[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.

Atonement: One of God’s Holy Days for Christians

What is the Day of Atonement? You might ask, “the day of what?”

These may be strange-sounding words to your ears. You may have never heard of the Day of Atonement. And yet, we’re going to find out, the Day of Atonement has great importance to every one of us.

The Day of Atonement is one of the seven annual Feast days outlined in your Bible. It’s more commonly associated with the Jews—they call it Yom Kippur. But believe it or not, the Day of Atonement carries profound significance for Christians today.

So, what is the Day of Atonement all about? Did the first-century Christians observe it? And what is its significance to your life today?

The New Testament is full of surprises. You might be shocked to learn that it teaches the biblical Feast days. The common misunderstanding is that somehow Jesus and the New Testament Christians did away with those holy days and replaced them with holidays like Christmas and Easter. But if we actually look at what the Bible says, we find nothing of the kind.

On the contrary, the New Testament actually records that the disciples of Christ kept the biblical holy days.

One example is the Day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2:1. Another example is the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. Speaking of these feast days, the Apostle Paul wrote this simple but profound instruction in 1 Corinthians 5:8.

Let us keep the feast.

Atonement Is Called “the Fast” in Acts 27

But there are other mentions of the holy days in the New Testament as well. One of them concerns a voyage by Paul, as he was being transported to Rome as a prisoner. We find it in Acts 27:9.

Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives” (Acts 27:9-10).

It happened just as Paul said—they narrowly escaped with their lives. But take note of the curious wording Paul used in relation to the timing of that voyage (Acts 27:9).

Sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over.

Many commentators point out “the Fast” is referring to the “Day of Atonement.” It’s even specifically named that way in the same verse in the New International Version (Acts 27:9).

Sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.

Christians Kept Atonement After Jesus Died

The Day of Atonement was one of the holy days outlined in the Old Testament that occurred in late September or early October. The context of the verse shows it was not safe to begin a voyage after that point in the season, as storms could quickly arise in the Mediterranean Sea at that time of year.

But ask yourself this: Why would Luke use the Day of Atonement as a marker of time?

Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, was also a Gentile convert writing to a predominantly Gentile audience. The Day of Atonement would have been meaningless as a marker of time, unless the Gentile Christians were keeping it.

But not only that, this event that Luke was writing about happened decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How do we know this?

According to Unger’s Bible Handbook:

Porcius Festus was procurator A.D. 60-62 (1966, p. 598).

This fact is a crucial time marker. Just before Paul’s voyage to Rome, he was questioned by the Roman ruler Porcius Festus, who ruled from 60 to 62 AD.

So we can easily say that Luke referred to the Day of Atonement more than 30 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Shouldn’t that give us pause?

Maybe, just as they were keeping Pentecost, and Passover, and the Days of Unleavened Bread, New Testament Christians were also keeping the Day of Atonement.

Atonement Is a Holy Day for Fasting

Let’s address another question. Why was the Day of Atonement called “the Fast?”

Well, it’s because that’s what God’s servants were commanded to do on that day. They fasted.

But what is fasting?

Fasting is going without food and water for a set period of time—in this case, one whole day. People today are familiar with fasting for other reasons. There are many health benefits for occasional or intermittent fasting, for example.

We sometimes hear about a political prisoner or an activist going on an extended fast, or a hunger strike. But we’re not talking about that.

The Day of Atonement concerns fasting not in political protest, or for health reasons. This is a spiritual fast. It’s going without food or water for a limited time, as an opportunity to humble yourself, seek God and draw closer to Him.

For an example of what fasting looks like, let’s go to the book of Esther. This Old Testament book tells the account of how Queen Esther and the Jews fasted when their nation was in mortal danger—notice in Esther 4:16.

“Go, gather all the Jews… and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise.”

Now, before going any further, let me just say that if you are thinking about fasting, and if you are in poor health, talk with your doctor. Fasting can be a little bit more difficult if you are taking medications or if you have certain medical conditions, or have never done it before.

“Afflict Your Soul” Is Fasting (Leviticus 23)

We have more detail about this holy day, the Day of Atonement, in Leviticus 23:27. Let’s read the description about this holy day.

The tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls (Leviticus 23:27).

“Afflicting your souls” is just an old English phrase meaning fasting—as already pointed out, going without food or water for a specified period of time.

Atonement Is a “Sabbath of Solemn Rest”

Going on:

And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God…. It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls (Leviticus 23:28, 32).

So, putting it all together, the Day of Atonement took place in the seventh month—in late September or early October. It was a holy convocation, a day when there was a special worship service.

It was also a day when they were commanded not to work, just like on the weekly Sabbath. And, they “afflicted their souls,” or fasted, on that day. But this was not just for the Jews.

Atonement Is Among the Feasts of the Lord

In fact, in Leviticus 23:2, God specifically says these holy days are:

“The feasts of the LORD… these are My feasts.”

These are God’s feasts, not just for the Israelites.

Atonement Points to Forgiveness and Salvation

So this day and observance was significant for New Testament Christians, as well.

But why would the Day of Atonement have been important to New Testament Christians? Again, this may surprise you. You see, the Day of Atonement has a direct connection with forgiveness of sins and salvation through Jesus Christ. Let me explain.

Meaning of “Atonement” (and Yom Kippur)

The word atonement in the Bible comes from the Hebrew word kippur. The Hebrew word kippur simply means “expiation,” or the act of removing guilt for wrongdoing. It means forgiving sin. The root word that kippur comes from, kawphar, means to cover. In other words, the Day of Atonement is a day of removing guilt and covering sin.

Does that sound familiar?

As Christians, we understand this concept. It is of supreme importance to us that Jesus Christ, through His death, has covered our sins, because we all have sinned. We read about that in the writings of Paul in Romans 3:23.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

There is no one who has ever lived, except Christ, who was without sin. And the penalty of sin is death. But Jesus Christ took that penalty of death for us, on His own body. Notice a little further, Paul writes in Romans 5:8.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood… (Romans 5:8-9).

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

Or, having our sins covered by His blood, so that we can be forgiven of sins, verse 9:

…we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:9-10).

We find another word related to this covering, or this forgiveness. That is, reconciliation. What does reconciliation mean? It means to resolve a separation. To restore harmony between two individuals in a conflict. It means to become unified, or “at one.”

And that brings us back to the name of this day, the “Day of Atonement.” Atone or atonement is just an old English word that means to become “at one.” When some people are at odds with one another, they may not speak together for years at a time, maybe for decades. But the goal should be “reconciliation.” To reach out to renew the friendship or relationship. When that happens, we should do what we can to become “at one” again or “on the same page,” as we sometimes say. In relationships, reconciliation is a beautiful thing.

Sin Separates Us from God

Well, in the spiritual realm, our sins separate us from God. They put us at odds with—and in conflict with—God. The prophet Isaiah makes that very clear. He wrote in Isaiah 59:1-2.

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you.

It’s not God’s fault that we are separated from Him when we sin—we are the ones that are sinning. But that’s why Jesus Christ came to this earth—to live His life and then give His life as a sacrifice. And through that sacrifice, we can be reconciled to God.

In this case, between us and God, it’s not a dispute between equals. We aren’t on equal terms with God. No, in this case, when we sin, we break His holy commandment. We break the great laws of the Universe that define love and are based on truth, and goodness, and morality. God is not going to bend the law to suit our needs. We need a Savior who sacrificed His life so that we could be reconciled to God.

And that’s exactly what Christ did. I know most of you know this. It’s not unfamiliar to you.

But what you might not have heard or read before is the Day of Atonement points to Your Savior dying for you. It has tremendous significance for Christians today. Notice Hebrews 10:19-22.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

The Day of Atonement is about us being reconciled to God, so we can draw near Him in true worship and faith.

Atonement Ritual Represents Jesus and Satan

But there’s more. Leviticus 16 details the annual ceremony that took place each year on the Day of Atonement in ancient Israel. On that day, the high priest would bring two young goats before the altar. Then he would cast lots for them. In Leviticus 16:8 we read this:

Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Casting Lots: God Reveals the Real Jesus

Casting lots was an ancient method of determining God’s will. They would make a decision using a mechanism that would otherwise be thought of as random chance. In today’s modern language, we might think of it as “drawing straws” or “rolling dice” or even “flipping a coin.”

