Singularity and The Image of the Beast
John McTernan
Revelation 13:15 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 would
not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Background: Science Fiction
Since I can remember, I loved science fiction. Not
horror movies, but it was the pure science fiction
that intrigued me. The first science fiction movie I
remember was The Forbidden Planet. This movie was
released in 1956, so I was just eight at the time. I
must have watched this movie a dozen times through
the years. It never gets old to me.
The Forbidden Planet was the first of the modern
science fiction movies. It was a breakthrough in
technology and a prototype for the science fiction
of today. The movie was so good and advanced in its
thinking that it fits right in with today’s science
fiction. This movie was a classic and set the
standard.
The setting is the early 2200s and depicts an
expedition sent to the planet Altair. A previous
expedition had disappeared and this expedition was
sent to determine what happened. The plot revolves
around Dr. Edward Morbius and his daughter who are
the lone survivors of the first expedition. It turns
out that Dr. Morbius discovered an ancient
civilization that had long been extinct: it was
called the Krell. This was a tremendously advanced
technological civilization that just disappeared.
All above ground had been destroyed, but its
underground energy structure was still intact.
Dr. Morbius was able to tap into this energy source
and greatly advance his intellect. Soon, a monstrous
force began destroying the second expedition. It was
determined that Dr. Morbius’ subconscious, powered
by the tremendous energy of the Krell atomic
reactors, was doing the killing. The subconscious in
the movie was referred to as the id. The id was a
term used by Freudian psychoanalysts to identify the
subconscious part of the mind. According to Freud,
it was the section where human desires such as
eating and sex dominated. What had destroyed the
Krell were “Monsters from the id!” The Krell had
advanced to the point where they just thought, and
their tremendous energy source performed the
thought. It was these “Monsters from the id” that
were unleashed by the subconscious which then killed
off all the Krell. They simply killed each other
from thoughts emanating from the primeval
subconscious.
The movie ends with Dr. Morbius throwing himself in
front of this monster from his id, which is himself.
He dies along with the force. Dr. Morbius’s death
saves the rest of the expedition. This movie is
loaded with technology and action. It definitely was
way ahead of its time.
There are three concepts which stand out in this
movie that have importance for today.
1. There is Roby a robot that interacts with humans
and operates with artificial intelligence. It is
like the robot C-3PO of Star Wars.
2. Dr. Morbius is able to interact with the Krell
electronics to greatly boost his intellect. This
represents the merging of biology and machines.
3. Man’s technology can go beyond man to destroy
him. (In this case, it was the Krell’s technology
but the principle is the same.)
Many of the great science fiction movies that
followed built on this foundation. Let us examine a
few to show how these themes are developed. In Star
Trek: The Next Generation series, there was the
android Data. He was actually modeled after Roby
from The Forbidden Planet. Data looks human, but he
is completely mechanical.
The major nemesis of this Star Trek series is
cyborgs (an organism that has both artificial and
natural systems) called the Borg. A Borg drone is
created by the merging of the biological with
mechanical parts. A drone has one eye replaced with
a mechanical ocular implant. They have one arm
replaced with a multi-purpose tool. These are beings
that function as part biological and part
mechanical.
The idea of a cyborg was fully developed as far back
as the early 1970s with both the movie and TV series
the Six Million Dollar Man, along with the female
counterpart show, The Bionic Woman.
In the Six Million Dollar Man, the hero is severely
injured in a crash. The show begins with the phrase:
“We can rebuild him: We have the technology." He is
then “rebuilt” by having his right arm, both legs
and the left eye replaced with bionic implants; thus
he has greatly enhanced strength, speed and vision
far above human natural ability. He now can run 60
miles per hour while his eye has a 20:1 zoom lens
with infrared capabilities.
The movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day fully develops
the idea of androids so far technologically
advanced, that they have destroyed the human race.
The androids with artificial intelligence have taken
over the world. The Terminator is an android that
completely interacts with humans and looks and acts
human. In this film, man has created beings that can
think and operate as a human.
