Podcasts about futurists

Title: “Let No One Deceive You” Part 1 Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5 FCF: We often struggle falling prey to speculation and uncertainty regarding the end times. Prop: Because the Day of the Lord must be preceded by the apostasy and the man of lawlessness, we must not let anyone deceive us. Scripture Intro: CSB [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we will read from the Christian Standard Bible starting in verse 3 and going through verse 12. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul definitively addressed the concern the Thessalonians had about the Day of the Lord. That it had come and that somehow they had missed it. Paul answers them directly… it has not come. Today, he will outline a particular event that must precede the Day of the Lord and the return of Christ and the gathering together of His people. And that event seems to be something significant enough and obvious enough that he is somewhat shocked that they have believed this lie, since he has already taught them all of this. He warns them… don't let yourself be deceived. Because of the nature of this information and the fact that there is such wide uncertainty concerning it, I will be forced to break down this context into probably three or perhaps even four sermons from here until verse 12. But let's start with reading the entire context before we get into it. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: God of our salvation, we confess that since our salvation is all of You, that there is neither nothing we can do to get it from You, nor is there anything we can do to void it if You have given it to us. Nevertheless, we confess that this does not make us passive agents in our preservation. You have told us repeatedly to hold fast to what we have received from Christ and His apostles. You have warned us repeatedly in Your Word to trust what You have said over and above what our own senses declare to us. You will preserve us, but the way You do that is by the faith You have put in us. A saving kind. A kind that endures. And so, Lord, we enter this passage to respond in faith and trust Your promise over and above what we observe. Keep us in Your loving care and preserve us to the end. We pray this in Jesus' name – Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Satan doesn't care what we worship, as long as we don't worship God.” D.L. Moody “Satan is not fighting churches; he is joining them. He does more harm by sowing tares than by pulling up wheat. He accomplishes more by imitation than by outright opposition.” Vance Havner “There is something very comforting in the thought that the devil is an adversary. I would sooner have him for an adversary than a friend.” C.H. Spurgeon These words prepare us for the exposition of the Word of God today. Let us begin. I.) A great rebellion led by a lawless man doomed to be destroyed by Jesus will occur before the Day of the Lord, so we must not let anyone deceive us. (3) a. [Slide 3] 3 - Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. i. Paul puts his finger directly on the root of the problem facing the Thessalonians. ii. They are letting people lead them away from what they have learned about the Day of the Lord. iii. Their discernment is vacillating, they have been overcome by sudden fear, and they are believing lies. iv. From verse 3 until verse 12, Paul's basic application is simply this: Do not let anyone deceive you. v. No matter what others say or how they say it, the Thessalonian church must be firmly rooted in truth and convinced of what they have been taught. vi. But Paul is not going to leave it there. He is going to instruct, or re-instruct them on the sequence of events concerning the Day of the Lord. b. [Slide 4] For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first i. Paul gatekeeps the coming of the Day of the Lord behind one event. ii. The event is what he describes as “the apostasy”. 1. The Greek word here means “rebellion” which is most often what we might use to translate this if it were in a political sense. A rebel or a traitor. 2. But given the context of this passage, it seems better to see this in a religious sense. 3. There may be overlap as political and religious upheaval will most likely go hand in hand. But when we use the word rebellion here, I think we do generally lose the religious sense. 4. An apostate is someone who publicly denies a previously held religious belief and distances themselves from the community that holds to it. This could, although not necessarily, include persecution against their previously held beliefs. iii. So, to what is Paul referring? 1. Interestingly enough many of the references to this teaching are written after Paul writes this. a. [Slide 5] 2 Tim 3:1 – 5 - “But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Keep away from such men as these.” b. [Slide 6] 2 Peter 3:3-4 – “knowing this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” c. [Slide 7] Jude 18-19 - “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, not having the Spirit. “ d. [Slide 8] 1 Tim 4:1 – “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by the hypocrisy of liars, who have been seared in their own conscience” 2. This suggests that this is something Paul was shown directly by God's Spirit. 3. [Slide 9] And so, Paul is relaying that in the end there will be a time when people will say they are following the real Jesus, turning from what they see as a corruption of Jesus' teachings, emphasizing the freedom of their flesh to pursue anything they wish, and mocking any who would suggest that Jesus is concerned about living a holy life. They will claim to be godly but have no power to overcome their own sinfulness. They will divide, they will be worldly, and they won't have the Spirit of God. 4. Friends… if what I just described to you doesn't sound familiar… then you are living under a rock. 5. I have just described a cancer that is currently growing in western Christianity. iv. Does that mean that the great apostasy has happened? v. I would… cautiously say… no. 1. Down through the history of the church age there have been several events that seemed to be a great apostasy. a. When the Jews rejected their own Messiah and killed Him. b. When Gnosticism overtook the church and led many astray in the 2nd century. c. When Rome adopted Christianity as the official religion and paganism creeped into it and joined to make the Roman Catholic church. 2. And it is possible that what we see happening today would be fitting this prophesy but as Paul will say in a few verses, this spirit of lawlessness is already at work in the world. It makes sense that we would see aspects of this pop up – like birth pangs. 3. But the way this is spoken about, it seems like we might see a much more staggering and global case of people abandoning biblical Christianity and flocking to other forms of Christianity or paganism. 4. Although we see apostasy on the rise in our culture, and have seen periods of it through the ages, still we see great movements of the Spirit and people are coming to faith in Christ. 5. What Paul speaks of seems to be a great winnowing of Christians that will necessarily result in biblical Christianity being heavily persecuted, on a global scale, and seemingly the church will be overcome by it. vi. Although I don't think this has happened yet – where the United States goes, the world is sure to follow. Should the disdain of biblical Christianity continue to grow in the west, I can see it quickly developing into a worldwide event… especially when the other component of this event happens… c. [Slide 10] and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. i. The identity of the man of lawlessness is, as you might imagine, a hotly debated topic in Christendom. ii. Although there is actually more agreement than you might think, especially between two of the three major eschatological frameworks. iii. Although I am loathe to do it, it is necessary for me to briefly introduce these three major frameworks, so that you are not completely in the dark as to what I am talking about as we go forward. And in order to understand the makeup of these frameworks, you must understand some different approaches to prophesy about the end times. iv. [Slide 11] Last week I already introduced you to one of these… preterits. 1. Preterists believe that some or all of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have been fulfilled, especially at AD 70 when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. 2. Historicists believe that some of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have been fulfilled after AD 70. 3. Futurists believe that all or most of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have not yet been fulfilled. v. Depending on how much of each of these you mix together in your recipe, determines what dish of eschatological framework you make. vi. [Slide 12] The names of the three major frameworks are premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. 1. [Slide 13] Premillennialism, at least one branch of it, is the oldest eschatological position. a. Well known church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Papius, Tertullian, Irenaeus, and many lesser-known individuals clearly wrote about and believed in a premillennial return of Christ. b. Premillennialism adds a heavy dose of a futurist understanding of end-times prophesy. Premillennialism would recognize and appreciate smaller fulfillments, but advocate that these always leave some portion unfulfilled in literal ways. Meaning that they cannot be the complete or final fulfillment. c. At its core premillennialism teaches that the gathering of the saints and a return of Christ will precede a literal 1000-year earthly reign of Christ with His people from Jerusalem. d. After which would be the final judgment and eternal state. e. Even Augustine of Hippo believed this for a time, but eventually became an influential opponent of it. f. Premillennialism today is divided into three broad categories based on when the church would meet Christ in the air prior to the 1000-year reign. i. The historic position is that after the tribulation, Christ would descend, collect His people, and come with them to the earth. This is what all the church fathers I have already mentioned taught. ii. There is also a newer position, represented by one later church father's sermon composed between the 4th and 6th centuries. 1. His name was Ephraem and his sermon said, “all the saints would be gathered together before the tribulation, and taken to the Lord, so they do not see any of the confusion which overwhelms the world.” 2. This would be the bedrock upon which the pretribulational view would be built. 3. A view that says that before the tribulation period, the Lord would come and gather His people and take them to be with Him in heaven during the remainder of the tribulation. iii. Finally, there is a much newer position that attests that at some point in the middle of the tribulation the church would be caught up to be with Christ and wait with Him until the end of the tribulation. 2. [Slide 14] Amillennialism is also incredibly old. Many church fathers held this view. a. Because this view takes many forms, we do see it mix together all three views of end-times prophesy. There is a dash of futurist, a hint of historicist, and a splash of preterist in this view. b. The view says that the tribulation and the millennium are figurative expressions to summarize the events of the last days. c. The tribulation is not seen then as a literal 7-year period, nor is the tribulation an event that is in the future. d. Amillennialism would see the events of the tribulation as describing events that led up to and including the destruction of the temple in AD 70. e. The 1000-year reign of Christ is a metaphorical age of the church, which begins after the destruction of the temple. f. Within this reign of Christ, Satan is bound so the church can share the gospel, but that doesn't mean that there is no opposition. g. At the end of the church age, Christ will return, gather His people, judge the earth, and usher in the eternal state. h. There is a lot of variety within Amillennialism, but this is the general framework behind it. 3. [Slide 15] Finally, there is Postmillennialism. Postmillennialism is, by far, the most modern of the three major frameworks of the end times. It's earliest known writings occurring in the late 1600s. a. Postmillennialism is very similar to Amillennialism, but with a heavier dose of a preterist view of end times prophesy. b. Like Amillennialism, Postmillennialism teaches that the events of the tribulation occurred prior to the destruction of the temple in AD 70. c. After this, a period of time, mentioned as 1000 years but really an undefined amount of time, will occur in which the church will progressively influence the world into a time of peace and prosperity. d. After this the Lord Jesus will return physically and judge the world and the eternal state will begin. e. Although often caricatured as merely supporting liberal social programs to institute progress, or to militantly take the world over, evangelical postmillennialism understands the transformation of the world happening by the preaching of the gospel alone. vii. Having now a basic understanding of each view, we can rightly give the options for how each view sees this “man of lawlessness.” viii. [Slide 16] Postmillennialism understands this entire passage quite differently than the other two eschatological frameworks. 