Artificial Intelligence in the Bible (Part Six)

Grace Thoughts

Artificial Intelligence in the Bible (Part Six)

In the last part of our series we identified the “beast” of Revelation as the Antichrist of 1 John, the “man of sin” of 2 Thessalonians and the “king of the North” of Daniel 11.

What we want to look at now is how this person may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in building an empire at “the time of the end.”

Empire of the Beast

Though the “beast” is first mentioned in Revelation 11, we get the most detail about this person from Revelation 13:

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads 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. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. Revelation 13:1-18

The vision John the Apostle saw of the “beast” must have been staggering to a 1st century man. John was seeing things that were going to happen in the far distant (deep) future. Most Christians living during the history of the Church would have marveled and wondered at what John described. How would these things happen? How would all of this unfold in time and space?

We need to look back at one of the visions Daniel saw for more insight into the beast rising from the sea.

Daniel spoke, saying, ‘I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. Daniel 7:2-4

We know from studying Daniel and history that these four “beasts” were human kings who rose to power from their nations. We learn a little later in the same chapter of Daniel that the beasts “arise out of the earth.”

I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’ Daniel 7:15-18

So, the supernatural being who gave Daniel the interpretation of the vision said the four beasts are four kings which arise “out of the earth” as well as “out of the sea.” The idea is most likely that these four kings were human beings who rose to power and built empires.

The prophet Isaiah used the “sea” term when describing sinful humanity:

But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. ‘There is no peace,’ Says my God, ‘for the wicked. Isaiah 57:20-21

Rise of the Beasts

The beast rising out of the “sea” in Revelation 13 is most likely referring to his rising out of the “sea” of sinful humanity. Here’s what we learn about this first “beast:”

he has seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name
he will be like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion
the dragon will give the beast his power, his throne, and great authority
one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed
all the world marveled and followed the beast
they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast
they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months
he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them
authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world

We also learn about a second “beast” in Revelation13. John said he saw “another beast coming up out of the earth.” This beast had “two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.” Here’s what that beast will do:

he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed
performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men
deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived
granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed
causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name
Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

We are really seeing three “beasts” in Revelation 13. We have the first “beast” that John referred to as the Antichrist in his first letter. We have the second “beast” that John later referred to as the “false prophet” (Revelation 19:20). Then we have the “dragon” (Satan) who is the authority behind the two “beasts.” Thus, the number of the beast – the number of a man – 666 (triple six – trinity of man).

This is the culmination of everything Satan started in the Garden of Eden.

For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:5

Satan used what was available to him to deceive the woman and pull the man into joining the rebellion against God (1 Timothy 2:14). Satan has continued to use what was available to him for his deception through the millennia and will do that at the “time of the end.”

AI and the Beast

That brings us to our primary question. How will Satan and the beasts use Artificial Intelligence at the end?

I first began to think about that soon after becoming a Christian more than 50 years ago. I knew that some of what I was reading in Revelation was supernatural. The “dragon” will be the authority behind the “beasts,” which is about supernatural power (Satan), but is everything supernatural or might there be another explanation to what I was reading?

As the years have gone by and knowledge increased and technology advanced, I began to think that some of what I was reading in prophecy might be understood from the aspect of modern communications, technology, and warfare. The Vietnam war was still underway when I was saved and I was a broadcast journalist. I reported about the various battles every day on radio and watched video of the fighting every night on the news. Helicopters and jets with guns and missiles might explain some of the warfare in Revelation, but I still had nagging questions about other things I read. Were the things I was reading based on human intelligence (H), supernatural intelligence (S), or artificial intelligence (AI)? What do you think?

How could one person rule the entire world?
What lie could they tell that the entire world would believe ? (God will also send a great delusion so the world believes the lie)
How could one person have authority over every tribe, tongue and nation?
How could a world leader be mortally wounded then have his deadly wound healed?
Why would the entire world worship that leader?
Why would the world question “who is able to make war with him”?
How would the world’s population know they were worshipping the “dragon who gave authority to the beast”?
Why would the world worship a leader who blasphemed God’s name, His “tabernacle” and “those who dwell in heaven”?
How will the beast “make war with the saints” and “overcome them”?
How will the second beast exercise all of the authority of the first beast “in his presence”?
How will the second beast cause all who dwell on the earth to worship the first beast “whose deadly wound was healed”?
How will the second beast make fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men?
What other signs will the second beast use to deceive “those who dwell on the earth”?
How will the second beast deceive the people of earth to make “an image to to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived”?
What kind of image would people make of the first beast and how will the second beast “give breath to the image of the beast” so that the image “should the image would “speak”?
How would the image of the first beast “cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed”?
How would the image of the first beast cause everyone in the world, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive “a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads” so that no one could buy or sell unless they had the mark or name of the beast “or the number of his name”?
Why is the “number of the beast” 666? What will that mean during the second half of the Tribulation?

