In Matthew 24, Jesus’ disciples asked Him about the signs of His second coming and the end of the world.
The first thing Jesus said was: “Take heed that no man deceives you.” (Matthew 24:4) He went on to explain how there will be false prophets who will come in His name to deceive many people.
There is a form of “false prophet” in the world today that many people are listening to and being deceived by.
It’s called social media.
The “signs and wonders” it uses to deceive people are posts and videos that include so-called “experts” who allegedly know what they’re talking about.
But what they’re REALLY trying to do is “go viral” so they can get paid.
The problem is: Christians read their posts and watch their videos, without fact-checking the source or checking what the Bible says about them, then they share them and help spread the false prophecies.
Many lies that are being shared right now state that the COVID-19 vaccine is what some call the “Mark of the Beast” spoken of in the book of Revelation.
Many people are afraid that the COVID-19 vaccine is a sneaky way of giving the public the “Mark.”
But that’s NOT how it’s going to happen. I want to clear up the confusion and state emphatically — the COVID-19 vaccine is NOT the “Mark of the Beast!”
Here’s what the Bible tells us in Revelation 13:14-17, “(The False prophet) deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
“And he causes 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.”
First, the timeframe of Revelation 13 is around 3 1/2 years into the Tribulation Period (a seven-year period when God’s judgment is poured out on the earth and the Antichrist rules the world).
I want you to understand the Tribulation has NOT started yet.
We’re living in perilous times right now, but it’s nothing like what’s going to happen then!
I don’t have the space here to go into all the details.
However, I did an entire study on the Book of Revelation and you can listen to the Raven Assembly Podcast for free on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify to get the full study.
Second, I want you to notice the Antichrist (the “beast”) will come to power first, before the “Mark of the Beast” is instituted.
The world’s leaders will give their power to the Antichrist and he will be a world dictator.
However, the Antichrist is NOT ruling the world right now, world leaders are still in power and they’re not ready to give up their control to anyone.
So, this hasn’t happened yet.
Third, the Antichrist will appear to have a fatal wound and be resurrected (mocking Jesus’ death and resurrection).
He will also have a false prophet who builds an idol to the Antichrist and tells all people to take the “Mark.” So, individuals will have to make a conscious choice: to worship the Antichrist and take the “Mark” or don’t and be killed!
They’re not going to sneak it into a vaccine and not tell the world bout it—everyone WILL KNOW what they’re doing.
Finally, notice the location of the “Mark,” on the forehead or the right hand.
When was the last time someone gave you a vaccine in your forehead or your right hand?
Never! Vaccines are usually given in a person’s shoulder.
As you can see, a simple reading of the Bible disproves a lot of the lies being spread on social media. So please be wise and as Jesus said, “Take heed that no man deceives you.”
It might even be a wise decision to take a break from social media and read God’s Word instead.

Rev. Doug Johnson is the senior pastor at Raven Assembly of God in Raven, Virginia.