| Going back to 2008, consider the unprecedented messianic rhetoric that reporters, politicians, celebrities, and even preachers first used in celebrating the “spiritual nature” of Obama’s meteoric rise from near obscurity to U.S. president, and how this reflected people’s strong desire for the coming of an earthly savoir. |
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mark Morford characterized it as “a sort of powerful luminosity.” In Morford’s opinion, this was because Obama is “a Lightworker, that rare kind of attuned being who has the ability to…help usher in a new way of being on the planet.”[i] The dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, Lawrence Carter, went further, comparing Obama to the coming of Jesus Christ: “It is powerful and significant on a spiritual level that there is the emergence of Barack Obama.… No one saw him coming, and Christians believe God comes at us from strange angles and places we don’t expect, like Jesus being born in a manger.”[ii] Dinesh Sharma, a marketing science consultant with a PhD in psychology from Harvard, appraised Obama likewise: “Many…see in Obama a messiah-like figure, a great soul, and some affectionately call him Mahatma Obama.”[iii] It would have been easy to dismiss such commentary as the New Age quiverings of loons had it not been for similar passion on the lips of so many people. The following is a brief list of like expressions from a variety of news sources:
Barack’s appeal is actually messianic…he…communicates God-like energy.… What if God decided to incarnate as men preaching “hope and change”? And what if we…let them slip away, not availing ourselves…to be led by God! —Steve Davis, Journal Gazette[iv]
This is bigger than Kennedy.… This is the New Testament! I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don’t have that too often. No, seriously. It’s a dramatic event. —Chris Matthews,MSNBC[v]
Does it not feel as if some special hand is guiding Obama on his journey, I mean, as he has said, the utter improbability of it all? —Daily Kos[vi]
Obama, to me, must be not just an ordinary human being but indeed an Advanced Soul, come to lead America out of this mess. —Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun Times[vii]
He is not operating on the same plane as ordinary politicians…the agent of transformation in an age of revolution, as a figure uniquely qualified to open the door to the twenty-first century. —Former U.S. Senator Gary Hart, Huffington Post[viii]
He is not the Word made flesh [Jesus], but the triumph of word over flesh [better than Jesus?].… Obama is, at his best, able to call us back to our highest selves. —Ezra Klein, Prospect[ix]
Obama has the capacity to summon heroic forces from the spiritual depths of ordinary citizens and to unleash therefrom a symphonic chorus of unique creative acts whose common purpose is to tame the soul and alleviate the great challenges facing mankind. —Gerald Campbell, First Things First[x]
Obama was…blessed and highly favored.… I think that…his election…was divinely ordered.… I’m a preacher and a pastor; I know that that was God’s plan.… I think he is being used for some purpose. —Janny Scott, New York Times[xi]
He won’t just heal our city-states and souls. He won’t just bring the Heavenly Kingdom—dreamt of in both Platonism and Christianity—to earth. He will heal the earth itself. —Micah Tillman, The Free Liberal[xii]
The event itself is so extraordinary that another chapter could be added to the Bible to chronicle its significance. —Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Politico[xiii]
Though he tried to keep it subtle himself, Obama encouraged such public perception of him as an “anointed” one whose time had come. Officially produced Obama campaign advertising consistently used such words as “faith,” “hope,” and “change.” Republican nominee John McCain picked up on this during his run for office and put out
a cynical video called The One. Using some of Obama’s own words against him, the video mocked Obama’s play as a Christ-like figure, showing him in New Hampshire saying, “A light beam will shine through, will light you up, and you will experience an epiphany, and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls and vote for Barack!” The video failed to mention that having an “epiphany” actually means the sudden realization or comprehension of an appearance of deity to man. Another part of the video included Obama during his nomination victory speech in St. Paul, Minnesota, saying, “This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.” Anybody who followed the presidential campaign would have picked up the same nuances: angelic children organized to sing about Obama; logos depicting rays of sunlight beaming out from his O-shaped hand sign (a gesticulation Hitler used as well); books such as Nikki Grimes’ Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (Simon & Schuster); comparisons to Plato’s “Philosopher King,” without whom our souls will remain broken; comparisons to the “spiritually enlightened” Mahatma Gandhi; comparisons to the solar hero Perseus; comparisons to Jesus Christ; and even comparisons to God Himself.
