Day 235

^“16 And he causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, ^a]to be given a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ and he decrees that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” REV 13:16,17 (NASB)

Revelation 12, 13 and 14 are the central focus of the book. John has lined up the five principle characters that are involved in the rest of Revelation: the child (Christ), the women (Church), the dragon (devil), the sea beast (papal Rome), and the earth beast or false prophet (U.S.A.) In Chapter 14 he will show God’s closing work through that group mentioned in Revelation 12:17 and 14:12.

The economic temptation in our passage for today is not only an event of the End -Time, but it has also been relevant to real-life throughout Christian history. For example, John Chrysostom regularly criticized the wasteful use of wealth. He lived simply even as bishop of Constantinople. In the process he alienated other powerful bishops and the political elite, ultimately leading to his banishment and death. The wealthy Olympias freely gave her money to the poor despite opposition. Her continuing support for Chrysostom and his positions finally led to her own banishment and the seizure of the remainder of her wealth.  Studies show that bankruptcy rates are 18% higher where there are casinos. Suicide rates are 4 times higher in heavy gambling areas. In many denominations, ministers are hired, fired and paid by local church boards. In such an environment there are financial implications in every sermon.  

Do we dare take this a step further? When we buy something we don’t need because our neighbours have one, are we compromising with the world’s value system? Can we be frivolous in our spending when we know that 40,000 people die every day of starvation? What do we do when we find out that fifty cents can provide food for a child for a whole day in some famine-stricken countries? What should we do when we realize that the overtime we worked for becomes squandered money and we could have spent the time with our children or sharing Christ with a neighbour!  
Revelation does not allow for divided allegiance. We have to decide between God and the world and between what each side values. We are citizens of a different kind of kingdom. 

I watch in amazement as COVID 19 is accelerated us towards a cashless society, where now only 10% of transactions are in cash and we are told ATMs will disappear soon. The whole situation is putting us into a position of a controlled economy.