Kroger a Prelude to Cashless Society?

By David Ettinger

“Last Days” Groundwork
You may read this as conspiracy theory or overzealous prophecy interpretation, but really, I’m just looking at patterns and movements and trying to determine if they at all fit into a last-days scenario.  

One of the components of the “last days” – a phrase I use to denote the final seven years of this era of human history as described in Daniel 9:24-27 – is the establishment of a one-world government headed by the Antichrist. One of the crucial aspects of this government will be the implementing of a cashless society, a monetary system where the government controls the cash flow of every individual. This comes from Revelation 13:16-17:

“It [the second beast – the Antichrist’s “prime minister”] also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.”

We see here that the government of the Antichrist will have the ability to control how individuals spend their money. How? A cashless, “virtual” monetary structure is a possibility.

New Kroger Policy
Having laid the groundwork for this possible last-days scenario, I call your attention to a recent news item:

“Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the U.S., has said it will stop giving customer coin change, citing the nationwide shortage of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters in circulation as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.”[1]

Why is there a coin shortage? The U.S. Mint, which produces our nation’s coins, has greatly reduced its number of employees because of Covid-19, and therefore is cranking out far fewer coins. Furthermore, as more people stay home, they are spending far less cash at brick-and-mortar businesses.[2]

So, if you go to Kroger and spend $18.47, instead of receiving $1.53 in change, you will receive a $1 bill, but not the 53 cents as it requires coins. Therefore, Kroger suggests four alternatives: 1) Pay with exact change. 2) Donate what is owed in change to an organization aimed at eliminating hunger in the U.S. 3) Have change uploaded to a customer-loyalty card to be applied to the next purchase. 4) The preferred method: “‘Patrons may continue using credit and debit cards and avoid any cash hassles altogether,’ the company said Monday.”[3]

Another giant company has joined Kroger in their coinless endeavors, Wawa, a chain of 850 convenience stores across the U.S.[4]

A Prelude?
So, is this the first step in establishing a cashless society in the world’s richest nation? Am I just being an end-times fear monger, seeing prophecy being fulfilled at every turn? I say “possibly” to the first question, but “no” to the second.

I do believe, however, we are racing to the end of this age of human history and rapidly moving toward Christ’s return to Planet Earth. I believe our current pandemic has allowed for certain scenarios to be “fast-tracked.” Besides the mask-wearing and self-quarantines, local, state, and federal government policies have been ramping up restrictive mandates.

And that’s a key – look how quickly things have been happening! In similar fashion, notice how quickly the Kroger and Wawa directives have become reality; no lead-ins, no forewarning, simply a new policy issued. Boom. Done. Over.

And the Kroger-Wawa coinless directive is not the first time a cashless monetary system here in the States has been floated. When deciding how to distribute the first round stimulus-package checks, the government considered the idea of “digital dollar wallets.” (See my blog, “‘Digital Dollars’: A Last-Days’ Harbinger?”) It wasn’t instituted then, but I have no doubt it’s coming.

More and more our long-trusted foundations and institutions are being meddled with, altered, and turned upside-down. Does this mean every policy change is a prelude to the end-times? No, but steps toward that final time in human history have to start somewhere, and perhaps these transformations in long-established institutions are the first baby steps in that direction!

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[1] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kroger-coin-shortage-no-change/

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

Tagged: Cashless Society, Digital Dollars, Kroger, Monetary System, No Coins, The Antichrist, The End of the Age, The Last Days, Wawa

Posted in: Bible study, Bible teaching, Christianity, Commentary, Current Events, Editorial/Blog, End Times, New Testament, Society, The End of the Age, The Last Days, The Return of Christ