THE END DAYS! - FOOTSTEPS OF THE MESSIAH!

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The Pre-Tribulation Rapture
by Kent Crockett

Proof #11: Both wicked and righteous both can't be taken first.

First Thessalonians 4:13-17 says the righteous are taken and the wicked are left behind. Matthew 13:30, 49 says the wicked are taken first and righteous are left behind. This points to two separate events, the rapture and the second coming.

Proof #12: Jesus returns from the wedding.

When Jesus returns to earth at the second coming, He will return from a wedding (Luke 12:36). At the rapture, Jesus is married to His bride, the Church. After the wedding, He will return to earth.

Proof #13: Jesus will receive us to Himself, not us to receive Him (John 14:2-3).

Jesus said He would prepare a place for the Church in heaven, then He would come again to receive us to Himself. Why would Jesus prepare a place for us in heaven and then not take us there? At the rapture, He will come to receive us to Himself, "that where I am (heaven), there you may be also." If the rapture occurred at the same time as the second coming, we would go up to the clouds and then immediately come back to earth. That would contradict John 14:2-3.

Proof #14: The one who restrains is taken out of the way.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, Paul says "the one who restrains will be taken out of the way" before the Antichrist can be revealed. We believe this refers to the rapture because the Church is clearly the biggest obstacle to the Antichrist becoming a world ruler.

Proof #15: The separation of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

If the rapture occurred at the second coming, why would the sheep and the goats need to be separated immediately after the second coming? A rapture at the second coming would have already separated the sheep and the goats. With a Pre-Tribulation rapture, the people saved after the rapture will need to be separated after the second coming.

Proof #16: Who will populate the Millennium?

If the rapture occurs at the second coming and the wicked are cast into hell at that time, who will be left to populate the millennium? Only people in their natural (non-resurrected) bodies will be able to have children (Matthew 22:30). With a Pre-Tribulation rapture, the people saved after the rapture who are alive at the second coming will populate the earth during the Millennium (See "Who will populate the millennium?" Bible Study).

[nChrist]

The Rapture and John 17:15
by Kent Crockett

Some people wrongly believe that a pre-tribulation rapture can't happen because Jesus prayed, "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15).

Did Jesus mean that His disciples couldn't be raptured or taken away from the earth? The Greek word for "world" (kosmos) can mean "the philosophy of the world"(unbelievers) or it can mean "planet earth." The differences can be seen in these two examples:

1) In John 15:18, Jesus says "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you." He doesn't mean that "planet earth" hates the disciples, but that unbelievers who hold an ungodly philosophy will hate the disciples.

2) Matthew 13:35 says, "I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world." In this case, it doesn't mean the foundation of "the philosophy of the world" but the foundation of "planet earth."

When Jesus prays that the disciples not be taken out of the world, does He mean that they can never be removed from planet earth? Or does He mean that the disciples shouldn't isolate themselves from the unbelieving world? Let's take a look at this passage in context:

John 17:14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." [This cannot mean "planet earth" hates the disciples, but the unbelieving people in this world will hate them.]

John 17:16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." [The disciples don't agree with the "philosophy of the world" just like Jesus doesn't.]

John 17:18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." [The disciples must not isolate themselves from the world, but must go to the unbelieving people in the world to share the gospel with them.]

Now let's examine John 17:15: "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one." As we have seen from the context of the surrounding verses, Jesus prays that the disciples will go to unbelievers to share the gospel. He then prays for their protection from the evil one (Satan). To say that this verse forbids a rapture is a misinterpretation of Scripture.

The Scripture clearly tells us that Christians will be taken out of the world (planet earth) when the rapture occurs: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

[nChrist]

The Antichrist
by Kent Crockett

The Antichrist is a man who will rule the world just prior to the 2nd coming of Christ. He will be possessed by Satan and claim that he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:1-10). Jesus will destroy him when He returns at the 2nd coming (2 Thessalonians 2:9, Revelation 19:20). Although this man is never actually called "the antichrist", he is referred to by many different names in the Bible. We use the term "the Antichrist" as a collective term to cover all the names.

Different Names for the Antichrist

    * "the little horn"--Daniel 7:8
    * "the prince that shall come"--Daniel 9:26
    * "the willful king"--Daniel 11:36
    * "the abomination of desolation" (Matthew 24:25) referring to the "desolator" (Daniel 9:27)
    * "the man of sin"--2 Thessalonians 2:3
    * "the son of perdition"--2 Thessalonians 2:3
    * "the lawless one"--2 Thessalonians 2:8
    * "the beast"--Daniel 7:11, Revelation 11:7, 19:19-20, 20:10
    * "the beast out of the sea"--Revelation 13:1-8


Will the Antichrist be a Jew or Gentile?


Some people believe that he will be a Gentile. He is the "beast out of the sea" (Revelation 13:1) and the sea depicts the Gentile nations (Revelation 17:15). He rises from the Roman Empire, since he is a prince of the people who destroyed Jerusalem (Daniel 9:26). In Daniel 7:7-8, we find that the "little horn" arises among the 10 horns, which are the 10 kings of the revived Roman Empire (Daniel 2:40-43, 7:23-24, Revelation 13:1, 17:12-17). Some believe that he will also come from Greece based upon Daniel 8:23-26. Daniel 8 was fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes, but some Bible scholars find a future reference to the Antichrist in the last verses of the chapter.

