Reading · End Times Bible Prophecy with Britt Gillette

This page did not load. You can still read it on the original site — the toolbar below keeps your place in the directory.

Over the past several years, this is one of the most common questions I get asked…

“Should I use Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)? Is it the mark of the beast?”

It’s certainly understandable why people would ask this.

Subscribe now

After all, CBDC enables a level of tyranny prior generations could only imagine. It’s fully programmable, meaning central banks can manipulate it in real-time.

With CBDC, they can raise or lower interest rates on your savings in real-time. They can put restrictions on your currency in real-time, such as where you can spend it and on what items.

Furthermore, with CBDC, the government gains full insight into every financial transaction you make. You won’t be able to buy or sell anything without the government knowing. And they’ll have full control over the currency itself, meaning they could cancel your ability to use it at any time.

Complete surveillance. Full programmability.

These features make CBDC indistinguishable in both capability and function from the Revelation 13 mark of the beast.

But that said, CBDC is not the mark of the beast.

What the Mark of the Beast Is

While CBDC could end up being a component of the beast system, the mark of the beast is more than just a digital currency. It’s an outward expression of a person’s allegiance to the Antichrist.

The mark of the beast requires three elements which aren’t currently associated with CBDC:

1) The Mark of the Beast Requires a Beast

The beast (the Antichrist) must be in power for the mark of the beast to be implemented. The Antichrist and the false prophet are the earthly actors behind the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:11-18), and as of this writing, they aren’t in power.

2) The Mark of the Beast Arrives During the Tribulation

The mark of the beast won’t roll out until the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation. Again, as of this writing, we aren’t in the Tribulation. We’re on the verge of the Tribulation, but the world isn’t in it yet. Therefore, anything we encounter today is not the mark of the beast.

3) The Mark of the Beast is on the Right Hand or Forehead

As clearly denoted in the Bible, the mark of the beast will be a mark located on either the right hand or the forehead (Revelation 13:16). As of this writing, no CBDC in the world requires a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. So we have no reason to believe any CBDC currently proposed or in use today is the mark of the beast.

Again, CBDC may be a component of the ultimate beast system, but it’s not the mark of the beast itself.

Subscribe now

Using CBDC Is Not Taking the Mark of the Beast

It’s important to understand the distinction between what may end up being a component of the beast system and the actual mark of the beast itself. The Bible is clear – we shouldn’t take the mark of the beast, and those who do are condemned (Revelation 14:9-11).

Over the years, a number of people have reached out to me expressing concern over whether or not they’ll be forced to use CBDC. I don’t know what the future holds for those specific individuals, but I do know this – CBDC alone is not the mark of the beast.

While, by its very nature, CBDC is tyrannical, and I loathe the prospect of being forced to use it, doing so doesn’t put my eternal destination in peril. So any born-again Christian worried about being forced to use CBDC shouldn’t be concerned in that context.

This distinction between CBDC and the mark of the beast is one some Christians fail to recognize, and as a result, they misinterpret the extent of the possible trials and sorrows the church may face before the rapture. They boldly proclaim, “We won’t see the rollout of CBDC before the rapture.”

Tell that to Christians in China 👇

The reality is many Christians are already living under the looming cloud of CBDC.

But as long as you understand the distinction between CBDC and the mark of the beast, you’ll know you don’t have to worry.

If understanding how emerging technology relates to bible prophecy matters to you, paid subscribers get exclusive weekly deep-dives and a monthly live Q&A where you can ask us anything. Join the community here 👇

Join Us → Become a Paid Subscriber

Don’t Worry!

The Bible tells us not to worry (Matthew 6:34) or to fear (Isaiah 41:10), and that remains true when it comes to the mark of the beast. Born-again Christians certainly need not fear.

Yet a rather common and concern persists among born-again Christians – a concern over unwittingly accepting the mark of the beast.

If you’re a born-again Christian, you don’t have to worry about accidentally taking the mark of the beast.

