This link from my friend Laura. An increasing number of companies, such as McDonalds, Dunkin' Donuts and the Hilton Hotels group, are now installing biometric palm scanners on their premises in an effort to keep track of how many hours their employees are working. The biometric system has been designed to replace the old time card system, in which employees were required to fill out a card or punch a clock to record the times they start and finish work. The new machines use biometric recognition software that can identify an individual by the shape of their hand rather than through fingerprints or other such methods. The system is designed to reduce the amount of paperwork companies have to process, thus saving time and money, reducing fraud and improving security. Manufacturers sold around $365 million worth of palm-scanning equipment last year, and are expecting these figures to increase as more companies adopt the new system.

Quote: "An increasingly large number of companies are installing biometric palm readers, which require workers to literally put their hand up and swear they've been at their jobs during scheduled hours. Employees in places where the devices have been put in must place their hand on a scanner and allow it to read their palm prints. The information is then sent to a computer.

Not everyone is in favour of the new system though. Some trade union representatives dislike the idea of employers acquiring yet more control over their staff. Union president Claude Fort says that the palm scanners "aren't there for security purposes. It has nothing to do with productivity... It is about control, and that is what makes us nervous". It may not be the 'Mark of the Beast', but I thought the language used in the above quotation was very intriguing. The Bible states that during the tribulation period, the False Prophet - the world religious leader, will compel all people to receive an identifying mark in their right hand or forehead (Revelation 13:16-18). We are not told in Scripture exactly how they will be compelled to accept the mark. But as we have seen recently with Britain's national identification card scheme, there could be a number of contributing factors. Personal convenience and security could play a big role in the adoption of this scheme, and perhaps like the identity cards, those refusing to comply could face stiff penalties. According to Scripture, without receiving the mark in your right hand or forehead, you will not be able to buy or sell anything. In the book of Revelation, the launch of the 'Mark of the Beast' system seems to follow a period of global hyper-inflation, during which the price of wheat rises to around the equivalent of a day's wages (Revelation 6:6). Extreme flooding and drought, coupled with a rising global population, a high price of oil and an increased dependence on biofuels, are already pushing the global price of wheat to record levels. And the world's monetary system seems to be tottering on the brink of collapse. Conveniently, world leaders are now calling for a complete overhaul of the world economic system, with the International Monetary Fund to be given wide-ranging powers to prevent further "turbulence" in the global economy. The Bible seems to indicate that during the tribulation period, gold and other commodities may become completely valueless (Ezekiel 7:19, James 5:3). Could it be that following the total collapse of the global economy, the Mark of the Beast system will be launched?

Of course, the Mark of the Beast is not just a method of payment. It is a mark of ownership. Just as cattle are branded by farmers to prove ownership, so those who take the Mark of the Beast upon their hand or forehead are declaring that they are the property of the Antichrist and Satan himself. The places of the forehead and right hand are significant, for the forehead is symbolic of the will and the right hand is symbolic of power (Ezekiel 3:8, Genesis 48:17-19). When the book of Revelation mentions the Mark of the Beast, it is always mentioned in conjunction with worship of the Antichrist. The Bible makes it clear that none of those who take the mark and worship the Beast will ever inherit eternal life. Or perhaps it may be better explained this way, that those who will inherit eternal life will never accept the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:8, 14:9-12). Do you have eternal life? The Bible declares that this is the record, that God has given unto us eternal life, and that this life is found in His Son, Jesus Christ (1st John 5:11). Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today.

Revelation 13:16-17
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Source City News