NOW we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. –II Thessalonians 2:1-6.
The Bible shows us that before the Lord returns, the Antichrist will be revealed (which I have placed in bold type in the above scripture). There is nothing within scripture that tells us this revelation will only be for a select few; it will be open before all. Yet it is the real Christians that will identify this individual as the Antichrist; all of the others will think he is the true Christ. Of late, I’ve been seeing many videos that are identifying Barrack Obama as the Antichrist. These claim to have a special insight from the Holy Spirit which shows them this, but they also share a few little known facts which tend to support this conclusion. I can’t categorically declare that God wouldn’t reveal such information to some individual believers, but the pronouncement of scripture is certainly meant for all believers, not just a few. My purpose in this blog is to examine these claims of Obama being the Antichrist, and also to look at scriptures which give us clues in identifying this individual when he is revealed.
Trying to identify the Antichrist is a long-term Christian stumbling block. Way back in the late 1800’s, notable preachers like Cyrus Scofield were participating in the annual Niagra Conference: a gathering in which they speculated about the end of the world, and who the Antichrist might be (all the while vacationing in posh luxury at Niagra Falls!). We were never meant to do this. Just look at the above scripture; God didn’t want us to be shaken in mind, or troubled, and tells us that the Antichrist will be revealed in his time- no need to speculate! In verse 9 of the same passage, the Antichrist’s coming is declared to be “after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” Such an appearance ought to make him obvious, right? The remaining Christians will readily receive this, but to the rest he will appear to be the messiah for every faith, coming to unite mankind, and to save him from utter destruction. What is at the root of these misguided speculations about who the Antichrist is? That can be found in the erroneous, pre-tribulation rapture teaching. In other words, they didn’t think Christians would be here for the reign of Antichrist, so they were taking a guess at who it might be. I know that much of the speculation today concerning Obama also has its root in the unbiblical, private interpretation of a pre-tribulation rapture. Our Lord’s return happens in one day: first, Jesus calls remaining Christians home, to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Later that day here on Earth, seemingly within the hour, we return with Christ in the battle of Armageddon: after this, the millennium begins. You can find plain references to this in Luke 17:26-37; I Thessalonians 4:15-5:10; and in Revelation chapters 13-19. The pre-tribulation rapture teaching is popular with the “health and wealth” church of these last days: a church that thinks the Antichrist’s reign won’t touch them. Is this a Bible-based sentiment? Historically, were Christians ever exempted from times of great persecution? I thought that ALL that will live godly in Christ Jesus would suffer persecution (see II Timothy 3:12). What we must always go by, brethren, is the Word of God. Will Christians be here for the reign of the Antichrist, which begins in Revelation 13?
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?... Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24:3, 9-13.
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. –Revelation 6:9-11.
AND I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy…And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. –Revelation 13:1, 7.
And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. –Revelation 14:13.
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. –Revelation 16:15.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. –Revelation 18:4.
Still, many would try to claim that referrals to believers in days of Antichrist really just mean those that haven’t taken the “mark of the beast”: but the Bible never makes this claim. Others would say that the only remaining believers are those special ones mentioned; the 2 witnesses of chapter 11, and the 144,000 of chapter 7:3-8: the Bible never says that, either! Jesus was talking to His disciples in Matthew 24, right? Old Testament prophecy also concurs with the dire straits of last days’ Christians; we find this from Daniel;
Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. -7:19-21.
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. -7:23-25.
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. -8:23, 24.
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. -11:33.
And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. -12:6, 7.
Suffice it to say, there will be Christians here during the reign of Antichrist (a time of about three and one-half years). Did Christians avoid martyrdom in the Roman Empire? Didn’t the Catholic Church put millions to death over the centuries? And weren’t millions of Christians killed when the communists took over China and the Soviet Union? Nothing will be different for us here at the end.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. –John 16:33.
Barrack Hussein Obama is certainly an antichrist, but is he THE Antichrist? I doubt it. If he were to become the Antichrist, big things would have to happen. My opinion is that he has too much known past to be the kind of effective deceiver the Antichrist will be. After all, how will you be able to pose as Christ, when so many millions still remember the evils of your past? Many doubted Jesus, just because they had grown up with Him- but He was perfect! I think Satan will try to avoid this potential stumbling block.
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. –I John 2:18.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. –II Thessalonians 2:8, 9.
These two scriptures are simple, and forthright. First of all, there will be many “antichrists,” among which Obama is certainly a great example. I know that he has already claimed to be a Christian, a Muslim, and Jewish! But secondly, Obama needs to exhibit the “signs and lying wonders.” Among these, I think that technology will be used to produce a false second coming, and this will be very convincing. It also seems that there may be an assassination attempt, from which the Antichrist will be healed- at least that is what I see in the following verse;
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. –Revelation 13:3. Great deceptions lie ahead!
