IS THE JEWISH MASHIACH THE CHRISTIAN ANTICHRIST? part 2

[Michael Kelley]

Q: IS THE ANTICHRIST A JEW ACCORDING TO CHRISTIAN TRADITION?

A: 

"The Jews, who did not accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the true Son of God and God, will receive a deceiver who will call himself God."

-- St. John of Damascus, Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book IV, Ch. 26

A:  The Holy Fathers Iriney ("Against Heresy", Book V, chapter 30), Ippolit (Legends about Christ and the Antichrist), and also Ilariy, Ambrose, Ieronim and Augustus, remark that the Antichrist will be of Jewish ancestry, from the tribe of Dan.

A:  GENESIS CHAPTER 49

1Now Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather together that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:"...16 "Dan shall judge his own people as one of the tribes of Israel.  17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper lying in ambush by the path, that bites the horses heels, that its rider may fall backward, 18 Waiting for the Lord's salvation."

A:   

"...since the true Christ is to come a second time, the adversary [the devil] makes use of the expectations of the simple, and especially of those of the circumcision [i.e. the Jews]... By this name 'Christ' he shall deceive the Jews, who are expecting the Anointed [i.e. the Messiah (in Hebrew), the Christ (in Greek)]; and he shall seduce the Gentiles..."

-- St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 15:11.

A: 

"In John 5:43 we have a further word which helps us to fix the nationality of this coming One. In speaking of the false messiah, the Lord Jesus referred to him as follows, "Another shall come in his own name." In the Greek there are four different words all translated "Another" in our English versions. One of them is employed but once, and a second but five times, so these need not detain us now. The remaining two are used frequently, and with a clear distinction between them. The first "allos" signifies "another" of the same kind or genus -- see Matt.10:23; 13:24; 26:71, etc. The second, "heteros," means "another" of a totally different kind, -- see Mark 16:12; Luke 14:31; Acts 7:18; Rom.7:23. Now the striking thing is that the word used by our Lord in John 5:43 is "allos," another of the same genus, not "heteros," another of a different order. Christ, the Son of Abraham, the Son of David, had presented Himself to Israel, and they rejected Him; but "another" of the same Abrahamic stock should come to them, and him they would "receive." If the coming Antichrist were to be a Gentile, the Lord would have employed the word "heteros;" the fact that He used "allos" shows that he will be a Jew."

--http://biblehub.com/library/pink/the_antichrist/i_the_antichrist_will_be.htm

Q:  JEWISH TRADITION NAMES TWO MASHIACHS (see part 1), ARE THERE TWO ANTICHRISTS?

A:  REVELATION 13

"1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy...11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed."

Q:  WHAT PARALLELS EXIST BETWEEN THE MASHIACH BEN YOSSEF AND THE FIRST BEAST?

A:

Mashiach ben Yossef (Mashiach the descendant of Joseph) of the tribe of Ephraim (son of Joseph), is also referred to as Mashiach ben Ephrayim, Mashiach the descendant of Ephraim.2 He will come first, before the final redeemer, and later will serve as his viceroy.3

The essential task of Mashiach ben Yossef is to act as precursor to Mashiach ben David: he will prepare the world for the coming of the final redeemer. Different sources attribute to him different functions, some even charging him with tasks traditionally associated with Mashiach ben David (such as the ingathering of the exiles, the rebuilding of the Bet Hamikdash, and so forth).4

The principal and final function ascribed to Mashiach ben Yossef is of political and military nature. He shall wage war against the forces of evil that oppress Israel. More specifically, he will do battle against Edom, the descendants of Esau.5 Edom is the comprehensive designation of the enemies of Israel,6 and it will be crushed through the progeny of Joseph...