Looking back at Revelation 11 we can add these questions to our list:

Why would the Gentiles “tread the holy city underfoot” for the same amount of length of time of the rule of the first beast (42 months = three-and-a-half years)?
Who are the “two witnesses” and why is the length of the prophesying 1,260 days (three-and-a-half years)?
How will fire proceed from the mouths of the two witnesses to devour their enemies?
How will the two witnesses “have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire”?
How will “the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit” make war against the witnesses,” overcome them, and kill them”?
How will “peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations” see the dead bodies of the two witnesses lying in the streets of Jerusalem for three-and-half days?
How will those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them, make merry, “and send gifts to one another”?
How will “the breath of life from God” enter into the bodies of the two witnesses so that they stand on their feet and bring great fear to those who see them?
How will the witnesses ascend “to heaven in a cloud” and their enemies see them?
What will cause a great earthquake that will destroy a tenth of the city and kill seven thousand people?
Why would the rest give “glory to the God of heaven?”

Here are some questions from Revelation 12:

Will people on the earth see the “great sign” that appeared “in heaven”?
Who is the “woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars” who is “with child” and “cried out in labor and in pain to give birth”?
Who is the “great, fiery red dragon” with seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems on his heads?
How will the dragon’s “tail” draw a third of the stars of heaven and throw them to the earth?
Who is the “male Child” the dragon wants to “devour”?
What are the “two wings of a great eagle” the woman flies on to escape to the wilderness “from the presence of the serpent”?
What wilderness will the woman flee to and how will she survive there for 1,260 days (three-and-a-half years)?
What is the “water” that the serpent spews from his mouth “like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood”?
How will the “earth” help the woman by opening “its mouth” and swallowing up the flood “which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth”?
Why will the dragon turn away from the woman and go “to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”?

We can also add these questions from later chapters in Revelation:

Who are the 144-thousand in Revelation 14?
Will God’s wrath really lead to bloodshed outside the city of Jerusalem that will be “up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs” (about 184 miles)? (Revelation 14)
Are the “bowls of the wrath of God on earth” poured out by seven angels supernatural only or might AI be involved? (Revelation 16)
What will use the “great earthquake” that divides the “great Babylon” into three parts and causes the cities of the nations to fall? (Revelation 16)
How will “every island” flee away and the mountains not be “found”? (Revelation 16)
What is the “great hail” that falls on men from heaven? (Revelation 16)
Who is “the great harlot who sits on many waters” in Revelation 17?
Where is “Babylon the great”? (Revelation 18)
How does “Babylon the great” fall in a day – “in one hour your judgment has come”? (Revelation 18)
How will the “kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously” with Babylon the great “see the smoke of her burning”? (Revelation 18)
Why will “the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies” gather together to make war against Jesus Christ and His army? (Revelation 19)
How will the beast (Antichrist, man of sin) and the false prophet (second beast) be captured and cast alive “into the lake of fire burning with brimstone”? (Revelation 19)
How will the rest of the attacking army be “killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth” of Jesus Christ? (Revelation 19)
How will Satan be bound and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years “so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished”? (Revelation 20)
How will Jesus Christ and His saints reign on the earth for a thousand years? (Revelation 20)
How will Satan “be released from his prison”? (Revelation 20)
How will Satan “go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, God and Magog”?
How will Satan “gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea” so that they are able to surround “the camp of the saints and the beloved city”? (Revelation 20)
Why would such a large number of people who lived during “the thousand years” attack Jesus Christ and His saints in Jerusalem?
How will fire come “down from God out of heaven” and devour the rebellious people? (Revelation 20)
How will Satan be “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are”? (Revelation 20)

Video

Next Time

We can ask more questions like these from Revelation, but this should be enough for us to look at the possible use of Artificial Intelligence in the “time of the end.” We’ll do that in the next part of our special series.

We will also have a free eBook on this topic available for download and sharing in the final part of this series.

Apostle JohnArtificial IntelligenceBook of RevelationDanielJesus ChristSatantribulation Artificial Intelligence in the Bible (Part Six)

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Artificial Intelligence in the Bible (Part Six)