Others believe he must be a Jew because he makes a covenant with Israel for 7 years (Daniel 9:27). Daniel 11:36 says, "And he will show no regard for the gods of his fathers" The Hebrew word for "gods" is "Elohim," which can also be translated "God." If you translate it "gods," he would be a Gentile. If you translate it "God," he would be a Jew. Bible scholars are divided in their opinions as to which is the correct translation.

What the Antichrist will do


In order to come to power, he will subdue 3 of the 10 kings in the future revived Roman Empire (Daniel 7:8,24). He will speak out against the Most High (God) and will wear down the saints of God (Daniel 7:25, Revelation 13:7). Daniel 7:25 tells us that he will try to make alterations in time and in law, indicating world-wide influence. Just prior to the 2nd Coming of Christ, he will confirm a 7 year covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27). In the middle of the 7 years, he will stop the sacrifices in the Jewish temple, which will be rebuilt.

The Antichrist (beast out of the sea) will have a right-hand man called "the false prophet" (Revelation 19:20) who is called "the beast out of the earth." (Revelation 13:11). This false prophet will cause people all over the world to worship the Antichrist and will perform great signs, even making fire come down out of heaven to the earth (Revelation 13:12-13). Revelation 13:16-18 tells us he will cause everyone to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead and that no one will be able to buy or sell without the mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. Those who take this mark will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 14:9-11). The Antichrist and the false prophet will be destroyed at the 2nd coming by Jesus and cast into the lake of fire (2 Thessalonians 2:8, Revelation 19:20).

[nChrist]

Beast with 7 Heads & 10 Horns
by Kent Crockett

In the book of Revelation, John describes a beast with 7 heads and 10 horns. Yes, it is possible to interpret what it means! God isn't going to reveal something that is impossible for us to understand. A careful examination of scriptures reveals the interpretation. This descriptive picture symbolizes a panoramic view of kingdoms that have ruled throughout history. Let's compare the different descriptions of this beast.

Revelation 12:3The dragon has 7 heads and 10 horns, on his heads were 7 diadems (crowns)

The dragon is interpreted as Satan (12:9). This represents Satan's dominion over the 7 world empires:

   1. Egypt
   2. Assyria
   3. Babylon
   4. Medo-Persia
   5. Greece
   6. Rome
   7. Future Revived Roman Empire. The 10 horns are placed on this Empire, based upon Daniel 7:23-25. The 10 horns are 10 kings which arise in the future (Daniel 7:24). This is the kingdom from which the Antichrist will arise.

Revelation 13:3 tells us one of his heads was wounded as if slain. Some have wrongly interpreted this to mean the Antichrist will receive a head wound, appear to have died, and then come back to life. Notice it says "one" of his heads was wounded. Remember, the beast has 7 heads and only one head is wounded. Revelation 13:14 says it was wounded by a "sword."

The head that was wounded was the 6th head, Rome, which was conquered by the sword, but will come back to life in the future to become a Revived Roman Empire just before the Second Coming of Christ.

 

Revelation 13:1-3The beast has 7 heads and 10 horns, on his horns were 10 diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

Verse 2 describes the beast as a leopard, a bear, and a lion. These are the same beasts as described in Daniel 7:4-6, except in reverse order. Daniel was looking into the future to see these kingdoms, while the apostle John looks back on them as fulfilled in history. In this description, we get more details.

   1. Egypt
   2. Assyria
   3. Babylon (lion-Daniel 7:4)
   4. Medo-Persia (bear-Daniel 7:5)
   5. Greece (leopard-Daniel 7:6)
   6. Rome
   7. Future Revived Roman Empire.

    * Once again, we place the 10 horns on the 7th head because of what we have already learned in Daniel 7:3-27.

    * We notice that the 10 horns now have 10 diadems, meaning the Future Revived Roman Empire will come to power and rule the world.

    * The 7 heads have blasphemous names because they have not honored God.

 

Revelation 17:3Scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, have 7 heads and 10 horns.

Revelation 17:9-10 tells us the 7 heads are 7 mountains and 7 kings. "Mountains" in the Bible are symbolic of kingdoms or governments. (See Psalms 30:7, Jeremiah 51:24-25, Daniel 2:35,44).

 

Revelation 17:10-11The 7 heads are 7 Kings

Five have fallen: At the time John was writing Revelation, 5 kingdoms had already past:

   1. Egypt
   2. Assyria
   3. Babylon
   4. Medo-Persia
   5. Greece

One is: When John was writing, Rome was ruling the world.

   6. Rome

The other is yet to come: This refers to a future Revived Roman Empire.

   7. Future Revived Roman Empire. The 10 horns are on the 7th head.

The beast is himself also an eighth: Daniel 7:19-25 says Antichrist will rule this empire.

