Opinions vary greatly on the monetary value of silver and gold today. Below is a look at what the Bible says about silver and gold today and in the End Times, prior to the return of Jesus Christ to earth.
Today, experts estimate that there is probably about 5 billion ounces of above-ground gold in the world, enough to fill about three Olympic size swimming pools (200m x 50m x 2m). (However, Bix Weir estimates that there is much, much more. See Golden Secrets.) Experts estimate that about 20-25% is in central bank vaults, about 50-60% is in jewelry and about15-20% is held privately as coins and bullion, so only a total of about 2 to 2.5 billion ounces are in tradable form, enough to fill about one and a half Olympic size swimming pools.
Although men have probably mined about 50-100 billion ounces of silver, most has been used up in industry or discarded, so experts estimate that the total quantity of above-ground silver today is actually about 5 billion ounces - about the same as gold. Of this, about 80% is estimated to be in jewelry, silverware, mirrors, photographic film, batteries, solar cells, electronics, etc., and about 20% (1 billion ounces) is estimated to be in bullion form (i.e., coins and bars which can be easily traded) - about half of the amount of gold bullion. However, it could be two or three times this quantity, as some people or governments may be secretly hiding some.
The US Coinage Act of 1792 defined a US dollar as 0.84869 ounces of silver, but the US later went off the gold standard in 1933 and off the silver standard in 1965. Most countries today have followed this practice, so most people today don't think much about holding gold and silver, especially since state-controlled schools do not teach students about the history of coinage and how debasing any currency has ultimately led to the end of the currency.
However, since the time the Federal Reserve System was established in 1913, people estimate that cumulative inflation due to the printing of paper money has been somewhere between 1000% to 5000%. That means that the dollar today is worth somewhere between 2 to 10 cents compared to its original value in 1913. This is illustrated in today's silver price. The US dollar is now worth about 0.0579 ounces of silver, down 93%, even though silver is still greatly undervalued due to its industrial consumption in excess of new production. Unless the Fed stops inflation and massive new discoveries of silver are brought above ground, we might see the US dollar become worthless and gold and silver prices continue to climb.
Since gold and silver prices have quadrupled since 2000, more people are buying gold and silver, and several countries are currently minting gold and silver coins. For example, Mexico has silver coins called the Libertad, which are currently valued (in terms of their paper currency) at several times their value when they circulated, and demand for such coins appears to be increasing. At the same time, a growing number of investors are buying up gold and/or silver, because they see it as a hedge against inflation. This has especially been true since the introduction of two electronically traded funds (ETFs), GLD (which is backed by real gold and is intended to follow the London spot price of gold) and SLV (which is backed by real silver and is intended to follow the London spot price of silver.) These two funds have made it easy for people to hold gold and silver in their stock portfolios without taking physical possession.
Since most countries no longer back their currencies with gold and silver and since 99% of retail transactions in industrialized countries are now done electronically, most people in the world expect that gold and silver will never again be useful as a standard means of coinage or for retail transactions. However, some people disagree. They believe popular demand will bring back gold and silver into everyday use. In either case, simple math tells us that the historic value will one day return.
Just divide the total estimated amount of money in the world by the total amount of gold and silver. Assuming that we have US$50 trillion in the world today (using the approximate world GDP) and also assuming gold is historically worth 15 times what silver is worth, then here's what we get:
Theoretical price of silver
= US$50 trillion / (15 x 5 billion ounces of gold + 5 billion ounces of silver)
= US$50 trillion / (75+5 billion ounces of precious metal)
= US$50,000 billion / 80 billion ounces of of precious metal
= US$625 / ounce
Theoretical price of gold = 15 x price of silver
= 15 x US$625 / ounce
= US$9,375 / ounce
Check the math: US$625/ounces x 5 billion ounces of silver + US$9,375/ounce x 5 billion ounces of gold
= US$3,125 billion + US$46,875 billion
= US$50,000 billion
= US$50 trillion
Of course, by the time this happens probably nobody would accept US dollars for either of these metals. When will it happen? Maybe this year. Maybe years later. Only God knows. However, some insiders in the banking industry have been rumored to say that it could happen quickly around the time there is a serious war in the Mid-east that escalates into a global conflict. However, one warns that when the price hits US$5000-8000/oz. for gold and US$500-600/oz for silver, the USG will implement a 70% surcharge on all sales in the US, so people in the US should seriously consider selling before that point and investing in real assets instead, especially food and items that can be. From a Biblical point of view, the value will definitely come back to where it should before or during the end times. (See Biblical prophecies below.)
