A new option in its iOS 10.3 software, released earlier this week for beta testing, asks iPhone and iPad users to share iCloud account data. iCloud services include file storage, email, calendars, photo management, password synchronization, and music and video library management. 1http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/apple-you-share-icloud-data-and-well-make-iphones-smarter/ar-AAmkR4Z?li=AA4Zoy&ocid=spartandhp
No – I’m not picking on Apple. They’re just such an easy target – along with Google, the government, and a host of others.
And no, I’m not totally serious about them purposely assisting a future anti-Christ.
But I’ll bet it got your attention, didn’t it?
But still …
Remember this, from Revelation –
The Beast out of the Earth
Rev 13:11 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.
Nothing I say is to claim something from Apple, Google, Etc is going to actually be the mark of the beast. I leave it for others who think they actually know to make those claims.
All I’m saying is that we are moving closer and closer to an environment where this kind of thing can happen.
Once there is a mark of the beast, we can be sure there will be an effort to find those who don’t have it. Seriously – we do that kind of thing today. Just look how much money our government spends on tracking people – from terrorist suspects to ordinary people who get picked up on facial recognition and license plate capturing as they drive down the road.
With things like what Apple is proposing, we go even deeper into already existing territory where other people put up stuff about us – for the whole world to see. Now, it will be things that aren’t even shared with anyone else – except Apple. Oh yeah – and whatever Apple chooses to do with it. Like to be tagged. And to be searched on. And to be found. All of which exist with data that’s at least semi-public. And now Apple wants to make that process even “smarter” by doing all those things with allegedly “private” information.
It’s inevitable.
It will happen.
And that’s the point of verse 18:
Rev 13:18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.
The point of the number 666? To show that the number of the beast is short of perfection.
Short of perfection.
Sounds a lot like what companies and governments do with our “private” information.
Be wise.
Footnotes
- 1http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/apple-you-share-icloud-data-and-well-make-iphones-smarter/ar-AAmkR4Z?li=AA4Zoy&ocid=spartandhp