THE ANTICHRIST
The Antichrist is a character that is seen in the New Testament as well as the Old Testament. He is going to be a central figure in the future as he will attempt to unite the world in a one world government. He will also attempt to defy the Most High God by proclaiming that he is god and go to great measures to force the people to recognize this by making them put on a mark - 666. Who is the Antichrist? What will he do? Where will he come from? The Antichrist is known by many different names in the Bible. Here are the many different names of the Antichrist:
The Little Horn (Daniel 7:8; 8:9-12)
A King of Fierce Countenance (Daniel 8:23)
The Prince That Shall Come (Daniel 9:26-27)
The Willful king (Daniel 11:36)
The Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
The Man of Perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
Antichrist (1 John 2:18)
The Beast (Revelation 13:3)
Jesus Christ says in Matthew 24:24, "For their shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Jesus was making a general statement that many people will arise and deceive many people into thinking that they are the Christ. But the ultimate fulfillment of this verse is in the Antichrist who will be a false Christ (or Messiah). In other places in the Old Testament, the Antichrist is mentioned forthrightly. For example Ezekiel calls him the Prince of Tyrus in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah calls him the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14. We'll get back to this later. Lets examine the references to the Antichrist in the Bible and see what we learn about him.
THE NATIONALITY OF THE ANTICHRIST
The Bible contains clues as to where the Antichrist will come from. In Daniel 9:26-27 we see that the Antichrist will be Roman descent.
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are decreed. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The prince who is to come in Daniel is the Antichrist. The prince of verse 26 is the same person in verse 27. "The people of the prince" are the Romans for they destroyed the city of Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple in AD 70. This means that the Antichrist will be Roman descent. There are those that believe that the Antichrist will be Jewish descent. There are several reasons for this:
Daniel 11:37 says that he will not regard the God of his fathers. Usually this is referring to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob so the Antichrist will be an apostate Jew.
Since the Antichrist is a counterfeit of Jesus, he must be Jewish like Jesus.
The Jews wouldn't let a non-Jew be involved in rebuilding the Temple.
But there are more reasons to reject the notion that the Antichrist is Jewish. Here are they:
Daniel 9:26-27 as stated earlier proves that the Antichrist is Roman descent.
The context of Daniel 11:36-39 suggests that the Antichrist will exalt himself over all deity and blaspheme the true God.
The one who will make a covenant with the Jews in Daniel 9:27 cannot be Jewish for it has to be an outsider not one of their own.
The Jews let the Jewish governor Zerubbabel and Judean King Herod the Great rebuild the Second Temple and they weren't Jewish. They were not thought by the Jewish people to be the Messiah.
The Jews have in the past accepted Gentile rulers as messiahs like Cyrus who made the rebuilding of the Second Temple possible through his edict and provision of supplies and materials and funds.
It is highly unlikely that a Jew will persecute his own people.
The Antichrist's purpose is not to imitate Christ but to conquer and replace him.
If the Antichrist is going to be the final ruler in the "Times of the Gentiles" then he has to be a Gentile.
If the Antichrist is the beast out of the sea (Revelation 13:1) and the sea is a literary image that often reflects the Gentile nations (Daniel 7:2-3) then the Antichrist is Gentile.
I have even heard some people say that the Antichrist will be an Arab. But this is not true for the Bible already says where the Antichrist will come from in Daniel 9:26-27. He will be Roman descent. Besides the Antichrist will have to be an outsider if he is going to make peace in the Middle East. Do you think that an Arab will willingly negotiate with the Jews and succeed at it! No, it has to be an outsider who can negotiate with the two parties without any bias and we all know that with Arabs and Jews they never get along. So we see here that the Antichrist cannot be a Jew nor an Arab.
THE COVENANT
We also learn from Daniel 9:27 that the Antichrist will confirm the covenant with many for one week. The word week in Hebrew is shabua and it means seven so one week is one seven, which is seven years. The Antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel. The covenant is none other than the protection of Israel. This is not a new covenant for the Antichrist will "confirm the covenant" which suggests that the covenant existed in some form in the past. This covenant is none other than the one that God made with Abraham. God says in Genesis 12:3, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee." This is God's way of saying that he will protect Abraham and his descendants and their existence. The Antichrist will pose as a friend to Israel and will recognize Israel as a nation and its existence. So in essence those that mess with Israel will have to answer to the Antichrist. The signed "confirmed covenant" will start the seven years called the "Tribulation." There will probably other terms to this covenant like the authorization to build their Temple and start sacrifices. Right now there is no Temple and no sacrifices being made in Israel but there will be.
In the middle of the week, which is three-and-a-half years into the Tribulation, the Antichrist will break the covenant by causing sacrifice and the oblation (Temple rituals) to cease. He will also perform the Abomination of Desolation by setting up an idol of himself in the Temple and declare himself God. More on this later.
Daniel 7:8 says, "I [Daniel] considered the horns, and, behold, there came up from among them another little, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." The horns that Daniel is talking about are the ten horns he mentioned in the previous verse. These ten horns are identified in Revelation as ten kings. Revelation 17:12-13 says, "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast." We see that the Antichrist will rule with ten kings for an hour but then the ten kings who are probably in awe of the Antichrist will give up their power and strength and give it to the Antichrist.
THE ANTICHRIST'S BEGINNING
Let us set a chronological timing of events. First the Antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel for seven years. He will seek to obtain his kingdom by flatteries and promises of peace. Revelation 6:2 says, "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." The rider on the white horse has a bow with no arrows in it meaning that he will use peace not war to obtain his kingdom.
Second, his power will be checked by the Great Harlot. As we look at Revelation and the other prophecies, we see that the Antichrist is powerful in the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation but his powers will be limited. Revelation 17 describes the Great Harlot, which is the One-World Apostate Church or the One-World Religion. Revelation 17:7 says, "And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and off the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns." The beast with the seven heads and ten horns is the Antichrist. The beast is carrying the harlot. In other translations it says that the harlot is riding the beast so we can see that the harlot is in a position of authority over the Antichrist. The ten kings will hate the harlot and desire to destroy her. Revelation 17:16-17 says, "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." The destruction of the Great Harlot falls near or at the end of the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation. They will rule with the Antichrist for one hour (Rev. 17:12) but then will give all their power to the Antichrist (Rev. 17:13) and he will reign supreme.
THE ANTICHRIST WILL RISE AGAIN
Towards the end of the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will be assassinated. Revelation 13:3 says, "I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast." We are not sure how the Antichrist will get this wound (maybe a sword as suggested by the word "slain") but we do know that is fatal enough to kill him. The world will no doubt be saddened by the death of the world leader who promised peace. It is my belief that the Antichrist will be dead for three days and then rise again. Satan is a counterfeiter of miracles and all that God does so it wouldn't surprise me if he raised the Antichrist from the dead. He will try to pull off a counterfeit resurrection. It is also my belief when looking at the events in Revelation 12 and 13 that Satan will probably go into the Antichrist's body. So the Antichrist will be Satan Incarnate. Here are my reasons for this:
1. Satan in Revelation 12:9 is thrown down to earth. You have to understand that Satan currently is at liberty in the heavenlies (Job 1:6) and has a place in heaven as an accuser (Zechariah 3). But on that day, he'll be hurled down to the earth. When he realizes this (Revelation 12:13) he will attack the faithful of Israel who flee into the wilderness (Revelation 12:13-14) and then will go after their remnant (Revelation 12:17). But before he does this he will cause the beast to be healed (Revelation 13:3).
