by Sharon Gilbert
This Beast rises from the “sea,” which may indicate that this is Apollyon, the leader of the terrifying horde that rises like smoke from the abyss. Regardless of his identity, God will permit this being to “make war with the saints, and to overcome them.” The Beast will rule this entire world as one massive kingdom! At one time, this might have proven rather difficult, but with the ability to “run to and fro” via the Internet, particularly an Internet that may actually waken (more on this later), this Beast will already have a “body” to which he will become the “head” (in direct imitation of Christ our Lord and head of the body of believers). Yet there is more:
TO BE CONTINUED...
PART 8 - WHAT DARKNESS LURKS WITHIN
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The Internet, particularly the Dark Web aspect of its underbelly, slithers about the planet gobbling up souls and separating children from their parents through slick enticements and alluring promises for becoming better, becoming more, becoming a god.
You may find it difficult to imagine a world in which young people line up to be integrated body and soul into the Matrix Machine, but that day is nearly upon us! Those who are now college age never knew a world without networking. They have been online since childhood. Children born today will grow up with constant connectivity and an assumption that where the Internet is concerned, “it’s all good.” Let me assure you, it is NOT ALL GOOD. The linked software and hardware is waking up—evolving—toward a point where passing a Turing Test[i] (such as reportedly finally happened this week) will be child’s play. Computers will achieve sentient status, and legal eagles will peck each other to death debating the rights of the world’s newest “netizens.” AI is a reality. It’s already being employed by the military to operate drones, whether as a single UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or a swarm of tiny UAVs that resembles insects flying in eerie formation. An article from a recent issue of the Daily Mail reports that US regulators want all cars to communicate with each other (networked) by 2017.[ii]
According to Shawn Helton of the excellent, analytical website Global Research (www.globalresearch.ca), the age of artificial intelligence and drones is upon us:
To see how dangerous artificial intelligence has become, all one has to do is look at the work of Eliezer Yudkowsky, a Research Fellow at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI). Eliezer’s work focuses on the evolution of AI self-modification where strong artificial intelligence or Seed AI will be able to program itself, optimizing its own cognitive functions similar to the malevolent computer Hal in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.[iii]
An article posted on January 3, 2014, at RT.com reveals what the US has planned for the next phase of its “drone” program and how AI technology is being sold as a cost-saving advantage:
Unmanned aerial systems currently constitute a major drain on the military’s budget. Officials hope to ease this burden without sacrificing any firepower by shifting many of the human responsibilities to the drone itself. Taken literally, this process involves ending the execution of step-by-step commands and employing commands that the report notes may “require deviation from pre-programmed tasks.”
Along with surpassing budgetary constraints, the authors of the Roadmap anticipate that, should US drone dominance ever be met with an adversary, American strategies will be “more effective through greater automation and greater performance.”
To make this goal a reality, the Roadmap [Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap[iv]] predicts the development of “swarms” of drones that are shot from a larger, unmanned vehicle that carries them within range of a target. The so-called mother ship would be guided by an onboard camera with a human pilot guiding from a military base. When that pilot identifies a target within a range of 250 nautical miles, he would fire the drone swarm with the aim that they will explode on target.[v]
Those who know their Bible surely must be thinking of a passage from Joel 2 that predicts such “swarms”:
Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is near at hand;
A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains; a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks.
Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path, and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble; the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great; for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (Joel 2:1–12, emphasis added)
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The precise meaning of this passage is a bit murky to us still, but it clearly deals with the end times, and we are fast approaching those perilous times. Some have interpreted Joel 2 as representing a last-days army of believers who march upon Jerusalem; however, these “mighty men” behave in very non-human ways. Some predict that this could be a last-days army of hybrids—half human, half angel—who fulfill God’s prophecy and march at His command. Others say this is a fiendish army from hell, perhaps a corollary of or even a reference to the fallen angel armies that rise from the abyss with Apollyon. It is also quite possible that these unflagging entities are military units, some on the ground, others in the air, that include drones and robotic entities with autonomous intelligence. Just remember that God is allowing this army of immortals (so to speak) for HIS PURPOSES. Later in this same chapter, the Lord implores His people to turn to Him and perhaps avoid this judgment from “the northern army” (Joel 2:20). The identity of these “people” who invade, these “mighty men” who cannot be killed and swarm like locusts, may be hinted at by the Hebrew word translated as “people.” The word is am (pronounced “ahm”). Could America be involved? US drone operations are multiplying at a dizzying rate, so it is not inconceivable. But I would suggest something even MORE chilling: that the drones now being manufactured with autonomous capabilities will soon form a robotic army for a sentient Internet entity, the “image of the Beast”:
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 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 throne, 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 which 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 forty and 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 it was given unto him 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 any man have an ear, let him hear.