1. Postmillennialism suggests that Paul is not talking about the second coming of Christ at all, nor is it talking about a Christian apostasy but rather a Jewish rebellion. 2. The rebellion then would occur with the events that lead up to the destruction of the temple in AD 70 and the man of lawlessness is none other than Emperor Nero his death occurring just prior to the destruction of the temple. ix. [Slide 17] Amillennialism understands this passage very broadly. 1. Although they do not believe in a literal tribulation or millennium, they do see this man of lawlessness as a movement, an institution, or an individual that telescopically occurs several times throughout the church age. 2. Although Paul's description here would be thought to refer to the events in AD 70, Amillennialism is broad enough to suggest that there could be several small fulfillments of this prophesy before a definitive manifestation of it occurs before Christ returns. 3. This isn't a baseless claim because most of the Jews of the 1st century would have concluded that the prophesies about the man of lawlessness were fulfilled when Antiochus IV Epiphanes defiled the temple and set up images of Zeus within it in 167 BC. Yes, over 150 years before Christ this happened. The last name “Epiphanes” means God-manifest. 4. Caligula, who claimed to be a god, tried to have an image of himself put up in the temple in AD 40, which was just 12 years prior to Paul writing this letter. He was stalled and then assassinated before he could see it done. 5. And Roman General Pompey entered the holy of holies in AD 63, just 11 years after Paul wrote this. 6. All that to say – what we have already observed – prophesies like these seem to have multiple fulfillments leading to an ultimate fulfillment. x. [Slide 18] Premillennialism would view the man of lawlessness as the little horn, the beast from the sea, the fourth king that rises up over the other three. The Antichrist. In premillennialism this is a future king or ruler who will establish a global regime, empowered by and submitted to Satan, seeking to destroy the saints of Christ. 1. Although we will not turn to them, there is remarkable harmony between 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 and several other passages which refer to a similar person doing similar things. If you would like to look these up later and read for yourself, the references are on the screen. a. Dan 7:24-27 b. Dan 8:21-26 c. Dan 11:36-45 d. Dan 12 e. Revelation 13:1-10 2. [Slide 19] Furthermore, that a great apostasy would be tied to this person's rise to power and that he is given the same title as Judas, this seems to indicate a future, celibate, Christian insider, who betrays biblical Christendom and begins to seek to destroy it. a. The CSB translates this “the man doomed to destruction”, which is the same name that Christ gave to Judas Iscariot. This suggests not only that his regime will ultimately fall to Christ's Kingdom, but also that as a consequence of the apostacy, an apostate will emerge with great power. The man of lawlessness will be a former Christ professor. b. Daniel 11 indicates that this future king will not only not regard the gods of his ancestors but that he will also not regard the desire of women, more than likely this means he will be celibate. c. This could mean that he is celibate because he is focused on power alone and hasn't given his strength to women (Prov 31:3). Or perhaps he is celibate because he is asexual or even a homosexual. xi. I am of the opinion that, although the other frameworks include godly brothers, the premillennial position fits what Paul says… like a glove. d. [Slide 20] Summary of the Point: Verses 3-12 are heavy on teaching and light on application. That is a blessing to us because as much uncertainty as there is regarding the specifics of the teaching, there are some things that are quite certain. Paul assures the Thessalonian church that the Day of the Lord will not come until the time of great apostasy comes led by a lawless man who is doomed to be destroyed by Christ at His coming. Therefore, they must not let themselves be deceived to think that the Day of the Lord will come before these things. They must compare what they hear to what they have been taught. [Slide 21(blank)] Transition: Paul has identified the event that will occur before the Day of the Lord. He states that the apostasy and the man of lawlessness will come first. We have done our best to identify this person with consideration to broader Christendom. But what will this man of lawlessness do? II.) The lawless man will commit blasphemies that no created being ever has, so we must not let anyone deceive us. (4-5) a. [Slide 22] 4 - He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, i. One of the primary atrocities that the man of lawlessness will commit will be his blasphemies against Yahweh and His Son. ii. In many of the contexts I put on the screen with the Premillennial position, this blasphemy is spoken of quite plainly. iii. And here Paul gives us a surprisingly rich description. iv. Paul isn't trying to be vague. He is trying to be crystal clear. v. First, we should recognize that this man of lawlessness does something that LITERALLY no Roman Emperor ever did. 1. We know that the Emperor cult was alive and well during the first century. We know that Caesar worship was going on in many cities that Paul visited. 2. We know that several titles in the New Testament, given to Christ, were actually mottos of Caesar worship which the apostolic authors used to correct pagan emperor worship. 3. Things like, Lord, Savior, Son of God, Image of God, God manifest, Lord and Savior. No King but Christ. 4. It was a deliberate rhetorical strategy of first century Christian preachers to simultaneously denounce Caesar worship and exalt the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ. vi. But as often as we have noticed that Roman Emperors elevated themselves to deity… vii. NOT ONE Roman Emperor EVER put himself above every god or temple or object of worship. Not one. viii. Emperor worship was always viewed alongside the worship of many pagan gods. And temples to other gods were not torn down or replaced by temples to the Emperor. ix. Not only that, but down through the ages, although common to elevate a king to some level of deity, no king ever had the gall to suggest that he was over all gods. x. This gives postmillennialism a very difficult problem to deal with. Nero never claimed to be over every other god or object of worship. xi. Amillennialism too has a similar problem although it is not as problematic since some brands of amillennialism would say there is still a future man of lawlessness. xii. What is certain though, is that Paul's prediction here is, in no way, fulfilled prior to AD 70. Not if his words mean anything. xiii. Of course, a premillennial framework, which is primarily futurist allows for Paul's words to be true in their fullest sense. xiv. But this is not the extent of the man of lawlessness' blasphemy. Afterall, being over all so-called gods, demons or otherwise, and being over objects of worship – is no great blasphemy. xv. The real blasphemy comes next… b. [Slide 23so that he sits in God's temple, i. Every single eschatological framework has been written about after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the destruction of the temple. ii. Paul writes before the destruction of the temple by 18 years. iii. On the surface, it seems like Paul would most assuredly be referring to the literal temple and that the man of lawlessness would go into the temple and sit upon the mercy seat in the holy of holies. iv. What's the problem then? v. The temple doesn't exist and hasn't for the last 1,956 years. vi. Postmillennialism and Amillennialism suggest that The Roman General Titus did this when Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. 1. Jewish historian Josephus gave account that the Romans entered the temple and set up images of the Roman Eagles on its ruins and worshipped there. 2. However, other accounts indicate that the temple was destroyed before the Romans entered in and that there is no actual evidence, aside from Josephus' words, to suggest that they set up images to worship on the temple ruins. 3. And no historian suggests that anyone went in and sat down in the temple. vii. [Slide 24] Amillennialism also suggests that this may be interpreted figuratively, although there are three ways it could be seen – hence the difficulty of a figurative fulfillment. 1. The Authority of God a. Taking his seat in God's temple could be metonymy which substitutes something for something that is associated with it. b. “Taking his seat in the temple of God” may simply be an expression to say that he took the place of God – perhaps even that he takes a religious position of authority that God alone would have. c. Some historicists point to the highly problematic position the Pope of the Roman Catholic church created in the 1200s called the Vicar or deputy of Christ, who can forgive sins. Such a place seems to take the authority that belongs to God alone. 2. God's Throne in Heaven a. Taking his seat in God's temple could also be seen as God's heavenly throne. b. Many scholars say that this cannot be for a man could not ascend to God's throne. c. However, if we understand a heavenly throne to imply space – we could actually see someone coming from space (or at least saying they did) and claiming to be the Lord of the Stars. d. I don't want to go down too big a rabbit trail here – but this is a possibility that seems to be even more possible given recent declassifications. 3. The Universal Church a. Many times, throughout the New Testament, the church is called the dwelling place or the temple of God. b. Perhaps the man of lawlessness would be a Christian apostate who rises from within Christendom. c. Furthermore, Paul never uses the expression “Temple of God” to refer to the temple building in Jerusalem. What he does call the temple of God are believers who have the Holy Spirit dwelling in their hearts. d. We'll talk more on this in just a second but let's get to the Premillennial position on this… viii. [Slide 25] Premillennialism traditionally has seen this as fulfilled literally with the building of a third temple. 1. This is plausible, although this puts the immanency of Christ's return, to which the New Testament resolutely espouses, at odds with premillennialism. 2. How can Christ's return occur at any time, when an entire temple needs to be built before someone can go and sit down in it? 3. As someone who leans heavily toward premillennialism, this is a huge problem and the answers that are traditionally given are fairly unsatisfactory. a. Some have suggested that the Day of the Lord and when Christ gathers His people should be seen as two separate events. b. Thus, the temple being rebuilt and the man of lawlessness taking his seat, is a prerequisite for The Day of the Lord and not the gathering of His people. c. However, the weakness of this view is that Paul seems to see both of these events as the same. In verses 1-2 of this chapter, it seems like they are the same event. 4. This is why the Amillennial view of a figurative interpretation is actually quite intriguing. Especially the third one. 5. Maybe we aren't looking for the man of lawlessness to actually sit in the temple of God. Maybe the man of lawlessness will take his seat among Christians. 6. [Slide 26] At first this sounds bonkers, but Revelation 13:6-7 says that the beast “opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. And it was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them” 7. Here John refers to the name of God and His tabernacle as those who dwell in heaven. And he is going to make war with the saints and overcome them, meaning he will kill them. And send them where? Heaven. 