In The Matrix intelligent machines that man created
have conquered mankind. They use the heat from human
bodies to survive. To harness the heat, the machines
keep the human minds connected to a matrix where the
machines control reality. A connection is placed in
the back of the human skull by the machines and then
the brain is wired to a computer which creates the
matrix. This is the complete merging of the brain
with a computer. Thoughts and knowledge can be
downloaded directly into the brain and become part
of the thought pattern.
These movies are more than science fiction. I
believe there is a prophetic element to them. The
ideas that were first introduced in The Forbidden
Planet can become a reality in our lifetime. This
type of science fiction has been preparing the
public to accept artificial intelligence as a form
of life. The merging of humans with machines is a
theme which the public is now familiar.
Technological concepts that were unimaginable before
WW ll are now very familiar with the public. What
was pure science fiction in 1956 is becoming reality
in the Twenty-first Century.
Man has the ability to create whatever he can think
or imagine. This is because mankind is made in God’s
image. The ability through science fiction to
imagine artificial life, or as we call it today
“artificial intelligence,” means that it is possible
to create such life. The idea of creating a cyborg
by merging the human body with mechanical devices
means that one day it could be accomplished. This
idea of man creating what he can imagine is
supported by the Bible.
Genesis 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people
is one, and they have all one language; and this
they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined to do.
The Hebrew word for imagine is very interesting. It
means to give thought and involves planning. It
involves thought with focus. In addition to imagine,
this word is also translated: consider, devise,
plot, purpose, and think (evil). This concept means
that if man focuses on an idea, he can bring it to
reality.
If man imagines merging his brain with a computer
and creating a cyborg, it can be done. I am sure
that man is limited to working within the physical
laws that God created. But, within this framework if
man thinks of something, with time, effort and
advanced technology, it will come to pass. The
Forbidden Planet is the perfect example. Man thought
of a robot that could interact with humans and today
we are in the early stages of developing artificial
intelligence along with advanced robots. Man is a
long way down the road to interfacing the brain with
computers. All this took less than 60 years!
Singularity
Singularity: The merging of man’s biological
thinking and existence with technology to the point
there is no distinction between human and machine.
The purpose of this article is to give you an
understanding of Singularity; to make you aware of
what is happening and the direction science is
taking; and to relate Bible prophecy so you can see
what is the conclusion of Singularity. This article
is not exhaustive but simply lays out the big
picture. On my blog, John McTernan’s Insights I will
regularly update scientific advancements leading to
Singularity, so you can follow along and see the
rapid progress toward this concept.
The concept of Singularity and its exact definition
are somewhat elusive, but in simple terms it means
that man and machines have become interchangeable.
Thus, when the biological and technical have merged,
then Singularity will have been achieved. It is a
word that few have heard or understand, but mankind
is now in a technological explosion that is directly
leading to Singularity. The science fiction that
started in the 1950s has slowly become a reality.
Roby the robot and the machine that vastly increased
Dr. Morbius’s intelligence are now coming into focus
as reality. Singularity is no longer science
fiction: it is reality.
Entire fields of science are now racing towards
achieving Singularity. Old science such as physics
and biology are involved, but entire new fields of
science are being created that deal with advancing
Singularity. These new fields include: synthetic
biology, biocomputing, biotechnology,
nanotechnology, neuroprosthetics, and biomedical
engineering.
There are now breakthroughs towards Singularity
nearly every day. In most cases, the scientists have
no idea that science is racing to create
Singularity. In some cases, the scientists are well
aware of what they are doing and are directing all
their energy to create Singularity. What can appear
to be fractured advancements are really just parts
of a puzzle coming together. As Singularity gets
closer, there will be direct cooperation with all
scientific disciplines to bring it to completion.
Ultimately, the objective of this explosion in
technology will be to bring Singularity to pass.
