This teaching will be a basic introduction to our 33-part teaching on the False Messiah found in our “Torah and New Testament Foundations” series found on this site.
The concept of the False Messiah is undoubtedly one of the most controversial subjects in the Bible. We are going to take a look at this eschatological character and see what the Scriptures say about him. Some of his titles include Leviathan (twisted serpent-Isa 27.1); a serpent (Isa 27.1); monster (Ezekiel 29.3, 32.2); cruel master (Isa 19.4); Azazel (goat taken to the wilderness on Yom Kippur-Lev 16.8,10). When will he appear? On Yom Teruah, year 6001 the Natzal (the gathering, the Rapture) will happen and believers will be resurrected and caught up alive to be with the Lord (2 Thes 2.1-3=he appears after the Rapture).
Ten days later it is Yom Kippur and due to many cataclysmic events that have happened over the last few days, European leaders meet and the False Messiah will be among them. He tells the leaders he has a plan and they give him authority to act. He then signs a treaty with Israel (Dan 9.24-27) and this is how people living at the time will know who the False Messiah is. He fights wars during the first half of the Tribulation and is losing until Russia is destroyed (Ezek 38-39). He goes into the land of Israel and sets up an image called the Abomination of Desolation (probably a crucifix- see “Abomination of Desolation” in another post) and declares himself God by the halfway point of the Tribulation (Nisan 10 of the Jewish calendar-2 Thes 2.4; Dan 9.27). He stops Temple worship and declares himself God.
The Jewish people don’t accept him (because they believed in Yeshua after they were delivered from Russia-Ezek 39.22) and flee to the Moabite/Jordanian wilderness, from Pella to Petra. He then has to fight the Kings of the East and the North who come against him during the latter half of the Birth-pains (Dan 11.44-45) and retreats to Jerusalem, where he meets his end on Yom Kippur (Zech 14; Rev 19).
The Rabbi’s saw him as Jewish and coming from the tribe of Dan (Gen 49.16-18; Lev 24.10-14; Judges 18.30; Dan 11.37; Jewish Encyclopedia, see “Antichrist”). He is “lawless” (anomos=no law (Torah)- Micah 2.2-4; 2 Thes 2.8) which means he has no regard for the Holy Covenant (Torah-Dan 7.25; 11.30). He is the false prince 0f Ezek 21.25-27; Dan 9.26), the false reed of Isa 36.6 and the false peg of Isa 22.15-25. He is described as Leviathan, the twisted serpent, in Isa 27.1.
The Encyclopedia Judaica says that Leviathan is “a seven-headed beast that arises out of the sea” (Rev 13.1) and his “heads” are crushed in Hab 3.13 and Psa 74.13-14. We know this is predicted in Gen 3.15. He is called a “sea monster” in Psa 104.26 and the “fleeing serpent” in Job 26.13. He is the “serpent ” of Ezek 29.1-5 and a “monster” in Ezek 32.1-8. You will notice that Pharaoh is a type of the False Messiah in the Scriptures, and he wore a serpent on his crown and he made war with the offspring of the woman (Exodus 14.1-12). The False Messiah will do the same thing (Rev 12.1-17). He is the “foolish shepherd” in Zech 11.15-17 and pictured by Sisera in Judges 4.1-22.
Here are some other verses that give us a composite picture of the False Messiah: Ezek 29 1-16; 32.2-18; Deut 33.22; Num 14.4; 1 Kings 12.25-33; Hos 13.15; Nahum 1.15; 2kings 25.25; Job 41.1-34; Isa 51.9; Jer 8.16-17; Job 3.8, 9.13, 26.13; Amos 9.3; John 5.43; Psa 104.26 and Ezek 32.17-32.
There are so many other pictures of the False Messiah that we could get into but this will give you a good idea of who he is and what he will do. He will do what other “false messiah” figures have done in the past. He will be against the Torah and the ways of God and will try to put an end to them. Pharaoh, Haman, Manasseh, Antiochus Epiphanes, Constantine, Luther, Hitler and many other people have tried to do this but they will pale in comparison to what the False Messiah will do. He will come out of Apostate Christianity and his False Prophet will probably be a Pope who will try to convince the world that the False Messiah is indeed “Jesus” and that they should follow him (Matt 24.11). Of course, this isn’t going to succeed and the Lord returns and destroys both of them (Rev 19.11-21).
The “spirit of the False Messiah” (antichrist) is already in the world, paving the way for the real False Messiah through false teaching and Replacement Theology (1 John 4.1-6) so we need to be watchful. The key to not falling prey to this “spirit of the False Messiah” is to not listen to anyone who does not believe in Yeshua, or they tell you that the Law (Torah) has been “done away with” and they do not believe that the commandments of God are applicable today (1 John 2.3-4).
We know that the False Messiah will persecute those who believe in Yeshua and keep the commandments (Rev 12.17), so the False Messiah will believe the opposite. So, beware of the false prophets today because they are paving the way for the eschatological character called the False Messiah.
For a more detailed study of the False Messiah, we refer you to our 33-part teaching on the subject in “Torah and New Testament Foundations.”
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