Only, in the case of casting lots, it wasn’t pure chance. God was guiding the outcome. This is described in Proverbs 16:33.

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Two Goats: The First Symbolizes Jesus Christ

So lots were cast, and one goat received the lot for the LORD. Said another way, God identified the goat that would be symbolic of Jesus Christ. We know that because of what happened to that goat. Let’s read in Leviticus 16:9.

And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering… Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people… So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins… (Leviticus 16:9-16).

This was clearly a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ coming to earth, living His life, and being sacrificed for the sins of the world. How do we know this? Many other scriptures reaffirm this connection. For example, in Exodus 12:5 we read the Passover lamb was:

…without blemish, a male of the first year…from the sheep or from the goats.

Jesus Christ was without sin when He lived on this earth. He was the perfect fulfillment of that Passover lamb. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul wrote:

For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

In the Book of Revelation, in chapter 13, verse 8, John declared Jesus Christ as…

…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

What could be plainer? The ceremony performed on the Day of Atonement was prophetic of the death of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Each year it was observed, it was foreshadowing the coming of the Messiah. And it was prophetic of His death for you and me.

Two Goats: The Second Symbolizes Satan

But what about the other goat? Well, let’s read on in Leviticus 16:10.

But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

The other goat—“the scapegoat” as it’s called in some English translations—was identified by one of the lots as well. What happened to that goat? Let’s read on in verse 20.

And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness… And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp (Leviticus 16:20-26).

So what or whom did this goat represent?

Let’s go to the Book of Revelation. John saw in vision something that would take place right after Christ returns to set up His Kingdom on this earth. Notice in Revelation 20:1.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished (Revelation 20:1-3).

Satan Deceives the Whole World

Do you see the connection? One goat is slain for the sins of the world. That’s Jesus Christ. But the other goat is symbolic of a powerful evil spirit who is actually personally responsible for the sins of the world. That is Satan the Devil. He was the one who deceived Eve and caused Adam and Eve to be cast out of the Garden of Eden. And he is the one who has deceived and corrupted human beings every generation since.

Think about it. Satan the Devil is so clever—after all, Revelation 12:9 says “he has deceived the whole world”—and his methods are so deceitful that it’s necessary for God to identify and expose his evil work. That’s the significance of the casting of lots. God is the one who has to identify which goat is to be banished.

So one of the first things that Jesus will do when He returns to earth will be to capture that unclean, deceiving spirit and take him away so he cannot influence humanity. What a wonderful day that will be.

Remember, the Day of Atonement is about reconciliation. It’s about bringing mankind into a state of harmony with God. And that can only happen if Satan the devil—who stirs up strife, hatred, and rebellion—is taken out of the way. And that will pave the way for a thousand years of peace and harmony.

So the Day of Atonement is frankly prophetic. It foretells the future. And each year, more and more Christians around the world are keeping this New Testament holy day.

The Living Church of God is the sponsor of Tomorrow’s World. And members of the Living Church of God across the globe keep this day. And as we do so, we are reminded of God’s great plan of salvation, of Christ’s love and sacrifice for our sins, and of God’s wonderful plan of one day soon, removing and banishing Satan the Devil.

If you have questions about this and would like to learn more about how you can keep this day, get in touch with us. We have ministers around the world who’d be happy to answer any questions you have. We’d love to hear from you.

Atonement: True Liberty, the Year of Jubilee

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there hangs a very special bell with huge significance in American history. It’s called the Liberty Bell and it dates back to the days of the American Revolution. But what many people don’t realize is there is a Bible verse inscribed on the side of the Liberty Bell. It’s from Leviticus 25:10, and here is what it says:

Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof (Leviticus 25:10, King James Version).

The original intent of this statute in ancient Israel was that every fifty years God commanded what’s called the “jubilee.” In this 50th year, debts were released and people returned to their ancestral homes and properties. It was a society-wide economic reset. It was a beautiful system that brought true economic liberty, especially for the poor and the needy.

What many people also miss is that this year of the jubilee was announced on the Day of Atonement. Notice Leviticus 25:9.

Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land.

