The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What about Silver?

Opinions By COGwriter (Note: This is not investment advice nor intended to be).

The Bible talks a fair amount about gold as well as silver. The NKJV has the word gold 451 times and the word golden 38 times--silver is mentioned 320 times. Gold is mentioned positively in the Bible in its first book (Genesis 2:11-12) and its the last (Revelation 21:14-21).

Gold and silver have set various price records in 2011, 2012, and 2013, yet the prices dropped substantially in 2013 and have gone up and down since-with another US$ gold record price in 2020 and another in 2023. What should Christians understand about gold and silver? Are paper currencies like the US dollar going to fail? Will gold or silver ever fail? How do people buy, sell, or use gold and silver?

This article will try to cover that and more.

At the COGwriter website, I have had several news articles about gold and silver.

The Plain Truth About Gold

Here are some items from the old Plain Truth magazine, as well as scriptures and comments, about gold.

Because the USA was starting to not have enough gold to back its dollar, way back in 1961, the Plain Truth reported:

Germany, Japan have the largest surpluses of GOLD and DOLLARS...Rich Uncle {Sam} has the greatest deficit in governmental history and a GREATER DEBT than all the REST OF THE WORLD COMBINED!...

Vast foreign aid programs drain the U.S. Treasury ... American spending to supply services and to support our troops in foreign countries and military installations around the world amounts to...dollars flowing out of the frightened U.S. Treasury. All of these factors, combined with heavy taxes, gigantic public and private debt, and no gold backing for our own currency if foreign investors demanded gold for their dollars, adds up to the staggering revelation that the U.S., richest nation in the world, is bordering on bankruptcy! (Hill DJ. What the US Gold Crisis Means to You. Plain Truth. February 1961, p. 9).

France did finally cash in dollars and this caused a crisis in the USA. The US answer was to go off the gold standard completely in 1971. About the same time it made a deal with Saudi Arabia to price oil in dollars. So, while this prevented "foreigners" from being able to redeem US dollars for something from the USA treasury, instead it meant that dollars could be used to by oil. As other (mostly smaller) oil producers followed Saudi Arabia's lead, this has served to support the US dollar for several decades.

As far as German gold goes, notice the following:

April 16, 2019

German households are placing ever more of their hopes in gold.

Private individuals hold 8,918 tonnes of the rare metal in total, up 246 tonnes from 2016, said researchers at the Steinbeis Research Centre for Financial Services, who conducted the research for Germany's Reisebank and based the estimate on surveys with 2,000 households.

Some 4,928 tonnes were held in gold bars and coins and the rest in jewellery.

Nearly three quarters of all Germans said they held gold, either in jewellery, coins or investment vehicles.

According to the survey, every German over the age of 18 has on average 58 grams of gold jewelery and 71 grams of gold in the form of bars or coins.

Of those who have bought gold over the past few years, more than three-quarters of them want to do so in the future. And only 7.8 percent of those who own something from the precious metal are thinking of selling.

German stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse has also reported record investments in gold, with nearly 181.5 tonnes sitting in their vaults at the end of 2018.

Put together with the German central bank's gold reserves, which stood at 3,370 tonnes at the end of last year, Germany holds about 6.5 per cent of worldwide gold reserves, worth 458 billion euros ($A722 billion) at the start of April. https://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/germans-holding-record-amounts-of-gold/news-story/88b476405d53bc1cbc1a9b1b589f8370

Facing Inflation Threat, German Investors Loading Up On Gold

September 3, 2021

While most American investors have faith that the Federal Reserve can and will successfully tighten monetary policy to fight inflation — or have simply bought into the “transitory” inflation narrative — Germans are loading up on gold as a hedge against growing inflationary pressures.

Through the first half of the year, gold coin and gold bar demand in Germany hit the highest level since 2009 – the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. First-half demand for bar and coins in Germany increased by 35% from the previous six months, compared with a 20% increase in the rest of the world, according to World Gold Council data.

Raphael Scherer serves as the managing director at Philoro Edelmetalle GmbH. He told Bloomberg that gold sales for the company are up 25% on what was already a strong 2020.

We have a long history of inflation fear in our DNA. Now the inflation risk is picking up. The outlook for precious metals is very positive.”

Given Germany’s experience with hyperinflation under the Weimar Republic, it comes as no surprise that Germans are wary of inflation.

Gold investment took off in the country in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and has been strong ever since. …

The World Gold Council summarized why Germans tend to turn to gold when inflation looms.

German investors have an acute awareness of the wealth-eroding effects of financial instability. Hyper-inflation in the 1920s lingers on in the collective memory but, perhaps more importantly, German investors have seen fiat currencies come and go: in the past 100 years, Germany has had eight different currencies. It should come as no surprise that, when faced with such an unsettling economic backdrop, German investors turned to gold – which during our field research one investor described as an enduring currency – to protect their wealth.”

Gold investment picked up even more during the pandemic. Last year, Germans bought more coins and bars than any previous year. https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/facing-inflation-threat-german-investors-loading-gold

Back in 1971, the Plain Truth mentioned gold and that a currency coming out of Europe would replace the USA dollar:

FOR 40 YEARS, (1931 to 1971) the American dollar reigned supreme in world trade and finance. From 1945 to 1958, the dollar was considered better than gold to most developing economies...

On August 15, 1971, President Nixon revealed his new economic plan. One part of the strategy was to cut loose the dollar from gold, in effect letting it "float" in foreign transactions until natural market pressure would decide its best value...

The European Common Currency appears to be the most likely successor to the dollar in this long line of monetary dynasties. Europe is the only continent with sufficient gold backing...

... and What About Gold?

The gold standard is not sacred. It is only about 100 years old in the history of man, a product of evolution as much as any social institution. But in a world of sovereign powers, there must be some standard to finance international trade and domestic currency. Gold has the confidence of more people than any other standard, especially in Europe. (Alexander G. America faces "The Dollar Crisis". Plain Truth magazine, October 1971, pp. 3-4)

Notice a 1981 article about inflation and gold:

Why Gold?

What does uncertainty in the world's financial system portend for the future? How will it affect you? And what about the value of gold? Gold has been the most sought after form of money for thousands of years. By universally accepted definition, money is anything that serves as a store of value and as a medium of exchange. Historically, gold has fit that description better than anything else. Because it is relatively scarce, virtually indestructible and possesses a wide range of artistic and functional uses, gold became the standard in most economies. It was easily coined, highly portable and universally recognized for its value.

Even though the supply of gold is limited, demand for the metal seems to be infinite. Commodities such as food crops or industrial output can have price swings based on demand, weather, poor economic policies or disasters. None of these affects the total supply of gold. It maintains its value in relation to other commodities regardless. Thus it has acted as a financial constraint and stabilizing factor. People trust gold because it has been an instrument of monetary discipline and a standard of measure by which to measure other commodities.

Gold acts as a check on governments and politicians. Paper money came into use because it was more convenient to use than gold.

However, historically the amount of paper money in circulation was tied to the amount of gold a nation possessed. When people knew that gold backed up their currency, they trusted their money. But even though people may trust gold, they don't necessarily trust their leaders. In the words of George Bernard Shaw: "The most important thing about money is to maintain its stability.... With paper money this stability has to be maintained by the government. With a gold currency, it tends to maintain itself.... You have to choose as a voter between trusting the natural stability of gold and the natural stability of the honesty and intelligence of the members of the government. And, with due respect for these gentlemen, I advise you, as long as the capitalist system lasts, to vote for gold." The goal of every political leader is to remain in power. In a democracy, he must retain his popularity to be reelected.

Extravagant social welfare schemes and public works help to perpetuate the government's power, even though the country may not be able to afford the expense. If a political leader can get rid of the gold standard, then there is no restraint on the amount of paper money the government can print. The deficit between collected taxes and government spending can be made up through printing extra money. But the effect of these shortsighted policies soon becomes apparent. More and more paper money chases the available goods and services — the result is inflation. Witness the situation in the United States today. Since 1971 the dollar has had no relationship to gold.

