The more the economy sways, the more banks fail, the more the government is forced to step in and take control, and the more control there is, the more freedoms you lose. In fact, the fewer people who bear the beast’s mark, the more difficult it will be for them to buy or sell, and eventually a death sentence will be issued, according to revelation chapter 13 verse 15. What, then, is the image? How is the picture coming along? Watch and listen as Pastor Mark Finley shares how the Bible foretells a period of natural disasters and civil disobedience. In our civilization, it represents a moment of economic uncertainty when there are famines, fires, and floods.

<p>The more the economy sways, the more banks fail, the more the government is forced to step in and take control, and the more control there is, the more freedoms you lose. In fact, the fewer people who bear the beast’s mark, the more difficult it will be for them to buy or sell, and eventually a death sentence will be issued, according to revelation chapter 13 verse 15. What, then, is the image? How is the picture coming along? Watch and listen as Pastor Mark Finley shares how the Bible foretells a period of natural disasters and civil disobedience. In our civilization, it represents a moment of economic uncertainty when there are famines, fires, and floods.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

HopeLives365

Mark Finley

Revelation Predicts Financial Crisis


Banks collapse. The stock market tumbles. What does that have to do with the book of Revelation and end-time events? So where is this economy headed? Are we hanging on a slender thread as a nation in America with $31 million in national debt?

Is this economy on the verge of collapse? I certainly am not a calamity howler, neither am I a conspiracy theorist, but yet when I see the slender thread that the economy is hanging on, it has to concern me. And when I look at that through the eyes of prophecy, it concerns me even more. President Joe Biden of the United States came on the air to reassure the American people that the banking system is safe, it's secure, nobody's gonna lose money. Why would he have to do that if there wasn't a credible crisis?

The president doesn't simply come on the air and speak unless there's some kind of credible crisis. Many economists feel and sense that we are on the verge of an economic downturn. Some are predicting a recession, others a little more cautious of that. The economists don't want to scare the American public. Some years ago Howard Roof wrote a book called the coming economic crash and he made an interesting statement.

He says when America sneezes Because the economy is so interrelated the rest of the world Gets pneumonia our economy is interrelated if the American economy Suffers the rest of the world's economy is going to suffer. Now, how do we look at this through the eyes of Bible prophecy? Does Bible prophecy have anything to say about the economy? 1 thing that I've been watching is this, the takeover of the Silicon Valley Bank by the federal government. If indeed the economy gets really shaky, Would the federal government have a stronger hand in taking over banks?

How does this also relate to a cashless society? There are many who are, and you know yourself just practically, you can go to the grocery store, you've got your debit card, you've got your credit card linked directly to your bank. But what if the banks cannot pay their adequate debts? What if the banks default? Then when you put that card in, it's not gonna function at the grocery store.

Could it be that as we move more and more to a casuist society and more and more to central control, could it be that at a time of national crisis, at a time of natural disasters, famine, fire, flood, earthquake, at a time of wars and rumors of wars like are predicted in Matthew 24, at a time of lawlessness, Could it be that at a time of shaky economy, the natural disasters, the lawlessness, the cyber theft, really drive our economy into the ground, the government feels it has to take more control. Then at that same time, there is a false counterfeit religious revival that unites church in state that ushers in the mark of the beast. Let's see what the Bible says about the coming crisis. We turn to the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. We look there at Revelation chapter 17.

What does the Bible say about a coming crisis? Well, the first thing the Bible talks about is a union of powers, political powers, financial powers, religious powers. Revelation 17, verse 13 and 14. These, that is, these powers, the kings of the earth that unite with the beast power that rises, these are of 1 mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. So here is a political, economic, and spiritual union.

This union under the auspices of the beast power, fallen religion under the auspices of the Roman church, These will make, verse 14, will make war with the Lamb. The Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those that are with him are called, chosen, and faithful. So in this final crisis, there will be a union of powers. Now, Revelation chapter 18 confirms that with even more graphic language. It's talking about end times.

It's talking about a message given to us by God. It's talking about the earth filled with the glory of God. And if you come down to verse 3, it's a very fascinating verse in Revelation 18. It says, all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxuries." It's talking about Babylon.

Now this is certainly not talking about the ancient city of Babylon. The ancient city of Babylon was overthrown by the Persians in 539 BC. It has laid in ruins since that time. The prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah predicted that Babylon would be destroyed and never rebuilt again. John is writing here in the last part of the first century, 95, 96 AD.

