This podcast explores why we need to study the antichrist and cites prophetic clues that help us locate the antichrist’s country of origin.

 

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Transcript
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The Future of the Teachings of Jesus
39. The Antichrist-Part 2 (Ep. 58)
From What Nation Will the Antichrist Arise?   

October 2025

Why study the Antichrist? Why study the antichrist? Why should we concern ourselves with such an evil person? After all we do well to fill our minds with good thoughts and positive images that uplift our minds and make them noble, true, beautiful, and good. On the other hand, the study of evil, especially if taken to extremes, can do the opposite. As the philosopher Nietzsche once said, “He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”

We are approaching the time of the antichrist. There are good reasons to acquire a basic understanding the antichrist. This is important because of the times in which we live. His coming looms in our future and the world is becoming ripe for his appearance. As the prophet Daniel predicted, we are coming to a time when “the transgressors have reached their full measure,” (Dan 8:23) and this is the time when the antichrist will appear.

The appearance of the antichrist signals the beginning of the end times. One of the best reasons to study the antichrist is that his appearance on the world scene signals the beginning of the tribulation period and the time of the end.

Mental and spiritual preparation for the antichrist. We have already been warned by the prophets that the end times lie in our future. By being armed with foreknowledge of these impending events we may be steadied and better able to courageously face these times when they come. We may remain calm and not panic when the antichrist appears. This will be a time that calls for self-control, and this will be much easier if we are not surprised by the sudden realization that evil and testing times are upon us. We may react with wisdom, and with faith in God to provide us with guidance and protection.  And having been previously warned that these events are coming, we will be better able to patiently endure these difficult times when they arrive.

Destruction of the antichrist and the coming of the kingdom of God. The prophetic assurance that these times will not last long and will be followed by a new and better world gives us hope and enhances our ability to endure this time. The prophets and especially the book of Revelation make clear that in the end the antichrist and his evil forces will be completely destroyed and a new and higher phase of the kingdom of God will come to rehabilitate, uplift, and rule our devastated world.

Practice Jesus’s religion of personal spiritual communion with God. Most importantly foreknowledge of the end times may stimulate us to practice Jesus’s religion of personal spiritual communion with God.  We must realize that only our personal inner experience with God will be strong enough to prove effective in comforting and guiding us through these fearful times and the great destruction that they bring.

From what nation will the antichrist arise?  In order to prepare for and identify the antichrist when he appears it would be most helpful to determine his country of origin. This is a difficult question but one that is important for our early recognition of his appearance. What may we learn from prophecy?

The antichrist will arise out of the territory of the ancient Roman empire. Our first prophetic clue comes Daniel’s vision that is recorded in Daniel, Chapter 7. In this vision, an “exceedingly strong” beast that represents the original Roman empire arises, and it has “10 horns” (Dan 7:7). These 10 horns represent 10 modern countries that evolved out of the ancient Roman empire. Daniel states, “I considered the horns and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots” (Dan 7:8). This little horn represents the antichrist. The fact that the little horn comes up out of the body of the beast that represents the Roman empire tells us that the antichrist will arise out of the territory of the ancient Roman empire.

Daniel’s vision of the career of Alexander the Great. Our second major clue comes from Daniel Chapter 8. In this chapter Daniel presents his vision of the career of Alexander the Great, who is depicted as a he-goat with “a conspicuous horn between his eyes” (Dan 8:5). Alexander’s great enemy, Persia, is symbolized by a ram. In the vision Alexander’s conquest of Persia is depicted by the he-goat striking the ram and casting him down to the ground and tramping over him (Dan 8:7). In verse 8 Daniel states, “Then the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly; but when he was strong the great horn was broken….” This breaking of the great horn signified the death of Alexander. Verse 8 continues, “and instead of it [that is, instead of the great horn] there came up 4 conspicuous horns towards the four winds of heaven.” These four horns represent the fact that after Alexander’s death his empire was divided among his generals into four parts. The next verse presents Daniel’s vision of the coming of the antichrist. It states, “Out of one of [the four horns] came forth a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land” (Dan 8:9).

The antichrist will arise out of the territory of the Eastern Roman empire. The four divisions of Alexander’s empire were: (1) Macedonia and Greece, (2) Asia Minor, which is modern Turkey, (3) Syria, and lands to the East including modern Iraq and Iran, and (4) Egypt, Libya, and Palestine. The main clue we may discern from these verses is that the antichrist does not arise out of Western Europe, but rather out of the Eastern Roman empire.

The king of the north. The third major clue we will consider comes from Daniel Chapter 11. This chapter portrays the history of two waring countries in Old Testament times: Syria, designated as the king of the north, and Egypt, designated as the king of the south. These descriptions of north and south are in relation to Israel which lies between these two powers. In verse 40 Daniel states that “At the time of the end the king of the south shall attack him; but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through.

In 64 BC Rome conquered Syria and became the king of the north. In 64 BC Rome conquered Syria and thereby assumed the mantle of the king of the north. Verse 40 is telling us that at the time of the end the antichrist will be a ruler from the north of Israel, the ruler of a revived Roman empire.

Magog, Meshech, and Tubal. The last clue we will consider comes from Chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel. Here the ruler from the north, who represents the antichrist, is identified as “Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal.” (Ez 38:2) These words, “Magog, Meshech, and Tubal” first appear in the Bible in Genesis 10:2 and are given as the names of sons of Japheth, one of the sons of Noah. In Ezekiel they refer to locations, apparently named after the sons of Japheth.

Turkey, the antichrist’s country of origin. The ancient locations of Magog, Meshech, and Tubal are not clearly known. However, many Bible Atlases, ancient authorities, and modern scholars identify these terms as referring to locations in Asia Modern, which is modern Turkey. This location fits well with our other three clues. Turkey was part of the original Roman empire; moreover, it was part of the Eastern, not the Western Roman empire; and it is directly north of Israel. Therefore, according to the best clues we may find in prophecy Turkey appears to be the most likely candidate for the antichrist’s country of origin.

 

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