Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

June 2023

Could the Antichrist Be

Artificial Intelligence?

 Are There Two Antichrists Referred to in Revelation 13?  Will an AI Robot be one of the Two Beasts in this Chapter?

 During the future tribulation period, the world will be ruled by a godless man presiding over an evil government system.  The Bible associates this end-times ruler with a terrible beast in Revelation and in the Book of Daniel.

 In Revelation 13, God presents us with a nightmarish vision of a dragon and two beasts.  The first beast comes out of the sea and receives power from the dragon, or Satan.  This beast is a true monstrosity.

 Revelation 13:1-2; 11-12, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.  And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority…  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.  And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”  Daniel’s vision of the beast is similar in many ways to John’s (Daniel 7:7-8, 19-27).  Studying both Daniel and Revelation in tandem is profitable.

 In Revelation, the term beast refers to two related entities.  Sometimes “the beast” refers to the end-times’ empire.  The seven heads and ten horns indicate that the beast will be a coalition of nations — which many students of prophecy believe this first beast refers to the European Union / NATO that rises to power to subdue the earth under Satan’s control.  Many students of prophecy also believe the Second Beast refers to Antichrist references to “the beast” in Revelation picture an individual, the man who is the political leader and head of the beastly empire.

 The beast will receive a deadly wound and be healed of it (Revelation 13:3).  He will exert authority over the whole world and demand worship (Revelation 13:7-8).  He will wage war against God’s people, and he will prevail against them for a time (Revelation 13:7; Daniel 7:21).  However, the beast’s time is short: according to Revelation 13:5 and Daniel 7:25, he will only be permitted absolute authority for forty-two months (three-and-a-half years).

 We believe that the beast in Revelation is the Antichrist, the one “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:4).  He is also “the man of iniquity / lawlessness” and “the man doomed as the son of perdition” (2nd Thessalonians 2:3).  In Daniel’s vision, the Antichrist is the “little horn” that rises from the head of the terrifying beast (Daniel 7:8).

Growing Fears of ChatGPT: Enforcing the

Mark of the Beast

 Never before in history have all the elements of the fulfillments of these end-times prophesies emerged at the same time.  “And deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.  And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as not worship the image of the beast should be killed.  And he causes 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 13:14-18).

Generative AI could be an authoritarian

breakthrough in brainwashing

 The Hill, February 26, 2023, | Generative AI is poised to be the free world’s next great gift to authoritarians. The viral launch of ChatGPT — a system with eerily human-like capabilities in composing essays, poetry and computer code — has awakened the world’s dictators to the transformative power of generative AI to create unique, compelling content at scale.

 But the fierce debate that has ensued among Western industry leaders on the risks of releasing advanced generative AI tools has largely missed where their effects are likely to be most pernicious: within autocracies.  AI companies and the U.S. government alike must institute stricter norms for the development of tools like ChatGPT in full view of their game-changing potential for the world’s authoritarians — before it is too late.

 In 2019, China’s Xi Jinping demanded just that when he ordered his party-state to leverage AI to “comprehensively increase” the ability of the Chinese Communist Party to mold Chinese public opinion.  Russia’s Vladimir Putin has similarly doubled down on AI-enabled propaganda in the wake of his Ukraine invasion, including a fake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling for Ukrainians to surrender.  These efforts are buttressed by a dizzying array of Chinese and Russian agencies tasked with thought control, cultivating a competitive ecosystem of digital propaganda tools underwritten by multibillion-dollar budgets each year.

 Unfortunately, keeping cutting-edge AI models out of autocrats’ hands is a tall order.  On a technical level, generative AI models lend themselves to easy theft. Despite requiring enormous resources to build, once developed, models can be easily copied and adapted at minimal cost.

‘AI is one of the greatest risks to the

future of civilization’

 Israel Hayom, March 2, 2023 | Elon Musk has clashed often with securities regulators and highway safety authorities, but there’s one area the Tesla and Twitter chief says the government should regulate now: artificial intelligence.  “AI stresses me out,” Musk said near the end of a more than three-hour presentation to Tesla investors about company plans this week.  Musk said in Dubai, “AI is one of the greatest risks to the future of civilization.” 

 His words are more important today, as the rise of ChatGPT threatens to disrupt the job market with more sophisticated, human-like writing.  Musk is the co-founder of OpenAI, the U.S. startup now partially owned by Microsoft Corp, that developed ChatGPT, a so-called generative AI tool that provides human-like responses to user input.  Musk added about the development of ChatGPT but he stressed that “there are great dangers in it.”  Honestly, I think AI safety should be regulated,” Musk said. “I think it’s actually a bigger risk to society than cars and planes”.