2. The Antichrist is called the Son of Perdition in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Judas Iscariot was called the same name in John 17:12. In Luke 22:3-4 and in John 13:26-27, Satan entered Judas' body. Since the Antichrist is also called the Son of Perdition then Satan will most likely enter the Antichrist's body.
Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 speak of a King of Tyre and King of Babylon. I believe these to be scriptures of the Antichrist and a foreview of who is inside the Antichrist - Satan. The only one in Eden (Ezekiel 28:13) was Satan. He used to be a cherub angel, the guardian of God's throne (Ezekiel 28:14). He was the most magnificent angel ever created but pride got into his heart and he was cast down to the earth (Isaiah 14:12). Isaiah 14:14 says, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." But he was hurled down. He wanted to raise his throne above God. The created wanted to be above the creator. In the same way the Antichrist will exalt himself over every god and the true God (Daniel 11:36). Satan is the force behind the Antichrist during the last half of the Tribulation. Satan wants to be worshipped as God and will get his wish when he indwells the Antichrist. Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 point to the fact that Satan will indwell the Antichrist!
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
The Antichrist in the middle of the Tribulation will declare himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 says, "Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness [the Antichrist] is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God." We see that the Antichrist will set himself up to be God. He will go into the future rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself to be God. This event was refer to by Jesus as the "Abomination of Desolation" (Matthew 24:15). What Jesus was talking about was found in the Book of Daniel. Daniel 11:31,36 says, "Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation...Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done." Daniel 11:31,36 is similar to 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. This event will occur at the midpoint of the Tribulation. The Antichrist will set up an idol in the Temple and declare himself God. He will stop the Temple sacrifice (Daniel 9:27).
From that time on the Antichrist will be the full embodiment of evil since Satan is in his body. It is my belief that the Antichrist will be a Satan worshipper. Remember how Satan tempted Jesus Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan tried to show him all the kingdoms of the world and told Jesus that he will give Jesus all these and more under one condition - that Jesus worship Satan. Jesus refused! My belief that Satan will do the same to the Antichrist. Revelation 13:4 says, "They worshipped the dragon [Satan] because he gave his authority to the beast [the Antichrist]." Revelation 13:2 says that Satan gave the Antichrist his power, his throne and great authority. This is pretty much what Satan offered to Jesus. But the Son of Man (Jesus) refused these for God the Father will give him all the kingdoms (Daniel 7:13-14) in contrast to the Son of Perdition (the Antichrist) who will worship Satan to get these. Daniel 11:39 says that the Antichrist will do this with the help of a "foreign god." That god is the god of this world - Satan.
THE ANTICHRIST'S REIGN OF TERROR & HIS END
It is during this time - in the last half of the Tribulation that the Antichrist will start a reign of terror in his kingdom. First the False Prophet will issue a mark - 666 to anyone who is loyal to the Antichrist. You cannot buy nor sell without this mark (Revelation 13:16-18). Those without the mark will likely starve or find a way to start a black market of food and supplies. They also have to worship an idol of the Antichrist that the False Prophet set up (Revelation 13:15) There is going to come a point where the Antichrist is going to start killing Jews and Tribulation Saints. Revelation 13:7 says, "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him." Many Tribulation Saints will be killed. He will also try to wipe out the Jewish race. That is why this is the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). But while some Jews will flee to the wilderness for 1260 days (Revelation 12:14 and Matthew 24:15-24), he will go after the remnant of her seed (Revelation 12:17) as well as the Tribulation Saints.
During this time the Antichrist will have complete control over his kingdom. He will be a brutal conqueror (Daniel 11:39-42) and control the world's finances (Daniel 11:43). Towards the end of his reign he will murder the Two Witnesses. Revelation 11:7 says, "When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them."
The world will rejoice at their death (the unbelievers) but will be shocked and scared when three days later they rise again and ascend to heaven (Revelation 11:11-12). From this point on the Antichrist's world will come crashing down. Daniel 11:44 says, "But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many." Rebellion will be in the wind. Some nations will plot to overthrow the Antichrist from his iron rule. God at this time will through the sixth vial of God's wrath dry up the great river Euphrates to allow the kings of the East to allow them passage on their way to fight the Antichrist in Israel. Revelation 16:13-14 says, "And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are the spirit of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty." So the nations will be gathered together. They will not know why they are gathered. They think that they are being gathered to fight against the Antichrist and his allies. But they will face JESUS CHRIST when he descends from heaven at Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21).
Daniel 11:45 says, "He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him." The Antichrist will come to his end. All the armies of the nations will fight each other but when they see Jesus Christ descend they will band together and attempt to do battle with Jesus Christ and his army. The end of the Antichrist will be that he will be taken and thrown into the Lake of Fire along with his friend - the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20 and Daniel 7:11). The Antichrist will face his end. Jesus Christ will come back and set up his millennial reign - his kingdom. Jesus will be the first one in human history to usher in a utopia for the whole earth. Where the Antichrist failed, the TRUE CHRIST will succeed! His name is Jesus Christ!
Prophecy and Biblical Page
Answer: There is much speculation about the identity of the antichrist. Some of the more popular targets are Vladimir Putin, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Pope Benedict XVI. In the United States, former President Bill Clinton, current President George Bush, and presidential candidate Barack Obama are the most frequent candidates. So, who is the antichrist, and how will we recognize him?
The Bible really does not say anything specific about where the antichrist will come from. Many Bible scholars speculate that he will come from a confederacy of ten nations and/or a reborn Roman empire (Daniel 7:24-25; Revelation 17:7). Others see him as being a Jew since he would have to be in order to claim to be the Messiah. It is all just speculation since the Bible does not specifically say where the antichrist will come from or what race he will be. One day, the antichrist will be revealed. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 tells us how we will recognize the antichrist: "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God."
It is likely that most people who are alive when the antichrist is revealed will be very surprised at his identity. The antichrist may or may not be alive today. Martin Luther was convinced that the pope in his time was the antichrist. Others who have lived in the past few hundred years have been equally sure as to the identity of the antichrist. So far, they have all been incorrect. We should put the speculations behind us and focus on what the Bible actually says about the antichrist. Revelation 13:5-8 declares, "The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world."
The Antichrist will not be a Jew
''Those who believe that the Antichrist has to be a Jew do so for several reasons. One reason that is given could be classed as the logical reason. Stated in a syllogism, this argument goes as follows:
Major Premise: The Jews will accept the Antichrist as the Messiah;
Minor Premise: The Jews will never accept a Gentile as the Messiah;
Conclusion: The Antichrist will be a Jew.
