THE PULPIT: Christian authors: Obama not the Beast
Over the past decade, Jerry B. Jenkins of Colorado Springs has become one of the most prolific Christian writers in America.
Since 1995, he and co-author Tim LaHaye have written 16 books in the "Left Behind" series, novels centered on end-times theology that have sold 65 million copies worldwide. His eighth solo novel, "Riven," about a Christ-like death in contemporary America, was recently issued in paperback.
Several years ago, Jenkins and LaHaye teamed up again to work on the "Jesus Chronicles," fictional biographies about the evangelists believed to have written the gospels of Mark, Luke, Matthew and John. The latest installment, "Luke's Story," went on sale this month.
But often over the past year, Jenkins and LaHaye have had to set aside discussion of the "Jesus Chronicles" to respond to chatter that the Antichrist described in the "Left Behind" series is none other than - gasp! - President Barack Obama. Jenkins and LaHaye have received countless letters and e-mails from readers wanting details about whether or not Obama is the Beast.
"Unequivocally, there is no way it is him," Jenkins, 59, told me. "The Antichrist won't be an American political figure."
Jenkins said the Antichrist will probably be an entertainer, not a politician as he is in the "Left Behind" series, because everybody will find this person attractive and persuasive, something that's not going to happen in the divisive arena of contemporary politics.
"When people read the ‘Left Behind' series and say they know how it will happen, we always tell them our books are obviously fiction," Jenkins said.
Even so Jenkins, a biblical literalist, is positive that the end times will happen, bringing the Rapture, a moment in time when Christians are spirited to heaven, and the Tribulation, when the Antichrist reigns and God judges Earth's remaining inhabitants.
"We don't want people to be left behind," Jenkins said.
Though Jenkins and LaHaye agree that the Antichrist has not yet appeared on Earth, LaHaye did say in a Feb. 27 interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that Obama's "socialism" may be a precursor to the Antichrist's future world government.
"You can't have a world socialist government headed by an Antichrist without similar patterns going on today," LaHaye said.
LaHaye, 82, is convinced that the end times will happen in his lifetime, but Jenkins says no one knows God's calendar.
"We are to watch and wait for (Christ's) imminent return," Jenkins said. "But one day for God could be 1,000 years for us."
To read more of my interview with Jenkins, including his thoughts on "Luke's Story," and to view Jenkins' and LaHaye's joint appearance on Maddow's show, go to my blog, The Pulpit, at gazette.com.
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