What if the key to all your personal information was contained in a tiny chip, placed just below your skin? With this chip you could open doors, retrieve concert tickets, access your bank account and provide medical records with the swipe of your hand. Likely you already know about these possibilities because articles and videos describing the technology have surfaced in the news over the past few years. In addition, with the advent of vaccine passports the average person is doing more research. It’s easy to see that society is trading convenience for constant surveillance.

Back in 2018, it was reported that thousands of Swedish citizens were having microchips inserted into their hands. This new technology, which is the size of a grain of rice, allowed recipients to access their homes, offices and gyms with a simple wave of the hand. They could even use it to log into their computer. For the affordable price of approximately $180.00, the chip is inserted using a syringe. The process takes just a few minutes and is so easy to do that companies and groups often host “implant parties.” The chips are not only a substitute for keys, but they can also store information such as social media profiles, e-tickets and emergency contacts.

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These microchips were the brainchild of a former body piercer by the name of Jowan Osterlund. Since premiering the technology, he says he’s been “hit up by hopeful investors on every continent but Antarctica.” He adds, “Tech will move into the body…I am sure of that.”

Osterlund is the founder of Biohax International. He believes the human body can be hacked through the use of technology. Below are a few quotes from his website:

“Biohax is your digital identity physically controlled by you. Tying your digital person to yourself with our Biohax Microchip implant, a biocompatible NFC implant, enables seamless digital interaction with most everyday encounters for example, getting rid of keys, loyalty tokens, money and access cards. Like Swedish railways, Epicenter Stockholm, TUI Nordics, Mindshare and others have adopted our tech and customized their digital ecosystem to suit their needs.”

In a 2017 Ted Talk, Osterlund discusses how he pioneered this implant technology.

“The interesting part, though, isn’t how I installed it, rather the journey to this point. It’s kind of an unplanned journey that didn’t only change the game in the technology field but started creating a global community. A community where people using this are evolving everyday convenience. We can do easier travel. We can do faster and safer payment. We can do something as mundane as opening a door. The opportunities are endless.”

Without missing a beat, he explains how a childhood dream became a reality known as biohacking.

“As a kid, I was always into everything sci-fi–technology, role-playing games, video games, you name it. Being a fairly wild outdoors kid, I ended up with a lot of injuries. So, I often wished I had this kind of superpowers: either indestructibility or self-healing, you name it. It wasn’t until I read an article about Kevin Warwick though. He’s got massive skills and knowledge in AI, robotics, bioethics…My childhood memory and childhood dream got rekindled. So, I started looking into RFID and this type of technology that he uses to open his door to the laboratory, to his office. And it didn’t take long until we found, implantable technology that we could use…That’s when I realized that this was what the world has been missing all along. Or at least, I’ve been missing it. Because we’re filled up and packed with gadgets, doodahs, wearables and nick-knacks, but they just take you that far, don’t they? …This, though, is biohacking.”

Biohacking is defined as the “process of using technology, science and self-experimentation to change and control your own biology.” This definition is actually very broad, but in the case of microchips, it means being able to use your own body to perform functions it normally could not. Swiping your hand to pay for groceries, instead of using cash or a credit card, is a change in the way your body is normally used.

Osterlund goes on to say that one of his personal heroes is Elon Musk, who is working on ways to upload and download your thoughts. He believes implant technology will only get more sophisticated and allow people to become hyperconnected. He says, “I really want my body to be able to speak to me, tell me what’s up…‘Drink, buddy…You’ve got to go biking…Stop smoking,’ or warn me, like ‘If you keep doing this, it’s going downhill.’”

Osterlund mentions Kevin Warwick as being an inspiration for his microchip implant.  Warwick is known for becoming the world’s first cyborg in 1998 when he implanted a microchip into his left arm in order to control a remote arm. In addition, he linked his nervous system to the internet so he could use his neural signals to control a robot hand. Warwick’s ideas are hailed as groundbreaking and inspirational among transhumanists, who love the idea of using technology to transcend the human condition.

Biohacking and microchips seem like science fiction, but the technology continues to progress. Seeing these things come to fruition brings verses to mind like Revelation 13:16, which describes a mark that all people are forced to receive.

“It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.”

While the Swedish implants are not the mark, one can see the shadows of what Revelation describes all around us. Whether it be draconian mandates, biometric data or tiny microchips, one is prompted to pray without ceasing, as we see more of these measures being implemented and used.

Implanted microchips haven’t made their way into the hands of Americans, but the push continues for more Swedes to receive them as Sweden just announced its Covid vaccine passport requirement that went into effect on December 1, 2021.

An article in Newsweek reported that according to local media outlets, “people in Sweden are increasingly seeking to have microchips inserted into their bodies that contain their Covid-19 vaccination records.” Adding vaccination records would not be a stretch because Swedes are already familiar with the idea of storing and retrieving information using an implantable microchip.

An article in LifeSite reported that a Swedish biohacker by the name of Hannes Sjöblad is promoting the idea of connecting Covid passports with microchips. In a video shared by Sweden’s daily newspaper Aftonbladet, he can be seen demonstrating how he can pull up an EU digital Covid certificate on his phone by placing his cell phone against his forearm.

Sjöblad believes microchips can have many uses ranging from personal contact information to blood types. They can also measure body temperature. Additionally, he says the chip implant can be used to sign payments through platforms such as Bitcoin.

An article in Vice had this to say about Sweden: “The country is nearing complete digitization of both public and private sectors, and has now its sights set on artificial intelligence, all with the goal of making life more convenient, efficient, and equitable for its citizens.” Anders Ygeman, Sweden’s Minister of Energy, says, “Ninety-seven percent of the transactions are done without bills.”

Euro Weekly reports that, “More than 4,000 people have already had the high-tech chips, about the size of a grain of rice, inserted into their hands, with the pioneers predicting millions will soon join them as they hope to take it global. Using the implants makes cash and credit cards redundant and massively reduces the risk of transmitted infections by the coronavirus.”

As watchmen on the wall, most Christians will read the above quote and experience a cascade of alarm bells ringing via the Holy Spirit. A global system of payment involving microchips is troubling enough, but add in private health data and one realizes that vigilant discernment and prayer is crucial.

As we see the rise of technology merging with globalism, we should not fret, but instead take refuge under the wings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Ultimately, he is in control, no matter what we see on the horizon.

Prayer Points:

Pray for believers and non-believers to wake-up and resist the push to “biohack” our bodies using implantable technologies such as microchips.

Pray for people to understand how technological convenience can lead to continual surveillance, which in turn, erodes the freedom our nation has worked so hard to earn.

Pray that we do not give into a spirit of fear when we see invasive technologies emerge, but instead let us take courage and fight the good fight of faith.

What are your thoughts on implantable microchips?

Angela Rodriguez is an author, blogger and homeschooling Mom who studies the historical and biblical connections between Israel and the United States. You can visit her blogs at 67owls.com and 100trumpets.com. Her latest book, Psalm 91: Under the Wings of Jesus, was released in June 2021.