08/25/2026
“Who is the Antichrist? Part 1” (Dan. 11:36–45)
What are some ways to recognize the Antichrist when he comes? This evening, we look at how Scripture describes this tyrannical enemy of the faith.
-Notes: https://pastormarksbury.blogspot.com/2026/08/sermon-who-is-antichrist-part-1-dan.html
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MANUSCRIPT:
Series: “Daniel: God’s Sovereign Plans” #32
Text: Daniel 11:36–45
By: Shaun Marksbury
Date: August 16, 2026
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church
Occasion: PM Service
Introduction
There are lots of theories as to who the Antichrist is. Some names floated in the past are perhaps unknown to anyone under a certain age, and if the Lord tarries, current theories will suffer the same fate. The truth is that we can’t know for certain who the Antichrist is yet because 1.) if he is alive, he will be insignificant until the appointed time (cf. Dan. 7:20), and 2.) we have not reached that time yet. I know this fact ruins many social media posts, but that is the biblical reality.
But, I don’t want you to think I gave a false title to this sermon. Scripture does give us clues as to the nature and deeds of the Antichrist so that he’s recognizable in the end times. We saw a good bit of that in Daniel 7, with the four beasts and then the horns which grew up from the fourth beast. There were descriptions of him there, and we see more of them here at the end of Daniel 11.
But, is this really the Antichrist? As I mentioned last time, some wonder if this is just a continuation of the discussion of the activities of Antiochus IV. However, as we saw last time, that isn’t the case, as his life doesn’t match the details of this section. Most notably, the figure of these verses meets his end in Israel, and Antiochus died in Persia.[1] It’s best to see that, just like with the rest of this chapter, the people behind these titles continues to change. The text signals the shift, as verse 40 places these events “at the time of the end.” Moreover, the early church traditionally interpreted this passage to be referring to the Antichrist.[2] That means, as one commentary notes, the prophecy now moves from the “near” to the “far.”[3]
Still, we might wonder why this passage seems to parallel the Antichrist to Antiochus. The answer is that one the type and the other is the antitype. As another commentary explains,
In Antiochus one sees a foreshadowing, a scale model, of the final opponent of God’s people. This final scourge will be like Antiochus Epiphanes — only more and worse. … [W]e are not dealing, as in Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale, with a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, with a reasonable, companionable fellow versus a reclusive, vicious, evil beast of a man. No, it’s only the latter type, what we might call a case of Mr Hyde and Mr Hyde.[4]
This means that much of what we read about in Antiochus IV is applicable to the Antichrist. This explains why the abomination of desecration, an action committed first by Antiochus (Dan. 11:31), is said to be coming again at the end of this book (12:11), and Christ tells His disciples to watch for it (Matt 24:15; Mark 13:14). As the Apostle John will later say, “even now many antichrists have appeared” (1 John 2:18), and there are aspects of Antiochus and other tyrants of history in the Antichrist, just as there are parallels in their opposition to God. That’s why we can also see parallels in both Islam and the Roman Catholic Church to the spirit of Antichrist. Still, the text would have us focus here on the similarities between him and Antiochus IV.
Now, some might object that that places a huge gap spanning millennia between vv. 35 and 36. Yet, that’s not completely strange, as there are many smaller gaps between the other verses in this chapter. We also saw a gap of decades back in 9:26, describing the time of the Messiah’s crucifixion and the destruction of the temple, and there is a gap of perhaps 2,000 years between vv. 26–27 of that chapter. We’re seeing a gap including that same period here in this chapter.
So, we’re briefly looking again at the final seven years of history for the Jewish people (and the present age), specifically considering the Antichrist is this evening. So, who is he? First, we’ll see the vicious temperament of the Antichrist (vv. 36–39), and that will be all the time we have. Next week, we’ll see the second point, the temporary victories of the Antichrist (vv. 40–45). Let’s begin with the first part.
First, the Vicious Temperament of the Antichrist (vv. 36–39)
Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all. But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures. He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.
Verse 36 opens by describing him as a willful king. The same language is used of God in 4:35 — “He does according to His will in the host of heaven.” Yet, Persia (8:4), Alexander (11:3), and Antiochus III (11:16) are all also described as doing whatever they want, and the Antichrist will be that way.
Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly how much power he has at the beginning of the tribulation. The prophecy of Daniel’s seventy weeks indicates that he will initiate the seven-year covenant with the nation of Israel (Dan. 9:27). As one commentary notes, “The reason for the covenant seems to be the guarantee of his protection for Israel while the Jews rebuild their temple in Jerusalem.”[5] Perhaps he “ ‘solves’ the Arab/Israeli problem and proves himself to be a master politician.”[6] But he won’t initially be the ruler of the world.
Again, we learned earlier that he begins small, a “little horn” (Dan. 7:8). He exercises the political power given him by the ten kings (Rev. 17:12–13). That’s the trouble with identifying anyone today with the Antichrist — if his name is already recognized as a major player on the world stage, he is likely not the Antichrist. I got an email recently stating that Donald Trump is the prophesied Antichrist, but for this reason among others, I can’t agree. This will be someone who appears at that moment as a lesser leader among a confederation of ten and then seizes greater power than them all.
