The Anti-Christ And Mr. Obama

Since the election I've been asked a number of times to comment on the likelihood that Mr. Obama could be the anti-Christ. Let me begin by saying that having been elected President he's Mr. Obama now, not just Obama. As for him being the anti-Christ I've discouraged that thought because I don't believe it's time for the anti-Christ to be revealed yet. But apart from that there's no Biblical reason I can find that would absolutely disqualify him. And based on the things we know about the anti-Christ there's a fit in several important places. The anti-Christ will have to burst on the scene quickly and powerfully to accomplish so much in the little time he has, so maybe he'll need a head start. If that's the case, maybe Mr. Obama is on his way to becoming the anti-Christ. Let's find out.

We know that the anti-Christ will be a descendant of the people who made up the Roman Empire in Biblical times (Daniel 9:26), and he'll arrive on the world scene as a peace maker (Daniel 8:25). He won't be part of the world's powerful elite at the beginning of his career (Daniel 7:8) but will rise up among them to eventually surpass them and become the leader of the entire world. (Rev. 13:7-8)

He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. (Daniel 8:25)

This means that he'll base his success on a lie, misrepresenting himself and his intentions, but people will want to believe him so badly that they'll disregard his inconsistencies until it's too late to stop him. Initially he'll seem successful, but just when they're saying “Peace and safety”, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains to a pregnant woman, and they won't escape (1 Thes. 5:3).

Some of us remember when Jimmy Carter was elected President of the US. The country was fed up with Washington and even though he had no national leadership experience, we elected him because he was an outsider who promised change. He said he would never lie to us, but after the election it turned out that he had. He had misrepresented his background and didn't have the ability he needed when it came to governing. He said he was Christian and even orchestrated a land for peace deal between Israel and Egypt, but he proved to be anti-Israel. Soon we had a crisis in finance with interest rates at 20%, an energy crisis with our first gas shortages, and an administration that didn't know how to work with Congress to fix things. The Iranians captured our embassy and held our citizens hostage. Thankfully he lasted only one term.

Mr. Obama could easily turn out to be just another Jimmy Carter, and if so America will suffer through the next four years and then he'll be gone. But if he continues to be successful in convincing people all around the world that he's on the right track even though everything seems to be falling apart, it could be a different story.

If my calculations are correct, American Christians have just voted in our last presidential elections and won't be here to see if Mr. Obama turns out to be the anti-Christ or not. But someone with a lot more experience in accurately predicting the future has some interesting insight into the next few years. His name is Gerald Celente, CEO of Trends Research Institute, and he's renowned the world over for his accuracy in predicting future world and economic events. He accurately predicted the 1987 Stock market crash, the Fall of the Soviet Union, the 1997 Asian currency collapse, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, and one year before the fact predicted what he said would become known as the Panic of 2008, saying that giants would tumble to their deaths, which is what we've just seen in the fall of several of our oldest and biggest financial firms, and with the big three auto makers teetering on the brink.

According to his recent Fox News interview, called “Predicting Obama's Impact” (posted on YouTube on Nov. 10, 2008), by 2012 America will have become an undeveloped nation. There will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and holidays will be more about obtaining food than gifts.

“We’re going to see the end of the retail Christmas….we’re going to see a fundamental shift take place….putting food on the table is going to be more important that putting gifts under the Christmas tree,” said Celente, adding that the situation would be “worse than the great depression”.

“America’s going to go through a transition the likes of which no one is prepared for,” he said, noting that people’s refusal to acknowledge that America was even in a recession highlights how big a problem denial is in being ready for the true scale of the crisis.

All this comes from a man with an international reputation for being right and whose continued success depends on it. If he's right now like he has been so often in the past, then the next four years will be worse than the Carter Administration ever was, rather than the launching platform for a coming world leader.

(By the way, please take note that this is another independent expert pointing to the year 2012 as one of cataclysmic significance in bringing about the End of the Age.)

