The Roman Empire lasted 1,000 years, but only about half that time as a republic. The Roman Republic fell for many reasons, but three reasons are worth remembering: declining moral values and political civility at home, an overconfident and overextended military in foreign lands, and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government. Sound familiar? In my view, it’s time to learn from history and take steps to ensure the American Republic is the first to stand the test of time. — Honorable David M. Walker. Comptroller General of the United States, head of the Government Accountability Office, 2008

Before I break you off on scriptures that discuss a drastic change in the value of money, we’ve got to “keep it real”. There have been millions of predictions not only by the great traditions but highly revered ‘prophets’, saviors, and savants that have not come to past.  Or, worse, are so vague that they can be contributed to many number of the things.

Even though I can’t deny this simple fact of epic FAIL on the part of most predictions that tend to lean toward a devastating skeptical argument, I can NOT deny the weirdness of ancient prophecies talking about the value of money:

Ezekiel 7:19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be as an unclean thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Jehovah: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels; because it hath been the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

James 5:3 Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony {1} against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days. {1) Or unto}

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all {1} kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. {1) Gr evils}

Hebrews 13:5 {1} Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, {2} I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee. {1) Gr, Let your turn of mind be free 2) De 31:6; Jos 1:5}

Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor; And the borrower is servant to the lender.

Revelation 13:17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name

KJV – Bible

Whether you are a believer or not, one thing is certain: History repeats it self.  Many times, the writers of the Old and New testaments are talking about issues that concerned them in their time.  They talk about the government, leaders, wars and atrocities of their times and it is easy to mirror many of the same disasters and corruptions still playing out.

If we are honest with ourselves, we can see elements of great Egypt & Babylon’s decadence and worship of (what was from the Hebrew perspective) “false idols” sprinkled in our own Western Pop Culture, or the arrogance of the Roman Empire spreading it self until greed became as fatal as terminal cancer. But many of us (in the US) would rather see our government as the Hebrew people, God’s Chosen. The protagonist of the Old Testament and parent of the New.

My personal opinion is that we reflect all parts of the this tradition narative. We are comprised of the down trodden under dog destined for the promise land, but we are also Caesar’s might empire spreading and consuming riches and resources.

As a part of our human history, I truly believe that the Bible has a lot to tell us about not only our economic future, but (more importantly) ourselves. Atheists and Theist alike get blinded by dogma. Unfortunately, this dogma gets stuck in the a single minded interpretation that evolved as it was passed down from generation.

Its clear to me that the Bible warns over and over about the potential destructive power of money from Ezekiel to Proverbs. Ultimately, money itself is just an object, but our worship and complete reliance on it is liable to destroy the very empire it has built. Even now, no one can deny its influence over ever aspect our lives: our churches, our politics, our society, even our homes & familys. In a capitalistic society it is even blasphemy to speak of any other way of life. Rebels are labeled communists, socialists, anarchists, niave utopia dreamers. The truth is that the new way of monetary debt ends up owning each and every one of us.

The LAST and most foreboding passage is written in Revelations:

Revelation 13:17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name

As our monetary system becomes more and more digital, a cardless, database monetary system seems inevitable.  While such a system would have impeccable security, it also allow its own absolute power over the remaining control you have over the money you actually make.