That means he’ll eventually be independent, a sole authority unto himself.[7] He will “exalt and magnify himself” as time proceeds. He will become a one-world ruler. Yet, this won’t just be political exaltation.
He’ll eventually place himself above every divine being, including the true God of heaven (like the devil, Isa. 14:13). In Daniel 7:25, we read, “He will speak out against the Most High,” and “he will intend to make alterations in times and in law.” He’ll speak monstrous or “extraordinary things” (NASB footnote), which “denotes ‘astonishing, shocking, or unbelievable things.’ ”[8] His opposition will be against the Lord Jesus Christ, of course, and he’ll live in opposition to the ways God designed.
He’ll have the “personal charisma, intelligence, evil character, and political power” to “believe that he can function sufficiently well without God.”[9] It’s almost as though he’ll behave like an atheist, and those who have dealt with atheistic objections know how vile some of the statements about God can be. Indeed, some of the worst tyrannical regimes known to man have been both atheistic and Marxist. And, like most atheists, he is fighting against the knowledge he claims he doesn’t have.
Of course, this successful influence comes at the edge of the sword, like every previous antichrist way. Especially beginning in the middle of the tribulation (the beginning of the Great Tribulation period), he will persecute the saints who are coming to Christ at that time. In Daniel 7:25, we read, “He will … wear down the saints of the Highest One… and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.” He will think himself greater than God.
His blasphemy reaches a fever pitch in the middle of the tribulation. He will even take “his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God” (2 Thess. 2:4). He will also persuade the world to worship him by the miracles of his false prophet (Rev. 13:11–15). As one study notes, “He will succeed in spreading his influence around the world, both politically and religiously (Rev. 13:7–8).”[10] As v. 36 says here, God will allow him to prosper until the end of the period of the Lord’s indignation (a term referring to God’s wrath on the sinful world[11]). In spite of how successful the Antichrist might feel, this is within the Lord’s sovereign plan or decree from the foundation of the world.
It’s at this point that we come to what some see as another clue to the Antichrist’s identity. Instead of seeing the plural “gods” here like most modern translations have, the KJV translated this verse, “God of his fathers.” Based on this, some Bible teachers in the past suspected that the Antichrist must be an apostate Jew. They then argued that the Jews would be more willing to sign the seven-year covenant of Daniel 9:27 if the Antichrist was also a Jew. However, there are several problems with this view.
First, it is built on supposition from a single Bible translation that is likely in error here. The underlying Hebrew word is Elohim, a plural term that often refers to the God of heaven, but in pagan contexts, it refers to false gods.[12] Moreover, since the Antichrist is “the little horn” arising from the Roman Empire, and Daniel 9:26 describe the people who destroyed the temple in the first century as his people (the Romans), it’s likely he will be ethnically or religiously European (unless there is some mixed lineage that can be confirmed). Finally, Jews have often negotiated terms and signed agreements with Gentiles in the past,[13] and even today, the nation of Israel often restrains its actions based on pressure from US presidents. While some dispensational writers in the past have thought the Antichrist might be Jewish, virtually all dispensational theologians today see the text’s emphasis as pointing toward a European ruler.
The text is saying he will not be a respecter of his cultural heritage. From ancient times, people honored their religious heritage,[14] but he will not — even today, there is a growing movement among the “woke” to disregard all European heritage, and it appears that he will follow that trend. In fact, this is likely a reference to his modus operandi in the tribulation period — he “will set aside all organized religion” and “will set himself up … as the sole object of worship. Instead of depending on gods, he will depend on his own power (received from Satan, Rev. 13:2) and by that power he will demand worship of himself.”[15] Of course, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, which also might be the Antichrist’s family history,[16] but Europe has imported Muslim hordes as well as religious ideas from all around the globe; the Antichrist rejects it all.
He also seems to reject women based on this verse, though that is debatable. The surface reading here implies that he is homosexual or celibate.[17] Given the rise of social justice narratives in Western society, with woke, identitarian politics, this may even be seen as a positive to the world. It is interesting that every June, some people in pride marches wave banners that praise Satan. Even Israel has these pride marches, ironically just having their largest one recently at the Dead Sea (the historical site of S***m and Gomorrah). Thus, this could refer to his sexuality. If it does, it’s likely 1.) referencing sexuality just as Antiochus’s lusts were highlighted, 2.) stating that he is homosexual based on Paul’s usage of abandoning women in Romans 1:27, and 3.) this kind of activity is also a kind of self-exaltation, fitting with the context of the rest of this verse.
Yet, we have to always consider whether we are importing our ideas on the text. Many commentators point out that the language could be translated “the desire of/ that which is desired by women,” and this reflects a deeper theological theme that could even reference Christ.[18] Many Jewish women would have wanted to be the mother to the Messiah,[19] the promised seed of Genesis 3:15. Given that everything in this verse is about worship, and Scripture doesn’t remark elsewhere on the Antichrist’s sexuality, that view makes sense. If that is how this is to be taken, then this is a very subtle way of saying that the Antichrist will discourage the Jews from looking for the first coming of the Messiah.