a cynical video called The One. Using some of Obama’s own words against him, the video mocked Obama’s play as a Christ-like figure, showing him in New Hampshire saying, “A light beam will shine through, will light you up, and you will experience an epiphany, and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls and vote for Barack!” The video failed to mention that having an “epiphany” actually means the sudden realization or comprehension of an appearance of deity to man. Another part of the video included Obama during his nomination victory speech in St. Paul, Minnesota, saying, “This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.” Anybody who followed the presidential campaign would have picked up the same nuances: angelic children organized to sing about Obama; logos depicting rays of sunlight beaming out from his O-shaped hand sign (a gesticulation Hitler used as well); books such as Nikki Grimes’ Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (Simon & Schuster); comparisons to Plato’s “Philosopher King,” without whom our souls will remain broken; comparisons to the “spiritually enlightened” Mahatma Gandhi; comparisons to the solar hero Perseus; comparisons to Jesus Christ; and even comparisons to God Himself.
The world is “looking for a superstar,” wrote Prophecy in the News founder J. R. Church before he passed away. It wants a man, he said:
…who can solve the problems of our planet. That elusive dream of a world without war, poverty, and disease has always been just beyond our reach. Most politicians are perplexed—overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem. They are convinced that the dilemma cannot be solved by commerce or systems, be it democracy or socialism. Most believe they can only be solved by a man—a superhuman superstar![xiv]
While many of us scratched our head in confusion, there were plenty of religious folks during his march into the White House that thought Obama could be the superhuman superstar the world's been waiting for, or that at least he was a forerunner of, “The One.” Dozens of churches and faith groups, including mainline Protestants, organized activities to mark Obama’s inauguration as a “spiritual” event. Randall Balmer, professor of religion in American history at Columbia University, admitted he had never seen anything like it before.[xv] CNN went so far as to compare Obama’s inauguration to the Hajj—the journey by Muslims to the holy city of Mecca, an obligatory pilgrimage that demonstrates their dedication to Allah.[xvi] In Des Moines, Iowa, an inaugural parade for Obama included a simulation of the triumphant entry of Christ in which a facsimile of Obama rode upon a donkey. As the reproduction made its way down the streets, palm branches were handed out to onlookers so that they could wave them like Christ’s adorers did in the twenty-first chapter of Matthew.[xvii] Several ministries, including the Christian Defense Coalition and Faith and Action, came together to perform what was heralded as a first for U.S. presidential inaugurations—applying anointing oil to the doorposts of the arched doorway that Obama passed through as he moved to the platform on the West Front of the Capital to be sworn in. Congressman Paul Broun (Georgia) was part of the ritual, joining Rev. Rob Schenck, who said, “Anointing with oil is a rich tradition in the Bible and…symbolizes consecration, or setting something apart for God’s use.”[xviii]Not content with just using sacred anointing oil to consecrate Obama for God’s use, approximately two thousand New Agers, Wiccans, and Shamans gathered at Dupont Circle—chosen because it is considered the gay center of Washington DC, as well as being the point of the left ear of the Masonic street Pentagram north of the White House—to participate in a cleansing ceremony to purge the White House of evil spirits (which they said were brought there by Bush) for Obama. A Shaman officiated the event, lighting bundles of sage, which smoldered and gave off thick, blue aromatic smoke. “Saging,” as it is called, is believed by Wiccan tradition to drive away evil spirits.[xix] Even the conventional inaugural prayers, which have been historically offered during U.S. presidential installation ceremonies, carried an unparalleled New Age flavor this time around. Rick Warren, considered America’s Christian pastor, rendered a blessing in the name of the Muslim version of Jesus (Isa), while the bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson, invoked the “God of our many understandings.”
