Revelation 13:16-18 
And he (Antichrist) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark (incision) 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. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six (666).

I will try my best to summarize the information on the website concerning VeriChip, and how this chip - or its antitype, may fulfill the prophecy concerning the Mark of the Beast...

What it does...
Applied Digital Solutions in the USA markets the VeriChip, a microchip about the size of a grain of rice, which can be implanted under the skin. It can store 128 characters of information (about a paragraph of text). Ideally this would be used to store a unique number which could reference a database on computer containing an individuals medical history, financial assets, personal details, biometric data, etc. This chip could have a wide range of applications, from security clearance and identification, secure financial transactions, retrieving essential data for medical emergencies and the list goes on. GPS circuits are now being manufactured small enough to fit inside wrist watches, and the next generation of implantable chips may also utilize this technology, enabling the recipient to be tracked anywhere in the world...

Quote: "Applied Digital Solutions, maker of what it calls the VeriChip, says that it soon will have a prototype of a more complex device, one that is able to receive signals from global positioning system (GPS) satellites and transmit a person's location. One potential market for such a device would be kidnapping targets in foreign countries... 
An embedded GPS would be slightly larger than a quarter and require actual surgery to install. Unlike the VeriChip, it also would require Food and Drug Administration approval. That will slow its U.S. introduction.

But in the mean time, I believe it is entirely possible for current RFID implants to be tracked by satellite. The distance an RFID tag can transmit radio waves is only limited by the size of the antenna on the reader. 

Quote: "A group of hackers at the 2005 DefCon technology convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, used an antenna attached to an RFID reader to scan the information on a tag nearly 70 feet away. RFID proponents downplayed the demonstration, saying the apparatus was impractical and wouldn't work if the information on the RFID tag were encrypted, which is more often the case.

While it may be impractical to carry about a large transmitter for scanning RFID chips at massive distances, it would not be impractical for a satellite to transmit and receive radio frequencies from RFID chips. Satellites like the British Echelon system are already equipped to monitor virtually every communication on earth, and if faint radio frequencies can be picked up from astronauts on the moon, why not a tiny RFID chip on earth? Through triangulation it would be theoretically possible to pinpoint the location of a VeriChip transmission on earth.

How it works...
There are two different types of RFID tags, "passive" and "active". Passive tags only broadcast their information after receiving a signal from a reader. The passive tags convert the radio waves into electrical energy, store it in the capacitor, and then use this current to send a response back to the reader. 

Quote: "The VeriChip™ microtransponder is a patented, small, approximately 12 mm x 2.1mm (0.43in x 0.08in) passive radio frequency (RFID) microtransponder circuit that weighs 0.06gm (0.002 oz.) and is inserted subcutaneously. The functional components are an RFID (Radiofrequency identification) integrated circuit, a capacitor, and an antenna. The RFID ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) microchip contains the unique ID number assigned to the microtransponder, and all of the electronic circuitry necessary to allow the number to be read by the Pocket Reader TM . Each integrated circuit is 128 bit read-only with a 16 digit ID. The unique identification number is laser encoded during fabrication; as a result, it cannot be erased or altered after manufacture. The capacitor controls the tuning of the radio frequency. The third primary component of the microtransponder is a coil of copper wire wound around a ferrite (iron) core. This functions as a tiny antenna to pick up the energy from the Pocket Reader TM and to send the encoded ID number from the microchip back to the Pocket Reader TM . The material used to encapsulate the electronics of the microtransponder is a biocompatible medical grade glass. The implant capsule is partially covered by a friction fit polymer sheath (anti-migration cap). The sheath is designed to facilitate bonding of soft tissue to the implant By incorporating the polymer sheath (antimigration cap), which covers half of the implant; anti-migration capabilities of the implant are provided.

The active tags continuously broadcast a signal regardless of whether they are being scanned or not. These chips are slightly larger than the passive ones, and contain a Lithium Ion battery which generates electrical current from temperature variations within the human body. 

