completely unalterable mark that would be capable of individually identifying every animal in the world with the idea that these marks should be a permanent part of the animals…Can you visualize the capability of a ruby red laser marking at machine gun speeds, every fish from every hatchery throughout the world, with a different mark for every hatchery; and therefore revolutionize the fishing industry? Technology is presently available to achieve this.” Dr Farrell stated, “If we could individualize the animal, we could easily have one overall computer program…This would then make the identification of a particular animal available within seven seconds to any law enforcement officer in the United States and Canada as well…I am assured techniques could be forthcoming to establish programs of individual identification of people.”

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    1. Thank you for this. Yes, the technology certainly exists that would allow for a computerized, digital “mark” of humans. However, the important points for all is (1) there is no such technology involved with the COVID vaccines: (2) in the timeline provided for us in the Bible, the present is too early for the time when we must make our pledge of alliance to the Beast and take the mark or not; and (3) when the time comes, the decision will not be the one today – will you get vaccinated and help protect yourself and others, but rather a specific question of will you pledge alliance to the Anti-Christ.

      Therefore, for all my followers: please get vaccinated today, but study the scriptures and remain vigilant. Thanks for the comment.

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      1. I read your posts, and quite honestly, I find them frustrating. I am trying to discern your intentions in your replies. Are they genuine, are they of fear, or a little of both? I read your posts telling everyone basically not to listen to Dr. Pate. Whom in my opinion, is an extremely well educated and a very strong man of God. I also wonder why you think it is ok for you to tell everyone what you think that they should do and try your best to invalidate Dr. Pate’s well thought out and clearly prayed upon responses? I feel that we are in the last days and Satan is doing all that he can to destroy Christianity. I think one of the ways he is doing so is by creating fear. 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”. Do I think our nation is headed in a dark direction, absolutely. Do I think vaccines should be mandated, I do not. Are the vaccines preparation for the mark of the beast, I don’t believe they are. If we take the vaccine, are we not christian? Or does that mean if you don’t take the vaccine you are christian? It is neither. The vaccine has nothing to do with our salvation. It’s our hearts.

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  43. Thank you so much for the insights, I am just wondering, is the Covid 19 vaccine not something leading up to the mark of the beast? in some countries they are already threatening people whom are not fully vaccinated cannot buy or sell, or go into certain places? It could be a early stage to make all people comply, making it easier for everyone to take the Mark when it comes?

    Regards

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    1. Hi Anzel,
      No. Scripturally, it doesn’t make sense that the vaccine plays any role in the mark of the beast. The key thing about the mark is not the regulation of commerce or the ability to buy or sell. Those are the consequences, not the purpose of the mark. The mark represents a pledge of loyalty to the Anti-Christ, or conversely, a rejection of Christ. For the vaccine, to be part of this scheme, one would have to make a conscious decision as to whether you will follow Christ or the Anti-Christ and proclaim that prior to being vaccinated. First, no one has been asked to make that profession before being vaccinated, so the vaccine does not accomplish the primary intention of the mark. Second, the Anti-Christ has not yet been revealed and the Bible is clear that that event must take place before people are faced with the choice of whether to take the mark.

      Keep in mind that there are many things that affect your ability to buy and sell goods – currency, credit cards, checking accounts, etc. That doesn’t make them any more a part of the mark than the COVID vaccines.

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  44. I don’t know all about this I know that the vaccine is bad because why in europe there is a higher vacconation rate but covid is increasing highly this covid does not make you have the virus but only the protein so when you have it your body will know what to do to fight. I’m only in highschool and I couldn’t refuse my parents to get the vaccine so I got it. I’m still sad because I asked got if getting the vaccine is bad but he didn’t answer that much IDK but when i went to tiktok it showed me a scripture about god healing others and he can heal you and I wanted more signs but I didn’t get any only one. This vaccine is bad but I won’t be against people for taking nor forcing unvaccinated people from taking. Why are they not saying to have a healthy diet and to exercise and this pandemic is an obese one people who are obese are more in hospitals and have a higher risk getting then people who are healthy and exercise. Why are they not saying in the news this pandemic is deception but I’m glad the vaccine isn’t the Mark of the beast. But if you a doctor are you promoting healthy living because this vaccine will not do that much but exercising and boosting your immunity will.

