New theory: McCain wants Christians to think Obama’s the Antichrist
posted at 1:46 pm on August 8, 2008 by Allahpundit
Their racial paranoia having earned them ridicule even from “The Daily Show,” the forces of progress shift gears. Karl reminds us in the comments to our Headlines item that author Amy Sullivan comes to Time mag from the Washington Monthly (see his post from March about her take on l’affaire Wright) and the piece itself follows hot on the heels of Democratic consultants circulating a memo that pushes the Antichrist read. Then again, the Journal has an article about this out today too quoting some of the same people. A dumb juicy story is a dumb juicy story, whatever your bent.
Not being Christian, I’m more reluctant to pronounce upon the symbolism or lack thereof than I was with the Britney ad, but try this on for size:
Perhaps the most puzzling scene in the ad is an altered segment from The 10 Commandments that appears near the end. A Moses-playing Charlton Heston parts the animated waters of the Red Sea, out of which rises the quasi-presidential seal the Obama campaign used for a brief time earlier this summer before being mocked into retiring it. The seal, which features an eagle with wings spread, is not recognizable like the campaign’s red-white-and-blue “O” logo. That confused Democratic consultant Eric Sapp until he went to his Bible and remembered that in the apocalyptic Book of Daniel, the Antichrist is described as rising from the sea as a creature with wings like an eagle.
Does he mean chapter seven of Daniel? Because there are actually four beasts, only one of which has wings and the most frightening of which has horns, which are absent from the ad. But never mind that. Are they really suggesting that the fake seal that drew national mocking media coverage, sufficiently so that it was retired after one appearance, isn’t widely recognizable? It’s the singular symbol of Obama’s hubris — a no-brainer for a video teasing him about thinking he’s the Second Coming. And if it’s supposed to be a symbol of the Antichrist, what’s Moses doing calling it forth? Moses is … a good guy, right?
Like CJ, the one thing that gives me pause is the fact that there are religious nuts out there advancing this theory about Obama. See, e.g., this Glenn Beck clip from a few months ago, in which Beck and John Hagee laugh off the absurdity of the idea but not until Beck notes how much e-mail he’s gotten on the subject. And in fairness, Time and the Journal are right that the font and the orange clouds do look a bit like the cover of the last “Left Behind” book — although why that should surprise anyone given that the LB series is about the Rapture and the point of the ad is to mock the quasi-rapturous phenomenon of Obamamania escapes me. Any evangelicals want to weigh in?
Blowback
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How can one be the second coming, if they were not the first?
The second coming refers to Christ’s promise of return at the end of days to rule the earth and bring His church to the heavenlies.
Hening on August 8, 2008 at 5:23 PM
Every presidential candidate thinks (s)he’s the Second Coming. it’s practically a prerequisite.
Obama seems to embrace the role a bit more than anyone since…the Clintons. Anyone recall Bill’s calls for a “new covenant”? Lead balloon, every time. America elected Bill twice to dance like a horny monkey, not to make him their new savior.
Obama, though, has a serious cult of personality thing going on. He may not be behind it, but he’s hardly discouraging it… or “The One” would have been a lot harder to make.
sulla on August 8, 2008 at 5:32 PM
Have you ever noticed that all of the buildings in Washington D.C. appear to be knock-offs of ancient Roman architecture?
My collie says:
C’mon. It like the conspiracy theories. (I’ll admit that it IS sort of fun to hear these wacky ideas though.)
CyberCipher on August 8, 2008 at 5:47 PM
Obama doesn’t fit the description in Revelation 13, in which the Antichrist is described as highly competent in both medicine and warfare. Obama’s competence is in public speaking and striking poses for photographers, so while he plainly isn’t the Antichrist, he’s probably the False Prophet. I wouldn’t be surprised if Michelle Obama is the Wh0re of Babylon.
Kralizec on August 8, 2008 at 5:50 PM
He’s THE anti-climax.
SouthernGent on August 8, 2008 at 6:03 PM
I’ve given lectures on the topic. BTW, you sound totally ignorant on the subject!!
Right_of_Attila on August 8, 2008 at 6:08 PM
That’s just silly.
The Antichrist would hardly need a teleprompter to give a rousing speech… Indeed to even express a coherent thought.
Beyond that, he WOULD fit in with the Antichrist’s plans and cadre pretty well. Call him a Minion of the Antichrist… Yeah, I could believe that.
