Antichrist is gay
Is the Antichrist's sexual orientation homosexual?
Definition of the Term “Antichrist”
In Scripture, the phrase “Antichrist” typically appears in the letters of John, where it designates both an individual figure and a essence of opposition against the Messiah (1 John 2:18-22; 1 John 4:3; 2 John 1:7). This figure is anticipated to play a central role in the end times, setting himself against Christ and deceiving many (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Despite a variety of interpretations over history, key passages in Daniel, the Unused Testament epistles, and Revelation form the basis for awareness this anticipated individual.
Biblical Context and Alleged Sexual Orientation
A frequent question arises regarding Daniel 11:37, where the prophecy about a ruler who “will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the desire of women” is sometimes interpreted to present homosexuality. The relevant phrase emerges in the context of a king exalting himself above all divine and earthly powers. Some translations read “the one desired by women,” while others (including older translations) mention he “shall not regard the want of
Runions, Erin. "5. Who Lives in Babylon? The Gay Antichrist as Political Enemy". The Babylon Complex: Theopolitical Fantasies of War, Sex, and Sovereignty, Modern York, USA: Fordham University Press, 2014, pp. 179-212. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780823257379-007
Runions, E. (2014). 5. Who Lives in Babylon? The Gay Antichrist as Political Enemy. In The Babylon Complex: Theopolitical Fantasies of War, Sex, and Sovereignty (pp. 179-212). New York, USA: Fordham University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780823257379-007
Runions, E. 2014. 5. Who Lives in Babylon? The Gay Antichrist as Political Enemy. The Babylon Complex: Theopolitical Fantasies of War, Sex, and Sovereignty. Recent York, USA: Fordham University Press, pp. 179-212. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780823257379-007
Runions, Erin. "5. Who Lives in Babylon? The Gay Antichrist as Political Enemy" In The Babylon Complex: Theopolitical Fantasies of War, Sex, and Sovereignty, 179-212. New York, USA: Fordham University Press, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780823257379-007
Runions E. 5. Who Lives in Babylon? The Gay Antichrist as Political Enemy. In: The Babylon Complex: Theopolitical Fantasies of War, Sex, and Sovereignty
Will the Antichrist be gay?
Answer
In a channel that many Bible interpreters understand to be a double prophecy about Antiochus Epiphaniesand the end-times Antichrist, Daniel 11:37 reads, “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” (NASB). The fact that the Antichrist will “show no regard for . . . the want of women” leads some to assume that the Antichrist will be gay/homosexual.
The question is what is meant by “the desire of women”? Is it referring to a desire for women, or is it referring to something that women desire? Either is a possible translation of the Hebrew write. If “desire for women” is the proper understanding, the Antichrist’s forsaking of it could be an indication that he will be gay/homosexual. But, if “something women desire” is the proper understanding, the term would point in a different advice entirely.
While the NASB, KJV, and NKJV translate the expression as “the yearn for of women,” other translations render it differently.
The NIV and ESV translate the phrase as “for the one desired by women” (NIV) and “to the one beloved b
Who is the antichrist?
Answer
There is much speculation about the identity of the Antichrist. Some of the more popular targets are Vladimir Putin, Prince William, and Pope Leo XIV. In the United States, former President Barack Obamaand current President Donald Trumpare the most frequent targets. So, who is the Antichrist, and how will we recognize him?
The Bible really does not say anything specific about where the Antichrist will come from. Many Bible scholars speculate that he will approach from a confederacy of ten nations and/or a reborn Roman empire (Daniel 7:24-25; Revelation 17:7). Others see him as having to be a Jew in order to claim to be the Messiah. It is all just speculation since the Bible does not specifically state where the Antichrist will come from or what ethnicity he will be. One day, the Antichrist will be revealed. Second Thessalonians 2:3-4 tells us how we will distinguish the Antichrist: “don’t grant anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not reach until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets h
Erin Runions, Pomona College
Erin Runions is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Pomona College. She is the storyteller of Changing Subjects: Gender, Nation, Future in Micah (Sheffield Academic Press, 2001), and How Hysterical: Identification and Resistance in the Bible and Film (Palgrave, 2003). The ideas introduced here are theorized more fully in her article “Queering the Beast: The Antichrists’ Gay Wedding” in Queering the (Non)Human, edited by Noreen Giffney and Myra Hird (Ashgate, forthcoming 2007).
I’ve become interested of late in the way that racialized and homosexualized antichrists appear in discourses concerned with the threats to family and nation. As constantly proclaimed, there are at least two threats to the nation right now, both of which are elaborated in apocalyptic terms. One is, obviously, the threat of terrorism. The other is the threat to the family from gay marriage. Given the long tradition in U.S. history and culture of finding the antichrist behind any and every political threat (Boyer; Fuller), it is not surprising that the racialized Middle Eastern Muslim antichrist and the homosexualized antichrist are seen to be behi