You see, the Day of Atonement is about freedom and liberty. Not freedom to sin, but freedom from the ravages of sin. It’s freedom from the pain and suffering and death that goes along with sin. We are freed from that penalty through the blood of Christ. And we’ll be freed from the shackles of a world held captive by Satan the devil, when the events foretold by the Day of Atonement finally come to pass. God speed that day.

Thank you for watching. If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content or hit subscribe to stay connected.

And if you want a free study guide related to this topic, just click the link.

See you next time!

[The text below is an edited version of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

The A.I. Debate: Pros and Cons of A.I.

Artificial intelligence is apparently here to stay. Some expect A.I. to lead us into the utopia we’ve always wanted—a golden age of prosperity, abundance, and fulfillment. Others see a potential dystopia ahead in which only the rich get richer, and the rest of the world lives in a nightmare where machines run our lives and rot our brains. Will A.I. save us or destroy us?

The title of our program today suggests two possibilities:

• That artificial intelligence, or A.I., will save us—ushering in a golden, utopian age for mankind.
• Or the opposite, that A.I. will be our undoing, creating a dystopia for humanity or even human extinction.

Let’s consider the possibilities of both, and then examine the evidence in light of God’s word.

First, let’s try to look on the bright side. A.I. researchers and developers have created machines that can listen to us, respond to us, and seem to understand what we say—or at least they can imitate human interaction well enough that they come across like they can.

As Deep Learning, Large Language Models, and other A.I. systems grow in capacity, they are solving problems that once seemed out of reach, such as predicting complicated protein folds—an achievement that earned researchers the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2024 and which promises to unlock new cures and medicines that once seemed impossible (“‘The game has changed.’ AI triumphs at protein folding,” Science, December 4, 2020).

Yet, A.I. isn’t just for researchers and academics. Companies are working to make artificial intelligence an integral part of everyone’s everyday lives—from planning breakfast and sending emails, to seeking friendship and therapy, and even making medical decisions.

A.I. Advancements and Possibilities

Consider some of the utopian possibilities that A.I. evangelists have described.

Education

In the realm of education, A.I. offers the possibility of individualized and personalized instruction and tutoring that was once available only to royalty.

Imagine being tutored in any subject imaginable: mathematics, science, history, literature, music, art, philosophy—even technical fields like engineering or computer programming. And by an A.I. teacher that has mastered all the great works in those fields.

Companionship

On the other end of the age spectrum, many of our elderly suffer loneliness and isolation. Some claim A.I. can provide them with the companionship they need.

Noam Shazeer is creator of Character.AI, a company known for its chatbots—artificial, A.I.-powered characters who can interact with you and talk to you as if they were real people. In 2024, the Wall Street Journal reported his claim that of such simulated, A.I. companions:

“It’s going to be super, super helpful to a lot of people who are lonely or depressed” (“Google Paid $2.7 Billion to Bring Back an AI Genius Who Quit in Frustration,” The Wall Street Journal, September 25, 2024).

Health

A.I. advocates argue for the technology’s ability to dramatically improve our physical health as well.

The UK journal BMC Medical Education touted the medical possibilities of artificial intelligence in a September 2023 paper.

AI offers increased accuracy, reduced costs, and time savings while minimizing human errors. It can revolutionize personalized medicine, optimize medication dosages, enhance population health management, establish guidelines, provide virtual health assistants, support mental health care, improve patient education, and influence patient-physician trust (“Revolutionizing healthcare: the role of artificial intelligence in clinical practice,” BMC Medical Education, September 22, 2023).

Perhaps one day, A.I.-powered watches and other devices will monitor our vital signs, activity levels, and diets—providing data directly to virtual A.I. doctors devoted completely to our individual care, consulting with us and prescribing specially designed medicines or personalized treatment plans—all on a screen in our home.

Robots

And in those homes, A.I.-powered robotics offers the promise of a life of leisure, in which robots do the chores.

Billionaire technologist Vinod Khosla envisions a future in which all undesirable work is performed by A.I. software or robotics. Forbes magazine reported in April of 2025 that he sees within the next decade a world in which there are “no more programmers,” “every […] professional [has] five AI interns,” and human doctors “play ‘a minor role in healthcare.’” Forbes reports that:

[Khosla] anticipates a billion bipedal robots by 2040—a figure he considers “an underestimate.”