There's a wild card that I hesitate to throw in here because I don't even want to think about it. But if it's true it could easily cause the problems that Mr. Celente is predicting. For some time now certain people, Republican and Democrat alike, have been saying that Mr. Obama isn't legally qualified to be President because he's not a natural born citizen of the US. I won't go into the details but the point is that he could make this all go away by producing a legitimate birth certificate, something he's been unwilling to do. A federal court has given him until Dec. 1, 2008 to do so, and if he does then the Electoral College vote will be certified and he'll be the next President. But lawsuits in a dozen or so states have been or are being filed to prevent the certification until Mr. Obama proves he's qualified. If the courts throw out the election who knows what could happen.

As many of you know, I've said that all of the End Times prophecies including the 2nd Coming could be fulfilled as early as 2018. I base this on the Lord's promise that the generation being born at the time of the first End Times signs would still be alive when “all these things have happened” (Matt. 24:34) Most scholars view the re-birth of Israel in 1948 as the first of the end times signs. With an average lifespan being 70 years, according to Psalm 90:10, everything will have to come to pass by 2018. If the Rapture only just precedes the 70th Week of Daniel it could come 7 years earlier, in 2011, which is 2 ½ years from now, about half way through Mr. Obama's first term, assuming the election stands.

So here's how to tell if he'll become the anti-Christ or not. If it seems like he can do no wrong, if people feel safe and it's beginning to look like there'll be peace in our time, then there's a good chance he's the one. But if Gerald Celente's predictions are coming to pass, and the world's in worse shape than ever, then he's just another Jimmy Carter, an inexperienced outsider who had no business running for president in the first place, let alone being elected.

Time will tell, but either way we can look for some difficult days ahead for the Church. Because either way we are in the final phase of post-Christian America and can expect the world around us to become more and more anti-Christian. And if the economy continues to self-destruct it will be just that much worse.

But whether Mr. Obama turns out to be the anti-Christ or not is really irrelevant to the Church. Our job in the short time we have left is to get ready to move to our new home. That means breaking our ties with the old one. Anything that can't be put to kingdom use is excess baggage to us now. We should be sending whatever treasure we have up ahead. We should stop worrying about our career, our retirement fund, our lifestyle, and all those other worldly distractions and put all our resources to work for the benefit of our next life. After all it's the real one. And one way or the other, this one is already gone.

Whether you believe in a pre-trib rapture or not you know my advice is sound. After all I'm not just making this up. Everything I 've been saying is straight from the Lord's own mouth. He's the one who said to quit storing up treasure on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. He's the one who said to store up treasure in Heaven instead. (Matt. 6:19-20) And He's the one who said not to worry about our lives here but seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and he'll provide all our needs. (Matt. 6:31-34) So whether you think we're leaving here soon or not, it's time to pay attention to what He's been telling us. No matter how much time you think we have, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 11-15-08

Unsupported statements made in this article:

We know that the anti-Christ will be a descendant of the people who made up the Roman Empire in Biblical times (Daniel 9:26), {The pedigree of the "antichrist" is not mentioned in Daniel 9.}

but will rise up among them to eventually surpass them and become the leader of the entire world. (Rev. 13:7-8) {The "antichrist" is not mentioned in Rev. 13.}

If my calculations are correct, American Christians have just voted in our last presidential elections and won't be here to see if Mr. Obama turns out to be the anti-Christ or not. {Pure emotion-laden speculation.}

Celente is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions - all within four years, cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012. {Futurists have been speculating along these same lines for 4 decades. Recall the food riots, etc that were to accompany Y2K, along with the rise of "antichrist".}

As many of you know, I've said that all of the End Times prophecies including the 2nd Coming could be fulfilled as early as 2018. {More flimsy speculation without detailed biblical support. The "rapture ready" true believers love this stuff.}

Time will tell, but either way we can look for some difficult days ahead for the Church. {So this is new? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell us that hard times have been the lot of the Church for 2000 years. Just ask the Christians in China and certain parts of Africa.}

But whether Mr. Obama turns out to be the anti-Christ or not is really irrelevant to the Church. {ALERT: This is a true statement, but not for the reasons the author suggests. Actually, most of that this author says is irrelevant to the Church.}

Whether you believe in a pre-trib rapture or not you know my advice is sound. After all I'm not just making this up. Everything I 've been saying is straight from the Lord's own mouth. {False prophets always claim to be speaking from the Lord.}

Like most futurist eschatology, this article is a collection of unsupportable/unverifiable commentary that cannot pass even the most basic test for Bible accuracy or content. It lacks specificity and detailed exegesis of the Bible texts mentioned. I suppose that’s why many folks like it so much.