The argument is that the Jews will accept him as the messiah. The Scriptures make no such claim. While the Bible teaches that Israel enters into a covenant relationship with the Antichrist, this in no way means that they will accept him as the messiah. Some have stretched this reasoning to say that the Jews would not even enter into a covenant with a Gentile. But none of this is valid, for the Jews have often entered into covenant relationships with non-Jews in the past. [1] But this logical reason also fails to view the whole issue. It could be asked another way: how would the Gentiles accept him if he was a Jew? So the logical reason could be used either way, and it is not valid in and of itself. The argument for his Jewish ness based on this kind of logic is not valid. It is an argument based on two assumptions, neither of which is able to stand on its own. Furthermore, the final analysis as to whether something is true cannot be based on logic, but on Scripture. The ultimate question is not, ''Is it logical?'' but, ''Is it Scriptural?'' The assumption necessary for the logical reason cannot be validated by Scripture.
Another reason people often give for the Jewish ness of the Antichrist is based on Revelation 7:1-8.Stated as a syllogism, this argument would read as follows:
Major Premise: The tribe from which the Antichrist would come would not be listed among the 144,000;
Minor Premise: Dan is not among the 144,000;
Conclusion: the Antichrist is from the Tribe of Dan
The folly of such reasoning should be clear to anyone holding to a literal interpretation of Scripture. First of all, it is an argument of conjecture. If the interpreter is at all honest, he would have to admit that he really does not know why Dan is left out of the 144,000.The Bible nowhere spells out why Dan is excluded. If the reason is what the proponent of this view says it is, then it should be explained why an entire tribe is punished because of one man. Furthermore, why is Dan included in the Millennial Israel (Ezekiel 48:1) if there is a curse on him? Assuming information where the Bible is silent is a danger to sound hermeneutics. This argument also involves circular reasoning.
To repeat the syllogism:
Major Premise: The tribe from which the Antichrist will come will not be listed among the 144,000;
Minor Premise: Dan is not among the 144,000;
Conclusion: The Antichrist is from the tribe of Dan.
From this syllogism another is developed:
Major Premise: The Antichrist is from the Tribe of Dan;
Minor Premise: Dan is a Jewish tribe;
Conclusion: The Antichrist is a Jew.
Or they could be stated another way:
1. The Antichrist is a Jew,
2. The tribe from which the Antichrist would come would not be listed among the 144,000
3. Dan is not among the 144,000;
4. The Antichrist is from the tribe of Dan;
5. Dan is a Jewish tribe;
6. The Antichrist is therefore a Jew.
No matter how it is put, this is purely circular reasoning, the truth of which is dependent upon the truth of the presupposition.
While circular reasoning is consistent within itself, the consistency does not make it scriptural. The presupposition of circular reasoning has no proof on which to base this doctrine. The scriptural text used most often for the Jewish ness of the Antichrist is found in Daniel 11:37, which in the King James Version reads as follows:
''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''
The whole argument rests on the phrase, the God of his fathers, which is taken to be clear-cut evidence that the Antichrist is a Jew. It should be pointed out, however, that the argument for the Jewish ness of the Antichrist from this verse is based upon the King James Version. But even if it is granted (and it is not) that the King James is the correct translation from the original, the phrase ''God of his fathers'' need not be be used exclusively of the Jews. The phrase ''God of his fathers'' allows for a wider interpretation. For instance, he could be a person who had Christian parents but rejects their God in this sense .It could refer to a Roman Catholic or a pagan just as easily to a Jewish person. The one phrase where the term ''Antichrist '' is used in 1 John 2:18-19 refers to those who apostatize from Christianity and not from Judaism.
Ultimately, Bible doctrine should be based on the Hebrew and Greek texts since they are the closest to the original autographs. To base a doctrine on a translation, especially when that translation is known to contain errors, is folly. This is exactly the case with the King James rendering of Daniel 11:37.Any student of Hebrew would see from the original that the correct translation should be: ''the gods of his fathers'', and not ''the God of his fathers. ''In the whole context, Daniel 11:36-39, the term god is used a total of eight times. In the Hebrew text, six of these times it is in the singular and twice in the plural, one of which is the phrase in verse 37.The very fact that the plural form of the word ''god'' is used in a context where singular is found in the majority of the cases makes this reference to heathen deities and not a reference to the God of Israel.
Moreover, there is much external evidence to show that this is the correct rendering of the text. The earliest known translation of the Old Testament is the Septuagint (LXX), which is a Greek translation of the Old Testament made about 250 B.C. The LXX has translated the word as ''gods'', which is in keeping with the Hebrew text. Further evidence that the King James Version is incorrect in its translation here is seen in the fact that almost all other English translations, both from Jewish and non- Jewish sources, have rendered the word for ''god'' in the plural. Two major Jewish translations, the Jewish Publication Society of America and the Isaac Leeser translation, have rendered the phrase ''the gods of his fathers'' .In Christian translations - such as the American Standard Version, the Revised Standard Version, the Amplified Old Testament, the New American Standard, and the New International Version, among others - have all translated the phrase to read the gods of his fathers .Further more, the New Scofield Reference Bible, itself based on the King James Version, has done a great service to scholarship by rendering this passage to read in the plural form. Commentaries based on the Hebrew rather than the English text recognize correct reading of Daniel 11:37.This is true of the official Orthodox Jewish commentary in the Soncino Commentary on the Old Testament,as well as the prominent Christian commentary in the Kiel and Delitzsch Commentary
All this evidence shows that Daniel 11:37,the chief argument used by proponents that the Antichrist is to be a Jew, gives no validity to this belief. A doctrine of such magnitude must not be based solely on the King James Version as is this one. It has been shown that even if the King James Version were correct, it would not limit the expression to Jews, but it would be valid for believers as well. However, the truth is that the text is dealing with heathen deities and not with the Jewish Jehovah. If anything, this passage implies that the Antichrist will be a Gentile rather than a Jew.''
( Arnold Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of the Messiah revised edition by Ariel Ministries 2003,2004,pages 206-210)
[1] Footnote on page 206-Recent examples include the peace treaties signed between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestine Liberation Organization, but no one in Israel believed that Sadat, Hussein or Arafat were the Messiah
BUT HE MUST BE JEWISH?
If most of the Christian scholars were correct how come then that most modern-day witers say (without Biblical support) that he will be a Jew? Especially when they rely on a mistranslation of "He will not honor the God of his fathers (since Jews believe in one God) when the original Hebrew states "gods (plural) of his fathers" (multiple gods)? Zola Levitt sums up the issue:
"The scriptural sanction for this theory is Daniel 11:37. "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." (King James Version). It is rendered this way in a different translation. "He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all." (New International Version). The second translation is the accurate one. The Hebrew word used for God is not Elohim, but elohai. The difference is crucial. Elohai means "gods" in the sense of idols. The verse states that the Antichrist will not worship the idols his father worshipped. The King James translators, living in particularly anti-Semitic times in England, must have fallen into temptation to use the ancient Jewish expression "God of his fathers." This indictment of the Antichrist being Jewish has persisted for all these centuries. (The King James translators' aversion to Judaism is obvious again in Acts 12:4 where they substitute Easter for Passover.
