"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666" (Revelation 13:16-18 NIV).

Smoke and Mirrors: written by Hal Lindsey
I am not an economist, nor a banking expert. But I believe there are certain things that are driving our world economy today that can be understood by some simple logic. One thing I do know is where Bible prophecy predicts the economy is headed. And it's right on course.

The economy has been staggered by reports of corporate wrongdoing, fears of legislative remedies, investor uncertainty and record high oil prices. There has been an avalanche of major corporate failures in recent months as investors learned what really drove the engine of the miracle economy of the 1990s: smoke and mirrors.

The entire economy is built on an illusion. I realize that sounds like the rantings of a lunatic, especially when it is written out in words. But it is nonetheless true. The free market economy of the 20th century is backed by amazing faith, not by wealth. Just think about how much faith it requires: Faith in America's ability to outperform other national economies. Faith in the fact America will not go into default on its debt. Faith that America's national debt will keep growing, together with the amount of interest we pay on that debt.

Why is that? Because debt is the basis of our economic system.

The stability of the American economy is central to the global economic system. That is a given. So when there is a hiccup on Wall Street, every Main Street in the Global Economic Village rushes for an Alka-Seltzer.

A debt-based economy provides opportunities for the kind of growth we witnessed in the '90s. If America were a barter economy (one where its currency were backed by precious metals) then the money supply would be finite and limited.

(You can't make $2 out of $1 worth of gold. Unless more gold is found, there can be no new money.)

Consequently, when I say the economy of the '90s was built on "smoke and mirrors," the statement is by all rational standards accurate. Even though I realize it is very real for those who are stock market millionaires, and especially if you were and aren't anymore.

For a free market to work, it has to be self-regulating. Legislation is anathema to it, since it operates according to the laws of profit.

Legislation has a tendency to cloud the mirrors and dissipate some of the smoke. Henry Ford was once quoted to the effect that, "If the American people knew how the economy really worked, there'd be a revolution before breakfast."

Legislation tends to expose how the economy works and, most importantly, whom it benefits the bankers who run it.

All that being said, it is still the only game in town. Those who would expose the Money Trust don't really want to break the banker's stranglehold. That would launch a global economic depression that would make the 1930s look like an economic boom. The Money Trust has set up a system that is so insidious, that once in place, it cannot be removed without bringing the whole global economy down.

The current economic panic is translating into legislative red tape that will eventually hamstring the way corporations operate. But legislating the profit out of a free-market economy is a fool's errand.

To make political points and win re-election, one side of America's political aisle is leading an all-out charge against Wall Street, attempting to capitalize on the old canard that the Republicans are on the side of Big Business.

Talk about double-minded. Ten years ago, the same party campaigned for Clinton with the slogan, "It's the economy stupid." But then Democrats don't care about consistency, just winning at any cost.

All that aside, the really important thing that is being set up is being overlooked.

Bible prophets predict a very specific kind of world economy for the days leading to the second coming of Christ. For this predicted economy to be possible, there had to be a number of recent technological inventions and consequent conditions.

First, there had to be computers that could number and track every person on Earth. We now have them.

Second, world conditions had to be such that all people would be conditioned to receive a chip under his skin with a unique number. Such implanted chip technology has now been successfully tried. The threat of card theft, identity theft and need for national security has just about removed all natural resistance to this one.

Third, money had to be cut free from the barter-type system that required that it be based on something of intrinsic worth, such as gold and silver. Now money is floating free of everything but the Money Trust regulators. All obstacles in the United States were removed when it embraced the Federal Reserve system, the Money Trust's smoke and mirrors masterpiece.

So now the book of Revelation's prophecy is ready for launch:

He [the Antichrist] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and 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 NKJ).

Question (focusing on current events): Is there any validity to this?