It would not be surprising if the Antichrist were part of the LGBTQ+++ community, opposing everything natural that God has created and established, but it is also just as likely that this is reinforcing how he will exalt himself above the Messiah.
He will magnify himself in every way above God and all other deities. That brings us to the next verse, which says he will honor “a god of fortresses.” This means “a strong place” and means that he will be about power and warfare.[20] Interestingly, when he first appears in Revelation, he is symbolized as mimic of Christ — a rider on a white horse with a bow, and “a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer” (Rev. 6:2). Despite offering peace to Israel (and the world), he brings war upon it.[21]
Later in Revelation, we read that people will ask “who is able to wage war with him?” (13:4). He will advance his military strength as much as possible,[22] and he “will not regard any god except the god of power.”[23] This doesn’t mean that he bows to another god, of course — this is a poetic way of stating that Antichrist is devoted to himself, willing to engage in war to accomplish his cause.[24] He’s worshiping himself, which is how this is a god “whom his fathers did not know.”[25] In fact, peak at v. 39 here — We read that he “will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god.” By means of his overwhelming military power — his “god” — he will destroy all who dare challenge him.
Of course, for the man who worships himself and his power, what else does he need except money? He must fund these war efforts, so he honors his “god of fortresses” with “gold, silver, costly stones and treasures.”[26] Perhaps this is part of the reason he will force “all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,” so that “no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name” (Rev. 13:16–17). He will control the worldwide flow of money as he simultaneously demands worship.
This is why it’s silly to worry that people could receive the mark of the beast today. For instance, during the Covid “pandemic,” people were worried that the Covid shot itself was the mark of the beast because someone figured out how to make the letters COVID equal 666. I will say that it’s interesting that, in many states and countries, you had to display your proof of vaccination if you were to be allowed to leave your home, buy groceries, or engage in other commerce. However, that’s just a foreshadowing of what it will be like, and no one will be taking the mark accidentally; the Antichrist will be demanding the mark as a sign of loyalty to him and worship of his name. No one has the mark yet.
Now, in v. 39, we read he will go to war against those who refuse his mark and oppose his policies. We’ve already seen a bit of that, but look — he knows how to keep his friends close! We also read, “he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.” Those who vow allegiance to him, those who “recognize” him (LSB), will be rewarded with leadership positions and territories.[27] The price for such rewards includes unquestioning allegiance, and may also involve financial payoffs and political favors.
What will his campaigns include? We’ll have to talk about that next time!
Conclusion
We have all had our theories. What many Evangelicals don’t realize is that people of the past have had theories, as well. For instance, it is the position of the Reformation that the Roman Catholic Church and the pope in particular fulfill the role of the prophesied antichrist. Consider what Matthew Henry wrote about this:
“Now here is very much that is applicable to the man of sin; he exalts himself above all that is called god or that is worshipped; magnifies himself above all; his flatterers call him our lord god the pope. By forbidding marriage, and magnifying the single life, he pretends not to regard the desire of women; and honours the god of forces, the god Mahuzzim, or strong holds, saints and angels, whom his followers take for their protectors, as the heathen did of old their demons; these they make presidents of several countries, etc. These they honour with vast treasures dedicated to them, and therein the learned Mr. Mede thinks that this prophecy was fulfilled, and that it is referred to 1 Tim. 4:1, 2.[28]
This is to say nothing of the warfare and persecutions lead by the pope.
Yet the final fulfillment awaits a future individual who will embody these traits in full. Remember that though there are many antichrists today, the Antichrist is coming. Thankfully, God gives us plenty so that he is recognizable in that time.
One teaching I haven’t even touched on is the rapture of the church. Those who may fear the future must put their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. The Lord gives a promise to His church, that if He goes away, He will return and receive us unto Himself (John 14:1–3). We need not fear what the future holds, for the Lord has decreed that we who trust in Him will forever be with Him.
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[1] Stephen R. Miller, Daniel, The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 18:305.
[2] Ibid., 18:306.
[3] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 1, 1370–1371.
[4] Dale Ralph Davis, The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail, eds. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today, (Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2013), 158.
[5] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Resolute, “Be” Commentary Series, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2000), 139–140.
[6] Ibid., 140.
[7] Pentecost, 1371.
[8] Miller.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Pentecost.
[11] Miller, 18:307.
[12] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1248.
[13] Wiersbe, 140.
[14] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume, (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1459.
[15] Pentecost.
[16] Miller.
[17] MacArthur.
[18] Miller.
[19] Pentecost.
[20] MacArthur.
[21] Pentecost.
[22] Ibid.
[23] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Da 11:38.
[24] Davis, 159.
[25] Radmacher, et. al.
[26] Miller, 18:308.
[27] Ibid.
[28] Henry.