The idea that the Antichrist is a Gentile is easier to support. All Biblical persecutors of the Jews were Gentiles from the pharaohs to the foreign kings to the Caesars. Also, Israel undertakes a formal covenant with the Antichrist. If he were one of their own, they probably would not have to actually sign a document. The policies of Prime Ministers Rabin, Peres or Netanyahu were accepted by their fellow Jews without the necessity of signing formal documents. But dealings with Gentile powers like the U.S., the Arabs, or the Oslo peace accords themselves were contractual matters more like the Antichrist's upcoming covenant. And finally, there is the lack of logic in assuming that this major anti-Semite will persecute his own people. It really is difficult to imagine a Jewish person blaspheming to the extent of claiming to be the God of Israel. But on the matter of just who among the world's Gentiles the Antichrist may be, I just don't know. And that is how I answer that question in the churches." (Levitt Letter, volume 21, 1999)
His Origin
In Daniel 7 we read about four world empires that would rise and fall. Here we will look at the order of these empires.
First beast: A lion with wings-Babylonian empire from 586 B.C. to 539 B.C.
Second beast: A bear –Medo -Persian empire from 539 B.C to 331 B.C
Third beast: A leopard with four wings-Grecian empire from 331 B.C to 63 B.C.
Fourth beast: An animal without description with 10 horns-Roman empire phase 1 from 63 B.C. to 476 A.D.
Fourth beast: Roman empire phase 2. The 10 horns represent 10 kings that will arise from the fourth beast in the end times.
Then in Daniel 7 we read:
''And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.''(Daniel 7: 20-21,24-25)
The eleventh horn that comes up from the beast is the Antichrist. He will be more stout then the other 10 kings, that is, he will have a dictator type of personality.
In Revelation 13,John has a vision of this same beast with 10 horns .Unlike Daniel, John is able to describe the beast:
''And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.''(Revelation 13:1-2)
Notice that the fourth beast of Daniel 7 is seen by John possessing characteristics of the 3 previous beasts. The beast is partly leopard, partly bear, and partly lion having 7 heads and 10 horns. Daniel could see the 10 horns but could not describe the body and the 7 heads of the beast. This beast that will rise in the end times will have a geographical combination of Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires .The 10 horns are the 10 kings that will arise out of this beast and the 7 heads represent the 7 kingdoms that will be revived under the political dominion of this beast as we read in Revelation:
''And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.''(Revelation 17:9-11)
John here sees that five of those kings had already fallen, one was alive during his time, and the seventh would come to live a short time. The beast will be the eight but he will be of the seven. This means that the beast will be a resurrected king or kingdom of the past.
The order of these 7 kings or kingdoms is:
1 Egypt
2 Assyria
3 Babylon
4 Medo-Persia
5 Grecia
6 Rome (the one that was during the time of John)
7 Possibly the Turkish Ottoman empire
8 The resurrected king which will be the Antichrist
With the exception of Assyria, all these kingdoms still exist today as nations, namely Egypt, Babylon as Iraq, Medo-Persia as Iran, Grecia as Greece, Rome as Europe, and the Ottoman empire as Turkey .It appears that the eighth king that will be of the seven will be the Assyrian kingdom. May I sugget that Assyria will once again be a nation in the future. It is interesting to note that there are in northern Iraq descendants of the ancient Assyrian people who still hold to some of the Assyrian culture and language. Some of them are orthodox Christians and were heavily persecuted by Saddam Hussein when he was in power. Now with Saddam Hussein out of the way, it is possible that the Assyrians will gain independence and have a nation called Assyria again. See Isaiah 19:23-25.
A Brand New Assyria: A new homeland for Assyrians in Armenia.
Assyrian Independence: Indian Way? American Way? or the High way?
This means that the Antichrist will be an Assyrian. The Bible seems to indicate in some passages that the Antichrist will be an Assyrian:
''The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, [so] shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.''(Isaiah 14:24-25).
The fourteenth chapter of Isaiah is about the future destruction of Babylon. In 14:4 the Antichrist is called the king of Babylon who will be empowered by Lucifer in verses 12 through 15.In verse 25 he is called the Assyrian. This suggests that the Antichrist besides being an Assyrian, he will also be the king (president) of Babylon which is modern day Iraq.
Daniel says:
'' I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.'' (Daniel 7:8)
Revelation says:
''And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies . . . (Revelation 13:5)
The Antichrist has a mouth that blasphemes the name of God. It is interesting to note that just three verses prior to verse 5, the mouth of the beast that blasphemes God is seen on the lion:
''And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion . . . (Revelation 13:2)
Could it be that this mouth symbolism is pointing to the Antichrist as coming from Babylon which is typified by the Lion?. Babylon is modern day Iraq and if the Antichrist is called the ''king of Babylon'' in Isaiah 14:4 who speaks the five blasphemous ''I wills'' in verses 13-15 and the ''Assyrian'' in Isaiah 14:25, this makes perfect sense because the Assyrians who live in Iraq are Iraqi citizens besides being Assyrians ethnically. If that is the case, the Antichrist will be ethnically an Assyrian who becomes a prominent political figure in Iraq thus making him both the ''Assyrian'' and the ''king of Babylon''.
Netherlands Requests Assyrian Autonomous State in Iraq
Assyrians Protest Against Vatican's Interference with Assyrian Rights
Assyrians Need Own Area in Iraq, Swedish Mayor Tells US Congress
In Isaiah 30 we read something very interesting:
''And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of [his] anger, and [with] the flame of a devouring fire, [with] scattering, and tempes, and hailstones. For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, [which] smote with a rod.''(Isaiah 30:30-31)
This verse says that the Assyrian will be destroyed by the voice of the Lord. Could it be that this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote?:
''Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God . . .And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:''(2 Thessalonians 2:3-4,8)
Here Paul says that the Antichrist will be destroyed by the spirit of the mouth of the Lord just as Isaiah wrote that by the voice of the Lord will the Assyrian be destroyed. Although Paul and Isaiah use different terms, the idea is the same.
Some may object the view that the Antichrist will be of Assyrian origin because of a verse found in Daniel 9:
''and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.'' (Daniel 9:26 b)
The people of the prince that shall come who destroyed the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (The Second Temple) were the Romans. Therefore, based on this verse, many conclude that the prince (Antichrist) will be of Roman origin. Some even believe he will be an Italian. The problem is that Rome in ancient times was an empire, not just a city. In fact some of the Roman legions were located in the areas known today as Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Therefore, the Roman soldiers who were involved in the destruction of the Second Temple were of Arab and Assyrian descent.
If Assyria is not to become an independent kingdom in the future ( I strongly believe it will ),the problem will be identifying which section of the Assyrian empire the Antichrist will come from because the Assyrian empire encompassed a very large portion of the Middle East.
