It simply amazes me what people think that they find in the Bible and then publish on the Internet. I get emails much too often from people who think they found what everyone else missed in the Bible and it usually relates to some strange interpretation of end time Bible prophecy. There are some people who seem to do nothing but look for cryptic messages in the Bible in order to impress other people with their faulty detective work and deficient analytical skills.
This particular piece published on YouTube about Barack Obama being the Antichrist would be humorous if so many people did not take dumb on YouTube seriously and then just pass it on to dumber to try to convince biblically illiterate people that do not like Obama that Obama is the Antichrist. Obama is not the Antichrist.
I would suggest that before people tell others about hidden messages in the Bible that they consult with a real language expert. If you read the article you will get a clear picture why proper interpretation of ancient languages is not for the novice. Dr. Heiser using his expert knowledge of these ancient languages wrote a book exposing the Bible codes as bunk but some people never stop beating a dead horse and I also expect that we will hear this drivel about Obama being the Antichrist until someone finds a more attractive Antichrist candidate.
Anyway, Dr. Heiser thoroughly debunks the idea that Luke 10:18 and Isaiah 14:12 refers in any way to Barack Obama, so let all the astute Christians put that silliness to rest.
Jesus didn’t give name of antichrist
Jesus didn’t give name of antichrist
Posted: August 03, 2009
1:00 am EasternBy Dr. Michael S. Heiser
© 2009A recent WND exclusive brought attention to a viral video that attempts to persuade viewers that there is a cryptic reference to President Barack Obama’s name in Luke 10:18 and Isaiah 14:12. The creator of the video understands these passages to refer to the antichrist, and so viewers are left to connect the dots
between Barack Obama and the great satanic enemy of the biblical end times. Do the arguments of the video have any merit? The short answer is no, and anyone with an interest in handling the biblical text responsibly should dismiss the video’s claims without hesitation. The arguments of this video would be laughed aside by anyone with competence in the ancient biblical languages. Anyone with a solid grasp of the English Bible would see other logical problems pretty quickly.Full article
So after finishing my comment on your post on the Ozarks down below, I was preparing to log off and I saw this new entry posted and I just couldn’t resist responding to it.
If anybody wants to know who the Antichrist really is and where he is and when he will arrive on the scene only needs to go to the Bible for those answers. Youtube and Facebook and all the other places people go to for these answers are all looking in the wrong place. We need to remember to go to the source of all things pertaining to God – and that source is His written Word. And if we don’t understand the meaning of the scriptures pertaining to the subject matter, then we need to try and find a reliable and credible souce of information that we can turn to to help us find those answers. I was fortunate enough to have been made aware of one of these sources and it has been a tremendous help to me in regards to the antichrist and other topics.
Mr Patrick Heron is an author and teacher of end-time events. He has written a book entitled: “The Return of the Antichrist and the New World Order” This book is available online for just a few dollars. It’s well worth every penny. He addresses many topics on the end times. Highly recommended!
In his book, he points out that the word “antichrist” appears in the Bible only four times and they are all in John’s epistles. The definite article “the” appears with it only twice. So in the entire Bible, “the Antichrist” is only mentioned twice. He is never called ‘the Antichrist’ in the Book of Revelation. He is always called by just one name and he is called this one name exactly 35 times. He is called “the Beast from the Abyss.” Mr Heron does an excellent job in describing the Beast from the Abyss and his characteristics.
The Beast from the Abyss and the False Prophet will appear at about the same time and they are supernatural beings who are not on the earth yet and they will have supernatural powers. They are fallen angels. They are Nephilim. This eliminates anyone who is currently walking on the earth as a candidate to be the Antichrist.
The Antichrist – or Beast from the Abyss – is exactly where his name says he is – he is in the Abyss. If you go to the Book of Revelation you will read the name of the Beast – or the Antichrist.
” They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.” – Rev 9:11
And if there are still any doubts — “Abaddon” or “Apollyon” means “The Destroyer.”
