“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

[2 Thessalonians 2:9-10]

It has been said that seeing is believing, but is that really true? Obviously God has given us senses to test and touch and taste and observe reality for ourselves. But it has been proven time and time again that even our basic senses can mislead us.

We can’t always trust that what we “see” is real. Illusionists and magicians have proven this for centuries, using deception and distraction to play tricks on the human mind. What the illusionist does with his magic is not far from the scientist is doing today with his technology — blurring the lines of reality and fantasy.

C.S. Lewis understood this, writing in Abolition of Man.

“The serious magical endeavor and the serious scientific endeavor are twins: one was sickly and died, the other strong and throve. But they were twins. They were born of the same impulse … For the wise men of old the cardinal problem had been how to conform the soul to reality, and the solution had been knowledge, self-discipline, and virtue. For magic and applied science alike the problem is how to subdue reality to the wishes of men.”

[C.S. Lewis – Abolition of Men, pg. 87-88]

The same concern that Lewis observed in the pursuit of science is now being realized in our generation. Artificial intelligence and virtual reality are posing new challenges to what we understand to be reality. The sophistication of artificial intelligence has reached a point that pushes the boundaries of human perception. Images and human voices produced by AI are no longer discernible from real images. The lines between the virtual and the real have been dissolved.

Just watch the 45 second clip below to see how AI is able to create images that cannot be distinguished from reality.

https://youtu.be/8siezzLXbNo

This begs the question… If the human eye and mind can be deceived with artificial images and voices, then how do we know we aren’t already being deceived? Who is in control of this technology and the dissemination of information? The potential applications of this technology, frankly, are terrifying. Sabotage. Blackmail. False Accusations. Witch Hunts. Criminal Framing. Political Corruption.

Just because we “see” an image on the screen doesn’t mean that it is real anymore. The church must wake up and realize that our only hope of surviving the mass deception coming in these last days is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and grounded in the word of God.

Even the devil himself masquerades as an angel of light. Even the Antichrist is coming with all kinds of lying wonders and miraculous signs that will deceive the whole world. These powerful, fantastical wonders could very possibly be connected to Artificial Intelligence and its ability to create images undiscerning to the human eye.

Only the word of God is true. Believers must be grounded in the Scriptures so as not to be deceived. If we are not firmly rooted in the Word of God in these last days, we will be in danger in being swept away and deceived by the satanic black magic of the evil one, who is using the power of technology to play a deadly trick on the whole world.

I leave you with the words of Jesus Christ, who reminds all of His disciples to remain grounded in the Word of God so that we can endure through the times of difficulty and deception coming on the whole world.

“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

[John 17:14-19]

“Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.”

[Revelation 13:16-17]

I have a love-hate relationship with technology. Some days I am grateful to be able to FaceTime my family, respond to an important email, update my blog, access driving directions, research a topic, listen to my favorite music etc… all at the convenience of my iPhone.

Other days I feel the unsettling urge to throw my phone into the bottom of the Mississippi River and get off the grid forever.

Like any neutral tool or device, our smart phones and computers can be used for significant good and at the same time can become a stumbling block in our lives. The Lord knows that most of us have become more tethered to our wireless devices than ever before.

But we haven’t seen anything yet. The next phase in technological evolution is the revealing of 5G wireless networking and the Internet of Things (IoT).

WHAT is 5G?

The term 5G simply refers to the 5th generation wireless network being installed and implemented as we speak. Like all technological upgrades, 5G will be bigger, better, badder than ever. It will access and download data at least 20x faster than the present 4G capacities and will merge with all LTE (long-term evolution) technologies. All the major telecommunication networks have made significant investments in upgrading and have already begun building the hardware infrastructure, so in short, 5G is the future of global communication.

WHAT ARE the RISKS with 5G?

For every person that is stoked about the super fast applications of 5G, there is another that is concerned about the excessive amounts of radiation that will be emitted worldwide through the 5G network. Because 5G will require higher frequency radio waves at nearly every interval of life, most forecasters expect radiation exposure levels to increase exponentially. Many scientists believe that the health risks of 5G technology could be catastrophic to all organic life on the planet — potentially giving rise to cancer, sterilization, and many other chronic health problems.