And he writes about not literal Babylon, but spiritual Babylon, a false apostate religious system that passes around the wine cup of her false doctrines and people become drunk or inebriated with the false doctrines of Babylon. What they need is the pure wine of the gospel to Sober them up so that they understand Bible truth. Jesus said in John 8, I am the way, the truth and the life. Or you'll know the truth, John 8, 32, you'll know the truth and the truth will make you free. And in John 14, he says, I am the way, the truth and the life.

And John 17, verse 17, he says, sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. So Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. The truth sets us free and he sanctifies us through his word, which is truth. In the book of Thessalonians, it says, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, it says, in chapter 1 and 2, it says, they love not the truth, therefore they believed a lie.

So what is Babylon? Babylon is a religious system that has drifted away from the truth of God's word. Men and women then believe a lie. To solve the problems of the world, there is this confederacy, this false unity of the political, the religious, and the economic powers of the world. Now, notice what happens according to Revelation 18, verse 17, for in 1 hour, your riches come to nothing.

That, for 1 hour, your riches come to nothing. Now, If the Silicon Valley bank disaster tells us anything, if the 2008 bank disasters tell us anything, they tell us this, that the economy is on a slender thread and it could collapse very, very, very quickly. If indeed that happened, the government could easily take over the economic systems of this country, impacting the world, introduce a cashless society. Now, do I say that that's gonna happen tomorrow or the next day? Not at all.

But we see trends. These trends are leading to central control. These trends are leading to the deterioration of human freedoms and the restriction of religious liberty. That's where they're leading. Because you can control people's conduct by controlling the economy.

The more shaky the economy comes, the more banks default, the more the government has to come in and take control, and the more there is control, the more you lose your liberties. In fact, in Revelation chapter 13, verse 15, it talks about a time that unless men and women receive the mark of the beast, they will be unable to buy and unable to sell, and ultimately a death decree will come. So what is the picture? How is this picture shaping up? Let me summarize it for you.

The Bible predicts a time of natural disasters, a time of civil disobedience, a time of famines, fire, flood in our society. It pictures a time when the economy is on shaky footing. You say, where's that in the Bible? James chapter 5 talks about end time events in the economy. So the Bible's talking about this very shaky economy, and it talks about the fact that at that time, the government moves in to take central control.

As it does, a common day of rest and worship is initiated to bring the nation back to God. But it is forced worship, coerced worship. It is worship of the teachings and commandments of men rather than the true Sabbath of God. But let's go to the book of James and we Look here at James the fifth chapter. And notice how this chapter is dealing with the economy.

It says, James chapter 5, "'Come now you rich men and howl "'for the miseries that come upon you.'" Rich men howling? Rich men weeping? Why? Your riches are corrupted. Your garments are morthyten.

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you. Why? Because the economy has collapsed. That's why. Now notice, you have heaped up treasure in the last days.

The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out in the cries of the reapers have reached unto the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. So what's happened? The wealthy have gotten wealthier. The poor have gotten poorer. There's an economic collapse.

And as that economic collapse takes place, rich men howl, notice. Indeed, the wages of the laborers, you've mowed down your fields, kept back by fraud. So it's common laborers, they mowed your fields, they worked for you, but you haven't paid them adequate wages. And it reached the ears of the Lord of the Sabbath. I continue, verse 5, You lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury.

That's the wealthy, the super, super, super, super wealthy in the world. They've lived with pleasure. You've fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You've condemned and you've murdered the just. He does not resist you.

Therefore, now notice, what does this have to do with the coming of Jesus? Therefore, be patient brothers or sisters until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early light of rain. You also be patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." When we see famine, fire, flood, when we see war and conflict, when we see the economy on a slender thread and more external controls, when we see the erosion of religious liberty, And at the same time, the gospel going to the ends of the earth, that is preached credibly and honestly and powerfully, the truth of God, when we see all that, know, he says, that the end is near. Now there are a number of statements from a very credible author whose Seventh-day Adventists believe has been given the gift of prophecy that seem to parallel the very things we've been reading.

Let me read you a few of them. God will, God wills to all intents and purposes. His will will be made void in our land and national apostasy will be followed by national ruin. So God's will being made of non-effect, we see today that happen. A disregard or disrespect for the commandments of God, the basic moral and ethical teachings that you find in scripture.