He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity; he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (Rev. 13:1–10, emphasis added)
This Beast rises from the “sea,” which may indicate that this is Apollyon, the leader of the terrifying horde that rises like smoke from the abyss. Regardless of his identity, God will permit this being to “make war with the saints, and to overcome them.” The Beast will rule this entire world as one massive kingdom! At one time, this might have proven rather difficult, but with the ability to “run to and fro” via the Internet, particularly an Internet that may actually waken (more on this later), this Beast will already have a “body” to which he will become the “head” (in direct imitation of Christ our Lord and head of the body of believers). Yet there is more:
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 before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
And deceiveth 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, that had the wound by a sword, and did live.
And he hath 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 would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
And he 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, except 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. (Rev. 13:11–18, emphasis added)
Let’s take a few minutes to unpack these verses. The Beast from the sea (Antichrist) rises to rule, but he is wounded in the head, ostensibly a mortal wound; yet he survives. Remember the Eden promise from God that one day a hero would arise from the seed of the woman (the hero is Christ) and that the serpent (nachash and most likely also the dragon spirit behind Antichrist) would “bruise his heel,” but that Christ would bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3: 15)? This is the fulfillment of that promise. Christ died and rose again on the third day (He was only “bruised” in the heel). The serpent (bruised in the head) will rise again also or at least make it appear that he has died and risen, and the world will turn to him as fulfillment of every eschatology known to man. The Beast will be hailed as Messiah, Mahdi, Maitreya, Shiva, Vishnu, Ahura Mazda…you name it.
The world will marvel at the Beast, but then John tells us that a second beast arises from the land (appearing like a “lamb,” another Christ-image that I will henceforth refer to as the “Antilamb”) who serves as high priest to the first Beast. This “lamb” speaks with the voice of a dragon (serpent, a picture of Antichrist, Lucifer, Apollyon, the Ancient Enemy). It should chill the soul of any Christian that the brand name of a voice-recognition software product is actually called “Dragon Speak”!
Take note that this Antilamb has the power to make the image speak, wage war, and murder any who will not worship the Antichrist. How is this possible? The mark. The identifier that the Antilamb forces all not written in the True Lamb’s Book of Life to take! N
o one without the mark will be able to work, buy, or sell without the mark, because the Internet Beast, the Leviathan that has awoken (being given “life”) will keep tabs on everything we do via a personal WiFi connection! Of course, there will likely be a “carrot” to go along with this “stick”: Those with the mark will perhaps receive direct stimulation that excites pleasure areas of the brain. An episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation featured such stimulation in the form of a virtual reality “game” that rewarded players via a headset similar to Google Glass, but with a means to transcutaneously activate deep sections of the brain.[vi]
o one without the mark will be able to work, buy, or sell without the mark, because the Internet Beast, the Leviathan that has awoken (being given “life”) will keep tabs on everything we do via a personal WiFi connection! Of course, there will likely be a “carrot” to go along with this “stick”: Those with the mark will perhaps receive direct stimulation that excites pleasure areas of the brain. An episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation featured such stimulation in the form of a virtual reality “game” that rewarded players via a headset similar to Google Glass, but with a means to transcutaneously activate deep sections of the brain.[vi]
This constant monitoring has already begun. In 2009, the Telegraph ran an article predicting an Orwellian age:
The European Union is spending millions of pounds developing “Orwellian” technologies designed to scour the internet and CCTV (Closed-Circuit TV) images for “abnormal behavior.”
A five-year research programme, called Project Indect, aims to develop computer programmes which act as “agents” to monitor and process information from web sites, discussion forums, file servers, peer-to-peer networks and even individual computers.
Its main objectives include the “automatic detection of threats and abnormal behaviour or violence.”[vii] (emphasis added)
Already in the US, social media giants such as Google+, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., scrape every picture and every post, looking for “hot words” and images that not only reveal where you we are via metadata (hidden information within the image that reveal GPS [global positioning satellite] data and date), but that enable the scraper software to make a map of our workplaces, favorite hangouts, and even homes, and to “tag” every face in every image it finds using facial-recognition programming.