Multibillion dollar deficits in government spending have been covered by printing extra dollars. Because the dollar is not convertible to gold, there is no check on government spending and the citizens suffer from consequent inflation. Inflation becomes a vicious circle with everyone eventually losing. As Voltaire concluded, "All paper eventually returns to its intrinsic value — zero." In 1871 the British economist David Ricardo noted, "Experience has shown that neither a state nor a bank ever had the unrestricted power of issuing paper money without abusing that power." The United States, blessed with staggering wealth, vast natural resources, and phenomenal industrial and agricultural output, is in a serious financial situation. It makes no sense — except for the fact that national leaders were quite prepared to dilute the value of the nation's money supply. The decision defrauded the citizens by stealing the purchasing power of wages and savings. This sinister aspect of inflation was explained by the British economist John Maynard Keyes in 1919: "By a continuing process of inflation, governments can secretly and unobserved, confiscate an important part of the wealth of their citizens." Mr. Keynes himself advocated this form of government policy. But as people begin to experience inflation and see their wealth quickly disappearing, they try to protect themselves through investing and speculating in more stable commodities, including gold.

Speculation in gold is a symptom, and a warning, of a distorted government-ravished economy. It is a sign of loss of trust and faith by men in their own system and political leaders. (Curry J. HOW GOLD, INFLATION AND GOVERNMENT IMPACT YOU. Plain Truth, April 1981)

Other articles from the old WCG also predicted that the Europeans would end up with their own European currency and that it would be expected to replace the dollar.

Notice the following:

Is there an alternative to the dollar? I heard that question several times in the last few months. First, let me tell you that as much as you like it or not there is always an alternative to almost anything. It doesn’t have to be better or worse, but there is one. It is arrogant and shows a lack of understanding of history and nature to pretend there is no alternative to the dollar. The world existed before the British pound and before the US dollar, and it has survived the British pound and will survive also the US dollar when it collapses. To pretend that the world will collapse or disappear without the dollar is simply American egocentrism. (Popescu D. Gold is the Dollar's Achilles' Heel. November 16, 2015)

It should be noted that the Bible does show that gold will have value into at least the first few couple of years of the Great Tribulation. Here are some end time prophecies from scripture that help show that:

40 "At the time of the end...43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver (Daniel 11:40,43)

14... And the wealth of all the surrounding nations
Shall be gathered together:
Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. (Zechariah 14:14)

12 ... merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls ... 16 ... 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! (Revelation 18:12, 16)

4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls (Revelation 17:4)

There are no similar statements backing up the future value of paper items, like the US dollar or the British pound (scripture, indirectly, teaches their elimination, for details see Anglo - America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel). Daniel 11:24 shows that the leader mentioned in Daniel 11:40-43 will somehow also be accumulating wealth prior to this time, and that may involve gold accumulation (cf. Daniel 11:38). Perhaps to back up a European supported currency, he also may end up with personal and/or national gold reserves and/or wealth from the Vatican. The Vatican has a vast amount of wealth and is prophesied to be improperly involved with the kings of the earth in the end times per Revelation 17.

As far as Europe goes, we made a video related to Germany and gold. Here is information about that:

Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar

In February 2017, Germany announced that it repatriated more of its gold three years ahead of schedule. Why would Germany do this? Are various nations accumulating gold with the intention to dethrone the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency? Will the US dollar ever collapse? Does the Bible teach that gold will have value after the currency of the USA is no more? Will gold deliver people in the end? What does the Bible teach?

Here is a link to our video: Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar.

Germany has brought much of its gold back from storage in the USA and UK. But few in the Anglo-Saxon descended nations seem to care or consider the ramifications.

Notice also the following:

March 13, 2018

- Hungarian National Bank (MNB) to repatriate 100,000 ounces gold from Bank of England
- Follows trend of Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Belgium each looking to bring gold back to home soil ...

This is not an unusual move. In recent years we have seen the likes of Germany, Venezuela and the Netherlands each repatriate their gold from various locations. The pace does appear to have been picking up since the late Hugo Chavez decided to bring home 180 tonnes of gold in 2011.

Furthermore, huge central banks namely Russia and China have been adding to their gold hoards, one more publicly than the other. Both have also been encouraging the use of gold as a means of payment in international trade as a means of avoiding US dollar hegemony. ...

Russia, China and Turkey have each materially increased their gold reserves in recent years. Since March 2015 Russia has bought gold every single month. January's purchase took their reserves above those of China, a level which had previously been monitored as an example of the East's great interest in moving away from US dollar dominance. ...

Russia's reasons for buying so much gold is akin to those of China, Turkey and smaller countries such as Kazakhstan. Gold gives each of these countries independence from the US dollar amid financial sanctions, trade wars and ongoing posturing by the West.

Whilst many in the West are dismissive about gold, the behaviour of central banks suggests quite a different mindset. ...

Gold cannot be devalued as the euro, dollar, sterling and all fiat currencies currently are. ...

Gold is a borderless money that acts as the ultimate reserve and safe haven in a diversified portfolio. This is something central banks are strongly aware of. The difference between the East and West banks is that the East is making big strides to bring gold to the forefront of their international affairs.

By adding gold to their reserves they are gaining equal footing with Western banks who have so far tried to dominate under a US-centric financial system. https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-13/hungarys-gold-repatriation-adds-growing-protest-against-us-dollar-hegemony

March 25, 2018

The US’s overhang of debt and looming trade war is worrisome on many levels as the value of the dollar keeps decreasing and the national debt spiraling. So, what should we make of the fact that the Central Bank of Russia has been steadily amassing vast gold reserves since 2015? By the end of 2017, its total gold reserves rose to 1,828.56 tons, usurping China’s place as the country with the fifth largest gold reserves.

Russia has been aggressively increasing its gold reserves for a reason. It has seen the US dollar dominate as a global currency and is working with China to end the US/Western currency supremacy. Their strategy appears to be working. Russia and China are in the midst of rumors of introducing gold-backed futures to circumvent the U.S dollar. 

With  speculation of Russia and China working on a gold-backed currency, a shift in monetary power from the West to the East seems to be their ambitions. The situation between East and West is exacerbated by recent tensions between Russia and the UK, since the alleged Kremlin poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. British Prime Minister Theresa May has ousted 23 Russian diplomats from Great Britain. Geopolitical tension is once again, high.

It seems Russian may have tossed aside Das Kapital as its economic guidebook. Not only is creating a gold-backed currency appearing more likely month over month, but Russia has also brought inflation way down over the past decade. More importantly, Russia continues to lower their national debt, while the US has been increasing its debt to a record $21 trillion. …

Russia’s financial strategy is making the country less vulnerable to volatile geopolitics. Not only is it a significant player in gold, but it is also the world’s third-largest gold producer, with the Central Bank of Russia buying up its supplies. During the past decade, Russian has mined more than 2,000 tons of gold, with tonnage expected to increase by 400 tons annually by 2030. http://www.goldtelegraph.com/russia-stockpiles-gold-but-why/

May 24, 2018

A major blind spot in U.S. strategic economic doctrine is the increasing use of physical gold by China, Russia, Iran, Turkey and others both to avoid the impact of U.S. sanctions and create an offensive counterweight to U.S. dominance of dollar payment systems.

This is the Axis of Gold.

This gold-based payments system will dilute and ultimately eliminate the impact of U.S. dollar-based sanctions.

Gold offers adversaries significant defenses against these dollar-based sanctions. Gold is physical, not digital, so it cannot be hacked or frozen. Gold is easy to transport by air to settle balance of payments or other transactions between nations.

