As tensions continue to simmer across the Middle East, many believers are revisiting biblical passages about the last days—especially those found in Daniel, Revelation, and 2 Thessalonians—regarding the Antichrist’s coming.
As Mondo Gonzales said in a discussion with Oliver Melnick regarding the Antichrist, “When he comes in to declare himself to be God… Daniel tells us that he doesn’t acknowledge any god except himself.”
This aligns with interpretations of Daniel 11 and 2 Thessalonians 2, which describe a ruler who ultimately elevates himself above all worship.
Before this is set to take place, Melnick points out that the Antichrist is: “…going to have to earn the trust of the people who have been left behind. And that’s where he’s going to probably do what appears to be miracles.” This mirrors warnings in Revelation 13 about deceptive signs and wonders that lead many astray.
Central to this discussion is the temple.
According to Gonzales, the Antichrist’s motivation for helping rebuild it is deeply sinister. “He wants the temple built because that’s where he’s going to go blaspheme… If you’re going to blaspheme God, the best place to do it is in the heart of Israel, in the heart of Jerusalem, in the heart of the Temple Mount.”
This reflects the biblical warning about the “abomination of desolation,” when the Antichrist is believed by many to defile the Temple itself.
The two then turned to the red heifer ceremony, which is required by biblical law for purification in connection with Temple worship. Some believe geopolitical conditions may determine when such a ceremony could occur. “There’s no doubt that the geopolitics that would allow the red heifer ceremony to happen, we know exactly where on the Mount of Olives, there’s two pieces of property there,” Gonzales says. “There is no doubt that the under that rubric of the Antichrist where he causes the Mosaic covenant to prevail for Israel, Daniel 9:27, there’s no doubt that the most ideal time…would be at that time.”
While Christians hold differing interpretations of end-times timelines, many agree on one central truth: deception will come wrapped in promises of peace and unity.
The question is not simply whether these events could happen, but how close the world may be to witnessing them unfold.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
