(OPINION) ETH – This theory of the Antichrist has been held by many throughout the years in Prophecy circles. The assumption is that the Antichrist will make his grand entrance onto the political scene and appear as a “charismatic world leader”.
The main premise of where this assumption is derived from is the passage in 2 Thessalonians, which states: “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
This temple in the context of the passage is referencing the Third Temple that will be constructed in the future in the city of Jerusalem. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. However, many believers and prophecy teachers believe it is simply a matter of time before the Temple returns to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount – and when that happens, a cascading series of prophetic events is meant to unfold.
When this transpires it will reveal the Antichrist as a messianic figure of sorts to those in Israel. According to one blog post from SignPost of the Times, with authors, Duane and Shelley Muir of Williams Lake, Canada, writing: “It is quite evident that the Jews today are ready, willing and desirable of accepting a future charismatic world leader coming onto the world stage, who will appear to them as being the one they have long been waiting for – their Messiah.
“However we know that future man of sin to be the Antichrist or False Messiah. “It will only become apparent to the Jews that this man is a fraud when he makes the claim that he is God and that all need to worship him as such. “At that point, it will be clear to the Jews that this imposter can’t be their long sought after Messiah as the Jews still do not believe that God and the Messiah are one.”
This “turning point” will supposedly occur towards the end of the Great Tribulation – a seven-year period of strife. By then, the blog said the surviving few will recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The blog’s authors added: “This is one of the key reasons for the Time of Jacobs Troubles, (the Tribulation).
“It is God’s plan of action to restore Israel and the Jews to himself and bring the Jews to a saving faith.” They went on to quote from the prophet Zechariah. that reads: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication.
“They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” And a passage in Romans 11 reads: “And in this way all Israel will be saved. “As it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.'”