Is Obama the Anti-Christ?
Not long ago on the BWC blog, Jordan Green published a post in which he contemplated his prophetic gifts. He specifically mentioned his uncanny, some might say suprahuman, predictions regarding the Jonas Brothers, the Oregon Ducks, and Barack Obama’s presidential qualities. What Jordan neglected to mention was his other vision of Barack Obama, first published in an article entitled The Anti-Christ Watch.
Jordan (and the article’s co-author, Donald Miller) laid out the reasons we should be afraid of Obama’s role in these end times:
Obama is handsome and the ladies love him. He appears intelligent, charismatic, friendly and is a dynamic speaker. And what is worse is he’s a Democrat. Obama went to Russia in 2005 to check out military bases where WMDs were being stored, and may have discovered a way to launch said weapons at Israel. This single trip connects the Senator to weapons that may be used against the country we evangelicals rub as a Biblical rabbit foot. Add to this that Slate.com’s Timothy Noah has a supposedly tongue-in-cheek blog about Obama entitled “Messiah Watch”, so now we have secular media referring to him as a kind of Christ. We would also like you to note Barak Obama’s middle name is Hussein. That name sounds a bit Arab, doesn’t it? Some of you may believe Obama is actually a Christian. He himself claims that he was baptized at Trinity United Church of Christ. That said, he talks about his faith in a non-“Jesus told me to kill these people” sort of way. This makes him suspect. The true anti-Christ will no doubt champion peace. It’s not the “Jesus told me to kill people” crowd we are worried about, it’s the leaders who can’t hear this obvious voice of God. And it bears repeating that he is handsome. He is very handsome.
Then Jordan seemed to hedge his bets. Obama, he wrote, is “almost too obvious a pick” and “doesn’t have enough political experience to be the anti-Christ.” He concluded with this statement, devastating (shudder) in its combined prescience and naivete:
[Obama] can only be the anti-Christ if he ends up being nominated by his party, and the chances of that are slim. But if he does get the nod, he is back atop the list, we assure you.
This article, first published in February 2007, remains one of the BWC’s most popular. We are constantly amazed (and not a little concerned) about the number of people who discover the site by googling the words “Obama” and “anti-Christ” - a search which produces 829,000 results.
(I ventured as far as I could into the secret places of the internet to look for proof that Obama is the Whore of Babylon. The six most popular arguments have little to do with biblical interpretation - how could they? - but instead rely, predictably, on racism and xenophobia. They are: 1) Obama is popular in Europe, the footstool of the beast. See below. 2) The Nation of Islam prophesied that the final Mohammed would come into the world from the union of a white female and black male - based on their interpretation of the story of Mary Magdalene and Jesus. 3) Obama would be a “black” president in a “white” house. According to these sites, Satan is sometimes described as black in attribute and seeking to take over the white mansion of heaven. 4) One of the zip codes in Chicago, Obama’s home, is 60606. 5) Obama’s first name is Jewish. 6) Obama is Muslim. Which of course he’s not.)
We’ve had more new visitors to the site over the last two weeks. The Obama anti-Christ controversy is now a topic of national discussion.
First, the John McCain campaign released an ad in late July portraying Obama as a Moses and Messiah and then asking “But is he ready to lead?” The blogosphere went nuts over the ad, which included shots of Obama in Berlin, standing before huge crowds chanting his name. The mainstream media outlets picked it up too, with prominent articles in venerable publications like The Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine.
Then, on August 10, the Associated Press and UPI ran stories about a North Carolina accountant facing federal charges of threatening to kill Obama. UPI:
Jerry Blanchard of Indian Trail allegedly described a plan before two witnesses at a Charlotte restaurant July 15 to buy a handgun, rifle and laser scope. According to court documents he allegedly called the Illinois senator the “anti-Christ,” reported WCNC-TV Sunday. Secret Service agents were contacted two weeks later when another witness alleged Blanchard made similar threats at a local hotel.
It’s worth noting that not all Southern white men are united on this point. John Hagee, the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, recently told Glen Beck that Obama is not the anti-Christ. (Whew.)
Hal Lindsey, who claims to be the bestselling nonfiction author alive (his most popular book The Late, Great Planet Earth has sold some 35 million copies), wrote in his regular column for WorldNetDaily that while Obama himself isn’t the anti-Christ, he does pave the way for the anti-Christ.
Obama is correct in saying that the world is ready for someone like him - a messiah-like figure, charismatic and glib and seemingly holding all the answers to all the world’s questions.And the Bible says that such a leader will soon make his appearance on the scene. It won’t be Barack Obama, but Obama’s world tour provided a foretaste of the reception he can expect to receive.
He will probably also stand in some European capital, addressing the people of the world and telling them that he is the one that they have been waiting for. And he can expect as wildly enthusiastic a greeting as Obama got in Berlin.
The Bible calls that leader the Antichrist. And it seems apparent that the world is now ready to make his acquaintance.
Photo from this website.
Posted on August 11, 2008 9:30 AM
Comments
I do not belive Obama is the anti Christ. Back when Reagan was President people were claiming he was the anti Christ! I always thought the anti Christ would be someone from the middle east. Obama is just an over rated liberal narcisist with a VERY THIN RESUME. He is obviously not qualified to be President of the United States and to think someone with so little experience might end up "leading" this country is very frightening. Considering our pop culture, it really shouldn't be any surprise the dumbed down idolize him. The more Obama speaks, the more he trips himself up. I found his "typical white person clinging to their guns and religion" quite telling about his attitude towards true Christians and our constitutional rights. No doubt as a typical liberal, he considers The Constitution a "living breathing document", which really means, it can be perverted and dismantled and meant to mean whatever he wants it to mean at any given point in time.
