The Christ in Prophecy Journal

Antichrist Book: Ethnic Origins

Dr. David Reagan has recently released his eleventh and latest book titled The Man of Lawlessness: The Antichrist in the Tribulation. I interviewed him about his new book on the Antichrist and asked him his opinion on some very controversial eschatological questions.

Will the Antichrist be a Jew?

Dr. Reagan: There is a good biblical reason why for many years, in fact throughout most of history, people have argued that the Antichrist will be a Jew. That reason is based on John 5:43 where Jesus said, “I have come in My Father’s name and you do not receive me. But if another shall come in his own name you will receive him.” I believe he is speaking there of the Antichrist. The Church scholars throughout history have believed that. They thought, “If he is saying that someone else who comes will be received by the Jewish people, then he would have to be a Jew in order to be received by the Jewish people.” So, that’s the basis for the argument that people believe that maybe the Antichrist will be a Jew.

What do you think?

Nathan Jones: I will answer the same way I answered in the book here. If you go to Revelation 13 and you read about the Antichrist and the False Prophet, that chapter talks about the Antichrist coming out of the sea, which in the Bible everything in relation to Israel from the sea was a foreign nation and country; in other words, a Gentile nation. So, if the Antichrist is described as coming out of the sea, and that means his origins, his ethnicity is not Jewish.

I believe the Antichrist will be coming out of most likely Rome. If you go to Daniel 9:26-27, Daniel is told that the Antichrist would rise out of the people who destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, which were the Romans. Logically then, the Antichrist would then be a Roman. So, he would probably not be a Jew. Anyway, I really doubt that he would be a Jew.

Some people in the book’s prophetic forum did argue that the Antichrist could be a Jew, right? Wasn’t there one in particular?

Dr. Reagan: Some did, but the overwhelming answer to that was that the Antichrist certainly was not going to be a Jew, which was the opinion of these particular Bible prophecy experts.

Nathan Jones: The majority held that opinion?

Dr. Reagan: Yes, an overwhelming majority said that the Antichrist was not going to be a Jew.

I think you summed up the arguments beautifully when you pointed out the Bible uses the sea as a symbol of the Gentiles. Revelation 13 says that the Antichrist is going to come out of the sea, and that’s a symbol of him coming out of the Gentile nations.

The other indicator that I think is the most important one and was the other one you named from Daniel 9:26-27 is where it says that the Antichrist will come from the people who destroyed the Temple. That of course was the Romans who were Gentiles. And so, I don’t think there is any possibility that the Antichrist is going to be a Jew.

Throughout Church history the Antichrist has always been identified as a Jew, not due to biblical reasons, but because of the vehement anti-Semitism running in the Church. The Church historically has been trying to make the most terrible character in all of history a Jew.

Nathan Jones: Ethnicity-wise then, we are pretty much in agreement that the Antichrist is a Gentile?

Dr. Reagan: Right.

In the next part of this interview concerning Dr. David Reagan’s newest book, The Man of Lawlessness: The Antichrist in the Tribulation, I ask him what he believes will be the religious background of the Antichrist.

Resource

The Man of Lawlessness: The Antichrist in the Tribulation Book

This book contains a survey of everything the Bible has to say about the Antichrist, presented in a down-to-earth, easy-to-understand style. One of its special features is a prophecy forum where the opinions of 22 Bible prophecy experts are presented concerning key questions about the Antichrist. It also features a series of in-depth essays about the Tribulation and the Antichrist.

  1. Part 1: The Antichrist in Scripture
  2. Part 2: A Prophetic Forum About the Antichrist
  3. Part 3: An In-Depth Look at Four Issues
  4. Part 4: Good News for Christians
  5. Part 5: Are You Ready?
The Man of Lawlessness
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Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

2 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • by Gentile do you mean ANYONE that is not Jewish; Or do you mean specifically someone Christian? I always thing of someone as Gentile as Christian. But out of the sea of the world could be anybody, right?

  • Anon, I think Gentiles are all people that aren't Jewish.

    At our church we had a Christian Jew speak to us.. he said that there are lots of Christian Jews. He said all Jews were told not to read Isaiah 53. That is a chapter that tells all about the coming of Jesus.. Of course he said he read it, and so have lots of Jewish people..
    I used to wonder if Christian Jews would be in the rapture, and one day going to work.. a realization came to me.. YES all who believe in JESUS, will be in the rapture..

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