Is World ID the mark of the beast? Is Worldcoin the end times global currency?

Answer

A founder of OpenAI— the company behind ChatGPT— has developed a program designed to register users with a global digital identifier. World ID aims to provide each person with a unique digital identity that sets individuals apart from each other and from AI. It accomplishes this by scanning the user’s iris on a biometric verification device called the Orb and generating a numerical code based on the eye’s image. The iris image file can be deleted, leaving only the code. The iris scan is necessary to create an account with World ID, but it is not digitally linked to any personal information. Its purpose is to ensure that individuals can only establish a single account; once scanned, a person’s eyes cannot be used to create another ID. Users can decide whether to delete or store and use the image of their iris for research.

World ID is associated with Worldcoin, a digital currency. Anyone who signs up for a World ID through the Orb will receive one Worldcoin token based on Ethereum. Users can open an account and trade in Worldcoin without undergoing an iris scan, but they will not receive a complimentary token or obtain a World ID. Besides offering a free token presently, World ID aims to promote greater equity in the global digital economy for all users worldwide. The specific method by which this will be achieved is unknown, other than ensuring that individuals cannot possess more than one World ID.

Is World ID the mark of the beast?

No, World ID is not the prophesied mark of the beast, and Worldcoin is not the prophesied global currency. The mark of the beast cannot materialize until the Antichrist is revealed. This mark serves as a clear indication that the individual worships the beast, a scenario that will not occur until the latter half of the tribulation (refer to Revelation 13). The mark of the beast cannot currently exist because the beast has not yet assumed power.

Will this technology contribute to the d

Development of the mark of the beast?

Possibly. It is reasonable to speculate that the mark of the beast will include some kind of unique identifier. However, it will also include a mark: something that is added to the human body on the forehead or right hand (Revelation 13:16-17). It is not merely something about the body that is recorded.

Should Christians avoid World ID and Worldcoin to delay the development of the mark of the beast?

The Bible clearly explains that the timing of the return of Jesus is determined by the will of God the Father alone (Acts 1:6-7). We cannot know, delay, or hasten Jesus’ coming. Christians do not have to avoid using the World ID or Worldcoin for spiritual purposes. It is not a sin to use, develop, or promote technology that may eventually be used by the Antichrist.

Should Christians use World ID and Worldcoin?

That is a matter of discernment. Despite developers’ best intentions, digital information is always vulnerable. As of this writing, it appears the iris scans used to train the system have not been deleted, and the methods used to acquire them were not entirely ethical. The Bible says nothing specific about a global identifier or digital currency. On the other hand, anyone who has taken a DNA heritage test has already made biometric data available to a corporation and theoretically vulnerable to digital theft.