8. So perhaps we can be premillennial and not have a 3rd temple after all. ix. But even taking his seat among God's people or even in the temple itself is not the most egregious act of blasphemy. x. What is the worst thing he does? c. [Slide 27] proclaiming that he himself is God. i. Again, postmillennialism has no answer for such a prophetic word. ii. No Roman Emperor has ever claimed to be Yahweh. iii. [Slide 28] Pope Innocent III declared that “No king can reign rightly unless he devoutly serve Christ's vicar,” to which he was referring to himself. Although this comes very close to claiming to be God, it is not the same. iv. [Slide 29] No person in the history of the world has ever claimed to be God Himself… save one. The God-Man, Jesus Christ. v. This is why many rightly point out the mockery of Satan. vi. [Slide 30] Satan takes what God does and mimics and defiles it. 1. Just as God is three persons in one God, Satan is the Father power behind the man of lawlessness, his son, and the second beast from the land also called the false prophet, aids the man of lawlessness by giving false signs and wonders. The unholy trinity. 2. Just as Jesus was a Jew and rose up within Judaism, claimed to fulfill the law, and claimed to be God Himself, so the man of lawlessness will rise up within an apostate Christendom, exalt himself above every other so-called god and claim to be God. vii. Both the Amillennial and premillennial framework make way for this… but I think the premillennial position gives a clearer understanding here. viii. As close as some emperors and popes have come, none have ever truly fulfilled Paul's words to the letter. ix. This is all certainly a lot to take in. x. Nevertheless, Paul speaks of this quite succinctly. In only a couple verses he has talked about several extended passages in Daniel and throughout the yet-to-be-written New Testament. xi. How can he write so briefly on such a huge topic? d. [Slide 31] 5 - Don't you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? i. Paul can speak briefly about all of this – because he remembers teaching them all of this in much greater detail. ii. Paul now, as an aside, interrupts his teaching of the man of lawlessness to express, what I see as a bit of frustration or confusion regarding all that he has just said. iii. He says – “don't you remember?” iv. It has only been a few months, at most a year since Paul and his companions were with them in Thessalonica. v. They should remember…. vi. Paul is shocked that they are vacillating on this issue when it was so recent that he taught them these things. vii. But this drives us back to the original exhortation which Paul began in verse 3. viii. They have “let themselves” be deceived. ix. In this he also teaches them the cure to not allowing themselves to be deceived. x. It is, quite simply, to remember what they have been taught. xi. Compare what they are hearing, what is causing them fear, and what they are being tempted to believe to what they have already been taught. xii. Anything that contradicts – must be cast aside. e. [Slide 32] Summary of the Point: Again, shoving aside all the uncertain things, we can arrive at certain truths. The lawless man will commit acts of blasphemy so egregious that they have never been or been allowed to be before. He will elevate himself above all other gods and objects of worship. He will take his seat in God's temple and claim to be God. Because these things are so terrible, we should be looking for nothing less before the coming of the Day of the Lord. Let no one deceive us on this. Hold fast to what we've been taught. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles. [Slide 33] Basics of Faith and Practice: Even though there is a great deal of uncertainty here, some things Paul says are certain. The Day of the Lord must be preceded by the apostasy and the man of lawlessness. Until these things occur, the Lord will not return. And in order to be an orthodox Christian, you must see some or all of what has been predicted in this text, as still yet to come. So, we must not let anyone deceive us. So, what things do we need to take away from this text this morning? 1.) [Slide 34] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that before the Day of the Lord, first there must be the apostasy and the man of lawlessness. a. Aside from Postmillennialism, all Christians in the church age have believed that there will be some ultimate and definitive manifestation of the apostasy and the man of lawlessness before Christ returns. b. The two oldest positions concluded that things will get worse for the church before Christ returns. c. If you are Postmillennial, although I still see you as a brother –I find a lot of difficulty arriving at such a position. d. Providentially, we have seen a huge rise in Reformed or Reforming churches adopting Postmillennialism as their eschatological framework. But with an honest look at this passage – my friends – I just don't see it. e. We must conclude from this text, even after the events of AD 70, that there is still yet to come a great apostasy and a lawless and blasphemous man who will lead it. 2.) [Slide 35] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the man of lawlessness will commit acts of blasphemy that go beyond what any created being has committed in the history of the world. a. Even if Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 describe Satan, even he never committed such blasphemies against Yahweh. b. At most Satan said he would be “like” the most High. c. But to elevate himself above every other created being, to sit down in the temple of Yahweh and claim to be Yahweh Himself… such acts have never been committed, by any of God's creatures. None have dared to do such things. d. The only man to have done something like this – is Jesus. Of course, then it isn't blasphemy, because it is true. e. Next week we will observe that something or someone is holding this man of lawlessness back. It is keeping him from leading this rebellion and committing these blasphemous acts. f. This all fits together to indicate to me – that as believers we will know when such a man is upon us. It won't be hidden and it won't be a surprise. There may be elements of it that will be tempting to believe… but we won't be fooled. And Paul gives us some fairly big clues. g. Look for a blasphemous man to claim to be God or even Jesus. h. Look for him to be claiming to be a Christian. Look for him to not regard the desire of women. Look for him to try to snuff out biblical Christianity. Look for him to desire power above all else. 3.) [Slide 36] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We should deny that the man of lawlessness has already come. a. I use the word should and not must – because of the uncertainty in this. I don't want to be too strong. b. But from my view, Paul doesn't give this sign to the Thessalonians supposing that it will be hard to see. c. In fact, he kinda words it like it will be easy to see. He is shocked they are thinking the Day of the Lord had come, when so clearly this apostasy and man of lawlessness had NOT come. d. This isn't negating what Jesus said about the false prophets giving prophesies and exhibiting signs that are so strong that if it were possible, it would deceive the elect. e. Jesus' point there is that it will be such a tumultuous time spiritually, that all Christians in name only will not stand a chance. They will be deceived. Only the elect will be preserved, not because they are special, but because they will hold fast to their divinely given faith – even though their eyes and ears tell them something completely different. f. Paul is saying to look for these signs. They must precede the Lord's return. g. Therefore… 4.) [Slide 37] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must not let ourselves be deceived. a. Christian, hold fast to your faith no matter what. b. And don't go running to see someone who has claimed to be Christ. No matter how convincing He is… We won't need to be called to go meet Him… He will bring us to Himself. c. Keep trusting in Christ alone. d. Keep growing in faith and love for one another. e. Keep gathering together with other believers who will help you see through the lies. f. And don't be looking for new or creative approaches to Christianity. Seek beliefs and practices that are firmly rooted in what the church has been doing since the beginning. g. Novelty and innovation in the church's doctrine and practice is the spirit of lawlessness. It is the beginning of this man's work. h. Do not let yourself be deceived Hold fast to what you were taught. 5.) [Slide 38] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” The man of lawlessness is also the man doomed to destruction. a. Though we may despise him, though we may hate him, though we may be tempted to love him, though we may be tempted to follow him… he is doomed for destruction. b. No doubt he will be convincing and powerful. He will persuade many. Another will come and give many signs and wonders proving him to be what he claims to be. c. Many people, friends and family members who we know and who have claimed to be Christians, will be deceived and will fall away. d. Many of us… will be hunted and killed by this man because we hold fast to biblical Christianity and refuse to worship Him as God. e. But remember… He will be slain by the breath of the Lord. His kingdom will topple. And he will be cast alive into the lake of fire along with the False Prophet. f. As much destruction as he may cause – also remember that God has sealed His true people by His Spirit. g. If possible, you would be deceived. But it is not possible. Not for those who continue to believe. Not for those that God has promised to glorify since He has counted them worthy of His call. h. God will preserve you… so keep believing. Keep hoping. Keep trusting. Even if all your senses tell you to stop. Keep hoping in Christ alone. 6.) [Slide 39] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” As long as you remain a quasi-Christian or an unbeliever, you will be deceived. a. Jesus' comments in Matthew 24 and Paul's words here make it abundantly clear. b. In the last days, the line between the visible and the invisible church will grow crisp and black. c. Now such a divide between the organization and the people who truly are Christians is very blurry. But in that day, the line between them will be quite plain. d. The visible church will be apostate. You will still be able to call yourself a Christian. You will still be able to worship Jesus. But you will have to confess that this one… this man… is Him. It will appear that He has come and set up His Kingdom. e. And the invisible church, the real church, will be the ones considered rebels. Deniers. f. They will say, “How can you deny that the Jesus you believed in all your life is not the one who is walking among us today? He has brought peace and love to the world! How can this not be the Jesus of the bible? He has healed our wounds!” g. Everything will be flipped on its head. h. My friends, if you are not a genuine Christian, you will be deceived by this man's coming. And what's worse, you will turn against true believers. You will seek our death. i. But its not too late. Not yet. j. You can repent of your sin and put your trust in the REAL Jesus today. You can leave all your sin and pride behind, all your idols, and serve Christ forever. It won't be easy… and you may die for Him… But you will be gathered together with Him on that day when He defeats this man of lawlessness. k. Won't you repent and believe on Jesus? Won't you bow the knee to Him today? [Slide 40 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Danish Reformer Niels Hemmingsen O Heavenly Father, I pray to you for your dear Son's sake, Jesus Christ, our only Savior's sake, that you would reign over us all with your word and your Holy Spirit. Do not let your enemy's hand have power over us, to steer us away from you. Give the rest of us the will and ability to refute the devil's deeds, adultery, and sexual sin. Make holy all those servants of God's word with your Spirit, so they might learn and seek your holy will. Help us all that we may live here in the world according to your will—in the fear of God, in honesty, and in pure living-that we may find on the final day of judgment that we are your chosen, in everlasting joy and salvation through your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. To you, the only good and merciful God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all worship, honor, and praise forever, amen. Benediction: Go, dwell on his love by sweetest song, And crown His head with multitudes of praises. Till all kings bow down to him and all nations serve Him. Until we meet again, Grace and peace to you.

