50-50 Chance AI Wipes Out All Humanity

 Think this headline is pretty obvious why it’s blog worthy.  There isn’t 1 in 1 million people on planet earth who even know what AI is and it is being released upon us while I type.

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There’s A Greater-Than-50% Chance AI Wipes Out All Of Humanity By 2050, One Advisory Finds

In late March, no lesser mortal human beings than Goldman Sachs equity research took a deep dive into the implications of AI for the world (and beyond). The magnum opus led readers through the evolution of AI… Their shocking conclusion: AI will lead one-third of a billion layoffs (at least) in the US and Europe. Think of it as the robotization of the service sector. The safety risks around AI are huge, and we think there is a more than 50/50 chance AI will wipe out all of humanity by the middle of the century.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/theres-greater-50-chance-ai-wipes-out-all-humanity-2050-one-advisory-finds

Could the US Default?

 The government votes to pay for things.  When they run out of money to pay for the things they voted for then they tell the Treasury to sell Government Bonds to raise the money.  People from all over the world but these bonds, that pay interest, at an auction.  There isn't 1 in 1 million people in America that have any idea HOW this all works.

But the government also has a debt limit.  It's the limit that Congress used to try and reign in massive deficits.  When they get near the top of that limit then Congress gets all together and they all agree to raise the limit.  Of course this doesn't work in your household finance.  If you reach the top of your credit card limit but want to keep buying more stuff, or paying for the stuff you already bought, you can't just call the credit card company and ask them to extend you more credit.

USA is going to run out of money next month and they need Congress to raise the debt limit.  Republicans will scream, "YOU can't keep spending money!  At some point in time you will run out of FAITH AND CONFIDENCE that investors have in USA!  We need to reign this in!"  And of course the Democrats will all scream, "YOU can't hold us hostage!  If you don't vote to give us a bigger spending limit then the USA will default on it's loan payments and then we are all screwed!"

WASHINGTON — The Congressional Budget Office on Friday said tax revenues and emergency measures after June 15 “will probably allow the government to continue financing operations through at least the end of July.”

The updated guidance otherwise reiterated the CBO’s earlier uncertainty about the debt ceiling during the first few weeks of June. Even though mid-June tax revenues could ease pressure on the Treasury through July, there’s still the risk of default in the first few weeks of June, the key government forecaster said.

“If the debt limit remains unchanged, there is significant risk that at some point in the first two weeks of June, the government will no longer be able to pay all of its obligations,” said the CBO report.

The new report came as the White House and congressional leaders postponed a scheduled Friday meeting to continue negotiations, citing little progress so far over any deal to cut spending and pair that with a debt limit hike.

“The extent to which the Treasury will be able to fund the government’s ongoing operations will remain uncertain throughout May, even if the Treasury ultimately runs out of funds in early June. That uncertainty exists because the timing and amount of revenue collections and outlays over the intervening weeks could differ from CBO’s projections,” said the latest report.

The CBO also issued an updated projection of the federal budget deficit for 2023, raising it to $1.5 trillion.

The office warned that there was still “a great deal of uncertainty” around the deficit figure, in part due to an expected Supreme Court ruling on President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.

Legal experts told CNBC the nation’s highest court is likely to strike down the $400 billion debt forgiveness plan, given the court’s conservative majority.

If that happens, the administration would likely record the money it set aside for the loan forgiveness last year as a reduction in outlays this year, the CBO reported.

The CBO is a nonpartisan federal agency that provides objective budget and economic data to Congress, typically to inform legislation.

The debt ceiling talks were postponed less than a day before Biden was set to sit down with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

That meeting was to be the second this week, after a Tuesday huddle failed to produce any significant developments.

It was unclear Friday what impact, if any, the new report would have on talks currently underway at the staff level, between aides to the four congressional leaders and White House liaisons.

As both the House and Senate prepared to leave for the weekend on Thursday, McCarthy said he had not seen “a seriousness” from the White House regarding any potential deal. “It seems like they want to default more than they want a deal,” the California Republican told reporters in the Capitol.

Democrats appeared equally dug in, as Schumer indicated in a letter to his caucus Friday, in which he said staff level talks would continue in the coming days.

Yet even as aides worked to find common ground, Schumer said Democratic senators would keep “highlighting the devastating impact” of cuts to the federal budget that are part of a bill passed by House Republicans last month.

Central to the partisan impasse is the White House’s insistence that Congress vote to raise the debt limit without preconditions, and House Republicans’ demand that any debt limit hike be paired with sweeping cuts to federal spending and new work requirements for social safety net programs.