   8. Antichrist takes over the Revived Roman Empire.

 

Revelation 17:12The 10 horns are 10 Kings

What is the difference between the 7 kings (represented by 7 heads) and the 10 kings (represented by 10 horns)? Simply this: The 7 kings (v.10) are successive kingdoms because they rule one after another over centuries of time.

The 10 kings (v.12) are contemporaneous kings who rule at the same time in history. This verse tells us the 10 horns are 10 kings who "have not yet received a kingdom" when Revelation was written in 96 A.D. Because the 10 horns are on the 7th head, these 10 kings will come to power in the future Revived Roman Empire. Daniel 2:44 tells us "and in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed" That means when Jesus returns to earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom, he will destroy the Antichrist and the kingdom he rules.

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Thoughts On The Election
Questions To Jack Kelley

Q. was wondering what you think Obama becoming President means for Bible prophecy if anything. There seems to be a lot of fear going around that him getting elected is somehow going to be the catalyst that sets everything in motion but I don’t see it. I’m not saying I’m glad he’s President but there seems to be a lot of extreme reactions on both sides and I was just wondering what your take on everything is. God Bless.

A. Back when Hillary had the Democratic party nomination just about sewed up, I dismissed Mr. Obama as someone who had no business running for president and no chance of winning.  I remember saying that if he did become a serious candidate it would be due to supernatural help, not because of his qualifications.

Normally, what little we know about his political upbringing would have scared us all away, and if that didn’t then the things he’s been saying he’ll do when elected certainly should have.  And according to some, legitimate questions remain unanswered about his race (is he black or Arab?) his religion (is he Christian or Moslem?) and his nationality (is he a US citizen by birth or a Kenyan?). In short there are a dozen good reasons why his candidacy should never have gained traction, and none to explain how he got elected.

But in spite of all that he has been.  The Bible says that it’s God who raises up our leaders, but as the  history of Israel clearly demonstrates, He doesn’t always give us the ones we need.  He gives us the ones we deserve.  What America needed was someone who would have brought us back to Him. But having rejected Him over and over on nearly every level America deserves someone who will take us further away, because that’s what America wants.

In the prophetic sense,  I believe the spiritual middle ground is being further eroded.  The days ahead will be another another culling of the name only Christians from the true believers in preparation for the Rapture.   It’s a good time to remember that our true citizenship is in heaven.

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The Anti-Christ And Mr. Obama - Part 1
Commentary by Jack Kelley

Since the election I’ve been asked a number of times to comment on the likelihood that Mr. Obama could be the anti-Christ. Let me begin by saying that having been elected President he’s Mr. Obama now, not just Obama. As for him being the anti-Christ I’ve discouraged that thought because I don’t believe it’s time for the anti-Christ to be revealed yet. But apart from that there’s no Biblical reason I can find that would absolutely disqualify him. And based on the things we know about the anti-Christ there’s a fit in several important places. The anti-Christ will have to burst on the scene quickly and powerfully to accomplish so much in the little time he has, so maybe he’ll need a head start. If that’s the case, maybe Mr. Obama is on his way to becoming the anti-Christ. Let’s find out.

We know that the anti-Christ will be a descendant of the people who made up the Roman Empire in Biblical times (Daniel 9:26), and he’ll arrive on the world scene as a peace maker (Daniel 8:25). He won’t be part of the world’s powerful elite at the beginning of his career (Daniel 7:8 ) but will rise up among them to eventually surpass them and become the leader of the entire world. (Rev. 13:7-8 )

He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. (Daniel 8:25)

This means that he’ll base his success on a lie, misrepresenting himself and his intentions, but people will want to believe him so badly that they’ll disregard his inconsistencies until it’s too late to stop him. Initially he’ll seem successful, but just when they’re saying “Peace and safety”, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains to a pregnant woman, and they won’t escape (1 Thes. 5:3).

Deja Vu All Over Again?

Some of us remember when Jimmy Carter was elected President of the US. The country was fed up with Washington and even though he had no national leadership experience, we elected him because he was an outsider who promised change. He said he would never lie to us, but after the election it turned out that he had. He had misrepresented his background and didn’t have the ability he needed when it came to governing. He said he was Christian and even orchestrated a land for peace deal between Israel and Egypt, but he proved to be anti-Israel. Soon we had a crisis in finance with interest rates at 20%, an energy crisis with our first gas shortages, and an administration that didn’t know how to work with Congress to fix things. The Iranians captured our embassy and held our citizens hostage. Thankfully he lasted only one term.

Mr. Obama could easily turn out to be just another Jimmy Carter, and if so America will suffer through the next four years and then he’ll be gone. But if he continues to be successful in convincing people all around the world that he’s on the right track even though everything seems to be falling apart, it could be a different story.

