Currently, out of the desperation in Europe’s ongoing financial crises, there is in the works a marrying of the technology that currently exists with the financial restructuring that is seemingly channelizing the EU into becoming a more unified, streamlined, cashless society.
They may not know this at the present, but each crisis seems to move from one country to the next and it always seems a little grimmer than the one before. But the trend is moving them (and us) in the direction in which fiat currencies are becoming cumbersome, unreliable, and irrelevant. Removing local currencies such as the British pound or the Polish z³oty is just a matter of manipulating their values until they either become too expensive to be practical or they are devalued on purpose.
In Europe, many people and even entire countries have already gone almost completely cashless. The key to the success of this new system is that its net worth is not measured against individual markets or in tangible things (oil or gold) that can be rocked by unpredictable events such as war, natural catastrophes, or the whims of market speculation, but rather it will be an artificially based value on the system as a whole. Digital currency can be tracked to the specific; item, time and place a transaction took place. Drugs, illegal immigration, and human trafficking could be wiped out almost overnight. The next logical step would be ensuring that the person conducting the transaction was the actual person who the account is linked too. This is where ‘the mark’ connects the fourth part to the transaction.
I am no financial expert, but from my foxhole, the stock markets are largely predicated on herd mentality. At the first whiff of fiscal peril, panicked investor’s head for the doors with their money in tow. The world is growing tired of the volatile and unpredictable, and long for stability and predictability, particularly in Europe with the ups and mostly downs of the PIIGS nations. People at some point in the not too distant future will gladly trade the prospect for big financial gains, for some peace of mind. If currency becomes entirely digital (as is the case in cashless societies), couldn’t artificial values be set to a predetermined worth? This might appear as an oversimplification on my part, but a dollar/euro/pound/etc only has value because that government says it has value.
I think Europe will be the test bed for this sooner rather than later, and after it has shown great success in not only stabilizing their markets and their currency, it will be quickly and successfully adopted around the world as the model to use. The UK might balk at the idea of completely giving up the British pound, but if this new system included them as one of the senior stakeholders, I would bet they might be more open to the idea. Somehow either through crook or nook, they along with the other holdouts will be enticed to join in the EU’s new financial system.
The Almighty Dollar
The Global Economic Conditions report and tracks economic conditions around the world and studies the trends in how markets and nations are holding up against each other. Let’s say for arguments sake that the US did collapse for whatever reason, the real fear then is that the US Dollar would drag all the other major currencies down with it. It might seem a little far-fetched to think that, but many nations already have growing concerns that it is not a matter of if, but when. They are actively trying to delink themselves as quickly as possible from the dollar. So when thinking about the mark of the beast and a one world financial system taking a long time to become implemented, that is nothing more than wishful thinking. Nothing brings about a quicker and more drastic transformation than does a crisis. The more severe the crisis, the more rapid and more drastic transformation seems not only reasonable, but also preferable to the alternative. And the collapse of the US government along with the US dollar would be the greatest financial disaster the world has ever seen.
The largest hindrance for a global or regional currency to be implemented is not the Bible believing Christian in the world, because lets’ face it, even within Christendom there is a only a relatively small minority that still takes the Bible literally and even fewer still, that take the book of Revelation seriously. What withholds this from serious global implementation at the moment (aside from God’s timing) is that the largest free market in the world, the United States, is still bound by its Constitution from using any currency that our Congress does not 100% control and regulate. That authority was relegated over to the Federal Reserve back in 1913, but Congress still has a semblance of control, which appears at the moment, to be good enough for the American people.
Considering all the constitutional violations we have already accepted as the ‘new normal’, Americans would rather have a symbolic constitution, than have to face the severe austerity measures which would severely hamper the comfortable lifestyle we have grown accustomed too.
Superman
The Antichrist is the Rider on the White Horse who, as the consummate Peacemaker, will have the perfect solution to fix most (if not all) the geo-political problems in the Middle East (ME). He will be able to do what no other politician before him has ever done, and not because of his political prowess (which he will certainly be a master of) but because of the geo-political situations that have yet to transpire. Simply put, no global leader before 1948 could negotiate with the state of Israel, because Israel had not existed as a national entity since 70AD. No global power or leader could negotiate away the status of Jerusalem from the Jews prior to the Six-Day War, because the Jordanians controlled most of the city prior to that war. Humanity and Satan has had to wait for the events in 1948 and the 1967 to catch up with Bible prophecy first. But now that there is a nation of Israel whose capital is Jerusalem once again, the process in which Bible prophecy can be fulfilled has been moving in overdrive. And so it has been from1967 until today that satanically inspired politicians and political entities of all stripes and flavors, have fruitlessly bargained for trying to divide up the Jewish state by trading land for peace.
