I learned that Revelation was written by John, a disciple of Jesus and a leader in the early Christian church. The citizens of Rome at that time worshipped a variety of gods and the emperor Domitian claimed divine status. Roman authorities didn’t approve of John’s monotheistic teaching. They banished him to the penal colony on the inhospitable island of Patmos. Banishment of enemies and potential rivals was a common practise by emperors. Even the highly acclaimed stoic senator, Seneca was banished for a time, albeit to Corsica, a much less dreary setting. It was on Patmos that John wrote the remarkable book that makes Daphne anxious and even now at times attracts media attention. Current developments on our planet are prompting more people to take note of visions John recorded concerning future events.
At this time when health authorities across the globe are desperately calling for the development of a vaccine against COVID-19, technology already makes it possible to use smartphones to trace the spread of the virus. Apple and Google have recently released such a system to 23 countries. It does not record names or addresses but a concern exists that the technology will be used by others for more nefarious purposes. China’s system sucks up a variety of information, including citizen’s identity, location, online payments, and more. Other governments are already requesting expanded surveillance capability. Daphne fears that by using mass surveillance technology, authorities will be able to extensively track her decisions and activities. Her pulse would really leap into overdrive if she knew what Bill Gates is planning.
This is where the thinking of the Microsoft founder and the Biblical prophet come into alignment. Gates and a number of billionaire partners have founded ID 2020. According to spokesperson Peggy Johnson, the purpose is to provide every individual on the planet with “a trusted, verifiable way to prove who they are, both in the physical world and online. For the approximately one billion individuals who cannot currently prove their identity, this will certainly be a huge advantage.”
How this will all unfold is somewhat murky for me. I do know though that Gates has gone on record saying that our lives will not get back to normal until we have the ability to vaccinate the entire global population against COVID-19. To this end he is pushing hard for disease surveillance and a vaccine tracking system that might involve embedding vaccination records in our bodies. He has said that societal and financial normalcy may never return to those who refuse vaccination. The vaccination system Gates envisions might ultimately be required to go about our day to day life and business. Without this “digital immunity proof”, we may not even be allowed to travel locally or enter some public buildings.
Has Bill Gates been reading John’s “Revelation”? Writing about what has sometimes been referred to as the “End Times”, John describes a powerful, miracle working beast which sides with Satan. This beast, he writes, in Revelation chapter 13, “causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and that no one may buy or sell, except one who has the mark or the name of the beast. His number is 666.”
Other than conspiracy theorists, most of us will welcome a vaccine when it is developed. If it includes an implanted digital immunity proof tracking technology, we may well have second thoughts. More concerning though is that some governments will utilize the technology to further control their citizens. COVID-19 has already changed our lives. Undoubtedly there is more to come. We need to be vigilant.