Gold flows cannot be interdicted at SWIFT, the international payment system. Gold is fungible and non-traceable (it is an element, atomic number 79), so its origin cannot be ascertained. ...

The U.S. is still unprepared for this coming strategic alternative to dollar dominance.

Meanwhile, U.S. trade sanctions on China, Russia and Europe are just beginning to bite. Trump’s new sanctions on Iran may be the last straw in the world’s willingness to tolerate what is perceived as U.S. bullying through the use of dollar-based sanctions. https://dailyreckoning.com/axis-gold-will-drive-gold-higher-end-2018/

November 29, 2019

It seems like a page taken out of a spy novel.

Four trucks pull out of a “secret” facility somewhere in London while the city sleeps. A police escort on the ground and the air joins the heavy trucks with lights flashing to clear the road and a helicopter whirring above.

The passenger receiving this high-security entourage? Twenty large wooden crates filled with solid gold bars.

The events last Friday were not the first time this mission was carried out.

“It was the eighth time we had made the trip, in the middle of the night,” Paul Holt, general manager of G4Si in Europe (North and South), Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, said. “It was all very secretive, and extremely important it was done well.” ...

In total, G4Si delivered 100 tons of gold – worth more than $5 million from the Bank of England to Poland’s central bank, Narodowy Bank Polski, according to G4Si’s website. https://www.foxbusiness.com/financials/secret-mission-moves-billions-in-gold-from-london-to-poland

The Bible is clear that a leader in Europe will be interested in gold in the end times.  Gold will have value when the USA dollar becomes worthless.  Now this does NOT mean that gold will only go up in value. It will have ups and downs and probably will drop in value once associated with the temporary peace deal that Daniel 9:27 alludes to (see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

Records Predicted, Records Hit

In my 2017 book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

Gold will set records in US dollar terms. (p. 170)

It did in 2020--gold futures passed $2000 for the first time ever in July 2020 (Gold hits new record, posts best month since 2016. CNBC, July 30, 2020). Notice also:

"The price of gold shot up to an all-time high of US$2,067.15 per ounce on Aug. 6" (Woodall T. Gold surges to new highs as US dollar weakens despite growing macro risks. S&P Global, August 10, 2020).

Yes, records in the price of gold compared to the USA dollar were hit.

As mentioned in the Letter to the Brethren of July 27, 2023 (see Letter to the Brethren: July 27, 2023), we received and mailed out the print edition of the book, Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?

On page 293 of the print edition and page 317 of online version of my book is the following statement:

Gold will set records in U.S. dollar terms.

That said, experience teaches us that gold can also go down in value, so investors should always be cautious. Hpowever, in time, gold will have worth after the USA dollar is worthless.

1981 Article How Gold, Inflation and Government Impact You Spot on for the 21st Century

Notice that similar to many modern economists, in 1981 a Plain Truth reporter recognized that gold was historically used as money, that paper money ultimately will fail, and that the USA dollar would not stay on top (bolding within any paragraph, as opposed to subheadings, mine):

ON AUGUST 15, 1971, President Nixon dropped a bombshell that rocked the entire world financial system to its foundations. By executive decree, he cut the dollar loose from , gold. He invited foreign banks, governments and private markets to "float" the dollar's value. No longer would the dollar be redeemable in gold by foreign governments as previously nor would gold be tied to its former price of U.S. $35 per ounce.

Look at what has happened since. The price of the precious metal skyrocketed...

Why Gold?

What does uncertainty in the world's financial system portend for the future?...

Gold has been the most sought after form of money for thousands of years. By universally accepted definition, money is anything that serves as a store of value and as a medium of exchange. Historically: gold has fit that description better than anything else. Because it is relatively scarce, virtually indestructible and possesses a wide range of artistic and functional uses, gold became the standard in most economies. It was easily coined, highly portable and universally recognized for its value. Even though the supply of gold is limited, demand for the metal seems to be infinite.

Commodities such as food crops or industrial output can have price swings based on demand, weather, poor economic policies or disasters. · None of these affects the total supply of gold. It maintains its value in relation to other commodities regardless. Thus it has acted as a financial constraint and stabilizing factor . People trust gold because it has been an instrument of monetary discipline and a standard of measure by which to measure other commodities. Gold acts as a check on governments and politicians.

Paper money came into use because it was more convenient to use than gold. However, historically the amount of paper money in circulation was tied to the amount of gold a nation possessed. When people knew that gold backed up their currency, they trusted their money. But even though people may trust gold, they don't necessarily trust their leaders. In the words of George Bernard Shaw: "The most important thing about money is to maintain its stability .... With paper money this stability has to be maintained by the government. With a gold currency, it tends to maintain itself. .. . You have to choose as a voter between trusting the natural stability of gold and the natural stability of the honesty and intelligence of the members of the government. And, with due respect for these gentlemen, I advise you, as long as the capitalist system lasts, to vote for gold."

The goal of every political leader is to remain in power. In a democracy, he must retain his popularity to be reelected. Extravagant social welfare schemes and public works help to perpetuate the government's power, even though the country may not be able to afford the expense. If a political leader can get rid of the gold standard, then there is no restraint on the amount of paper money the government can print. The deficit between collected taxes and government spending can be made up through printing extra money. But the effect of these shortsighted policies soon becomes apparent. More and more paper money chases the available goods and services-the result is inflation . Witness the situation in the · United States today. Since 1971 the dollar has had no relationship to gold. Multibillion dollar deficits in government spending have been covered by printing extra dollars. Because the dollar is not convertible to gold, there is no check on government spending and the citizens suffer from consequent inflation.

Inflation becomes a vicious circle with everyone eventually losing. As Voltaire concluded, "All paper eventually returns to its intrinsic value-zero." In 1871 the British economist David Ricardo noted, "Experience has shown that neither a state nor a bank ever had the unrestricted power of issuing paper money without abusing that power."

The United States, blessed with staggering · wealth, vast natural resources, and phenomenal industrial and agricultural output, is in a serious financial situation. It makes no sense- except for the fact that national leaders were quite prepared to dilute the value of the nation 's money supply. The decision defrauded the citizens by stealing the purchasing power of wages and savings. This sinister aspect of inflation was explained by the British economist John Maynard Keynes in 1919: "By a continuing process of inflation, governments can secretly and unobserved, confiscate an important part of the wealth of their citizens." Mr. Keynes himself advocated this form of government policy.

But as people begin to experience inflation and see their wealth quickly disappearing, they try to protect themselves through investing and speculating in more stable commodities, including gold. Speculation in gold is a symptom, and a warning, of a distorted government-ravished economy. It is a sign of loss of trust and faith by men in their own system and political leaders.

Ideally, the best world monetary system would involve one world government, with one national treasury, one currency and one monetary system. The questions of gold currency exchange and balances (overvalued, undervalued or " floating") would be largely irrelevant.

But such a world government today is out of the question. Who would decide the power structure in such a man-devised world government? Leaders and nations each jealously guard their power and sovereignty. But a supreme world government is prophesied in the pages of your Bible, and in the very near future. Yet this world government will not come about through the efforts of man, but in spite of him. It will have to be established by the Creator God. And be based upon his law of love, the Ten Commandments. More than 2,500 years ago, the prophet Daniel, in captivity in Babylon, interpreted a vision of King Nebuchadnezzar, which outlined the rule of men up until the "last days." "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever" (Daniel 2:44) . This supreme event in world history is as sure as the rising of the sun!

At that time there will be one · supreme world government: "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one" (Zechariah 14:9) . No longer wi II people be ruled over by power-hungry mortal and very human political leaders. Nor will the citizens of this divine Kingdom live in grinding poverty as the majority of people do today. "For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for stones iron : I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness" (Isaiah 60: 17) . What a change from today's world! True freedom, prosperity for all people, with justice pervading everywhere.