But mostly, I think he is the ultimate example of the dumbing down of the electorate. Obama will prove to the vast majority of people that America must smarten up and return to conservative values, or become a third world nation.
In that way, Obama may indeed be an agent of Hope and Change. IF America is smart enough to learn by the experience of such a horrible example, we can change… change BACK to the kind of people and the kind of government that made America the greatest nation ever, in the shortest amount of time.
Electing Marxist Obama as President will be like throwing the frog directly into the boiling water, rather than just increasing the temperature slowly. By that, I mean: making the leftward drift of the nation in slow increments, as has been going on for all but eight of the last 40 years.
LegendHasIt on August 8, 2008 at 6:08 PM
LegendHasIt on August 8, 2008 at 6:08 PM
yeah but….I want my 1000.00 fuel rebate…..
unseen on August 8, 2008 at 7:39 PM
Appear? That was by design. Hearkening back to the Greek and Roman Empires and their democratic institutions/roots.
I don’t know whether this comment was in jest or not but let’s not get the truthers started down this road.
highhopes on August 8, 2008 at 7:54 PM
The Anti-Christ exists in “degrees” so to speak, as in, the messages of the anti=christ, he/she who speaks on behavlf or by way of the anti-christ. Thus, when someone’s deemed t o be speaking the message of or representing “it,” then tey’re deemed the “anti-christ” or to be OF the anti-christ (that which opposes God, deems itself to be of God’s equal, “like God” or “as God”).
In the Bible, there are specifics about the appearance one day on Earth of the Anti-Christ (it specifically) but until that time when prophecy is fulfilled (not yet happened), it’s very realistic to deem much of what Obama says as being “of the anti-Christ,” fascilitating the message of “it,” so to say.
The message doesn’t change, is the point. He/she/it who speaks it, does, in fact, speak of and by the anti-christ, if one is to be literal as to what the Bible declares.
Or, just say that Obama’s the anti-christ, for short, if and as he walks like it, speaks like it, looks like it.
Obama more closely fulfills prophecy as to who/what the False Prophet is, however, though I am not up to specific familiarity on the sequence of the “end times” prophecies (how they unfold, though I believe the False Prophet appears on Earth first, then is followed by the rest of the Apocolyptic events).
Obama IS fulfilling many of the prophecies of the False Prophet, very similar conditions are his as are also foretold catergorize the False Prophet.
S on August 8, 2008 at 7:59 PM
Typos (^^), sorry, rushing.
S on August 8, 2008 at 8:00 PM
The few aspects as to developments that all concerned humanity should be aware of, however (the “threat” of evil) is that the Anti-Christ, as also the False Prophet on the behalf of the Anti-Christ, are to be of great appeal to many.
They MISLEAD people by their charm, to their doom. They’re explained to be (in the Bible) immensely charming, attractive, magnetic, “charismatic” and highly peruasive, which leads many people to condemnation.
And, routinely, to be supported by great wealth, pose luxury and promise to many, to their doom by false message.
S on August 8, 2008 at 8:03 PM
Agreed.
The Left, however, will never get this because the extent of their “religion” is one of self-promotion. Perhaps those to be “left behind” are your runofthemill Liberals wearing “O” patches and hailing Obama…
But it’s wild stuff from the Left to try to push this very huuuuge range of very difficult to comprehend theology — which the Left rejects, anyway, and ridicules — onto the McCain campaign.
That ad by McCain just pointed out the hyperbole that is the extent of the Obama Fevah, that’s all it did.
S on August 8, 2008 at 8:07 PM
As I was earlier alluding to, the theology involved in Revelations is very difficult to understand and it takes a great deal of discussion and study and deliberation to gain a bit of understanding about the symbolism involved. It also requires knowing the Old and New Testaments well before understanding the prophecies found in Revelations, so it’s irrational, even, to try to talk lightly about and isolate a few symbols from these Prophecies — taking them out of context is really misleading.
There are a series of events foretold in the Bible, and what God intends also foretold, and why. So you need to understand “the whole plan” to understand the Bible as a whole, not just to take one area or a few lines and try to apply them otherwise (sometimes that works but mostly it’s not advised to try to do that because it can result in being misled or in misleading).
Anyway, the End Times that results in the Apocalypse and the permanent separation of The Good from The Evil, so to speak, occurs by a series of events. The Anti-Christ has already acted and influenced our world (and continues to) as evidenced by those events you mention and by mamu other events, but “it”/the Anti-Christ isn’t going to make a one-time appearance in the future on Earth, the point is, that evil’s already here and has been since the fall of Man. To live in our world is to live amidst a world affected by evil, and, evil’s figure is the Anti-Christ.
