Book Review: Antichrist: Islam's Awaited Messiah by Joel Richardson

Book Review: Antichrist: Islam’s Awaited Messiah by Joel Richardson

Rating: 9 out of 10

Several years ago I took a class about Islam. I recall at the time being startled when learning about Islamic Eschatology (end times teaching). I couldn’t help but wonder how Muslim beliefs about the end times fit into the Christian end of the world scenarios I was more familiar with. As I learned about the coming of the Mahdi (the Islamic savior), I remember thinking there were striking similarities between the Christian Antichrist and the way the Mahdi is depicted in Islamic tradition. I briefly considered writing a work of fiction on the topic. My plan was to write a book about the Antichrist appearing on Earth in the form of the Mahdi. As it turns out, I was not the only person to have such thoughts.

Joel Richardson did not write a peace of fiction, but he did write an incredibly well researched book that compares the eschatology of Islam and Christianity. Richardson quotes the Bible, the Quaran, and other Islamic sources to compare the Mahdi with the Antichrist. He then takes his study one step further and compares the Muslim version of Jesus with the False Prophet that is depicted in the Bible. To further solidify his thesis, Richardson then compares the Biblical Jesus with the Dajjal (Islam’s Antichrist). Richardson then analyzes other aspects of Islam to see how it fits into Biblical eschatology.

I want to point out that this book is not anti-Islam. Richardson seems to have a genuine love for Muslim people and does not seem to harbor any ill-will towards Islam as a religion. His book is well researched and well written. Many people who study or write about eschatology are portrayed as “nut jobs” or “zealots,” Richardson is neither. His book is a scholarly study of the two faiths. I must say that while I enjoyed Joel Rosenberg’s Epicenter tremendously, I find that certain aspects of Richardson’s work makes more sense intellectually.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that is interested in eschatology or Islam. It is a fantastic book.