Then-Gold's True Value

In spite of its luster and its important stabilizing role in the world's financial system, gold is just a yellow metal. Its only monetary significance is what man attributes to it. When the Spaniards arrived in the New World, they found the native Indians placed little value in the metal because of its relative abundance. In some of the islands of the South Seas, sharks teeth served just as adequately as the medium of exchange. Gold has no intrinsic value, only what men think it's worth.

At the close of this age, when men will be face to face with the threat of annihilation, gold will become worthless in men's eyes. It will be enough just to be able to survive. The prophet Ezekiel wrote, "They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed : their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord ... " (Ezekiel 7: 19)- the time when an angry God must step in to save mankind from itself.

God's judgment against the sins of this modern day and age will begin by giving man unrestrained opportunity to use the evil inventions of his mind. Man has always used the weapons he has invented. So we read in Zephaniah 1: 13, 17- ·18: "Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses; but not inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and, their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath: But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land."

Only when gold becomes worthless in human eyes will men realize that "riches profit not in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death" (Proverbs. 11 :4). What God wants is the building of true character-"that the trial of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (I Peter 1:7).

(Curry J. How Gold, Inflation and Government Impact You. Plain Truth magazine. April 1981, pp. 9-11)

Sadly, governments including the one in the USA (which has the highest total debt of any nation on the planet) and the UK (which has one of the highest per capita debts of any nation on the planet) continue to produce paper currencies without gold or other hard goods to back them up. Ultimately, this will result in massive inflation and devaluation of various currencies. While the world economy has been in a deflationary cycle for a while, the reality is that the USA (at least) has greatly increased debt to try to stave off deflation (and except for the housing market, has succeeded with this objective to a great degree--it also likely helped prevent a more total collapse of the housing market, though that still may happen as interest rates go up).

In many ways, the “house of cards” that the financial systems in the Western nations are linked to will collapse--and for a relative short time thereafter, gold will still have value.

Consider also the following:

May 4, 2018

When President Nixon closed the gold window at the U.S. Treasury on August 15, 1971, he told several whoppers.  He said it was to, “defend the dollar against the speculators.”  He also said the action would, “suspend temporarily, the convertibility of the dollar into gold.”  Furthermore, he told Americans that, “your dollar will be worth just as much tomorrow as it is today.”

Nixon’s actions came on the heels of 60-years of gradual steps to remove gold’s backing of the dollar.  In effect, $1 today has the same buying power that $0.16 had when Nixon took these “temporary” actions.  Over this same period, the U.S. national debt has run up from about $398 billion to over $21 trillion, and the economy has been utterly warped.

Today’s reality is the fantasyland of full faith and credit in counterfeit money.  Paper legal tender notes, derived from debt without limits. https://economicprism.com/full-faith-and-credit-in-counterfeit-money/

There continues to be long-term real inflation (despite some deflationary forces at times).

While massive inflation ultimately will hit the US dollar to a major degree, WHEN is a major concern. Some economists in the USA are expecting deflation, which MIGHT mean that gold could drop dramatically.

Yet, once interest rates go up, countries like the USA will be in impossible situations and the value of their currencies will likely drop compared to the price of gold. Gold is often purchased because of fears, including governmental ones.

Notice also the following:

01/16/2020Brendan Brown

In the last decade, the combination of virulent asset price inflation and low reported consumer price inflation crippled sound money as a political force in the US and globally. In the new decade, a different balance between monetary inflation’s “terrible twins” — asset inflation and goods inflation — will create an opportunity for that force to regain strength. ...

In this case there will still be a problem for sound money advocacy in the political arena. We can count the number of US senators in favor of sound money on one hand — and less in European parliaments. There is no ready popular brand of ideology of sound money analogous to Friedman’s 1970s monetarism.

Popular branding is difficult. The fundamental prerequisite to monetary soundness is an anchoring of the monetary system, which is accomplished by designing a monetary base for which a broad and stable demand exists that is not hugely sensitive to small changes in interest rates. This is not an easy concept to popularize. Successful anchoring means that automatic mechanisms would keep money under control without any official setting or manipulation of interest rates or any targeting of the price level.

It is hard to imagine a brand “catching on” that does not include gold. which has potential and actual popular appeal. A natural ally of sound money forces promoting this brand could be antimonopolists, found on both sides of the aisle. Big Tech and Big Finance are joining with Big Government in pursuing the war against cash. While this rages, gold money and the little saver stand little chance.

In Europe the forces of sound money would have a natural base in Germany, Holland, Belgium, and Austria. These forces could build on resentment toward transfers to southern Europe and negative rates. The main counterforce for now are the Greens. Watch how European Central Bank chief Lagarde is playing to the Green Party in Germany, expecting it to be an equal partner to the Christian Democrats in the next government, probably at some point in 2020.

A gold-backed euro based in northern Europe seems like fantasy for now, but it is more plausible than a gold dollar as an outcome of this decade. https://mises.org/wire/what-will-it-take-get-public-embrace-sound-money

Now it is also true that you cannot eat gold. And although it is used in electronics, its "intrinsic value" is limited to what people decide. This lack of value as a food or truly necessary item makes gold subject to high fluctuations in value. But paper money has little intrinsic value either (you can burn it, which is part of why it has some little value--very little).

God Warns Against Cheapening the Money Supply

In my Bible study during the Spring 2011, I began thinking about the following scriptures:

4 Take away the dross from silver (Proverbs 25:4a).

22 Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water.  (Isaiah 1:22)

25 I will turn My hand against you,
And thoroughly purge away your dross,
And take away all your alloy.  (Isaiah 1:25)

18 "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My fury on you.'"  (Ezekiel 22:18-22)

7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

In the USA, its "silver" became "dross" in 1965.

What is dross?

Dross is a cheaper metal that is normally placed inside a covering of a precious metal like silver.  Governments began to do this thousands of years ago when they had financial problems.  Putting dross into silver cheapens currency.  Dross, like leaven, puffs up and makes something appear different than it is.

It seems obvious, to me at least, that God in addition to telling people to try to be pure, He was specifically warning against cheapening the money supply with dross in the Old Testament and, through the Apostle Paul, our spiritual lives with leaven in the New Testament.

Interestingly, the USA being not satisfied with simply making its silver dross, has taken so many steps to make its currency dross, through debt, "quantitative easing", and politically-motivated spending, that it pays no attentions to God's warnings about cheapening the money supply.

Roman and Orthodox Catholic Prophecies About Gold, the Great Monarch, and Antichrist

Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic prophecies discuss gold in the end times.

Notice the following Orthodox prophecies:

Saint Andrew Fool-for-Christ (c. 4th century): This king will rule...Happiness will reign in the world as it did in the days of Noah. People will become very rich...The entire world will fear this king...he will pursue all persons of the Jewish religion out of Constantinople...and the people will rejoice like in the time of Noah until the deluge came God will reveal to this king all the gold wherever it happen to lay concealed from view…(Tzima Otto, H. The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Scriptural Prophecies. Verenika Press, Rock City (SC), 2000, pp. 113,114).

Emperor Leo the Philosopher (c. early 10th century): You will amass the gold of the nations...And you will be the leader of the surrounding powers...and those that are near will prostate themselves before your feet (Tzima Otto, pp. 76-77).

To Emperor Manuel II (d. 1425): ...upon the command of the the good Emperor they will go and discover treasures of gold and silver and all this will be offered as a gift to the pious ones; later on more and more valuable treasures will be found and the Emperor will do with those treasures likewise (Tzima Otto, p. 102).

Roman Catholics may wish to consider that those last three predictions sound a lot like prophecies from two of their saints about Antichrist (Ephrem is also an Orthodox saint):

Saint Ephrem (died 375): Antichrist will use worldly goods as bait. He will entice many Christians with money and goods to apostatize...The devil will help him find all the hidden treasures of the world, even those at the bottom of the ocean. With those treasures he will attain greater success for the reign of Satan than at any other time in past centuries (Connor, pp.73.74).