If my calculations are correct, American Christians have just voted in our last presidential elections and won’t be here to see if Mr. Obama turns out to be the anti-Christ or not. But someone with a lot more experience in accurately predicting the future has some interesting insight into the next few years. His name is Gerald Celente, CEO of Trends Research Institute, and he’s renowned the world over for his accuracy in predicting future world and economic events. He accurately predicted the 1987 Stock market crash, the Fall of the Soviet Union, the 1997 Asian currency collapse, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, and one year before the fact predicted what he said would become known as the Panic of 2008, saying that giants would tumble to their deaths, which is what we’ve just seen in the fall of several of our oldest and biggest financial firms, and with the big three auto makers teetering on the brink. (You can check his track record for yourself at www.trendsresearch.com )

Celente is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions - all within four years, cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012.

According to his recent Fox News interview, called “Predicting Obama’s Impact” (posted on YouTube on Nov. 10, 2008 ), by 2012 America will have become an undeveloped nation. There will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and holidays will be more about obtaining food than gifts.

“We’re going to see the end of the retail Christmas….we’re going to see a fundamental shift take place….putting food on the table is going to be more important that putting gifts under the Christmas tree,” said Celente, adding that the situation would be “worse than the great depression”.

“America’s going to go through a transition the likes of which no one is prepared for,” he said, noting that people’s refusal to acknowledge that America was even in a recession highlights how big a problem denial is in being ready for the true scale of the crisis.

All this comes from a man with an international reputation for being right and whose continued success depends on it. If he’s right now like he has been so often in the past, then the next four years will be worse than the Carter Administration ever was, rather than the launching platform for a coming world leader.

(By the way, please take note that this is another independent expert pointing to the year 2012 as one of cataclysmic significance in bringing about the End of the Age.)

There’s a wild card that I hesitate to throw in here because I don’t even want to think about it. But if it’s true it could easily cause the problems that Mr. Celente is predicting. For some time now certain people, Republican and Democrat alike, have been saying that Mr. Obama isn’t legally qualified to be President because he’s not a natural born citizen of the US. I won’t go into the details but the point is that he could make this all go away by producing a legitimate birth certificate, something he’s been unwilling to do.  A Supreme Court Justice has reportedly given him until Dec. 1, 2008 to do so, and if he does then the Electoral College vote will be certified and he’ll be the next President. But lawsuits in a dozen or so states have been or are being filed to prevent the certification until Mr. Obama proves he’s qualified. If the courts throw out the election who knows what could happen.
What Time Is It?

As many of you know, I’ve said that all of the End Times prophecies including the 2nd Coming could be fulfilled as early as 2018. I base this on the Lord’s promise that the generation being born at the time of the first End Times signs would still be alive when “all these things have happened” (Matt. 24:34) Most scholars view the re-birth of Israel in 1948 as the first of the end times signs. With an average lifespan being 70 years, according to Psalm 90:10, everything will have to come to pass by 2018. If the Rapture only just precedes the 70th Week of Daniel it could come 7 years earlier, in 2011, which is 2 ½ years from now, about half way through Mr. Obama’s first term, assuming the election stands.

So here’s how to tell if he’ll become the anti-Christ or not. If it seems like he can do no wrong, if people feel safe and it’s beginning to look like there’ll be peace in our time, then there’s a good chance he’s the one. But if Gerald Celente’s predictions are coming to pass, and the world’s in worse shape than ever, then he’s just another Jimmy Carter, an inexperienced outsider who had no business running for president in the first place, let alone being elected.

Time will tell, but either way we can look for some difficult days ahead for the Church. Because either way we are in the final phase of post Christian America and can expect the world around us to become more and more anti-Christian. And if the economy continues to self-destruct it will be just that much worse.

But whether Mr. Obama turns out to be the anti-Christ or not is really irrelevant to the Church. Our job in the short time we have left is to get ready to move to our new home. That means breaking our ties with the old one. Anything that can’t be put to kingdom use is excess baggage to us now. We should be sending whatever treasure we have up ahead. We should stop worrying about our career, our retirement fund, our lifestyle, and all those other worldly distractions and put all our resources to work for the benefit of our next life. After all it’s the real one. And one way or the other, this one is already gone.

Whether you believe in a pre-trib rapture or not you know my advice is sound. After all I’m not just making this up. Everything I ‘ve been saying is straight from the Lord’s own mouth. He’s the one who said to quit storing up treasure on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. He’s the one who said to store up treasure in Heaven instead. (Matt. 6:19-20) And He’s the one who said not to worry about our lives here but seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and he’ll provide all our needs. (Matt. 6:31-34) So whether you think we’re leaving here soon or not, it’s time to pay attention to what He’s been telling us. No matter how much time you think we have, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 11-15-08

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The Anti-Christ and Mr. Obama - Part 2
Commentary by Jack Kelley

Last week’s article has quickly become one of the most widely read of any we’ve ever posted. It has also generated several questions and some wild information I had never heard before.  Among these are excerpts from secular news sources containing two non-Biblical prophecies that I will offer first. Since they both opened with rhetorical questions, I’ve arranged them in our familiar Q and A format, but post them as written. The remaining questions are all reader submitted.

Two Non-Biblical Prophecies

The first one is very controversial and I offer no opinion as to its validity, except that I’ve received it from several independent news sources. I have been able to confirm that Johanwa Owalo was who this prophecy says he was and that it apparently came from a document copyrighted in 1915. Readers are cautioned to conduct their own research before accepting it as authentic.

