(Blog) JD Vance & The End Times - Ep. 970 - September 2, 2026

JD Vance, AI, and the Antichrist in Bible Prophecy

Vice President J.D. Vance's comment that the Antichrist may already be walking among us brought end-times prophecy into a political conversation. Vance tied his concern in part to artificial intelligence and what he described as a strange spiritual darkness around parts of the technology world.

Alan Smith and Jeff Rowland considered that comment alongside Daniel, Revelation, and Paul's teaching on the spirit of Antichrist. Their discussion focused on a future individual who first gains trust through peace and apparent solutions.

The Episode Opened in the Silage Fields

Before turning to prophecy, Smith shared that he was cutting corn for silage and hoped to finish by Friday before the Labor Day holiday. In his area, Labor Day also brings dove hunters into the fields, and the corn needs to come in before it dries out.

Rowland offered his joking credentials from "Silage University," claiming he had graduated with honors and made the Dean's List. Smith said he would have his son call Rowland for help.

J.D. Vance's Comment About the Antichrist

Smith and Rowland discussed an article by the Prophecy News Watch staff titled "J.D. Vance Says the Antichrist May Be Walking Among Us. Could He Be Right?" The article described a conversation between Vance and Christian podcaster Bruce Crawford.

According to the article, Vance spoke about his lifelong interest in the end times and said he does not know whether the world is living in the final days described in Scripture. He also cautioned against becoming consumed with speculation.

"There are things about the world that make me feel like I wouldn't be shocked if the Antichrist was walking among us."

The hosts found it significant that the vice president of the United States would openly speak about the Antichrist, end-times events, and spiritual darkness. They also noted that Vance identifies as Catholic, though Smith questioned whether a religious label alone proves someone has a full understanding of that tradition's teachings.

Artificial Intelligence and Spiritual Darkness

Vance pointed to artificial intelligence as part of his concern. He described a spiritual darkness around portions of the technology world, and Smith and Rowland agreed that AI can feel unsettling.

Still, they did not say artificial intelligence is automatically evil or that it cannot be used for good. Their concern was that advanced technology could become a tool in the hands of the Antichrist.

Rowland connected AI to the biblical theme of rapidly expanding knowledge. In that view, technology can place immense information and influence within reach of humanity while also giving a future deceiver new means to shape public thought.

The Spirit of Antichrist Has Already Been at Work

Smith and Rowland drew a distinction between the spirit of Antichrist and the future Antichrist as a person. They believe the spirit of Antichrist has operated in the world since the early church, while a future individual will eventually step forward to fulfill the prophetic role.

Paul wrote that "the mystery of iniquity doth already work," and the hosts treated that statement as evidence that opposition to Christ was already active in Paul's day. They said the darkness has not disappeared. Instead, it has become more sophisticated and harder to recognize.

Why They Begin With Acts 2

Rowland placed the beginning of this argument at Acts 2. He referred to the announcement that Jesus, having gone up, would return. In his view, Satan believed the death and ascension of Jesus had removed Him from the earth.

However, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to continue His work among believers. Smith described the Holy Spirit as an irritant to Satan because killing Christ's physical body did not end Christ's spiritual work in the world.

The hosts believe that once Satan understood Christ would return, he had to keep a potential Antichrist prepared in every era. If the rapture had occurred at an earlier point in church history, they believe Satan would have had someone ready to take the role.

A Possible Antichrist in Every Era

Smith and Rowland said history has included many personalities who could have fit the pattern of the Antichrist. Their point was not that every feared ruler became the final Antichrist. Instead, they argued that Satan would need someone "in the wings" who could step forward if prophetic events reached their appointed time.

That is why they objected to the idea that Christians who wondered whether the Antichrist was alive always reached embarrassing conclusions. In their view, a person could have been prepared in many generations without becoming the final figure described in Daniel, Thessalonians, and Revelation.

Daniel 12:4 and the Increase of Knowledge

Daniel 12:4 became a central passage in the discussion:

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."

Rowland connected the increase of knowledge to modern technology, especially smartphones and artificial intelligence. Information that once required libraries, specialists, or long periods of research can now sit in a person's hand.

The hosts mentioned several developments that make Daniel's words easier to picture:

• Artificial intelligence places large amounts of information within immediate reach.
• Cell phones carry immense computing power and connect people across the world.
• Global communication makes events visible almost as they happen.
• Knowledge continues to increase at a rapid pace.

A Cell Phone and the First Moon Landing

Smith recalled a statement from Joe Barrett, who built computers in the early days of the technology. Barrett had even created a way to communicate by computer with his brother before the internet became available to the public.

According to the example Smith shared, a modern cell phone has more computing power than the equipment in Houston when the first rocket missions sent people to the moon. The hosts used that comparison to show how sharply technology has advanced within one lifetime.

Rowland added that humanity has not seen every invention that may still come. For him, Daniel 12:4 speaks directly to the present age because AI and instant access to knowledge have reached a scale earlier generations could not have imagined.

Technology Makes Some Prophecies Easier to Picture

The hosts also referred to Revelation's statement that every eye will see Christ. They said that such a statement would have been difficult for John to understand in his time, especially given the size of the world's population and the limits of communication.

Modern global technology makes the statement easier to imagine. Smith and Rowland did not claim that technology itself fulfills the prophecy. Instead, they said present-day communication makes biblical descriptions of worldwide visibility more understandable.

They believe the world now has the technological capacity for prophecies that once appeared impossible to picture in literal terms.

Why Smith and Rowland Believe the Antichrist Is a Person

A major part of the discussion addressed whether the Antichrist is a person or a system. Smith and Rowland acknowledged that respected scholars hold both views. Some see the Antichrist as a political system, government, institution, or broader power structure.