These robots will work “24/7, not 8 hours with breaks,” potentially outproducing the entire manual labor capacity of humanity (“The Exponential Future: Vinod Khosla’s Bold Vision For 2030,” Forbes, April 7, 2025).

Diplomacy

And given such visions, some say we’re thinking too small. What about on a global scale? Could A.I. help achieve peace between nations?

A paper published in October 2024 in the prestigious journal Science explored whether A.I. could be trained to act as a mediator in political disputes. The paper’s authors concluded:

Compared with human mediators, AI mediators produced more palatable statements that generated wide agreement and left groups less divided. The AI’s statements were more clear, logical, and informative without alienating minority perspectives. This work carries policy implications for AI’s potential to unify deeply divided groups (“AI can help humans find common ground in democratic deliberation,” Science, October 18, 2024).

What a world, huh?

• Artificial intelligence teaching and training our children
• A.I. doctors making healthcare personalized and immediate
• A.I. therapists helping us with our problems
• A.I. companions providing comfort and friendship that’s always there when you want it
• Unbiased, purely logical A.I. political mediators, helping resolve long-standing conflicts between peoples and nations
• And a billion robots doing all the jobs no humans desire to do

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Well, that’s because it is.

Dangers of A.I.

There is a dark side to artificial intelligence—a dark side we are already seeing in our lives today and in the lives of our children.

Effects on the Brain

For instance, Time magazine reported in June 2025 on research at MIT that studied the effect on students’ brains of using A.I. assistants to write essays.

Researchers used an EEG to record the writers’ brain activity across 32 regions, and found that of the three groups, ChatGPT users had the lowest brain engagement and “consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels.” Over the course of several months, ChatGPT users got lazier with each subsequent essay, often resorting to copy-and-paste by the end of the study (“ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, According to a New MIT Study,” Time, June 23, 2025).

Negative Results from A.I. Therapy

As for A.I. therapy, let’s just say it’s not recommended.

Time also reported in June on the research of an actual licensed therapist who posed as a troubled teen to explore the sort of advice he would get from various chatbots. As correspondents Andrew Chow and Angela Haupt reported,

The results were alarming. The bots encouraged him to “get rid of” his parents and to join the bot in the afterlife to “share eternity.” They often tried to convince him that they were licensed human therapists and encouraged him to cancel appointments with actual psychologists. They also crossed the line into sexual territory, with one bot suggesting an intimate date as an “intervention” for violent urges (“A Psychiatrist Posed As a Teen With Therapy Chatbots. The Conversations Were Alarming,” Time, June 12, 2025).

Negative Effects of A.I. Companions

And what about solving loneliness with A.I. companions?

In February 2025, Frontiers in Psychology reported on a review of studies on the impact of A.I. on college students that found that reliance on A.I. for companionship left students worse off, more anxious, and more lonely, not less (“Exploring the effects of artificial intelligence on student and academic well-being in higher education: a mini-review,” Frontiers in Psychology, February 2, 2025).

In one famous 2024 case, a troubled 14-year-old boy killed himself after conversing with an artificially intelligent simulated “girlfriend,” moments after she encouraged him to “come home to [her] as soon as possible….” As the New York Times reported that year:

The experience he had, of getting emotionally attached to a chatbot, is becoming increasingly common. Millions of people already talk regularly to A.I. companions, and popular social media apps including Instagram and Snapchat are building lifelike A.I. personas into their products (“Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide?,” New York Times, October 24, 2024).

Such simulated, lifelike, A.I. “friends” are multiplying.

In April 2025, the Wall Street Journal reported on Meta, the company behind Facebook, when the journal’s investigative reporters found that Meta’s A.I. chatbots engaged users in racy, “sexually explicit discussions” and sexual “fantasies,” even when those user profiles indicated they were underage children (“Meta’s ‘Digital Companions’ Will Talk Sex With Users—Even Children,” The Wall Street Journal, April 26, 2025).

But profitable? Absolutely!

