We continue with our examination of the relationship of financial booms and busts and the advancement of technologies that will allow Satan to wield power over humanity. Again, reviewing history, we know that booms and busts go through several stages. First, a catalyst is needed … something that is newly discovered or developed that holds great promise. It may be a newly invented technology (for example, the railroad, or the automobile). Or it may be the discovery of a major gold deposit (or some other mineral). Whatever the case, a general pattern may be observed relating to the booms and busts.
We must understand the role of money and greed. Whenever money is on the move, huge forces are unleashed. Profits attract investors. This, in turn, boosts the share prices of the companies that are involved, making even more capital available to them. This helps to accelerate development of the new technologies that may be involved. Investors clamor to chase up the share values. The more that share prices rise, the more willing investors queue up to buy even more shares.
At this point, a mania usually takes hold. Share values rise for no other reason than that share prices are soaring and are expected to do so far into the future. All connection with reality is lost. Finally, the bubble bursts … this always being the case. Share prices of the bubble stocks then collapse. Losses of 90% and more are typical. Certainly, Satan takes advantage of human beings who are spurred by greed and madness.
In the boom phase, the financial wealth that appears to have been created is seemingly beyond measure. Stock bubbles give rise to many new billionaires …some even super-wealthy plutocrats. Not unusually, many of these newly rich titans, having accumulated tens and hundreds of billions in financial wealth, become evangelists for various humanist causes … some outright vainglorious.
Mammon Dangling Incentives to Boom and Bust
Why is there such a huge financial award for mankind’s new technology booms? Why does new technology get such a big boost from Mammon … only to be followed by busts and enormous investment losses? Few understand the significance of the boom/bust cycle … the rapid rise and bursts of investment bubbles.
It is as designed. Mammon has a pull on humanity like no other force. Like no other, Satan understands the behaviors and capricious whims of mankind. He knows how to lure mankind to do his will.
After all, he is given such lofty titles as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31), “father of lies” (John 8:44), “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “ruler of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), and Beelzebul, “ruler of the demons” (Matthew 10:25; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15).
Significance of Endtime Busts
Of what significance are economic booms and busts? Crucially, do they factor into an endtime agenda? The answer to the latter question is undoubtedly yes, it is of great importance. Especially so, given that the current bubble is, in fact, so big that it is literally engulfing the entire world and, along the way, is rearranging global wealth and economic power distribution. These developments promote the control (capture) of the entire world. Understanding that, indeed, there is an agenda to control the entire world through one dictator, we then understand its endtime significance.
This latest extension of the technology bubble is different from previous manias. For one, as mentioned, it is of global span as never before. The entire world has been inveigled to its attractions. Secondly, the technology bubbles of the last 25 years have all centered on information management. These applications have served to network and centralize the world.
Regarding the “Handi” … or as we in North America call it, the smartphone … we have witnessed the fastest global adoption of a new technology than ever before in history. In a timespan of only 11 years, over one-half of the world’s population has purchased one. It is estimated that global penetration of the smartphone was 69% at 2023 year-end. In the US, by comparison, the penetration rate was 82%.
This is a key objective and game point for Satan. He is not omnipresent as is the Holy Spirit or God. His promotion of global networking partially addresses his handicap in this regard. Most critical is the individual connection … the social media component. Critically, more than half of mankind already has a smartphone of some type. These users are all directly and personally hooked into the worldwide web (www).
According to experts, the number of smartphones in the world is expected to exceed 8 billion by 2029. (For purposes of comparison, the world population at the end of 2023 was 8.2 billion.)
Choice of Good and Bad
The world makes its choices. Mankind can use its technologies for good or bad. However, technology uniquely is a double-edged sword. The conveniences it offers all come with a price … usually a vulnerability of some kind. It may be a dependence, a loss of independence and self-reliance, or a rising vulnerability to widening controls and tracking.
Technology (and knowledge of true science, for that matter) always moves forward. Its advances do not reverse. Yes, it is possible that some new inventions may be sequestered because of their existential dangers … as has been attempted with weapons-grade nuclear applications. However, once mankind has the knowledge, it is not likely to reverse. We have to live with it.
For the Christian, the progression of science and technology presents additional challenges. While on the one hand, enjoying the conveniences that technology offers, we must be alert to the increasing vulnerabilities and unholiness. It may also introduce temptations. And we must not lose an attitude of reliance upon God.
In the case of the advance of the world-capturing smartphone and other technologies, we see that humanity chooses to become increasingly smug and proud. Worldliness and ungodliness find ever bigger and more effective pulpits and distribution channels. The “self” becomes more venerated … and destructive. Who can stand firm in times such as we witness today?
Says the Psalmist: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm” (Psalm 20:7-8).
The New Testament, several times, encourages one to stand firm. Paul advises believers, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14). The flock is also encouraged that God helps in this task, for: “[…] it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). “[…] Stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:8).
Thoughts to Ponder
At this point in the human timeline on planet Earth, an epic phenomenon is unfolding as never before.
As quoted in Part 1 of this short series, Timothy tells us: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves […] of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1, 4).
According to Paul, the world will be typified by people who are centered upon themselves … pursuing their individual wants. They love themselves uppermost. They, therefore, will have fallen into a trap. Only God can love us fully and perfectly. People who are lured to the notion that they can love themselves better than God face unhappiness. No doubt, this trend is linked to the rapid rise of depression—what the World Health Organization has observed to be an epidemic. Sadly, it is seen as a disease, not at all as a spiritual malady.
At the same time that selfishness and narcissism become rampant, the world becomes more bewildering and filled with anxiety. “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:34-35).
Therefore, any technology that serves to enable the “love of self” … that spreads information leading to the magnification of the “anxieties of life” … and centralizes influence and personal monitoring is therefore likely to play a prophecy-enabling role.
As it is, we are at the end of technology. This writer made the case that we had indeed reached the end of technology in 2013. That was triggered with the introduction of the Smartphone. What we meant was that nothing more needed to be invented to enable the onset of the Tribulation period. All the facilitating technology already exists in our view. Booms and busts may indeed keep occurring, serving to inflame other greed-induced booms. But this would not invalidate the conclusion that no yet-to-be-invented technological invention stands in the way of the onset of the Tribulation period.
Says Jesus Christ: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20).
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Wilfred J. Hahn is a global economist/strategist. Formerly a top-ranked global analyst, research director for a major Wall Street investment bank, and head of Canada’s largest global investment operation, his writings focus on the endtime roles of money, economics and globalization. He has been quoted around the world and his writings reproduced in numerous other publications and languages. His 2002 book The Endtime Money Snare: How to live free accurately anticipated and prepared its readers for the Global Financial Crisis. A following book, Global Financial Apocalypse Prophesied: Preserving true riches in an age of deception and trouble, looks further into the prophetic future.
Do you have questions or other perspectives? You can contact Wilfred at: [email protected]. Please note that for reasons of volume and investment securities regulation, he cannot give financial advice.
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