JOE HAWKINS
We live in an era where virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and AI-driven environments are becoming ever more sophisticated. These modern technologies are blurring the line between reality and illusion in unprecedented ways. A teenager can strap on a VR headset and feel transported to a different world; a mobile AR game can overlay digital creatures onto our city streets; advanced AI can generate images, videos, and even voices that are nearly indistinguishable from reality.
The proliferation of immersive, synthetic experiences may be conditioning our minds - especially those of youth and young adults - to be susceptible to future deceptions. The Bible warns of a coming time of great deception in the last days, when people who "did not receive the love of the truth" will readily believe lies (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11). Could our immersive technologies be preparing the world to embrace the ultimate deception, foretold to accompany the rise of the Antichrist?
In this article, we will explore how VR, AR, and AI are shaping perceptions of reality, using examples from popular media and real life. We'll then examine the psychological and spiritual implications of becoming immersed in these synthetic environments.
Finally, we'll consider how these trends could play into the "strong delusion" prophesied in Scripture, including the deceptive signs of the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Matthew 24:24; Revelation 13). The goal is to sound a balanced yet urgent warning - urging discernment and spiritual vigilance as technology advances, without demonizing technology itself. As we shall see, believers must be aware of the potential spiritual dangers of our brave new virtual world, even as we continue to hold fast to the truth of God's Word...
As a result, we face a world where appearances can easily deceive. What happens, for instance, when AI can generate a video of a world leader announcing something that never actually happened? Or when a lonely teenager prefers his custom-tailored AI virtual companion to any human relationship? We are entering a paradigm where seeing is not necessarily believing, and where people can curate the reality they want to see.
The rise of AI-generated media further muddies the waters. "Deepfake" technology can create astonishingly realistic fake videos of people - making it appear that someone said or did something they never did. AI can clone voices with such accuracy that a phone scammer could imitate your family member's voice crying for help.
Recently, reports surfaced of criminals using AI to mimic a child's voice in a phone call, tricking a mother into thinking her daughter had been kidnapped - a horrifying real-life deception facilitated by technology. Such examples show that the tools to deceive en masse are increasingly accessible. In the wrong hands, these could certainly be used to mislead the public with false "miracles" or manufactured narratives.
This blurring of reality and illusion is deeply concerning. God created us to live in truth and soberness of mind (1 Peter 5:8, Titus 2:6). Our ability to discern truth from falsehood can be dulled when we are constantly feeding on fantasy. There is nothing wrong with a healthy imagination or enjoying fiction, of course. But what happens when entire populations choose to escape into fantasy worlds daily, or when they come to prefer the comfortable illusions over uncomfortable reality?
The Bible explicitly warns that a period of unprecedented deception will characterize the last days. Jesus said that false christs and false prophets will rise and "show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24). The Apostle Paul, describing the coming of the Antichrist (the "lawless one"), said it will be "according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception" among those who refuse the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Because people persistently reject the truth, "God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:11). These scriptures paint a dire picture: humanity, untethered from love of the truth, will be ripe to embrace a grand falsehood orchestrated by Satan's power. The Antichrist will deceive the world with impressive signs and miracles - so convincing that many will worship him as a savior.
How does this relate to VR, AR, and AI? In previous generations, one might have wondered how the masses could be so quickly fooled by one man's lying wonders. But today, we can easily imagine how technology could amplify and globalize deception. Consider a few possibilities:
False Signs and Wonders: With modern special effects, holograms, and augmented reality, a leader could stage awe-inspiring "miracles" that are actually technological illusions. For instance, causing "fire to come down from heaven" in the sight of people (a feat attributed to the False Prophet in Revelation 13:13) might be trivially achieved through advanced weaponry or projection technology.
An Image that Speaks: The Bible foretells that the False Prophet will urge the world to make an image of the Antichrist and even "give breath to the image of the beast, that the image... should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed" (Revelation 13:14-15). This was written in the first century, when the notion of a talking, animated image would sound like pure fantasy or magic. But in an age of robots and AI, such a thing is chillingly plausible.
Some Bible prophecy teachers have speculated that this "image of the beast" could be a form of AI-driven avatar or robot, empowered by demonic influence. Imagine a towering holographic figure or humanoid AI that broadcasts the Antichrist's speeches 24/7, demanding loyalty under penalty of death - essentially a high-tech idol. The technology to create lifelike speaking images exists (through robotics, AI, or simply ubiquitous screens), meaning the infrastructure for this prophecy is ready whenever the Antichrist arrives. Our friends over at Got Questions notes that certain end-times prophecies "seemed impossible until the advent of modern technology" - and indeed, "the tools [the Antichrist] will use may very well be here already".
Global Mind Conditioning: Beyond specific fake miracles, the very prevalence of immersive tech could be conditioning people's minds to accept illusion without question. The more comfortable people are with virtual experiences and "living in the matrix," the less likely they may be to question what is presented to them. If a future deceiver utilizes a combination of mass media, augmented reality displays, and AI-crafted propaganda, a populace that has grown to trust technology's visions might hardly stand a chance.
We already see how social media algorithms create echo chambers where people accept whatever fits their desired narrative as truth. Scale that up with far more immersive tech, and you have a recipe for an entire society believing a "strong delusion" because it's broadcast in every home, on every device, in every VR headset, and perhaps even directly into AR contact lenses or neural implants. It's a sobering thought: the same innovations we celebrate could be turned into channels of overpowering deceit....prophecy warns us that the end-times society will be extraordinarily vulnerable to deception. When we look at young generations today, many virtually live online or in game worlds, we can't help but see a parallel: they are used to alternate realities. They crave the stimulation and often have a diminished attention span for slower, sober realities. If someone (say, a false messiah) comes along offering a dazzling "experience" - be it peace, unity, or spiritual fulfillment - packaged in the familiarity of high-tech wonders, how many would discern the lie?
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