Simply put, purchasing power refers to the financial ability to buy a certain of goods and services with an approved currency unit. During my childhood, the world was completely different from today. When you wanted to buy something from someone or somewhere, you either paid by cash or wrote a cheque. If you couldn’t pay with cash or a cheque, you could also go to a bank and mortgage something of value to get a loan to pay for the product.

Back then, I thought I understood a bit about what Revelation 13:17 meant regarding restricted purchasing power. Based on historical records, those who lived in the 1940s, during World War II, had a small sample of what will be experienced in the near future when there are strict limitations on purchasing power.

Through an enforced rationing system, federal government restrictions in the United States were placed on consumer products and people could not buy much of stuff like gasoline, oil, tires, shoes, sugar, meat, coffee, and a host of other items without federal government ration stamps.

Conversely, people could not sell goods without permission from the federal government. Price-fixing was done for both buyers and sellers, and there were very stiff penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for violators. Yet, a large black market sprang up and flourished illegally reducing the sting of the restrictions.

Today, we are living in a completely different age. Cash and cheques have largely been replaced by cashless substitutes and online trading. I saw this firsthand on my recent vacation to the United Kingdom. In many train stations, there were no human attendants selling tickets, only machines that gave instructions about how to get them using your credit card or in London, your Oyster card. No cards, no service. Only cash, no service.

The situation was the same when I went to a tourist attraction or even the supermarket or pharmacy. The words ‘Card Only’ or ‘We are cashless’ greeted me. Through these experiences, I am beginning to see how easy it would be to out an embargo on purchasing power as predicted in the Bible.

In Revelation chapter 13, the Apostle John records an interesting and important prophesy about the closing moments of history. Two beast powers emerge to persecute God’s remnant people. The first, a hybrid beast, rises from the sea or populated areas according to Revelation 17: 5. This beast is made up of parts of three unclean animals in Daniel 7 implying that it is a successor of those animal kingdoms: the leopard, the kingdom of Greece, is strongly influenced by Greek philosophy; it has feet like a bear, Medo-Persia, pointing to the influence of Persian religion, Zoroastrianism and, particularly, Mithraism on it; and its mouth is like a lion, reminiscent of Babylon’s power and arrogance, especially that of King Belshazzar who succeeded King Nebuchadnezzar.

The second is a lamb-like beast which arises from the earth that will speak with intolerance like a dragon. Talking about what is generally believed to be the United States of America, the Bible says: “And he [the lamb-like earth beast] exercises all the authority of the first [sea] beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first [sea] beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (Revelation 13:12).

Notably, the earth beast, also named the “false prophet”[1] will serve the first or sea beast which receives the power, the throne and the dragon’s [Satan’s] great authority. Driven by the devil’s wrath, both beasts will seek to harm the remnant, followers of the woman described in Revelation 12:17, “who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.”

Continuing the divine prediction in Revelation 13:17, John states that there will come a time when the earth beast will issue a decree 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.” This suggests there will be a time when purchasing power will be fully restricted based on religious allegiance and will be directly related to “worship”, not of God but of a beast power.

Put plainly, very soon, a civil power will launch a global effort to persuade and force the world to worship the first (sea) beast by forming an image to it and then calling the world to worship that image. Through miraculous signs (Revelation 13:12), this civil power will convince most of the world to worship the sea beast thereby hoping to establish a religious monopoly.

Concerning this end-time prophecy, the inspired writer Ellen White notes: “In the last great conflict of the controversy … those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell.” The Desire of Ages, Ellen Gould White, pp. 121, 122.[2] Satan says … “For fear of wanting food and clothing they will join with the world in transgressing God’s law. The earth will be wholly under my dominion.” Prophets and Kings, Ellen Gould White, pp. 183,184.[3]

We are clearly living in the time of the end (Daniel 11:45). Today, many are fearful, and trying to figure out what is happening in our world: Collapsing economies, non-stop wars and natural disasters; moral decline, diverse diseases; and dangers on every hand. Many, godly and worldly, believe that a terrible catastrophe is coming but God has not left us to wonder in ignorance.

The Bible provides us with a bird’s eye view of the future typified by persecution, a death decree, and the great time of trouble but in the end deliverance by a God who keeps His promises. So, let us loo to the future with confidence knowing that Jesus is coming soon to take us to heaven to be with him eternally. Remember, He who promised is faithful.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible verses are from the New King James Version.)

[1] See Revelation 16:13; 19:20; and 20:10.

[2] https://www.ellenwhite.info/books/ellen-g-white-book-desire-of-ages-da-contents.htm

[3] https://www.ellenwhite.info/books/bk-pk-contents.htm