Germans applying for a national identity card will soon be receiving an RFID enabled version with features similar to that of biometric passports, now being issued in many countries around the world. On November 1st, Germany is set to become the first country in the world to issue its own electronic identification cards, which are able to store information such as biometric photographs, digital fingerprints and electronic signatures, to enable their holder to be more easily identified. The ambitious project is also to include the eventual rollout of more than 1 million RFID card readers, provided free of charge, to German nationals who may wish to use their new electronic identity card online. It is hoped that the card will provide a more secure and simpler way of making financial transactions over the internet. 

Quote: "In 2008, the German government passed a law paving the way for the new ID cards. One motivation for issuing the cards was to help reduce the misuse of personal data over the Internet. Many Germans are still reluctant to make online purchases, due to worries that their personal data or financial information could be misused. By installing an RFID card reader on their home computer, citizens can use the card to positively identify themselves online, via a USB connection. This enables vendors and online organizations to know for certain whom they are dealing with. If a business wants to offer residents of a particular city a discount on a product or service, for instance, that company can verify an individual's address on his or her ID card.

The last Labour government attempted to bring in a compulsory national identity card system into the United Kingdom in 2006. Security fears, identity theft, illegal immigration, organized crime, and fraud were all cited as reasons for adopting such a scheme. The government was later forced to admit they had probably oversold the idea, and that the cards would probably not have prevented the July 7th attacks on the London underground. Although the ID card bill was eventually passed by the House of Lords and the cards were to become compulsory this year, the global financial crash rendered the project too costly to implement and the Conservative government pledged to scrap the scheme altogether.

The Scriptures speak of a time when a global financial system will be set up. This financial system will be controlled by one man, commonly referred to in the book of Revelation as the "Beast", after his animal-like nature. Strong's definition for the word 'Beast' here is 'a dangerous animal, venomous, wild beast'. The Bible foretells that this ungodly character will issue a mark, an identifying brand-mark, to all people, and that without this mark, or without his name, or without his number, nobody shall be able to buy or sell. The Greek word for 'mark' here, 'charagma', literally means an etching or a cutting in the skin. And this mark will be given in one of two places on the human body, in the right hand or forehead (Revelation 13:16). It is very interesting that in the Hebrew, the word for 'hand' - 'yad', can be also be used to refer to the entire forearm. And according to the VeriChip Corporation, the preferred place of injection for these implantable RFID chips is in the upper right arm (as opposed to the left arm). We even saw earlier in the year how many people are actually having these chips injected into their wrists.

As you can see from today's news, the infrastructure is now being set up whereby these prophecies will ultimately be fulfilled. There is but a small psychological leap between issuing compulsory RFID identity cards and implanting people with an electronic identification mark. And the benefits of receiving an identifying mark in your hand rather than a card which can be lost or stolen are easy to see. Of course the Bible says the Beast will be the one who will orchestrate all of this. So we can be fairly sure that these schemes, such as VeriChip, are not the Mark of the Beast. But they could well be the prototype. The Bible warns us that those who accept the Mark of the Beast can never be in heaven. Let me put that another way. Those who have genuinely put their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation will never accept the Mark of Beast (Revelation 13:8). There is absolutely no chance that any child of God will, even unwittingly, will accept the Mark when it arrives. Our salvation is secure in Christ. Of those who are saved, the Lord said, no man is able to pluck them out of His hand. Neither shall any man pluck them out of the Father's hand (John 10:28-29). But of those who have not yet trusted in Christ, the Scriptures are equally clear. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire", Revelation 20:15. You are either in Christ, or you are not. You are either saved, or you are lost. There is no middle ground. I pray that all who read this article will solemnly think upon these things, and put their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Revelation 22:17 
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Source RFID Journal