There is a spiritual aspect to Singularity that is
part of Bible prophecy that must come to pass. Man
is racing toward a scientific conclusion and many
have no idea that they are working to bring this
about. When mankind reaches Singularity it will
result in an incredible confrontation between man
and God. This confrontation along with Bible
prophecy will be fully explored in the next section
of this article.
There is an information lag between the advancement
of science and knowledge reaching the public. For
example, the concept of the Internet was known in
scientific circles for many years before it reached
the pubic. Today the Internet and all the technology
surrounding it is used everyday by huge numbers of
the public. The scientists were working on cloning
long before the first sheep was cloned. The same
concept holds true with Singularity as it is taking
place “under the radar.” Mankind is a long way down
the road to accomplishing it, yet the general public
has little knowledge of what is happening.
Humans are being blended with machines. Many of the
ways are beneficial and therefore, are protected
from criticism. Who can question an artificial eye
for the blind, or a microchip implanted into the
brain to help a quadriplegic? If science is cloaked
in health or medicine for alleviating human
suffering, it is virtually impossible to question
the application of this technology. I do not think
that many of these advancements are evil, but in the
end, the blending of human biology with mechanical
technology will be used for evil.
As I studied Singularity, it became apparent that
most of the breakthroughs occurred in the last few
years. It seems that starting in 2007, the
technology greatly accelerated. The
Futurists/scientists who predict the progress of
Singularity claim the great technological
breakthrough will occur between 2009 and 2019.
Mankind may very well be on the verge of a huge
breakthrough in technology that will be altering
current reality.
The accelerating scientific knowledge that advances
Singularity is increasing exponentially. This means
that rate of knowledge is exploding and right now
knowledge has reached the point where mankind is on
the verge of making science fiction, reality. At the
present rate of exponential growth of knowledge, the
next 100 years of progress will accelerate to be
like 20,000 years. This is why Futurists think the
10 year window between 2009 and 2019 is so critical.
The two key concepts to follow toward Singularity
are the merging of the human body with mechanical
technology and the creation of artificial
intelligence. The following is a partial list of
scientific achievements showing these concepts are
getting very close to fulfillment. The articles are
listed along with the website link and a key
paragraph which highlights the achievement. The
articles follow:
Merging Humans With Mechanical Technology
Researchers develop neural implant that learns with
the brain 6/24/08
http://www.news.health.ufl.edu/news/story.aspx?ID=5103
“Devices known as brain-machine interfaces could
someday be used routinely to help paralyzed patients
and amputees control prosthetic limbs with just
their thoughts. Now, University of Florida
researchers have taken the concept a step further,
devising a way for computerized devices not only to
translate brain signals into movement but also to
evolve with the brain as it learns.”
US Army Invests in 'Thought Helmet' Technology for
Voiceless Communication 09/22/08
http://www.physorg.com/news141314439.html
“At the moment, the thought helmet concept consists
of 128 sensors buried in a soldier’s helmet.
Soldiers would need to think in clear, formulaic
ways, which is similar to how they are already
trained to talk. The key challenge to making the
system work is a software system that can read an
electroencephalogram (EEG) generated by the sensor
data, and pick out when a soldier is thinking words,
and what those words are.”
Nanotubes on the Brain: Neural implants benefit from
coated electrodes 09/23/08
http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/21407/
“Metal electrodes are increasingly being used in
brain implants that help treat depression and the
tremors of Parkinson's disease, and in ever more
sophisticated prosthetic devices.”
Longer-Lasting Artificial Eyes: An improved retinal
implant stimulates neurons to restore sight.
09/25/08
http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/21420/ (This
article has a very impressive picture of an
artificial eye.)
“For many blind or partially sighted people,
implants that stimulate healthy nerve cells
connected to their retinas could help restore some
normal vision. Researchers have been working on such
implants since the 1980s but with only limited
success. A major hurdle is making an implant that
can stay in the eye for years without declining in
performance or causing inflammation. Now researchers
… have developed hardware they say overcomes such
issues. The implants have been tested in animals,
and the group plans to start human trials by 2010.”