Posted by: Kaen | August 12, 2008 5:20 PM
This article is right on the edge. Of course it's slightly funny/cynical, but there are some serious people saying some serios things at the same time.
I think that politics is certainly important from a worldly point of view and that's why I was so interested in Ron Paul for this last year.
I will continue to follow politics, but I have come to believe that the wrong powers are at play here. Legitimate people are very easily marginalized.
It would be intersting to me to read what others here saw in this article, as a serious or humorous piece. Also, as to what is the power of politics in our faith.
Posted by: jamminjake | August 13, 2008 4:48 PM
I was struck by the first response. I usually consider the Obama/anti-Christ discussion to be either a spoof (a la Wittenberg Door) or the ravings of legalistic Taliban-style so-called Christians.
I had to marvel at the "liberal" concept of The Constitution as a "living breathing document". Isn't that the "conservative" view of the Bible?
I am convinced that the Obama/anti-Christ thread is a pure red-herring.
The sad reality is that many Americans (even Christians - in spite of clear statements from Jesus) are quick to judge and condemn based purely on race or gender.
The anti-Christ will draw his power from fear - not hope.
That is yet another reason why the "Christian" panic and paranoia amaze me. Could those be any more alien to the spirit of Jesus?
Posted by: Morf | August 14, 2008 1:05 PM
Morf,
I hope that it was clear that my article was satirical. At any rate, you're right on in saying that the spirit of anti-Christ is fear and alienation, not hope.
Thanks for your thoughtful, dead-on response.
John
Posted by: John Pattison | August 14, 2008 4:02 PM
In response to: "I found his "typical white person clinging to their guns and religion" quite telling about his attitude towards true Christians and our constitutional rights. No doubt as a typical liberal, he considers The Constitution a "living breathing document", which really means, it can be perverted and dismantled and meant to mean whatever he wants it to mean at any given point in time."
I am very well aware that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, I believe that we have a responsibility to be informed and honest rather than reactionary when we share those opinions. Please be a little more diligent in that area.
As to the comment about the Constitution, I would echo Morf in saying that this is the typically conservative view of the Bible. Kaen, please be consistent as you attempt to bring context and current application to anything at all that is written down. You cannot say that one writing is subject to contextualization while another is somehow exempt.
As to the "constitutional rights" that were mentioned in the context of guns and religion, this is a blatant case of "perverting and dismantling" the words of Christ to think that he didn't really mean it when he commanded us to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, etc... You are not referring to TRUE Christianity, and to think that the Constitution, or any other human document for that matter, trumps the words of Christ... You are walking on thin ice. Please examine yourself first to see if you are guilty of the same thing of which you are accusing others.
I thoroughly enjoyed this article. Sometimes satire is the only way to truly communicate the ridiculousness of something. Thanks for putting it together!
Posted by: John P | August 15, 2008 6:34 AM
My daughter alerted me to your site as she posted a note with a link to my site which deals with the distortions of Christian Zionism(www.christianzionism.org). Appreciate what you're doing and what you're about.
I find what you write about Obama being identified as the anti-Christ more frightening than funny. It's easy to be dismissive of this kind of pop propaganda. It's harder to dismiss the wackos who pick up guns to do something about it. Already we've had a shooting at a Unitarian church by a guy convinced he was doing God a favor by killing liberals. Another man (whose motive is less certain) tried to kill the Arkansas democratic chairman. I fear for Obama's life as the Republican and conservative attacks get more and more viral. I fear, too, for the Christian souls who pander to this kind of hate.
The thing about even hinting at such an identification is that people get it in their minds that it is alright to slander and hate and kill anti-Christs. Not only OK, but righteous! It seems to me in this case that you need something stronger than satire to challenge this from a Christian perspective. It has to be labeled as the SIN it is.
Posted by: John Hubers | August 15, 2008 7:49 AM
John H.,
You make several good points. This stuff is indeed more frightening than funny. You're right also that we have recently seen two examples of delusional people acting in violence against so-called "liberals." (I mention a third example in my article.) Just yesterday I was driving along and wondering to myself if we are going to see more of these kinds of events - the terrible but probably predictable result of the inflammatory rhetoric of the "culture war." I think, however, that this kind of speculation and vigilantism should be both skewered with satire and denounced outright as sin. I recommend our readers visit your site (www.christianzionism.org) for that purpose. Having spent some time there this morning, I believe you are doing good and important work.
Posted by: John Pattison | August 15, 2008 12:22 PM
Personally, I think dispensationalism in all it's forms ought to be mocked openly.hooray for satire
Posted by: Matticus | August 16, 2008 7:51 AM
The article doesn't emphasize something very important -- Obama is willing to talk to leaders with whom the US has strained relationships. As Hal Lindsey and any other amateur eschatologist will tell you, unifying the world is a big part of the antichrist's plan. Because, apparently, God prefers that we keep fighting each other. The devil wants peace. God wants war. I'm sure that's in the Bible somewhere . . . right? And don't believe for a second that Revelation is talking about the Nero and the Roman Empire. That's the kind of nonsense too much book learnin' will get into your head.
Posted by: Steve | August 20, 2008 10:36 PM
go look up obama berlin speech on youtube, it's live and the words are on the screen before he spoke them, so who wrote it? then go to youtube type in vatican and islam....parts 1 2 and 3 watches all 3. now he's not the antichrist but he is paving the way , watch all those and it will fall in place.
Posted by: you know | November 7, 2008 10:44 AM