Quote: ""We believe we have solved the battery issue, which leaves the question of an antenna that can transmit through skin tissue," said Applied Digital's chief scientist, Keith Bolton. The devices will be powered by lithium ion batteries, which can be charged remotely from outside the body.

Where it goes...

The chip is injected by syringe (incision) under the skin, much like a family pet would be "tagged". The chip is covered with a special chemical substance called polyethylene, which helps skin bond to it, to enable the chip to stay in place after insertion. According to Revelation TV, scientists spent over 1.5 billion dollars working out the best location to inject the chip into the human body. They only came up with two places, specifically the right hand or the forehead. Both these locations in the body generate the most heat, and therefore are most suitable for the Lithium Ion batteries, which recharge by harnessing the energy in temperature flow. Lithium is also an extremely poisonous metal, and if it comes in contact with the human body at all, terrible sores erupt in the flesh. 

Quote: "GPS technology took a quantum leap with the development of bionics capable of being tracked by satellite once implanted in animals or humans. These tiny devices, powered by a lithium battery, could be geographically detected, using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), to within inches anywhere on the surface of the planet. Lithium is employed as a miniature power-plant for the chip since it self-energises through changes in the host's body temperature. Thus the site for the implant will usually be those body parts demonstrating the greatest variations in temperature - in the back of the hand or front of the head. Lithium does have one drawback, experts say. It produces an infection when brought into contact with exposed organic tissue.

We find a similar situation is described in Scripture concerning the Mark of the Beast. 

Revelation 16:1-2 
And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 
And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

Could a nuclear explosion - which through it's magnetic pulse, would destroy all electronic equipment for hundreds of miles - also be responsible for destroying the tiny chips embedded under the skin? This is just one of the possibilities.

The locations for the insertion of the chip (in the right hand or forehead) are confirmed by secular sources (page now expired - click here to read) According to Revelation TV, after the scientist involved in the research discovered that these locations were described in the Bible as places where the "Mark of the Beast" will be inserted, he deeply regretted his part in the work.

Quote: "Some current technology could have helped here (Asian Tsunami). Here's one possible scenario: The VeriChip is about the size of a grain of rice, virtually undetectable and practically indestructible once inserted under the skin – usually in your right hand or forehead. The chip has a special polyethylene sheath that helps skin bond to it, so that it stays in place. Since the chip has no battery, there are no chemicals to worry about and the chip never “runs down” – its expected life is up to 20 years.

Again, this article appeared on CNN about a Vancouver man that received an RFID tag in his hand (see also here, here). With it he is able to open doors, turn on lights and even access his computer. No company name is mentioned in the article, which is surprising. Possibly the article was written from an end-user perspective in an attempt to promote public acceptance of the implants. The chip is described as being no bigger than a grain of rice, which makes me think the maker is VeriChip. 

Quote: "The RFID chip in Sklar's hand, which is smaller than a grain of rice and can last up to 100 years, was injected by a surgeon in Los Angeles. Tattoo artists and veterinarians also could insert the chips into people, he said. For years, veterinarians have been injecting similar chips into pets so the animals can be returned to their owners if they are lost. Graafstra was drawn to RFID tagging to make life easier in this technological age, but Sklar said he was more intrigued by the technology's potential in a broader sense. In the future, technological advances will allow people to store, transmit and access encrypted personal information in an increasing number of wireless ways, Sklar said.

Who is marketing the VeriChip...
The Attorney General of Mexico already has the chip implanted in him, along with his staff for security reasons.

Quote: "News reports earlier this year indicated 160 employees in the Mexican Attorney General's Office had been implanted with VeriChip RFID devices. New information indicates that only 18 individuals received the device, said Katherine Albrecht, Founder and Director of CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering). "Our concern is that dozens of news outlets have repeated the inflated number, which has reached the level of an urban legend,"... "Even Applied Digital Solutions, the creator of the VeriChip, cites the incorrect figure on their website. We have tried to contact the company to alert them to this situation, but they have not returned our calls," said Albrecht.