The Future Of Medicine: Insert Chip, Cure Disease?
07/25/08
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070724145124.htm
“Imagine a chip, strategically placed in the brain,
that could prevent epileptic seizures or allow
someone who has lost a limb to control an artificial
arm just by thinking about it.
Conceptualizing A Cyborg: New Ideas On Developing
Thought-Controlled Artificial Limbs 01/22/08
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070118121238.htm
“The central feature of the proposed interface is
the ability to create transplantable living nervous
tissue already coupled to electrodes. Like an
extension cord, of sorts, the non-electrode end of
the lab-grown nervous tissue could integrate with a
patient’s nerve, relaying the signals to and from
the electrode side, in turn connected to an
electronic device.”
Artificial Intelligence
Smart Brain-Computer Interface Learns with the Brain
06/27/08
http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2008/06/smart_braincomputer_interace_learns_almost_like_the_brain.html
(This is Singularity and look how close it is!)
“Until now, brain-machine interfaces have been
designed as one-way conversations between the brain
and a computer, with the brain doing all the talking
and the computer following commands. The system UF
engineers created actually allows the computer to
have a say in that conversation, too … In the grand
scheme of brain-machine interfaces, this is a
complete paradigm change … This idea opens up all
kinds of possibilities for how we interact with
devices. It's not just about giving instructions but
about those devices assisting us in a common goal.
You know the goal, the computer knows the goal and
you work together to solve the task."
Scientist: Humans and machines will merge in future
07/15/08
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/07/14/bio.tech/
“According to Bostrom, anticipate a coming era where
biotechnology, molecular nanotechnologies,
artificial intelligence and other new types of
cognitive tools will be used to amplify our
intellectual capacity, improve our physical
capabilities and even enhance our emotional
well-being.”
Alive and clicking, the computer made from life
itself \ 11/12/06 (This is the area where the big
break through is needed to complete Singularity.
Many of the Futurists believe it will occur between
2009 and 2019.)
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article633928.ece
“The computer that haunts Martyn Amos’s dreams
literally comes to life when he switches it on. With
the potential of awesome computing power it bears
little resemblance to a conventional machine. Where
you might expect silicon chips to lurk is a noodle
soup of cells, chemicals and DNA strands. And to
keep it going, Amos has to ensure it is supplied
with nutrients, not electricity. For the computer of
the future will not be a mass of inert circuitry. It
will be alive.”
“What is Life?” Evolution of Robots is Causing
Scientists to Question 07/01/08
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/07/what-is-life-ev.html
“One of Brooks of his longtime goals has been to
create a robot so “alive” that you feel bad about
switching it off. Brooks pioneered the movement that
teaching robots how to “learn” was more sensible
that trying to program them to automatically do
complex things, such as walk. Brooks work has
evolved around artificial intelligence systems that
learn to do things in a “natural” process like a
human baby does. This approach has come to be known
as embodied intelligence.”
In A First, Scientists Develop Tiny Implantable
Biocomputers 05/22/07
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070521140917.htm
“Each human cell already has all of the tools
required to build these biocomputers on its own …
All that must be provided is a genetic blueprint of
the machine and our own biology will do the rest.
Your cells will literally build these biocomputers
for you."
Computer Scientists Program Robots To Play Soccer,
Communicate With Bees
07/01/08
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/0707-the_future_of_robots.htm
“Engineers built humanoid robots that can recognize
objects by color by processing information from a
camera mounted on the robot's head. The robots are
programmed to play soccer, with the intention of
creating a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots
able to compete against a championship human team by
2050. They have also designed tiny robots to mimic
the communicative "waggle dance" of bees. A world of
robots may seem like something out of a movie, but
it could be closer to reality than you think.
Engineers have created robotic soccer players, bees
and even a spider that will send chills up your
spine just like the real thing. They're big ...
they're strong ... they're fast! Your favorite big
screen robots may become a reality”
Mobile Robotic Arm Taught To Manipulate Objects Such
As Scissors And Shears06/04/08
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080603184624.htm
“Movies portray robots that can move through the
world as easily as humans, and use their hands to
operate everything from dishwashers to computers
with ease. But in reality, the creation of robots
with these skills remains a major challenge.
