Obama is the anti-Christ?

Like most of you, I receive political email from friends, family, and both of the political parties. The the other day I received another one of those political email and like many of them they attempt to explain how evil the other party is. However, this one email really miss used the Scriptures so badly I have to say something, especially with so many Christians claiming its truth and pleading to have it forwarded.

The email, reportedly from a Dr. John Tisdale, attempts to use the book of Revelation to show how bad or evil Obama is, which implies that Obama is the anti-Christ. If I follow this line of thinking, I guess Biden is the false prophet and then on the other side we must have Satan and the whore of Babylon. Do we really believe this? I certainly hope not.

The email first ask if you remember your Sunday school teaching on the book of "Revelations" and how long the beast will be given to rule. The first thing that came to my mind was that this guy must of failed Sunday School. The book is “Revelation” and not “Revelations”. This told me that Dr. John Tisdale must not be a serious student of the Bible. He does have the Chapter reference correct and it would appear that he is referencing verse 5 of chapter 13:

Rev 13:5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. (ESV)

We need to really evaluate a few of things here. One, he has just made the Presidency of the United States the seat of power for the anti-Christ. Every commentary that I have ever read and my own study has the seat of power in Rome as part of the last great empire of Daniel's visions (Dan 2:31-33; cp Dan 7:1-8). Another problem here is the 42 and 48 months. Is the Scripture in error? Also, if I am not mistaken, the 42 months in Chapter 13 is part of the Great Tribulation or the last half of the seven years of tribulation. This would then mean that Christ's return is set for 2012. I am glad I now have a date to work with and my 401k doesn't seem so bad.

Next, in the second half of the email he claims that the book of Revelation describes the beast as "will be a man, in his 40's of Muslim descent". First problem to deal with is that Islam does not become a religion for about another 400 years after the writing of Revelation, which means that John, the writer of the book, could not have known about Muslims. Second, no where in Scripture can you find this type of reference for a 40 year old man being the anti-Christ. I have read some who have tried to profile the anti-Christ and most seem to have him coming from Eastern Europe or is the Pope. These profile are nothing more than speculation.

This makes me ask a lot questions. Why should I believe this guy? Obama has repeatedly stated that he is a Christian and his children have been baptized. Why should I forward this email? Let me make use of Scripture as well and provide Dr. Tisdale a warning:

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation of John 22:18-19, ESV)

What about the things God hates? A lying tongue and one who sows discord among brothers, Proverbs 6:18 and 19. Obama claims to be Christian and I can only by reference assume the writer is but, the writer meets two of the seven things God hates. Do those who forward the email meet them as well?

These kind of emails also cast a bad light on the Church and the work it is suppose to be doing. When Christians are generating lies, what is the rest of the world suppose to think about its mission and purpose?

I think that the problem, at least in part, is that much of the Church and its leadership has substituted Spiritual power for political power and wealth. So, now the game is to stay in control at all cost and keep the gravy train rolling. That's why in the past I have seen church leadership making political views part of someones salvation – these are the real heretics.

I wonder if we just need to get back to the WHOLE counsel of God and reduce the picking and choosing of Scripture. We need to keep in mind that we have brothers and sisters on all sides of the political spectrum. What about such things as:

How we conduct business and economics:

• false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight. (Proverbs 11:1, ESV)
  

• Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights? (Micah 6:11, ESV)
  

• The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. (Proverbs 22:7, ESV)

How we treat People:

• .. I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. (Matthew 25:40, ESV)

• ... Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (I Peter 5:5, ESV)

• Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. (Proverbs 19:17, ESV)

Maybe we need to look at some more issues instead of the top three hot buttons when it comes to managing a country and our own lives. Maybe God is a little more complex than a few planks on a party platform.

I don't care who you vote for. We should not be in the business of spreading lies and fear. It does hurt the Kingdom's work in the end. We should be in the business of spreading hope.