While all this was highly unusual, even unprecedented, it was not surprising. Obama had spent significant time during the campaign distancing himself from conservative Christians, evangelicals, and especially the Religious Right (which had held prominent sway over Republicans since Ronald Reagan held office), countering that his faith was more universalist and unconvinced of Bible inerrancy. In a five-minute video available on YouTube (see endnotes for address), a pre-election speech by Obama was highly cynical of Bible authority and even derided specific Old and New Testament Scriptures. “Whatever we 
once were,” Obama says on the video, “we’re no longer a Christian nation.” He added, “Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific values.… This is going to be difficult for some who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do.”[xx] Consequently, the conscious effort by Obama to reorient America away from conventional Christianity was widely embraced by people who identified with the man known to sport Masonic emblems, a ring that says “There Is No God Except Allah,” and a tiny idol of the Hindu god Hanuman in his pocket—whose blessings he sought in the race to the White House—a deity about whom Rudyard Kipling wrote the short story “The Mark of the Beast.” For Obama, who grew up in a household where the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagvat Gita sat on a shelf side by side, organized religion was best defined as “closed-mindedness dressed in the garb of piety,” but a useful political tool nonetheless. And so he used it masterfully, and earned a cult following while doing so. By February 2009, Obama had replaced Jesus Christ as America’s number-one hero according to a Harris poll, and dedication to his come-one, come-all mysticism has continued to spread in esoteric circles, with evangelists of the new religion calling for the “tired” faith of our fathers to be replaced with a global new one. Terry Neal, writing for the Hamilton Spectator, is such a disciple, and proclaims boldly: “The faiths of our fathers are tired now…only a global world view will suffice. The marriage of a believable faith with the husbandry of government is the union that must be contracted.” This has to occur under Obama, Neal concludes, for only then will there be “peace on earth and goodwill toward all.”[xxi]
once were,” Obama says on the video, “we’re no longer a Christian nation.” He added, “Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific values.… This is going to be difficult for some who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do.”[xx] Consequently, the conscious effort by Obama to reorient America away from conventional Christianity was widely embraced by people who identified with the man known to sport Masonic emblems, a ring that says “There Is No God Except Allah,” and a tiny idol of the Hindu god Hanuman in his pocket—whose blessings he sought in the race to the White House—a deity about whom Rudyard Kipling wrote the short story “The Mark of the Beast.” For Obama, who grew up in a household where the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagvat Gita sat on a shelf side by side, organized religion was best defined as “closed-mindedness dressed in the garb of piety,” but a useful political tool nonetheless. And so he used it masterfully, and earned a cult following while doing so. By February 2009, Obama had replaced Jesus Christ as America’s number-one hero according to a Harris poll, and dedication to his come-one, come-all mysticism has continued to spread in esoteric circles, with evangelists of the new religion calling for the “tired” faith of our fathers to be replaced with a global new one. Terry Neal, writing for the Hamilton Spectator, is such a disciple, and proclaims boldly: “The faiths of our fathers are tired now…only a global world view will suffice. The marriage of a believable faith with the husbandry of government is the union that must be contracted.” This has to occur under Obama, Neal concludes, for only then will there be “peace on earth and goodwill toward all.”[xxi]
Although it is more difficult to understand the broad appeal of Obama’s New Age philosophy to the many evangelical and Catholic voters who supported him, the phenomenon can be explained to some degree as the result of a changing culture. Over the past fifty years, and especially as baby boomers listened attentively to pastors telling them to focus on human potential and the “god within us all,” eastern philosophies of monism, pantheism, Hinduism, and self-realization grew, providing Americans with an alluring opportunity to throw off the “outdated ideas” of fundamental Christianity and to espouse a more “enlightened,” monistic worldview (all is one). Aimed at accomplishing what the builders of the Tower of Babel failed to do (unify the masses of the world under a single religious umbrella), God was viewed as pantheistic, and humans were finally understood to be divine members of the whole “that God is.” Pagans argue this principle of inner divinity is older than Christianity, which is true. The gospel according to such New Age concepts—a gospel of “becoming god”—is as old as the fall of man. It began when the serpent said to the woman “ye shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5), and it will zenith during the reign of the anti-Christian god-king.
