The Great Deception

By Bud Hancock

Deception, cleverly wrapped up in the lies that Satan pushes to try to destroy the Church
and Israel, it is not something that will be witnessed only during the Tribulation Period, it
is even now rampant in this world. I have wondered for many years just what form the
deception and those lies would take. New technology is now evolving faster and faster
and when one looks closely at that technology it becomes more clear as to that form.
With the advent of AI (artificial intelligence), my belief is that the form will be digital, at
least at some point in the not-too-distant future. What do I mean by that? When I bought
our first computer, a Radio Shack TRS-80 in the miod-70s, it seemed to be the future
having arrived in the present, but it was very primitive, especially compared to the
lowest level computer sold today. But it caught on with the public and that acceptance
and fame produced computing improvements rapidly. However, it was not until the past
30-40 years that computers were able to create/produce, or reproduce, images compiled
from a cluster of ones and zeros, that seemed realistic, even life-like. AI seems to have
the ability to create not only pictures of lifelike images, but videos that are extremely
difficult, if not completely impossible to differentiate from videos originating from real,
not computer-generated sources. Whether they are of real people moving, or are just a
cluster of ones and zeros arranged in a clever way, they almost defy human explanation.
Trying to determine the “realness” of such images is a serious problem.

An example of this conundrum is illustrated by a video I recently saw on YouTube. I was
sailing along watching a few videos on Bible prophecy when, in the display of relative
videos on the right side of the screen, I saw one called, “He looked Like Jesus, Then Sang
One Name that Stopped the Arena”. The picture on the screen was of a young man with
long flowing light brown hair, and a full beard, dressed in a white suit and holding a
wireless microphone. He spoke and introduced himself as Elias Grace. In the background
was a wall with the words “America’s Talent Arena” on it. It looked interesting so I
clicked on it and listened to a very good tenor voice singing, “Amazing Grace”. The
performance was quite good, even though it offered absolutely NO spiritual inspiration.
As soon as it completed, I moved on to another site, but something about that experience
troubled me greatly. Later, I went to the internet to learn more about this man, Elias
Grace. I learned that the name Elias Grace is totally fake, he does not exist in reality; his
face, his music, his voice are all AI generated, and unless you have some discernment,
you will believe it is all real.

I went back to YouTube again and, looking up the video I saw and scrolled down to the
very bottom of the text where I found this tidbit:
AI Disclaimer: This video is a creative production made using artificial
intelligence, including AI-generated visuals, music, and storytelling. The
characters, performances, and scenes are fictional and created for entertainment
and artistic purposes.

Now, if people want to be “entertained” by something that, even though it sounds good, is
nothing more than a clever combination of digital ones and zeroes, then OK, so be it.
However, I can now speak plainly that, no matter how good it looks or sounds, if it is
fake, there is absolutely NO spiritual value in it, other than some so-called Christian
entertainment. Of course, entertainment is a very close second cousin to amusement.
Let’s check to see what the American Heritage Dictionary says:
Entertainment: noun, something that “amuses” pleases, or diverts, especially a
performance or show; the pleasure afforded by being entertained; amusement.
Amusement: noun, something that amuses, entertains or pleases; deep thought.
Amuse; transitive verb, To hold the attention of or occupy in an agreeable fashion, to cause
to laugh or smile by being funny, to delude or deceive.

From Grammarly.com:

Connection to Thought
 The prefix “a-” in “amuse” indicates “not,” which implies a lack of deep thought or
contemplation, i.e., without thought

 Therefore, when someone is amused, they are typically engaged in activities that do
not require serious thinking.

In summary, “amuse” does imply a state of being without deep thought, focusing instead on
entertainment and enjoyment.

AMUSEMENT PARK = TIME WASTING

This word study produced a few surprises, even for me. If it was only applied to a
YouTube video that is for entertainment purposes, I see no problem, but the world is on
the brink of the greatest deception ever attempted in human history, and the
ramifications are both life-altering and eternal.

We are told in 2 Thessalonians that the Antichrist, the Son of Perdition, will be revealed
as the “working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Thess 2:9). Satan
will introduce his prodigy, the Antichrist, amidst a marvel of “power, signs and lying
wonders”. Remember that the meaning of deception is “causing someone to accept as
true or valid that which is false or invalid”, or in other words, producing, and pushing, a
lie. It has always been amazing to me that a normal, intelligent person would someone
accept something that is so blatantly and obviously a lie, as being truth.In the words of Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, we are shown why so many in the lastdays will gladly accept the lie that will damn their souls to hell for eternity:
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall
send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned
who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess 2:10-12).
In my mind, the lie that will be presented as truth must be so utterly believable, so
lifelike that to reject it would be considered going against one’s own senses. And thus
shall those who lack discernment be caught in the devil’s trap, deceived and deluded
beyond any hope of salvation.