Complied By Dr. Judith Ann
Chaplaincy School International – CSI
1505 NW 47th Avenue
Lauderhill, Florida 33313
Email csiedu@yahoo.com
The Little Horn (Daniel 7:8; 8:9-12)
A King of Fierce Countenance (Daniel 8:23)
The Prince That Shall Come (Daniel 9:26-27)
The Willful king (Daniel 11:36)
The Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
The Man of Perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
Antichrist (1 John 2:18)
The Beast (Revelation 13:3)
Jesus Christ says in Matthew 24:24, "For their shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Jesus was making a general statement that many people will arise and deceive many people into thinking that they are the Christ. But the ultimate fulfillment of this verse is in the Antichrist who will be a false Christ (or Messiah). In other places in the Old Testament, the Antichrist is mentioned forthrightly. For example Ezekiel calls him the Prince of Tyrus in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah calls him the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14. We'll get back to this later. Lets examine the references to the Antichrist in the Bible and see what we learn about him.
THE NATIONALITY OF THE ANTICHRIST
The Bible contains clues as to where the Antichrist will come from. In Daniel 9:26-27 we see that the Antichrist will be Roman descent.
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are decreed. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The prince who is to come in Daniel is the Antichrist. The prince of verse 26 is the same person in verse 27. "The people of the prince" are the Romans for they destroyed the city of Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple in AD 70. This means that the Antichrist will be Roman descent. There are those that believe that the Antichrist will be Jewish descent. There are several reasons for this:
Daniel 11:37 says that he will not regard the God of his fathers. Usually this is referring to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob so the Antichrist will be an apostate Jew.
Since the Antichrist is a counterfeit of Jesus, he must be Jewish like Jesus.
The Jews wouldn't let a non-Jew be involved in rebuilding the Temple.
But there are more reasons to reject the notion that the Antichrist is Jewish. Here are they:
Daniel 9:26-27 as stated earlier proves that the Antichrist is Roman descent.
The context of Daniel 11:36-39 suggests that the Antichrist will exalt himself over all deity and blaspheme the true God.
The one who will make a covenant with the Jews in Daniel 9:27 cannot be Jewish for it has to be an outsider not one of their own.
The Jews let the Jewish governor Zerubbabel and Judean King Herod the Great rebuild the Second Temple and they weren't Jewish. They were not thought by the Jewish people to be the Messiah.
The Jews have in the past accepted Gentile rulers as messiahs like Cyrus who made the rebuilding of the Second Temple possible through his edict and provision of supplies and materials and funds.
It is highly unlikely that a Jew will persecute his own people.
The Antichrist's purpose is not to imitate Christ but to conquer and replace him.
If the Antichrist is going to be the final ruler in the "Times of the Gentiles" then he has to be a Gentile.
If the Antichrist is the beast out of the sea (Revelation 13:1) and the sea is a literary image that often reflects the Gentile nations (Daniel 7:2-3) then the Antichrist is Gentile.
I have even heard some people say that the Antichrist will be an Arab. But this is not true for the Bible already says where the Antichrist will come from in Daniel 9:26-27. He will be Roman descent. Besides the Antichrist will have to be an outsider if he is going to make peace in the Middle East. Do you think that an Arab will willingly negotiate with the Jews and succeed at it! No, it has to be an outsider who can negotiate with the two parties without any bias and we all know that with Arabs and Jews they never get along. So we see here that the Antichrist cannot be a Jew nor an Arab.
THE COVENANT
We also learn from Daniel 9:27 that the Antichrist will confirm the covenant with many for one week. The word week in Hebrew is shabua and it means seven so one week is one seven, which is seven years. The Antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel. The covenant is none other than the protection of Israel. This is not a new covenant for the Antichrist will "confirm the covenant" which suggests that the covenant existed in some form in the past. This covenant is none other than the one that God made with Abraham. God says in Genesis 12:3, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee." This is God's way of saying that he will protect Abraham and his descendants and their existence. The Antichrist will pose as a friend to Israel and will recognize Israel as a nation and its existence. So in essence those that mess with Israel will have to answer to the Antichrist. The signed "confirmed covenant" will start the seven years called the "Tribulation." There will probably other terms to this covenant like the authorization to build their Temple and start sacrifices. Right now there is no Temple and no sacrifices being made in Israel but there will be.
In the middle of the week, which is three-and-a-half years into the Tribulation, the Antichrist will break the covenant by causing sacrifice and the oblation (Temple rituals) to cease. He will also perform the Abomination of Desolation by setting up an idol of himself in the Temple and declare himself God. More on this later.
Daniel 7:8 says, "I [Daniel] considered the horns, and, behold, there came up from among them another little, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." The horns that Daniel is talking about are the ten horns he mentioned in the previous verse. These ten horns are identified in Revelation as ten kings. Revelation 17:12-13 says, "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast." We see that the Antichrist will rule with ten kings for an hour but then the ten kings who are probably in awe of the Antichrist will give up their power and strength and give it to the Antichrist.
THE ANTICHRIST'S BEGINNING
Let us set a chronological timing of events. First the Antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel for seven years. He will seek to obtain his kingdom by flatteries and promises of peace. Revelation 6:2 says, "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." The rider on the white horse has a bow with no arrows in it meaning that he will use peace not war to obtain his kingdom.
Second, his power will be checked by the Great Harlot. As we look at Revelation and the other prophecies, we see that the Antichrist is powerful in the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation but his powers will be limited. Revelation 17 describes the Great Harlot, which is the One-World Apostate Church or the One-World Religion. Revelation 17:7 says, "And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and off the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns." The beast with the seven heads and ten horns is the Antichrist. The beast is carrying the harlot. In other translations it says that the harlot is riding the beast so we can see that the harlot is in a position of authority over the Antichrist. The ten kings will hate the harlot and desire to destroy her. Revelation 17:16-17 says, "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." The destruction of the Great Harlot falls near or at the end of the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation. They will rule with the Antichrist for one hour (Rev. 17:12) but then will give all their power to the Antichrist (Rev. 17:13) and he will reign supreme.
THE ANTICHRIST WILL RISE AGAIN
Towards the end of the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will be assassinated. Revelation 13:3 says, "I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast." We are not sure how the Antichrist will get this wound (maybe a sword as suggested by the word "slain") but we do know that is fatal enough to kill him. The world will no doubt be saddened by the death of the world leader who promised peace. It is my belief that the Antichrist will be dead for three days and then rise again. Satan is a counterfeiter of miracles and all that God does so it wouldn't surprise me if he raised the Antichrist from the dead. He will try to pull off a counterfeit resurrection. It is also my belief when looking at the events in Revelation 12 and 13 that Satan will probably go into the Antichrist's body. So the Antichrist will be Satan Incarnate. Here are my reasons for this:
1. Satan in Revelation 12:9 is thrown down to earth. You have to understand that Satan currently is at liberty in the heavenlies (Job 1:6) and has a place in heaven as an accuser (Zechariah 3). But on that day, he'll be hurled down to the earth. When he realizes this (Revelation 12:13) he will attack the faithful of Israel who flee into the wilderness (Revelation 12:13-14) and then will go after their remnant (Revelation 12:17). But before he does this he will cause the beast to be healed (Revelation 13:3).