Wayfound.AI is one of the most exciting new ventures in Silicon Valley. CEO Tatyana Mamut joins the Futurists to share her vision of the agentic company of the future, where AI agents supervise a swarm of  workforce comprised of subordinate agents, on behalf of human managers who cannot work 24×7. As a startup venture, Wayfound is a novel experiment in running a business almost entirely with an agentic workforce and just a handful of human employees. It's the ultimate “eat your own dog food” approach to building a product. Matmut brings a unique perspective to software product leadership as an economic anthropologist. She shares those views here. Anyone curious about the workforce of the future will find this episode fascinating. 

This week the three hosts Rob, Ross and Brett are back in the studio debating the likely turning point in Geopolitical history from the Iran War, the resultant energy crisis, combined with the emerging demand for energy and compute based on AI. The world is irreversibally changing and The Futurists bring their unique insights and grasp on superforecasting to the momentum for what is coming. 

In a week where:King Charles III visits the US.The US Supreme Court limits the Voting Rights Act, a Civil Rights-era law intended to protect minority voting power.Nigel Farage was given undisclosed £5m by crypto billionaire in 2024.A report UK stole 25m years of life and labour through slavery in Barbados alone.Elections throughout the UK will go down tomorrow.In Politics: (11:22) Palestine Action in Germany are getting similar treatment they got in the UK, setting the stage for a landmark trial that'll set a precedent for free speech in Germany. (Article By Hanno Hauenstein)In Environment: (25:41) The Indigenous peoples continue to live in the outskirts. But the Climate Crisis doesn't discriminate and it's punishing the Indigenous hard with little to no monetary support. (Article By Anita Hofschneider)In Music: (37:52) Gatekeeping in the arts is a perpetual battle that will go on forever. But with the control that DSPs and labels have, gatekeeping has changed significantly and deserves a fresh eye on the argument. (Article By Jon Tanners)Lastly, in Life: (54:03) Archiving is typically seen as a past-tense concept, which is correct of course, but it should also be seen as a Futurist concept. (Article By Amahra Spence)Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show, whether it be sending me questions or voicing your opinion in any way, peep the contact links below and I'll respond accordingly. Let me know "What's Good?"Rate & ReviewE-Mail: the5thelelmentpub@gmail.comTwitter & IG: @The5thElementUKWebsite: https://the5thelement.co.ukPhotography: https://www.crt.photographyIntro Music - "Too Much" By VanillaInterlude - "Charismatic" By NappyHighChillHop MusicOther Podcasts Under The 5EPN:Diggin' In The Digits5EPN RadioBlack Women Watch...In Search of SauceThe Beauty Of Independence

In this week's Futurists episode Brett interviews bestselling author Igor Pejic on how AI and technology investment is changing valuations of defense industry players. Pejic is the author of Tech Money: A guide to the new game of technology investing. In this wide ranging conversation, Brett and Igor debate the implications of wars fought largely by AI and how tech-first defense players like Palantir, Anduril and others are changing the sector from an investment perspective.

Quit to win” is the unconventional advice given by entrepreneur Francesco Urso, who has written a book by that title. Urso explains to The Futurists how the best career strategy in a time of turmoil is to create your own company. In this episode, he explains how to surmount the barriers of fear and inertia, to quit your job and start a new venture.  

Steve Rosenbaum is an author and entrepreneur who co-founded the Sustainable Media Center, where he advocates for better protection for the users of abusive social media platforms. Now in his new book The Future of Truth: How AI Reshapes Reality, Steve turns his attention to the perils of a digital world defined by the funhouse mirror of machine intelligence. Steve acquaints the Futurists with the perils and potential of AI fragmenting audiences and distorting our collective understanding of subjective truth. 

Visualizing the interior of the human body has always presented a major challenge to caregivers. Most medical imaging techniques in use today were first introduced during the past fifty years. Today novel technologies for entertainment are being applied to healthcare. Michael Hollins of the University of Nebraska's iEXCEL Center joins the Futurists to explain how breakthroughs in imaging and simulation are used to train doctors, nurses, and first responders in the most advanced techniques in the US. For the first time in history, doctors can visualize their patients' complex metabolic systems at the molecular level. 

In this powerfully inspiring talk, Futurists co-founder Robert Tercek shares insights from his four years of collaboration with technologists to build artificial intelligence tools that empower artists to create cinematic stories. In February 2026, Tercek shared these remarks as the keynote speech at the annual meeting of the Hollywood Professionals Association, whose members include the heads of production for the major film studios, TV networks and streaming platforms. At a time when many professional filmmakers are worried about AI, Tercek provides a message of hope and positive change. AI for artists and storytellers is here. 