Failure to raise the debt ceiling before the U.S. runs out of available cash and emergency measures would cause an “economic catastrophe,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday.

“That is something that could produce financial chaos, it would drastically reduce the amount of spending and would mean that Social Security recipients and veterans and people counting on money from the government that they’re owed, contractors, we just would not have enough money to pay the bills,” Yellen told CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime.”

Here;  U.S. can avoid default in July if it gets cash in June: CBO (cnbc.com)

"Could produce financial chaos", says Yellen.

I think this discussion fits into the old saying, "Damned if you do and damned if you don't".

The signs are literally screaming at us from all sides that America is teetering right on the very edge of the abyss.

Could the Government Limit Your Withdrawals From Your Bank Account?

 I think we all realize that when you put your money in your savings or checking account that the bank doesn't have all that cash on hand.  You didn't give them cash in the first place.  You gave them a check from your employer and the numbers shifted from your employer's bank account and into yours.  There is really only a fraction of cash to represent the trillions of dollars that are sitting as $000's in the banking system.

So I think we all KNOW what would happen if a whole bunch of us went to our banks and asked to withdraw all our money.  It couldn't possibly be handed to us in cash because the CASH DOESN'T EXIST!

As we recently saw with the bank failure in Silicon Valley, the account owners all demanded their money in cash and the bank closed and subsequently failed.

So what would happen to America if their was a large panic and people lost confidence in their bank and all ran to the bank at the same time and demanded their money?  Not just one bank but all the banks across the entire country?

Chaos.

The banks would have no choice but to close.  The cash machines would be out of cash in about 10 minutes with no armored car coming to replenish them.

An expert in economics is warning that the Biden administration may be looking at ways to lock down your checking account - literally ban withdrawals from the banking system.

The teams Biden has installed in power in the federal government already have moved to force you to buy an electric car, limited the kinds of appliances you can buy, censored the questions you can raise about fair elections and much more.

Now the next step could be your bank account, according to hedge fund manager and macro economic expert Hugh Hendry.

A report at The Daily Hodl explained Hendry was in an interview with Bloomberg Markets when the questions of mass panic and capital flight came up.

He said the moves away from the U.S. banking system, which recently has seen several major institutions fail, is justified.

The report explained, "Hendry says a further decline in the M2 money supply, which in part tracks money in liquid checking accounts, could convince the U.S. government to step in and prevent citizens from taking their capital out of the banking system."

"Sometimes it's kind of relevant to panic. I would recommend you panic... You've seen the biggest waterfall decline in M2 right now. M2 is deposits, not loans. That's the deposits fleeing the system and going into money market funds," he explained. "That could reach a crescendo where the Treasury and the Fed may have to come in and actually restrict your right as a U.S. citizen to pull money out of the U.S. banking sector."

 He continued, "There is capital flight, deposit flight from the banking sector seeking yield. I fear that, I don't say this lightly, but in 1934 the Federal Reserve Act confiscated gold from U.S. citizens.

"We're at the point where the Fed and Treasury officials I'm sure are having to consider a gate, a lock on U.S. bank deposits."

Here;  U.S. May Freeze Bank Withdrawals As Currency Fear Rises, Expert Warns (prophecynewswatch.com)

This dude is recommending that we panic.  While it is true that the first one to panic and pull out their money might very well get their money and the last dude to panic will be left with looking at closed doors at the bank...if this happens we are talking about a melt down of our entire system.  So while you might have your cash, if you think Target and Walmart and Cub are all operating with "Business as usual", you would be mistaken.  So what would you do with all your cash if there are no stores open to take it?

I read an article like this and believe it is just one more sign of how close we are to the Great Tribulation.  A time when a new monetary system will be in place that doesn't allow for cash.

As followers of Christ we are NOT to live in fear.  We cling to the words of Jesus that very clearly told us that life will be "business as usual" up until the time He comes for us.  People will be eating and drinking, planning their weddings, building houses and planting crops.  These are all activities that are happening today and will be happening up until the rapture.  After that...all bets are off.

Farmers Warn of Dust Bowl Conditions

So here is one more article using the word EVER SEEN.  This farmer is 75 yrs old and he has never seen it this dry.  Modern man thinks he is so self-reliant with huge tractors, planters, combines and fertilizer.  But if God holds back the rain, as He did many times throughout the Bible, then food will not grow.  No hay, no corn, no wheat also means no beef, no pork and no chicken.  Could God use nasty weather to warn us to turn back to Him and repent?  Of course!

