Dear Editor,

There has been a view held by many that the vaccines developed to fight COVID-19 is the feared “mark of the beast”. But, is that so?

Let’s examine what the Bible has to say about the mark of the beast and let’s see if it squares with the COVID-19 vaccines.

What is the mark of the beast? The book of Revelation 13:16-18 says the following: “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.

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.”

There are a few important points here: 1) the beast is a man, not medicine; 2) the beast’s name adds up to 666.

We must understand that the Hebrew language, amongst others, didn’t have a separate number and alphabet system as we do today. Theirs was a system of letters that carried a numerical value. So, when the Bible says the number of the man adds up to 666, what it is literally saying is if you add up all the letters in the name of the man, it will add up to 666. That particular way of using letters to represent a numerical value is known as gematria or biblical mathematics as some call it.

Using that system to add up the names of the vaccines or their manufacturers does not result in a total of 666 – not even close. For example: Moderna totals 370; AstraZeneca, 973; and Johnson & Johnson adds up to 1,116. Even COVID doesn’t add up to 666 — it’s 93.

Still not convinced that the vaccines are not the mark of the beast? Let’s examine verse 16 of the chapter in the book of Revelation mentioned before. Importantly, that passage outlines either of two places that you will get the mark – in the palm of your hand or on your forehead. If you believe the Bible enough to quote it as justification not to get the vaccine, then you should believe when it tells you where you will get the mark. At no time is the vaccine delivered in your forehead or in the palm of your hands. The vaccine is delivered in your arm. God isn’t that stupid that he would get the palm and forehead mixed up with your arm.

So, it is very clear that the COVID-19 vaccines are not the mark of the beast. I could go further to debunk this foolishness but I think that is sufficient.

We must understand that not everything is created to turn us into something we do not want to be. And, consider this, all of you who are using the Bible wrongly to justify your dangerous stupidity are mired in all sorts of sins — you lie, steal, fornicate, commit adultery; you are murderers, rapist, child molesters, gays, whoremongers, and the list goes on. All those activities, according to Bible, will land you in hell just as if you had received the mark of the beast.

In the final analysis we must stop being foolish and go out and get vaccinated. And, to you bunch of good-for-nothing pastors and ministers, do something good for once and go out and get vaccinated as an example to your congregation. Stop telling people to pray. Prayer is good, but God gave you all brains to understand that medicine is not evil and one must take it when one gets sick. Jesus had a doctor as one of his disciples.

Remember, the faster you get vaccinated, the quicker you can go back to singing and dancing and making a joyful noise unto the Lord – without the mask. Get vaccinated and get back to Christ!

Fabian Lewis

tyronelewis272@gmail.com