As humans, we are limited in many ways. This is not to take away from the brilliance of people who excel in strength, knowledge, and capabilities far beyond what most of us can comprehend. Let’s face it—there is brilliance all around us. Discoveries and advancements continue to surpass those of even the most intellectually advanced individuals of the past.
Space travel and technology
are just two examples. Things that were
once considered science fiction and were portrayed only in television shows and
movies are now common, everyday experiences.
In my mind, it seems that whatever the human mind can conceive of, given
enough time, knowledge, and brainpower, eventually comes to pass. I’m sure you can think of dozens of examples
without me enumerating them.
One amazing thing that
fascinates me to no end is the advancement of robot technology. At one time, robots were only fiction, like
the talking robot on the television series Lost in Space. But today, robots and artificial intelligence
are much more than fiction—they are reality.
This brings certain Scriptures
to mind that speak about the Antichrist, the mark of the beast—666—and an image
of the Antichrist being given the power to speak. We are living in an era of technological
advancement that makes some of these biblical passages seem more imaginable
than they may have been to previous generations. Whether we want to face it or not, we are
here, right now, in an age unlike any other in human history.
I don’t know—and I’m sure you
don’t know either—what experiments, advancements in science, or research
involving cloning may be taking place behind the scenes. Human intelligence and scientific
advancements seem to be coming together as never before in the history of
mankind. Milestones are being achieved
faster than my mind can grasp, comprehend, or even conceive of. Just look at AI.
There may be discoveries on
the threshold of tomorrow—or even discoveries already taking place today—that
are so far beyond our wildest imagination that they would frighten us if we
knew what was really happening behind closed doors. Whether there are such secret developments or
not, this thought brings me to something I have never talked about before, nor
have I ever thought about putting it into writing until now.
These are not my
thoughts. They were the thoughts of my
Spirit-filled father-in-law, who passed away forty-five years ago.
True or false—fiction or
reality—only time will tell.
He was not limited in his
thinking or impaired in any way mentally.
I have even wondered whether he might have been using one of the gifts
mentioned in the Bible—the gift of prophecy or perhaps the word of knowledge. (1 Corinthians 12:1; 8-11)
One night, as we sat in his
living room things became very serious and solemn. I listened intently as he shared his vision
of what he believed was coming. He was
not specific about exactly when it would happen, but he sincerely believed that
someday it would.
As bizarre as it sounded to
me, I could not say that it was impossible.
I simply didn’t know. And perhaps
those who do know are not talking—if, in fact, this is really what the future
holds.
He said that one day mankind
would create a human being without a soul—a man-make creation, not created by
God, but produced through man’s own ingenuity and creativity.
He believed that this would be
the point at which the Rapture would take place—the moment when God would say, “It’s
time.”
Jesus would return to receive
unto Himself all born-again Christians who are alive, while those who had
already gone by way of the grave would rise to meet Him in the clouds.
I suppose he felt that the
creation of a man-made human being would be the tipping point—the last straw
that would bring an end to God’s striving with humanity to restore the relationship
He so desires with His creation, a relationship that was broken when Adam and
Eve fell in the Garden of Eden.
Only God knows whether you or
I will ever see my father-in-law’s vision become a reality.
But for me, whether mankind
ever creates a human being without a soul has no bearing on my belief that one
day I will be changed “in the twinkling of an eye” into a glorified body
like the one Jesus had when He rose from the dead.
My concern is not trying to
figure out exactly when or how these things will happen. My concern is being ready.
I want to be ready when the
trumpet of the Lord sounds and the call goes forth on that glorious day when
every believer is gathered to meet Jesus in the air. I want to be ready to spend eternity with Him
in heaven. That is my hope in Christ
Jesus, my Lord and Savior.
Written by,
Papa Boyd
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