What in the World?
The Pinnacle of Technology (part 3)
We now find ourselves discussing one of the most important and perilous warnings in all of Scripture ‒ the Mark of the Beast ‒ and the technology that makes it possible.
In fact, so pervasive and so ubiquitous is this technology (forgive me for repeating myself again), that the accomplishment of this feat is both astounding and simply taken for granted. In fact, most of us have practically lost sight of the extent of our daily interactions with such advanced technology. We live in a world of the miraculous. A world of profound technological achievements that is somehow considered just another aspect of our daily living. Those cutting egde but commonplace technologies make the Mark of the Beast possible before our very eyes.
The book of Revelation explains this world-encompassing event in this manner (italics added):
It causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666" (Revelation 13:16-18 ESV).
This pinnacle of technology is the Mark of the Beast. Revelation portrays a global situation where technology is at such an advanced stage (also Daniel 12:4), that a ruler will be capable of putting into place a system where all bartering, all buying, and all selling is…in a word…controlled. It is only the world in which we now live that this has become possible. Never before has the means existed prior to the previous handful of years. Remarkable technological advancement and carefully orchestrated implementation will make this possible. In his book, The End of Money, Mark Hitchcock cites a comment by Robert Samuelson that well summarizes the situation our world has entered and provides the following insight:
It's one of those vast social upheavals that everyone understands but that hardly anyone notices, because it seems too ordinary: the long-predicted 'cashless society' has quietly arrived, or nearly so; currency, coins and checks are receding as ways of doing everyday business; we've become Plastic Nation. In the tangled history of American money ‒ from tobacco receipts to gold and silver coins to paper money and checks ‒ this is a seismic shift. Time to pay attention (The End of Money, p. 39).
There are three questions we should consider about this so-called Mark of the Beast.
1. First, does the technology exist to fulfill this prophesy?
2. Secondly, how can everyone be forced to take this mark?
3. Third, what is the purpose of instituting this mark?
Let's begin by determining if this technology exists.
Is the technology in place?
The amount of information and evidence to answer this point is simply overwhelming. In order to keep this brief, we need only look at two things.
First, we currently use a digitized system to buy goods and services and pay our bills. In fact, let's take myself as an example of how this economic technology has changed my life. To begin, I often carry little or no cash. When I do carry cash, I only pay for tips at restaurants or at the barber shop. Practically every transaction I make, whether groceries, gas, haircut, or hamburger, is paid with a credit or debit card ‒ I pay by almost exclusively by electronic purchase transactions. I also pay my monthly bills through electronic transfer or by credit card. In order to entice me to use this cashless electronic payment system, my bank, as most do, provide an incentive to encourage me not to use cash by giving me cash rewards redeemable through my credit card. Of course, I am not alone. According to the World Economic Forum website, the disparity between the number of people using electronic payments and cash is growing. You can view the webpage here.
Clearly, the infrastructure for a digitized money system is in place. We know this because we are already using such a system.
Second, we can determine if this electronic system will continue to develop and become mandatory by listening to governmental entities and those who understand what is taking place.
The United States government
In March 2022, the White House issued a fact sheet explaining that President Joe Biden signed an executive order for further study into how to continue to develop and incorporate a wholly digitized monetary system. You can view the information here. The fact sheet reads in part as follows (italics added):
Explore a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) by placing urgency on research and development of a potential United States CBDC, should issuance be deemed in the national interest. The Order directs the U.S. Government to assess the technological infrastructure and capacity needs for a potential U.S. CBDC in a manner that protects Americans' interests. The Order also encourages the Federal Reserve to continue its research, development, and assessment efforts for a U.S. CBDC, including development of a plan for broader U.S. Government action in support of their work. This effort prioritizes U.S. participation in multi-country experimentation, and ensures U.S. leadership internationally to promote CBDC development that is consistent with U.S. priorities and democratic values.
An NBC News article on the United States pursuing a digital currency can be found here. Simply stated, the United States will be utilizing an all-digital currency (CBDC) in the near future.