“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the weekHe shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering…” (Daniel 9:27)
Now it’s difficult to say what exactly is negotiated, because we have not reached that moment in time for the conditions to be just right. It could be that the Psalm 83/Isaiah 17/Ezekiel 38 scenarios would have to play out first before we could see this man appear on the scene to simply pick up the pieces. He will just be at the right time and right place for Satan to use. But none of this is really new news to those who watch these things with a prophetic eye. What we have seen now for the past two years is that the Arab Spring has been setting the stage for there to be a war(s) of such significance that they fundamentally transform the face of the Middle East once again.
So how does the European currency crises and Middle East peace tie together?
It would appear that as we hear the ME war-drums beating louder, and see the EU financial crisis stabilizing, that the entrance into this new regional financial system will be entirely dependent upon and at the cost of, a nation’s sovereignty…much like it was in the days of the Roman Empire.
Render Unto Caesar…
Conquered countries in the Roman Empire were free to maintain a semblance of autonomy (language, culture, and religion) so long as they paid taxes and tribute to Caesar and didn’t stir up too much trouble. They fell under Roman law, so being a citizen was of the utmost importance because it guaranteed you certain rights and privileges that non-citizens did not have. (Think Paul) They (subjugate nations) were allowed to use their own currency at the local level, but had to use Roman currency for anything official like taxes and tributes back to the Caesar. But this was not simply limited too money and politics. Those under the Roman thumb were also allowed to practice their various religions; so long as they still acknowledged Caesar as God. This is what brought the ire of the Romans almost exclusively on the early Church, in that they would not acknowledge Caesar as a God.
In keeping with Roman tradition, people wouldn’t have to necessarily give up their faiths over night. There is a strong strain of Babylonian ecumenicalism that runs deep in the ancient Romans because of the multitude of gods they worshipped. They even had a shrine for the ‘unknown god’ that Luke makes mention of in Acts 17:23. So starting out, I do not think that it will be as easily recognizable to most peoples in the world.
Remember, Satan only has seven years in which to accomplish political and militaristic conquest. He does not have enough time to conquer the world by force; it has to be something that links all of mankind together which is why it has to be something everyone uses…like money. He also doesn’t have to vanquish all the various religions out there at once either, because only born again Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and have the ability to discern the truth. And since all born again believers from the Church age will have been removed prior to his arrival, it shouldn’t be that difficult. But the Antichrist will have two advantages that no other leader before him had, and that is the right time and right place, and the supernatural ability of signs and wonders, which our modern world today is very unaccustomed to dealing with.
So we see that out of many currencies, one will rise and take dominance. Out of many governments, one will rise and rule the rest. And out of the many leaders in this revived Roman system, one leader will rise, and will bring upon him and those in the world, the wrath of God that has been foreordained before the beginning of the world.
So where and when does the Rapture of the Church fit into all this? Consider that we already see all of these already in place, or on the verge thereof:
1. The success of this covenant’s (Dan 9:27) implementation is predicated upon a perfect-storm recipe: frustration at the current peace process, widespread war, and a global financial calamity that can be used by the Antichrist to bring about a false sense of peace and security. All these things have to not only be present, but at the end of their ropes if you will.
2. The world would have to be in state of war to make peace worth the covenant. Our world today is a pressure cooker of ratcheting tension waiting to explode. (41 active conflicts today, more than at any one point in history)
3. The revived success of the Roman Empire’s (EU/MU) financial system would be used in part to coerce those recently defeated Arab nations to come underneath their umbrella. It will only cost them their sovereignty, but considering that the Arab spring has left them in shambles anyway, shouldn’t be too hard a pitch. Israel will be asked to join, but for different pretenses with the prospect of peace and financial stability.
4. The Antichrist’s arrival and the start of the 70th week are dependent upon the confirmation of this covenant, not the Church’s departure.
5. But the Apostle Paul states that the Antichrist cannot be revealed until the Church has been removed first.
6. If the stage for war is being set, and the perfect financial storm already exists to bring about a dynamic restructuring for Europe, then our departure is not far off.
“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)