Could the COVID passport that some politicians are saying will not come, yet that is slowly and steadily being forced onto the lives of more citizens in more countries actually be a blessing in disguise for the saints? I believe that it could be. What do I mean by this?

The following is not a discussion about the merits or demerits of vaccines COVID or otherwise. That is another discussion for another time. Rather, this is about the implications of a COVID passport that may well determine who can do what, when and where or not. Such a passport would be about separating people into classes­—the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Why does this matter and how does it affect you should the requirements of a COVID passport come knocking on your door?

Likely all those reading this believe in the veracity of the Bible, and the fact that Scripture predicts that certain events will happen before the second coming of Yeshua the Messiah. One of these prophesied events is the famous mark of the beast of Revelation 13 in the Bible. According to Scripture, only those who have the mark of the beast will be permitted by the State or the powers that be to buy and sell. In other words, to survive in a modern world in a somewhat normal fashion, it will be mandated that everyone takes the mark. Probably a few who live off the land in a self-sufficient manner and are off grid somewhere far away from others will not be too negatively affected by the mark of the beast, but this will be a small minority of people. For the rest of us whose lives are urban and depend on others for survival, not being able to buy or sell could be a real problem—even a life threatening one.

So at some point in the end times, as per Revelation 13:16–17, the world will be divided into two classes of people: those who take the mark and are able to buy and sell (i.e. survive in a contemporary culture), and those who refuse to take it. By now, it should not hard to see where I am going with this line of thought.

For the record, I do not for one second believe that either the COVID shot, or jab as it is being called, or the COVID passport are the mark of the beast. Neither one fits the biblical criteria for the mark. However, are these things conditioning people to eventually accept the infamous mark?

Let’s get real. Do you really think that all those folks who are promoting either the jab or the passport are knowing agents of the devil intent on helping to fulfill biblical prophecy so that Yeshua can return? Of course not. They are simply doing what they think is best for themselves and for humanity. Yes, of course, there are sinister elements, even demonic evil doers at the top who have their new world order, globalistic and Luciferian agendas. But there have always been and there always will be these type of people seeking world dominion at the expense of the rest of us. It all goes back to the snake in the tree in the garden, who from the beginning was intent on thwarting the will of the Creator. Nothing has changed since then. Satan is the god of this world, and he is opposed to all that is good, and he has his human agents that are helping to fulfill his nefarious purposes whether they know it or not. These people are his useful idiots.

Now to the question at hand: Could the COVID passport actually end up being a blessing for the true saints of Elohim? In answering this question, let’s analyze this a bit. In a society where such a passport would be required, there will be two classes or categories of people: those who have it and those who do not. The first group will be a privileged class able to movies, bars, restaurants, fun events, museums, travel, participate in sporting events, go to school and so on. Of course those who work for the State will be required to get vaccinated because government can make such demands of its worker bees. Healthcare workers will also be required to get the jab or lose their jobs because this, of course, they are health care workers, and they have to set the example for rest of us to follow in order to give validity to the State’s politically correct narrative (whether it is based on the truth or not, it does not matter). 

COVID passports or similar such State backed mandates are already being forced on the citizens of some countries like France, Chili, Israel and, of this writing, some 50 other countries. Moreover, more and more large corporations are requiring their workers to get the jab or lose their job. This is all, of course, for the health and safety of everyone, don’t you know. Can’t you see a similar scenario being played out when it comes to being required to take the eventual biblical mark of the beast? 

What I am saying is not fear mongering, hyperbole or fantastical conspiracy theorizing. These things are happening in real time and in living color before our very eyes. People are being convinced that they need to take an experimental gene-editing drug all purportedly for their own good, even though thousands of medical doctors worldwide are warning us against. 

Moreover, in the US, a large percentage of health care workers are refusing to get the jab. What do they know that we don’t? The mainstream media refuses to cover these issues, social media is censoring this information and most of our government officials refuse to even discuss it. Can’t you see that a similar method of operation or game plan will be how the mark of the beast will be sold to (or be foisted upon) the majority of the earth’s population some time in the future?

Do you see where this is going? It starts with government officials saying that they have no intentions of implementing a COVID passports, then suddenly a new strain of the Corona or COVID virus emerges, and now the passport is a necessity. What is next? More new strains, more stringent measures enforced by social ostracizing, loss of jobs, penalties, fines, prison sentences and on and on?

Those who have their eyes on Bible prophecy will be less likely to acquiesce to these measures. Such people will be more likely to resist these restrictive government mandates. Those who resist and refuse will not fare well in a society that requires vaccines or eventually marks in the hand or forehead in order to function.