TrulySignificant.com brings back a favorite guest, author and futurist Marc Morgenstern. Read his books..The Soul of Deal Making...is our favorite. Here's why you should listen to Marc.Marc is significant because he reframes the concept of “deal making” from being purely transactional to being deeply relational, values-driven, and purpose-centered. Here's why that matters: 1. He Elevates Deal Making from Tactics to Character Most books on deal making focus on:Negotiation tacticsFinancial engineeringLegal structureCompetitive advantageMorgenstern shifts the conversation to:IntentIntegrityAlignment of valuesLong-term relationship healthHis central idea is that great deals are not won — they are built. And they are built on trust, clarity, and shared purpose. 2. He Connects Business with Soul The “soul” in Soul of Deal Making represents:AuthenticityMoral groundingEmotional intelligenceRespect for all stakeholdersThis is especially significant in an era when:Short-term wins often override long-term sustainabilityDeals can damage reputations if misalignedLeadership credibility is fragileMorgenstern argues that the quality of the deal mirrors the quality of the people making it. 3. He Bridges Strategy and Humanity His work resonates with leaders who:Care about culture as much as capitalBelieve business is a vehicle for impactWant to create outcomes that endureRather than viewing negotiations as adversarial, he promotes:Mutual value creationListening deeplyUnderstanding motivations beneath positionsThat's a higher-level view of business — closer to stewardship than conquest. 4. Why It's Relevant Today In a world of:PE rollupsStartup exitsComplex partnershipsCross-border M&ADeals fail less because of math and more because of:Misaligned expectationsCultural incompatibilityEgoPoor communicationMorgenstern's message anticipates this reality. 5. Broader Significance His contribution sits in the same philosophical neighborhood as:Conscious capitalismStakeholder-driven leadershipValues-based entrepreneurshipHe reminds leaders that the true asset in any transaction is trust.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.

Price is the most important signal in a market economy. But in a distorted market, prices no longer provide reliable information to consumers. For startup ventures, getting the price wrong can be a fatal mistake. Per Sjofors is the “price whisperer.”  He uses AI to help companies determine the optimal price to charge for new products. Per joins the Futurists to talk about price-setting strategies in complex markets, commodity markets, and markets dominated by platforms or oligopolies. 

What if imagination is one of our most practical tools for the future? In this episode of Centering Centers, we talk with Bryan Alexander about what it means to think ahead when the world and higher education keep changing. Bryan shares how he came to futures work, what futurists actually do, and why learning to notice patterns, ask better questions, and explore multiple possible directions can help us respond more thoughtfully to change.Our conversation moves across the many forces shaping higher education today and the challenge of thinking beyond immediate pressures. Along the way, we talk about teaching, curiosity, science fiction, and world-building, and how creative thinking helps us see change more clearly.Transcript

This episode of 'The New Abnormal' podcast features Muhammad Alaraby, an award-winning Arab futurist, policy analyst, and editor.He's also Head of Strategic Foresight at the independent think tank Future for Advanced Research and Studies (FARAS), which seeks to enrich public dialogue, support decision-making and enhance academic research pertaining to futures-issues that currently constitute a real problem in the Middle East region. In light of instability and unpredictability, the overarching goal of FARAS is to help ward off future shocks regarding these developments. So, we discuss the above, during a conversation in which Muhammad outlines his interest in 'the rugged terrain of futures, strategic foresight, geopolitics, geoeconomics and intelligence. Not forgetting history, literature, arts and philosophy...' 

Globally the cost of health care is exploding. In the United States, the problem is particularly severe because system is fragmented across many providers and highly inefficient. Economic incentives intensify the problem among private films. Suneel Ratan, CEO of Precognitive, is on a mission to streamline service delivery by building an intelligence layer to provide a single unified care plan across siloed providers. He likens it to a fintech model for health care. Ratan points out that health care is not an infinite resource, which raises the stakes for optimized delivery of personalized care. This is a job for AI. In this discussion, the Futurists covers a range of issues of challenges and areas of inefficiency in health care while driving towards solutions. 

An erratic President, a bungled raid on American cities, two fatal shootings by ICE agents, a massive protest by thousands of citizens in Minneapolis and other US cities, and flood of dishonest and misleading statements by Presidential aides and cabinet members: the United States begins 2026 in utter turmoil. Technologist and author Ramez Naam joins the Futurists to share his perspective on the political unrest in American civil society and the collapse of governance norms. Are populist forces fighting against a future defined by accelerating change? Is this a desperate attempt to restore society to a mythical past that never existed? Or is something more sinister afoot? What are the long term effects, domestically and internationally? The discussion includes a range of views on American chaos and some lively debate about the long term implications. 

As the founder of The Future of Storytelling, Charles Melcher curates a collection of the world's most provocative and vivid immersive experiences. To Charlie, future stories won't be linear or confined to the pages of a book: they will be participatory and responsive. Charlie tells The Futurists what makes this type of drama so effective and memorable. In our modern media landscape, where books and TV shows have become commoditized and formulaic, the most successful stories tend to work harder by engaging all of the senses and the imagination fully. After you hear Charlie's account of his amazing adventures, you'll never look at storytelling the same way again.  

Global economist Peter Middlebrook has advised governments in many nations on modernization and economic policy, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Rwanda, Afghanistan, India, and the UK as well as the United Nations, the EU and the World Bank. He joins the Futurists to share his perspective about the current and future trajectory of capitalist economies and geopolitics. Topics include: the fate of 250 million displaced people; how governments drive up the cost of housing and other assets when they inflate away debt;  what happens when Western nations attempt to combine capitalist economies with socialist policies; why Asia represents the greatest growth opportunity of the future; why the United States seeks to consolidate South America; why the BRIC nations are de-dollarizing trade; why the future economy is both hyperlocal and hyper global;  the illusion of the free market and the growing significance of industrial policy; why multimillionaires are fleeing from the UK; why Western nations need strategic plans. 

The Futurists starts 2026 with a stimulating conversation with serial entrepreneur Matt Miesnieks, a true pioneer of AR/XR and spatial computing. In his new startup venture, Primate AI, Matt is focused on a novel approach to artificial intelligence. He intends to construct spatial and dimensional concepts that replicate the way humans develop a mental model of the real world. Topics in this episode: how the limitations of LLMs create opportunities for new approaches, such as Yann LeCun's JEPA (Joint Embedding Predictive Architecture); the distinction between trying to understand the real world and trying to generate new worlds; why it is so hard to get a robot to cross a busy street safely; why 3D world models are needed; what happens when the real world is machine-readable.

Forbes has called Brian Solis “one of the more creative and brilliant business minds of our time.” ZDNet heralded him as “one of the 21st century business world's leading thinkers,” and Entrepreneur Magazine described him as "a world's top superforecaster."Check out his latest bestseller, ⁠Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation and Reshape The Future⁠Brian is a world-renowned digital futurist, 9x best-selling author, and international keynote speaker. He has published over 70 widely read research reports that explore the future of business and industries, disruptive technologies, and shifts in markets and consumer behaviors. Brian serves as the Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow. In his role, Brian leads a global network of Innovation Officers and Futurists who study emerging technologies and micro and macro trends, business transformation patterns, and customer insights to understand important shifts affecting organizations and the markets they serve.  The Innovation team produces original research and thought leadership and delivers presentations and workshops that help leaders anticipate shifts, capitalize on trends, and drive resilience and long-term growth. He is published in industry publications such as Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, CIO, Forbes, and Worth. And he has consistently been recognized as one of the world's leading thinkers in innovation, business transformation, and leadership for almost three decades. 

Technology innovator Akshay Chopra joins the Futurists to discuss his new book: “After Us: A Tale of Life Beyond Superintelligent AI.”  In this work of speculative fiction, Chopra posits scenarios of a world dominated by a benevolent superintelligence.  Topics include: the challenge of envisioning a positive outcome in a world organized by AI; the perils of AI-induced delusions;  AI as an evolution of mankind, not a substitute for humanity;  the Dataism philosophy and the Panspermia hypothesis; the appeal and relevance of magical realism;  how AI denialism is a form of grief processing as we mourn the loss of our status as a species;  the struggle to think exponentially instead of linearly;  the threats that Akshay thinks we should be concerned about. 

This week, The Futurists offers a human interest story from Brett's conference travels. Listen as Brett connects with Arwa Damon, former CNN reporter based in Istanbul, and current President and Founder of INARA, an NGO working in Palestine.INARA, International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance, is a humanitarian organization providing rapid response and treatment to refugee children, its mission to ensure every child has the agency to create a dignified life.Arwa provides a first-hand look at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and discusses how it impacts the basic needs and access to financial services for people living there.

