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The Mark of the Beast
Thanks to James for linking me to an excellently ridiculous Christian movie about the end of days. The movie is called A Distant Thunder (direct link to video for download). James said he was forced to endure these videos as a kid at his church. It’s the middle installment of a three part series. This one focuses on the period of time in between the Rapture and the Mark of the Beast.
The whole thing is deliciously stupid, extremely comical, but also scary - because it makes you realize that people have been poisoning the waters with this type of bullshit for more than 20 years. It’s worth watching also as sort of a pre-cursor to the whole Left Behind series (the movies of which feature Kirk Cameron of tv’s Growing Pains).
A Distant Thunder depicts the struggles of a young woman to accept Christ into her heart - but knowing that to do so means certain death. She faces either execution at the hands of the One World Government, or she can choose to take the Mark of the Beast - which just so happens to be an ink stamp on the forehead or arm. Not sure how that would logistically work, but oh well.
Anyway, at the tail end of the movie, the main character and her friends are given one last chance to repent and accept the Mark before execution (by guillotine). One of the girl’s friends-turned-accusers utters the line to her that goes something like:
Just think: If you accept the Mark, you’ll have the freedom to work, the freedom to buy…
And it struck me as the single-most succint explanation of what the Mark of the Beast really is all about. The Biblical reference, if you don’t know it, is from Revelations 13:
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
The line from the movie though is much closer to Orwell’s 1984 slogan: “WORK IS FREEDOM”. The Christians in these ridiculous movies don’t see the obvious logical contradiction here. They are too busy blindly asserting their allegiance elsewhere. Since when is having to work freedom? So if we don’t take the Mark of the Beast, does that mean we don’t have to work?
It’s also funny because the characters in this movie spend a good portion of their time hiding out in a house in the countryside. They are trying to make sure they don’t have to receive the Mark. They sit around worrying and munching nutrition bars from the local food ration board. Meanwhile, they have a nice house, live out in the country, spend their time together as friends, and go around riding horses. What could be better! If they weren’t ridiculous idiots, they would have started growing their own food, and then they would have been fine indefinitely. Really, one of the only reasons they get caught is because one of the dumb bitches decides that she ought to go and preach the Gospel to a homeless guy (who only wanted food, of course). If they had just left well enough alone, and learned to enjoy what they had, it wouldn’t have been a problem.
Instead, the fear and irrationality which they’d been programmed with religiously caused them to make all kinds of easily avoidable mistakes.
- Tracking Immigrants With RFID Chips
- St. Mark the Evangelist
- In the Matrix
- Mark Hamill & the Montauk Project
- Two things I want to look up tomorrow
- Prev: Blackout 2003
- Next: Deoxy.org Disbanded?
June 4th, 2005 at 8:25 pm
I’m far from being a paleo-Christian, but RFID’s are nothing if not the “mark of the Beast”. If you accept one you truly are the pawn of the satanic forces of the world. For example, google “rfid beast 666″.
June 4th, 2005 at 8:30 pm
Oh, and the other interesting little factoid you might investigate is the fact that the number 666 seems to be encoded on every bar code. Note the similarity between the three guide bars and the code for “6″. Weird, eh?
June 5th, 2005 at 12:04 am
here’s something really interesting. Joseph Campbell, in one of his essays talked about the mystery of the number 432. It shows up everywhere.
In Hindu tradition, the world moves in cycles or Kali Yugas, and every 10 Kali Yugas (after the world has degraded into the lowest levels of morality and such), Brahma restarts everything. Each Kali Yuga lasts 432,000 years.
In the Nordic texts, it is said that there are 540 doors in the warrior hall of Odin, and that in the end times, 800 warriors would go through each door to fight the demi-gods or anti-gods in the apocalypse. 800×540 = 432,000.
In Sumerian (ancient Mesopotamia) tradition, it is said that there were 10 kings who ruled for a total of 432,000 years before the deluge (mythical flood of Gilgamesh, the Bible, etc).
Likewise, in the Bible, there were 10 Patriarchs (Adam through Noah) who ruled for 1656 years. In 1656 years, there are 86,400 weeks (or 43,200 x 2).
In Egypt, the circumference of the Great Pyramid is almost exactly 1/432,000 the circumference of the Earth, and likewise with the radius.