So what is the potential blessing to not having a COVID passport? Consider this. In Revelation 18, YHVH urges his people to come out of Babylon the Great (Rev 18:4). How do you do that? Not easily. Mystery Babylon the Great is comprised of three components: economic, political and religious (see Rev 13). Many Christian folks have been exiting religious Babylon by returning to the biblical, Torah-roots of their faith, and leaving behind the traditions of men by which the Word of Elohim has been made of none-effect. This is a good thing, and a step in the right direction. But how does one come out of economic and political Babylon? Not so easily. COVID or something similar may provide the impetus for YHVH’s people to take some more serious steps in exiting the world system. What do I mean?

If one refuses to take the jab and is thus denied a COVID passport and, as a result, is subsequently denied certain privileges that have been granted to all of the obedient citizens out there, what would be the result? Take the current state of affairs in France, for example—a country whose national motto since the French Revolution of 1789 has been “liberty, equality and fraternity.” No more going to the bars, restaurants, sporting events and stadiums, casinos, museums, music festivals, social gatherings and social events, spas, gyms, as well as prohibition from travelling to other countries. No working for government or many large corporations. No riding public transport. (Don’t laugh, most of these restrictions have gone into effect or are about to in France as of this writing!) You can now cross off the word liberty from France’s national motto! 

So are all of this curtailment of civil liberties a bad thing? Maybe not. Let’s parse this out and briefly discuss how these government-enforced restrictions might actually force YHVH’s people to more seriously disengage from Babylon the Great as per heaven’s instructions in Revelation 18:4 to “come out of her my people.”

• Bars: You probably shouldn’t be going there in the first place. Alcoholic beverages are the main attraction here, and this is not a good thing. Instead, stay home and hang out with your friends and loved ones. Enjoy a good glass of wine or a microbrew beer or something similar, in moderation of course. Build relationships. Have a Bible study or prayer meeting.
• Restaurants: Too many people spend way too much time and money eating unhealthy and unkother food in restaurants. Instead, stay healthy and eat at home, while saving a lot of money. Gather  your family and friends around the altar of your table and bring Elohim into the mix as you build familial relationships. Who knows, maybe a home fellowship or Bible study will get started out of it.
• Sporting events: What’s the point of all of this in the bigger picture of life? Most sporting events involve groups of people running around chasing balls or some other inanimate object. How does this advance the kingdom of Elohim or draw one closer to him? Instead, how about gathering together with your own family and playing games that bring you together and build relationships that strengthen the family? This is a God-thing. The other can be a money and time wasting distraction that merely enriches a bunch of godless people. 
• Casinos: A saint should not be going here in first place, so cross this one off your list.
• Museums: Okay, there are a lot of good and bad museums. Many have historical value, but many feature idols from pagan cultures, garbage that passes for art, and are monuments to man’s pride and arrogance. You’re not losing much by not going to museums (and I’ve visited some of the largest and most famous ones in the world in Rome, Paris, London, New York City and elsewhere). Instead, stay home and learn to paint or draw. Learn a skill and create your own art. Make music. Become a photographer. There are plenty of other things one can learn to do that are centered around the home, family and other loved ones.
• Music festivals and concerts: Most of the modern music is garbage, and face it, most of you have been brainwashed into accepting this trash as music. J. S. Bach, the greatest composer in the last one thousand years, and a God-fearing man to boot, declared that “the soul purpose of music should be nothing less than the glorification of God and the refreshment of the human spirit.” Does the music you listen to fit this criteria? If not, then stop wasting your time and money on noise that passes as music. “Come out of her my people!”
• Social gatherings: Do most of these social events really glorify Elohim and help to advance his kingdom? Probably not, unless you are sharing the gospel with your friends at these event, which most of you probably are not because you’re too scared and embarrassed to do so. So why go? How about spending that time with your own family or like-minded believers?
• Spas and gyms: Let’s be honest, I’ve never had much use for these. After all, people pay me to work out on my jobs as an arborist. Beyond that, gyms and spas are smelly, germ-ridden places. How about making your own gym in your garage? You can also work out by walking, running, hiking, bicycling or whatever. Do it with family and friends. Pray and commune with Elohim while you are walking, or listen to the Bible. You will save a lot of money and probably be healthier for it. For many people who go to spas and gyms, it is all about ego, pride and self-adulation and less about health. They want to look good to impress others with their muscular bodies. Solomon calls such endeavors vanity of vanities in his treatise on the meaningless pointlessness of life,which you will find in the book of Ecclesiastes.
• Restrictions on traveling abroad: Look I love to travel. I have been to 22 countries on four continents, and my cup is not yet full. Yet what price am I willing to pay for the government-granted privilege of traveling for fun? When I get my glorified body at the resurrection of the righteous and the second coming, I will be able to travel far and wide well beyond this earth. So I am putting my eggs in that glorious cosmic and eternal basket. In the mean time, I am enjoying travelling to the woods, forests and mountains that are next door to me. I also enjoy tending the Garden of Eden of my own backyard. These simple things of life bring me about as much joy and pleasure as traveling abroad, and they are a lot less expensive. As Scripture says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6). 
• Prohibitions on accessing public transport: This could be difficult for some pepole, especially the elderly and handicapped. If you are able, a little physical exercise via walking or bicycling to get somewhere will not hurt but help you. Those who are unable to walk will have to rely on family and friends to take them places. Maybe this will bring families closer together—a good thing. Or maybe we will just have to learn to do without some things that we think we need but don’t need.
• Working for government: When you work for the government, you are, to one degree or another, its property, even its “slave” (if you are in the military, for example). Oh, they pay their bondservants well and take care of them from cradle to grave, but you are still their serf. They tell you where to go, what to do, when and how. You have little or no say in the matter. While under their thumb, are you really able to obey YHVH and keep his commandments? In order to keep your job, what biblical areas are you compromising in, and what Torah-commandments (like keeping the seventh day Sabbath and biblical feasts) are you violating in exchange for some money and security à la Big Brother?
• Working for large corporations: Many large corporations pay their workers well, but at what price? The loss of freedom? Do they require you to work on the Sabbath and biblical feast days? How many biblically-minded, even self-professed Torah-observant people are violating YHVH’s Torah laws just to keep their jobs? They are choosing the god of mammon over Elohim, something that Yeshua forbids of his disciples. This is not a good thing. The Bible calls it idolatry and compromise. This is the path of spiritual backsliding, Laodiceanism and apostasy. “Come out of her my people!” “Seek ye first the kingdom of Elohim and his righteousness…,” says Yeshua, and the rest will take care of itself including all of your physical needs (not necessarily your covetous wants, though).