In this episode of Case Studies, Casey sits down with Taylor Randall, the 17th president of the University of Utah and former dean of the David Eccles School of Business. With a background as a distinguished economist and academic leader, Taylor brings deep insight into what it takes to lead major institutions through growth, innovation, and cultural transformation.He shares the leadership principles that guided his decade-long transformation of the Eccles School into a nationally recognized and fast growing business program, and discusses how those same values now shape his presidency at the University of Utah. The conversation explores how to build momentum in complex systems, why fast decision making matters, and how to lead with both humility and urgency in high stakes environments.Casey and Taylor unpack topics ranging from academic innovation and public university strategy to entrepreneurship, economics, and the future of higher education.00:00 | Welcome & Introduction to Taylor Randall01:14 | Growing Up at the University of Utah03:10 | Early Career at Arthur Andersen05:01 | Wharton Years & Ambitious Peers06:13 | Academic Curiosity & Consulting for MLB07:34 | Why Chaos Creates Opportunity08:31 | PhD Research on Global Operations Strategy10:27 | Turning Down Chicago to Return to Utah11:27 | Venture Fund & Breaking the Classroom Model13:37 | How AI Disrupts and Enhances Higher Ed14:42 | Launching Lassonde Studios & Student Startups16:59 | Building Immersive, Purpose-Driven Experiences18:50 | Early 2000s Venture Fund Success & Lessons20:31 | Inspiration Behind the Entrepreneurial Institute21:57 | Reimagining the Classroom-Incubator Hybrid22:07 | Teaming Up with Futurists and Architects23:39 | Becoming Dean During the Financial Crisis24:18 | Privatizing the Business School Model27:36 | Program Innovation & Specialized Master's Degrees30:48 | Education as a Confidence Catalyst32:25 | Mentorship, Mistakes & Growth Moments34:59 | Considering Life After Academia36:15 | Presidential Application Process & Headwinds in Higher Ed38:33 | Interviewing for President During COVID40:13 | Behind Utah's Nationally Ranked COVID Response43:36 | Lessons from the Pandemic Response Team45:43 | Understanding the University of Utah as a $9B Enterprise47:02 | Medical Education, Research, and Clinical Trials50:36 | Breakthroughs in Neurobionics & HIV Prevention52:04 | University-Owned Businesses & Innovation Ecosystem53:16 | Huntsman Cancer Institute's Impact on Utah County54:50 | Collaborative Vision Across Utah's Higher Ed Institutions55:22 | Proxima: Creating Healthcare Career Pathways57:54 | UVU, First-Gen Students & The Promise of Education59:11 | Executive Education & Adapting to a Changing Market59:26 | The Future of College Sports & Athlete Compensation01:03:20 | Sustainable Models for College Athletics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Industry strategist John Sviokla is the co-founder of GAI Insights and an Executive Fellow at the Harvard Business School. He tells the Futurists about the real challenges and opportunities in the process of reorganizing businesses around unlimited intelligence.  Topics include: The existential threat to the big strategic advisory firms. Why talking to machines is such a significant change.  The remarkably rapid rise of machine IQ and the power of emergent capabilities.  John's forecast for the evolution of new AI models. How proprietary data, especially intent, will fuel the transition from search engines to answer engines.  The logic behind the partnership between Walmart and OpenAI.  What happens to a company's organization when you can buy expertise on demand.  How every human worker will become a platoon of experts.  The two populations in most organizations that use AI. The net present value of AI projects.  GAI Insight's four-step process for fostering new corporate capabilities based on AI. 

Shelly Palmer returns to the Futurists to share fresh insight about how AI agents will rearrange the way entertainment and news are published, distributed and monetized. Today, many of the biggest media companies are still reeling from the previous two rounds of digital disruption (web and mobile). This leaves Big Media unprepared for the biggest disruption of them all, because AI agents will soon  reconfigure their core asset: video distribution channels. This interview provides a preview of how autonomous agents will work in unison to handle tasks that previously were managed by networks of human professionals, such as media buyers, advertising managers, retail marketers, and TV programming executives.  Likely impact: a further round of unbundling as agents personalize video distribution and advertising. Timeline: this transformation begins in 2026 and will iterate rapidly during the next five years. 20th century mass media is about to go through the Big Tech blender. 

In today's Cloud Wars Agent and Copilot Minute, I look at how screen-aware Copilots, task-based agents, and multimodal interfaces are reshaping enterprise work — and why identity, permissions, and access guardrails now matter more than ever.Highlights00:30 — Two experts, Brian Madden, Vice President and Field Technology Officer and Futurist at Citrix, and Marco Casalaina, Vice President of Products, Core AI and an AI Futurist at Microsoft, hosted a session at this year's Microsoft Ignite conference titled “Develop Your Enterprise Playbook to Prepare for the AI of Tomorrow.”00:58 — I want to share some key takeaways. Madden laid out a seven-stage roadmap for human–AI collaboration. Steps included simple prompt and paste, the first introduction to AI; next, AI as an analyst for colleagues; followed by AI watching your screen; AI using your computer for you; AI using your computer without you watching; multi-agent AI communication; and the final step: AI-orchestrated work.01:55 — Ultimately, AI needs to work where human knowledge workers work, because the world we live in today is built for humans, and the way that AI will succeed is by operating within this user space and emulating humans in practice. Users talk to AI, and AI talks to the applications and workflows on behalf of the user.02:34 — The discussion moved on to the notion of apps dissolving into data, ultimately AI talking directly to the data without going through an application. Casalaina demonstrated this by running Anthropic's Claude on Azure and giving it the skills to create a PowerPoint. It did — without using PowerPoint. It made the slides in HTML and then converted them without ever opening the PowerPoint application. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Mike Pell is an author, an artist and the director of the Microsoft Garage, the worldwide innovation program where he applies “fast design” principles to bring ideas to prototypes quickly. Mike's hackathons scale to include 10,000 participants.  Mike tells the Futurists how artificial intelligence systems accelerate ideation during the innovation process.  The challenge: managing a team of AI agents will require human workers to adapt to entirely new processes and discard some outdated practices. Visualization is one of the key elements in Mike's approach to this process, as conveyed in his recent book, “Visualizing Business”.  

In this episode of the Learning Future podcast, host Louka Parry engages with futurists Jamais Cascio and Bob Johansen to explore the complexities of navigating the current chaotic landscape, framed by the BANI model. They discuss their personal learning experiences, the implications of technology on human development, and the importance of mentorship across generations. The conversation emphasizes the need for clarity in uncertain times and the role of education in fostering resilience and adaptability in students.

(Riverton, WY) - The second of a three part series of artificial intelligence instruction is set for November 20th at Central Wyoming College. AI 201 does not require you to have attended the "101" event that took place last month. A third workshop, "301" will take place in December. This hands-on demonstration is set to help business owners, entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to learn more about AI utilize it to save time, boost creativity and make smarter business decisions. Tash Harris from CWC and Kevin Kershisnik from Manufacturing Works returned to the County 10 studio recently to discuss more about the opportunity. More about this event can be found here.

Ocean Protect (Check em out here lords!) Presents... Cosmic Apricots Live from TUBIES with Trade Lords, MPS, Sustainable Building Experts, Joshy Kirkman and More all trying to do good shit for the planet through reimagining the building sector... Rip in while the rip in rips in!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In This Episode Inside The Futurists X Summit: Preparing For An AI Powered Future This week Breaking Banks comes to you from The Futurists X Summit in Dubai, the world's largest gathering of top-ranked futurists. This summit brings together leaders, innovators and policymakers from around the globe for meaningful dialogue on the future of technology, business and society. Tune in as Breaking Banks and The Futurists host Brett King speaks with Mastercard's J.K. Khalil, EVP and Division President of East Arabia, and Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Mastercard. JK and Brett kick off the discussion with JK highlighting Mastercard's partnership with the Ministry of AI in Dubai and their AI Center of Excellence in the UAE. Mastercard is always talking about the fast and accelerating pace of change and its impact on consumers' lives. The AI Center of Excellence aims to demonstrate that AI is more than just a buzzword, helping people see the bigger picture and understand the broader implications -- how this access to information and AI translates to daily life. The discussion also touches on exploring possible futures and enhancing the human experience. Then, Raja joins Brett to share his perspective on an AI-powered future. As AI improves quality of life, helping to alter the work-life balance -- working less, experiencing more -- what does the world look like? With AI, chores can be delegated to the machine, you can let go of certain things and have more time for other things. Time to pursue your passions – a long-standing focus for Mastercard is helping elevate lives through experiences. As technology levels the playing field—and everyone feeds similar briefs into the same AI tools—outputs will start to look alike. That's exactly why this moment could become a new golden age of marketing: a chance to break through the sameness with real creativity, smart risk-taking and unconventional ideas. With advanced tools and the right mix of strategy and imagination, the possibilities are endless. And when you serve consumers with heart while driving revenue, that's marketing at its best. It's an engaging and thought-provoking episode from leaders in the field....priceless! Interested in hearing more about The Futurists X Summit? Follow our sister podcast, The Futurists.