Saint Mechtilda (died 1299): Antichrist will, through base and false strategem, and with presents of gold and gems, attain influence over the worldly princes. They will look up to him as their Lord and God (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, pp. 133-134).

So does the Great Monarch amass gold with God's help like Orthodox prophecies suggest or does he amass gold with the help of Satan as at least one Greco-Roman Catholic saint and certain biblical prophecies (Daniel 11:43; Revelation 18; 9:20) indicate?

The answer should be obvious to all who wish to believe the God of the Bible. The Bible is clear that those who amass gold and silver at the end time will find it is not the answer:

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. (James 5:1-3)

(cf. Revelation 18:9-17).

Roman Catholics who compromise with the Orthodox will likely be taken in by this lure of wealth. This is something that all (Roman Catholics and Orthodox) need to ponder.

The idea of gold be accumulated to support a European-backed currency while the US dollar tanks is discussed on page 333 of my 2009 published book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. And this appears to be what will happen.

Silver Has Been Used for Thousands of Years

Silver is an element with an atomic number of 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal, therefore it has many modern uses. Wikipedia reports:

Other than in currency and as an investment medium (coins and bullion), silver is used in solar panels, water filtration, jewellery, ornaments, high-value tableware and utensils (hence the term “silverware“), in electrical contacts and conductors, in specialized mirrors, window coatings, in catalysis of chemical reactions, as a colorant in stained glass, and in specialized confectionery. Its compounds are used in photographic and X-ray film. Dilute solutions of silver nitrate and other silver compounds are used as disinfectants and microbiocides (oligodynamic effect), added to bandages, wound-dressings, catheters, and other medical instruments. (Silver, Wikipedia, accessed 01/08/23)

Furthermore, it should be noted that silver has been used as money for thousands of years.

Israel365News reported the following:

People in biblical Levant paid in silver 3,600 years ago, study shows

January 8, 2023

he use of silver as a means of payment in the Levant began about 500 years earlier than previously thought, a new study has shown. But since silver is not found in the region, the practice required active trade with Turkey to import the precious metal.

Archaeological records show that the use of silver pieces as a pre-monetary currency seems to have begun in the third millennium BCE in Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Syria. Previous theories stated that this practice came to the southern Levant in the Iron Age about 3,200 years ago. But a new joint study by the University of Haifa and the Hebrew University concluded that the use of silver as currency began in the region as much as 3,700 years ago in the Middle Bronze Age. …

The use of silver as a means of payment was known in Mesopotamia as early as the third millennium BCE, however, it was previously believed that in the southern Levant region, known in the Bible as the Land of Canaan, the use of silver only began in the Iron Age, starting from the 12th century BCE. Silver trading between Hazor in Israel and Mari in Syria is mentioned in financial documents found in Hazor from the Middle Bronze Age. …

After coming to the conclusion that the quantities of silver indicated its widespread use as a means of payment, and since silver does not occur naturally in the Levant, it is therefore a result of long-distance, usually maritime trade. To identify the source of silver, a lead isotope analysis (LIA) test was performed and compared to the isotopic composition of ores of known origin, as well as to other silver objects. In the examination carried out by the researchers, a similarity was found to ores originating in Anatolia, as well as to ancient silver objects found in excavations in Anatolia. In addition, other findings found in the vicinity of the hoards, such as an ax head or a pendant, which apparently originate from Anatolia, led the researchers to the conclusion that the most likely source of the silver was there.

“This is the first evidence that there was a continuous and long-term trade of metals from the Levant region to Anatolia already in the 17th century BCE,” the researchers conclude. “We know for sure that in the Iron Age, this trade existed, but our findings move the beginning of such trade in metals back at least 500 years.” https://www.israel365news.com/365003/people-in-biblical-levant-paid-in-silver-3600-years-ago-study-shows/

As far as silver goes, it was used more than 3600 years ago in the Levant.

We know that by the time of Abram/Abraham it was used:

2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.  (Genesis 13:2)

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants. (Genesis 23:14-16)

Those events in the Book of Genesis took place approximately 3,900 years ago.

So, while the latest archeological announcement is getting closer, the biblical reality is that silver was used at least 200 years earlier than the batch of silver that was just discovered and dated.

As far as the use of silver, it has long been used a money.

It should be noted that the Bible does show that silver (along with gold) will have value into at least the first few couple of years of the Great Tribulation. Here are some end time prophecies from scripture that help show that:

40 “At the time of the end…43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver (Daniel 11:40,43)

14… And the wealth of all the surrounding nations
Shall be gathered together:
Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. (Zechariah 14:14)

12 … merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls … (Revelation 18:12)

Throughout history, governments have often debased the value of their silver currency by making it dross.

This is something that the Bible warns against:

4 Take away the dross from silver (Proverbs 25:4a).

In the USA, its “silver” became “dross” in 1965.

Interestingly, the USA not being satisfied with simply making its silver dross, has taken so many steps to make its currency dross, through debt, “quantitative easing”, and politically-motivated spending, that it pays no attentions to God’s warnings about cheapening the money supply.

We have the following silver-related video:

15:10

Silver, Science, and Scripture

What is silver? What is it used for? How long has it been used? Will it have use in the future? There was an archaeological discovery that concluded that silver was used as a form of payment 3,700 years ago in the Levant (roughly the area of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria)–that was 500 years earlier than many thought it had been used there. Was silver shown to be used even a couple of centuries earlier than that by Abraham in the Bible? What is dross? Did ancient Rome have dross coins? Did the USA switch to dross coins instead of silver in 1965? Does the Bible teach against the use of dross? Does the Bible prophesy that silver will have value into the Great Tribulation? Are there Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies pointing to Great Monarch amassing precious metals and the Antichrist using wealth as bait? Will there be a time when people toss their silver into the street? Are there any radioactive risks with silver? Will gold and silver have value in the millennium? What does the word of God teach is more valuable than gold or silver? What should you invest in? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Silver, Science, and Scripture.

Germany Has Repatriated Gold

Germany has been getting its gold back–and faster than originally planned:

German Gold Move Hint To Dexit?

Does Merkel see the writing on the wall?

The news that the Bundesbank is repatriating its gold reserves three years ahead of schedule has led to talk of an exit from the euro (NYSEARCA:FXE). Germany has already moved 583 tons of gold (NYSEARCA:GLD). This could be a sign that Germany is intending to use the gold to back the printing of Deutsche marks. If so it means they are preparing for the fall of the euro. 02/14/17 http://seekingalpha.com/article/4045732-gold-move-hint-dexit-deutschland-exit

An official announcement last week that the Bundesbank had pretty much repatriated half its gold reserves ahead of schedule has once again sent the rumor mill into overdrive.

Fans of the precious metal – not shy of a good conspiracy theory – have been deliberating over the move ever since Germany detailed it back in 2013. Initially, there was a sense that trust between central banks had broken down with claims that Berlin was effectively questioning the credentials of New York Federal Reserve.

But the talk has now stepped up a notch with the Bundesbank confirming Thursday that it has already moved 583 tons of gold out of New York and Paris. Its plan to hold half its gold in Frankfurt is now three years ahead of schedule.

Reporting the news, Reuters said that some argue the world’s second-biggest bullion reserve “may be needed to back a new deutsche mark, should the euro zone break up.” This seems pretty far-fetched, especially given that the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates ended back in the 1970s. Could Berlin really be prepping for the fall of the euro?

Then there’s the Donald Trump angle. On Thursday, Bundesbank board member Carl-Ludwig Thiele felt the need to speak about the new U.S. president at his press conference – presumably because someone asked him. http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/14/germany-has-got-its-gold-back–they-must-know-something-we-dont.html

Why does Germany want gold?

Well, to dominate the world economy and be able to exist in a world where the US dollar is no longer the reserve currency for the world.

