Will the Antichrist be a Muslim?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible describes the Antichrist as a future leader who will arise from the revived Roman Empire and play a central role in end-time events (Daniel 7:7-8; Revelation 13:1-8). He will initially make peace with Israel and oversee the rebuilding of the Jewish temple but will later reveal himself as a deceiver and a despot (Daniel 8:23, 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Some speculate the Antichrist could be the Twelfth Imam in Islam and be hailed by Muslims as their awaited leader. However, the Antichrist’s positive relationship with Israel makes it unlikely that he will be a Muslim, given historical tensions. The Bible emphasizes that the Antichrist will be a master of deceit and self-exaltation, not a righteous prophet (Daniel 8:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Ultimately, no one can know for certain who he will be, and believers are called to test the spirits and remain anchored in Christ (Matthew 24:23-25; 1 John 4:1). The focus remains on discerning truth and staying faithful to Jesus rather than trying to predict the identity of the Antichrist (Matthew 24:42; Hebrews 12:2).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Daniel 7—8 speaks of four world empires. The final one, ruling in the last days, will be the revived Roman Empire. Daniel says the leader of this last empire will be "a master of intrigue," and "he will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior" (Daniel 8:23, 25 NIV). This man appears to be synonymous with the Antichrist in Revelation. If so, there are a couple of arguments against the Antichrist being the Twelfth Imam, or even being a Muslim.
• The first argument is geographical. If the Antichrist emerges from the revived Roman Empire, then he most likely will be found within the nations of the old Roman Empire (Daniel 7:23-24; see Revelation 13:1-2). These lands include major portions of Europe as well as North Africa, yet Europeans rather than Arabs have traditionally led the Roman Empire.
• Daniel prophesies a positive relationship between the Antichrist and Israel, at least initially. The Antichrist confirms a peace agreement with Israel for seven years (Daniel 9:27), and the Jewish temple will be rebuilt. Due to the traditional hostility between Muslims and Jews, it is unlikely that a Muslim would be in this position.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Shi'itic Islam believes in the prophecy concerning the return of the Twelfth Imam, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad (aka, Muhammad al Mahdi; born 868 AD) just before the Day of Judgment. The Bible also speaks of a future leader who will come shortly before the Day of Judgment. He is called "the beast" in Revelation 13:4. This ruler will promise peace with Israel for seven years, but he will break the treaty in the middle of the seven-year period. He will then declare himself God and rule as a despot during a time of judgment before Christ's second coming. Based on these prophecies, some believe that, when the beast, or the Antichrist, comes, he will be hailed by the Muslim world as the Twelfth Imam.
• Jesus speaks of many “false christs and false prophets [who] will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:23-25). He doesn’t specify which group these will come from.
• Rather than trying to figure out who the antichrist is, believers are called to keep our focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

No one knows for certain who the future Antichrist will be. He may be an Arab or a man of mixed Muslim and Jewish descent. He will be hailed by all the world as the man who finally brought peace to the Middle East. The Muslims would see him as the Twelfth Imam, and the Jews would welcome him as their long-awaited Messiah.

Until we see the fulfillment of these things, we must heed the words of 1 John 4:1-4 to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God." Jesus noted that many “false christs and false prophets” would arise (Matthew 24:23-25); He didn’t indicate one specific person. Preoccupying ourselves with predicting when the end will come and who the Antichrist will be can take our focus off where it should be: proclaiming Christ here and now. What’s important isn’t that we can identify the specific person who is Antichrist, but that we stay aware of the times and focused on Jesus (Matthew 24:42; Hebrews 12:2).

UNDERSTAND

• Some speculate that the Antichrist may be hailed by Muslims as the Twelfth Imam.
• The Bible does not identify the Antichrist as a Muslim.
• The Antichrist’s role in making peace with Israel and rebuilding the Jewish temple makes a Muslim identity unlikely.

REFLECT

• How does understanding that the Antichrist’s identity is unknown challenge you to stay grounded in your faith in Jesus rather than focusing on speculation?
• How do you discern truth from deception?
• How does knowing that the Antichrist will initially appear righteous but ultimately reveal himself as a deceiver influence your trust in God’s guidance and what He has communicated to us through His Word?

ENGAGE

• How can we support one another in staying faithful to Christ amid confusing or misleading teachings about end-times figures?
• Why does the Bible emphasize the Antichrist’s relationship with Israel, and what does this reveal about God’s plans and promises?
• How can we discern the difference between cultural or religious speculation and the clear warnings and guidance Scripture provides about deception and false prophets?