The United Nations
Many of the world's nations are actively pursuing a digital currency (CBDC) to replace cash and transition to a totally digitized monetary system. The implementation of a digitized currency is not one of insufficient technological know-how or technological infrastructure. The questions at hand pertain to operational use of such currencies, which digital currencies to utilize, and how nations will interact on an international platform with such currencies. Part of the United Nations Agenda 2030 goals is the development of digitized currencies on a global scale. Take a few moments to read a UN webpage explaining the United Nations Digital Task Force on Digital Financing.
The article clearly points to the UN's world-wide goal of developing and implementing a digitized system complete with digital IDs, digitized platforms for marketing and sales, and a system with a global perspective and world-wide inclusion.
While it might seem that the digital purchasing system in place is simply the inevitable progression of human progress, therefore, making it of little importance, the infrastructure behind such a system is mind-boggling. The goal of such a system is to incorporate all persons into a global financial system just as depicted in the Bible. Consider reading just one short article titled, "Aiding the Digital Revolution in Global Financial Inclusion." The article provides insight into the goal and vision of incorporating everyone into this globally digitized economic system.
Extending the system
Of course, there are people groups whose access to such a digital system is limited or non-existent. Those people groups are now within the sights of the global banking system. I encourage you to look at this web page from The World Bank. The web page explains how the digitized monetary system is being increased globally, particularly to those whose access is limited, in order to include all peoples into the global monetary system.
What is really needed?
If a world-wide system of digital money and purchasing is being implemented, what is necessary to fulfill the goal? Let's consider just a few of the capabilities necessary to perform these global feats.
1. First, a world-wide communication system that is stable and reaches to the ends of the world. As a prime example of how this goal is being reached, consider the Starlink system currently being put into orbit now.
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, providing satellite Internet access coverage to 48 countries. It also aims for global mobile phone service after 2023. SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites in 2019. As of February 2023, Starlink consists of over 3,580 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), which communicate with designated ground transceivers. In total, nearly 12,000 satellites are planned to be deployed, with a possible later extension to 42,000.
This is just an example of the sophistication and technological capabilities to provide worldwide communications to every corner of the earth ‒ particularly to the areas where hardwired infrastructure does not exist.
2. Secondly, all persons must have access to this system through digital identification.
Digital IDs will be a necessity in the system we are discussing. And digital IDs are very much in the works. Take for example the website named, Find Biometrics: Global Identity Management. In an article titled, "New US Digital Identity Act Expected to Pass, Paving the Way for Next Gen ID," the article in part states,
A new US digital identity bill is steadily making its way through Congress. The "Improving Digital Identity Act" has been reviewed by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and is expected to pass through once the Committee returns from its recess. A nearly identical version of the bill has also been introduced in the Senate, which means that it is one step closer to becoming law.
Go here to read the article.
Although the site says the ID will not be required once in place, it is the infrastructure that is being built, and a mandatory inclusion of all persons will be only a majority vote away. America is not the only country working on this project. A little reading will prove all leading nations are doing the same.
What is being implemented is a system for tracking all purchases for each individual. Biometric ID cards will be the interface between users and the purchasing system.
3. A third requirement for a digitized financial system is a worldwide tracking and recording system for all purchases.
The countries of the world have in recent years increased their ability to record digital activity ranging from all internet sites visits to all cell phone usage. The infrastructure being put into place can be illustrated by the US Governments expansion of its data collection facilities: "The US government stores data at various facilities, including its data centers and third-party providers. The exact locations of these facilities are kept confidential for security reasons." And these data storage facilities are now capable of storing unprecedented amounts of data on its citizens. Thomas Horn writes in his book, Beast Tech,
Starting in 2013, the federal government has the Utah Data Center (UDH) nearly in full operation. This is a $2 billion complex with one hundred thousand square feet of computer space. All of the Global Information Grid will be routed through the UDC with computers that can store yottabytes. Everything that is digitized about you will be stored there, down to parking tickets. Nothing will be left out (p. x).