2. The Antichrist is called the Son of Perdition in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Judas Iscariot was called the same name in John 17:12. In Luke 22:3-4 and in John 13:26-27, Satan entered Judas' body. Since the Antichrist is also called the Son of Perdition then Satan will most likely enter the Antichrist's body.
Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 speak of a King of Tyre and King of Babylon. I believe these to be scriptures of the Antichrist and a foreview of who is inside the Antichrist - Satan. The only one in Eden (Ezekiel 28:13) was Satan. He used to be a cherub angel, the guardian of God's throne (Ezekiel 28:14). He was the most magnificent angel ever created but pride got into his heart and he was cast down to the earth (Isaiah 14:12). Isaiah 14:14 says, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." But he was hurled down. He wanted to raise his throne above God. The created wanted to be above the creator. In the same way the Antichrist will exalt himself over every god and the true God (Daniel 11:36). Satan is the force behind the Antichrist during the last half of the Tribulation. Satan wants to be worshipped as God and will get his wish when he indwells the Antichrist. Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 point to the fact that Satan will indwell the Antichrist!
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
The Antichrist in the middle of the Tribulation will declare himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 says, "Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness [the Antichrist] is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God." We see that the Antichrist will set himself up to be God. He will go into the future rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself to be God. This event was refer to by Jesus as the "Abomination of Desolation" (Matthew 24:15). What Jesus was talking about was found in the Book of Daniel. Daniel 11:31,36 says, "Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation...Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done." Daniel 11:31,36 is similar to 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. This event will occur at the midpoint of the Tribulation. The Antichrist will set up an idol in the Temple and declare himself God. He will stop the Temple sacrifice (Daniel 9:27).
From that time on the Antichrist will be the full embodiment of evil since Satan is in his body. It is my belief that the Antichrist will be a Satan worshipper. Remember how Satan tempted Jesus Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan tried to show him all the kingdoms of the world and told Jesus that he will give Jesus all these and more under one condition - that Jesus worship Satan. Jesus refused! My belief that Satan will do the same to the Antichrist. Revelation 13:4 says, "They worshipped the dragon [Satan] because he gave his authority to the beast [the Antichrist]." Revelation 13:2 says that Satan gave the Antichrist his power, his throne and great authority. This is pretty much what Satan offered to Jesus. But the Son of Man (Jesus) refused these for God the Father will give him all the kingdoms (Daniel 7:13-14) in contrast to the Son of Perdition (the Antichrist) who will worship Satan to get these. Daniel 11:39 says that the Antichrist will do this with the help of a "foreign god." That god is the god of this world - Satan.
THE ANTICHRIST'S REIGN OF TERROR & HIS END
It is during this time - in the last half of the Tribulation that the Antichrist will start a reign of terror in his kingdom. First the False Prophet will issue a mark - 666 to anyone who is loyal to the Antichrist. You cannot buy nor sell without this mark (Revelation 13:16-18). Those without the mark will likely starve or find a way to start a black market of food and supplies. They also have to worship an idol of the Antichrist that the False Prophet set up (Revelation 13:15) There is going to come a point where the Antichrist is going to start killing Jews and Tribulation Saints. Revelation 13:7 says, "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him." Many Tribulation Saints will be killed. He will also try to wipe out the Jewish race. That is why this is the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). But while some Jews will flee to the wilderness for 1260 days (Revelation 12:14 and Matthew 24:15-24), he will go after the remnant of her seed (Revelation 12:17) as well as the Tribulation Saints.
During this time the Antichrist will have complete control over his kingdom. He will be a brutal conqueror (Daniel 11:39-42) and control the world's finances (Daniel 11:43). Towards the end of his reign he will murder the Two Witnesses. Revelation 11:7 says, "When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them."
The world will rejoice at their death (the unbelievers) but will be shocked and scared when three days later they rise again and ascend to heaven (Revelation 11:11-12). From this point on the Antichrist's world will come crashing down. Daniel 11:44 says, "But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many." Rebellion will be in the wind. Some nations will plot to overthrow the Antichrist from his iron rule. God at this time will through the sixth vial of God's wrath dry up the great river Euphrates to allow the kings of the East to allow them passage on their way to fight the Antichrist in Israel. Revelation 16:13-14 says, "And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are the spirit of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty." So the nations will be gathered together. They will not know why they are gathered. They think that they are being gathered to fight against the Antichrist and his allies. But they will face JESUS CHRIST when he descends from heaven at Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21).
Daniel 11:45 says, "He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him." The Antichrist will come to his end. All the armies of the nations will fight each other but when they see Jesus Christ descend they will band together and attempt to do battle with Jesus Christ and his army. The end of the Antichrist will be that he will be taken and thrown into the Lake of Fire along with his friend - the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20 and Daniel 7:11). The Antichrist will face his end. Jesus Christ will come back and set up his millennial reign - his kingdom. Jesus will be the first one in human history to usher in a utopia for the whole earth. Where the Antichrist failed, the TRUE CHRIST will succeed! His name is Jesus Christ!
Prophecy and Biblical Page
Answer: There is much speculation about the identity of the antichrist. Some of the more popular targets are Vladimir Putin, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Pope Benedict XVI. In the United States, former President Bill Clinton, current President George Bush, and presidential candidate Barack Obama are the most frequent candidates. So, who is the antichrist, and how will we recognize him?
The Bible really does not say anything specific about where the antichrist will come from. Many Bible scholars speculate that he will come from a confederacy of ten nations and/or a reborn Roman empire (Daniel 7:24-25; Revelation 17:7). Others see him as being a Jew since he would have to be in order to claim to be the Messiah. It is all just speculation since the Bible does not specifically say where the antichrist will come from or what race he will be. One day, the antichrist will be revealed. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 tells us how we will recognize the antichrist: "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God."
It is likely that most people who are alive when the antichrist is revealed will be very surprised at his identity. The antichrist may or may not be alive today. Martin Luther was convinced that the pope in his time was the antichrist. Others who have lived in the past few hundred years have been equally sure as to the identity of the antichrist. So far, they have all been incorrect. We should put the speculations behind us and focus on what the Bible actually says about the antichrist. Revelation 13:5-8 declares, "The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world."
The Antichrist will not be a Jew
''Those who believe that the Antichrist has to be a Jew do so for several reasons. One reason that is given could be classed as the logical reason. Stated in a syllogism, this argument goes as follows:
Major Premise: The Jews will accept the Antichrist as the Messiah;
Minor Premise: The Jews will never accept a Gentile as the Messiah;
Conclusion: The Antichrist will be a Jew.
