The Anti-Christ and World Currency Proposals

One of the overriding fears of many students of Bible prophecy is the specter of a one-world government ruled by the coming Anti-Christ, a situation that seems to be implied in the 13th chapter of the New Testament book of Revelation. The success over past several years of a series of books-The Left Behind series authored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins-has those fears. Add to that the occasional speculation as to who the Anti-Christ may be, and you have a group of people eagerly scanning the news for any hints that the Anti-Christ is preparing the way for a worldwide coup. One of the latest speculations names President Obama as the Anti-Christ (Obama joins a long list of other possible Anti-Christs who didn't pan out), so for many people, the stage is set for a worldwide takeover, especially considering Obama's popularity in other nations.

A recent report from author and Middle East expert, Joel Rosenberg, will probably intensify the concerns about a takeover. In an online article, Rosenberg notes that political leaders from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East are proposing an end to the current economic order and instituting a single common currency.

This news is based on a report from the Moscow Times, cited on Rosenberg's website. According to the Russian newspaper, the Kremlin is set to propose the change at the G20 conference of world leaders on April 2 in London.

A proposal for a new world currency has also come from the President of Kazakhstan. Nursultan Nazabayev proposed a tentative name for the currency: the "acmetal" (a combination of "acme" and "capital.") Columbia University professor and Nobel Prize winner in 1999 for his role in the creation of the Euro, seconded the idea.

Much of the emphasis for the currency proposals comes out of the current economic crisis that has its origin in the mortgage meltdown in the United States and that has resulted in the devaluation of the dollar across the world.

Rosenberg also notes that other world leaders have called for merged currencies, such diverse sources as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Libyan leader Muammar Ghadafi, both of whom are advocating regional currencies-for 400 million Muslims in the Middle East (Ahmadinejad) and for all of Africa (Ghadafi). Ghadafi goes further and is pushing for a single military force in Africa and a single passport which would enable Africans to move freely about the continent.

There is one other voice for a change in the currency system: Rosenberg also refers to an online article from Reuters that reports that the United Nations Commission of Experts on International Financial Reform will recommend that the world "ditch the dollar" as its reserve currency in favor of a "shared basket of currencies." The proposal is sure to push the relative value of the U. S. dollar down even more than it currently is.

What can we make of this? Is the Anti-Christ ready to strike? Are we on the verge of complete collapse of nationalism? Are fundamental Christians correct in their view of the Bible and the future? Should we all be stocking up on precious metals and moving to isolated areas?

Whatever the future holds, we are currently in the midst of an economic crisis that needs to be addressed. The dollar is down. American prestige abroad is at a low point. We still need to be wary of terrorist attacks. Congress seems confused about what to do and we're getting mixed signals from the White House.

Here's my advice: Don't presume to know what God has in mind and when things will happen. There are some things we cannot know, no matter how many clues we think we see. What we can know is that we are in this world right now and there is work to be done here. Let's do it. Let's live responsibly and not panic.

Sources:

www.themoscowtimes.com/articles/detail.php

www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE52H2CY20090318

http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2009/03/18/russia-to-propose-new-global-common-currency-and-the-kremlin-is-not-alone/