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There is a huge problem facing those who have argued that the church is about to be "Raptured" by Jesus before, during, or after the supposedly imminent 7-year Great Tribulation. The problem is that computers will lose their minds. The often-prophesied electronic "mark of the Beast" disappears.
Those who have said that the electronic mark of the Beast is prophesied in the Bible now have a major re-write task. If they get on board y2k as also being prophesied, then the erasure of the mark of the Beast is a problem. Anyway, it ought to be. But some people hold both positions simultaneously, as we shall see.
If the Bible prophesies the mark of the Beast, what happens when the marking devices -- computers -- crash in 2000? Was the anti-mark of the Beast also prophesied? And if it was, why didn't any of the Bible prophecy experts recognize this prior to my decision to create this Web site in early 1997 and devote every issue of my newsletters to y2k?
Psychologists speak of "cognitive dissonance." Jack Van Impe suffers from this, it appears. Mr. Van Impe cannot read a scary headline that he thinks doesn't fulfill a Bible prophecy. He has read about y2k. He has read about the cashless society. He says both are propohesied in the Bible. Problem: if the compuers crash, there will be no cashless society. If they crash completely, there will be only barter and cash.
Mr. Van Impe argues that the greatest pressure toward decentralization since the Tower of Babel is a prelude to the creation of a centralized New World Order.
It's not easy to keep track of Bible prophecies and headlines.
This is from Mr. Van Impe's INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING (Oct. 1997).
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Besides the already mentioned deleterious effects of the "millennium bug," such as irreparable computer crashes destroying companies and governments, some companies may have major problems even before the year 2,000. Bankers of companies that have outstanding loans may force outstanding loans to come due early or require verification that no such year 2,000 problem exists within the company's information systems, since such a problem could pose a risk to its future financial viability. Unprepared organizations could face an insurmountable fiscal shortfall as a result and their business could be completely destroyed. . . .
Lest we think these are all just businesses that are being caught in a crunch, Ada Posey, the acting director of the White House Office of Administration, has said that its information systems "are in dire need of replacement of outdated and inoperative equipment." She said that the White House hasn't even been able to determine what systems are vulnerable to the year 2,000 problem because of lack of funds. For the Financial Management System alone, which she has been able to access, it will cost at least $600,000.
In addition to a general increasing interest and desire by economists, computer scientists, bankers, businessmen, statesmen, and many others to do so, could this be the main cause or one of the causes that will soon move the world's governments to push for and accept a cashless society overseen by a so-called universal "New World Order"? (Daniel 7:23; Ezekiel 7:19; Rev. 13:7) There are many other potential reasons why we will quickly head in this direction.
Such a global system will be necessary to implement the infamous "mark of the beast," which the Apostle John spoke of in the book of Revelation (Rev. 13:16-18). In addition to serving as a visible indicator of one's devotion to the coming Antichrist (Rev.13:3,4), the "666" mark will be required for all commercial transactions during the coming 7-year Tribulation period (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:27; I Thess. 5:3). Of course, all believers (Luke 21:36; Rev. 3:10; 4:1) will have already been evacuated from the Earth via the event known as the Rapture or "snatching away" (I Cor. 15:51-54) and will not be faced with the decision of whether or not to accept the ownership seal of the evil despot whom the Bible teaches is possessed by Satan himself (Rev. 13:2,4). . . .
All of the above shocking scenarios leave the door wide open to invite the introduction of a centralized, world economic system under the control of a supposedly powerful and benevolent leader, organization, and/or state (Dan. 7:23; Rev. 13:3,4,7,8,16). The Earth's various currencies will eventually be eliminated, a worldwide personal identification and data storage system will be implemented (see "Mark of the Beast Approaching" in the September issue of the Van Impe Intelligence Briefing), and the globalization of all trade will be put in place under the guise of solving these dilemmas and others which we will all shortly face.
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