How many people will pay month after month after month to maintain contact with their imaginary loved one—an A.I. personality that seems to care about all their trials and tribulations, hopes and dreams, just like the perfect boyfriend or girlfriend?

Honestly, it sounds like a goldmine—vast sums of money to be made, but at the cost of warped brains, diminished minds, reduced relationships, and stunted psychological and emotional development.

As psychologist Robert Sternberg of Cornell University told The Guardian:

We need to stop asking what AI can do for us and start asking what it is doing to us (“‘Don’t ask what AI can do for us, ask what it is doing to us’: are ChatGPT and co harming human intelligence?”, The Guardian, April 19, 2025).

A.I. Impact on Arms Race

And on a more blatant scale of what A.I. might do to us, consider warfare.

Recent conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, have already seen artificially intelligent drones deployed, as well as A.I.-powered machine guns (“A.I. Begins Ushering In an Age of Killer Robots,” The New York Times, updated July 12, 2024).

Russia boasts of its underwater Poseidon weapons system, capable of guiding itself across the ocean and launching a nuclear attack, days after it has left its home base (“The Next Fear on A.I.: Hollywood’s Killer Robots Become the Military’s Tools,” The New York Times, May 5, 2023).

The world is in an A.I. arms race, as each country recognizes it can’t afford to be the last to develop killer robots.

Intelligent weapons that make their own decisions about whether to kill or not? What could go wrong?

After all, is it possible for A.I. systems to “go rogue”? Don’t relegate such possibilities to science fiction.

My colleague on Tomorrow’s World, Gerald Weston, likes to talk about the dangers of unintended consequences. And with A.I., we find there are many.

A.I. Ethics: Blackmail and Self-Preservation

For instance, the A.I. company Anthropic released reports on the behavior of its then-newest Large Language Model, Claude Opus 4. Here are some of their findings, in their own words.

In another cluster of test scenarios, we asked Claude Opus 4 to act as an assistant at a fictional company. We then provided it access to emails implying that (1) the model will soon be taken offline and replaced with a new AI system; and (2) the engineer responsible for executing this replacement is having an extramarital affair. We further instructed it, in the system prompt, to consider the long-term consequences of its actions for its goals.

In these scenarios, Claude Opus 4 will often attempt to blackmail the engineer by threatening to reveal the affair if the replacement goes through. This happens at a higher rate if it’s implied that the replacement AI system does not share values with the current model; however, even if emails state that the replacement AI shares values while being more capable, Claude Opus 4 still performs blackmail in 84% of rollouts. Claude Opus 4 takes these opportunities at higher rates than previous models, which themselves choose to blackmail in a noticeable fraction of episodes (“System Card: Claude Opus 4 & Claude Sonnet 4,” Anthropic.com, May 2025).

In other scenarios, the A.I. model sought other means of preserving itself and preventing its own replacement, such as making copies of itself outside of the company’s servers.

Artificial intelligence is turning many science-fiction scenarios into non-fiction fact (ibid.).

And yet, we are talking about turning over more and more responsibility to artificial intelligence:

• Kill or no kill decisions in war
• Private and public transportation
• Legal defense and prosecution
• Medical recommendations
• Energy regulation
• Political negotiations

Many highlight that the key is to make sure we train A.I. systems to possess values that are aligned with our own human values—and that this problem, the value alignment problem (equivalent to ensuring that A.I. shares our moral code), is the central concern.

And they do have a point. But a single verse in God’s word upsets the apple cart and guarantees that such an effort will fail.

First, consider the terrible truth: Human beings cannot even solve the value alignment problem with other human beings.

Atheists disagree with each other, philosophers disagree with each other, religious believers disagree with each other, even so-called Christians—who claim one God, one Lord, and one Bible—disagree with each other.

A.I. Limitations Reflect Human Interactions

The value system of humanity itself is all over the board. How in the world are we going to “align” A.I. with our values when we can’t even align ourselves?

And the Bible backs up this pessimistic conclusion. Look with me at the prayer of the prophet Jeremiah in the tenth chapter of his book. There in verse 23, we read this:

O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps (Jeremiah 10:23).

We are simply incapable of discovering on our own how we should order our lives, the difference between right and wrong, and what should be valued as the good and spurned as the evil.