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    1. Hi PL,

      First of all, I am glad that you are vaccinated. By doing so, you are helping protect not only yourself, but your family and all those you come into contact with. That is very consistent with what Jesus teaches us. I want you to know that the Europe experience does not signal that the vaccines are not effective. Quite the opposite. As various countries in Europe faced their delta surge, they had fewer hospitalizations and deaths among those who were vaccinated.

      I am a very strong Christian. I do have faith in God, but I don’t believe that any scripture tells me that I don’t have to do anything to protect myself and that God will protect me or heal me if I do get hurt or sick. If I decide to drink and then get behind the wheel, God will not protect me from an accident just because I am a Christian. If I go to a COVID party, God will not necessarily protect me from getting COVID. Of course, He may decide to give me supernatural protection if that serves His will for me, But, I should not tempt God by purposefully putting myself in dangerous positions and then counting on God to save me. And, of course, we know that Christians die every day, so we know that being a Christian does not mean an eternal earthly life; it means an eternal life with God. After all, all of the prophets and disciples of the Old Testament are no longer living. Even Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead, did ultimately die again.

      Also, I want you to know that this vaccine is good. Yes, we should all do things to keep ourselves healthy – diet, exercise, avoid smoking, etc., but these cannot give you protection from COVID. Many amateur and professional athletes have gotten COVID. Some did very well with it; others will tell you that their exercise tolerance was impaired for months following infection. And, while certainly those who are obese face high risk with COVID, we have seen many people who appear otherwise healthy who have suffered severe disease and even death.

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      1. Oh ok then but people are saying you will be disconnected from God and this vaccine will make you have HIV the conspiracy theories make sense to me the Vaccine came quick. Pfizer is Funded by Bill gates and Why are Pfizer keep on asking FDA to accept their vaccine for children. These vaccines are only for emergency use so IDK why there doing this but they want things bad to happen I’m certain But I know I won’t have anything from Because I trust in God, Jesus and the Holy spirit. But I’m still worried that there true you might be disconnected from God I cried last night because of it this just causing Stress and anxiety for me but I still think this vaccine isn’t good at all If there pushing people and are mandating it then that’s mean something is up. I know your a doctor and all but we don’t know what they put in it. I don’t if you checked the CDC website put they put things to be prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse they will be shortages and natural disaster there will be things that will happen and they will try to implement more fear. I don’t trust this vaccine you can still get infected and they NEVER and I say never tested it before. They say there will be Another lockdown soon and its going to get ugly. But please be prepared just in case. And some people have different answers they say they asked God about the vaccine and they said He told not to get cause it miss with your spirituality. I think some people get different answers and I don’t understand why. Like I said for my last post I ask God if it was ok to take vaccine if I will be ok or not be he showed me scripture that he can heal me So I think this Vaccine is poisonous. Why can’t vaccinated people share there blood or plasma to unvaccinated can you please answer that?. We’ve been vaccinating ourselves from flu, AIDS, HIV, etc. BUt why are they saying for the Covid vaccine?

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      2. PL,
        The problem is the sources from which you are getting your information. It seems that they are purposely promoting false information and for reasons unclear to me, trying to discourage people from doing the very things that would protect them.

        Cling to scripture and read it very closely and study it. Pray that God will provide you with understanding and insights. For example, whoever is telling you that the COVID vaccines will disconnect you from God is at best someone who does not understand scripture and at worst, someone lying to you and trying to undermine your faith. I love Romans 8:38-39: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

        The reason that during the Great Tribulation people will take the mark of the Beast is because that will be their choice. God loves you and is not going to withdraw His love for you because of a mistake or even sin, so long as that sin is not the rejection of Christ. God is not going to turn away from anyone for taking the COVID vaccine any more than He would turn away from someone because they got the measles vaccine. Scripture is VERY CLEAR that the COVID vaccines ARE NOT the mark of the Beast for reasons I have already explained. In fact, we should be thanking God in our prayers for the blessing of these vaccines.

        As a doctor, I can tell you that whoever is telling you that the vaccine will cause you to get HIV is not only wrong, but it is so absurd as to be an evil lie. You need to change whatever sources you are looking at because they are lying to you and misleading you.

        That is also incorrect that all the vaccines are still under EUA. Pfizer has full approval for adults.

        Vaccinated persons absolutely can donate blood for unvaccinated persons. I am a blood donor and I am fully vaccinated.

        So, please PL. Stop reading whatever sources you are reading. They are feeding you lies. Spend the time studying your Bible and ask reliable sources like me or another doctor you trust. God loves you. Being vaccinated doesn’t change that in the least.