Notice also the following:

Central Bank Issues Stunning Warning: "If The Entire System Collapses, Gold Will Be Needed To Start Over"

October 13, 2019

It's not just "tinfoil blogs" who (for the past 11 years) have been warning that a monetary reset is inevitable and the only viable fallback option once trust and faith in fiat is lost, is a gold standard (something which even Mark Carney hinted at recently): central banks are joining the doom parade now too.

An article published by the De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), or Dutch Central Bank, has shocked many with its claim that "if the system collapses, the gold stock can serve as a basis to build it up again. Gold bolsters confidence in the stability of the central bank's balance sheet and creates a sense of security."

willem middelkoop @wmiddelkoop October 12, 2019

Wow

Dutch National Bank goes 'Big Reset':

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/central-bank-issues-stunning-warning-if-entire-system-collapses-gold-will-be-needed-start

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) holds more than 600 tonnes of gold. A bar of gold always retains its value, crisis or no crisis. This creates a sense of security. A central bank's gold stock is therefore regarded as a symbol of solidity. ...

Gold: anchor of trust

Shares, bonds and other securities are not without risk, and prices can go down. But a bar of gold retains its value, even in times of crisis. That is why central banks, including DNB, have traditionally held considerable amounts of gold. Gold is the perfect piggy bank – it's the anchor of trust for the financial system. If the system collapses, the gold stock can serve as a basis to build it up again. Gold bolsters confidence in the stability of the central bank's balance sheet and creates a sense of security. accessed 10/13/19 https://www.dnb.nl/en/payments/goud/index.jsp

Biblical (Daniel 11:40-44) and non-biblical prophecies point out that the final leader that the Bible calls the King of the North, who will likely have Germanic/Assyrian heritage (cf. Daniel 11:30 with Numbers 24:24), will value gold.

Since no later than 2009, I wrote that the Europeans would get more gold (see Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009).

Notice something that I wrote about this more recently in my 2017 book Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse:

Daniel 11:43:

43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.

The “he” is the King of the North. This is the same King of the North that valued gold and silver in Daniel 11:38. Although other scriptures also show that gold and silver will have value around this time (like Revelation 18; 9:20), the Bible is clear that gold and silver will be worthless for a short time before Jesus returns, e.g. Ezekiel 7:19.

The fact that the King of the North himself will accumulate gold (and some silver) is consistent with several Byzantine (“Greek” Orthodox) prophecies of their expected Great Monarch:

Emperor Leo the Philosopher (died 912): You will amass gold…And you will be the leader of the surrounding nations…

Addressed to Emperor Manuel II Palaeogous (died 1425): The Emperor…will discover gold and silver…

Saint Andrew Fool-for-Christ (c. 4th century):  God will reveal to this king all the gold wherever it happen to lay concealed from view…

One side note is that, in Egypt, major gold deposits were found in 2006. This is relevant as it does prove that Egypt now has enough gold that a foreign power could be interested in taking/using it as Bible prophecy teaches.

Since many are now questioning the role of the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency, more are looking into other currencies as well as gold. Gold will set records in US dollar terms.

It has been proposed that various nations around the world are already in the process of accumulating gold to one day overthrow the U.S. dollar—and that the “U.S. is unprepared for this strategic alternative to dollar dominance.”

When the U.S. dollar totally collapses people all around the world will consider that even if the Euro (or something similar) is strong, having a more gold-backed currency would be safer.

The collapse of the USA dollar will shake a lot of the world’s confidence in non-gold backed currencies.

The Europeans do not have to have a perfect currency, only one that is perceived to be in better shape than the USA dollar.

Having the European power acquiring more gold to back the Euro or possibly another future European currency (that might potentially replace the Euro or even a basket of currencies) may greatly increase European credibility, prosperity, and influence around the globe, even if the backing is only implied.

The debt accumulation policies of the Obama Administration, which are a massive acceleration of the previous policies of the Bush Administration, look like they will be continued by Donald Trump.

The increases in America’s debt are heading the world into the time when something other than the U.S. dollar will be valued as its reserve currency.

A Donald Trump Administration would need to make massive changes to possibly prevent this.

The USA and its dollar are at serious risk.

Germany is getting more gold. And yes, there will be reorganization in Europe (Revelation 17:12-13; see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?).

Notice something else about this:

February 18, 2017

The German gold hoard weighs in heavy at 3,378 tonnes — second only to the United States.

For decades, much of that gold has been kept abroad for safekeeping. Then West Germany stored up to 98% of its gold abroad during the Cold War. It was a rough neighborhood with the Soviets a couple doors down.

These days the Soviets are gone but the Germans want their gold zurück in Deutschland…

Since 2013 the Bundesbank has been carrying out plans to repatriate half its foreign gold, mostly from storage in New York and Paris. The transfer was supposed to be complete by 2020.

But due to the efficiency so characteristic of Germans, the Bundesbank just announced recently that it intends to fully repatriate the gold by the end of 2017.

Three years ahead of schedule. ...

But there’s a good reason Germans incline to gold…

Cultural memories of the post-World War I hyperinflation hang in the German air, penetrate the German soil. In 1923 alone, prices rocketed a trillion-fold. A wheelbarrow of money could scarcely fetch a loaf of bread. Millions lost their life savings.

From the ruins of hyperinflation rose an Austrian with a funny moustache. https://dailyreckoning.com/germany-preparing-euros-collapse/

A leader worse than the moustached Adolf Hitler will arise in Europe. Europe needs to have gold for the future to make the world's merchants wealthy (cf. Revelation 18), but also to back whatever currency it intends to replace the US dollar as the world's reserve currency.

The fact that many in Germany are increasing their national stock piles of gold is consistent with proper understanding of end time biblical prophecy. A related video is also available: Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar.

The BRICS nations have been working on a more gold-backed trading system (see The End of US Dollar Dominance and Russia announces 12 more countries want to join BRICS, a group working against the USA dollar).

A new world order is starting to develop.

Gold Can Be Part of an Investment Plan, But is Not the Answer for Humanity

While gold (or any currency) can't "save" an individual, gold is simply considered by some a more prudent form of currency, given the current international situations. There is a limited amount of available gold and if differs from cash and cyrpto currencies:

Crypto has made its own place in the world by making an amazing leap forward as a medium of exchange, with thus far unrivaled capabilities. But crypto is not gold, and can never be gold. I suggest that BTC and Crypto are better as a medium of exchange, while gold is a better medium for storing value.

This is not because of some dogma I have for the metal. Some will trot out “you are just talking your book” when I mention this.

The simple fact is, out of the near 185,000 tons of estimated above ground gold, someone owns, all of it. Every fine gram of gold above ground belongs to someone already, whether that be in the form of bars, coins, jewelry, the thin layer on astronauts helmets that protect them from solar radiation, or the gold plated contacts in the mining rigs used to mine crypto. New gold mined from the ground is usually spoken for before it ever hits a refinery. My job as a physical gold fund manager is not to convince people to buy gold, that job has already been done.

The reason crypto can never replace gold lies in physics: Gold cannot be destroyed

Everything else can. Computers. Exchanges. Mining Pools. Wallets. Powergrids. Internets. Nations. You name it. If you blew up the planet earth, the gold atoms would still be there.

Unlike anything else you can invest or store money in, gold doesn’t rely on any external force for this to continue to be true over time. It is sort of like a battery with no expiration date.

Gold exists as atomic number 79 on the periodic table. It is chemically inert and does not interact with oxygen. It is the only element with properties that make it completely immune to the forces of entropy. The only way to destroy it would be to fire it into the sun, or somehow put it in the middle of an equivalent fusion reaction that took the atoms apart at a subatomic level. (Stanczyk A. A Gold Guys View of Crypto, Bitcoin, and Blockchain. Medium.com, December 10, 2017 https://medium.com/@alex.stanczyk/a-gold-guys-view-of-crypto-bitcoin-and-blockchain-26e42eeab6b7)

185,000 tons equates to less than one ounce of gold for every person on earth.