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst are solving this problem by giving a mobile
robotic arm the ability to “see” its environment
through a digital camera.”
Cognitive Revolution: Integrating Computing,
Nanotech, Simulation And You
08/19 /07
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070811213026.htm
“A large portion of Sandia’s program today focuses
on the uniqueness of the individual interacting with
others and with machines. It involves using machines
to help humans perform more efficiently and
embedding cognitive models in machines so they
interact with users more like people interact with
one another. The result is the ability for
researchers to take advantage of the basic strengths
of humans and machines while mitigating the
weaknesses of each.”
The scientists are racing to create what they call a
transhuman being! Transhuman is the result of
achieving Singularity. This being is far superior in
intelligence to “normal” humans. The transhumans
will have either intelligence amplification or
artificial intelligence. There will be direct brain
to computer interface and possible mind transfer.
This means all the thoughts and emotions in a
person’s mind could be downloaded into a computer
and stored or transferred to another location. This
concept of mind transfer is very important for
understanding what the Bible describes as The Image
of the Beast.
The entire move toward Singularity is an attack on
the integrity of mankind. The humanity of man is
under attack as man is being transformed from flesh
and blood into a mechanical being. The promoters of
transhumanism justify this blurring as the
advancement of evolution. When reading their
writings and the justification of this horror, often
the underlying support is the advancement of
evolution.
Some actually write that Singularity is speeding up
evolution. The idea that man somehow would naturally
evolve into a machine over a million year time
period is beyond ridiculous. These scientists
believe that man has evolved beyond evolution and
now can control the direction of the evolutionary
process.
They look at the biological human as bound in a
frail limited body that through the process of
evolution can advance into a new species, a Cyber
Sapiens! The evolution of technology is just the
continuation of biological evolution. This idea of
technological evolution as a natural process is not
being promoted by kooks, but by many leaders of
these scientific fields. This is not coming from
some fringe element, but from the leading centers of
science from all over the world!
The following are two articles which capture the
evolutionary thinking behind Singularity:
Cyber Sapiens 10/26/06
http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=memelist.html?m=4%23687
“Our current situation is unlike anything nature has
seen before because we are not simply a by-product
of evolution, we are ourselves now an agent of
evolution. We are this animal, filled with ancient
emotions and needs, amplified by our intellects and
a conscious mind, embarking on a new century where
we are creating fresh tools and technologies so
rapidly that we are struggling to keep pace with the
very changes we are bringing to the table.”
Is Robot Evolution Mimicking the Evolution of Life?
06/20/08
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/06/robot_evolution.html#more
“According to Hans Moravec, pioneer in mobile robot
researcher and founder of Carnegie Mellon
University's Robotics Institute, our robot creations
are evolving similar to how life on Earth evolved,
only at warp speed. By his calculations, by
mid-century no human task, physical or intellectual,
will be beyond the scope of robots.
Moravec says, “I see a strong parallel between the
evolution of robot intelligence and the biological
intelligence that preceded it. The largest nervous
systems doubled in size about every fifteen million
years since the Cambrian explosion 550 million years
ago. Robot controllers double in complexity
(processing power) every year or two. They are now
barely at the lower range of vertebrate complexity,
but should catch up with us within a half century.”
On the other hand, others believe that it is humans
who will evolve into advanced “robots”. Their belief
is that with futuristic technologies being developed
in multiple fields, human intelligence may
eventually be able to “escape its ensnarement in
biological tissue” and be able to move freely across
boundaries that can’t support flesh and blood—while
still retaining our identities.”
What is so foolish in all this thinking is that
technological evolution is not happening randomly,
but it is being guided by an intelligent being: Man!
Only someone who is self deceived could think that
the development of a transhuman is happening by
evolution.