SECOND TERM OBAMA-MESSIANISM CONTINUES
So many including this author were absolutely astonished that Barack Hussein Obama was reelected in 2012 instead of being assigned to the dust bin of a failed one-term presidency. Given his beyond-dismal record of governance (the worst in American history) and the horrific state of the economy under his leadership (also the worst in history), most businessmen and political conservatives were conviced that even an orangutan would trump his chances among the electorate in 2012. Not only were we wrong but we soon rediscovered that the longing among those who wish to receive him as God remains strong. This includes Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx at the Soul Train Awards admonishing the audience to give honor to “our Lord and savior, Barak Obama” as well as street vendors across Washington, D.C. selling posters of Obama as the second coming of Jesus Christ. Newsweek Magazine followed with a clear reference to the return of Jesus Christ in their cover of Obama and the headline “The Second Coming,” while university professor Barbara A. Thompson released her new book The Gospel According to Apostle Barack in which she detailed her divine vision of Obama as equal or superior to the mission of Jesus Christ. “To contemplate ways to assist Barack in his 2012 re-election bid something miraculous happened,” she writes. “I felt God’s (His) Spirit beckoning me in my dreams at night. Listening, cautiously, I learned that Jesus walked the earth to create a more civilized society, Martin (Luther King) walked the earth to create a more justified society, but, Apostle Barack, the name he was called in my dreams, would walk the earth to create a more equalized society…” [xxii] We could continue, pointing to such examples as Michael D’ Antuono’s painting “The Truth,” featuring Obama wearing a crown of thorns with his arms stretched out as if on a cross, Democratic National Convention prayer garments with the president’s name and a calendar declaring him “heaven sent” (with the month of November depicting the president with people’s hands on his back and the phrase “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”) and photographs of Obama with the Bible verse from John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” A month after the election, Obama messianism continued as people across the globe celebrated Christmas with nativity scenes hosting figurines of Obama as the prophesied King of kings. This could go on and on, but you probably get the point. Much of the the world is ready now, even hungry for the arrival of the Man of Sin.
Conversely, this is where contrasting social feedback becomes equally interesting especially as a Public Policy Poll released in April 2013 reveals that one in four Americans now think Obama may actually be the Antichrist. I myself have taken the position that Obama is an antichrist but probably not the final one described in the book of Revelation (unless something dramatic or otherworldly were to happen with his mental acuity and/or genetics such as described in Chapter Eight of the upcoming book ZENITH 2016) not the least of which reasons is that he is not, so far as I know, a Roman as identified by the prophet Daniel (chapter 9:26). Nevertheless, as a result of the April, 2013 polling, I decided to find out what other scholars believe in this regard. Some, such as legendary broadcaster Noah Hutchings, believe there is a small chance Obama could be the evil one. In response to my query, Noah emailed, “Tom, concerning Obama being the Antichrist, we know from 1 John 2:18, that in the last days, many Antichrists would arise. From the signs of our time it is evident we are in the last days, and it is evident that Mr. Obama is an antichrist. Could he be THE Antichrist? Possibly. He is the one person who has made this nation more like Sodom and Gomorrah than any other man, president or otherwise. He has dealings with a strange god and people all over the world worship his image on television.” Other experts I contacted—men like Dr. Chuck Missler, Jonathan Cahn, Texas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress, pastor Mark Biltz and more—felt Obama is too much of a ‘light weight’ to be the final Antichrist, though they did point out some profound comparisons between Obama and the coming Man of Sin. For instance, one noted how Obama is ‘packaged goods’ as in a person devoid of any achievements, about whom the public knows virtually nothing, and has ‘come out of nowhere’ to usurp the most powerful chair (throne) in the world. Another pointed out how Obama echoes the activities of antichrist figures throughout history including raising taxes (see Daniel 11:20), pushing for bigger and bigger government, and pressuring Israel to surrender land given to them by God. This latter point was on the minds of many as President Obama arrived in Israel March 20, 2013 (which, again, was meant to reflect Obama messianism as at sunset on this day Nisan 10 began, the day Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem as “Messiah” in advance of Passover) under the Netanyahu government code-name “Operation: Brit Amim.” This modern-Hebrew term is translated into English as “Unbreakable Alliance” and echoes the ancient prophecy in the book of Daniel (9:27) wherein the Antichrist forms a “firm covenant” with Israel that ultimately allows them to erect their third Temple and to commence their priestly activities, an agreement Antichrist breaks “in the midst of the week” (the seven year tribulation period) when he causes the sacrifices to cease and desecrates the temple.
But the most penetrating response I received on the question of whether Obama could be the Antichrist will be covered in the next entry.
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