Just last year, a group of 26,000 scientists, engineers and environmentalists signed an appeal to the international community to prevent the implementation of 5G, claiming that the potential health and environmental risks have not been responsibly addressed. Since then, another 55,000 people have signed the petition to stop 5G. You can read the appeal here.

The appeal states that “in addition to millions of new 5G base stations on Earth and 20,000 new satellites in space, 200 billion transmitting objects, according to estimates, will be part of the Internet of Things by 2020, and one trillion objects a few years later.” Although some claim that this appeal is an irrational overreaction to the new technology, one must admit that it will be impossible to determine the long-term effects of 5G radiation until it is too late.

“Despite widespread denial, the evidence that radio frequency (RF) radiation is harmful to life is already overwhelming. The accumulated clinical evidence of sick and injured human beings, experimental evidence of damage to DNA, cells and organ systems in a wide variety of plants and animals, and epidemiological evidence that the major diseases of modern civilization—cancer, heart disease and diabetes—are in large part caused by electromagnetic pollution, forms a literature base of well over 10,000 peer-reviewed studies.
If the telecommunications industry’s plans for 5G come to fruition, no person, no animal, no bird, no insect and no plant on Earth will be able to avoid exposure, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to levels of RF radiation that are tens to hundreds of times greater than what exists today, without any possibility of escape anywhere on the planet. These 5G plans threaten to provoke serious, irreversible effects on humans and permanent damage to all of the Earth’s ecosystems.

[International Appeal to Stop 5G on Earth and in Space]

WHAT is the INTERNET of THINGS (IoT)?

The Internet of Things, or IoT, is directly connected to 5G wireless technology. The IoT is the technological integration of everything on the planet. Imagine your next pair of shoes having the wireless capability to track how many steps you take in a day and provide your with instant updates. Imagine your milk carton containing a microchip that communicates with your grocery checklist to let you know when your milk is out of date. In other words, everything on the planet will be chipped and linked for the global interconnectivity of information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“Simply put, this is the concept of basically connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each other). This includes everything from cellphones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else you can think of.  This also applies to components of machines, for example a jet engine of an airplane or the drill of an oil rig. The IoT is a giant network of connected “things” (which also includes people).  The relationship will be between people-people, people-things, and things-things.

[https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2014/05/13/simple-explanation-internet-things-that-anyone-can-understand/#5273b4031d09]

WHAT ARE the BIBLICAL APPLICATIONS?

While I don’t recommend demonizing the latest technology and immediately associating it with the impending mark of the beast, spoken of in the book of Revelation, I can see how many potential applications of 5G technology and the IoT could pose serious threats not only to our health, but also to our freedom.

Students of Bible prophecy have speculated for years about the true nature of this “mark,” described in Revelation 13. We are told to calculate the number of the mark of the beast, which is the number of a man — 666. Granted, the internet provides endless conspiracy theories and sensational claims concerning the mark of the beast, most of which are ludicrous and should be ignored.

Revelation 13:18, however, says that “this calls for wisdom.” In other words, it is imperative that God’s people are filled with the Holy Spirit and dependent upon HIs divine wisdom and understanding in these last days. The coming mark of the beast will be a severe threat that will require a level of discernment that the natural man does not possess [1 Corinthians 2:9-16].

The more I study this enigmatic passage in Revelation 13 and the potential introduction for the mark of the beast, I am more convinced than ever that it involves some type of technological application — much like what we are seeing with 5G and the IoT. Here is why.

1. The ubiquitous, global reach — the all-pervasive, potential reach of 5G and even more advanced technologies will create a global network of surveillance that will be inescapable. Think “eye-in-the-sky” multiplied by the billions. If 5G and the IoT reach their potential, there will not be anything on the planet that is not connected to this global network — including you and me.
2. The potential for complete commercial control — Revelation 13:17 says that no one will be able to buy or sell unless he has the mark of the beast. By creating the Internet of Things, it would become feasible to restrict commerce and trade on a global scale. Everyone who wants to participate in the global economy would be forced to receive this mark.
3. The potential for mind control — If the mark of the Beast is some type of technological application that is implanted or embedded in the human brain, then it is not a very big jump for a satanic, antichrist system to use neurotechnology for mind control or to suppress brain activity. If you think this is too far fetched, just read the headlines like Elon Musk wants to connect computers to your brain so we can keep up with robots
4. The irrational obsession of the spirit of the age — Revelation 13:8 says that everyone whose name is not written in the Lamb’s book of life will worship the Beast, or Antichrist, because they will be drunk on the intoxicating spirit of the age, which is using technological advancement to offer mankind another way to transcend to a higher phase of enlightenment and evolution. The world is hooked on technology, and the more addicted we become, the more willing we will be to take the next logical step … connecting our minds to the global network of information. The only problem is that the prince of the power of the air is in full command of this information and will use it for his demonic purposes.

