12 Steps To The Mark Of The Beast - The Iran War Is Just The Trigger

What's happening right now is one of the most significant global events in recent memory - magnitudes greater than the 2020 pandemic shutdowns. 

Yet, a good portion of the world remains ignorant. Here in the United States of America, the average citizen has no idea how significant the U.S.-Israel-Iran war is. Or, to more accurately describe it - they have no idea what a big deal the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz is.

This goes far beyond higher prices at the gas station. Its impact trickles down into every aspect of the global economy.

A shrinking global economy is already a certainty. The only question remaining is this... How severe will the global depression be?

If it's bad enough, it will topple over our already fragile debt-based global monetary system and usher in an entirely new era.

This new era will be based on assets, digital tokens, and digital surveillance.

More importantly, it will bring a new global monetary system online - one that's indistinguishable in capability and function from the mark of the beast system we read about in Revelation 13.

So if you're a Christian, pay attention! This coming system is yet another indication of the times in which we live. And Jesus said: 

"So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!" Luke 21:28 (NLT)

How will this happen from one conflict in the Middle East? 

Here's a step-by-step overview of the process which could play out in the months and years ahead:

The world is now without a minimum of 12% of global crude oil production and 21% of global LNG production.

And even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens today, mathematically, the global economy has to endure at least 17 weeks without that energy.

This is because only 5% of the normal shipping traffic has passed through the Strait of Hormuz for more than 7 weeks now. And once shipping returns to normal, it will take a minimum of 10 weeks to restore energy flows because of shipping logistics, shut-in oil production, and damaged oil and gas facilities.

No combination of alternative sources can replace those missing supplies in a timely manner. 

This is critical to understand. What's happened means more than just higher oil and LNG prices. The supply that never reached the global market is simply unavailable to customers at any price.

The world has lost almost 11 million bpd of crude oil production and more than a fifth of LNG production as a result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil export facilities have take another 2 million+ bpd off the global market.

But this means more than a loss of crude oil and LNG. Here's all the byproducts of those energy sources which normally come out of the Strait of Hormuz along with the percentage of global seaborne trade for each commodity now taken offline:

Gasoline ~16%

Diesel ~10%

Jet fuel ~19%

Bunker fuel ~15%

Propane ~20%

Butane ~20%

Sulfur ~47%

Sulfuric Acid ~35%

Urea ~48%

Ammonia ~30%

Phosphate fertilizers ~27%

Ethylene ~20%

Propylene ~20%

Helium ~30%

Aluminum ~9%

With less gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, bunker fuel, and liquified petroleum gas, fewer things will move in the global economy from individual cars and trucks to entire factories.

With less LNG, urea, ammonia, and phosphate fertilizers, global crop yields will be lower.

With less ethylene and propylene, fewer plastics will be manufactured. With less helium and aluminum, fewer products will be made.

For example, if European airlines have 30% less jet fuel than they normally do, then it stands to reason they'll have to fly 30% fewer miles than normal.

If a factory manufacturing a consumer product requires ethylene to produce the product, and they're only able to procure 80% of the ethylene they normally do, then it stands to reason they'll have to produce 20% fewer product units than they normally do.

When a company produces fewer units of a core product, they typically receive less revenue for doing so. In a world where corporate debt exceeds $59 trillion, such an abrupt disruption to expected revenue and profit projections will make it impossible for many companies to meet their debt obligations.

Again, take the airline industry as an example. The airline industry as whole is highly indebted. Most airlines buy jets on credit and pay back those loans through anticipated flight revenues. But what happens in a world where a shortage of jet fuel causes 20% or 30% of airline's flights to be cancelled? What happens to the profitability of the remaining flights in a world where jet fuel price double (which they have)?

In short, many such businesses will find themselves unable to make their debt payments.

As a result of lost revenues and the inability to make debt payments, many companies will be forced to make mass layoffs or institute furloughs. This means the same pressures that broke those businesses will now exert themselves on individual households. 

What happens when households experience higher costs for daily living expenses, and then experience a job loss? They immediately cut all unnecessary spending, which further pressures businesses dependent on consumer discretionary spending.

In such circumstances, many households will find it difficult to make payments on the mortgage, the car loan, the credit card, the student loan, the home equity line of credit, etc. What can't be paid won't be paid. So many households declare bankruptcy and default on these loans.

