Whereas Obama has an interesting spirit of lawlessness about him that might suggest to some that he is the Antichrist, I think if we look at Daniel and 1 and 2 John and Revelation, we'll see that the spirit of antichrist has been alive and kicking ever since John mentions it in his letters, in the first century. Satan, of course is behind this spirit and 'person' of lawlessness, for Satan himself is lawlessness. Satan himself helped in the fall at the garden when he suggested that man could disobey God and not die. So really, that spirit of antichrist has been around from the beginning.
I know that the popular belief in mainstream Christianity is to think that an Antichrist figure is going to arise at some point in the future, sign some kind of 7-year peace treaty with Israel and break that treaty with Isreal 3 1/2 years down the road. Of course, there is also a theory running rampant that a rapture (some will say a secret one) of the church will occur BEFORE the 7 year tribulation begins.
I believe that people get that idea from a misinterpretation of the 70 weeks prophecy, found in Daniel 9. I believe that the prohecy is actually talking about Jesus Himself, who confirmed the new covenant (they call peace treaty) with Israel, during their last 7 years of the time that was alloted to them to be God's exclusive chosen people. After that last week of the 70 weeks (490 years between the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem and it's temple after the Babylonian captivity, the gospel was opened up to the gentiles as well.) The prophecy does state that the people of the prince to come will be the abomination that causes desolation to Jerusalem, destroying the city and the temple. Jesus talks of this coming destruction in Matthew 24 and corresponding verses in Luke. Was that prophecy fulfilled or is it yet in the future, as many people today claim?
Interestingly, the apostles wrote their letters to the churches with a certain sence of urgency... saying things like 'it is the last hour' and so forth. When we first look at that, we might think that they are speaking of our times, but we are living almost 2000 years down the road from when they were! Could it mean something else? Paul talked about the day of the Lord and how it would not come until the falling away happened first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, but something was restraining it. John speaks of the antichrist as a spirit that was among them, that it had departed from the true faith and went out from them. Ok, so Paul and Peter were both martyred in Rome sometime in the mid '60's AD. A chart of Popes for the catholic church has the first pope being Peter, followed by a person named Linus in the mid 60's AD, around the same time or just after Paul was martyred. It is interesting that the Roman armies, which Luke actually defines as the 'abomination of desolation', laid seige of Jerusalem for about 4 years before they eventually captured the city and destroyed the temple in 70 AD. This ends the 70 week prophecy. It was fulfilled. It also shows that the 'Antichrist/Little Horn/Beast/Whore of Babylon' or the 'prince that was to come that would have abominations and desolations', began to grow in the mid 60's AD, around the deaths of Peter and Paul. Hmmm. The people of the prince to come was the Roman army. Daniel tells us that the little horn would come out of the 4th beast or empire, which is Rome. The little horn would be different from the other horns in various ways, and it's rising up would be mysterious. Babylon is referred to as being a 'whore' with a sign that says 'Mystery'. A little bit of research and study will show that these descriptions of the little horn/babylon/man of lawlessness, all fit one particular religious entity, the Holy Roman Catholic Church. For a lot of detail into this, you could check out the thread by Gotime on Daniel 7. He explains it quite thoroughly.
The rapture theory began taking root in the 1800's, but I cannot see how anyone can get the idea of a rapture of the church before a tribulation, causing Jesus to return not only a second time, but a third time as well. It seems that the 'Rapture', which is a word one won't find anywhere in scripture, has replaced the Resurrection, that Paul and Jesus and Peter speak of in the New Testament. One thing that the scriptures are clear about - the dead in Christ will be resurrected at His coming. 1 Cor. 15. When will that be? At the last day, according to Jesus, who spoke these words four times in the book of John
Joh 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