Now, those of you who are skeptical about my hypothesis that the Internet has the scientific capability to awaken to “life,” consider the massive brain-mapping projects across the globe (entire list available at Wikipedia; see citation):
aHuman, hybrid of latest neurobiology data aimed to implement human personality by means of computer program, started in 2008 as independent research.
Blue Brain Project, an attempt to create a synthetic brain by reverse engineering the mammalian brain down to the molecular level.
HNeT (Holographic Neural Technology), a technology by AND (Artificial Neural Devices) Corporation based on nonlinear phase coherence/decoherence principles.
Hierarchical Temporal Memory, a technology by Numenta to capture and replicate the properties of the neocortex.
Recursive Cortical Networks, a technology by Vicarious that uses a probabilistic graphical model inspired by the structure of the neocortex.
Visual Hierarchical Modular Neural Network, a software technology by TinMan Systems to visually construct a flow of human thought and logic to produce autonomous artificial intelligence.
AILEENN (Artificial Intelligence Logic Electronic Emulation Neural Network), an entire new cloud-based PaaS platform as a service and IaaS infrastructure for AI represented as a ubiquitous entity based on Neural Networks and Fuzzy Logic with universal inputs, outputs, and actuators aiming to the democratization and human-like interaction as the ultimate resource planner, decision-making process, and actuator. By the inventor and founder of TDVision.
Cyc, an attempt to assemble an ontology and database of everyday knowledge, enabling human-like reasoning.
Eurisko, a language by Douglas Lenat for solving problems, consisting of heuristics, including some for how to use and change its heuristics.
Mycin, an early medical expert system.
NEIL, an attempt to assemble a common-sense knowledge base from processing random images from the Internet.
Open Mind Common Sense, a project based at the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Media Lab to build a large, common-sense knowledge base from online contributions.
PAN, a publicly available text analyzer.
Questsin, uses Query by Example and features a dictionary, knowledge base, repository, reference, and thesaurus.
Siri, an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator with a voice interface in Apple Inc.’s iOS.
SNePS, a simultaneously logic-based, frame-based, and network-based knowledge representation, reasoning, and acting system.
Watson, a question-answering system developed by IBM to play the Jeopardy! game show.
Wolfram Alpha, an online service that answers factual queries directly by computing the answer from structured data, capable of responding to particularly phrased, natural-language, fact-based questions.[viii]
Recently, in response to the European Union Brain Project announcement, President Barack Obama informed the public that US scientists would be launching a similar project called BRAIN (Brain Research through Advanced Innovative Neurotechnologies).[ix] Based upon the resource-sharing structure utilized in the Human Genome Project (codirected by transhumanist George Church), BRAIN plans to map every neural connection within the human body, also called “the connectome.” Many neurologists believe the human connectome equals who we are—it’s our mind, our personality, our inner spirit. Transhumanists hope one day soon to upload their digital equivalent connectomes to new bodies, and these bodies would in turn be interconnected much like the Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Borg are born human, but they are “upgraded” and “enhanced” with technology that makes each one a human/cyborg soldier within a hive mind ruled and directed by a queen.
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The Christian body must unify if we are to serve Christ well. We must use the time left to us to exemplify Christ as Redeemer and King. It is through His blood and that alone that we humans will find eternal life, not through being uploaded to a mainframe. Sadly, rather than heed Christ’s commandments to love God and love others as we love ourselves, we choose to openly squabble. The world needs Christ, but it will accept Antichrist. The doctrine of transhumanism and Internet sentience will draw away our neighbors and our loved ones. Many preachers avoid sermons on prophetic topics, but prophecy has never been needed more than now!
Will Christians be enticed into worshiping the Beast? My personal belief is that anyone who truly has accepted Christ’s redemptive work on Calvary, proclaiming Him as Savior, is “marked” with the Holy Spirit: “Now he who establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 1:21–22).
We who belong to the true BODY OF CHRIST have the Holy Spirit to protect us, but that doesn’t mean a Christian might not be tempted, and perhaps almost persuaded, by the Beast’s lies. Now is the time to put aside petty factions and unite as a body! The time is nearly up. Science fiction, dear reader, is about to become science fact, and humanity could cease to exist if not for God’s promise to intervene. As He says in Scripture:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. (Matt. 24:21–22, emphasis added)
The Internet is shaping your life, spying on you, and making judgments about your posts and pictures. Eventually, it will have the connected drone power to act upon any and all inferences it may make about you and your loved ones. Those who now build the soft and hard architecture that feeds this rising image of the Beast probably have no concept of the terrifying potential they are programming into it. It will not fully rise until the Antilamb is granted the power to give it life, but the Internet is stirring with disturbingly powerful panoptics.