 Shortly, after mentioning the development of ChatGPT, Musk spoke to attendees at the World Government Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  He added that while cars, planes, and medicine must comply with legal safety standards, AI still lacks rules and regulations to govern its development.

This Won’t End Well: Scientists Hope to

Create AI from Human Brain Cells

 Breitbart News February 28, 2023 | Scientists at John Hopkins University are working on research to enable AI to be constructed using human brain cells, arguing that the use of organic materials is more efficient than traditional computing systems.

 The technology has come to be known as OI, or “organoid intelligence,” and scientists have already achieved success in “programming” organic materials.  In October, scientists in Australia linked a dish of 800,000 living brain cells to a computer, successfully teaching it to play the 1970s video game Pong.  Now, researchers are hoping that organic materials produced in vitro, known as “organoids,” can provide a more efficient alternative to silicon computer chips.

 To harness these capabilities, the scientists hope to employ “organoids,” 3D cultures of human brain cells that replicate parts of our noggin responsible for learning and memory. Their size allows the neurons within them to form significantly more connections than standard silicone computer chips, which could be rendered obsolete by this bold new biotech.

 ChatGPT is an advanced conversational AI chatbot based on the latest GPT-3.5 model.  For this message, ChatSonic was asked this question:

 How could AI enforce the Mark of the Beast as described in Revelation 13?

This was its answer:

 “AI can be a powerful tool for enforcing the Mark of the Beast as described in Revelation 13.  AI can be used to identify individuals and track their activities, movements, and actions.  It can be used to store personal data, monitor compliance with laws and regulations, and even enforce punishments. AI can also be used to identify individuals and monitor their interactions with others and their environments…  The possibilities are impressive and could potentially be used to help create a system of control and enforcement.”

 According to the Word of God, there are two humans (the beast and the false prophet) that are possessed by Satan in the last days, and they control a one world government and religion.

  The first scriptural references to the beast and his mark are in Revelation 13:

 “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.  And the beast I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion.  And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.  And they worshipped the dragon who gave power unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue for forty-two months.  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.  And power was given to make war with the saints and to overcome them:  and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues and nations.  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  If anyone have an ear, let him hear.  He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword.  Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”

 “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.  And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.  And he deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had the power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live.  And he had power to give breath to the image of the beast, should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.  And he causes 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 one may 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 has understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

 The global powers have determined that national sovereignty is destined to fail.  We already see this happening with the economic collapse, well under way. When the Rapture happens, there will be global chaos:

 With governments crippled and devastated, and failed markets and banks, a “New World Order” will be the only solution offered, and then the Mark of the Beast will rise from the ruins of internationally failed economies.

 Today, we are the first generation with the technology available to fulfill such a prophecy of a “cashless” society.

 Already we are constantly hearing about the “New World Order”, or “global community”, and these buzz slogans are slowly sinking in as the world heads towards an international financial and political system, a cashless society controlled by a computer data base that covers the entire globe, keeping track of every man, woman and child, where they cross borders and when they buy and sell, exactly like the one predicted in Revelation chapter 13 nearly 2,000 years ago!

Enforcing the Mark of the Beast

 In the middle of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will enter the Jewish Temple and demand to be worshiped. He’ll also set up an image of himself.  The image will be able to speak, and it will demand worship. There are already many early prototypes of the image of the Beast, using robotics and artificial intelligence:

 If, sometime in the future, you are facing the choice of receiving this “mark’ in your hand or forehead (whatever it is), REMEMBER the eternal consequences:

 “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:11)

 The Good News is that we believe that the Rapture will occur before then.  If you have asked the Lord Jesus to forgive your sins, having been made clean by the blood of the Lamb of God, your name has been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

 If you are not sure that you are saved, simply pray this prayer sincerely, “Lord Jesus, forgive me. I have sinned against you and you alone.  Thank you for your promise in 1st John 1:7, ” … the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s son cleanses us from all sin.” Forgive me, Lord Jesus. Thank you for paying the penalty for my sins and washing all my sins away.  Thank you for your promise in Isaiah 1:18, ” … though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Thank you, Lord Jesus.  Help me to understand the Bible when I read it, so I can learn to love you more.  Amen.

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone No. (918) 279-1136.  The name of the original article in the June 2023 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Could the Antichrist Be Artificial Intelligence?  Are There Two Antichrists Referred to in Revelation 13?  Will an AI Robot be one of the Two Beasts in this Chapter?” www.JohnBarela.com