You're right, Pilgrim, that technology has helped pave the way for the end times, and I am amazed at how quickly circumstances in our world have changed from where we were just a few short years ago. It reminded me of the verse from Daniel:
Daniel 12:4
New King James Version
4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Where industrialized nations were engaging in economic development with countries like China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and even Russia, now the world is preparing for war. Putin is even threatening to use nuclear weapons, and he may be that dumb if he becomes desperate and backed into a corner.
Where we as a race were running "to and fro" to fuel our consumer driven society before Covid, now countries are scrambling "to and fro" to develop arsenals. And, the technology that's being developed to kill one another is staggering. We could be killed by an enemy we don't even see face-to-face if, for example, we are the victim of a drone strike or like those poor souls in Gaza whose car was bombed on the way to feed hungry people.
I was taking a look at this "second beast" from Revelation 13, who is commonly referred to as the "false prophet" in alignment with the beast under Satan's authority, and it's amazing the power that God will allow this "imposter trinity" (as Henry Halley describes them) to have:
Revelation 13:11-14
New King James Version
The Beast from the Earth
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had
two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 He performs great signs, so that
he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives [
a]those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
Halley notes that this "lamb beast is afterward called the "false prophet" (Rev. 16:13, 19:20, 20:10 that is,
the pretender lamb." Halley and other sources I've looked at reminded me how much the devil tries to impersonate God, and Jesus warns about this in His Olivet prophecy as well. This second beast has "two horns like a lamb" but speaks like a dragon. While he may appear religious and "good", this beast is clearly exposed to Christians by the doctrine of Satan that will spew from his mouth.
It's amazing that the false prophet "even makes fire come down from heaven." That's been a power that only God Himself has used sparingly in the past (e.g. Sodom and Gomorra, and Elizah calling down fire from heaven on the followers of Baal). Making "an image to the beast" is idolatrous, so this imposter will not fool the elect. Thankfully, this false trinity will only be in power for a short time before Jesus crushes it at His triumphant return.