TrulySignificant.com welcomes back tech futurist Shane Tepper of Revelation. Shane provides the inside story on the gaps within companies including go to market intelligence systems. Hear about solutions that Revelation solves and how to drive visability, broader pipeline of leads all in an accurate forecasting methodology. How do you plan to optimize AI and human creativity? Listen carefully to Shane Tepper and redefine what it means to be a creative. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.

And it just keeps going...The cast: Chartreuse (Charlie) Pine - played by Paul (also @AlakazamGanda) Liliana Shadowgarden - played by Lydia Professor Rudimentus Sneaze - played by Michael And our Game Master - Nick Eyeli - Eyeli Join our Facebook Group, where you can meet and chat with the cast and other fans! We'll approve everyone's request to join (unless you're a Rotom; we don't like Rotom). Also, join us on Discord! Check out Lydia's Fiverr for your Podcast/Radio Show editing needs!Donate to our Patreon, and earn sweet rewards by becoming a part of the Pokemon Rollout! family. MUSIC & SFX: Theme Music "Electric Donkey Muscles” by RoccoW. Used under an Attribution-ShareAlike License. “The Futurists” by Peter Lonnquist. Used by permission.

The future of computing is 3D, according to Avi Bar Zeev. For three decades, this creative technologist  has played a part in the creation of every major advance in spatial computing, immersive media, and XR. This week, Avi joins the Futurists to explain how previous breakthroughs will make the next wave of 3D computing possible. Avi shares what he has learned from 30 years of designing theme park rides, new headsets, virtual worlds and planetary-scale maps.

The future in Dubai is so brilliant, you need sunglasses. This week Brett and Rob talk to their colleague and business partner Mohamed Alkhatib about the key findings and hot topics they covered at the first Futurists X Summit. Why Dubai?  Learn about the bold steps that the United Arab Emirates is taking to foster future prosperity with applied imagination? Giant data centers, advances in AI models, asteroid mining, next generation energy, future transportation and city planning, biotech and programmable biology, smart infrastructure and city scale digital twins.

Sangeet Paul Choudary is the world's leading exponent of the platform economy.  This week he joins the Futurists to explain how artificial intelligence is likely to reorganize industries. Choudary pushes far beyond facile claims about “AI abundance” and “AI doom” to analyze the probable redistribution of value in markets. He explains how entire systems of production and distribution will be reshaped by machine intelligence. Choudary envisions a reorganization of value creation and value capture whereby AI will reshape the economic pie and cut it into different slices; but not all the value will flow to today's incumbents. Choudary's term for this system-wide reinvention “the reshuffle”, the name of his newest book. This conversation makes reference to concrete examples that will be familiar to all listeners: container shipping, the barcode, the smartphone, big data, and the rise of the digital economy. 

Steve Avo Lindsey in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://linktr.ee/steveavolindsey A nervous suitor, a guitarist at the end of his Strat and his tether, wistful ex-partners on a work trip to Wales. Art school Futurists and singalongs in Cooper's Bar, Denmark Street and suburbia's (two) ups and downs – and earbudded Londoners on the Tube, sailing away on their own private playlists. “In my head,” confides STEVE ‘AVO' LINDSEY, making his solo long-playing debut just five decades into his music career, “this sounds like a Nick Lowe album.”   But given that PING is the work of the Wirral-born bassist of DEAF SCHOOL and frontman of new wave chart act THE PLANETS who would later become a music exec known for his ears and acumen, it's hardly surprising that these twelve tracks offer more than just fond footnotes to Lowe.   Factor in Lindsey's love of Donald Fagen and Jimmy Webb, Arctic Monkeys and Tom Waits, Todd Rundgren and Nashville-style storytelling, and his lo-fi, groove-driven takes on Motown, and you'll have an idea of what to expect from this joyful, playful, gorgeously varied sheaf of love letters to music and Merseyside, sweaters and Swordfishtrombones.   Listen to tracks like the finger-clicking soul of ‘Beautiful 45' and the bottoms-up vaudeville of ‘Cheers My Dears', the rockaway baroque pop of ‘Royal Iris' and the sultry Latinisms of ‘To Know You Better', and you'll also hear warm and winning musical contributions from family and friends: Lindsey's daughter Uainín Lindsey on backing vocals; the late Tony ‘Wims' Wimshurst, ex-Planets and Nasty Pop, on lead guitar; and drummer Josh McCartney, the nephew of a local lad named Paul.   But first, some back story. When Deaf School invented itself in 1974 at Liverpool College of Art, Lindsey, one of two Steves in the band, modestly opted for the moniker Mr Average. Deaf School would become (nearly) famous for its extravagant Sparks-via-Kurt Weill pop and its distinctly un-average cast of sirens, showmen, keyboard philosophers and future superstar producers.

Susan Zeiger, the author of “Logistics and Power”, joins the Futurists to share her insight about global trade and control. Global trade and logistics requires a hierarchy of control to ensure timely, reliable delivery. That's why power is an emergent principle of the global supply chain.  For Zeiger, the supply chain covers more than containers and manufactured goods, spanning the movement of humans and information.  The early phases of global trade continue to shape the present and the future of logistics, transportation, and cultural globalization. Zieger provides a wide-ranging survey of world systems, beginning with the Dutch colonies of the 17th century;  how modern managerial power emerged from railroad industry in the 19th century; and today's new frontier of suborbital supply chains in space. Zieger's critical focus is a humanist-focused interpretation of logistics, including the impact on the people who are engaged in global trade as employees or consumers, subject to the rules imposed by the logistics of trade.

We're back with Charlie and Professor Sneaze this week as they continue their confrontation with Twilip! And let's not forget the exciting evolution that started for Nilly at the end of the previous episode. How will the trainers do with their battle? Will it finally be the end? Who knows!The cast: Chartreuse (Charlie) Pine - played by Paul (also @AlakazamGanda) Liliana Shadowgarden - played by Lydia Professor Rudimentus Sneaze - played by Michael And our Game Master - Nick Eyeli - Eyeli Join our Facebook Group, where you can meet and chat with the cast and other fans! We'll approve everyone's request to join (unless you're a Rotom; we don't like Rotom). Also, join us on Discord! Check out Lydia's Fiverr for your Podcast/Radio Show editing needs!Donate to our Patreon, and earn sweet rewards by becoming a part of the Pokemon Rollout! family. MUSIC & SFX: Theme Music "Electric Donkey Muscles” by RoccoW. Used under an Attribution-ShareAlike License. “Bipolarity” by Poor Alexei. Used under an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.“The Futurists” by Peter Lonnquist. Used by permission.

Media cartographer Evan Shapiro publishes the definitive chart of the global media industry cited by every pundit and trade publication. After 20 years of disruptive change, the media industry is evolving so quickly beyond recognition that Evan's chart has emerged as the universal scorecard to keep track of who owns what. Evan joins the Futurists to decipher the chaos in streaming, television, socials and cinema. Topics include: the importance of audience fragmentation across media formats and platforms; the consequences of consolidation; why Big Tech is trouncing Big Media;  why Netflix is worth more than Disney, Comcast, WarnerBros Discovery, and Paramount combined;  YouTube as the new era of cable TV;  why 60% of all advertising dollars flow through three companies;  Disney's genius move with ESPN;  and Evan's surprising answer to the question: which is the only major media company that has managed the transition to the digital age?

(Riverton, WY) - The Wyoming Innovation Partnership funded events continue to provide opportunities for business owners, entrepreneurs and those interested in improving their workplace practices. As part of that series, Central Wyoming College will host a workshop titled, "AI: For Leaders and Futurists: Building Intelligence Into Your Business" on October 2nd. The full day of learning takes place at CWC's Intertribal Education and Community Center room 125. Lunch will be provided as the event runs from 8:30 am. - 4:30 p..m More on the event can be found here. Central Wyoming College's Tash Harris and Manufacturing Works' Kevin Kershisnik joined County 10 to discuss the event and future of using AI in the work place. Listen to the full conversation in the player below or by finding the County 10 Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts!