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Our food prices aren't just going up because our leaders pumped way too much money into the system.  All over the world, crops are failing, and that includes right here in the United States.  

Earlier this year, CNN warned that we are in the midst of "the worst food crisis in modern history", and so we really need this to be an extremely successful year for our farmers.  

Unfortunately, that just isn't happening in much of the country.  In fact, one wheat farmer in Oklahoma says that his farm is experiencing "the most severe drought I've ever seen"...

Looks can be deceiving. Rolling wheat fields may appear green and lively to passing drivers, but the farmers who planted the fields see a different story playing out as their crops die off and blow away.

"We had less than half of a crop last year, and we're probably going to have half of that this year. It's terrible," said 75-year-old Burlington farmer Keith Kisling. "We're in the most severe drought I've ever seen."

 https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=6085

Tribulation Trigger

 Terry James is the founder of Rapture Ready and also an author and expert on all things prophetic. Below I posted his new article on what would trigger the Tribulation.  All the conditions seem right.  All the technology is here.  So what’s the final push that will be needed?  Our Blessed Hope!

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The planet is apparently poised for war. If not nuclear war, certainly conventional war on a horrific scale that will soon engulf the world in the thermonuclear sort seems highly possible.

Economies on a global scale, according to a number of fiscal experts, are set to collapse into a depression like has never been known. Micro-beasts, as my friend Chuck Missler used to call the microbial agents of pandemics and death, are about to be released either through accidental escape from laboratories or through deliberate actions of the diabolists of the world.

Governments of the Western world—through insane laws, technological surveillance, and militancy—are, in fact, on the verge of bringing about enslavement not unlike governments of George Orwell’s 1984fictional world.

Experimentation on changing humanity into something akin to chimeras and/or human-machine cyber threatens the human race with going extinct as created. Children are being experimented on at many levels, from being inculcated on becoming transgender to surgical and hormonal bodily transformations that are a threat to future procreation.

The very name of Satan is now on the surface of the culture in America, with after-school Satan Clubs luring children of all ages to join in the activities.

Parents are smoking mad and spewing fire over a new student club at their local elementary school promoting Satan.

The “After School Satan Club” at Golden Hills Elementary School in Kern County has parents outraged.

“I think it’s disgusting; I understand the school has to allow them because they allow other after-school programs such as The Good News, which is a Christian-based after-school program. That one I’m okay with, but I can’t imagine why anyone would want their child to attend this Satanic group,” Sheila Knight, grandparent to a fifth grader at the school, tells local CBS affiliate KBAK.

The club must be allowed under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibits government institutions from discriminating on the basis of religious beliefs. Courts have consistently upheld the right of Christian, Jewish, Islamic, atheist, and even Satanic groups to meet in schools.

“There’s currently a Good News Club there, which is teaching kids to go save souls for Jesus, at the school. We want to give an alternative point of view,” [After School Satan club] leader Paul Hicks tells KBAK.

The group is sponsored by The Satanic Temple, known for its publicity stunts, and the “Reason Alliance,” which promotes atheism. (“Parents Outraged Over Satan Club at California Elementary School,” by Donnie Ferguson, American Liberty News, November 23, 2022)

The Satan Clubs are as much tongue-in-cheek, fad-like entertainment as serious worship of the devil, in fact. This makes the Satan Club matter even more egregious, as it inculcates that Satan is just a myth and only to be spoofed. The young are therefore being deluded further into belief that as there is no devil, neither is there a God who governs.

All of this has invaded this earthly sphere at a stunning rate within recent months. It all means the Tribulation is about to begin. We must conclude that humankind’s last seven years before Christ’s return is about to be triggered.

Yet all that sin-heaviness hovers like that proverbial sword of Damocles we’ve mentioned a number of times. That sword remains suspended, although nothing seems to be holding it back from cleaving the thin veil separating rebellious people from the prophetically promised wrath and judgment from Heaven above.

Again, we find the cause of the sword’s suspension in midair as the wickedness grows by the hour.

“And now ye know what withholdeth that he [Antichrist] might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he [God the Holy Spirit] who now letteth [Restrains] will let [Restrain], until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked [Antichrist] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him [Antichrist], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-10).

God the Holy Spirit, resident within each born-again believer in Jesus Christ for salvation, presently keeps the avalanche of this evil bursting fully down upon the planet. That avalanche of evil cannot and will not crash down upon all “earth dwellers” until it is triggered.