Singularity is being accomplished by an intelligent
being applying knowledge. It appears that the
promoters of Singularity have committed intellectual
suicide to advance their agenda based on some
process of evolution. It is obvious that the
architects of Singularity have brilliant minds with
vast amounts of knowledge, but they are devoid of
understanding and the ability to reason. This
delusion on the part of huge numbers of people is
going to lead them into a direct confrontation with
the Creator.
A side issue with Singularity is the striving to
create immortality. Many adherents see this as a way
to avoid death. When Singularity is reached, they
believe all of a person’s thoughts and emotions can
be stored or transferred into a cyborg. A person can
now live forever because the mind can be fully
preserved and transferred from one location to
another. With artificial intelligence one’s mind
could forever be learning and experiencing emotions.
From a materialist’s perspective, this achievement
represents eternal life.
The following articles show the idea of virtual
immortality that Singularity seems to offer:
Virtual Immortality -How To Live Forever
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/06/virtual_immorta.html
“The goal is to combine artificial intelligence with
the latest advanced graphics and video game-type
technology to enable us to create historical
archives of people beyond what can be achieved using
traditional technologies such as text, audio, and
video footage," says Jason Leigh of the University
of Chicago's Electronic Visualization Laboratory.
The researchers plan on taking the appearance,
mannerisms, voice, and even the knowledge of a real
person and synthesizing the data into a "virtual
person" or avatar. The goal is to create an avatar
that will be able to respond to questions and
convincingly represent its human counterpart.” (In
transhuman terms an avatar is an “object”
representing the embodiment of the user.)
The scientists are now wondering if the creation of
artificial intelligence in a computer is a form of
life. They believe because this form of intelligence
can think; therefore, it is a new form of life
similar to biological life. These scientists are
actually grappling with the concept that they are
creating a new form of life. Because artificial
intelligence can be programmed for emotions, they
believe a new species of life is being formed. Many
of the scientists involved with Singularity are
obsessed with their achievements and the direction
of science.
The following article captures how scientists
believe they are creating a new form of life:
“What is Life?” Evolution of Robots is Causing
Scientists to Question 07/01/08
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/07/what-is-life-ev.html
“There is ongoing debate about what constitutes life
… “We’re all machines,” says Rodney Brooks author of
“Flesh and Machines,” and former director of
M.I.T.’s Computer Science and Artificial
Intelligence Laboratory, “Robots are made of
different sorts of components than we are. We are
made of biomaterials; they are silicon and steel,
but in principle, even human emotions are
mechanistic.” A robot’s level of a feeling like
sadness could be set as a number in computer code …
Why should a robot’s numbers be any less authentic
than a human’s?
One of Brooks of his longtime goals has been to
create a robot so “alive” that you feel bad about
switching it off. Brooks pioneered the movement that
teaching robots how to “learn” was more sensible
that trying to program them to automatically do
complex things, such as walk. Brooks work has
evolved around artificial intelligence systems that
learn to do things in a “natural” process like a
human baby does. This approach has come to be known
as embodied intelligence.”
The Image of the Beast
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in
the image of God created he him; male and female
created he them.
This tremendous explosion in knowledge is leading to
a direct confrontation with the Creator, the holy
God of Israel. God created man is His likeness or
image, hence a representative figure. The Bible
makes it clear that God does not have a flesh and
blood body, but the way man was created makes him in
the likeness of God. Singularity alters man’s
likeness to God, and thus man is no longer in the
image of God. Tampering with man’s integrity is very
serious business with God.
It appears from Bible prophecy that man will reach
Singularity just prior to the Second Coming of the
Lord Jesus. This is found in Revelation 13, one of
the most famous chapters in the Bible. This chapter
reveals two infamous men referred to as Beasts. They
are called beasts because of their inner character
and the havoc they bring to mankind. The first Beast
is commonly known as the Anti-Christ (See 1John
2:18) while the second is commonly known as the
False Prophet (See Revelation 19:20.) These two
appear on the world stage as both political and
military leaders. The entire world is going to
follow after them, and all the world is going to
come under their control.