Conrad Chase, the Director of Baja Beach Clubs in Spain, is already offering a chipping programme for his VIP guests marketed by Applied Digital Solutions called VeriPay. Using this system, VIP guests can buy food and drinks without the need for carrying a wallet. In this interview with EFE News Agency, Conrad states the aim of Applied Digital Solutions is to bring the marketing of VeriChip to a global level, elimination the need for carrying cash and credit cards (and that no man might buy or sell save he had the mark)... Conrad also states that new gun controls will eventually be brought in, with weapons that can only be activated by the owner, through a VeriChip in the right hand.

Quote: "EFE: What advantages will a Baja Beach Club client that wants to be implanted have? 
CON: You won't have to carry a wallet. By simply passing by our reader, the Baja beach Club will know who you are and what your credit balance is. From the moment of their implantation they will also have free entry and access to the VIP area which we will formally open the 25th of March. 
EFE: Is it free for your clients? 
CON: On the day of the launch, we are giving it for free to all of our VIPS. After that day, the cost of implantation will be 125 Euros. 
EFE: If I implant myself will it only be valid at the Baja? 
CON: The objective of this technology is to bring an ID system to a global level that will destroy the need to carry ID documents and credit cards. The VeriChip the we implant in the Baja will not only be for the Baja, but is also useful for whatever other enterprise that makes use of this technology.

The official recommended location for implantation of the VeriChip is in the area of the upper right arm, "The recommended location of the microchip is in the triceps area between the elbow and the shoulder of the right arm". Why the reason for the upper right arm and not the right hand? Perhaps VeriChip representatives have been keen to distance themselves from any connotations their device may have with the Mark of the Beast as mentioned in the book of Revelation. John describes the mark as being received specifically in the right hand or forehead (Revelation 16:13). But journalists have recently admitted that the 'official advice' isn't always followed. Last year a secular journalist reported that the Baja Beach Club in Spain has actually been implanting the devices into the right-hand wrists of some of its customers (archived copy of this article here).

Quote: "Fifty years from now, a programmable payment bead implanted in your body could supplant your mobile device for payment purposes. The Baja Beach Club in Barcelona, Spain, already injects a rice-size VeriChip RFID device into the wrist or upper arm of its jet-set guests to make paying as simple as waving your hand.

In what is being seen as an effort to make the implant "fashionable" for young teenagers, guests on the Spanish version of the "Big Brother" television show were offered money if they would take the VeriChip implant live on set (March 20th, 2004). One of the actresses on the show, Silvia Fominaya, refused to be implanted and subsequently paid the price by being replaced with another actress. But unforeseen circumstances meant the VeriChip batch was not ready in time for the show's broadcast, and nobody ended up getting chipped. Expect to see more of this in the future, for young adults are the most susceptible target group, for they want to be seen as fashionable and may not be bound by the same reservations their parents are.

In July 2007 the company that markets the VeriChip and its various security and identification systems set up a new brand name for their products. The name is Xmark.

Quote: "Welcome to Xmark, the new corporate identity for our healthcare security products. Our new name emphasizes our focus on healthcare security. You may have known us under the eXI or VeriChip brand, but we are now bringing all our products under the Xmark name.

The VeriChip Corporation is well aware of the concern expressed by Christian groups who believe that their product may be the precursor to the Mark of the Beast as described in the book of Revelation. This makes this development all the more amazing. The Greek translation of the word "mark" mentioned in Revelation 13 is "charagma", and it's literal interpretation means an "incision" or a "cutting". This is how Strong's concordance renders it... 

G5480
χάραγμα
charagma - khar'-ag-mah
From the same as G5482; a scratch or etching, that is, stamp (as a badge of servitude), or sculptured figure (statue): - graven, mark.

This reveals to us how the Mark of the Beast will be applied, though an incision or injection into the flesh. And this is exactly how RFID chips are implanted, through a cutting in the skin. As you can also see, the first letter of the word "charagma" is also the letter X or "Chi" in the Greek. So it seems the new name "Xmark" is quite intriguing, for its Greek translation identifies it closely with the book of Revelation.