Mark 13, Disciples ask Jesus:

4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

Jesus answers:

5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

***7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. ***

8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

***14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:*** I BELIEVE WE WILL KNOW WHO THE ANTI-CHRIST IS AT THIS POINT FOR SURE. THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION IS BELIEVED TO BE THE ANTI-CHRIST ENTERING THE TEMPLE AND DEFAMING IT IN SOME FASHION LIKE THE ROMANS DID BY SACRIFICING A PIG ON THE ALTER. UNTIL WE SEE A TEMPLE BUILT IN JERUSALEM, I DON’T BELIEVE WE ARE ANYWHERE NEAR A REVELATION OF WHO THE AC IS.

15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:

16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

As I said above, I personally don’t believe we are near an Anti-Christ revelation; but, I definitely do see the preparing for the Anti-Christ.

What I mean by this is that worldwide, people are virtually worshipping Obama. People that don’t know him. Heck, he is our President elect and we have more questions than answers about the guy, where he’s from, what he stands for exactly, etc. AND THE WORLD IS PUTING ITS HOPE IN THIS MAN!!!

Does this not strike anyone else as strange? Or, perhaps telling of the time we live in, where the world will turn to a man for salvation instead of God?

I can definitely see that the world IS ready for the Anti-Christ. I think Obama is possibly a form of John the Baptist, preparing the way for the Anti-Christ. Under Obama’s leadership, the world will reach a point of such dispair, that a man—the Anti-Christ, whoever he may be—seemingly with all the answers will step up and “heal” the world of its woes. Barack Obama will be vindicated by simply blaming all of his shortcoming/failures on the previous administration; but I’m sure he will fully support the AC (in this hypothetical, at least).

What purpose do these crazy threads serve? The ultra-judgmental foolishness of right wing loonies is what costs Republicans elections.

While I agree with your question as to what articles like this serve, I take issue with your latter statement. I, for one, am sick and tired of hearing that I'm a "hate-mongerer" or "loony" just because I do not believe children should be ripped out of wombs or that men should carry on with other men (or beasts for that matter). If this is what "cost" the Republicans the election than I'm fine with that. However, please note that the campaign was run against George W. Bush, a moderate-NOT a "right wing loon".

If the Republican party wishes to abdicate their focus on moral ethics, then I for one will be happy to sit out of our election process rather than try to decide which abortionist I'm going to vote for. There is no difference and I can save the gallon of gas in my drive to the polls. The Republicans talk a good fight when soliciting campaign donations but many certainly don't stand up for these issues when the heat is on for fear of being called all sorts of nasty names. The moderates of the party have done nothing but run it into the ground.

I'd much sooner give my support to a principled minority party than to give it to an unprincipled minority party. Bring on a moral and fiscally responsible party and I'll join in a heartbeat. I'm tired of "moderates" getting along. There is no "governing from the center" on issues like abortion and homosexuality.

I’m not thinking this included Kenya, Hawaii or Indonesia...

I don't think so either. I believe Barack Obama's role is to, like Hambone said, destroy to the best of his ability the last country on earth that was a beacon of freedom and opportunity.

According to the article, a guy who appears to have a large degree of credibility on the subject basically says that by the third year of Obama's "presidency", America will be on the same level, if not lower, than Afghanistan. He will have served his purpose.

I believe that Barack Obama will perfectly condition the American people, the people who have known nothing but freedom, abundance, and opportunity; the people who have never had to go through really tough times, the people who have become weak and soft and feminine, to fall at the feet of the Antichrist and lap up his charisma and his promises and his miracles. We've seen how foolishly and easily people worshiped Obama and he is a rank amateur compared to what's coming. As of Barack Obama's inauguration, America will begin the process of destruction.

That's what Obama's part in all this is. He's not the Antichrist.

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