Many have written about Obama’s “Antichrist” qualifications, but I will not repeat them in this blog, as this seems to me to be more gossip than real substance. I have also taken some deeper looks into this man, and I certainly think he has been chosen to have a big role in world leadership. But when the Beast, the true world leader Antichrist steps forward, it won’t be necessary to do any deep analysis- it will be obvious who he is.
Historically, Christians have looked to the Catholic Church as the antichrist system, or “Mystery Babylon” (Revelation 17:5). The Catholic faith is really not Biblical Christian faith at all, but the religion of Sun-God worship handed down from ancient Babylon. This religious fusion of faiths came into being through the Roman Emperor Constantine in the early 4th century. Much has been written to account for this state of affairs, and I will let you do your own research. In extreme simplicity, Christianity grants a sure salvation through grace, by Jesus’ death on the cross. Catholicism is an indefinite salvation based on the individual’s good works (see Ephesians 2:8, 9). At any rate, it is because of the Babylonian root in Catholicism that many Christian leaders have thought that the Antichrist will be the last pope.
It is my opinion that the last pope will not be the Antichrist, but will be the false prophet by Antichrist’s side (Revelation 13:11-17, 19:20). One reason for this is that to unite the world under one religion, the Antichrist ought not to show any particular affiliation. For example, Catholics and Muslims would have deep roots of animosity going back to the Crusades. The Bible provides the Antichrist’s identifying clue in the book of Daniel 11:37-39;
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. Bold type was added to emphasize.
The Antichrist will be of the “New–Age” religion, one which honors the Force. Yes, this is “the force” of Star Wars fame! It is the thought that God is in everyone already as a force, rather than an individual. The name of the “messiah’ that represents this is MAITREYA. Let me take time here to thank my brother Warren Smith for providing this information in his excellent book, Reinventing Jesus Christ: the New Gospel.
These New-Age teachings are very deceptive, and use many terms that are familiar to Christians, but with very different meanings. For example, Maitreya is said to have numerous “masters of wisdom” to help him. Jesus was then said to be one of these, and during his life on earth he allowed the “Christ-spirit” of Maitreya to “overshadow” him! Christians believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, and that he alone is the messiah, the way of salvation (John 14:6). I hope you can now see how very deceptive these New-Age teachings are, and why we need to be grounded firmly in the Word of God;
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. –Matthew 7:24-27.
Satan has been preparing his takeover through Antichrist for a long time, and we can see many of his preparatory steps along the way. Billy Graham did his part, re-uniting Protestants and Catholics during the many years of his “ministry.” Few realize that Graham believed that men could be saved through whatever religious system they were in! This certainly isn’t preaching the Jesus of the Bible! And now we have Pope Frances doing his part- he has publicly declared that there is no Hell. This is perfectly in line with New-Age teachings, which declare that there isn’t any real evil: the only possible evil could be when an individual doesn’t realize that he or she is already a part of God! Let’s face it; a religion without a Hell would be very attractive to all: but without it, where would the Catholic Church be today? And it may be possible, in the end, that Barrack Obama will be labeled as a “master of wisdom” under the Antichrist’s system.
So my conclusion is that there is no necessity of speculating about who the Antichrist is, for he will be very distinct. And while I can’t dogmatically declare that Obama isn’t the Antichrist, I don’t think he quite fits the bill. The Antichrist will appear to be the messiah for every religion. He will return to seemingly save mankind from destroying himself, bringing peace to the world after World War III (Daniel 8:25, I Thessalonians 5:2). One of Satan’s titles is “the prince of the power of the air,” from Ephesians 2:2. With this in mind, I think that one of the Antichrist’s miracles will be to clear away the radiation after the nuclear war.
There is a time of great trouble at our door, brethren; but beyond that, unspeakable joy! God has given us this time to prepare; let us do so with diligence.
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. –Luke 12:35-40.
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?... Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24:3, 9-13.
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. –Revelation 6:9-11.
AND I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy…And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. –Revelation 13:1, 7.
And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. –Revelation 14:13.
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. –Revelation 16:15.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. –Revelation 18:4.
Still, many would try to claim that referrals to believers in days of Antichrist really just mean those that haven’t taken the “mark of the beast”: but the Bible never makes this claim. Others would say that the only remaining believers are those special ones mentioned; the 2 witnesses of chapter 11, and the 144,000 of chapter 7:3-8: the Bible never says that, either! Jesus was talking to His disciples in Matthew 24, right? Old Testament prophecy also concurs with the dire straits of last days’ Christians; we find this from Daniel;
Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. -7:19-21.
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. -7:23-25.
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. -8:23, 24.
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. -11:33.
And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. -12:6, 7.
Suffice it to say, there will be Christians here during the reign of Antichrist (a time of about three and one-half years). Did Christians avoid martyrdom in the Roman Empire? Didn’t the Catholic Church put millions to death over the centuries? And weren’t millions of Christians killed when the communists took over China and the Soviet Union? Nothing will be different for us here at the end.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. –John 16:33.