The ability of a government to store and retrieve massive amounts of information on all its citizens is verifiable evidence of the infrastructure in place to meet the demands of the coming global purchasing system.
4. The fourth requirement for a trackable, recordable, and enforceable purchasing system is a digitized currency for all citizens to use.
Is the final piece of the infrastructure simply a matter of wholly digitizing the money? It appears that way.
There are more implications to the Mark of the Beast, as many scholars point out, but a significant aspect of the mark is a digitized purchasing system that every individual must be granted access to, receive authorization to utilize, and make an individual decision to use. Can this actually be possible? The resounding answer is yes! Both skeptic and believer can attest that the technology necessary to fulfill this prophetic statement is in place today.
The most important remaining piece to be put into place is a CBDC ‒ a Central Bank Digital Currency. Here is an excerpt from the European Union Data Protection Supervisor that explains what a CBDC is for.
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is a new form of money that exists only in digital form. Instead of printing money, the central bank issues widely accessible digital coins so that digital transactions and transfers become simple.
Efforts towards CBDC grow all over the world for many reasons. First, the COVID-19 crisis induced a shift in payment habits towards digital, contactless payments and e-commerce due to a now refuted danger of banknotes being way of transmitting infection, which has accelerated the decline of cash use. Second, cryptocurrencies developed by private organizations or infor-mal communities (e.g. Bitcoin) have seen significant developments and value gain. As a re-sponse, 87 countries (representing over 90 percent of global GDP) are now exploring central bank digital currencies, while 9 of them have fully launched a state-owned digital currency.
The aticle can be read here.
Government entities always discuss CBDC currency from a beneficial perspective, and there are benefits to a CBDC currency. But will digitizing money prove to be beneficial for the peoples of the world? Will digitizing money for use in a digitized system of buying prove helpful, or no?
People who understand what is transpiring, both from a secular and biblical perspective, recognize the threat of a digital currency (though governments and banks always tout the benefits and not the drawbacks to citizens). Glen Beck states the more obvious drawback and writes,
It is also worth considering how digital currencies could be used to control economic behavior. If all currency were to become digitalized and physical mediums of exchange were phased out, then banks, financial institutions, and governments would be able to track and control nearly every transaction in the world" (The Great Reset: Joe Biden and the Rise of 21st Century Fascism, p. 140).
But there is a far more important point to make. The digitized currency may well be the final catalyst to institute the Mark of the Beast as described in the book of Revelation. This is the ultimate technological goal. Namely, a system where all individuals must accept a mark for inclusion into a world-wide purchasing system ‒ the Antichrist's global system of control where he... "causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark…" (Revelation 13:16 ESV).
Though Beck may or may not have such a system in mind, his comment is apropos when he writes, "The amount of power and control over the world that would come with the full embrace of an MMT [modern monetary theory] system, especially if mixed with a digital currency, is almost too much to fathom" (The Great Reset: Joe Biden and the Rise of 21st Century Fascism, p. 139).
As we draw this important section to a close, Mark Hitchcock provides for us a paragraph that summarizes our discussion.
Over the last 20 years, we have witnessed an exponential leap in the technology that is necessary for the end-time global system to be put int place. The staggering advances made with computers, related electronic technologies, and biometrics are drawing the nations of the world closer and closer to every area of modern life: banking, commerce, communications, and transportation. Financial catastrophe, "transformational crisis," and mid-boggling technology are converging to usher in a financial new world order (The End of Money, p. 20).
And finally, here is a short video from Richard Vobes from the UK. Vobes is commenting on the digital currency being put into place. While the video is intended to be humorous, his remarks deal with and point to what is actually transpiring, even down to the bugs. You can view the video here.
And just in case you do not think Vobes' passing comment about eating bugs is silly conspiracy talk, take a look at the World Economic Forum's webpage titled, "Why we need to give insects the role they deserve in our food systems."
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