As I see it, COVID is a double-edged sword, but not in the way you may think. Most people believe that getting a COVID passport will be bad for the saints who refuse to get it and good for those who get it since they will be granted privileges denied to the refuseniks. In reality, it seems to me that a COVID passport will be bad for the populace, but good for the children of light, who YHVH has told to come out of Babylon. This is because COVID may force the true saints of Elohim to detach themselves more and more from the economic and political aspects of the Novus Ordo Seclorum (the New World Order) or what the Bible calls Babylon the Great. Many of us have already or are coming out of the religious component of Babylon, but the COVID passport or something like it may force us out of the other aspects of it to one degree or another as well (i.e. the political and economic components). This will strengthen the faith of some, and destroy that of others. It may well be a great dividing factor between those who are more aligned with the world, the flesh and the devil versus those who are more in aligned with the Spirit and Word of YHVH Elohim. Making such choices could even divide families and marriages. I see it coming, clearly, like storm clouds on the horizon—like a freight train headed toward as we are standing in the tracks.

If the System marginalizes and then expels those who refuse to get the COVID vaccine and the subsequent passport, one’s only option may be eventually—if things become draconian enough—to flee into the wilderness wherever that may be. I do not expect this scenario to play itself out overnight. It may take years—in incremental steps—to get to this point. The mindset of the masses have to be conditioned slowly to accept the new order of things—their new chains of slavery, all the while convincing the masses to think that such a State mandated and enforced dictum will ensure their freedom, security and be their savior. Government and their minions will promote it as such, and the masses will willingly reach out both arms to receive the shackles of tyranny. Adolph Hitler did this slowly when he came into power in 1933 in pre-WWII Germany. The Jews et al were not sent to the ovens initially, overnight. They were singled out, marginalized, persecuted and finally rounded up after much conditioning of the Germans’ minds through their propagandistic media and government controlled educational institutions. 

The devil may be subtle, even as he comes as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14), but his game plan seldom changes, and students of history and the Bible can see the patterns repeating themselves again and again. As children of the light, we are not ignorant of our enemy’s devises (2 Cor 2:11).

Finally, consider this Bible prophecy in light of what we have been discussing above. 

Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of Elohim and have the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah. (Rev 12:14–17)

Even in this prophecy in the book of Revelation, there will be two groups of people. Those who stay in Babylon and those who are forced to leave it.

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her [i.e. Babylon the Great], my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. (Rev 18:4)

Never forget this. All those who take the mark of the beast, whoever they may be, whenever it is and whatever it may be, will burn in the lake of fire.

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. 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 ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (Rev 14:9–11)