First, those who are not “earth dwellers” but are “citizens of Heaven” will be removed and thus will be safe from God’s wrath upon all rebellion against Him. When Christ calls to all believers—those who are “asleep” (have died) and those who are alive—the Holy Spirit within each believer will remove much of God’s influence against evil. He will no longer restrain wickedness.

Although it is not the ignition point of the great implosion of God’s judgment and wrath—that point will be the confirming of the covenant of Daniel 9:26–27—it will nonetheless be the trigger that sets off the complete avalanche of evil that will bring about the instrumentality that ignites man’s final seven years of rebellion. It will be the trigger to the Tribulation and the rise of Antichrist’s most terrible time of terror.

That trigger, of course, will be the Rapture. It will be the “twinkling of an eye” moment that fulfills Jesus’ great promise to those who believe in Him for salvation.

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

The only way to be kept from that horrendous time, when Antichrist wreaks terror and God’s wrath falls on sinful mankind, is to do the following as given by the Apostle Paul:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

https://www.raptureready.com/2023/05/10/tribulation-trigger-by-terry-james/

Earth Disaster is Coming. All the Evidence

 The Bible tells us that the earth is literally groaning under the curse.  We have blogged for years about the numerous articles that have the phrase, "Never seen!" or "Biggest ever recorded!"  We look in amazement as we see Lake Mead shrinking to it's lowest level EVER and then are amazed as the largest snow pack EVER in California begins to fill the reservoirs again in record fashion.  We read of the devastating droughts that have infected so many places. Just today we read about Oklahoma and how it's the worst winter wheat they have EVER seen.

This video was sent to me by a reader and is very "blogworthy" material as it presents all the evidence that the earth is getting ready for a polar change.  We already know that the North Pole has been sliding south some feet or yards every year but the evidence would suggest that once this starts the shift starts to increase exponentially so literally could happen within weeks of months.

If this does happen, the people of planet earth will be blown away by the changes predicted.  It kind of sounds like something that could happen during the Great Tribulation?  Are we all eager to say goodbye to this earth and hello to King Jesus?  If we aren't ready maybe we should be asking ourselves, "why?"

Watch the 16 minute video here;  https://youtu.be/j635Cv2aOlA

Hat tip to Jared F.

"The End of Joe Biden has Arrived"

 Let's remember that God is no respecter of nations or individuals.  America is NOT eternally blessed by the Creator simply because we believe that America ONCE WAS blessed by God.  We believe that this nation was brought forth by God simply for the reason to spread the Gospel message in these Last Days but equally important, it was brought forth to become a powerful nation to incubate Israel.  After winning WWII we were in a unique position for Harry Truman to put USA's stamp of approval on the new nation of Israel.

It now appears that God is getting ready to start the 70th Week of Daniel for the nation of Israel.  All the signs for this are in place.  So when we look at the decline happening in America we can say that this would be expected to happen as we kick God/Jesus to the curb and believe that America is great simply because it's people are great!  False!!  "There are NONE that are good, not even one!"

When we watch the video tape played of the rise and fall of America there will no doubt be great Democrats and great Republicans playing their part.  There will also be horrendous Democrats and Republicans playing their part.

That being said, Joe Biden has been a disaster as President.  And of course the MSM has fallen in line and refused to report how inept this man has become.  I actually feel a little sorry for him as he bumbles and stumbles along.  I wonder if he wakes up most days and says, "What the heck am I doing today?"

So imagine my surprise when I turn on my browser today with it's default to MSN and see this article in the #1 position!

The End of Joe Biden Has Arrived

In what must be seen as an alarming trend for the White House and the Biden campaign management team for his re-election bid, President Joe Biden is languishing in another new poll. Biden is garnering an overall approval rating of just 36 percent – down from 42 percent approval from the same survey in February. He has high disapproval ratings, low support for running again, and a dipping number that measures his mental acuity.

The ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that in a match-up with Donald Trump, Biden was down six points: 44 to 38. When asked about a hypothetical match-up with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Biden was behind by five points: 42 to 37. Overall, 56 percent of the people surveyed expressed disapproval of Joe Biden. A noteworthy 58 percent of Democrats in the poll do not want Biden to run again.

Voters in the survey appear to be worried about the president’s age and mental sharpness. Twenty-six percent said he is too old for another term. Just 32 percent of those questioned agreed with the statement that Biden “has the mental sharpness it takes to serve effectively as president.” Sixty-three percent said he does not have the mental sharpness to serve confidently.

