Pandemic, Vaccination and the Mark of the Beast

I come from a family of mostly evangelical Christians. My 5 sisters and I are Alliance, Baptist, Lutheran and Seventh-day Adventist. We all believe the pandemic is real. We follow the public health guidelines and all 6 of us have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Those of us who already qualify have also received the 3rd (booster) dose. 
However, I am aware that some (many?) Christians don't see things the way we do. Some think that the pandemic is a hoax (it isn't). Some think it's no worse than the flu (it is). Some believe it's just a variant of the seasonal flu (it isn't. The corona virus and the influenza virus are 2 distinct families of viruses, and they can co-exist not only in the same population, but in the same individual at the same time). And some believe that preventing us from attending church in the usual fashion is a form of religious persecution. It most definitely is not. It's a public health guideline that applies equally to all religious gatherings, funerals, weddings, sports and recreation, theatres, etc. So, it's not essentially a religious law. It has not prevented any of us from attending online services of the religion of our choice. It has attempted to prevent church services (and other gatherings) from being super spreader events. God has not created a magical force field around our churches that will prevent the corona virus from spreading if we choose to gather and flaunt the public health guidelines. As a matter of fact, God is in favour of public health guidelines. They're in the Bible. Just read Leviticus 13, for example. For an interesting discussion on whether or not it's a violation of religious liberty, view the following video: 

(I have my rationale for disagreeing with these positions, and I am willing to share them - just email me. But I won't go into them here because I know that people believe what they want to believe, in spite of all evidence to the contrary. "A mind convinced against its will is of the same opinion still.")
And then, there's the idea that microchips are injected with the vaccination. Not only is that virtually impossible (see this article), but the vaccine comes in multidose vials. Even if microchips could be drawn up through a needle, what would prevent one person from getting 2 or 3 microchips and the next person getting none? 

Finally, probably the most puzzling and disconcerting is the idea that the COVID vaccination is the mark of the beast. I do understand that people see the similarity between the restrictions on the unvaccinated and Revelation 13:17,

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.

However, let's really look at this. Yes, some of the unvaccinated will lose their jobs. But nothing is preventing them from getting another job that doesn't require vaccination. Or even becoming self-employed. As far as buying is concerned, most merchants that require proof of vaccination also offer the option of a recent, negative COVID test. Or curbside pick-up or online shopping. So, the vaccination really does not qualify.

Furthermore, I don't think anyone who believes that the COVID vaccination is the mark of the beast, has actually identified who the beast is. If you read Revelation 13, the beast shows up (verse 1) before his mark is mentioned (verse 16). So, it seems reasonable that we need to know who the beast is before we can identify his mark. If the vaccine is the mark, who then would be the beast? Pfizer? Big Pharma? Whoever the beast is must match the description in Revelation. Of course, Revelation is a highly symbolic book, but each symbol has a meaning, which can only be discovered by Bible study. 

Another point is that the issue with the mark of the beast is worship. The third angel's message in Revelation 14:9,10a makes this clear:

 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...

I have not switched gods since receiving the COVID vaccination. Nor have my sisters. Nor any other vaccinated Christian that I know. We still love and serve and worship the same God. So, who would we be worshipping if the vaccine is The Mark? We get back to the issue of having to identify who the beast is before we can identify what his mark is. 

Honestly, believing that the COVID vaccine is the mark of the beast doesn't make any Biblical sense. It doesn't fit. I do have my beliefs about the beast and his mark. And I believe that they make Biblical sense. I'm not going into an in-depth study here, but I will recommend a series of videos that help explain it better than I can, Landmarks of Prophecy. I highly recommend that you watch the whole series because each one builds on the previous ones. It might not make as much sense if you skip directly to the one on the Mark of the Beast. This series also helps explain a lot of the rest of the book of Revelation. 

(And more on Vaccine Myths and Facts from the Alberta government).