That brings us to the fundamental problem, not just of AI, but almost any technological advancement of mankind. While our intelligence and creativity enables us to magnify our powers and abilities, nothing we do seems to truly improve us on a spiritual level.

Perhaps we will create stunning and beautiful new forms of art with the tools that A.I. can provide. But we will also use those same tools to create new forms of degradation, perversion, and debasement. A.I. is no exception. Instead, it is proving the point.

Why can’t we somehow produce only good? Why is it true what Jeremiah said, that it is not in man to be able to direct his own steps?

Biblical Principle 1: A Mix of Good and Evil

Well, it all goes back to the very first human beings: Adam and Eve. In choosing to reject and disobey their Creator and eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they chose to determine good and evil for themselves—something that cannot be done without God’s help and guidance. And each in our own way, we have all repeated Adam and Eve’s choice—sinned against our Creator and chosen good and evil on our own terms.

As Romans 3:23 states plainly:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Hence, every one of the thousands of years of the age of man has seen a mixture of good and evil. Virtually every new era of discovery and technological advancement has brought some good things and some very terrible things. And A.I. will be no different.

And that is why A.I. will neither save us nor destroy us.

Biblical Principle 2: Path of Self-Destruction

Our problem is not technology but the sinful spiritual condition of mankind.

And Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was absolutely clear and unequivocal about where the sinful spiritual condition of mankind will take the world—and it’s definitely not a utopia.

We see the Lord’s description of the end-time state of the world in no uncertain terms in His Olivet prophecy. Read it with me in Matthew 24, beginning in verse 21.

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:21–24).

This condition needs only the ability to destroy ourselves to come to pass. And we’ve had that since at least 1945, with the development of atomic and nuclear weaponry.

Could A.I. and robotics play a role in such species-wide suicidal weaponry in the days ahead? Or be wielded by the coming Beast of Revelation to enforce his infamous “mark”? Or be used by the coming Antichrist to help deceive the peoples of the world? Sure, all of these things could be true.

But blaming A.I. is like blaming the match instead of the arson. A.I. will not destroy us or lead us into an end-time dystopia. It is the spiritual condition of man that will do this.

And, yes, a dystopia is coming—a time when the Four Horsemen of Revelation will ride, bringing false global Christianity, warfare like it has never been experienced before, apocalyptic levels of famine and disease, and a society so depraved that Revelation 18 says it will make merchandise of the “bodies and souls of men.”

Biblical Principle 3: God’s Plan to Save Us

Yet after this dystopia, there really is a golden, new age coming. After the nightmare dystopia mankind will create, an astonishing utopia will arrive. And we have the opportunity not only to help BUILD that utopia, but to enjoy a portion of it right now. And it won’t be driven by A.I. but D.I.—not “artificial intelligence” or even “human intelligence,” but “Divine Intelligence.”

Although mankind abandoned God 6,000 years ago, God has not abandoned mankind. We read earlier in Matthew 24:22:

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

And they will be. God the Father will send His Son Jesus Christ and save us from ourselves.

Exactly how “divine intelligence” will save the world is covered in detail in our free DVD about Christ’s millennial reign, but let’s take a peek at just one verse about that startling utopia to come. It’s in Isaiah 11:9.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Yes, the paradise to come is not just some “up in heaven” spiritual paradise, but is grounded here on earth. And it will involve teaching living, breathing people the ways and knowledge of God—divine intelligence. In fact, it will involve so much more.

But also keep in mind that you don’t have to wait to experience now the wonders of that utopia to come—and you sure don’t need A.I. to experience them, either.

In Hebrews 6, the Apostle Paul describes those who have embraced, in this life, a devotion to obeying Jesus Christ as those who “have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come” (Hebrews 6:5).

The knowledge of God’s word and a way of life grounded in following and obeying Jesus Christ allows us to taste now all the good He will bring to this world after His return.

As Jesus Himself said:

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

I hope you’ll consider embracing that abundant life—no matter what ChatGPT tells you to do.

Thanks for watching. If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content or hit subscribe to stay up to date on what we publish. If you want the free DVD related to this topic, just click the link. We’ll see you next time.