Gold can be viewed as a "universally accepted" form of currency with a limited supply.

The same cannot always be said of paper currency. There was a time when vendors in South America refused to accept dollars from tourists. Some also view gold simply as portfolio "insurance". The price of gold has 2 elements: the current value of the currency used to purchase it, and the current demand for the gold. Because of problems with paper currencies, like the US dollar:

“Gold has become, for all intents, the world’s second reserve currency,” Dennis Gartman, an economist and the editor of the Suffolk, Virginia-based Gartman Letter, said in a Bloomberg Television interview today.

 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=acerPa4tlqXg&refer=canada

Some authors have stated that the true value of gold over the last several thousand years has remained stable...its the value of paper currency that continues to fluctuate. Some believe that gold can save your life in actuality as well as investment-wise:

"In North America, the idea that a person might have to flee with hard assets is still considered somewhat freakish. But to refugees of real cataclysms, whether the Holocaust or the civil war in Rwanda, owning hard assets to trade or barter is not only sensible, it can save your life. There is a survivalist element to buying gold. Period...I would hate to see the day when you need it." http://www.newsweek.com/id/188138

"5,000 in cash squirreled away in 1913, when the Federal Reserve was created, is now worth only 4.5 cents. That’s right, 4.5 cents. Or, put another way, it would take $110,582.14 of today’s money to buy what $5,000 would have bought in 1913. On the other hand …$5,000 invested in gold in 1913 would be worth $287,500 today!" http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article19153.html

Many believe that the Anglo-American nations will inflate their currencies so much, that this will mean that they will have little if any value in the future. And sadly this is correct (see also Anglo - America in Prophecy).

Many advocate gold, silver, and/or other precious metals as a hedge against this. And while I am NOT a "gold bug" as I understand how some define that term, it is true that the Bible shows that gold and silver will have value into at least part of the Great Tribulation. Again, notice:

37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.

40 "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; (Daniel 11:37-43)

If gold and silver were of no value then, then they would not be precious (see also Zechariah 14:13-14) to the King of the North. Gold and silver are of value into the time of the final Babylon (Revelation 18:11-16). So, in that respect, the Eastern and Roman Catholic "prophecies" are correct. It may well be that the King of the North will realize that his currency needs more gold-backing as the collapsing of the USA dollar will likely send shockwaves against other paper currencies. Gold will help stabilize whatever currency he is supporting. He even may start amassing gold prior to the invasion of the USA (Daniel 11:39) or the King of the South.

As far as Egypt and gold goes, notice the following:

"If you look at the potential of the mineral resources in Egypt, it's very significant," says Yousef Husseini, Vice President of EFG Hermes.

"The Egyptian mineral resource authority has identified over 120 gold deposits in the eastern desert alone, so that gives you an idea of the tip of the iceberg out there."

"It's going to add a lot of GDP growth," Husseini adds. For now, only one large mine, the Sukari Gold Mine, is operating in the region -- with an output of around 500,000 ounces per year.

Overall, the industry makes up a mere 1.3% of Egypt's GDP, according to the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority, but the government hopes to expand that to 5% over the next ten years. https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/14/africa/new-golden-age-egypt/index.html

Now, irrespective of the motives of the King of the North, because of scriptures, Christians should be aware that gold (and certain other precious metals) will be considered value after the start of the Great Tribulation.

However, that does not mean that gold and silver prices cannot drop. They can. And they can greatly drop. and they have. Anyone who thinks that if they invest in gold or silver this will guarantee a short-term profit, and not risk substantial losses, they should not invest in gold or silver.

The Bible also warns:

10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

That said, at a point, during the time called "the Day of the Lord" (which is the last year of the 3 1/2 years that begins with the start of the Great Tribulation, see When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? What is the Day of the Lord?), gold will become worthless:

13 Therefore their goods shall become booty, And their houses a desolation; They shall build houses, but not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine." 14 The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter;There the mighty men shall cry out. 15 That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers. 17 "I will bring distress upon men, And they shall walk like blind men, Because they have sinned against the Lord; Their blood shall be poured out like dust,And their flesh like refuse." 18 Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord's wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land. (Zephaniah 1:13-18)

Notice that the Bible specifically teaches that gold, silver, and other riches will not save people from all the end-time problems:

3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days (James 5:3)

4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death. (Proverbs 11:4)

However, this does not mean that owning some may not help a little bit, but that a relationship with God counts much more. It seems to also include a warning that some will apparently focus on gold and other precious metals and not rely on God or truly give as they should to God (tithes and offerings).

This concept was also confirmed in a sermon by Rod McNair when he stated:

Brethren...It is not wrong to have precious metals at this time. But where do we put our trust? (McNair R. Trumpets and Trust. Sermon, Charlotte, September 29, 2011)

In the mail, I received an unsolicited infomercial booklet written by Dr. Martin Weiss titled American Apocalypse. Here is some of what it said (bolding mine):

What is the the historic, life-changing, world-changing event that is also about to vaporize massive amounts of wealth and potentially threaten our liberties right here in the United States of America?

It’s the singular moment in time when the last investor willing to loan money to the government calls it quits.

It’s when the government can no longer borrow and simply runs out of money…I’m talking about a sudden, rejection of U.S. debt by the world’s investors…

Hunger and homelessness explode…riots…crime skyrockets…cities burn…

I’m under no delusion here.  I know that the vast majority of Americans will fail to heed this warning and fail to get ready for this crisis. (Weiss MD.  American Apocalypse.  Weiss Research, October 2011, pp. 30, 36, 42)

In the mail, I also received an unsolicited infomercial booklet written by Michael Lombardi titled Critical Warning Number Six.  Here is some of what it said:

Today, 70% of world central banks have adopted the U.S. dollar as their official reserve currency. As the value of the greenback erodes under a mountain of debt and coming rapid inflation, courtesy of too many dollars in the financial system (thank you, Federal Reserve), foreigners will be dumping dollars and moving away from a system where the greenback is the official reserve currency. (Lombardi M. Critical Warning Number Six. Lombardi’s Crisis Profit Alert, 2012, p. 11)

While neither Dr. Weiss nor Michael Lombardi referred to the biblical Book of Habakkuk in their booklets, notice what some scriptures in it state (bolding mine):

6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases What is not his — how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you, Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it.  (Habakkuk 2:6-8)

Now it is true that with all of the inflation of the money supply (essentially funded by debt that will not be paid back) this will partially lead to the destruction of the United States at the appointed time of the end (cf. Habakkuk 2:3,7). And gold relative to currencies like the US dollar, Canadian dollar, and UK pound sterling, will likely go way up in value in the future (though it may have ups and downs until then).

Yet, notice what Job stated about having gold:

24 "If I have made gold my hope, Or said to fine gold, 'You are my confidence'; 25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gained much...28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment, For I would have denied God who is above (Job 31:24-25,28).

Look at what the Book of Psalms teaches:

65... Lord, according to Your word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68 You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
69 The proud have forged a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart.
70 Their heart is as fat as grease,
But I delight in Your law.
71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
72 The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver...
127...I love Your commandments
More than gold, yes, than fine gold! (Psalm 119:65-72,127)

The solution for the world is NOT silver and/or gold.

However, both gold and silver will apparently maintain value for about 3 years after the US dollar becomes totally worthless and can thus having some may be of some benefit. However if the government you are living under makes ownership illegal again and then, if it is in its jurisdiction, confiscates it. Here is something related to that:

May 4, 2018

Historically, the government will seize gold when it’s the most valuable, during times when its fiat currency has become utterly devalued. When President Roosevelt made ownership of gold bullions illegal in 1933, the move was preceded by the boom of the Roaring Twenties, then the crash of 1929. Although Roosevelt didn’t call it gold confiscation; he preferred the term “gold hoarding.” ...