The Antichrist will claim to be Christ, the Messiah, and he will likely come to the world stage at the conclusion of a “world war” that he will claim is the battle of Armageddon. He will say that his arrival fulfills all prophecies, including Christ’s promise to “come with clouds”:
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:9–11, emphasis added)
The disciples saw Christ taken to His Father’s throne via a cloud, and the “men in white apparel” promised that Christ WILL RETURN IN LIKE MANNER. Many believe that this means He will return via a cloud, or that clouds will play an important role in His appearing. The Antichrist may one day soon use the idea of “cloud computing” to claim fulfillment of this prophecy. Cloud computing allows Internet users to store digital information in what is “the cloud.” Actually, this means it is not stored locally, but on a server somewhere (perhaps one owned by Google and floating somewhere at sea!).
Shakespeare’s witches invoked evil spirits and ghosts by the “pricking of their thumbs.” You and I and our children, and soon every person in the world, will feed information, most of it dark and unholy, to the sleeping Beast we call the Internet. However, every bit and byte—every one and zero, every typing of your thumbs—is part of a global effort by spiritual forces to awaken a massive image that will control and cull all those who do not worship at its silicon feet.
And, oh, one more thing.
Did you know that today’s computers are about to be replaced with infinitely more capable and potentially lifelike DNA-based computers? Such computers will not only qualify for NASA’s “evolution” requirement for life, but they will also satisfy the traditional caveat that all life must be based on nucleic acids. And, by being based on DNA or RNA, this also means the new life form is based on CARBON. Six electrons. Six neutrons. Six protons…the number of a man.
666.
A great preacher once told me that Christ will return for His bride when the number (known only to the Father) is complete. When that final soul says yes to the Holy Spirit’s calling, the final judgments commence.
Perhaps, the Internet Beast awaits a similar, perfect number.
Just one more “Like,” and the end will begin.
[i] The Turing Test was described by Alan Turing as a means to “test” the intelligence of machines by having humans try to tell the difference between a computer and a human through text questions and answers. Today’s computers can speak in nearly all languages, fluently and naturally. For more on the Turing Test, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test (accessed February 5, 2014).
[ii] Reuters and AP sources, “Watch Out for That Truck! Cars to ‘Talk’ to Each Other by 2017 Under U.S. Plan to Significantly Reduce Accidents on the Road,” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2551217/Government-
wants-manufacturers-install-transmitters-vehicles-2017-cars
-talk-other.html (accessed February 5, 2014).
wants-manufacturers-install-transmitters-vehicles-2017-cars
-talk-other.html (accessed February 5, 2014).
[iii] Http://www.globalresearch.ca/artificial-intelligence-and-death
-by-drones-the-future-of-warfare-will-be-decided-by-drones
-not-humans/5353699 (accessed January 7, 2014).
-by-drones-the-future-of-warfare-will-be-decided-by-drones
-not-humans/5353699 (accessed January 7, 2014).
[iv] Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap is a DoD document released to the public in December 2013. To read the entire report, go to http://www.defense.gov/pubs/DOD-USRM-2013.pdf (accessed on January 7, 2014).
[v] Http://www.rt.com/usa/drones-own-decisions-soon-156/ (accessed January 7, 2014).
[vi] “The Game,” the 106th episode of Star Trek, The Next Generation. Originally aired October 28, 1991. For more, see: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/The_Game_(episode) (accessed January 7, 2014).
[vii] Ian Johnston, “EU Funding ‘Orwellian’ Artificial Intelligence Plan to Monitor Public for ‘Abnormal Behaviour,’” The Daily Telegraph Online, September 19, 2009, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6210255/EU-funding-
Orwellian-artificial-intelligence-plan-to-monitor-public-for-
abnormal-behaviour.html (accessed January 7, 2014).
Orwellian-artificial-intelligence-plan-to-monitor-public-for-
abnormal-behaviour.html (accessed January 7, 2014).
[viii] Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_artificial_intelligence_projects (accessed January 7, 2014).
[ix] Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRAIN_Initiative (accessed January 7, 2014).