There are two main groups of people who don't want silver's price to go up: industry owners and bankers. The industry owners use silver to manufacture their products, so a rise in silver prices would raise their cost of goods sold. Bankers make their money based on usury (charging exorbitant interest) and on promises they make to pay back their debts. They also control all or most of the world's governments, which usually rely on the psychological value of their fiat currencies. Thus, they certainly don't want their system to be disturbed or appear to have any flaws. For now, God is allowing them to dupe the public and keep the price of silver low, but it won't go on forever like this.
The Bible mentions several things that indicate that gold and silver will have value during the time of the end. Here are a few to look for in the future (not necessarily in this order):
1. Nations plunder gold and silver
Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Ez.38:10-13)
2. A new financial system is announced that is centralized and digitized
And he (the beast coming up out of the earth) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:16-18)
From this we can see that there will be a society with strict centralized control of the currency or currencies and all or most business transactions. Some people call this a "cashless society", but cash can take many forms, so to be precise, it may be a "society free of retail transactions using coins". How the government will do this is unclear, but it's most likely to happen in stages. First, there are technology concerns, then security concerns, then convenience concerns and finally economic concerns. Many people expect some digital monetary system backed by gold and silver.
The technology for personal digital banking has been under development for many years. ATM cards are very common in many countries. Implanted RFID chips are already available and being used for animals and some children, elderly, military personnel and mental patients. These chips can store data and be used like smart cards. They can also be used with the Global Positioning System (GPS) to track movement. The media's coverage of terrorism is instilling fear in people's minds, and there is now talk that blonde-haired, blue-eyed young people will become terrorists, so the day may come when people will be asking the government to chip them to prove they are are not terrorists. Adding personal financial data to ID data would not be difficult, so convenience plus safety plus economic incentives could make it happen quickly. Young people today like credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, internet banking, etc. Nobody likes waiting in line at the bank. The coming collapse of the world's economic system might be the final stage for the mark of the beast to gain universal acceptance. It's already part of the new Obamacare legislation and is scheduled to be implemented in March of 2013 (although this could be delayed.) Perhaps .
3. The king of the north takes over control of some gold and silver treasuries
But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.(Dan. 11:43).
From this we can see that gold and silver will definitely have value during the time of the end. Otherwise, why would anyone want to have power over their treasuries?
4. The gold and silver of the heathen is gathered together in Jerusalem
And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. (Zech 14:14; Isa. 60:6,17)
This happens after the Great Tribulation and the Battle of Armageddon, i.e., at the end of the 6th millennium since Adam was created. After this, Jesus will set up a fair monetary system for the 7th millennium. Perhaps it will be based on gold and silver. For further study, see the links below.
How will conventional wisdom on currencies become ineffective in the current strange situation in which the entire world is flooded with dollars (and perhaps approaching the end time)?
When will silver and gold will regain their historic values (or perhaps when will God move the banking cartel to allow this)?
When will the US dollar die, and what will replace it (or what will be used in addition to it)?
How will we sell gold and silver when it's time to sell?
Will non-physical forms of silver and gold become worthless at any time before the tribulation?
How does the USA fit into all this? Will it slowly fade away or die suddenly?
Whom should we listen to in order to hear God's plans for the coming disasters (Amos 3:7)?
Silver Investment Information: http://somehelpful.info/Silver/
Silver, by Jay O'Keefe: http://somehelpful.info/Money/Letters/Letter008.htm
4 Fundamentals of
Silver, by Jason Hommel:
http://www.silverstockreport.com/2008/fundamentals.html
关于银币价格的四个基本原则 (银币和美元的供需本质)
http://www.somehelpful.info/Articles/fundamentals-zh.html
Gold: Prices, Facts, Figures and Research: http://www.galmarley.com/framesets/fs_commodity_essentials_faqs.htm
SLV Silver ETF, by Adam Hamilton, June 20, 2008, about the history and purpose of the SLV Silver ETF: http://www.gold-eagle.com/gold_digest_08/hamilton062008.html
Uses of Silver: http://www.silverinstitute.org/uses.php
A Brief Explanation of the Project to Monetize the One Ounce Silver "Libertad"
Coin:
http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_05/salinas102806.html
The Silver
Bridge, by Hugo Salinas Price:
http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/salinasprice/2007/0517.html
RFID
Microchip Implants and Bible Prophecy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v6xUGSrApk&feature=related
North American Union and the V-chip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBo4E77ZXo
Coming Soon: Superfast Internet:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article3689881.ece
The New Al-Qaeda- Blonde Haired, Blue Eyed Westerners:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBO7xBpJtoc
For your own Bible study on gold and silver, you might want to try the Blue Letter Bible online concordance which utilizes Strong's Concordance - one of the best tools available for word searches: http://blueletterbible.org/
>Jason Hommel has also written an article / Bible study about money, investing and silver: http://www.silverstockreport.com/2008/stumblingblock.html
This article is is public domain.
Scripture verses are taken from the Authorized version.