In our debt-based monetary system, when someone defaults on a debt, it shrinks the currency supply.

The way our monetary system is designed, it requires an ever-growing amount of debt to be taken on in order to prevent collapse of the system (much like a Ponzi scheme). Currency (dollars, euro, yen, etc.) are not so much printed as they are "loaned into existence."

Each time a loan is made, it expands the currency supply. Over time, as that loan is paid off, it shrinks the currency supply. But in order to provide enough currency to pay off the principal of the loan as well as the interest, new loans elsewhere must be made to expand the currency supply.

If debt defaults exceed debt expansion (new loans), the system begins to implode. If new currency can not be created faster than old currency is extinguished (through debt default), a deflationary spiral hits. This is what happened during the Great Depression.

As this deflationary spiral leads to further job losses and bankruptcies, it will eventually spark a panic in financial markets. During this phase, expect to see bank runs in major industrialized economies. Banks all around the world are already under enormous stress. For instance, in the United states, over 1,788 banks are at greater risk of failure due to their commercial real estate exposure. And according to the FDIC, the United states banking system is currently sitting on 300 billion dollars in unrealized losses.

Many people try to explain this away. "No need to worry," they say. "These are unrealized losses." And that's true. But it's only true until the unrealized losses become realized losses. This is what happened in the spring of 2023, when customers demanded their cash deposits from Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic - causing all three banks to fail. Those failures amounted to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th largest bank failures in U.S. history. After the fact, Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she feared "a run on the banking system -- to the huge detriment to our economy and to hardworking Americans and businesses."

Once bank runs like these re-emerge, central banks will take the same measures they took in March 2023. They'll panic and pledge to guarantee all deposits in an effort to prevent further bank runs. Unfortunately, this will only increase risk in the system as customers keep their deposits at institutions that are due to fail. All this will do is temporarily delay the inevitable and create the conditions that lead to the greatest run on banks since the Great Depression.

Fearing a repeat of the Great Depression and staring into the void of a deflationary spiral, governments and central banks across the globe will spend and print as much as they can in a desperate attempt to avoid a prolonged depression. In recent crises, these types of efforts managed to kick the can down the road and avoid the much-dreaded deflationary spiral and unraveling of the financial system. 

At some point during their policy response, governments and central banks will do something truly novel - they'll follow the law (something they didn't do during the 2023 bank failures).

Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Protection Act as well as other post-Great Financial Crisis legislation and regulatory changes, failed banks are supposed to be "bailed-in" by depositors rather than "bailed-out" by taxpayers. To "bail-in" a bank means depositors are forced to recapitalize the bank with their own deposits. 

All cash deposits above the FDIC limit are used to rescue the bank and save it from collapse. In exchange, depositors receive equity (an ownership interest) in the failing bank. Unfortunately, that equity has a market value much less than what the original cash deposit was worth.

At some point, expect Fed officials to allow a bank to fail and be "bailed-in." Any businesses exclusively banking at this "bailed-in" bank will lose everything above the $250k limit - causing many of those businesses to fail. 

Businesses all over the United States, and all over the world, will panic. That single attempt - and that's all it will take, one attempt - to "bail-in" a bank will spark a panic run on all but the largest banks. As individuals and businesses move their cash deposits above the FDIC insured threshold to larger, "too-big-to-fail" banks such as JP Morgan and Wells Fargo, regional banks and smaller banks will fail in mass. In the end, only a handful of banks will control the overwhelming majority of deposits.

As the largest bank run in history spreads across the globe, years and years of central planning and economic mismanagement will surface in the form of smaller implosions throughout the global economy. Think of a leaky boat where the occupants frantically rush to plug the leaks, but for every hole they plug, three new leaks spring forth. These implosions will include major problems in the global derivatives market - estimated at somewhere between $1 and $4 quadrillion dollars. 

According to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, four banks - just four - hold "87.6% of the total banking industry notional amount of derivatives." That means the failure of just one of those banks will be enough to collapse the entire global financial system (i.e. those banks won't be allowed to fail).