God's will, to all intents and purposes, will be made void in our land, and national apostasy will be followed by national ruin. Once that happens, it opens the door for totalitarianism. It opens the door for the restriction of religious liberties, next 1. There are not many, even among educators and statesmen, that is professors, government officials, who comprehend the causes that underlie the present state of society. Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption, poverty and pauperism and increasing crime.

How true that statement is. We applaud the best efforts of every political leader and pray for our leaders as the Apostle Paul says, to solve the problems of poverty, to solve the problems of crime, to solve the problems of moral corruption. But notice, there are many that under, there are few that understand the true reason for this but this statement goes on. They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a more secure basis. They're struggling in what?

In vain. Economy is on a slender thread. If men would give more heed to the teaching of God's Word, they would find a solution to the problems that perplex them. This is found in a book called Ninth Testimonies, page 13. And then this statement from Manuscript Releases, volume 13, page 236, really struck me.

There will be. Now, this was written. This statement was written over 100 years ago. There will be many great failures in earthly banks. When I read that, I said Silicon Valley Bank failure, 2008 banking failures.

There will be many great failures in earthly banks and in speculations. That would seem to be the stock market, including mining and real estate. That would include the tumble in the real estate market. So we see these things predicted. Now, what lessons do we learn from them?

As a Bible-believing Christian, or as an unbeliever, What lessons can we learn? The first lesson we learn is this. You remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6, verse 33, "'Seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all other things will be added unto you.'" Philippians 4, verse 19, "'My God shall supply your every need.' David said in Psalms, "'I've not yet seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread. What's the first lesson? The first lesson is, if you place your trust in the money you have in the bank or your economic standing, the ground beneath your feet will shake, and you will find yourself in a emotional collapse when the economy collapses.

There's something much more solid we can place our faith in and that is the word of God. That is our living relationship with Jesus Christ. Now, does this mean we should be, we should not have economic wisdom? Not at all. Does this mean we should go out and sell everything we have and live as a pauper?

Not at all. What it does mean is that our confidence is in Christ, our confidence is in the things of eternity, that we recognize that the final movements will be rapid ones, that there will be very quick, rapid deterioration in the economic sector. So therefore, lesson number 1 is place your faith in things that really, really count. Learn to live as simply as possible. Learn to not depend on excessive amounts of money to provide you with the joy and happiness of life.

Let that joy, let that happiness be found in Christ. Now here's the second great lesson. Place your priority constantly on things of heaven. Place your priority on things of heaven. Not only don't place your priority on things on earth, but place your priority on things of heaven.

How involved are you in the things of eternity? Are you sharing the love of Christ with your friends and with your neighbors? Do you give them a piece of literature? Do you invite them to your home to watch spiritual DVDs? Do you share Christ with the people in the workplace?

Are you teaching your children about the things of eternity or are they so consumed with television and video games that they don't have time? Place your priority on things in heaven. And Lastly, recognize that the stage is being set for an economic collapse, an economic boycott, just before the coming of Jesus. What we see now is not the end. What we see now is the preparation for the end, and the end is very, very near.

Jesus said, when you see all these things, know that I am near, even at the doors. Where is Christ today? He's at the door. If I come to your house and I'm knocking at the door, can I get any closer without coming in? Not at all.

What is Jesus longing for? He's longing for a group of people that are sold out to him. A group of people whose lives are committed to him. A group of people that all they want is what he wants. Their desire are his desires.

His will is their will. A group of people who all they want to do is please Jesus. Do you want to say today, Lord, I want to please you. I don't want to place my confidence in the things that I have. I don't want to place my confidence in my finances.

I want to place them in the living Christ. Let's pray together. Father in heaven, we thank you for the opportunity today to study your word. We thank you that at a time that the economy is on a shaky thread, that we can have confidence in Jesus. We can place our hope in things that are of eternal value, things that really are going to last forever.

So bless us as we do that. Be with us, we pray thee. Guide us to make priority decisions. Help the words of Christ echo in our hearts. Seek you first the kingdom of God.

We long to do that. And we pray that you'd be with us to take us through this next phase of human history and prepare us for the coming of Christ. In Jesus' name, amen. This media was brought to you by AudioVerse, a website dedicated to spreading God's Word through free sermon audio and much more. If you would like to know more about Audioverse, or if you

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Revelation Predicts Financial Crisis

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