“Q. Is Barak Obama the “Son of Kenya” foretold by the great 19th Century Kenyan Prophet, Johanwa Owalo, the founder of Kenya’s Nomiya Luo Church?

A. Among the Kenyan people of the Luo religion Owalo is believed to be a prophet similar to Jesus Christ and Muhammad, and who in 1912 made this horrific prophecy about the United States:

‘So far have they [the United States] strayed into wickedness in those [future] times that their destruction has been sealed by my [father]. Their great cities will burn, their crops and cattle will suffer disease and death, their children will perish from diseases never seen upon this Earth, and I reveal to you the greatest [mystery] of all as I have been allowed to see that their [the United States] destruction will come about through the vengeful hands of one of our very own sons.’ ”

The next one comes from a Forbes.com article dated 10-26-08 by Amir Taheri, author of 10 books on Iran, the Middle East and Islam.

“Q. Is Barack Obama the “promised warrior” coming to help the Hidden Imam of Shiite Muslims conquer the world?

A. This question has made the rounds in Iran since last month, when a pro-government Web site published a Hadith (or tradition) from a Shiite text of the 17th century. The tradition comes from Bahar al-Anvar (meaning Oceans of Light) by Mullah Majlisi, a magnum opus in 132 volumes and the basis of modern Shiite Islam.

According to the tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib (the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law) prophesied that at the End of Times and just before the return of the Mahdi, the Ultimate Saviour, a “tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West.” Commanding “the strongest army on earth,” the new ruler in the West will carry “a clear sign” from the third imam, whose name was Hussein Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: “Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us.”

In a curious coincidence Obama’s first and second names–Barack Hussein–mean “the blessing of Hussein” in Arabic and Persian. His family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma, which means “he is with us,” the magic formula in Majlisi’s tradition.”

From these secular sources it appears that people from diverse backgrounds believe that a leader matching Mr. Obama’s description could appear in the last days, and that his impact will not be good for America. Time will tell.
Reader Submitted Questions

Now we’ll begin our reader submitted questions. In the interest of time and space, I’ve summarized them all into three basic questions that speak to Mr. Obama’s qualification to be the anti-Christ.

Q. Re: The people of the leader who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary (Daniel 9:26) How can Mr. Obama be the fulfillment of Daniel 9:26 if he was born in Hawaii, or Kenya for that matter?

A. When Daniel wrote these words from the Angel Gabriel, the Babylonians were about to be conquered by the Medes and Persians. The Romans wouldn’t arrive on the scene for several hundred years yet so Gabriel needed a way to identify them. He told Daniel the coming leader would be from the people who would destroy the city and sanctuary following the Messiah’s rejection. The Jewish Temple and the City of Jerusalem were destroyed separately. The Roman General Titus Vespasian led the troops who burned the Temple and tore its ruins apart stone by stone in either 68 or 69 AD depending on who’s account you favor. He did this under orders from his father Vespasian who was the Emperor of Rome. Then in 135 AD another Roman Emperor, Hadrian, ordered the complete destruction of Jerusalem as a consequence of the bar Kochba rebellion. These two separate events bear witness that Gabriel was referring to the Romans. Together they meet the standard that a matter must be established by the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses. (Deut. 19:15)

Brittannia (Great Britain) first came to the notice of the Romans in 55BC and by 43 AD had been assimilated into the Roman Empire, well before the City and Sanctuary were destroyed. Therefore the Roman Empire of the time stretched from Great Britain in the west across southern Europe and Northern Africa to the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf in the East. Romans called the Mediterranean sea “Mare Nostrum” (our sea) because the Roman Empire pretty much surrounded it.

Most students of prophecy agree that almost anyone of Middle Eastern or European descent could meet the qualification of Daniel 9:26 to be the anti-Christ providing he also becomes a world leader. They say this is even true of many Americans because of our prior status as a British Colony and the fact that our country was founded in large part by Europeans whose ancestors dwelt in the Roman Empire of Biblical times.

Mr. Obama is almost certainly of European descent through His mother, and those who claim to have done the research say that on his father’s side he’s much more Arab than African. In fact Mr. Obama Sr.’s birth certificate identifies him as an Arab. They say Mr. Obama Jr.’s genealogy shows him to be 50% Caucasian, 43.75% Arab and 6.25% African. And in an interesting side note, Great Britain is one of the countries Mr. Obama is being asked to prove he’s not a citizen of in at least one of the lawsuits that have been filed. If he was born in Kenya in 1961 he would likely be a British citizen, because Kenya’s independence from Great Britain didn’t take place until 1963. The Supreme Court Justices will review one of these suits on Dec. 5, 2008 to determine if they want to hear oral arguments. It is still unclear to everyone why Mr. Obama doesn’t just release his original birth certificate and put an end to all the speculation.