If a YouTube video, created by men using Artificial Intelligence, such as those claiming to
feature a man named Elias Grace, singing about Jesus, can cause a man to believe there
truly exists such a man (there does NOT), then imagine how powerful will be the tools of
deception that Satan will use to present himself to the masses as a saviour and deliverer.
And in the use of those tools, those who fall victim to them will become the minions of
Satan who will assist him in his attempted conquest of all the world.

As convincing as are the current presentations, created by the clever use of AI, the ones
that are coming will be much more so, and will produce in those deceived, a state
allowing for the delusion from which there will be no escape. The deception may be the
creation of Satan, but the “strong delusion” that will cause their damnation is sent
directly from God (v. 11).
And why does God do this? Because those who should have known the truth, and
received it with gladness, choose to reject it and instead glory in unrighteousness. Notice
in verse 10 that Satan/Antichrist uses a powerful tool to deceive: the deceivableness of
unrighteousness. Per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, deceivableness “refers to the
quality of being capable of being deceived or misled. It implies a tendency to accept
falsehoods or illusions as truth”. Plainly said, those living in unrighteousness (loving NOT
the truth) will be easily deceived and deluded by the lying powers of Satan.

All mankind was born into the state of unrighteousness that descended from the
rebelliousness of Adam and Eve. However, for thousands of years, God has been working
to present truth that, when accepted, will negate that sorry state. As bad as Satan’s
deception is, those who choose to remain in it will be subject to the next, and much more
dangerous, state: delusion, sent by God as His judgment on their unwillingness to see and
accept truth.

Deception can be overcome when the ones deceived refuse to remain in, and wallow in,
unrighteousness. But when delusion takes over, the opportunity to turn around and go in
a different direction will certainly be limited.

These truths should NOT cause anxiety in those who are sealed with the blood of Jesus.
These events MUST come to pass in the last days according to scripture. We are certainly
already in the last days, during which deception will become more and more believable,
and in our daily lives, only the discernment provided by the Holy Spirit will allow us to
remain untouched by Satan’s lies. We must be diligent to tune out that which is simply
empty entertainment and amusement, and stay tuned in to the voice of Truth. Artificial
Intelligence may have some good things to offer, but basically anything that is “artificial”
should be, if not avoided altogether, at least examined through the lens of God’s word. I
have already made up my mind about AI, and determined that the truth about AI is
found in the word:

sAtanIc.
So far, this article has spoken about the horror of being subjected to the lies and
deception of Satan, but please allow me to offer the good news after all the bad has been
presented. The deception of the Antichrist will NOT be seen until the Church has left this
Earth to be with Jesus for eternity. If you still do not know Jesus as Lord and Saviour, you
could become a victim of Satan’s lies, but denouncing those lies and openly receiving
God’s answer to ALL lies, the TRUTH, Who is God Incarnate in the body of Jesus Christ
will place you under the protection of God now, before all the bad stuff happens and will
mean that, when the Lord Jesus steps out on a cloud and says: COME UP HERE”, you will
have endured to the end and will have survived all the devil’s attempts to kill you and
will be on your way to an eternity where no lie will ever again deceive anyone.

S0 stay on God’s word, it IS truth and there is no lie in it. Only there can real safety and
security be found!

Blessings and Maranatha!

Bud Hancock

Born and raised in a small textile town in North Carolina, Bud’s family moved to Michigan in the hope of finding better employment with General Motors.  After graduating from high school, Bud began an apprenticeship with General Motors to become a Metal Modelmaker.  Retiring after a 30 year career, which included an eight year stint as a Metrologist (Science of high precision measurement), he and his wife moved back to North Carolina to be near his elderly parents.  Shortly thereafter, with both of his parents having passed, he began a new career in the bank security/ATM business, advancing from an entry level technician to one of two North Carolina customer service managers for his employer.  Retiring again after 13 years, he and his wife of 51 years relocated to Tennessee where Bud began writing articles emphasizing Biblical teaching and geopolitical issues.  At age 75, he and his wife relocated to South Carolina with their Miniature Schnauzer, Baxter.  Bud continues to study God’s word and write articles on Christian living and geopolitical issues from the Biblical end times  perspective.