The Beast from the Abyss won’t be allowed on the earth until God removes the restrainer – the Body of Christ – from the earth (2 Thess 2:7-9). The Body of Christ on the earth all those who have repented of their sins and received Jesus into their lives. Since the Holy Spirit dwells in the TRUE believers, then when we are taken away in the Rapture, then the Holy Spirit will be taken with us.
I want to point out one other thing regarding the return of Jesus for His Church and it has to do with 2 Cor. 2:3. “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”
Apostasia is made up of two words, apo and stasia. In appendix 104 of The Companion Bible, EW Bullinger defines the various Greek prepositions and what they mean, as Greek is a mathematical language and is very precise. He defines apo thus:
“ Apo governs only one case, the genitive, and denotes motion from the surface of an object, as a line drawn from the circumference of an object…Hence it is used of motion away from a place. Apo may consequently be used of deliverance or, passing away from a state or condition.”
In Greek, apo can be represented as a line drawn starting from the circumference of a circle and going away in an outward direction. Stasia literally means a ‘standing away,’ or ‘to draw out,’ or ‘to separate.’ So the whole word means, ‘a standing away from,’ or ‘a drawing out from,’ or ‘a separation away from,’ or ‘a going out from among.’ The original meaning of this word, which is agreed by many Greek scholars familiar with the ancient texts is, ‘the departure.’ This agrees with the definition of ‘away’ in Greek which suggests ‘a motion from the surface’ or ‘a motion away from a place as a line drawn from the circumference of an object.’
The Geneva Bible, the Cranmer Bible, first published in 1537, the Tyndale Bible published in 1539, preceding the King James Version, all translate this verse, ‘before the Day of the Lord comes, there must come a departure first.’ That is, before the Day of the Lord begins, there must first be a departure of the born-again believers from this world to be with Christ.
( “The Return of the Antichrist and the New World Order” by Patrick Heron)
That is one of the two interpretations of this passage about the great departure (Apostasy) and I lean toward it because it fits the context of what Paul was probably talking about in his explanation to those in the Church who thought they were already in the tribulation. I also think both interpretations could be correct since today we are also seeing a departure from the true faith from people that identify with Christianity. Other passages indicate that there would be great sin and denial of biblical truths among those claiming to be Christians in the last days.
The scripture makes it clear that the Beast comes out of the Abyss but it is also clear that he is a man. That is why most futurist Bible prophecy teachers think that this supernatural being out of the abyss will enter the body of a man and become the Beast/Antichrist. This supernatural being really could be a reincarnating devil that has being possessing people from Nimrod to Antiochus IV Epiphanes to Judas to Hitler including many other in-between until the end time future world leader. Therefore the Antichrist candidate for this spirit is always waiting in the wings but Satan cannot give him power until he that restrains is taken out of the way.
I think Christians know that we are at the last of the last days, and they get too excited to think about who the anitchrist may be. He won’t be revealed until after the Rapture of the church.
I agree that we can not base our theology system on You Tube videos, it must be founded and grounded in the Word. I also do not believe that we should be practicing divination in interpreting that Word. If the Lord wished to reveal the name of the antichrist, He would habe done it. Nonetheless, we are given signs. Signs that tell us we are in the last days, which we all agree on, and we are given signs or characteristics of the being of the antichrist. Again, I don’t think we should say Obama is the antichrist because of some silly viral video, but he, along with a few others (Tony Blair comes to mind) certainly boast many of the prophesied traits of the man of perdition. While I firmly believe we will be watching from the balconies of Heaven while Hell is unleashed on the Earth, I do believe those of us who diligently study Scripture can see certain people and events lining up leading to the great unveiling. Warning people of those traits seems worthy, which may lead some to the conclusion that Obama is at least in the running. Whether he is or is not, it certainly is not flattering to be mistaken as the antichrist! I don’t want anything to do with anybody that exhibits those characteristics.
I see Jack Van Impe has added fuel to the “Bronco” Obama Antichrist fire. Book and CD sales must be slow