Many countries recently have repatriated their gold reserves to keep the precious metal closer to home. Germany is just one of the countries that have called back all its gold. When this happens, countries are often preparing for geopolitical and financial events. People buy gold for the same reason.

Since the US dollar is no longer backed by any amount of gold, why would the government want to confiscate it these days? The government is keeping afloat by printing as much fiat currency as it can. The more it prints, the less valuable the dollar becomes, while gold concurrently rises in value. A desperate government might very well begin to eye private gold as the solution to its problems. ...

It is unlikely that the government will confiscate your gold in the short term. But the whole purpose of keeping gold is long-term, so it’s a good idea to be prepared. Keeping some physical gold tucked safely away is always a good idea. http://www.goldtelegraph.com/the-u.s-government-can-still-confiscate-gold

This world needs the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom. Governments of this world have confiscated and made private ownership of certain amounts of gold illegal in the past and may do so in the future. Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, but beware of men (Matthew 10:16-17).

Even the international banking group HSBC has raised concerns about this happening in the United States:

U.S. asset managers worried Obama could confiscate gold

 

Mineweb - June 10, 2010

LONDON - Speaking at the FT Silver conference in London yesterday, lead-off speaker John Levin, HSBC Bank's Managing Director, Global Metals and Trading (HSBC is one of the world's top precious metals traders and its vaults in the U.S. and Europe hold huge holdings of gold and silver bullion) recounted conversations with some of the U.S.'s top asset managers controlling massive amounts of capital asking if HSBC had the capacity in its vaults to store major gold purchases. 

On being told that the bank's U.S. vaults had sufficient space available he was told that they did not want their gold stored in the U.S.A. but preferably in Europe because they feared that at some stage the U.S. Administration might follow the path set by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 and confiscate all U.S. gold holdings as part of the country's strategy in dealing with the nation's economic problems.

While in Mineweb's view such a move is unlikely, one needs to bear in mind that President Obama is a keen follower of Roosevelt's views and policies and that the very fact that some asset managers controlling huge volumes of money feel that such a move is possible is a significant factor - and one that is perhaps heightened by the huge amounts of money flowing into gold at the moment in both ETFs and bullion. http://www.mineweb.co.za/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page72068?oid=106063&sn=Detail&pid=102055

So, there are still concerns that something like what happened in 1933 could happen again.

Notice something related to Canada in 2018:

30 November 2018

On November 9, the Canadian government amended rules for "non-mailable items" and snuck into those rules is a prohibition against mailing ". . . gold bullion, gold dust and non-manufactured precious metals . . ."

Precious metals are now a prohibited item and can be seized if mailed.

Worse, anyone found violating the non-mailable guidelines can be charged with an Indictable offense and may be IMPRISONED for up to five years.

What's mind-boggling about this is that Canada Post is a Crown Corporation owned by the government.  Yet ANOTHER crown corporation, the Canada Mint, SELLS Silver, Gold, Platinum, Palladium Bullion (i.e. non-manufactured precious metals) and quite often Canadians can actually BUY that bullion . . . at Canada Post Offices!

So the government of Canada has now outlawed the mailing of precious metals, which they themselves sell . . . at the very same Post Offices where it is now illegal to MAIL that same precious metal! http://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/news/world-news/3517-canada-outlaws-the-mailing-of-precious-metals

Of course, God's commandments are more valuable than gold:

126 It is time for You to act, O Lord,
For they have regarded Your law as void.
127 Therefore I love Your commandments
More than gold, yes, than fine gold! (Psalms 119:126-127)

Carnal “solutions” in this age simply will not go to the ROOT of the problem. The ROOT is NOT the Federal Reserve, international bankers, corporations, plans for a “one-world order”, etc. Hoping to survive the coming Great Tribulation with guns and weapons also will not work (see also Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?).

The ROOT of the problems humans face is SIN and faithlessness that is the result of humankind cutting itself off from God and following the ways of Satan.

And while the solution would be repentance now, since that is unlikely, the ultimate solution is the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom on the earth.  That is the good news.

Notice that the Apostle Peter clearly taught that salvation was more precious than gold:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-9)

17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:17-19).

God's plan of salvation will work, and that, and not metals, is what really should be precious. And unlike precious metals, it will not perish.

Lamentations makes a comment about gold:

1 How the gold has become dim!
How changed the fine gold!
The stones of the sanctuary are scattered
At the head of every street. (Lamentations 4:1)

While the above may be referring to the value of humans or the Jewish temple (cf. Lamentations 4:2) and even currencies (like perhaps the US dollar), it specifically mentions gold becoming dim and changed.

As mentioned before (Zephaniah 1:18), the Bible is clear that gold and silver, will for a while be less than worthless. Notice:

19 They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold will be like refuse; Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the Lord; They will not satisfy their souls, Nor fill their stomachs, Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity. (Ezekiel 7:19).

This is probably because gold and silver cannot be eaten (in times of massive and severe food shortages many people will not be interested in it) and because of the fact that if nuclear weapons are exploded, and people are ill or dying from radiation sickness, that they will not want to have gold near them. Notice the following Q&A:

If exposed to radiation, does gold become radioactive?...

Gold has only one stable isotope, so all natural gold has an atomic weight of about 197 (called Au- 197), and this isotope has a reasonably high neutron activation cross- section. So exploding a nuclear weapon would probably lead to a lot of radioactive gold. However, there is only one isotope of gold that has a half-life of more than a few days (Au-195, 186 days), and it is impossible to produce this isotope by neutron irradiation. So any radioactive gold would lose its induced radioactivity within a month or so. Although a nuclear weapon is not a good way to turn gold radioactive, you should also consider that most gold deposits have only a few ounces of gold for each ton of rock that is mined. So setting off a nuclear weapon in the middle of a gold field could still be disruptive by turning much of the rest of the rock radioactive, making it difficult to mine. Radioactivity levels would probably be dangerous for a few weeks or so, but regulations would restrict access to this area for years or decades. (Andrew Karam, Radiation Safety Officer, Area of science: Physics ID: 1046906605.Ph. If exposed to radiation, does gold become radioactive? Date: Thu Mar 6 10:56:43 2003 http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2003-03/1046983737.Ph.r.html viewed 05/20/10)

Thus, while gold is likely have value for a number of years, when times are bad enough and people are dying from and/or are ill from radiation sickness, they may be inclined to throw gold into the streets (something similar seems also to be true about silver).

Furthermore, when the European Babylonian Beast power is destroyed, its gold and silver will not help it per the following prophecy in Isaiah:

17 "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children. 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 13:17-19)

Yet, also notice the following:

8 Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water,
Now they flee away.
'Halt! Halt!" they cry;
But no one turns back.
9 Take spoil of silver!
Take spoil of gold!
There is no end of treasure,
Or wealth of every desirable prize. (Nahum 2:8-9)

This suggests, to me at least, that the Beast power had a lot of gold and silver, and that it will again have value well after the Beast power is gone.

Also, notice the following:

15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. (Revelation 21:15-21)

So, apparently God places a permanent value, or perhaps more correctly, use, for gold.

Alan Greenspan's Comments on Gold

The former head of the US Federal Reserve had several comments about gold over several decades that may be of interest.

"In the absence of the gold standard, there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. There is no safe store of value. If there were, the government would have to make its holding illegal, as was done in the case of gold...The financial policy of the welfare state requires that there be no way for the owners of wealth to protect themselves.

 

This is the shabby secret of the welfare statists' tirades against gold. Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the confiscation of wealth.  Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights."

 

                   --Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006.

                     From article entitled, "Gold and Economic Freedom," written for the July 1966 issue of

                     The Objectivist newsletter.  http://www.321gold.com/fed/greenspan/1966.html