Bible Questions Answered: Economy-Failed

Bible Questions Answered:
Sir, the monies of the whole world, are collapsing, what does the Bible say about that?
Teunis/ Brussels, Belgium

Bible Answers:
Much could be said, however one great example of this situation is recorded in prophet Haggai's day (520 B.C.), and things haven't changed much since then!

Haggai 1: KJV
5 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!
6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
7 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!

9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because My house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.
10 It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops.
11 I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”

12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God (Haggai 1:2 rebuilding the house of the Lord.) . When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!”
14 So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

Haggai 2:

4 But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

6 “For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land.
7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations...

8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

11 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says. Ask the priests this question about the law:
12 ‘If one of you is carrying some meat from a holy sacrifice in his robes and his robe happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or olive oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?’”The priests replied, “No.”

13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?”And the priests answered, “Yes.”
14 Then Haggai responded, “That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the Lord. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin.

15 Look at what was happening to you...
16 When you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, you harvested only ten. When you expected to draw fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty.
17 I sent blight and mildew and hail to destroy everything you worked so hard to produce. Even so, you refused to return to me, says the Lord.

20 On that same day,...the Lord sent this second message to Haggai:
21 “Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth.
22 I will overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms. I will overturn their chariots and riders. The horses will fall, and their riders will kill each other.

This scene before us was that of the Jews, after their captivity, they returned to their home-land.
The people had set up an altar and had daily worship, and began to lay the foundation of a second temple, but, the work got delayed. What was important in their lives, was their own homes and riches, this they had time to work on, while the things of God, they neglected.

When any people, anywhere, think that they can live shutting out the God of heaven, from of their lives, they're in for a big surprise.
God sends judgment.

Why does God do this?

Proverbs 3:11,12 KJV
[11] My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of His correction:
[12] For whom the LORD loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Revelation 3:19 KJV
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Hebrews 12:5-29 KJV
5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children/ He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,and don’t give up when he corrects you.
6 For the Lord disciplines those He loves,and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.”

7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?
8 If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all.
9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness.
11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.
13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame
will not fall but become strong.

14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.
17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

18 You have not come to a physical mountain,to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.
19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking.
20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”
21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”

22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.
23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God Himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.
24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!
26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai His voice shook the earth, but now He makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”
27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe.
29 For our God is a devouring fire.