I have never studied Economics formally. When I was a freshman in college, I enrolled
in an Economics course, but I withdrew after the first or second class. At that time, the math was too daunting. Later in life, I was able to adapt to studies
that required Research and Statistics, but I just never made it back to taking
formal Economics courses. I have,
however, done a little independent reading, and I have been an interested
observer of current economic events for years.
As usual, for the purposes of this discussion I would like to be sure we are all on the same page; as we take a look at the world economy. Accurately stating terms helps to avoid confusion, because words like “the economy” tend to take on various meanings in the vernacular.
An economy, therefore, is a system for organizing the money,
the production and distribution of goods and services, and the commerce of a locality. It is also the monetary value assigned to the
human activity in that system. The
locality can be of any size from a small town to the entire world. (1)As usual, for the purposes of this discussion I would like to be sure we are all on the same page; as we take a look at the world economy. Accurately stating terms helps to avoid confusion, because words like “the economy” tend to take on various meanings in the vernacular.
The local and national economies of the world are diverse. I will attempt to avoid getting bogged down
in the details of economic systems. I do
not have the expertise, and I do not want to bore the reader completely to
death. We will attempt a brief sketch of
each kind of system, but our purpose here is not to argue the merits of one
over the other.
Some areas of the world still have relatively traditional
economies, which is to say that they rely primarily on subsistence-level agriculture,
or they produce an agricultural surplus which generates commerce. Industry is limited to what is needed to meet
the basic needs of the local population.
In the modern world, political and economic systems become
intertwined. In nation states, it is a
symbiotic relationship where each tends to determine the character of the
other. People often quarrel passionately
about which system should prevail in their country and other countries, even to
the point of going to war.
Modern forms of economic and political organization include command economies, market economies and mixed economies. In command economies, economic activity is organized by a central authority, which owns or has complete control over the means of production and distribution. Typically, the state is the controlling agency, ostensibly managing the economy on behalf of the people. (2)
In market economies, the production and distribution of
goods and services are controlled by privately owned businesses and operated for a profit. Goods and services produced are in
response to public demand. Demand is
driven by need, and by the things people want in order to have the standard of
living they desire to attain.Modern forms of economic and political organization include command economies, market economies and mixed economies. In command economies, economic activity is organized by a central authority, which owns or has complete control over the means of production and distribution. Typically, the state is the controlling agency, ostensibly managing the economy on behalf of the people. (2)
To avoid the excesses of command economies and market
economies, many nation states have adopted mixed economies. The means of production and distribution are
mostly privately owned, and governments regulate economic activity ostensibly
to protect the public interest. The
degree of regulation needed is a source of disagreement. Capitalists argue that the people are most
prosperous when business is robust, and that regulation stifles business. Democratic Socialists favor government
involvement that is far more intrusive; to the point of government ownership of
major parts of the economy like health care, some forms of transportation,
educational systems, and employment programs to provide for full employment.
The amalgam of national economies results in a world
economy. Further, some economic interests
have become international, and operate outside the direct control of national
governments. The health and activities of
the world economy affect the lives of ordinary people, who have almost no way
of impacting it.The book of Revelation in the Holy Bible speaks about a future time when a world leader will gain control of the world’s economic, religious, and political system. This person is the Antichrist.
There will be no freedom of religion. All will be required to worship the
Antichrist. All will be under his
political authority. Each person will be
assigned a number, and those who refuse will be excluded from any kind of
economic activity. Many will be killed
who refuse to worship the Antichrist, and who testify that Jesus Christ is Lord.
At first, the Antichrist will appear to be a man of peace,
but he will bring with him war, famine, disease, and death. Only the return of Jesus will bring an end to
the Antichrist and his seven year reign of hell on earth.
The church will not have to go through this terrible time
called the Great Tribulation, or the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. Before the tribulation begins, before the
Antichrist coopts the world’s economic system,
Christ Jesus will snatch away those who believe in Him, to be with Him
in the air until His second coming. Then
we will rule and reign with Him in His kingdom.
The choice is yours.
Believe in Jesus today. Avoid the
collapse of the world’s economic system, war, disease and death. Avoid the judgements that God will pour out
on unbelievers, during the tribulation period.
Avoid everlasting agony in of the lake of fire that awaits unbelievers
after the final Great White Throne judgement.
God is patient. He is waiting for all who will believe to do so. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. However, His patience will not last forever. A look at the developing world economic system
shows that the conditions needed for the Antichrist to take over are already
here.