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The Anti-Christ and Mr. Obama - Part 2 Continued
Commentary by Jack Kelley

Q. Since the soldiers who destroyed the Temple were actually Assyrian mercenaries, and since Isaiah mentions an Assyrian enemy of Israel (Isaiah 10:5), doesn’t this mean the anti Christ has to be Assyrian? Wouldn’t that exclude Mr. Obama?

A. In my answer above I showed that the Angel Gabriel had to be referring to Rome when he spoke of the people who would destroy the city and the sanctuary. Remember, they were two different events, almost 70 years apart, and both times the soldiers were under Roman command following Roman orders. Also, the Assyrian Empire had been assimilated into Rome by territorial conquest, so there was no official Assyrian presence at the time. And had the passage referred to the Assyrians, Gabriel could have just mentioned them by name, since everyone in Daniel’s day knew of them.

Isaiah 10:1-19 is a judgment against Assyria. The Hebrew word translated Assyrian in verse 5 is Asshur, the name of the second son of Shem. This means it’s a reference to the Assyrian people, the descendants of Asshur, not to an individual. When the Assyrian King Sennacherib conquered Damascus and the Northern Kingdom, his army was bringing God’s judgment against godless people (verse 6). But when they set their sights on Jerusalem (verse 11) they exceeded God’s intention. In one night God sent the angel of death into the Assyrian camp and by morning 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were dead. Isaiah compared it to a fire burning through thorns and briers. (verses 17-18 ) The remaining Assyrians went home in shame and later Sennacherib’s own sons killed him. (Isaiah 37:36-38 ) Based on these things, I am not convinced that the Scriptures require the anti-Christ to be of Assyrian descent.

Q. The Bible seems to say that the anti-Christ will be asexual. Since Mr. Obama is happily married with two daughters why wouldn’t this exclude him?

A. This question refers to Daniel 11:37 which in the KJV reads;

Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

According to tradition, the phrase “desire of women” refers to the Messiah, not to the anti-Christ’s sexual orientation. From the time of Eve it was every Jewish woman’s desire to be the mother of the Messiah, so one of the informal names of the Messiah was “the desire of women”. This whole idea stems from the phrase “seed of the woman”, a reference to the promised redeemer from Genesis 3:15. The idea that the anti-Christ will be asexual can not be supported from Scripture.

What’s The Point Of All this?

My purpose in this study has been to separate Biblical fact from human opinion on the issue of the anti-Christ, specifically in support of my claim that there’s no Biblical reason Mr. Obama couldn’t one day be revealed as the anti-Christ. By the way, much of this information could be used to support the opinion that Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, or a number of others could turn out to be the anti-Christ as easily as Barack Obama, but he’s the one I’ve been asked about.

In part one of this study, I said that I don’t think it’s time for the anti-Christ to be introduced yet, and that the Church will not be here when he is. In 2 Thes.2:1-8 Paul gave a summary of End Times events in sequence. A careful reading reveals that Paul identified three specific things that will have to happen before the Day of the Lord (Great Tribulation) can come. There will have to be a falling away, a rebellion against the truth. This is when the believers in name only will be drawn out of the true Church into one of the various apostate movements we see springing up in our midst. The restraining force that’s holding the secret power of lawlessness back will also have to be taken out of the way. That’s the Holy Spirit contained in the Church, a reference to the Rapture. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed and will stand in God’s Temple proclaiming himself to be God. That’s the abomination of Desolation that kicks off the Great Tribulation, and that’s when the world will know for certain just who the anti-Christ is.

For us it’s enough to know that the signs pointing to the End of the Age are appearing all around us. This is not happening so that we can hunker down and prepare for the storm. It’s happening so we can begin making preparations for our departure. Whether it’s several months or several years is also immaterial. The sooner we act the better prepared we’ll be. No one on Earth will be able to tell you in advance when we’ll be leaving. There will be no specific warning. One moment we’ll be here and the next we’ll be there. Jesus said we won’t know the day or hour, but He had Paul tell us that we should not be taken by surprise. Fore warned is fore armed, they say, and we’ve been forewarned. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 11-22-08

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The Anti-Christ And Mr. Obama, Follow Up
Commentary by Jack Kelley

Q. I have read with great displeasure as you and some others have perpetuate this idea that Mr. Obama is the anti-Christ. We do not yet know what tomorrow will bring. However, if you want me to take you seriously, will you promise on your website that if after 4 or 8 years Mr. Obama has not become the anti-Christ you insinuate he may be you will give an unreserved apology to him.

A. For the record I never said that Mr. Obama is the anti-Christ.  I stated clearly that it’s too early to know who the anti-christ will be.  I did say that there’s nothing we know about him that could prevent him from becoming the anti-Christ, but that the church would probably never know if he is or not.  But even if it turns out that he is it would be irrelevant to us.

Since I never said that he is there would be no need for me to apologize if he isn’t.  Beside that, if you really read my article on the subject you would know that I don’t believe the church will be here when the time you’ve set for me to apologize comes.

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An American Anti-Christ?
Commentary by Jack Kelley

Q. This may seem to be a weird thought and question but I think Barak Obama might be the anti-Christ. He could be very well liked by whites, blacks, Muslim, Israel, etc. Do you have any thoughts on this? Has anyone else asked the question?