Also, the cycle of the equinox, due to the Earth’s wobble is 25,920 years. Divide that by 60 (which is the base number system for the Sumerians, as well as the base number for our seconds and minutes), and you get 432.
In music, to get a truly harmonic and balanced tone, a musician must set the “A” note to 432.
I could go on and on with more 432 connections, but here’s my point:
The mark of the beast is said to be 666 or 6:6:6. Meanwhile the holy number of God (according to the Apostle’s Creed) is 777. 6+6+6 = 18 and 777/18 = 43.2.
Coincidence? I think not.
June 5th, 2005 at 12:13 am
Here’s a few more just for fun:
There’s approximately 86,400 seconds in a day.
The musical note associated with the indigo chakra (connected to intuition, empathy, and possibly psychic powers) is the A note, at 432 Hz.
The mantra or meditation humming tool, known as AUM or UM is exactly tuned to “A”.
And, to correct myself, the relation between the Pyramid and the Earth is 1/43,200 not 1/432,000. Sorry, added an extra zero.
June 6th, 2005 at 5:15 pm
You hit it on the head– if the events of Revelations really do unfold as they are supposed to, then when the Anti-Christ comes the ones who are “left behind” have a choice: join The Beast or die.
So, if I lead my life the way I want to, and don’t get caught up in the Rapture, I can still redeem myself by resisting the System aka The Beast. This seems like a more noble purpose and cause to die for than mere Christianity.
I already feel like I’m as underground as I can get, so if a One World Government came about I am pretty certain I would not be a part of it. Or, if I were co-opted as a part of it, I’d just run off and do what you suggested: start growing food, staying off the radar and organizing a counterculture to exist within. If the Beast’s cronies came around for me and my peeps, we’d hold them back for as long as we could, Waco style.
Of course, the book of Revelations works on Christians because they really don’t want to go all the way with their beliefs. They are content to not be here when the Rapture comes, but what if if does come AND YOU AREN’T A PART OF IT? Just the title “Left Behind” says it all– you don’t want to “miss out”, do ya?
In other words, the scariest thing about the Apocalypse is that it is a major inconvenience to those who like spending their days shopping and using credit cards.
June 6th, 2005 at 5:50 pm
yeah youre totally right. im writing an essay for my sample chapter titled “The Rapture: Coward’s Way Out”
i mean, shit, id much rather see all the crazy shit happen than get sucked up in the air and miss all the fun before i even get a chance to see it go down the tubes
June 8th, 2005 at 4:17 pm
The Rapture is not a cowards way out. It’s just simply God taking his chosen ones before the judgements and the judgements is just something to knock some sense into peoples brains to prove that there really is a God. Why make God’s children go through all that if they already know he exists. Get my point.
Marantha- The Lord will return
Are you Ready?
Seriously are you ready I am. I mean I wouldn’t want to stay behind to see the big earthquake to see the 200,000,000 horsemen or see the locusts, and definetely to see people die by the gullitine just because the don’t take the “Mark of the Beast” which may I add if you take that mark it becomes official you will go to hell. I would rather die and be with God, than live for a mere 3 1/2 years and go to hell.
June 8th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
One more thing Good Deeds don’t get you to heaven.
John 14:16
You (God) are the way the truth and the light. No man (or women) cometh to You (God) except by You (God).
Ask Jesus to come into your life before it’s too late. It’s simple all have to do is ask for forgivness admit your wrong doings and ask Him into your life, but you have to mean it. Trust me You won’t regret it.
June 8th, 2005 at 4:48 pm
wait a second… why does god need to kill everybody to prove that he’s god? i thought he did that by creating everybody, making a covenant with israel and then by sacrificing his own son on our behalf?
anyway, how do you assume that im not a christian merely because i dont believe literally in the book of revelations in exactly the same way as you? that seems as judgemental as anything ive said here
June 8th, 2005 at 4:53 pm
How come in one of your articles you called Christians Jerks? and when referring to God you always capitalize His name.
June 8th, 2005 at 4:56 pm
I never said God is killing people to prove that he is God I merely said the judgements are proving there is a God. TRust me God does’nt want to see people go through all this. He loves you and everyone on the planet and it hurts him to see people hurting.
