The study of eschatology in the Christian and Jewish religions is quite interesting. Of course, there are very fundamental differences, but for a lack of better word, they rhyme. It is easy to conclude that there are very divergent views on most topics within the various branches of Jewish religious thought — Orthodox, Reformed, Hasidic. In a sense, the divergent Jewish views on the End of Days and the coming of the Messiah converge on the one point where a consensus is found — the Jewish Messiah will be a secular political figure.
We will come back to this point later.
A interesting similarity between Christian and Jewish thought is on the timing of the End of Days. Consensus evangelical thinking is that the founding of the modern state of Israel started the clock on the returning of Christ. According to consensus Jewish thought, the return of the Jewish people to Israel will happen in the End of Days. Though only about 40% of the world’s Jews live in Israel, the founding of Israel and the creation of a Jewish state has made it possible for all Jewish people to return to Israel. In both Christian and Jewish thought, the founding of the state of Israel proves to be a significant event for the coming of the Messiah.
Christian and Jewish eschatology also agree that the Temple will be rebuilt in the End of Days. The rebuilding of the Temple remains blocked by the existence of an important mosque on the Temple site — the Dome of the Rock. Here we find an important divergence between Christian and Jewish thinking. Jewish scholars believe that the Messiah, a secular political figure, will bring about the rebuilding of the Temple. However, Revelation predicts that the Anti-Christ will secure the rebuilding of the Temple. Revelation further predicts that the Anti-Christ will betray the Jewish people and will place an image of himself in the Temple and command those under his dominion to worship him.
Jewish thought is that the messiah will establish a world government, that will be based in Jerusalem. It is also thought the messiah will be made the ruler of Israel. In light of Revelation’s prophecy mentioned earlier, the Anti-Christ will proclaim himself a god and command all to worship him, and that prior to this, the Anti-Christ will the head of a 10 country confederation. There are also passages that indicate the Beast may be given dominion over more than just 10 nations.
One last contrast, is the state of the world in the End of Days. Consensus Judaic thought is that when the secular Messiah, son of David, rises, the world will be full of peace and worldly prosperity as it will herald the start of the messianic period on Earth. Revelation, in marked contrast, predicts a world full of calamity, death, and war at he time of the ascension of the Beast in the End of Days.
When I look at the political trends in Europe and America, and at the propaganda coming from the major media providers, I see the children of the Beast working extremely hard to achieve their political agenda — all of which prepares the way for the ultimate rise of the Beast in the West.
When the Anti-Christ does come to power, he will betray the children of Abraham who worked so hard and spent so much money to bring him to power. He will have wrapped himself in the cloak of the messiah, a secular political figure that will give the Jewish people incredible worldly power. However, as Revelation predicts, the Beast will betray them when he walks into the newly rebuilt Temple, and commands the people of Israel (and everyone else under his power) to worship him and take his mark.