Best selling author M.P. “Mike” Woodward joins the Futurists to share scenarios for the future of the next major naval war in the Pacific. How might a war between the United States and China happen? According to Woodward, it begins with a struggle to control the chips that govern artificial intelligence, then rapidly escalates to a massive ocean-spanning clash between two navies bristling with high tech gear. Woodward exposes critical weaknesses in US military preparedness and he speculates about innovations in weaponry and tactics.  Woodward's new book RED TIDE provides the basis for a lively discussion about the politics, economics and strategy that will determine the course of the next world war.

In This Episode This week on Breaking Banks, we feature a fascinating and thought-provoking episode from our sister podcast, The Futurists, where Brett King welcomes celebrated experimental astrophysicist Professor Brian Cox. Professor Cox, an English physicist and musician, is widely recognized for presenting science programs such as BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage and the Wonders of... series. He is also the author of two popular science books: Why Does E=mc²? (And Why Should We Care?) and The Quantum Universe. He's selected to deliver the keynote address at The Futurists X Summit in Dubai on September 22nd. In this episode, Professor Cox dives into how our understanding of black holes and quantum information theory could change our fundamental understanding of the universe, ushering in a new era of scientific advancement. Professor Brian Cox is one of the most articulate scientists in the world today. This interview underscores that, in an era where science faces ongoing challenges from political forces and media, our future lies in embracing knowledge and applied intelligence. Are we at the event horizon of something new and extraordinary?

Whenever fellow futurist and longtime friend Rob Tercek and I (Mark Pesce) get together, we go crazy deep on the future: What happens when lazy humans outsource their thought process to machines? You get a society that vibes its way into a blurry, sub-optimal future. The surge of slop means that AI is creating more work for humans instead of stealing our jobs. I join Rob on his podcast The Futurists to cut through the hype and the skepticism about modern tech, calling out AI mediocrity and reminding us why human learning remains painful. Topics include: ChatGPT psychosis, why we need a generation of PhDs to revisit eternal questions about Truth, the perpetual dawn of AGI, what happens to the political economy when the populace is siloed into bubbles, why Kremlin propagandists produce propaganda for machines instead of people, why experience cannot be generated, why autocracies need accurate data, and the real reason why people get lost in untruth. Just some light listening for you. Big thanks and more at The Futurists podcast - https://thefuturists.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week The Futurists welcomes celebrated experimental astrophysicist Prof Brian Cox. Prof Cox dives into why our understanding of black holes and what it means for quantum information theory could change our fundamental understanding of the universe and usher in a new era of scientific advancement. Cox is one of the most articulate scientists in the world today and this interview proves once again that in an age where science faces ongoing attacks from political forces and media that our future lies in embracing knowledge and applied intelligence. It could be said that we are at the event horizon of something new and extraordinary.

Charlie and Professor Sneaze split from the group to face off with Tiwlip! Unfortunately for them, she's brought more of her chrome creations with her.The cast: Chartreuse (Charlie) Pine - played by Paul (also @AlakazamGanda) Liliana Shadowgarden - played by Lydia Professor Rudimentus Sneaze - played by Michael And our Game Master - Nick Eyeli - Eyeli Join our Facebook Group, where you can meet and chat with the cast and other fans! We'll approve everyone's request to join (unless you're a Rotom; we don't like Rotom). Also, join us on Discord! Check out Lydia's Fiverr for your Podcast/Radio Show editing needs!Donate to our Patreon, and earn sweet rewards by becoming a part of the Pokemon Rollout! family. MUSIC & SFX: Theme Music "Electric Donkey Muscles” by RoccoW. Used under an Attribution-ShareAlike License. “Bipolarity” by Poor Alexei. Used under an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.“The Futurists” by Peter Lonnquist. Used by permission.

Think about the place where you live. Every inch of every city and suburb has been designed by other humans. For better or worse, their choices determine how the world around you works, and how you live and navigate through it.  Jeff Speck is the world's leading exponent of the concept of the “walkable city”, human-centered urban centers.  In this episode of the Futurists, Jeff shares his inspiring vision of the city of the future. Topics include; the New Urbanism, how cities foster society, the impact of the automobile on the organization of society, the goals of city planning and urban design, organic neighborhood evolution versus top-down zoning, the consequences of the 1969 World's Fair, how lifespans increased when factories were separated from living quarters, how mass transit systems shape the growth of cities, and how automation and robotics will shape the city of the future.

What happens when lazy humans outsource their thought process to machines?  You get a society that vibes its way into a blurry, sub-optimal future. The surge of slop means that AI is creating more work for humans instead of stealing our jobs.  Mark Pesce returns to The Futurists to cut through the hype and the skepticism about modern tech. He calls out AI mediocrity and reminds us why human learning remains painful. Topics include: Chat GPT psychosis, why we need a generation of PhDs to revisit eternal questions about Truth, the perpetual dawn of AGI,  what happens to the political economy when the populace is siloed into bubbles, why Kremlin propagandists produce propaganda for machines instead of people, why experience cannot be generated, why autocracies need accurate data, and the real reason why people get lost in untruth.

The trainers are back together again!… For the moment! Three tasks lie ahead: Find Moira Harding, fight Jared for his gym slot, and avoid having the terrible Tiwlip add one of the trainers to her collection.The cast: Chartreuse (Charlie) Pine - played by Paul (also @AlakazamGanda) Liliana Shadowgarden - played by Lydia Professor Rudimentus Sneaze - played by Michael And our Game Master - Nick Eyeli - Eyeli Join our Facebook Group, where you can meet and chat with the cast and other fans! We'll approve everyone's request to join (unless you're a Rotom; we don't like Rotom). Also, join us on Discord! Check out Lydia's Fiverr for your Podcast/Radio Show editing needs!Donate to our Patreon, and earn sweet rewards by becoming a part of the Pokemon Rollout! family. MUSIC & SFX: Theme Music "Electric Donkey Muscles” by RoccoW. Used under an Attribution-ShareAlike License. “Bipolarity” by Poor Alexei. Used under an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.“We Can Do It! [Loop]” by Visager.MOZART - Fantasy in C minor, K. 475, and Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K. 457 by Paavali Jumppanen, piano is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.“The Futurists” by Peter Lonnquist. Used by permission.

Zoltan István holds the distinction of being the first Transhumanist to run for President of the United States.  Now Zoltan has set his sights on the Governor's office in California, a $4 trillion economy that ranks as the fourth-largest in the world, and the leader in global innovation. Zoltan joins the Futurists this week to discuss his plan to replace Gavin Newsom. He answers some pressing questions about the future risks and opportunities faced by the biggest US state.

106.2 Yellow TapeMourning the loss of their close friend, Elle and Lionel come home to watch a mysterious yellow tape that was bequeathed to them in their friend's will. But by the end of the tape, the couple wish it had never come to them.Written by Xavier Garcia (twitter.com/xavier_agarcia)Narrated and produced by James Barnett (https://www.JamesBarnettCreative.com)With music by North Without End (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/north-without-end/)And Myuu (https://www.thedarkpiano.com/)And Thom Robson (https://www.thomrobsonmusic.com/)And sound effects provided by Freesound.org and Ghosthack.deThe episode illustration was provided by Luke Spooner of Carrion House (https://carrionhouse.com/)Joshua Boucher is our story programmer, and along with Jasmine Arch and the eyeless ones, Mary Pastrano and Cody Czarzasty, he helps manage our community.And to Ben Errington the ongoing explosion of content being fired out of his Social Media canon.Xavier Garcia is a writer/editor from Toronto, Canada. His short fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies published by Fugitives & Futurists, Cold Signal, hex, Apocalypse Confidential, Cursed Morsels, Filthy Loot, and others. You can find him walking the nightmare corpse-city of R'lyeh, or at twitter.com/xavier_agarcia.James Barnett is the producer of the Night's End podcast and After The Gloaming. Search for them wherever you get your podcasts. You can also catch other works of his at www.JamesBarnettCreative.comJoin TOS+ to access over 90 exclusive episodes, get regular stories in higher quality audio, a week early, and ad-free, at https://theotherstories.net/plus/Support the show, get audiobooks, and more at https://www.patreon.com/hawkandcleaverJoin our communities for book clubs, movie clubs, writing exercises, and more at https://theotherstories.net/community/Leave a voicemail or get in touch at https://theotherstories.net/submissionsCheck out our writing courses at https://theotherstories.net/courses/Grab some merch at https://gumroad.com/hawkandcleaverThe Other Stories is a production of the story studio, Hawk & Cleaver, and is brought to you with a Creative Commons – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license. Don't change it. Don't sell it. But by all means… share the hell out of it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.