The argument is that the Jews will accept him as the messiah. The Scriptures make no such claim. While the Bible teaches that Israel enters into a covenant relationship with the Antichrist, this in no way means that they will accept him as the messiah. Some have stretched this reasoning to say that the Jews would not even enter into a covenant with a Gentile. But none of this is valid, for the Jews have often entered into covenant relationships with non-Jews in the past. [1] But this logical reason also fails to view the whole issue. It could be asked another way: how would the Gentiles accept him if he was a Jew? So the logical reason could be used either way, and it is not valid in and of itself. The argument for his Jewish ness based on this kind of logic is not valid. It is an argument based on two assumptions, neither of which is able to stand on its own. Furthermore, the final analysis as to whether something is true cannot be based on logic, but on Scripture. The ultimate question is not, ''Is it logical?'' but, ''Is it Scriptural?'' The assumption necessary for the logical reason cannot be validated by Scripture.
Another reason people often give for the Jewish ness of the Antichrist is based on Revelation 7:1-8.Stated as a syllogism, this argument would read as follows:
Major Premise: The tribe from which the Antichrist would come would not be listed among the 144,000;
Minor Premise: Dan is not among the 144,000;
Conclusion: the Antichrist is from the Tribe of Dan
The folly of such reasoning should be clear to anyone holding to a literal interpretation of Scripture. First of all, it is an argument of conjecture. If the interpreter is at all honest, he would have to admit that he really does not know why Dan is left out of the 144,000.The Bible nowhere spells out why Dan is excluded. If the reason is what the proponent of this view says it is, then it should be explained why an entire tribe is punished because of one man. Furthermore, why is Dan included in the Millennial Israel (Ezekiel 48:1) if there is a curse on him? Assuming information where the Bible is silent is a danger to sound hermeneutics. This argument also involves circular reasoning.
To repeat the syllogism:
Major Premise: The tribe from which the Antichrist will come will not be listed among the 144,000;
Minor Premise: Dan is not among the 144,000;
Conclusion: The Antichrist is from the tribe of Dan.
From this syllogism another is developed:
Major Premise: The Antichrist is from the Tribe of Dan;
Minor Premise: Dan is a Jewish tribe;
Conclusion: The Antichrist is a Jew.
Or they could be stated another way:
1. The Antichrist is a Jew,
2. The tribe from which the Antichrist would come would not be listed among the 144,000
3. Dan is not among the 144,000;
4. The Antichrist is from the tribe of Dan;
5. Dan is a Jewish tribe;
6. The Antichrist is therefore a Jew.
No matter how it is put, this is purely circular reasoning, the truth of which is dependent upon the truth of the presupposition.
While circular reasoning is consistent within itself, the consistency does not make it scriptural. The presupposition of circular reasoning has no proof on which to base this doctrine. The scriptural text used most often for the Jewish ness of the Antichrist is found in Daniel 11:37, which in the King James Version reads as follows:
''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''
The whole argument rests on the phrase, the God of his fathers, which is taken to be clear-cut evidence that the Antichrist is a Jew. It should be pointed out, however, that the argument for the Jewish ness of the Antichrist from this verse is based upon the King James Version. But even if it is granted (and it is not) that the King James is the correct translation from the original, the phrase ''God of his fathers'' need not be be used exclusively of the Jews. The phrase ''God of his fathers'' allows for a wider interpretation. For instance, he could be a person who had Christian parents but rejects their God in this sense .It could refer to a Roman Catholic or a pagan just as easily to a Jewish person. The one phrase where the term ''Antichrist '' is used in 1 John 2:18-19 refers to those who apostatize from Christianity and not from Judaism.
Ultimately, Bible doctrine should be based on the Hebrew and Greek texts since they are the closest to the original autographs. To base a doctrine on a translation, especially when that translation is known to contain errors, is folly. This is exactly the case with the King James rendering of Daniel 11:37.Any student of Hebrew would see from the original that the correct translation should be: ''the gods of his fathers'', and not ''the God of his fathers. ''In the whole context, Daniel 11:36-39, the term god is used a total of eight times. In the Hebrew text, six of these times it is in the singular and twice in the plural, one of which is the phrase in verse 37.The very fact that the plural form of the word ''god'' is used in a context where singular is found in the majority of the cases makes this reference to heathen deities and not a reference to the God of Israel.
Moreover, there is much external evidence to show that this is the correct rendering of the text. The earliest known translation of the Old Testament is the Septuagint (LXX), which is a Greek translation of the Old Testament made about 250 B.C. The LXX has translated the word as ''gods'', which is in keeping with the Hebrew text. Further evidence that the King James Version is incorrect in its translation here is seen in the fact that almost all other English translations, both from Jewish and non- Jewish sources, have rendered the word for ''god'' in the plural. Two major Jewish translations, the Jewish Publication Society of America and the Isaac Leeser translation, have rendered the phrase ''the gods of his fathers'' .In Christian translations - such as the American Standard Version, the Revised Standard Version, the Amplified Old Testament, the New American Standard, and the New International Version, among others - have all translated the phrase to read the gods of his fathers .Further more, the New Scofield Reference Bible, itself based on the King James Version, has done a great service to scholarship by rendering this passage to read in the plural form. Commentaries based on the Hebrew rather than the English text recognize correct reading of Daniel 11:37.This is true of the official Orthodox Jewish commentary in the Soncino Commentary on the Old Testament,as well as the prominent Christian commentary in the Kiel and Delitzsch Commentary
All this evidence shows that Daniel 11:37,the chief argument used by proponents that the Antichrist is to be a Jew, gives no validity to this belief. A doctrine of such magnitude must not be based solely on the King James Version as is this one. It has been shown that even if the King James Version were correct, it would not limit the expression to Jews, but it would be valid for believers as well. However, the truth is that the text is dealing with heathen deities and not with the Jewish Jehovah. If anything, this passage implies that the Antichrist will be a Gentile rather than a Jew.''
( Arnold Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of the Messiah revised edition by Ariel Ministries 2003,2004,pages 206-210)
[1] Footnote on page 206-Recent examples include the peace treaties signed between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestine Liberation Organization, but no one in Israel believed that Sadat, Hussein or Arafat were the Messiah
BUT HE MUST BE JEWISH?
If most of the Christian scholars were correct how come then that most modern-day witers say (without Biblical support) that he will be a Jew? Especially when they rely on a mistranslation of "He will not honor the God of his fathers (since Jews believe in one God) when the original Hebrew states "gods (plural) of his fathers" (multiple gods)? Zola Levitt sums up the issue:
"The scriptural sanction for this theory is Daniel 11:37. "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." (King James Version). It is rendered this way in a different translation. "He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all." (New International Version). The second translation is the accurate one. The Hebrew word used for God is not Elohim, but elohai. The difference is crucial. Elohai means "gods" in the sense of idols. The verse states that the Antichrist will not worship the idols his father worshipped. The King James translators, living in particularly anti-Semitic times in England, must have fallen into temptation to use the ancient Jewish expression "God of his fathers." This indictment of the Antichrist being Jewish has persisted for all these centuries. (The King James translators' aversion to Judaism is obvious again in Acts 12:4 where they substitute Easter for Passover.