During the time of their rule, the False Prophet
directs the entire world to create The Image of the
Beast, or as he is now known as the Anti-Christ.
Notice the entire world is involved in this project.
This Image is a creation of man, and it is the False
Prophet who directs this project and gives life to
The Image. This verse follows:
Revelation 13:14 “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
(Anti-Christ); saying to them that dwell on the
earth, that they should make an image to the beast …
(15) And he (False Prophet) had power to give life
unto the image of the beast, that the image of the
beast should both speak …”
The Greek word translated image means: a likeness,
and literally a statue, or figuratively a
representation, resemblance. This is identical to
the Hebrew word used for man being created in God’s
image.
The past commentators of the Bible had no idea what
was “The Image of the Beast.” Many just thought it
was a statue that miraculously came to life. It was
impossible for anyone, other than during the time we
live, to understand that The Image of the Beast is a
prototype of Singularity. Man is now a creator of
“life.”
From Revelation 13, it appears that the False
Prophet is involved with science and directs a world
involvement to create The Image. He is evidently an
evolutionist who is aware of Singularity and uses
the resources of all the scientists and research
centers to bring it to pass. In the near future,
there will be a breakthrough in knowledge which
enables the creation the first transhuman. The False
Prophet is able to harness all the resources needed
to successfully produce the first prototype! Man has
reached Singularity.
When the prototype is completed, the False Prophet
is the one who brings The Image to life. This is why
I think he has a tremendous scientific background.
Creating The Image is his idea from start to finish.
He is aware of Singularity, and he knows how to
direct the merging of man and machine. The Image is
manmade, but it has life and the technology to
speak.
The Bible states that The Image will be alive. This
creates interesting speculation on what exactly is
The Image. Because it is alive, I believe it will be
part human and thus a cyborg. The human part could
be the brain. Currently, scientists have used nerve
cells from rat fetuses to create a computer type
brain that can think. The nerve cells are coupled to
electrodes and these primitive brains can move
mechanical arms. It is very possible that The
Image’s brain could come from the nerve cells of
aborted babies merged with a computer. Then the
thoughts and emotions of the Anti-Christ could be
down loaded into this brain: thus, you have The
Image of the Beast. It will be an exact likeness of
the Anti-Christ in its thinking.
I doubt that The Image will have a body like a human
although it is possible. I do not think it will
resemble Data of Star Trek. The Image will most
likely look crude as it is the prototype. It is the
thinking process that will be at the heart of The
Image. The technology to complete this has not been
reached, but in the near future there will be
astonishing breakthroughs to allow it. Man is
heading in this direction.
I am just speculating on how The Image will be
built. There could be another way, but a cyborg that
is part human seems logical. In time, the exact path
will be known, so now one can just speculate. It
will be very interesting to watch man moving toward
Singularity. One thing is for sure, that man is on a
course to create the being described in Revelation
13:14 and the technology to complete it is coming on
line.
The Bible reveals that God does not recognize The
Image as a human being. Whatever is created by man,
and although it has some form of life, it is not
recognized by God as human. This can be seen at the
Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
The Bible describes the return Jesus Christ in
Revelation 19. When Jesus Christ returns it will be
during the battle of Armageddon. The Lord Jesus is
going to annihilate the Beast (Anti-Christ) and the
False Prophet and cast them both alive into hell.
The Bible mentions that they created The Image, but
it is not cast into hell. There is no more mention
of it. The Image just disappears from the Bible. The
verse to show this follows:
Revelation 19:20 “And the beast was taken, and with
him the false prophet that wrought miracles before
him, with which he deceived them that had received
the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his
image. These both were cast alive into a lake of
fire burning with brimstone.”
