The "Mark of the Beast"

The "Mark of the Beast"

"He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on [in] their right hand or on [in] their foreheads, that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666" (Revelation 13:16-18, NKJV).

THIS PROPHECY is truly remarkable. Think about it: Nearly 2,000 years ago the Apostle John, who prior to meeting Jesus had been a simple fisherman, predicts that a global economic system will one day be instituted in which everyone will be forced to receive a number, without which they will not be able to buy or sell. It is only since the advent of computers and electronic banking that this prophecy could be fulfilled.

There are currently a number of methods commonly used for purchasing items. You can use cash, you can write a check, or you can use a credit card.

Or you can use a debit card. The cashier simply passes your card through a scanning device that is electronically linked to your bank, and the money is immediately taken out of your account and placed in the store’s account — all in a split second.

Another means of transferring money that is already being used in various countries and is being promoted in many others is the "smart card." These look like an ordinary credit card, but there’s a big difference: They have a tiny computer chip embedded in their plastic. These electronic marvels not only give you instant access to your bank account, but they can also contain all your passport information, your medical record, driver’s license, photographs, welfare eligibility and all sorts of other data. Over 90 million health smart cards are in use in France, Canada, Germany and Britain today.

We are well on the way to eliminating cash. Advocates of a cashless society have many compelling reasons why. A primary one is that cash is the mother’s milk of drug smugglers, who often deal in cash a suitcase-full at a time. With no cash, the sale of illegal drugs would be greatly hampered. In fact, law enforcement agencies say that to eliminate cash would eliminate most kinds of criminal activity.