Many who understand Bible prophecy know of the warnings of birth pains Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 that the end times would be marked by escalating “birth pains”—wars, famines, earthquakes, and deception. These aren’t distant signs anymore; they are headline realities. For those watching and discerning through the lens of Bible prophecy, the world’s increasing instability is more than just unsettling—it’s confirmation that the hour is late.

We know from Scripture that a time is coming when a global system will control who can buy and sell (Revelation 13:17). While we’re not there yet, what once seemed far-off is now forming quiet financial dependency, and digital surveillance and economic pressure are tightening their grip on the average person.

Many who understand Bible prophecy know of the evil plans of the elite to implement central bank digital currency (CBDC), to implement digital IDs, to take away personal freedoms such as public prayer and to control the lives of the general population, the population they wish to decrease.

BNPL Tracker: 41% of Users Using Loans for Groceries

Seeing how the elite wish to bridge the implementation of a capitalist society to a Marxist society is hard to watch. For example, recent surveys have exposed a grim trend: Americans are now borrowing money to buy groceries.

A LendingTree study revealed that 41% of consumers have used Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loans—short-term, interest-free credit often offered through platforms like PayPal. But this convenience masks a deeper crisis: many borrowers report missing payments, incurring fees, and juggling multiple overlapping loans. Why? A staggering 61% said they simply couldn't afford food without it. According to a January 2025 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report, the average transaction amount for a BNPL loan was $142. However, again many who use this method for buying groceries are having multiple loans concurrently.

This isn’t just about personal budgeting—this is systemic financial distress. Inflation, wage stagnation, and economic policies are forcing people into debt just to survive. For one-third of users, BNPL loans are now a bridge between paychecks. Even food delivery services like DoorDash are now accepting BNPL, normalizing a life of revolving debt.

Is this not a fulfillment of what Jesus warned—that before His return, life on earth would grow increasingly burdensome, with systems pressing down on the people? Is today’s financial distress setting the stage for the distress of the coming tribulation when, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius…” —Revelation 6:6.

Flashfood or Misfits Market Apps

This LendingTree research states that 88% of Americans say they’ve changed their grocery routines to save money. Many consumers are now opting for store or generic brands versus brand name products. Experts at LendingTree did offer some suggestions such as considering using apps like Flashfood or Misfits Market for purchasing what they call “less-than-perfect produce” at a discounted price. They also recommend for those who are skipping dining out but still crave a restaurant meal, consider using TooGoodToGo, which they say is an app that lets you buy meals from restaurants at a steep discount.

The Spirit Behind the System

We must also recognize the spiritual dimension behind the global financial transformation. The elites pushing for central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), digital IDs, and cashless societies are not simply making financial policy—they are laying the foundation for total economic control.

Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, recently announced that Europe plans to implement the digital euro by October 2025. She calls it “a digital form of cash,” but make no mistake: programmable money is a tool that can be tracked, limited, and weaponized.

The more society accepts debt, surveillance, and cashless transactions as normal, the easier it will be to implement the one-world economic system prophesied in Revelation. These are not neutral conveniences; they are tools that will serve the coming beast system.

Do Other Religions see Financial Crisis as Part of End Times?

Remarkably, the expectation of financial collapse is echoed in multiple faiths around the world, further validating the Bible’s warnings.
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​• In Islam, "the Hour" is said to follow widespread injustice and economic corruption.
• In Judaism, rabbis teach that before the arrival of the Messiah (Mashiach), the world will endure chevlei Mashiach—“birth pains” including soaring costs and corrupt leadership. Rabbis often teach that financial instability is seen not as the "end," but as a painful transition toward eventual redemption. "In the generation when the Son of David will come... truth will be missing, and the cost of living will go up greatly." (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
• In Hinduism, the current age, Kali Yuga, meaning the "Dark Age," is characterized by greed and materialism before a time of cosmic renewal (Pralaya).
• In Buddhism it teaches that the society will drift away from Buddhist teachings (Dharma), which will cause suffering to increase, which includes economic hardships. For the Buddhist it is not an “end of the world” understanding but a cycle of decline before renewal (reincarnation) occurs. Widespread financial suffering is a symptom of spiritual decline rather than an absolute final event.

These parallel beliefs point to something profound: humanity senses that something is breaking down, and the stage is being set for a climactic spiritual shift. But only in Christ do we find the full picture—and the hope beyond the shaking.

Spiritual Eyes Wide Open

As Christians, we are not called to panic—but we are called to perceive. The Apostle Paul said we are not in darkness that the Day should overtake us like a thief (1 Thessalonians 5:4). These are not coincidences. They are signals.

Apps like Flashfood, Misfits Market, and TooGoodToGo offer temporary help in stretching grocery budgets. But the larger story is clear: the world is being conditioned to accept economic bondage. What starts as borrowing for food may end in submission to a global system.

Let us not grow numb to these changes. Let us not be lulled into spiritual sleep by false comfort. This is the time to be watchful, prayerful, and unwavering in our faith. “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” —Luke 21:28

Unlike other belief systems that offer only cycles or karma or vague redemption, we know the One who is coming again. Jesus Christ is not only our Redeemer—He is our Provider, our Protector, and our soon-returning King.

No matter what systems rise, no matter how deep the deception or how tight the control becomes, we hold fast to this truth: our hope is not in the economy, the government, or technology. Our hope is in Christ alone.