It only takes one reel to spark a storm. The moment it went live, the comments began pouring in: “blasphemy,” “the antichrist,” “I’m leaving.” And yet—thousands kept watching, kept sharing. Why? Because deep down, every believer senses it: we are standing at the edge of something Jesus already warned us about.
When the disciples asked Him about the last days, Jesus did not begin with signs in the sky. He began with deception. “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.” (Matthew 24:4-5)
What we are seeing unfold—the illusions, the technology, the manipulation of images that look real—this is not outside of His warning. It is right in the center of it.
The reel that caused so much stir wasn’t just about an image. It was about recognition. If tomorrow someone presented a “Christ” generated by technology, would you know it wasn’t Him? Would you recognize the Shepherd’s voice, or would the signs and wonders distract you?
Pope Leo XIV has raised his own concern, echoing what the Word already told us: that this age of artificial intelligence could become a weapon in the enemy’s hand—images, voices, even miracles that deceive. St. Paul writes, “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)
So, what are we to do? Hide? Be afraid? Absolutely not. Jesus didn’t tell us these things to terrify us—He told us so we would be prepared. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)
The safeguard against deception is intimacy with Him.
That means staying rooted in prayer, clinging to Scripture, asking the Holy Spirit daily for discernment. It means not chasing after every “new sign,” but holding fast to the eternal truth: Christ crucified, risen, and returning.
Yes, the technology is breathtaking. Yes, it can fool the eye and stir the emotions. But the heart that is anchored in Christ cannot be shaken. As St. John reminds us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” (1 John 4:1)
The True Prophet and the False One
Scripture tells us that before the great and terrible day of the Lord, a true prophetic voice will arise to prepare hearts—just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ’s first coming.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” — Malachi 4:5
This “Elijah spirit” will call people back to repentance and truth. It will point us toward Christ, not toward confusion or fear. That is the work of the true prophet.
But then Scripture warns of another voice—a counterfeit.
“Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon.” — Revelation 13:11
“It performed great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people.” — Revelation 13:13
This is the false prophet, the one who will use power, technology, and spectacle to lead the world astray, to make them worship the image rather than the Creator.
He will appear gentle—“like a lamb”—but his words will betray him.
And Jesus gave us the key to discernment:
“You will know them by their fruits.” — Matthew 7:16
The true prophet will always lead hearts toward humility, repentance, unity, and love in Christ.
The false prophet will glorify humanity, ego, and false divinity. It will make man believe he can play God.
So yes, maybe Pope Leo was right to warn us.
Maybe what we’re seeing now—the merging of AI and illusion—isn’t random innovation at all, but the beginning of that spiritual test.
Here’s the real question this viral reel raises: Are we ready?
Ready not just to debate online, but to recognize His voice when the counterfeit arrives.
Ready to stand when others fall for the image, the sound, the spectacle.
Ready to say, “I know my Shepherd, and this is not Him.”
👉 What do you think? Is AI just another tool of man, or the doorway to the deception Scripture warned us about?
