Will the Antichrist be Jewish?

Last Updated on Monday, 06 April 2009 16:10 Written by Administrator

Dr. Jerry Falwell recently apologized and asked forgiveness for stating that the "antichrist" is to be Jewish, because Jesus, the Christ, was Jewish. We are glad to hear this! The following is not ment to personally attack Dr. Falwell. Rather, it is a response to those who may have agreed with or been confused by what was thought he said.

There has been the belief, held by many fundamental theologians, that the antichrist will be Jewish. This idea is not new, but remains a patently anti-Semitic sentiment. The belief is also completely false and ignorant from several angles.

1.It is false scripturally. No place in the entire Bible is it stated that the one called the antichrist is to be a Jew. For Bible believers this alone should end the matter. No amount of pasting together disjointed scriptures, then making conjectures based on self-made interpretations, can be honestly put forth as "the Bible says."

2.It is false theologically. G-d raised up the Jewish people to bring forth Messiah. He was careful to protect the line of descendancy to Messiah. Under no theological system can one argue that G-d was or is working to assure that the anti-Messiah will be a Jew.

3.It is false logically. Since the Messiah of Israel must be Jewish, and the anti-Messiah is the opposite of Messiah, then it would follow that the anti-Messiah would be the opposite of Jewish. It seems logic would dictate it to be impossible for the anti-Messiah to be Jewish.

4.It is false historically. Historical figures have acted in a directly "anti-Messiah" way. Yeshua said (circa 24 AD) that the anti-Messiah would commit the abomination of desolation by desecrating the Temple (Matt 24). Daniel first foretold this same act would be performed by a Greek ruler, which did happen by Antiochus Epiphanes (circa.168 BC). After Antiochus several other world rulers committed a similar desecration, including Emporer Pompei (circa 10 BC) and Emporer Tiberius (circa 70 AD), both of Rome. Therefore, it is best assumed from an historical perspective, that the anti-Messiah to come will be a world ruler from a Gentile nation, who will desecrate the Temple as an abomination of desolation.

Some reason that the antichrist must be Jewish, because the Jewish people will not receive someone as Messiah who is not Jewish. This belief presumes that the Jewish people will be fooled to believe that the antichrist is the true Messiah. Only twisted reasoning would conclude that. The Bible surely never says it, and the Book of Revelation emphasizes that "all the inhabitants of the earth will worship him [antichrist]," (Rev. 13:8). To my mind, and according to history, this dooms any thought that the antichrist is Jewish. The world has never accepted Jewish leadership, even rejecting a Jewish Yeshua of Nazareth, by making Him out to be not truly Jewish, in order to accommodate their hatred of the Jews.

Conclusion

Since there is no biblical or logical basis for the idea that the anti-Messiah will be a Jew, one can only assume that the original idea itself is anti-Messianic in nature. What's more, the expression of the concept serves no conceivable good purpose. It seems that only by the spirit of "antichrist" can one hold to the view that this future monster must be, or is likely to be, Jewish. It is a view which excuses and promotes continued persecution of the Jewish people. It plays into the hands of the hate-mongers.

To say that the antichrist will be Jewish is much more than a lack of sensitivity. It is most dangerously, an exalting of one's wretched and unfounded opinion to the rank of G-d's Word itself. Such an opinion is unholy to the core. It is contrary to the very nature of Yeshua to say such a thing (In fact, Yeshua never even implied such a thing.). It was Yeshua who said that a tree is known by its fruit (what's spoken from the mouth). Those who claim to walk after Yeshua, yet do not know Him or recognize His Jewishness, neither obey the whole of G-d's Word, neither love His people Israel, those are the true antichrists. One day they will come face to face with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.