        Liked by 1 person

  45. Tell me this Why in NYC you cannot eat in some restaurants with out the vaccines and most jobs are telling you if you do not get the shot you will be laid off. Even traveling and going on boat curies are now telling you with out the shot you can not and won’t be allowed to enter. it is starting and now they are even trying to force this shot on our babies. Back in Moses time God sent plagues and never once did God ask Moses to go get some plants and tree leaves and make medicine. No they killed a lam and put his blood on there door. And we have to have the blood of Jesus over our life and trust in his word not the government word but his word. if you are so fast to take this shot with out Going To GOD FIRST it won’t be nothing for you to take the mark smh The word of God said be Holy not be Christian. God is Holy.

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    1. Amanda,
      Thank you for your comment. It is very important to read the whole of scripture, to put scripture in context and to understand the lessons of scripture. The plagues that God sent were judgments on the people. That is why the answer to those plaques was to repent, return to God and to offer sacrifices.

      The Bible gives many instructions in the Old Testament on how to prevent illness, the Bible often mentions Jesus’ healing of lepers, and Luke was a physician. We should not read into the Bible any prohibition on medicine, vaccines or public health measures.

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  46. Shamgar, You say “There is NOTHING wrong with me strongly encouraging others to go to God first on this decision”. You are correct, there is nothing wrong with encouraging others to go to God first. However, you are doing more than that. You are telling people not to listen to Dr.Pate and not to get the vaccine. And by doing so, if you have successfully dissuaded someones opinion concerning the vaccine and they contract covid and die, you are ultimately responsible. Lastly, I only wish to respond to one other statement, “Also, did Jesus, Paul, and John not say there would be a great “falling away” and that deception would be the primary characteristic of the last days?” What makes you certain that your perception isn’t one of deception? In the last days even the most “elect” will be deceived.

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    1. I apologize, in re-reading through all of your posts, you are correct, you did not outright say that we shouldn’t get the vaccine. However you did strongly imply that one musn’t be christian if they do and are not discerning God seeking individuals. Clearly, you are concerned. We all are. I work in healthcare (not clinical). I am not an expert like Dr. Pate, but I see the number of cases in our hospital. We are still seeing deaths. My daughter was an ER nurse in a hot spot during the height of the pandemic and it was horrifying the suffering that she witnessed. It was unlike anything she had seen in her career. No the vaccine doesn’t gaurantee that you won’t get Covid, however it decrease the chance of contracting it and if you do contract it, you are far less likely to get severe illness. Though the percentage may be low, the number of deaths are far higher than the flu and would be much worse if we didn’t wear masks and get vaccinated. I also don’t believe that we should be forced to get the vaccine and do not support mandates. I believe that God can use men and women to aid in the prevention and healing of an illness/disease. I also believe in the healing power of our Lord and Savior. We should all be praying. Getting the vaccine doesn’t mean that you don’t have faith in the Lord.

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  47. Just a followup to my comment I made a few months ago. I have done some further investigation into the Mark of the Beast conspiracy theories that ⠓ been going around, and I believe that there are a number of factors that lead to many Christians to come to this false conclusion.
    I have some questions that I think we should consider asking and take these things into account.
    1. What are your views on the uncertainty we are currently facing right now? With so many conspiracy theories being spread around online, have you evaluated these statements based on what you know, and what Scripture states?
    2. How do you see God? Do you see God as a father who constantly uses viruses as a means for swift judgement, or do you see God as a father who gently and patiently critiques His children and teaches them valuable lessons through these dark experiences?
    3. What are you afraid? Are you afraid of being “persecuted” or “hated on” because others will not submit to your faulty convictions that have no solid foundation? Or do you have a fear of what Satan might do in the future?
    I believe that the notion that the vaccines are the Mark of the Beast stems from both a fear of Satan and a fear of persecution. With this in mind, there are indeed Christians who KNOW the truth, and are outright deceiving others to tear down, and build themselves up. I am not saying this applies to everyone. However, through my observations, Scripture study, and the examination on current events on a historical and spiritual context, I am under the suspicion that Satan has been successful in feeding our society with deception and fear, especially among Christians. And that truly breaks my heart! 😦 I invite you to come to the mighty fortress, that secret place of shelter that Jesus has prepared for His people. I know these are very uncertain times, where we have been told one thing, and it doesn’t turn out the way we want. Remember, God will always provide for you, and is in control of this situation. God is stronger than the coronavirus! God is stronger than anything that Satan can do to this nation! Rest in the love of Jesus!
    I encourage you to listen to and meditate on the lyrics of this hymn that my mother would always sing. It’s called “Trust and Obey”!