Also, as we saw during the Great Financial Crisis, this crisis will expose fraudulent activity. In 2008, Bernie Madoff was exposed for running the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. Expect to see more Bernie Madoffs. In addition, expect to see several hedge funds, high-net worth individuals, and/or other financial entities outside of the traditional regulatory system exposed as frauds for pledging the same collateral to multiple financial institutions. 

On Wall Street, expect to see several major failures of brokerage houses and, more importantly, intermediaries responsible for the stock settlement process. Their failure will expose a fatal flaw in the system. When someone "shorts" a security, they "borrow" it from someone who owns it, sell it into the open market and promise to buy it back later (they hope at a lower price, pocketing the difference). 

When this happens, two people think they own the same security. This is called naked short selling, and it's illegal in most countries. Nevertheless, it still happens. And we won't know to what extent the law has been flaunted until the system breaks. When it does, many people will learn they don't own what they thought they owned.

When these financial entities fail, contagion will spread throughout the global financial system. The threat of counterparty risk will cause global credit markets to freeze as distrust spreads throughout the system. This is the moment when the entire system will "break."

At that point, the global economy will come to an immediate, grinding halt. With credit markets frozen, trucks will stop making deliveries, factories will stop producing widgets, and every node in the global supply chain will freeze. In response, governments will announce "a bank holiday." Global financial markets will close. All banks will close, and all electronic financial transactions will cease. 

A bank holiday last occurred in the United States in March 1933 at the height of the Great Depression. Markets and banks will remain closed until government regulators implement new measures to jumpstart credit markets and restore the orderly functioning of the financial system.

How will they manage to do this? How will they restore credit markets and the orderly functioning of the financial system? Once the system breaks, "the solution" will be conveniently "found" waiting in the wings. They're already preparing and testing it now. All that's necessary is the proper crisis to drive its implementation. The "solution" they will roll out has three elements:

1) CBDC / Stablecoins - The first of these elements is digital currency. Governments are currently pushing two types - central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and stablecoins. CBDC is centralized, digital fiat currency. Stablecoins are digital tokens issued by a private entity which are backed by a fixed amount of dollars or U.S. treasuries.

Unlike the currencies of the past, CBDCs and stablecoins are fully programmable. This means governments and central banks can manipulate them in real-time. They'll have the ability to raise and lower interest rates on those currencies in real-time. They'll have the ability to put restrictions on those currencies in real-time, such as where it can be spend and on what. 

Also with CBDCs and stablecoins, governments will have unprecedented surveillance powers. They'll have full insight into every financial transaction you make. And they'll control them accordingly. Under the GENIUS Act, the law in the United States says, "All stablecoin issuers must possess the technical capability to seize, freeze, or burn payment stablecoins when legally required and must comply with lawful orders to do so."

So both CBDCs and stablecoins give governments and central banks power over every buy/sell decision made with those currencies.

Before you say, "People will never agree to that," know this - people will demand it. They'll claim it's necessary to prevent another crisis like the one that just unfolded. They'll claim that to prevent 21st Century bank runs, they need 21st Century regulatory tools. They'll claim CBDCs and stablecoins will enable law enforcement to identify criminals like Bernie Madoff instantly, because they'll know in real-time if bad actors embezzle or misallocate funds. 

They'll claim CBDCs and stablecoins will give regulators much needed insight into the "shadow banking system" and systemically important non-bank financial institutions (entities that don't currently fall under the same regulatory standards as banks). And with this new oversight, such a crisis will "never happen again." Ultimately, the public will embrace CBDCs and stablecoins as a "safeguard" against future financial crises. It's an empty promise.

2) Tokenized Assets - The second element of the new system will be tokenized assets. Every asset on earth will be digitized. This includes stocks, bonds, precious metals, art, real estate, and anything else of value which can be catalogued, tracked, and traded. 

Again, the public will embrace tokenized assets. They'll claim they're necessary to prevent another financial crisis like the one that just unfolded. Remember, when the system breaks, many people will realize for the first time that they didn't really own the stocks they thought they owned. 

The failure of several Wall Street brokerages and settlement entities will reveal an epic game of financial music chairs where concepts such as naked short selling led to multiple people thinking they own the same share of stock. By definition, only one can be the owner. The others will lose out. 

Many retirements accounts will be devastated. The solution? Tokenized assets - a transparent method for tracking ownership in real-time on a public-facing blockchain. In the aftermath of a market crash, where so many people lose out, they'll claim tokenized assets will prevent future fraud and abuse of financial regulations.