First, if you’re reading this prior to the Tribulation, you won’t be here on earth when the mark of the beast rolls out. Jesus promised to keep the church from the Tribulation:

“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.” Revelation 3:10 (NLT)

Second, if you become a born-again Christian after the rapture of the church, and you’re reading this during the Tribulation, know that taking the mark of the beast requires worshipping the Antichrist. The Bible says:

“He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.” Revelation 13:15 (NLT)

This verse makes it clear a key requirement of the mark of the beast is to worship the image of the beast.

And this isn’t something a person can accidentally do.

If you’re a born-again Christian, the idea of worshipping the beast or his image should be unthinkable. And the Bible says everyone in the world except born-again Christians will worship the beast:

“And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.” Revelation 13:8 (NLT)

What CBDC Likely Is

So if CBDC is not the mark of the beast, does this mean CBDC is benign or okay to use? No. This isn’t a green light to quietly accept the rollout of CBDC without protest.

Christians should oppose it vehemently as it lays the foundation for a digital system of tyranny indistinguishable in both capability and function from the mark of the beast system.

In all likelihood, CBDC is part of a larger system of digital control (along with tokenized assets and digital ID) which forms the foundation of what will one day become the mark of the beast system.

When the Antichrist and false prophet decide to implement the beast system during the Tribulation, it’s doubtful they’ll build the entire system from scratch.

More than likely, they’ll simply add the mark and its requirements to an already existing digital system. And with the flip of a switch, the mark of the beast system will activate.

So while CBDC is NOT the mark of the beast, it’s likely a critical element in what will become the mark of the beast system during the Tribulation.

Jesus Is Coming Soon

All this underscores just how close the world is to the seven-year Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. And that means the rapture of the church (which I believe occurs before the Tribulation) is even closer. It’s not just the emergence of CBDC and programmable digital currency that tells us that.

We can see a number of signs Jesus and the prophets told us to look for, including:

The Nation of Israel Back in the Land (Ezekiel 20:34; Ezekiel 39:28; Isaiah 11:12; Psalm 107:3)
The Jewish People Back in Control of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28)
Israel With an Exceedingly Great Army (Ezekiel 37:10; Zechariah 12:6; Zechariah 12:8)
The Gospel Preached Throughout the World (Matthew 24:14)
Arrival of the Exponential Curve (Matthew 24:3‐8)
An Increase in Travel and Knowledge (Daniel 12:4)
The Rise of the Gog of Magog Alliance (Ezekiel 38-39)
Israel Surrounded by Enemies (Psalm 83:4; Psalm 83:12; Ezekiel 11:14‐17; Ezekiel 35:10)
The Rise of a Revived Roman Empire (Daniel 2:43)
The Rise of a Global Government (Revelation 13:7-17)
The State of Mankind (2 Timothy 3:1-4)
Denial of the Signs (2 Peter 3:3‐4)

Jesus said once you see these signs emerging and converging, it means He’s on the verge of returning:

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

He also says when these things happen, He’s “right at the door” (Mark 13:29; Matthew 24:33). So what’s the big takeaway?

Jesus is coming back.

Make sure you know Him.

Every week, paid subscribers get exclusive content – deep-dive videos and articles connecting current events to bible prophecy, a monthly live Q&A with Britt and Jenny where you can ask us anything directly, and full commenting privileges on every post.

But here’s what your subscription really does: It helps us reach tens of thousands of people in 120+ countries with one message – Jesus is coming back, and the signs have never been clearer.

Jenny and I do this full-time because we believe we’re living through the most prophetically significant moment since the resurrection almost 2,000 years ago. Every paid subscriber makes it possible for us to keep going.

If finances are tight, send Jenny a message – we’ll cover your subscription ourselves. No questions asked. We don’t want financial concerns to stand between anyone and this content.

For everyone else – if this work has meant something to you, this is how you show it 👇