I have been teaching about Bible prophecy for almost twenty years. I have been studying Bible prophecy for almost thirty years. Because I have taken such an interest in Bible prophecy, I knew a day would come when technology would increase rapidly and the world would change in ways we only used to imagine. I knew someday we would wake up and see that the things we used to call science fiction were now everyday realities. Itโs one thing to know this and another to actually live through it. The day I said would one day come is now here!
Matthew 24:14
I knew from the prophecy ofย Matthew 24:14ย thatย โthe gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come,โย would need modern-day technology to be fulfilled. It was a very different world when Jesus spoke this prophecy to His disciples on the Mount of Olives. Communication was limited. Messages were carried by foot, on horseback, or by ship. It took time to get a message out.
I knew the prophecy ofย Revelation 11:9, where for three and a half days, people, tribes, languages, and nations from around the world would be able to see the lifeless bodies of the Tribulationโs Two Witnesses as they lay dead in the public square. I understood that for that to happen, technology would have to be much more advanced than what we had at the start of the twentieth century. How do people all over the world witness the Two Witnessesโ dead bodies in Jerusalem in real-time? This was impossible in any other age.
Revelation 13:15
I knew the prophecy ofย Revelation 13:15ย when breath would be allowed to be given to the image of the Beast so that the image of the Beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship it to be slain. I knew this event would lead to the Mark of the Beast, and I understood the technology needed for every financial transaction, which would have to be electronic, would one day be possible.
Understanding these things is one thing, seeing them happening in real life is a completely different perspective. What is happening in our lives today is beyond what I think the prophets of old even imagined. God gave Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the apostle John glimpses into Heaven and into the very throne room of God. They saw things that no one else was able to see. They explained amazing details and created a longing for us to experience all Heaven has for all who believe and look forward to their time in Heaven. But I am not sure if even they comprehended how far technology would go before that glorious day arrived.
Amazonโs Alexa
In myย previous article, I wrote and spoke about Appleโs new intelligent phones, which are adding AI to our cell phones and raising the technology bar for cellular communication to a new high. In the past, I have discussed how far advancements have come in smart homes, from our appliances to the Ring doorbells. People like their technology and what these smart appliances and devices offer them.
Several years ago, someone wanted to gift my family an Amazon Alexa. I declined because I knew that the personal assistant was never off and that it listened to everything said. I did not want that invasion of privacy in my house. However, in the last ten years since it has been available, this technology has been embraced to the point that people refer to it as โherโ or โshe.โ They tell โherโ to order food or to play music. They ask โherโ what the weather will be like. This electronic personal assistant has been embraced almost as if it is human.
Hebrews 10:25 and Church Attendance
Multiple surveys have shown that since the “Plandemic,” church attendance has dropped. Because of the Plandemic, churches that did not have a live stream service began one. People โwent to churchโ from the comfort of their own homes. People now have their โfavoriteโ pastor(s). Itโs become more common now for churchgoers to no longer have a local pastor but to have several favorites. And yet,ย Hebrews 10:25ย commands believers to not neglect meeting together but to encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. The technology of live streaming has changed how that command is lived out.
The Agent Hospital
Overall, all this technology has accomplished is leading to less and less human connection. People donโt talk, they text, even when they are in the same room. Food is delivered to our doorstep, often with little or no human contact. We no longer shop, now Amazon drops off our products, sometimes by drone. If we want information, we use Google, or we ask Alexa.
As a student of Bible prophecy, I understood technology would advance, but I did not realize the cost that would be paid to human relationships and connections. Are we at the point where we rely more on technology and machines than on people?
I ask that because this week, I saw what China is in the process of starting. They are on the verge of opening the worldโs first AI Hospital. It is called The Agent Hospital, and the plan is for patients to be seen virtually by AI doctors. It is staffed with 14 AI doctors and four AI nurses. The AI doctors have scored a 93.06 percent accuracy rate on US Medical Licensing Exam questions.
Unitree Robotics
Taking AI and robots to another level, a Chinese tech company called Unitree Robotics has created a humanoid robot with an AI โbrain.โ A robot with an AI brain! This new humanoid has 40 joints, giving it elbows and knees, making it much more mobile and stable. The robot has also become the fastest humanoid robot in the world, with a speed of 3.3 meters per second. This humanoid is designed to do much more than be a robotic arm in a manufacturing factory or flipping hamburgers in a fast-food restaurant. It is designed to do human functions. The company aims for mass production of 500 to 1,000 humanoid robots next year.
Remember the TV cartoon, The Jetsons? The family owned Rosie the Robot. She was their maid and took care of the house. We do not have Rosie, but now we have humanoid robots with an artificial intelligence brain.
