Barack Obama: False Prophet?
Ted Montgomery  |  Monday, March 1, 2009

In Chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation, John wrote about two “beasts”: the beast out of the sea (Revelation 13:1-8) and the beast out of the earth (13:11-17).  More commonly, the first beast is identified as the Antichrist, while the second beast is known as the False Prophet.  The Antichrist will exercise his authority for 42 months (Revelation 13:5): the final 3½ years of the 70th Week.

The False Prophet will do the following, during the Great Tribulation, during the second half of the 70th Week:

• exercise all the authority of the first beast (Antichrist), on his behalf (13:12);
• cause the people of the earth to worship the first beast (13:12);
• perform great and miraculous signs (13:13);
• deceive the inhabitants of the earth (13:14);
• cause those who refuse to worship the image of the first beast to be killed (13:15); and
• force people to take the mark of the beast, without which they will not be able to buy or sell (13:16,17).

Some have suggested that Barack Obama could be the Antichrist, since he has charismatic, messiah-like characteristics.  Louis Farrakhan, of the Nation of Islam in America, has praised Obama as the “hope of the entire world,” adding that “A black man with a white mother became a savior to us.”  Others have joked that Obama was “born in a manger” (a reference to the birth of Jesus Christ), which Obama laughingly has denied.

However, unless Barack Obama becomes an integral proponent or advocate of a seven-year agreement involving Israel and other nations, he cannot be a candidate to be the Antichrist or “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).  If President Obama is not the Antichrist, could it be that he will turn out to be the extremely powerful second beast, or False Prophet, of Revelation 13:11-17?  Jesus stated the following about “false prophets”:

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them (Matthew 7:15-20).

Mr. Obama seems to project, outwardly, an honest image.  However, in this video made during his campaign in 2008, he stated seven blatant untruths in under two minutes:

Furthermore, Obama appears to be a mild-mannered and good-natured man.  However, I have observed occasional vocalizations, by Obama, leading me to believe that he is perfectly capable of “speaking like a dragon.”  I expect this to escalate once the pressures, stresses, and anxieties experienced as President of the United States become manifest.

I am virtually certain that the socio-economic decline of the USA and world will become progressively worse, not better, during his term.  Presumably, this will stress him out even more, causing him to speak more emphatically and with greater authority in an attempt to blame others (most likely, Republicans) for what is happening.

In the Bible, John the Baptist, a virtual unknown before he came onto the scene in Israel, drew great crowds (Matthew 3:5).  Multitudes of people listened carefully to him and followed what he said.  They put their faith in him, due to his amazing ability to teach right from wrong.  In fact,

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ [Messiah] (Luke 3:15).

I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16).

Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ" (John 1:19,20).

Before the coming of Jesus, John [the Baptist] preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. As John was completing his work, he said: “Who do you think I am? I am not that one [the Savior and Messiah]. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (Acts 13:24,25).

Similarly, it can be expected that the False Prophet will deny being the one who can save humanity from utter destruction, yet point to the man he believes has the best chance of doing so: the Antichrist.  The latter, ultimately, will be both a substitute for, as well as opposed to, God (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:6) and against the true Messiah/Christ, Jesus (see Was Jesus God?).

Just as there is a Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), there also will be an unholy trinity: Satan (or the dragon—Revelation 13:1a), the Antichrist (or beast out of the sea—13:1b), and the False Prophet (or beast out of the earth—13:11).  And just as John the Baptist (who was filled with the Holy Spirit while he still was in the womb—Luke 1:15) was a true prophet pointing to the true Christ to come, the second beast will be a false prophet pointing to the false christ to come.

Barack Obama, like John the Baptist, rose from utter obscurity to great fame.  Even while he was running for the office of President of the USA, Obama gathered phenomenally large crowds of people, worldwide, numerous times.  Many have affirmed their belief that he is the Messiah, or at least have insinuated or joked that he is.  Again, Louis Farrakhan has stated, “A black man with a white mother became a savior to us.”  However, I have heard Obama assert that he is neither a savior nor a messiah.  It is very interesting to me that Obama has felt a need to state this.

The world’s socio-economic (and other) disasters are escalating, unchecked.  I fully expect that overcoming the mounting problems, debts, and deficits of the USA (see US Debt Clock), especially in relation to the rest of the world, will become an overwhelmingly futile task for the young, inexperienced President Obama.  John the Baptist ultimately pointed to Jesus as being the Savior of the world.  Likewise, perhaps Obama, as the False Prophet, will point to another man, being convinced that he is the only person who can “save the world.”

Interestingly, mocking Barack Obama in a speech in February 2008, former opponent Hillary Clinton said this:  “The sky will open; the light will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing, and everyone will know that we should do the right thing, and the world will be perfect.”  What caught my attention was the phrase, “the sky will open; the light will come down.”  It reminded me of the following description of the False Prophet:  “And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men” (Revelation 13:13).

Deceived Followers of the Antichrist and False Prophet

No doubt, Hillary Clinton did not have that verse in the Bible in mind when she spoke her words.  But maybe God, adhering to His historical practice of foreshadowing events before they happen, was giving us a message, via the forthcoming Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton.

In any event, it certainly is worth contemplating the possibility that both the Antichrist and the False Prophet are public figures at this time.  I think it also is plausible to consider that the Antichrist and False Prophet will lead one faction of Islam (for instance, the more moderate Sunnis), while Gog (of Ezekiel 38 and 39) will lead another faction of Islam (perhaps the more radical Shi’ites).  In such a case, I would expect for these factions to battle against each other, for domination over Israel and other regions, in the latter portion of the 70th Week (see Gog vs. Antichrist).

Once the world’s socio-economic system falls apart, President Barack Obama—arguably the most famous man in the world for a time—may direct the entire global community toward a man, the Antichrist, as the one who can “pick up the pieces” and save humanity before we destroy ourselves.  If so, it will be at approximately the same time that we will enter the Great Tribulation—the worst period in human history up to that point (Matthew 24:21)—which will be followed, about 2½ years later, by the dreaded “day of vengeance” judgments.  Now, more than ever before, it is imperative to develop a meaningful, intimate relationship with YHVH-Elohim, who also is YHVH-Jireh.