The hosts hold the other view. They believe the Antichrist will be an actual person.

Rowland rejected the idea that the Antichrist is only a boardroom, national government, or impersonal political system. He said the biblical descriptions require a person who can carry out individual actions.

Biblical Descriptions of a Coming Ruler

The hosts pointed to several descriptions found in Scripture. Daniel describes a powerful ruler. Paul calls him the "man of lawlessness" and the "son of destruction." Revelation describes him as the beast whose authority reaches across nations and peoples.

Those descriptions portray someone who speaks, acts, deceives, makes agreements, persecutes God's people, and exalts himself against God. Smith and Rowland said those are personal actions.

They also compared the Antichrist with Christ. Because Jesus came as a real person, they believe the Antichrist, who seeks to imitate and oppose Christ, will also be a real person.

The Antichrist May First Appear as a Peacemaker

Smith and Rowland said many Christians picture the Antichrist arriving as an obvious dictator who immediately demands worship. They believe that happens later in his rise.

At first, they expect deception, diplomacy, and peace to shape his public image. Daniel 8:25 describes destruction coming through peace in the King James wording cited during the discussion.

The hosts said the Antichrist will appear to have answers. In a world exhausted by war and instability, a leader who stops conflicts and makes agreements could become widely trusted.

The man who becomes history's greatest tyrant may first gain fame as a peacemaker.

A Leader the World May View as Necessary

The discussion pointed to wars, tension between Russia and Europe, nuclear threats, and generations of bloodshed in the Middle East. People do not want more war. They want a leader who can bring hostile parties together and produce stability.

Smith and Rowland described a possible international crisis in which a leader negotiates agreements that previous diplomats could not achieve. If he offers security guarantees and resolves disputes involving Israel and neighboring nations, the world may view him as indispensable rather than evil.

That public acceptance is part of the danger they described. A deceptive leader does not need to appear monstrous at the beginning. He can gain influence by appearing wise, peaceful, and capable.

Daniel 9:27 and the Covenant With Many

The hosts gave close attention to Daniel 9:27, which describes a ruler who confirms a covenant with "many" for one week. They interpret that week as a seven-year period.

For Smith and Rowland, the prophecy centers on Daniel's people, Jerusalem, the sanctuary, and the restoration and later interruption of sacrifice. They said the covenant is a major agreement involving Israel and other parties or nations.

Why "Many" Matters

Rowland stressed that the passage says the covenant is made with many, not all. That detail led the hosts to consider the possible scope of the agreement.

It could involve Israel and nations in the surrounding region. The agreement could also reach a broader group of countries. Smith and Rowland did not settle the question, but they said the wording allows for an early influence that is more regional before it becomes global.

The Covenant and the Seven-Year Timeline

The hosts see Daniel 9:27 as the beginning point for the Tribulation period. Once the covenant is confirmed, they believe the seven-year period can be counted forward.

Their sequence is straightforward:

1. A ruler confirms a covenant with many.
2. The seven-year period begins.
3. The covenant is interrupted during that period.
4. Events move toward the second coming of Christ.

Because the covenant gives a measurable timeline, Smith and Rowland said the rapture cannot be the same event as the second coming. If the covenant begins a countable seven-year period, people could calculate the timing of Christ's return once that agreement is in place.

A Regional Rise Before Worldwide Rule

Rowland suggested that the Antichrist's influence may begin in a regional setting connected to Israel, Jerusalem, and surrounding nations. He said the first three and a half years of the Tribulation may involve a more limited sphere of political influence.

Later, according to the hosts' understanding, the Antichrist enters the temple and presents himself as God. At that point, his authority expands further.

This possibility concerned them because a future leader could rise without many people recognizing him for who he is. The hosts said he could "sneak in" through agreements, public approval, and the appearance of successful leadership.

Spiritual Darkness and the Need for Scripture

Smith and Rowland believe the earth is growing darker, not lighter. They said that darkness affects society, technology, politics, and the church itself.

Rowland argued that the subtlety of present-day deception makes this period darker than earlier eras, even though church history contains many terrible events. The issue is not only open evil. It is blindness, confusion, and a darkness that can pass unnoticed.

Smith said the church may be partially blinded by the darkness around it. For that reason, the hosts returned to the biblical picture of God's Word as a lamp to the feet and a light to the path.

They presented Scripture as the light that guides believers through a world where deception may appear as peace, progress, and answers.

Donald Trump, Peace Efforts, and a Future Leader

The hosts did not identify Donald Trump as the Antichrist. They spoke of him as a man whom they believe God chose for the present moment, and they acknowledged his ability to get attention and produce results.

They also discussed Trump's influence on Middle East policy and the frameworks he has put forward for peace. Rowland said a future leader could attempt to outperform Trump's record and gain worldwide approval by delivering even more visible results.

Smith and Rowland said a "second Donald Trump," in the sense of another forceful and effective leader, would concern them if that person gained public trust through peace efforts and then used that influence for a different purpose. Their comparison focused on political influence, public expectations, and the kind of leader people may welcome during a crisis.

The Warning Behind Vance's Comment

J.D. Vance's comment gave Smith and Rowland an opening to discuss what they see as the present work of the spirit of Antichrist. They believe the future Antichrist will be a real person who first gains trust through peace, diplomacy, and apparent solutions.

For the hosts, artificial intelligence and the rapid increase of knowledge fit Daniel 12:4 and may give a future deceiver powerful tools. Yet their central concern is the spiritual darkness behind deception, especially when it does not look openly evil.

The Antichrist may not first appear as a tyrant. Smith and Rowland believe he may appear as the person who can solve problems no one else has solved.

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