Nero, for example, is thought by many today to be the “man” or figure of the Anti-Christ on Earth as to the number of his name passage, yet another permutation or appearance on Earth of evil.
S on August 8, 2008 at 8:16 PM
Like I said (^^), it’s misleading to only gain some understanding or little understanding about the whole Bible before trying to “plug in facts” in the present to suit one’s socio-political demands. People on the Left NEEDED Reagan to be “evil” so they looked for patterns to support their needs. It’s like trying to find “messages directed specifically at onesself” by watching television commercials: some people really believe they’re there…doesn’t make it “reality.”
S on August 8, 2008 at 8:21 PM
I haven’t read all the comments, but Akzed is spot on. There is no “one” Anti-christ. An anti-Christ is a false teacher as is defined in the 3 books of John. A false teacher is one who teaches those things against Christ, hence the term Anti-Christ! Sheesh! I’ve been studying the Bible all my life and this is one of the easiest parts to understand! And yes, I have studied both the Old and New Testaments, but live my life in accordance with the New Testament.
Neocon Peg on August 8, 2008 at 8:46 PM
Revelations is not difficult to understand when you understand the audience to whom it was written, the Jews, and the author, the Apostle John from the Isle of Patmos. Most of the book is written in symbolism and numbers which the Jews of that day understood, but the Romans did not, which is why John chose that venue as the last Apostle. For instance, No. 1 meant Unity; 2 meant strength; 3 meant Godhead (trinity); 4 meant earth;5 meant doubled or 10 = human completeness; 6 meant imperfection and incomplete man (short of 7) 7 meant spiritual completeness; 3-1/2 meant Incompleteness or temporary restraint; and 10 meant fullness of power. 12 meant complete unity of religion I’ve left out a few, but you get my drift. Then when you talk about the 4 whatevers or the 7 whomevers, look at the numbers that the Jews themselves used in those days. They used these numbers so that the Romans would not know what they were writing about and thus not be persecuted. Now go back and read Revelations with this numerology in mind. For more apocolyptal literature read Daniel, Ezekial and Isiah. BTY, the theme of Relevations to the Jews was to be steadfast in their faith in the face of persecutions.
Neocon Peg on August 8, 2008 at 9:10 PM
BTW,the “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” that John refers to in 1. v. 3 is the fall of Jerusleum, not the world.
Neocon Peg on August 8, 2008 at 9:16 PM
Oh, please! Have you ever actually studied the Bible or are you just spouting off things you were told were true? Sheesh! This might make for a good science fiction book, but it has nothing to do with the Bible.
Neocon Peg on August 8, 2008 at 9:32 PM
Dude, that’s Burning Man…
sulla on August 8, 2008 at 9:33 PM
Wasn’t scripture-spouting sunday school teaching Jimmy Carter, “man of Peace” (Nobel and all) a Navy officer serving on submarines?
Hmmm….
sulla on August 8, 2008 at 9:39 PM
Pffft!
Neocon Peg on August 8, 2008 at 10:42 PM
I know – knocks the wind right out of ya, don’t it?
sulla on August 8, 2008 at 11:18 PM
As an actual Christian,I find this stuff quite silly. I don’t care who the Antichrist turns out to be. I don’t worry about the very anti-Christian cultures found in most of the world.
Obama doesn’t have to be ‘The’ Antichrist for me to find his political and religious stances offensive.
Full disclosure:I got through part of one of the “Left Behind” books, found it boring.
Doug on August 8, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Bingo.
When I see Obama I don’t see three sixes. I see a slick empty suit bluffing with a pair of fives.
sulla on August 8, 2008 at 11:46 PM
Nope. Not the anti-Christ. Just a two-bit Chicago flim-flam man propped up by crooks like Richie Daley and Jesse Jackson and that maggot Rahm Emanuel.
No special powers to stop the rise of the seas or make the world heal, no judgement, and no brains for that matter. Thin brown skin stretched over a marxist upbringing.
Jaibones on August 9, 2008 at 12:28 AM
On a previous thread, a poster declared that all atheists must be Dems. Therefore, all Dems are atheist. If so, why would they give a fig for what’s in the Bible? A Dem accusing the McCain campaign of trying to smear Obama, using a biblical figure, would have to be a hypocrite as well as a liar.
OldEnglish on August 9, 2008 at 8:35 AM
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