It is timely to again weigh in on the progress of the global financialization phenomenon … what we refer to as the Endtime Money Snare. The roots of this development extend back several hundred years. Notably, this encroach of financial materialism has made incredible advances during the past five decades or so.
We have written about the development of the Endtime Money Snare for well over 20 years (also producing a book on this topic in 2002, called The Endtime Money Snare: How to live free). There is much to update.
The endtime money trap continues to sink its claws of influence and control into more geography and peoples than ever before. The interim setbacks to globalization caused by the Global Final Crisis (which began in 2008) have hardly detracted from this rapid and long-running trend.
Not surprisingly, most of humanity is welcoming the Endtime Money Snare with open arms, entirely unaware of its future endpoint implications. They think it promises only good things … great comforts, greater freedom of choice, more wealth and prosperity, cheaper products, higher productivity, improved development for the world’s poor, more popular brands, Cokes and McDonald’s hamburgers … etc.
Many of these things are true. But there is a price. Christians should be aware of what it will mean for their faith … and the world. Their economic lives—decisions to buy and sell, attitudes of self-reliance and warm comfort—may increasingly clash with the fundaments of their faith.
What is this “endtime money manifesto” all about? In essence, it is this: To bring the world to the point where it either willingly or involuntarily pledges its allegiance (faith) to mankind’s humanist systems and philosophies. Global monetary systems become more centralized and interconnected. Ultimately, these trends open up a vulnerability to an evil (anti-God), worldwide system that is controlled by a very small number of rulers … eventually, the individual called the Beast (aka the Antichrist).
Of course, these days such views as expressed above are roundly branded as extremist, heretical and the realm of crackpots. Mankind denies the cosmological view of good and evil … of God and Satan … of the literal truths presented in the Bible.
To the secular mind, should there actually be a Satan, he is supposedly above taking advantage of any grand agendas that might serve to unify the godless actions and beliefs of mankind. People deny that there is a satanic world scheme to lead mankind astray.
On this last point, the Bible is very clear that it is “[…] that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12:9). Furthermore, Apostle Paul tells us that, “[…] our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
Apparently, we also are to believe that money systems will be an entirely neutral factor in the vain plotting and conspiring of the world (Psalm 2:1) against Christ during the last days. Actually, the opposite couldn’t be more true. Money—expressly, its global interconnected systems which facilitate today’s intense commercialism—plays a role like none other. Money systems and the related financialization of mankind produce the most effective alternative to omnipresence. Only God is omnipresent; Satan is not. Thus, Satan must avail himself of a different means of global influence and control.
It must be noted how much of Bible prophecy refers to the economic and commercial conditions of the last days. All of these prophecies have been provided to us in order to allow us to discern the times and the seasons, and to guard against any spiritual complicity with an “anti-Christ” endtime world.
Very little is written about these biblical foreshadowings and warnings of materialism and monetarism and their placement in an endtime perspective. Sadly, any biblical references to money tend to be narrowly interpreted in the pursuit of wealth and prosperity—how to live materially blessed here and now. To the extent that this is the case, such a focus can promote endtime idolatries with a powerful world money system.
The Design of the Snare
A new, modern-day Tower of Babel has been emerging out of the disorganized rubble of the old for quite some time. Its common language is a new international one—economic and monetary principles. It is not a simple linguistic matter as it was back then.
Today, the commonalities to all mankind are monetary systems (manipulated through central banking theories) and economic theory. These have rapidly converged globally in less than 50 years. And, as such, the reach of the money snare is becoming increasingly pervasive. An increasing portion of human action and activities are being driven and captured into a financial form (this being financialization).
Also integral to the development of the Endtime Money Snare is a change in the accepted form of wealth. This concept has developed into one that is much more transferable, transactionable, and subject to grand manipulation. Crucially, this type of wealth is technically controllable from a single command point.
The “endtime money manifesto” is already at a high state of implementation. Its advances are likely to continue (into the Tribulation period, we believe). In the meantime, there is no telling how extreme, perverse and invasive it may yet become. Why? Irrationality and delusion cannot be predicted. In Ecclesiastes 7:25, we read about the “stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.” Viewed from that perspective, much more stupidity and madness may lie ahead.
However, it should also be recognized that the Endtime Money Snare need not evolve much further … if at all. All the technologies and systems are already in place to allow for its prophetic utilization. We must not be lulled into the view that we have much time to “come out” of this Babylonian mindset (2 Corinthians 6:17; Revelation 18:4).
The Lord could return today. The start of the Great Tribulation—the seven-year period of God’s wrath—therefore could possibly occur in the very near future.
What moral and social mindsets of the endtime money snare are already evident? Witnessed today are these: Pride, haughtiness, massive deception, grand theft of wealth, hoarding and concentration of wealth, elitism, a boom in sensuality and materialism, more enslavement, greater indebtedness, “blessed” greed … etc. Clearly, these are not fruits of the Spirit. To the contrary, it is obvious that we are witnessing the traits of a worldly, anti-Christ movement … these being part of the plot of the “endtime money manifesto.”
Points to Ponder
We conclude that “globalization” influences are pandemic … evident in almost every aspect of human affairs. A flurry of footsteps has been taken over recent decades. Some of them have been small. Other shifts have been significant and epochal. The main point is that there have been more forward footsteps than there have been reversals.
What to do? The key questions for Christians are these: How can we continue to live out our faith, despite increasing economic and monetary controls in the future? How do we remain untainted from the ungodly, worldly affections that pull at us like a raging vortex? And lastly, how do we remain knowledgeable about the progress of the “endtime money manifesto”—to be aware of the times and seasons?
As we are in the world, we cannot escape the clutches of the manifesto … at least, not physically. It is already near impossible to survive without a bank account. (Later, in the Tribulation period, it will prove to be impossible to live outside the financial system.) However, our hearts must not be trapped nor idolatrous. While we may enjoy the conveniences of modern technology, we should not become proud and arrogant but rather maintain our faith in Christ and what He has done for us. We should be wary of anything that causes us to be complicit in godlessness and the insurrection of all nations against God.
Ultimately, God has the last laugh. “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them” (Psalm 2:4). He brings judgement and punishment.
Commercialism will be extinguished. The fate of Babylon the Great provides a parallel to this. “[…] The great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. […] The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth” (Revelation 18:21-24).
Have you ever wondered what economic life may be like when Christ is reigning upon the earth in the Millennium age? We may have grounds to conclude that a greed- and self-interest-driven economic system will NOT be transferred into the Millennium period. It will be destroyed as all things will be restored (Matthew 17:11).
This analyst’s hunch is that the motivational drivers of economies in that day will be love and justice. This conclusion in part rests upon some deductive reasoning. Apostle Paul tells as that “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8). The second greatest Royal Law mentioned by Christ is “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). “Love does no harm to a neighbor” (Romans 13:10).
With love as the great motivator, doing things for others will then be the equivalent of “profit, gain, and self-interest,” the motives that operate in the present “fallen state” of the world.
A characteristic of that future time, according to the Bible, is this: “Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid […]” (Micah 4:4; cf. Zechariah 3:10). This statement could be interpreted to mean that economic life will be at the individual level, and not through the great corporate structures that we see today.
Finally, we note Isaiah’s prophecy: “In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it—one from the house of David—one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness” (Isaiah 16:5).
About the Author: Wilfred J. Hahn is a global economist/strategist. Formerly a top-ranked global analyst, research director for a major Wall Street investment bank, and head of Canada’s largest global investment operation, his writings focus on the endtime roles of money, economics and globalization. He has been quoted around the world and his writings reproduced in numerous other publications and languages. You can contact him at staff@eternalvalue.com.