3) Digital IDs - The third element of the new system will be digital ID. Governments will roll out digital ID's as a means to verify the identities of those transacting in CBDCs, stablecoins, and tokenized assets. They'll claim digital ID's will prevent fraud and abuse. But because they'll centralize all information associated with an individual, they make a person more vulnerable to identity theft. 

A single hack, and every aspect of your life will be compromised. In reality, digital ID isn't about what's best for you - it's about what's best for government. By centralizing all information associated with you as an individual, it streamlines their ability to surveil your life.

If that's the case, why will anyone go along with the digital ID system? Simple. They'll make digital ID a requirement to receive CBDC, stablecoins, and/or tokenized assets. And people will gladly adopt the first two elements of the new system in order to avoid financial ruin. 

Want your uninsured bank deposits from the bank that failed? You can have them. But only in CBDC or stablecoin. 

Those stocks you lost when the brokerages and settlement houses defaulted? You can have them back, but only as "secure" tokenized assets. If you're on board, the government will deposit the cash equivalent of the lost assets to your digital wallet. You can then use CBDC or stablecoin to "buy back" your lost assets. Don't want CBDCs or stablecoins? Then your lost deposits and assets remain out of reach. 

And what about those who had no cash or assets to begin with? They'll be on board too. The government will offer everyone "free cash" to jumpstart the economy and avoid social unrest. Simply claim your digital wallet, and $10,000 will be waiting for you. Still not convinced? How about $25,000? Or $50,000? This offer will prove irresistible for many. We've already seen similar offers roll out in Thailand.

With all these incentives, adoption of the new system will take place rapidly. In the aftermath of the greatest financial and economic crisis in history, many people who have lost their homes, retirement accounts, and cash deposits will gladly accept the offer of the new digital system in order to restore their lost fortunes. They'll willingly accept CBDCs, stablecoins, and digital IDs as a form of "21st Century convenience." 

In a relatively short period of time, the number of people in the system will reach critical mass. At that point, any remaining holdouts who refuse to take part in the new system will simply be forced into the system. This will happen when governments drive the final nail in the coffin of the old system and ban the use of physical cash. They'll claim cash needs to be outlawed because "only drug lords, money launderers, and terrorists use it." 

Anyone who objects based on privacy concerns will receive the standard mantra, "If you've got nothing to hide, then what are you afraid of?" Once they force the last holdouts into the system, the door to the cage will slam shut. The entire world will be locked into a new economic system, one that gives governments and central banks unprecedented power over every individual on the face of the planet. 

While this new system will not be the mark of the beast system, it will be indistinguishable in capability and function from the mark of the beast system foretold in the Bible. Regardless of whether or not this new system is initially abused or not, the infrastructure will be in place for the mark of the beast system to appear at the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation.

Once the world reaches the midpoint of the Tribulation, the Antichrist and the false prophet will roll out the mark of the beast system. As the Book of Revelation reveals, they will require everyone on the face of the earth to receive a mark on the right hand or on the forehead and no one will be able to buy or sell without that mark:

"He required everyone -- small and great, rich and poor, free and slave -- to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name." Revelation 13:16-17

When the Antichrist and the false prophet make their move to implement the mark of the beast system, they won't have to scramble to create it. The basic system will already exist. All they'll have to do is "flip the switch." And this is how the world will go from the current conflict in the Middle East to the mark of the beast system.

The time between these steps will vary, and some are likely to occur simultaneously, but keep in mind, all 12 steps won't be complete in a day or a week. It will likely take years for all of these steps to fully play out.

We're only beginning to experience the full effect of Step #1 right now, and it will likely take until the end of the year to reach Step #5.

I hope this article helps you to understand how we're most likely to get from where we are today to where the world will be in the years to come. Most important, know this coming system is only one of the many signs the Bible says will appear in the end times.

Jesus and the prophets pointed to dozens of signs, and our generation is witness to the emergence and convergence of those signs. No other generation can say the same. Most important, Jesus said: 

"So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!" Luke 21:28  

Amen, come Lord Jesus, come!

Britt Gillette is the author of several books on bible prophecy and the end times. You can find more of his work at brittgillette.substack.com