The immediate results of this war11 will be disastrous: Mashiach ben Yossef will be killed. This is described in the prophecy of Zechariah, who says of this tragedy that "they shall mourn him as one mourns for an only child." (Zechariah 12:10).12 His death will be followed by a period of great calamities. These new tribulations shall be the final test for Israel, and shortly thereafter Mashiach ben David shall come, avenge his death, resurrect him, and inaugurate the Messianic era of everlasting peace and bliss.13

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/101747/jewish/Appendix-II.htm

A:  REVELATION 13

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Q:  ACCORDING TO JUDAISM, WHICH MASHIACH IS "THE MASHIACH"?

A: 

"The term Mashiach unqualified always refers to Mashiach ben David (Mashiach the descendant of David) of the tribe of Judah. He is the actual (final) redeemer who shall rule in the Messianic age. All that was said in our text relates to him."

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1121893/jewish/Who-Is-Moshiach-the-Jewish-Messiah.htm

Q:  WHAT DO JEWS BELIEVE THIS MASHIACH BEN DAVID WILL DO?

A: 

All the nations of the world will recognize Moshiach to be a world leader, and will accept his dominion. In the messianic era there will be world peace, no more wars nor famine, and, in general, a high standard of living.

All mankind will worship one G‑d, and live a more spiritual and moral way of life. The Jewish nation will be preoccupied with learning Torah and fathoming its secrets.

The coming of Moshiach will complete G‑d's purpose in creation: for man to make an abode for G‑d in the lower worlds—that is, to reveal the inherent spirituality in the material world...

Judaism fervently believes that, with the correct leadership, humankind can and will change. The leadership quality of Moshiach means that through his dynamic personality and example, coupled with manifest humility, he will inspire all people to strive for good. He will transform a seemingly utopian dream into a reality.

In today's society, many people are repulsed by the breakdown of ethical and moral standards. Life is cheap, crime is rampant, drug and alcohol abuse are on the increase, children have lost respect for their elders. At the same time, technology has advanced in quantum leaps. There is no doubt that today man has all the resources—if channeled correctly—to create a good standard of living for all mankind. He lacks only the social and political will. Moshiach will inspire all men to fulfill that aim.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/108400/jewish/The-End-of-Days.htm

Q:  ACCORDING TO CHRISTIAN TRADITION, WHICH ANTICHRIST IS "THE ANTICHRIST"?

A:  2 THESSALONIANS 2: 3,4,9,10.

"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [i.e. the Day of the Last Judgment] will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God...The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

A: 

The FIRST PERIOD of the Antichrist from the day of birth to the moment of his social
        appearance will pass in clandestine obscurity.  St. John of Damascus says that,
        "Antichrist will be raised secretly."

(The Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith", Book
        IV, Chapter 26.)

Q:  ACCORDING TO CHRISTIAN TRADITION, WHAT WILL THIS ANTICHRIST DO?
     
A:

"... in such a manner as to deceive all. He will appear humble, meek, a hater (as he will say himself) of unrighteousness, shunning idols, showing a preference to piety, good, a lover of the poor, beautiful to the extreme, steadfast, affable to all and especially esteeming the Jewish people because the Jews will await his coming. He will take cunning measures to please everyone in order that the people will quickly come to love him; he will not accept gifts nor speak in anger nor show a gloomy appearance, but with a decent exterior he will set about deceiving the world, until he is enthroned." 

-- St. Ephraim the Syrian, from Apostasy and Antichrist, translated from the Russian, Jordanville, NY: Holy Trinity Monastery, 1992, p. 25

A:

"Having filled himself with pride, the Antichrist will begin to set himself up and glorify himself as God, belching forth slander against Christ." He will do this so openly that he will command that all those who do not want to serve him as God be killed.

--St. Hippolytus of Rome, On Christ and the Antichrist.

A:

"He shall be known by his crimes of inhumanity and lawlessness, so as to out do all unrighteous and ungodly men who have gone before him; displaying against all men, but especially against us Christians, a spirit murderous and most cruel, merciless and crafty"

--St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Catechetical Lecture 15, Ch. 12)

A:  REVELATION 13

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

[Michael Kelley]

Independent research corroborating the theory.

See also:  https://theinfounderground.com/smf/index.php?topic=23799.0