From the direction that science is now taking and
what Bible prophecy states is going to happen, there
are several conclusions that one can make. There are
going to be incredible breakthroughs in science that
are going to astound the world. In the near future,
everyone is going to know about Singularity. The
belief in evolution is going to gain more and more
control over people’s thinking. The God of the Bible
is going to be rejected as Creator by vast numbers
or people. In the mind of these people, there is no
longer any need for God.
The Warning
When man creates The Image, it is not just for a
scientific accomplishment. There is a sinister evil
motive behind it. The goal is to show that man is
the now the creator. There is a new leap in
evolution. Man can achieve eternal life on this own.
God is out of the picture, and man is now the
creator. Man can have eternal life without the
Creator! This attempt for eternal life is pitiful: a
cyborg!
The False Prophet takes the creation of The Image
into the spiritual realm. He demands that everyone
on earth worship The Image and the Anti-Christ. This
is man worshipping himself. It is a way to
determining who is not a believer in the Anti-Christ
and evolution. Those who do not participate in
worshipping The Image will be killed:
Revelation 13:15 “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 would
not worship the image of the beast should be
killed.”
The Bible issues stern warnings about worshipping
The Image; it is strictly forbidden. All that submit
and worship the Anti-Christ and his Image are
eternally separated from the true Creator. Modern
science, which is based on evolution, will merge
into a religion that worships a man and his
creation. It is pure idolatry at its core. They
worship a man and his cyborg as if they were God.
The Bible warns that those who worship The Image
will suffer judgment on earth. A grievous sore will
break out upon them and they will greatly suffer.
Revelation 16:2 “… there fell a noisome and grievous
sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast,
and upon them which worshipped his image.”
Upon death, those that worshipped The Image will
suffer eternal torment. They will be separated from
their true Creator forever. What a terrible insult
to the real Creator, to have His creation reject Him
and worship a cyborg. God’s warning is absolutely
clear to those who reject Him and worship a man and
his cyborg:
Revelation 14:9 “And the third angel followed them,
saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the
beast and his image … (10) The same shall drink of
the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out
without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and
he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of
the Lamb: (11) And the smoke of their torment
ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no
rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his
image … “
Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat
upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I
saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the
witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which
had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,”
This entire false religious-scientific system will
be destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
All the efforts currently being put into Singularity
will be destroyed. The tampering with the integrity
of God created humanity will come to an end. The
false belief in evolution will come to a very abrupt
end. The rebellion against the true Creator will
cease.
Man’s attempt for eternal life through a cyborg or
android is pitiful and pathetic. God freely offers
eternal life with Him. This offer comes through
faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior. Man was
created in God’s image but sinned and this separated
him from His Creator and brought death. Through the
death of Jesus Christ and His shed blood for sin,
God reversed what man had brought on himself. By
faith in Jesus Christ, God will provide a new body
that is not fashioned like a cyborg but it is like
the resurrected body of Jesus Christ. God promises
you and offers to all believers the assurance of
eternal life with Him.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The future for those that are trusting Jesus Christ
as their Savior and Lord is eternity with the
Creator in a body that never grows old and is not
subject to disease or death:
1 Corinthians 15:44 “It is sown a natural body; it
is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body,
and there is a spiritual body.”
Modern man denies sin and that man has a sin nature.
If God did not eventually intervene and stop man at
the creation of The Image, man would destroy himself
like the Krell of The Forbidden Planet. In the
movie, the Krell died from “Monster from the id;
however, man would destroy himself from the monster
of his sin nature. Man has a bent toward sin and
evil and only through being born again spiritually
through faith in Jesus Christ can this evil sinful
nature be broken.
Mankind is racing toward Singularity and the
confrontation with the true Creator. Now is time to
trust God and turn to Jesus Christ as your Savior
and Lord. In the near future, you are going to be
forced or coerced to worship The Image under the
threat of death. Now is the accepted time: now is
the day of salvation.
Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say,
Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let
him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let
him take the water of life freely.”
For additional information on this topic See
Pandemonium's Engine
By
John McTernan
Defend and Proclaim the Faith
Blog:
John McTernan’s Insights at
www.johnmcternan.name