A. I’ve been asked this question dozens of times and have always declined to answer. I don’t think it’s possible for anyone in the Church Age to know the anti-Christ’s identity because he doesn’t officially come on the scene until the Church is gone and can no longer warn the world about him.

I also have trouble believing that he could be the anti-Christ because I don’t believe that America has any recognizable role to play in the End Times Scenario.  It seems more likely to me that the anti-Christ will come from either Europe or a middle eastern Islamic country, both of which are part of the old Roman Empire. I’m leaning toward Islam.

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Is The Anti-Christ Assyrian?
Commentary by Jack Kelley

Q. I recently came across a site proving the beast comes from the east, namely Assyria. I thought you might be interested and perhaps able to confirm or disprove any of it.  The author’s theory is based on several items. Here are a few: 

1. Jesus said the antichrist would be of the people who destroy the temple. The destruction was done by the Roman empire; however, the battalion that performed the destruction was mainly comprised of Assyrians.

2. The Biblical references to the antichrist as “the Assyrian”

3. The author emphasizes the importance of the middle east as being the beast’s location. In Daniel’s dream of four beasts, he could describe the first three (lion-Babylon, bear-MedoPersia, leopard-Greece), but not the fourth. However, John could describe this beast in Revelation as having body parts of lion, bear and leopard. This indicates it is comprised of the areas of Babylon, MedoPersia, and Greece. The author points out that the metallic statue of Daniel 2 is destroyed all at once at Christ’s 2nd coming (Dan 2:35). When we look at the modern countries making up this region, we find 10, all Islamic.

4. The author follows the actions of the antichrist described in Daniel 11 to show how he could obtain his titles: King of Babylon, Pharaoh King of Egypt, etc.

A. I’ve long believed that there is as great a likelihood that the anti-Christ will come from the Eastern (Moslem) leg of the old Roman Empire as the Western (European) one.  And the rise of Islam makes it even more likely in my opinion.  But Daniel only gave a name to the first of the 4 Empires of his visions, Babylon. (The angel Gabriel named the 2nd and 3rd as Media-Persia and Greece in Daniel 7)  In Daniel 2 the 4th Kingdom was identified as the one that would conquer the third, and it was Rome that did that.  So of the four, two (Babylon and Persia) were eastern in their origins and 2 (Greece and Rome) were western.  Remember Daniel  said that the 5th Kingdom would be the Messiah’s so only four can precede it.  All four have been historically identified.

In Rev. 13 John was looking back through history from his vantage point in the 4th Kingdom to see the previous 3, beginning with  the most recent, the leopard (Greece) and working backward through the bear (Media-Persia) to the lion (Babylon). At the end of the age three specific characteristics of these Kingdoms will be represented in the anti-Christ and his kingdom.  The speed of the leopard, the power of the bear, and the boastful roar of the lion.  Saying that this represents the territory of the three former kingdoms is irrelevant because Rome occupied the territory of the three, but John used the word “resembled” to indicate similarity to characteristics of the three representative animals, not the geography of the kingdoms.  The personal pronouns he used confirm this.

The Gentile Kingdom in power when John wrote was Rome in its legs of iron form.  At the end of the age Rome will appear in its feet and toes form.  Please note that the feet and toes appear at the bottom of both legs, so both the Eastern leg and the Western leg of Rome will be present.  This is what makes the “Islamization” of western Europe so interesting.

As I wrote in a recent article, it doesn’t matter who the foot soldiers were in the destruction of the Temple, they were wearing Roman uniforms, serving under Roman command, exercising Roman authority. Besides the destruction of the sanctuary and the city occurred nearly 70 years apart, and both by Roman armies under orders from Rome. I also believe that the references to the Assyrian  are meant to be seen as plural, the descendants of Asshur, not singular, as one Assyrian man.

I’m simply not persuaded that the anti-Christ has to be a Assyrian national.

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Is Javier Solana The Anti Christ?
Commentary by Jack Kelley

I understand that in the Jewish alphabet, each letter has a number also. There are many in these last days, who think Javier Solana is the anti-christ in the making. Does his name add up to 666?

Q. Revelation 13:18 says, “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

I understand that in the Jewish alphabet, each letter has a number also. There are many in these last days, who think Javier Solana is the anti-christ in the making. Does his name add up to 666? I also read that the EU presidency used to rotate every 6 months. But resolution 666 made Solana the president. What do you think?

I just recently found your website and I want to thank you for answering some hard questions for us. God bless you.

A. As far as I can tell, no one has legitimately applied the rules of gematria to calculate the numerical equivalent of Solana’s name either in Hebrew or Greek. Both these Biblical languages give numerical equivalents to their letters. Since the Revelation was written in Greek, I prefer the use of that language.

Much is made of the fact that Solana’s power derives from the Western European Union Assembly’s resolution 666. This is one of many fascinating circumstances that make Solana one of the world’s most popular candidates for the anti-Christ, but I’m skeptical about accepting resolution number 666 as the fulfillment of Rev. 13:18. Besides, Rev. 17:11 says that the anti-christ is an eighth king, not one of the seven, which are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia Greece, Rome and the Revived Roman Empire.

