The Supposed Future Antichrist of Popular Expositions

 The Christ of the Scriptures at His Appearing

 1. Antichrist will appear suddenly.

"The way in which this dictator is going to step onto the stage of history will be dramatic. Overnight he will become the byword of the world. He is going to be distinguished as supernatural..." -- Lindsey, Hal, "The Late Great Planet Earth," Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1970, page 108.

1. Christ will appear suddenly.

"For as a snare shall it (his coming) come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." (Luke 21:35)

 2. Antichrist himself, or his chief cohort, the False Prophet, will be a Jew.

"This person (The False Prophet), who is called the second beast, is going to be a Jew. Many believe he will be from the tribe of Dan, which is one of the tribes of the original progenitors of the nation of Israel." -- Lindsey, Hal, "The Late Great Planet Earth," Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1970, page 112.

"Several other items lead Bible students to conclude that antichrist will be a Jew. It is hard to believe that Israel would receive a Gentile Messiah. No Gentile could pose as Christ with any success." -- John L. Benson, "Will the Real Antichrist Please Stand Up?" BP Publications, Denver, 1974, page 37.

2. Jesus is a Jew.

"Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" (Matt. 2:2)

Among Christ's immediate co-rulers will be Jews -- the twelve apostles. "Ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt. 19:28)

 3. Antichrist will claim that he is the Messiah of Israel.

"The antichrist will actually pose as the Messiah, he will claim Messianic titles and privileges... The antichrist is a person who will attempt to convince Israel that he is their long-anticipated Messiah." -- Lindsey, Hal, "The Late Great Planet Earth," Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1970, page 10.

 3. Jesus will exercise his appointed office of Messiah.

"I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him." (Ezek. 21:27)

"And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:33)

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." (Zech. 12:10)

4. Antichrist will perform miracles.

"With (sic) the counterfeit christ arrives, he will perform miracles in order to convince Israel that he is the prophet like Moses. The man of sin sits as a priest in the temple and engages in a prophetic ministry." -- Lindsey, Hal, "The Late Great Planet Earth," Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1970, page 22.

"In other words, Satan himself is going to give him fantastic power. He is going to be able to work all kinds of miracles. This is one reason that Christians should not get too excited when they see a miracle. It may not be a miracle from God. Satan is a miracle worker..." -- Lindsey, op. cit., page 106.

4. Christ will perform miracles.

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert." (Isaiah 35:5,6)

5. Antichrist will reside in Jerusalem.

"Jerusalem ... the capital and centre of the world dictator's (i.e. Antichrist's rule..." -- John F. Walvoord, "Armageddon," Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1974, page 170.

5. Jesus will rule from Jerusalem.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets... Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (Luke 13:34, 35)

"Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." (Psalm 2:6)

"For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:3)

6. Antichrist will rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem and be involved with the service therein.

"The Antichrist will deify himself -- just like the Caesars did. He will proclaim himself to be God. He will demand that he be worshipped and will establish himself in the temple of God. (2 Thess. 2:4) There is only one place where this temple of God can be and that is on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, on the site where the Dome of the Rock and other Moslem shrines now stand. There are many places in the Bible that pinpoint this location as the one where the Jews will rebuild their Temple." -- Lindsey, op. cit., pages 109-110.

"The Israelis will then be permitted to re-institute the sacrifice and offering aspect of the law of Moses. This demands that the Temple be rebuilt, because according to the law of Moses, sacrifices can only be offered in the Temple at Jerusalem. Apparently all this will be done under the protection of the Antichrist of Rome. (P.S. The Arabs are not going to like this idea of rebuilding the Temple one bit.)" -- Lindsey, op. cit., page 152.

6. Jesus will rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem and be involved with the services therein.

"After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and set it up: that the residue of men might seek after the Lord..." (Acts 15:16,17)

"Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is the Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both." (Zech. 6:12, 13)

7. Antichrist will form a covenant with the Jews.

"The Romans under Titus did the destroying, so the coming prince would have to be someone out of the Roman culture... (Others say that Antichrist must be a Jew, rather than someone of the Roman culture -- see point 2 above. This shows the immense amount of unsubstantiated speculation that has been done.) This Roman prince will come to power just before the return of Christ. He will make 'a strong covenant' with the Israelis, guaranteeing their safety and protection. The word translated 'strong covenant' has the idea of a treaty or mutual protection pact." -- Lindsey, op. cit., pages 151-152.

"It will be a covenant which will permit Israel to continue and renew her religious ceremonies including the building of a Jewish temple and the reactivation of Jewish sacrifices." -- Walvoord, op. cit., page 117.

7. Jesus will be a great leader and will re-introduce the Jews into God's true everlasting covenant.

"And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:26, 27)

"Incline your ear and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people." (Isaiah 55:3,4)

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah." (Jeremiah 31:31)

"For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king ..." (Hosea 3:4,5)

8. Antichrist will somehow defeat Russia when it attacks Israel.

"With the world balance of power dramatically in his favour and the world dazzled by Russia's defeat (in its attempt to invade Israel) the Antichrist will show his true colours. He will declare himself world dictator and move to crush all opposition." -- Walvoord, op. cit., page 141.

8. Russia will be defeated by the power of Almighty God at a time very close to, if not coincident with, Christ's return to commence his rule on earth.

"Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD." (Ezek. 38.23)

The Bible clearly teaches that God, and not a human agency will destroy Russia when it moves south; the idea that some individual will do this is totally foreign to scripture.

9. Antichrist's rule will commence with a proclamation and those who refuse to submit to it will be crushed.

"Ironically, the Mediterranean leader will begin his world government by proclamation. Using his consolidated position of power in the Middle East, he will promise a new day of peace and prosperity for all who recognize his leadership... This man's absolute control politically, economically, and religiously will give him power such as no man has ever had in human history. His brilliance as a leader will be superhuman for he will be dominated and directed by Satan himself. But during his 3-1/2 year rule, he will ruthlessly crush all opposition." -- Walvoord, op. cit., page 161. [Emphasis added]

9. Christ's rule will commence with a proclamation and those who refuse to submit to it will be crushed.

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea, and the fountains of waters." (Rev. 14:6, 7)

"And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off..." (Micah 4:3)

"To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all his saints." (Psalm 149:7-9)

See also Daniel 2:44; 7:14; Psalm 72:7, 11.