Those of us who are in Christ Jesus have received the mind of Christ. All believers must get serious about seeking the LORD in these last days and asking the Holy Spirit to provide divine wisdom and understanding so that we can navigate within a corrupt and perverse generation without going astray. All of us must ask the LORD what He is calling us to do, and then we must be willing to do it.

“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” (Jesus Christ — Matthew 24:24)

Reports about the acceleration of artificial intelligence and cybernetics continue to emerge on a daily basis. We are living in the dawn of the hybrid age, with exponential advancements in robotics, biogenetic engineering, nanotechnology, and virtual reality.

Many Christians, though vaguely familiar with these terms and advanced concepts, haven’t considered the potential applications of such technology in an anti-christian world. In this case, ignorance is not bliss, and if the church does not wake up and become engaged, it likely could be to our peril.

Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples about the coming spiritual deception in the last days — a deception so astounding and believable that the whole world will be enthralled and mesmerized by satanic powers and wonders. Although there will almost certainly be multiple aspects of this spiritual deception, I believe the technological phenomena we are witnessing today will be one of the primary tools of the devil to lead the world astray in the end.

A Fortune article dated February 21, 2018, interestingly was titled, 4 Things Everyone Should Fear about Artificial Intelligence and the Future. Though trying to downplay apocalyptic scenarios while at the same time addressing real concerns, the article mentions the emerging problems with artificial news and images, particularly because the human eye can no longer distinguish what is real from what has been artificially generated.

“If you thought the spread of misleading news on social networks like Facebook was bad now, get ready for the future. Advances in AI have led to researchers creating realistic audio and videos of political figures that are designed to look, and talk like real-life counterparts,” such as “state leaders seeming to make inflammatory comments they never actually made.”

Consider the applications of such technology in nefarious hands. Not only could political leaders be blackmailed, framed, misrepresented, and falsely accused, but church leaders as well. Those who boldly stand on the truths of God’s word and who are unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ could be publicly destroyed or criminally charged. Anyone who is a threat to the satanic world system potentially is a target.

A recent Business Insider report announced the staggering potential processing power of the latest supercomputer. Intel, working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy, is building the most powerful supercomputer in the country, so fast that it could process 1 quintillion — 1 billion times 1 billion, or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 — calculations per second.

“To put that in perspective: If every person on Earth did one calculation (say, a math problem involving algebra) per second, it would take everyone over four years to do all the calculations Aurora could do in one second.”

https://www.businessinsider.com/intel-department-of-energy-aurora-first-exascale-supercomputer-2019-3

Even more troubling is the quote from Rajeeb Hazra, VP of Intel. Knowing that computer processing power is doubling every year and that transistors are now being reduced to the atomic size, the probability of reaching technological singularity is almost certain. For those who aren’t familiar with singularity, it simply is the point of technological runaway growth that fundamentally threatens human civilization. Consider Hazra’s quote behind that backdrop.

“The biggest challenge is also probably the most exciting part: to envision and create technologies that have never been created before,” Hazra said. “Because this machine requires a level of capability we haven’t seen before, the biggest risk is we’re inventing something new — but to us, that’s also the most exciting part.”

Granted, many doubt that singularity is even possible, but the reality is that technology is growing exponentially with no apparent end in sight. It is not difficult to see a scenario much like the one at the Tower of Babel, when the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” (Genesis 11:6)

Finally, I must comment on what I consider one of the most likely applications used of the satanic forces of evil in the last days — virtual reality. We are witnessing an entire generation gradually being sucked into a virtual world that is ruled and controlled by the prince of the power of the air. What may have been introduced as innocuous and entertaining is now one the great epidemics of this generation. Children in our culture are immersed and overstimulated with unceasing technology. They have been raised on smart phones, tablets, the internet, social media, and video games. They have grown ever dependent upon this technology and find their identities in it. For the first time in modern history, there is an entire generation that is primed and preconditioned to take the next logical step into an entirely new world — a virtual world.

