THE IMAGE

In Daniel chapter 3, an image of gold likened to Nebuchadnezzar was fashioned and all had to worship the image or face a fiery furnace. Three Hebrew boys refused to bow and worship the image and were thrown into a burning fiery furnace. Fortunately, they were miraculously delivered without even the smell of smoke on them.

Similarly, Revelation chapter 13 verse 15 also communicates an apocalyptic prophecy about the image of the beast:

He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (Revelation 13:15)

The obvious question is "what is the image of the beast?" Is it a picture or photograph of the beast. Not likely. With the way mobile phones (i.e. smart android phones) are designed in modern times, they can actually pass of a handheld mirror capturing the 'selfie' image/reflection of the holder.

These phones may very well be the image of the beast that all are made to worship by making everything (commerce, transportation, communication, etc.) obtainable/accessible with an internet connected 'smart' phone that is prophesied to be sentient and able to speak (Revelation 13:15). This is already in the process of being fulfilled with AI (Artificial Intelligence). Infact, I believe that Android smartphones are well on their way to becoming humanoid robot-like androids as hinted in Daniel 2:43:

As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. (Daniel 2:43)

The real humans are the clay, and the robot-like android are the iron. Outwardly they may eventually look alike, but inwardly one is flesh and bones (i.e. the clay), and the other is chips and circuits (i.e. the iron).