The idea that the Antichrist is a Gentile is easier to support. All Biblical persecutors of the Jews were Gentiles from the pharaohs to the foreign kings to the Caesars. Also, Israel undertakes a formal covenant with the Antichrist. If he were one of their own, they probably would not have to actually sign a document. The policies of Prime Ministers Rabin, Peres or Netanyahu were accepted by their fellow Jews without the necessity of signing formal documents. But dealings with Gentile powers like the U.S., the Arabs, or the Oslo peace accords themselves were contractual matters more like the Antichrist's upcoming covenant. And finally, there is the lack of logic in assuming that this major anti-Semite will persecute his own people. It really is difficult to imagine a Jewish person blaspheming to the extent of claiming to be the God of Israel. But on the matter of just who among the world's Gentiles the Antichrist may be, I just don't know. And that is how I answer that question in the churches." (Levitt Letter, volume 21, 1999)
His Origin
In Daniel 7 we read about four world empires that would rise and fall. Here we will look at the order of these empires.
First beast: A lion with wings-Babylonian empire from 586 B.C. to 539 B.C.
Second beast: A bear –Medo -Persian empire from 539 B.C to 331 B.C
Third beast: A leopard with four wings-Grecian empire from 331 B.C to 63 B.C.
Fourth beast: An animal without description with 10 horns-Roman empire phase 1 from 63 B.C. to 476 A.D.
Fourth beast: Roman empire phase 2. The 10 horns represent 10 kings that will arise from the fourth beast in the end times.
Then in Daniel 7 we read:
''And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.''(Daniel 7: 20-21,24-25)
The eleventh horn that comes up from the beast is the Antichrist. He will be more stout then the other 10 kings, that is, he will have a dictator type of personality.
In Revelation 13,John has a vision of this same beast with 10 horns .Unlike Daniel, John is able to describe the beast:
''And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.''(Revelation 13:1-2)
Notice that the fourth beast of Daniel 7 is seen by John possessing characteristics of the 3 previous beasts. The beast is partly leopard, partly bear, and partly lion having 7 heads and 10 horns. Daniel could see the 10 horns but could not describe the body and the 7 heads of the beast. This beast that will rise in the end times will have a geographical combination of Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires .The 10 horns are the 10 kings that will arise out of this beast and the 7 heads represent the 7 kingdoms that will be revived under the political dominion of this beast as we read in Revelation:
''And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.''(Revelation 17:9-11)
John here sees that five of those kings had already fallen, one was alive during his time, and the seventh would come to live a short time. The beast will be the eight but he will be of the seven. This means that the beast will be a resurrected king or kingdom of the past.
The order of these 7 kings or kingdoms is:
1 Egypt
2 Assyria
3 Babylon
4 Medo-Persia
5 Grecia
6 Rome (the one that was during the time of John)
7 Possibly the Turkish Ottoman empire
8 The resurrected king which will be the Antichrist
With the exception of Assyria, all these kingdoms still exist today as nations, namely Egypt, Babylon as Iraq, Medo-Persia as Iran, Grecia as Greece, Rome as Europe, and the Ottoman empire as Turkey .It appears that the eighth king that will be of the seven will be the Assyrian kingdom. May I sugget that Assyria will once again be a nation in the future. It is interesting to note that there are in northern Iraq descendants of the ancient Assyrian people who still hold to some of the Assyrian culture and language. Some of them are orthodox Christians and were heavily persecuted by Saddam Hussein when he was in power. Now with Saddam Hussein out of the way, it is possible that the Assyrians will gain independence and have a nation called Assyria again. See Isaiah 19:23-25.
A Brand New Assyria: A new homeland for Assyrians in Armenia.
Assyrian Independence: Indian Way? American Way? or the High way?
This means that the Antichrist will be an Assyrian. The Bible seems to indicate in some passages that the Antichrist will be an Assyrian:
''The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, [so] shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.''(Isaiah 14:24-25).
The fourteenth chapter of Isaiah is about the future destruction of Babylon. In 14:4 the Antichrist is called the king of Babylon who will be empowered by Lucifer in verses 12 through 15.In verse 25 he is called the Assyrian. This suggests that the Antichrist besides being an Assyrian, he will also be the king (president) of Babylon which is modern day Iraq.
Daniel says:
'' I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.'' (Daniel 7:8)
Revelation says:
''And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies . . . (Revelation 13:5)
The Antichrist has a mouth that blasphemes the name of God. It is interesting to note that just three verses prior to verse 5, the mouth of the beast that blasphemes God is seen on the lion:
''And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion . . . (Revelation 13:2)
Could it be that this mouth symbolism is pointing to the Antichrist as coming from Babylon which is typified by the Lion?. Babylon is modern day Iraq and if the Antichrist is called the ''king of Babylon'' in Isaiah 14:4 who speaks the five blasphemous ''I wills'' in verses 13-15 and the ''Assyrian'' in Isaiah 14:25, this makes perfect sense because the Assyrians who live in Iraq are Iraqi citizens besides being Assyrians ethnically. If that is the case, the Antichrist will be ethnically an Assyrian who becomes a prominent political figure in Iraq thus making him both the ''Assyrian'' and the ''king of Babylon''.
Netherlands Requests Assyrian Autonomous State in Iraq
Assyrians Protest Against Vatican's Interference with Assyrian Rights
Assyrians Need Own Area in Iraq, Swedish Mayor Tells US Congress
In Isaiah 30 we read something very interesting:
''And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of [his] anger, and [with] the flame of a devouring fire, [with] scattering, and tempes, and hailstones. For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, [which] smote with a rod.''(Isaiah 30:30-31)
This verse says that the Assyrian will be destroyed by the voice of the Lord. Could it be that this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote?:
''Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God . . .And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:''(2 Thessalonians 2:3-4,8)
Here Paul says that the Antichrist will be destroyed by the spirit of the mouth of the Lord just as Isaiah wrote that by the voice of the Lord will the Assyrian be destroyed. Although Paul and Isaiah use different terms, the idea is the same.
Some may object the view that the Antichrist will be of Assyrian origin because of a verse found in Daniel 9:
''and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.'' (Daniel 9:26 b)
The people of the prince that shall come who destroyed the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (The Second Temple) were the Romans. Therefore, based on this verse, many conclude that the prince (Antichrist) will be of Roman origin. Some even believe he will be an Italian. The problem is that Rome in ancient times was an empire, not just a city. In fact some of the Roman legions were located in the areas known today as Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Therefore, the Roman soldiers who were involved in the destruction of the Second Temple were of Arab and Assyrian descent.
If Assyria is not to become an independent kingdom in the future ( I strongly believe it will ),the problem will be identifying which section of the Assyrian empire the Antichrist will come from because the Assyrian empire encompassed a very large portion of the Middle East.
Complied By Dr. Judith Ann
Chaplaincy School International – CSI
1505 NW 47th Avenue
Lauderhill, Florida 33313
Email csiedu@yahoo.com
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