False Christ: Will the Antichrist Claim to Be the Jewish Messiah?

By Chris White and Chris White

Book Overview

What if the Antichrist's greatest deception is not that he opposes the Messiah-but that he appears to fulfill the very prophecies people expect the Messiah to fulfill?

Christians commonly picture the Antichrist as an obvious enemy of God. False Christ presents a far more unsettling possibility: that he will attempt to convince Israel and the world that the long-awaited Messiah has finally come-and that a counterfeit Messianic Age has begun.

Consider the pattern revealed in Scripture. The Antichrist makes a seven-year covenant. He enters the land of Israel and defeats its enemies. The temple is rebuilt, and the daily sacrifices begin again. Jerusalem becomes the center of his kingdom. He is promoted by a miracle-working False Prophet, whom this book argues may claim to be Elijah. Finally, the Antichrist ends the sacrifices, takes his seat in the temple, declares himself to be God, and demands the worship of the world.

These may not be disconnected events. Together, they may form the most convincing counterfeit of the Messianic kingdom the world has ever seen.

Through a detailed examination of biblical prophecy, early Christian writings, Jewish eschatology, and Islamic end-time traditions, Chris White investigates how this deception could unfold. The book explores:

Why the earliest Christian writers believed the Antichrist would present himself to the Jews as their MessiahWhat Daniel, Jesus, Paul, and Revelation reveal about the Antichrist's identity and strategyHow the seven-year covenant, rebuilt temple, restored sacrifices, and wars of Daniel 11 could establish his messianic claimsWhy the False Prophet may present himself as the promised ElijahHow Jewish traditions concerning Messiah ben Joseph and Messiah ben David could contribute to the deceptionHow Islamic beliefs about the Mahdi, Isa, and the Dajjal could help produce the conflict that carries the Antichrist to powerHow mistaken expectations concerning the Psalm 83 war, Gog and Magog, and Armageddon could make a false messiah appear genuineWhether the Antichrist will be Jewish, Roman, Assyrian, or even claim to be Jesus Himself

False Christ is not an exercise in sensational speculation. It carefully tests its central thesis against Scripture, distinguishes firm conclusions from possibilities, and gives serious attention to the strongest objections.

This understanding of the Antichrist was widespread among the earliest Christians, yet it has been almost entirely forgotten. If they were correct, Satan's final deception will be far more persuasive than many Christians have imagined.

Will the world recognize the Antichrist as the enemy of Christ-or welcome him as the promised Messiah?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0991232925
• ISBN13: 9780991232925
• Release Date: July 2014
• Publisher: CWM Publishing
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"