The host of the ABC News Sunday program “This Week” reacted fearfully to these numbers. “This poll is just brutal for President Biden,” said veteran broadcaster George Stephanopoulos. 

“I’ve got to admit I have a hard time wrapping my head around that,” he said. “You’ve got one in five people who say they believe President Trump should face criminal charges, but they would still vote for him.”

Former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile couldn’t believe the numbers and said she stayed up past midnight trying to inform her contacts about the bad news for Biden. “They are still unable to get a real good, strong message to the American people, not just on the accomplishments, but where they want to take the country.,” she said.

Aside from concerns about Biden’s age and health, voters do not seem to be giving Joe Biden credit for what he has achieved during his presidency. He helped bring in the Inflation Reduction Act, which had historic monetary support for the green energy transition. He oversaw the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill. He showed leadership on the bill to protect marriage for the LGBTQ community and interracial couples. 

Many predicted that the economy would be in recession by now, but Joe Biden claims his policies are responsible for a very low unemployment rate of 3.4 percent. The April jobs report was strong again with 253,000 new jobs being created.

The problem is that people do not feel like they are better off than they were before the pandemic. In a recent economic poll, 49 percent of Americans said they would not be able to cover a $400 expense should it arise. This percentage is up from 32 percent last November. That means more people are living off their credit cards without an adequate emergency fund. Americans have nearly a trillion dollars in credit card balances. The debt balance has gone up $130 billion since 2021. High interest rates make the money people owe on their credit cards go up even more. Meanwhile, buying a house is also more difficult due to ballooning mortgage rates.

Inflation has remained at 5 percent with people suffering from stagnant wages or they are trapped in low-paying jobs. The wealth effect, when Americans spend more money if they feel flush with cash, is waning. Retirement funds are down since Trump left office, with the S&P 500 falling 20 percent last year, although that has inched up in 2023 to a gain of around 8 percent. 

People also believe that crime and mass shootings are going up under Biden’s watch. Mounting bank failures have caused people to withdraw their savings even though most accounts are guaranteed up to $250,000 by the FDIC. There is also a feeling that democracy is under threat due to extremist views from some Trump supporters, which is something Biden can use to criticize Republicans. 

Overall, voters are fearful, and Biden’s mental acuity does not appear to reassure them. They don’t feel better off financially and they don’t give his administration credit for legislative wins. Biden must convince voters that his policies are responsible for the upside of the economy – low unemployment and excellent job creation and for a lower likelihood of a recession. But if Americans are still struggling financially, they will vote with their wallets, and this could mean they may send Biden packing in 2024. 

Here;  The End of Joe Biden Has Arrived (msn.com)

If we really are close to the Great Tribulation, that means that the rapture is VERY close.  And if the rapture is very close, that means that America will cease to recover from millions of Christ followers vanishing in the twinkling of any eye.

If God decides to keep America around for a few more years then it would be in His venue to put a God-fearing leader back in power.  If the Democrats stay in control much longer I don't see how the nation can survive, given the amount of damage they have caused in 2 years.  They seem to be under a delusion.  Maybe God is already in the process of frustrating our intelligent men and confounding our wise men?  That's the only way I can describe how 50% of the nation's leaders can't define what a "woman" is.

Days of Noah, Days of Lot

I have heard it taught by good people both ways.  Some teach that when Jesus spoke of the days of Noah and the days of Lot, they are referring to the conditions on earth before the 2nd coming of Christ.  Others teach that these are the conditions found on earth before the rapture.  I’m in this 2nd camp and so is this author I have posted below.  After the earth is hit by massive meteors, 100 lb hailstones, 1/3 of vegetation burned up and men are fainting with fear, it hardly seems like a time when people will be saying, “Hey Julie, we need to go shopping for your wedding dress cuz the big day is coming up soon!  Where do you think you will honeymoon?”

I posted some of the article below but you should go to the link at the bottom and read it all.  It’s certainly encouraging that our blessed hope is on the horizon and conditions can’t get much worse before the Tribulation begins.  And that means the rapture should be very close indeed.

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By the end of the Tribulation, all the oceans and rivers will have been turned to blood (Revelation 16:3-4). Babylon will have been destroyed in an hour, apparently collapsing the world’s economy and thus causing all political leaders, merchants, and ship captains to mourn (Revelation 18:9-20). Finally, just before the battle of Armageddon, all the world’s cities will be flattened by hundred-pound hailstones, as well as an earthquake that is so severe that even islands and mountains will collapse (Revelation 16:18-21).