    🙂

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    1. Actually, what you sent was some false information regarding the Covid vaccines. The Pfizer vaccines were approved in August of 2021, and booster shots are being administered too. The vaccines that have emergency use authorization only include Moderna and J&J.
      Check out these links for information regarding the coronavirus vaccines.
      https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/covid-19-vaccines (World Health Organization)
      https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/covid-19-vaccines (Food and Drug Administration)
      https://www.vaccines.gov/ (Find local vaccination clinics near you)
      https://biologos.org/common-questions/should-christians-get-vaccinated/ (Covid-19 vaccines from a Christian Worldview)

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    2. Shamgar, I have been reading your links that you have been sending. Clearly you are fearful of the vaccine and as a result cling to whatever negative data that you can find. The web is a great resource of information but along with that come much disinformation, much of which can be troublesome to discern. I am praying that you are able to find peace during these times. This scripture has always been of comfort for me. Finally, [a]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart. Phil 4:8.

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    3. Lori is right, Shagnar! You have a LOT of negative reviews on the scientific study of these vaccines, which are lies in disguise. Look, I am not try to convince you to follow my conviction on this. I am leaving this decision up to you. These are very divided and perilous times fueled by fear. I believe that fear is the #1 tactic of Satan, because it exmoses the cleverness of the false perceptions created by this spirit, and is the opposite of faith, or trust. I pray that God will give you wisdom and guidance on this matter, and that you would find peace. Jesus said that the truth shall set you free. I know how much you want to trust Jesus on this. But, another part of trusting Jesus is to trust in the truth, and count the cost of your choices. Would you rather get vaccinated and get a less severe version of Covid, or would you rather get Covid for a longer periods of time, perhaps even losing your life and your family’s life?
      Like I said earlier, I can’t change the fact that you refuse to get vaccinated. However, I will continue to encourage others on this site, and others sites, to get vaccinated and take action to save lives from this virus. I will do whatever it takes to combat the fear and the deception that Satan has been telling this nation for far too long!
      🙂

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    4. And I cannot understand how you cannot discern these things. Your facts are so askew, debating with you is mute. The vaccine does not make us more vulnerable to the virus, it is quite the opposite. Those that haven’t had the vaccine are more vulnerable and will continue to be. Having the virus does not give permanent immunity. The number of hospitalizations or the vaccinated is minimal compared to the vaccinated. Those facts, I get from the healthcare system that I work for.
      My faith is in the Lord along with the belief that the Lord can also use modern science to heal. If you truly believe that we are wrong for believing God can use science, then I would assume that you don’t take any sort of medications and do not go to the Dr. Or if you do, why is it ok to sometimes to trust in medicine? Even herbs can have negative side effects especially if combined or taken incorrectly. And comparing this to Abortion, really? I do not support abortion and this is not the same thing as supporting a vaccine that does help.

      You say don’t be pressured by ANYONE to take the shot, yet you are doing the same to not take the shot. My advice to you, stay off of the internet. It is feeding your fears.

      https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid-natural-immunity-what-you-need-to-know

