Will the Antichrist be Jewish? Are there any Bible references showing his nationality?

Ted’s Response:

I can find nothing in the Bible indicating that the Antichrist must be Jewish. I know it generally has been speculated that he will be. I even have that suspicion myself. It would seem logical that Jewish Israelites would be more likely to accept him as their "Messiah" if he is Jewish.

Some point to Dan. 11:37, noting that the phrase "He will not regard the God of his fathers" is an indication that he will not acknowledge the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, referring to the one true God, thereby showing that he must be Jewish. But "God" of his fathers is in only the King James and New King James versions.

Most (or maybe all) other versions read "gods" of his fathers or ancestors. And the New King James even has a footnote citation for this passage that says "gods." So this certainly is not conclusive evidence, at least to me, that the reference is to God and, therefore, that the Antichrist must be Jewish.

Furthermore, I can find nothing in Scripture establishing, for certain, that Jewish Israel will acknowledge him as their Messiah. I am not saying that they will not, and something inside me causes me to suspect that they will. "Antichrist" can mean "substitute Christ" as well as "against Christ." We've had it drilled into our heads that Israel will believe him to be their long-awaited Messiah, and maybe they will.

On the other hand, maybe they will just put their trust and confidence in him as a great man whom they feel can negotiate some type of peace process (which the European Neighbourhood Policy may be) with their enemies. In that case, they might not even see him as being their Messiah at all, in which case he wouldn't necessarily have to have even a trace of Jewish blood in him.

Isaiah and Micah did make a reference to "the Assyrian" (Isaiah 10:5, 14:25; Micah 5:5,6), who will invade the land of Israel. Many assume this to be a reference to the Antichrist. Maybe it is, or maybe it is not; I do not know for certain.

If it is, I don't think it necessarily means that the Antichrist will originate from the geographical area of what once was ancient Assyria. Maybe it means that some ancestor(s) of the Antichrist came from there. Or else, maybe it simply means that, as the King of Assyria invaded Israel in ancient times, the Antichrist will do likewise.

Thus, the bottom line for me is that I am reluctant to assume that the Antichrist either

• will be Jewish or
• will originate from any specific geographical location.