When he first comes on the scene he’ll quickly garner the world’s attention. More that just being likeable, he’ll be seen as a man with a brilliant future ahead of him, a charismatic personality who will immediately attract and hold everyone’s interest. And when he takes center stage after the Battle of Ezekiel 38, many will believe he has the solution to all their problems. In a world reeling under the twin disasters of the mysterious disappearance of millions of Christians and the outbreak of nuclear war in the Middle East, he’ll be a voice of calmness and reassurance. If it seems to them like he has an almost supernatural ability to get control of things and lead the way to peace, it will be because he does. He’s Satan’s man, masquerading as the savior of the world.
In an early success, he’ll broker a treaty in the Middle East that will astound everyone (Daniel 9:27), causing the recently defeated Muslim nations to agree to the building of a Temple in Israel. Using Ezekiel 48 as his authority, he’ll show everyone involved that the new Temple doesn’t belong on the current Temple mount, but slightly more than 20 miles to the north in Shiloh. Sharing a space with the Dome of the Rock and the al Aksa mosque will not be required. After thousands of years of strife, it will appear that peace has finally come to that war torn part of the world."