Due to all of this, I cannot imagine that anyone will be buying or selling, marrying, building, or planting at Jesus’ Second Coming. Thus, Matthew 24:37-42 and Luke 17:26-30 must be talking about the time when the Rapture happens, when life is going on normally for most of the world.

But how bad could things get before we are no longer in times that could be called ‘normal’?

I think we can say at least a few things because of how the church of Philadelphia is promised that they will not enter the time of the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10). This is because the “departure” (the literal meaning of the Greek term apostasia) of all true Christians to heaven in the Rapture will happen before the Antichrist is revealed in the First Seal judgment (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8, Revelation 6:1-2). The Antichrist will be identifiable when he confirms some sort of seven-year covenant between Israel and “many” (Daniel 9:27), which will probably be a peace treaty (Daniel 8:25 KJV, 1 Thessalonians 5:3).

Therefore, Christians today can trust that we will not see things become so bad before the Rapture that they fulfill events that are only prophesied to occur during the Tribulation. Thus, we can be confident that:

1. The world will not see a major nuclear war, such as might occur in the Second Seal judgment (Revelation 6:3-4).
2. Inflation, famine, or economic collapse will not become so bad that for most people in the world, it takes an entire day’s wages to buy a loaf or two of bread like it will in the Third Seal judgment (Revelation 6:5-6).
3. The spread of disease will not become so bad that 25% of the world dies, as in the Fourth Seal judgment (Revelation 6:7-8).
4. The Mark of the Beast will not be implemented (Revelation 13:16-18), even if we might see the system that enables it start coming into view through digital currencies and/or digital identification.

These reassurances, though, might not feel so comforting. What if inflation gets so bad that it takes 75% of a day’s wages to feed a family? What if a new plague were to wipe out 20% of the world’s people? What if Christians and other dissenters begin to be persecuted so badly by corrupt and lawless governments that we are no longer allowed to hold jobs, or buy or sell, even before the Mark of the Beast is created? Couldthese things still happen before the Rapture?

It is true that Jesus said the signs of the end times will resemble the labor pains of a pregnant woman, by how they will increase in frequency and intensity as the Tribulation approaches (Matthew 24:7-8, Mark 13:8).

However, the Bible also says that Jesus will come like a thief who breaks into a house when people are not expecting it (Matthew 24:42-44, Luke 12:35-40, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3). Or it will be like when an unsuspecting person walks into a trap (Luke 21:34-35).

Jesus warns that Christians who are not watching for his return risk being caught off guard when he returns at the Rapture (Matthew 24:48-51, Mark 13:32-36, Luke 12:45-48). This group likely includes the lukewarm Laodicean Christians who will think they are rich and prosperous (Revelation 3:17). So things must remain ‘normal’ enough before the Rapture that at least some Christians will still be unaware of the approaching Tribulation, and at least some churches will appear to be very wealthy and successful.

Yet Christians who are paying attention to the signs and watching for Jesus’ return will not be surprised by the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6), even if we do not know the exact day or hour that it will occur (Matthew 24:36, 25:13, Mark 13:32).

When all of these verses are taken together, along with the earlier discussion of the days of Noah and Lot, the picture of what we should expect the world to be like before the Rapture is clear.

The signs will increase in frequency and intensity, and people will become worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:12-13). Yet things will remain normal enough that scoffers will continue to scoff about Jesus’ soon return (2 Peter 3:3-4), and at least some Christians will not see the Tribulation coming.

Thus, the world will not gradually enter the Tribulation in a series of continually escalating crises and disasters. Instead, the world will be in a state of “business as usual” until sudden disaster strikes them without warning, like when a person steps into a trap or when a woman in labor has her water suddenly break as the unstoppable delivery process begins.

This instantaneous transition point will be the Rapture. In the chaos that follows the disappearance of millions or maybe even billions of people, everything will quickly fall into place to allow for the rise of the Antichrist to power and the signing of a peace deal between Israel and “many.” Then, the sudden destruction of the twenty-one divine judgments will begin (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

So there is no reason why the world must become any worse than it is now before the Rapture can happen.

Indeed, given the increasing intensity of the rumors of major wars, earthquakes, persecution of anyone with traditional conservative and/or Christian values, rising violence and immorality in Western societies, and so forth, it does not seem that things can get much worse before “business as usual” would be interrupted.

 https://www.raptureready.com/2023/05/06/do-things-have-to-get-worse-before-the-rapture-by-arden-kierce/