Will The Antichrist Claim To Be God or
 The Jewish Messiah

While some may say this is nothing more than ‘trivial' dialogue, we are compelled to explore the topic and question of the validity regarding the Man Antichrist actually ‘Claiming’ to be the Jewish Messiah.  To this end, if the following hypothetical suggestions are proven correct then this could have substantial eschatological implications, therefore justifying our reasonable exploration of this concern.

All my life, and most likely yours as well, I/we have heard the ‘traditional’ argument that the ‘Man Antichrist’ will claim to be the Jewish Messiah – becoming a False Messiah.  As such, I must ask is this what the Bible actually says?  Therefore, first in this related research we need to define the transliterated greek word ‘Anti-Christ’.  As such, the word’s definition is a follows. 

antichristos, Greek 500, Strong’s
antichristos, an-tee'-khris-tos; from Greek 473 (anti) and Greek 5547 (Christos); an opponent of the Messiah :- antichrist. 

As can be seen in the above definition of the greek word ‘antichristos’, it actually means ‘an opponent (foe/nemeses) of the Messiah’, and does NOT seem here to indicate an identically ‘opposite’ Messiah.  To put this into some sort of logical perspective, while the prefix (anti) of the greek word ‘anti-christos’ most certainly can imply by definition an opposite, it would however, appear that what we have in the word Antichrist is more narrowly defined as an actual ‘enemy/opposer/foe/nemeses’ of the Messiah, rather than a ‘characteristically identical opposite synonym’ (imitator) of the Jewish Messiah. 

So where is the proof?  The transliterated word ‘anti-Christ’ is used 4 times by the Apostle John in the NT and in the OT the Man Antichrist is referred to as the ‘Little Horn/Beast, etc.’.  Meanwhile, the NT passages are posted as follows: 

1 John 2:18
    Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.  

1 John 2:22
    Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.  

1 John 4:3
    And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.  

2 John 1:7
    For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.  

What we see in each of the above passages is that John uses and defines the term ‘antichrist’ as both a spiritual denial of the literal factual historical coming of the Christ/Messiah, and as per John 2:18, a literal human man that was/is yet to come.  Nonetheless, what we still do NOT see at this point is a direct correlation of a ‘characteristically identical opposite synonym’ (imitator) Messiah, but rather as suggested before an ‘enemy/denier/opposer’ of the Messiah.   

Moreover, in Thes. 2:3-4 and Dan 9:36-37 (see below) the Man Antichrist is clearly revealed as the ‘Opposer of God’ who himself claims to be THE God.  Although, there is still NO actual claim of his being the Jewish Messiah, but rather as stated, The God.   

2 Thes. 2:3-4
...man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; [4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.  

Daniel 11:36-37
    And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods... [37] Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.  

Meanwhile, we must understand the Jewish ‘concept/meaning’ of their expected Messiah (Moshiach).  The Jews await a Messiah that will fulfill the following basic principals. 

He will be born a natural man of the genetic lineage and seed of the house of David (a Kohein, Levi, or a convert), a man who will love and devote himself to the Torah and who will rebuild the Jewish Holy Temple restoring the devoted practice of the Mosaic Law and its accompanying ritual sacrificial system in the worship of the one God HaShem.  He will also, be a man who will be a great military leader and will restore Israel to a position of supreme global power while bringing peace and prosperity to Israel and the Jewish people.   

However, the Jews DO NOT believe that their expected Messiah will be GOD (HaShem) or for that matter equal to God – hence, Son of God (see below what Messiah will NOT be according to the Jews). 

Moshiach will be a normal human being born from human parents. He will NOT be a god, or a “son of god”.  

Moshiach will be mortal. He will NOT live forever. When he dies he will be succeeded by his son, like any normal king.  

Moshiach will NOT atone for our sins. Every person must atone for his own sins; no one else can do it for you. 

Moshiach will NOT change the laws of the Torah in any way. If he attempts to do so then we know that he is a false messiah.  

The inaccurate Jewish 'concept' of their expected Messiah NOT being a God or The Son of their God, is exactly what caused the Jews not to perceive that Jesus was indeed their awaited Messiah and Savior.

John 10:33
The Jews answered him [Jesus], saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

In summary, while the provocative literal actions of the Man Antichrist will most definitely prove to the Jews, as well as the Gentiles, that he is a ‘False Messiah/ANTICHRIST’, there appears to be NO Scriptural support for the suggestion that the Man Antichrist will ever make the actual false claim himself to the Jews that he is their expected Jewish Moshiach/Messiah.  

Therefore, a speculative ‘7 years Covenant’ between the Jews and the Man Antichrist based solely upon his (antichrist) claiming to be the long awaited Jewish Moshiach/Messiah, per Scriptural evidence would seem to be just that - ‘Speculative’.