And Daniel 7:7-12, speaking of Rome in the last days, describes it as a beast with 10 horns. But then another horn, a little one, rose up among them and uprooted three of them. This little horn is the anti-Christ, who was not part of the 10 horned beast, but rose up among the 10 horns.

These two passages lead me to believe that the anti-Christ will not come from among the current leadership of the European Union, but will emerge suddenly to assume power over it.

Based on this, I don’t think we’ve met the anti-Christ yet.

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More On Javier Solana
Commentary by Jack Kelley

What is your opinion on Javier Solana and his 7 year covenant with many nations that he negotiated in 1995 and he wants to re-establish beginning in Jan. of 2007? Could it be the Treaty of Peace that Israel wants?

Q. What is your opinion on Javier Solana and his 7 year covenant with many nations that he negotiated in 1995 and he wants to re-establish beginning in Jan. of 2007? Could it be the Treaty of Peace that Israel wants?

I understand that France,Germany and Britain are stopping this from happening but Mr.Solana insists that it will take place. I also understand that Pres. Bush and the international community has given Mr. Solana the green light to find a settlement concerning the Middle East.

This man seems to be everywhere negotiating.

A. Javier Solana is currently one of the prime candidates for Anti-Christ for those who speculate on such things. And many point to his coming seven year treaty.

According to inferences in Daniel 9:27 concerning the anti-Christ’s desecration of the coming Temple, in order for Solana’s treaty to be the one that kicks off the 70th week, it would have to include provisions for building a Temple in Israel.

The problem is that Israel hasn’t asked for a Temple and a majority of Israelis won’t even want one until after the conclusion of the Battle of Ezekiel 38-39. So, unless Ezekiel’s battle takes place before January 2007, I don’t think this treaty can be the one.

Much is made of the fact that Solana’s power derives from the Western European Union Asembly’s resolution 666. This is one of many fascinating circumstances that make Solana one of the world’s most popular candidates for the anti-Christ, but I’m skeptical about accepting resolution number 666 as the fulfillment of Rev. 13:18.

Besides, Rev. 17:11 says that the anti-christ is an eighth king, not one of the seven, which are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia Greece, Rome and the Revived Roman Empire. And Daniel 7:7-12, speaking of Rome in the last days, describes it as a beast with 10 horns. But then another horn, a little one, rises up among them and uproots three of them. This little horn is the anti-Christ, who was not part of the 10 horned beast, but rose up among the 10 horns.

These two passages lead me to believe that the anti-Christ will not come from among the current leadership of the European Union, but will emerge suddenly to assume power over it.

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A Question About The Anti-Christ
Commentary by Jack Kelley

Q. I know The anti-christ will come out of the Revived Roman Empire. What if the US ends up joining with them if oil and the economy forces us to? Barak Obama is going to go around the world this summer. Whoever heard of a not yet official nominee doing this? Why couldn’t he be a “little horn” in this new world order that world leaders seem to want so badly?

A. The whole world seems to be all abuzz about Mr. Obama. I don’t know who he really is, but there sure is a lot of speculation about him. If anyone knows for certain, they aren’t talking.

Some believe that as a former colony of England, the US is a de-facto member of the revived Roman Empire already. But using that logic one can include the entire British Empire, which covered much of the world.

In Rev. 17:10-11 I believe when John said that five of the 7 kingdoms had fallen, he was talking about Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. The one that was ruling in John’s day was Rome, and according to Daniel 9:26 the one yet to come would be a second iteration of Rome. But John also said that while the anti-Christ would belong to the others he wouldn’t be one of them. To me that puts him outside of the recognized leadership of the nations John mentioned but makes him one of their citizens.

While it’s a fun exercise, I don’t think we’re at a point in the End Times where we can identify the anti-Christ. In fact I don’t think the Church will ever know who he is, at least not while we’re on Earth.

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Understanding Revelation 17
Commentary by Jack Kelley

Revelation 17 says that the 7 heads are 7 kings (kingdoms) which represent the 7 world empires. The passage then goes on to say that the anti-christ is an 8th king. If the Antichrist and his government are counted as one of the seven, why is he then called an 8th king?

Q. The following passage is from Revelation 17.

“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.”

The passage says that the 7 heads are 7 kings (kingdoms) which represent the 7 world empires (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greek, Roman, and the revived roman empire of the Anti-Christ). The passage then goes on to say that the beast who once was and now is not, which is describing the anti-christ is an 8th king. I cant quite figure this out. If the Antichrist and his government are counted as one of the seven, why is he then called an 8th king? Any help you can give me would be much appreciated.

A. I believe that John’s intent was to inform us that the anti-Christ will not be in command of the revived Roman Empire, but will come from outside its power structure to take command, somehow superseding the established world leadership in the process. Rev. 13:3-4 seems to concur. This makes me skeptical of the popular effort to identify him by looking at current world leaders.