June 8th, 2005 at 4:56 pm
you cant answer a question with a question. but to answer your question, some christians are jerks. some non-christians area also jerks. its merely a matter of opinion. are you a jerk? i dont know. i dont know you personally. just like you dont know me personally
June 8th, 2005 at 4:57 pm
so if it hurts him so much, why doesnt he not kill everybody? it seems so simple
June 8th, 2005 at 4:58 pm
also, “god” isn’t god’s name. its merely a name that a certain ethnic-linguistic group has given him. in other cultures, they called him different things. in ancient times, you werent even allowed to speak or say the name of god at all.
June 8th, 2005 at 4:59 pm
I obviously am a Jerk because you obviously think those who believe that the rapture really is going to happen are jerks and I believe that everything in revelation really is going to happen.
To tell you the truth I think those who don’t believe this stuff is going to happen a truly the jerks.
June 8th, 2005 at 5:00 pm
well thats great. except i dont mind being called a jerk. i recognize that its based on a difference of opinion, and it doesnt mean i like you any less personally.
June 8th, 2005 at 5:01 pm
God is God’s name and true there are many other names that we capitolize such as “Alpha and Omega”, “Niesi”, and mant more that I can’t think of as of right now
June 8th, 2005 at 5:02 pm
He does’nt kill everbody because He loves everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 8th, 2005 at 5:03 pm
You obviously don’t get it, you are decieved
June 8th, 2005 at 5:03 pm
youre right though, perhaps “jerk” is an unfair categorization and there could be a better word for me to say that i find the idea creepy
June 8th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
So you admit you don’t like being called a “jerk” cause I can call you something different maybe “stupid”
June 8th, 2005 at 5:06 pm
Do believe that you could go to heaven through good deeds?
June 8th, 2005 at 5:08 pm
no i really dont mind being called a jerk or stupid. but i can see that you do, and others probably do as well. the word is not integral to my message, so its not something i mnd changing
however, just because i dont agree with your theology doesnt mean that i “dont get it” or that i am “deceived”. i merely disagree with you
June 8th, 2005 at 5:10 pm
on another note, why does the word “jerk” both you, but not the words “weird” or “creepy”?
June 8th, 2005 at 5:11 pm
You are decieved God wrote the Bible and God did’nt write revelation just to scare people everything in the Bible is the truth so everything revelation is going to come true we don’t know when we may die before it happens, but it’s going to happen
June 8th, 2005 at 5:11 pm
sarah, are you trying to “witness” to me? i appreciate it but its not necessary
June 8th, 2005 at 5:14 pm
Now you think i’m wierd and creepy. Boy you don’t know me. If you were standing righ infront of me right know you would be sorry. I don’t like when people make fun of me period. I get enough of it as it is. My own family tease me the kids across the street tease me now I have somebody over the internet who knows where calling Christians names.
P.S. I bringing that article to my youth pastor i’m going to find out he thinks.
June 8th, 2005 at 5:15 pm
Whenever I get the chance I witness and I have the chance
have fun I am one of those dedicated people i don’t give up
should have never of started this argument with me.
June 8th, 2005 at 5:16 pm
also why is it not necessary?
June 8th, 2005 at 5:17 pm
ok. i never said i thought you personally were weird or creepy sarah. i was merely making a generalization, and i realize these are sometimes not true. im sorry if you feel like i was attacking you personally, but i was not.
im excited that you would like to discuss the article with your youth pastor. i think it would make an excellent topic of discussion, and im sure open up a lot of new avenues for you to explore spiritually.
if youre interested in telling me what he thinks, i’d be happy to hear it and consider it.
June 8th, 2005 at 5:19 pm
Give me your e-mail address. I’ll see what I can do, but I can already tell you this he is going to disagree with you
June 8th, 2005 at 5:19 pm
in all fairness sarah, you are the one who started the argument. i have to go out for a while, but if you’d like to continue this at some other point, i’d be happy to. again, i apologize if i hurt your feelings. that was not my intention.
June 8th, 2005 at 5:20 pm
apology accepted
June 8th, 2005 at 5:22 pm
I didn’t start the argument I was merely giving my thoughts you jumped in and started the argument you could have just left it alone
June 8th, 2005 at 5:22 pm
i can be reached through my contact form
http://www.timboucher.com/contact.html
June 8th, 2005 at 5:23 pm
Talk to you tomorrow