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    5. You know what, Shagnar? Lori and I have tried to be smooth in explaining this, but it seems as though you are either not swayed by the links we have sent you, or you have a very firm conviction against it. But, for you to have the audacity to say we do not have faith while we are breaking our backs to protect our friends and family!?!? Are you kidding me!? Do you even realize what you are saying?!?!? Let me pose to you a question. Have you ever taking a vaccine before Covid-19? Flu, polio, meninjitis? ,Cause if so, how can you say that vaccines are a manmade idol that should not be worshipped? This is the exact type of division I did not want here in the first place. I do not want to keep going back and forth on this with you, seeing as it will fuel more division online. Just because you have faith does not mean you are entitled to not get any diseases or trials. That’s like saying that I will get a toy if I get an A on a test. There will be suffering in this life. I know it sounds harsh, but that’s just the reality of this life. I don’t care how many ways you will convince me and others that we are fearful of a “manmade sycem”! Let me tell you something. Many of my close friends and family (I will not give names here) have been hospitalized or died of this virus because they were unvaccinated. It’s one thing to not get vaccinated, but it is another thing to use God as a magician who wipes out viruses just because of so-called “natural immunity.” How dare you try to use the Word of God as a magic wand to wipe out all diseases when you have ZERO intention of encouraging families to do the work necessary to stay healthy and save lives! How dare you convince many who are on this page to merely trust in dead faith and willfully expose them to danger! You call that listening to the Holy Spirit!? No, you are listening to your hypocrisy!!! This is one of many reasons why Satan has been successful in leading souls away from Christ during this pandemic. Conspiracy theories like these!
      You know what? I am getting a booster shot in the new year, and I wholeheartedly trust in Jesus to protect me and my family. Not conspiracy theories, not manmade systems. But, Jesus and the truth alone. I trust that Jesus is using these vaccines for the common welfare of His children so that they can be good stewards of His kingdom. I will not, and cannot stand by and continue to allow Satan to destroy so many families because of this deception! And I pray that God will open your eyes to the truth and give you and your family the guidance to protect and love one another as we enter the third year of uncertain times.
      I wish you the best in 2022! 🙂

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      1. I just wanted to let everyone know that after what I think has been more than a couple of months of debate with Shamgar, I think we have reached an impasse. Worse, what I believed until recently was legitimate debate, I know have come to fear that Shamgar was actually trying to commandeer my platform to spread misinformation and disinformation to my followers who he likely would otherwise never be able to reach. Due to the potential to cause harm, I have taken the extraordinary step of blocking him and deleting some of his prior posts. I regret that, but I do think it is time to move on – for both of us.

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      4. So this is why some of the posts were taken down. Dr. Pate, you did the right thing! Thank you for being the peacemaker in this tente situation a few weeks ago. I highly agree with you, just as I did back than. I am glad you and I were willing to go above and beyond to protect those reading your page and gaining this information. Like I said two weeks ago, there is no false statement that will stop my efforts in promoting this vaccine. Not even these lies that sprinkle in Christianese. Just because it have a spiritual twist does not make this theory true, or accurate. These mark of the beast theories need to end, RIGHT NOW! I am sick and tired of them! Even though I will not continue this debate on your page, I will not, and cannot let Satan continue to spew this disgusting lie into the faces of vulnerable families. It’s time!

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  48. I do also believe that we are seeing the beginning stages of the end times at play. However, I also believe that we need to be careful that we aren’t falling into Satan’s deceptions thinking we are following Christ. The vaccines are beneficial to controlling Covid. What we are now seeing happening is the result of the lack of vaccinations administered which has given the virus time to mutate and evade. From the beginning, this has been a race against time. Scientists are doing their best to stay ahead of this, but people need to play their part in this as well. The vaccination is still preventing serious illness and if at the end of the day, it is more like fighting the cold, then the vaccination is still worth it. It still offers more protection for the those with compromised immune systems. Yes we should trust in the Lord. But we should also trust that the Lord will use people (science) to aid in healing.

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    1. Shagnar,
      Again, wonderful point you made in your analysis of Scripture. But, I believe you are taking Revelations 18:23 in the wrong way. You are reading it literally than through a symbolic reference to spiritual things. Here is a Bible still-dy resource gives you more information on this passage and its context. I will give you a hint: The verse you are referring to aluudes to the coming jodgement of Babylon for her witchcraft.
      https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/revelation-18-23.html

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  49. Shagnar and Dr. Pate,
    Even though we did not manage to be on the same page together regarding the Covid vaccines, I still wish you and your family the best above all things. After all, Shagnar, you are still apart of God’s family. Vaccinated or not. I know I sounded a bit harsh earlier today, but I wanted to ensure that followers of this page were not being placed in danger of this virus because of false information going around. While I do applaud you for standing firm on your convictions, I will not tolerate those who use the Bible as a tool to tempt God to do things when we ourselves are willfully putting our lives in harm’s way over our fears. Do share your convictions, but don’t twist the Word to suit your own merit! I could continue showing you links, but I don’t want to fuel any more division here. That would be us giving Satan a greater advantage. Lori, thank you for continuing to support me and many others on this chat to help defend the lives of so many families. I highly encourage you all to get the vaccine. If not, at least social distance and wear a mask. True love requires us to set aside our own needs and our own opinions to save others, while not compromising to your morals. I pray that God will protect you and bless you as we enter 2022.
    Happy New Year,
    Maia
    🙂

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