Thank you for your service to all who enjoy and learn from your site! Does the anti-Christ have to be Jewish or of Jewish decent? Or or just of middle eastern decent? I know this has been a major topic of discussion, but I’m unable to locate the info I’m looking for that suggests that he need not be Jewish.
According to Daniel 9:26 the Anti Christ can come from any one of the many nations that were once part of the Roman Empire. Ezekiel 44:7 says that he won’t be circumcised in either heart or flesh, which means he won’t be a Christian, a religious Jew, or a traditional Moslem. While Moslem males are generally circumcised before reaching puberty, the Koran does not include any such requirement. Therefore it’s theoretically possible that the anti-Christ could emerge out of Islam.
Some find it hard to imagine that the Jews would accept a non-Jewish Messiah, but Jesus warned all the believers in Israel to flee on the day the anti-Christ proclaims himself to be God (Matt. 24:15-16). In 2 Thes. 2:9-10 Paul said that the counterfeit miracles performed by the anti-Christ and false prophet would deceive the remaining unbelievers into believing their claims.