RFID tattoos...
In another development, a company called Somark Innovations has unveiled an RFID enabled chipless ink, which can be injected into biological tissue. The company has successfully completed tests on cattle and laboratory mice, and hope to revolutionize the cattle industry by providing a cost-effective means of tracking livestock. They hope the product will eventually be used to track military personnel.

Quote: "Visible or invisible ink "tattoos" can be applied to the skin and tracked by RFID readers positioned a few feet away. The company, Somark, said it had successfully tested its Biocompatible Chipless RFID Ink product on cattle and laboratory rats and proved the "efficacy of injecting and reading a 'tattoo' within the skin of animals". The technology will be used initially in the livestock industry to help identify and track cattle, and help mitigate export trade loss from BSE scares. Secondary target markets include laboratory animals, dogs and cats, prime cuts of meat and military personnel, according to the company. Ramos Mays, Somark chief scientist, said, "This proves the ability to create a synthetic biometric or fake fingerprint with Biocompatible Chipless RFID Ink and read it through hair."

What the Bible says...
In the Scriptures, in the same way that cattle are branded, tagging implies ownership. Especially tagging in the forehead, which symbolically is the "seat" of the mind. So anyone putting a chip in the forehead by implication would be claiming to control or own the will of that person. Compare these passages in Ezekiel, where God sets a special mark of ownership upon those who are obedient to His will, and have not gone after the abominations of the pervading culture, while those without God's seal are destined for pending destruction...

Ezekiel 9:4-6
And the LORD said unto him (an angel), Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
And to the others (angels) he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

Interesting to note the words, "Begin at My Sanctuary". Judgement must begin at the house of God, and if judgement first begin at us, what shall the end be of all them that obey not the Gospel? (1st Peter 4:17)

The Bible is clear about one thing, that those who do accept the mark will have by implication, automatically rejected the Lord Jesus, and as a result will never see heaven. They are marked by God for destruction, and for eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

Revelation 14:9-11 
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

But what happens to those Christians who will accept the Mark of the Beast not knowing what it is, or perhaps out of fear for the well-being of their families, or out of their desire to hold on to this life? I don't believe a person who had accepted Jesus Christ could take the mark unknowingly. My reason for believing this is that Revelation implies that those who accept the mark of the beast will be making a conscious decision - taking the mark is linked with a conscious decision to worship the Antichrist as God, just like in the old Roman Empire where Christians were forced to worship Caesar as God. Many refused and paid with their lives. 

Below are most of the verses in Revelation linked with taking the mark, and all of these closely link taking the mark with worshipping the Antichrist. 

Revelation 20:4 
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Revelation 19:20 
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 

Revelation 16:2 
And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and [upon] them which worshipped his image. 

Revelation 14:11 
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 

Revelation 14:9 
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 

But I believe this mark will only be made compulsory during the tribulation period by the Antichrist himself, therefore if the Rapture happens before the tribulation period, those who have trusted Christ have no reason for concern.

As for taking the Mark out of fear for the well-being of their families, or out of a desire to hold onto this life, this may well be a hard choice for those believers saved during the tribulation period. As I said before, the Roman armies used to knock the doors and demand that people sign a card stating their belief in the Roman Emperor as God. Those that refused faced death, but some of those Christians recanted their belief in the Saviour out of fear. They may have lost some of their eternal glory for a limited earthly peace, but they didn't loose their salvation. Regarding the Mark, Revelation makes it clear. Those that accept the Mark of the Beast during the tribulation period will not escape the judgement of God.

In Revelation we find that the Beast isn't the only one who marks his followers in the forehead...

Revelation 7:3-4
Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Revelation 14:1 
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

Revelation 22:3-4 
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

So here we have God, who has clearly identified His servants by a mark in their foreheads. Not visibly but symbolically, through the Holy Spirit indwelling them. Similarly, those who accept the Mark of the Beast will do so with a conscious decision, willing to become the property of the Antichrist, to worship him in the place of God.