Barrack Hussein Obama is certainly an antichrist, but is he THE Antichrist? I doubt it. If he were to become the Antichrist, big things would have to happen. My opinion is that he has too much known past to be the kind of effective deceiver the Antichrist will be. After all, how will you be able to pose as Christ, when so many millions still remember the evils of your past? Many doubted Jesus, just because they had grown up with Him- but He was perfect! I think Satan will try to avoid this potential stumbling block.
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. –I John 2:18.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. –II Thessalonians 2:8, 9.
These two scriptures are simple, and forthright. First of all, there will be many “antichrists,” among which Obama is certainly a great example. I know that he has already claimed to be a Christian, a Muslim, and Jewish! But secondly, Obama needs to exhibit the “signs and lying wonders.” Among these, I think that technology will be used to produce a false second coming, and this will be very convincing. It also seems that there may be an assassination attempt, from which the Antichrist will be healed- at least that is what I see in the following verse;
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. –Revelation 13:3. Great deceptions lie ahead!
Many have written about Obama’s “Antichrist” qualifications, but I will not repeat them in this blog, as this seems to me to be more gossip than real substance. I have also taken some deeper looks into this man, and I certainly think he has been chosen to have a big role in world leadership. But when the Beast, the true world leader Antichrist steps forward, it won’t be necessary to do any deep analysis- it will be obvious who he is.
Historically, Christians have looked to the Catholic Church as the antichrist system, or “Mystery Babylon” (Revelation 17:5). The Catholic faith is really not Biblical Christian faith at all, but the religion of Sun-God worship handed down from ancient Babylon. This religious fusion of faiths came into being through the Roman Emperor Constantine in the early 4th century. Much has been written to account for this state of affairs, and I will let you do your own research. In extreme simplicity, Christianity grants a sure salvation through grace, by Jesus’ death on the cross. Catholicism is an indefinite salvation based on the individual’s good works (see Ephesians 2:8, 9). At any rate, it is because of the Babylonian root in Catholicism that many Christian leaders have thought that the Antichrist will be the last pope.
It is my opinion that the last pope will not be the Antichrist, but will be the false prophet by Antichrist’s side (Revelation 13:11-17, 19:20). One reason for this is that to unite the world under one religion, the Antichrist ought not to show any particular affiliation. For example, Catholics and Muslims would have deep roots of animosity going back to the Crusades. The Bible provides the Antichrist’s identifying clue in the book of Daniel 11:37-39;
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. Bold type was added to emphasize.
The Antichrist will be of the “New–Age” religion, one which honors the Force. Yes, this is “the force” of Star Wars fame! It is the thought that God is in everyone already as a force, rather than an individual. The name of the “messiah’ that represents this is MAITREYA. Let me take time here to thank my brother Warren Smith for providing this information in his excellent book, Reinventing Jesus Christ: the New Gospel.
These New-Age teachings are very deceptive, and use many terms that are familiar to Christians, but with very different meanings. For example, Maitreya is said to have numerous “masters of wisdom” to help him. Jesus was then said to be one of these, and during his life on earth he allowed the “Christ-spirit” of Maitreya to “overshadow” him! Christians believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, and that he alone is the messiah, the way of salvation (John 14:6). I hope you can now see how very deceptive these New-Age teachings are, and why we need to be grounded firmly in the Word of God;
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. –Matthew 7:24-27.
Satan has been preparing his takeover through Antichrist for a long time, and we can see many of his preparatory steps along the way. Billy Graham did his part, re-uniting Protestants and Catholics during the many years of his “ministry.” Few realize that Graham believed that men could be saved through whatever religious system they were in! This certainly isn’t preaching the Jesus of the Bible! And now we have Pope Frances doing his part- he has publicly declared that there is no Hell. This is perfectly in line with New-Age teachings, which declare that there isn’t any real evil: the only possible evil could be when an individual doesn’t realize that he or she is already a part of God! Let’s face it; a religion without a Hell would be very attractive to all: but without it, where would the Catholic Church be today? And it may be possible, in the end, that Barrack Obama will be labeled as a “master of wisdom” under the Antichrist’s system.
So my conclusion is that there is no necessity of speculating about who the Antichrist is, for he will be very distinct. And while I can’t dogmatically declare that Obama isn’t the Antichrist, I don’t think he quite fits the bill. The Antichrist will appear to be the messiah for every religion. He will return to seemingly save mankind from destroying himself, bringing peace to the world after World War III (Daniel 8:25, I Thessalonians 5:2). One of Satan’s titles is “the prince of the power of the air,” from Ephesians 2:2. With this in mind, I think that one of the Antichrist’s miracles will be to clear away the radiation after the nuclear war.
There is a time of great trouble at our door, brethren; but beyond that, unspeakable joy! God has given us this time to prepare; let us do so with diligence.
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. –Luke 12:35-40.
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