Steven Spielberg’s latest sci-fi movie, Ready Player One, is just another case of predictive programming that will soon be reality. Basically, when the lines between reality and fantasy become indistinguishable, all perceivable boundaries will disappear and an entire generation could potentially get lost — literally and spiritually — in this virtual world of demons and warlocks and sirens and sorcerers. Our children are facing a spiritual dimension through virtual reality that will be so real and so astounding and so alluring that without the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, it will be impossible to resist or escape. If even the strongest Christian could be deceived, how can we expect the mind of a child to survive the spiritual deception being used against them?

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we must open up more dialogue, rightly assess the situation, beware of the enemy’s strategy, protect our children, discern the times, test the spirits, make disciples, engage the spiritual battle, preach the gospel, and most importantly get our heads out of the sand! If we aren’t willing to be the watchmen sounding the alarm, then there will be many casualties and much blood on our hands.

“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.” (Ezekiel 33:6)

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

The essence of the evil, satanic lie has always been that man can achieve immortality independently of God — that we can become deities while denying the One True God.

Satan used this basic lie to deceive mankind in the beginning, and he is certainly propagating his perverse message today like never before. Consider a few quotes from Joe Boot, writing the forward for David Herbert’s 2014 book, Becoming God: Transhumanism and the Quest for Cybernetic Immortality. Boot said …

“Today a growing syncretistic movement of transhumanists among the intelligentsia … has taken the next logical step in the development of a humanistic, Neo-pagan anthropology and social vision based on the ancient idea of evolutionism. These scientists, business leaders, technologists, futurists, politicians and artists place a messianic hope in the ideal of a post-human world, holding that the key to humanity’s future lies in realizing godhood (omniscience, immortality etc…) by the merging of man with his technology … The transhumanists believe that their view of man and the future is not merely a social manifesto, but a religion, capable of uniting people and pointing forward to a godlike destiny ... This next evolutionary step will mean that the universe is finally awake since, in the new post-human cyborg, god is born.”

What was considered science fiction and fantasy just a generation ago has now become reality, as we have witnessed exponential advances in synthetic biology, nanotechnology, biogenetic engineering, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence. And according to the forerunners of transhumanism, this zealous, religious movement toward achieving “godhood” is accelerating faster than we could possibly imagine.

Everything that God has created and purposed for mankind, satan has corrupted and perverted with the ultimate goal of destruction. Our mortal enemy knows his fate, awaiting a date with the eternal lake of fire, but until then, the satanic forces of darkness will continue to do everything in their power to deceive mankind and lead us into believing the lie that there is a better way to obtain eternal life — a way that in the end only leads to death and destruction.

Many technocrats and futurists like to appeal to the “Golden Age” of the ancients, where men were like the gods and lived for 1,000 years and ruled the earth as kings and queens. Many in the transhuman movement will tell you that it is this Golden Age that they desire and pledge to once again bring back upon the earth. Man’s desire for immortality and godhood is at core of the human soul. The words of King Solomon ring truer than ever for our generation.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

The gospel of Jesus Christ is so profound and powerful in so many ways, but at the very core of the gospel is the true message of salvation and the exclusive means of obtaining eternal life. God has provided only one way to live forever and become true sons of God. Our true “Messianic hope” remains in the Person and redemptive work of God the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who stepped out of heaven and took on human form in order to save mankind from the death and destruction that we will inevitably bring upon ourselves in our vain pursuits to live independently of God. The truth is, provision has been made to give man the privilege of becoming sons and daughters of God. And that provision is in Christ alone.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 3:36

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Romans 8:18-23

Just as it was in the days of Noah, the enemy is working relentlessly to blind the minds of unbelievers and lead the whole world astray with his insidious temptation to become as gods. He is leading the world down the broad way of destruction. If there has ever been a time for God’s people to stand up and proclaim to the whole world the Narrow Way of Salvation, that time is now.