What the Bible says...
I believe if the public agreed, politicians would bring the mark/chip in tomorrow. Countries around the world are already working on ID schemes, albeit limited to public acceptance. In Britain they are still trying to bring in the new chipped Passports, which will inevitably become compulsory to own, even if you aren't planning to leave the country. They are even testing a scheme to chip car licence plates. 

There is no doubt, a chip in the hand would solve an awful lot of problems. For example, credit card fraud, locating missing persons, immigration problems, identifying and treating people after natural disasters, etc. But the public won't yet accept a chip because they believe it intrudes on their privacy, and they don't trust the government not to abuse their confidential information. That is, until a world crisis arises (genuine or engineered) which "persuades" everyone that this is the best course of action, for the "benefit" of mankind.

We are told a little about why a chip will eventually be brought in to tag mankind. "He causeth all". The Antichrist will be will be the person who will make it compulsory to have this chip. And the reason given is, so "that no man might by or sell" unless he had the mark. These words were written over 2000 years ago, yet only within the last 5 years have we properly understood the significance of them due to technological advancements. 

On the 30th of October, 2006, a group of British academics published a report for the UK Information Commissioner, warning that within 10 years, unless regulations were brought in to control this new surveillance technology, Britons could find themselves facing the prospect of having compulsory identification implants...

Quote: "For the past six years European countries have been using RFID chips to identify pet animals. However, its use in humans has already been trialled in America, where the chips were implanted in 70 mentally-ill elderly people in order to track their movements. And earlier this year a security company in Ohio chipped two of its employees to allow them to enter a secure area. The glass-encased chips were planted in the recipients' upper right arms and 'read' by a device similar to a credit card reader. In their Report on the Surveillance Society, the authors now warn: "The call for everyone to be implanted is now being seriously debated." 

There could be a number of reasons why we will eventually have a cashless society. One of the reasons could be that an economic collapse would make cash and gold worthless. We are told in the book of James that those who have heaped together treasure of the last days would find it worthless.

James 5:1-3
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Ezekiel 7:19 
They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

With all the disasters befalling earth during this time, for instance; nuclear war, asteroid impacts, earthquakes, it's easy to see how we could have a world economic collapse. Estimates are that world oil reserves will only last another 20 years, and the world economy, if not the balance of power, is based on who controls the oil. The Bible tells us that during the tribulation, inflation will rise so high that a day's wages will only buy the equivalent of a loaf of bread. 

Revelation 6:5-6 
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny (a day's wages), and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 

Another reason the chip may be brought in that has already been discussed is for security reasons. If you can control who can buy and sell, you can effectively control who lives and dies. So, much like a Social Security number, a chip in the hand could stop "terrorists" travelling, working, and buying food. The "global terrorist" phenomenon does seem to be a particular characteristic of this new century. What better way to unite the world, than to have a common threat needing to be resisted by all? 

Another reason which has already been partly discussed is locating missing people. The Bible tells us in 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 and John 14:1-6, that those who have trusted Christ as Saviour will one day be caught up to be with Him in heaven. I believe for a number of reasons, that this will happen prior to the beginning of the seven year tribulation period. Could millions of missing Christians cause a world crisis of such magnitude, that every person would be persuaded to have a chip implanted in their body so they can identify who is missing and who remains? Or could this be used as an excuse so that if another crisis occurs, people can be easily located?

The possibility of these events occurring are in the news everyday, they are no longer the realm of science fiction. Are you ready to meet God when it comes to the crunch-time? 

Source Applied Digital Solutions, Emerging Worlds, CNN, NCVHS, Campaign For Truth, Star-TechCentral, CNN, Game Shout, Flickr, Flickr, Applied Digital Solutions, Spy Chips, Info Wars, Credit Cards, Xmark , Path Guy , Computer Weekly, Daily Mail