GNU Public Domain License 2012—The Islamic Antichrist by John Preacher This book or parts thereof may be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, and transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise – without prior written permission. The right to freely copy this book is given to all, for the Glory of God and his Kingdom. This book my also be printed by churches or individuals and sold.
THE ISLAMIC ANTICHRIST
• 1. ISLAM VS. CHRISTIANITY.......................................................7 • 2. ISLAM THE ANTICHRIST & THE FALSE PROPHET ...........19 • 3. WHO ARE THE FALSE PROPHET & ALLAH.........................33 • 4. THE CRESCENT MOON AND STAR IMAGE.........................39 • 5. THE FINAL BEAST EMPIRE..................................................45 • 6. THE MARK OF THE BEAST ..................................................61 • 7. PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE TO THE BEAST .........................75 • 8. IMAGE OF THE BEAST.........................................................79 • 9. MOLOCH GOD OF HUMAN SACRIFICE.............................93 • 10. THE HARLOT OF BABYLON.................................................97 • 11. THE LINAGE OF THE ANTICHRIST...................................105 • 12. GOATS, STARS & SECRET SOCIETIES .............................109 • 13. GOD’S WARNING TO THE ISLAMIC NATIONS ................119 • 14. IS ISLAM A RELIGION OF PEACE? ...................................123 • 15. THE GREAT APOSTASY, CONVERSION BY TERROR........129 • 16. END TIME MARTYRDOM....................................................139 • 17. THE BOOK OF REVELATION MADE EASY ......................159 • 18. DECISION TIME..................................................................201
DedicationThis book is dedicated to all those who proclaim God’s sweet Salvation through his Son Jesus Christ and suffer bitter persecution for his name.Revelation 10:10-11 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up. And it was sweet as honey in my mouth, and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was made bitter. And he said to me, You must prophesy again before many peoples and nations and tongues and kings. ForwardGod has begun to reveal that Islam will play the central role in the events of the last days. This book is meant to give you a basic understanding of those events which will play out. God told the prophet Daniel that the true understanding of his prophecy, would remain sealed until the time of the end.Daniel 12:9-10 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but they that are wise shall understand. As God unseals the understanding of the Last Days, we as a Church must not be ignorant of the Devil’s plans. We must expose them to the light of God’s Word. This new understanding of end time events is sweeping across Churches through many mighty men of God, like Joel Richardson, whom God has anointed to bring this understanding to the Churches. The astounding similarities between Islamic end time doctrine and Christian end time prophecy is too astonishing. Islam even has its own version of the Evil Beast from the Book of Revelation, whom Islam describes as “THE GOOD GUY” who will mark the foreheads of the followers of Islam in the Last Days. In these very days, God is unsealing his revelations, so that his Church will not be without knowledge in the coming days of Tribulation. Islam vs. ChristianityIn this chapter we’ll be addressing the following issues:
Islam is a fast growing religion and their influence on the world scene has increased dramatically in the 21st century. In the late 1970’s the Western world scratched its head when Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran took the American Embassy hostage and held them for 444 days. Very little was known about Islam and no one truly understood his motives— why was he and his country so angry with America? Again we were shocked in 1993 when the World Trade Center was bombed by Islamic extremists and again we didn’t understand who these people were or why they were doing this. The events of 9/11/2001 finally caused America and the rest of the world to put Islam on the front burner and start asking questions about what it represented. Since that time Islam is in the news most every day and all manner of conflicting information has come out about what it stands for theologically speaking. Some claim it’s a religion of peace and others of war. Some say it’s not much different than Christianity and others say they’re diametrically opposed. Today we find out because the Lord is a God of Knowledge and not ignorance (2 Samuel 2:3) because if we don’t, we may perish due to our lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). There are different degrees of Islam just as there are different degrees of Christianity as follows: Fundamentalist, Moderate & Liberal. We’ll start with Christianity first then Islam. FUNDAMENTALIST & EVANGELICAL Christians are those who believe that Jesus is the only way to Salvation and that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired word of God containing His will, goals, and truths. They interpret the Bible literally whenever possible and symbolically when necessary. Their desire is to exalt the will, goal and truth of God above and beyond all else including themselves and attempt to live their lives this way. FUNDAMENTALIST Muslims are those who believe that Islam is the only way to salvation and they exalt Mohammed as Allah’s last and best prophet. They believe the Quran is the inspired, inerrant word of Allah containing his will, goals, and truths. They interpret the Quran literally whenever possible and symbolically when necessary. Their desire is to exalt the will, goal and truth of Allah above and beyond all else including themselves and attempt to live their lives this way. LIBERAL Christians are those who believe that Jesus is ONE way to Salvation but that there are many ways. Some even believe that everyone is going to Heaven no matter what. They see the Bible as being a decent book that has some wisdom but NOT as the inerrant, inspired word of God. They feel Scripture is mostly symbolic, open to individual interpretation, and that one person’s interpretation is no better than another. LIBERAL Muslims are much the same way as far their own religion and the Quran. MODERATE Christians and Muslims can be said to fall anywhere between the definitions provided here. We’re now going to do a direct comparison between the major points of theology of Christianity versus Islam. All underlines are MINE.
Now let us take all the above examples one by one and draw the inevitable conclusions IF ISLAM IS CORRECT upon contrasting them.
There are a couple of major differences between the 2 that are worthy of note. In Christianity Jesus sacrificed His life for our sins and Salvation is guaranteed when we repent and call upon His perfect sacrifice. In Islam the only way to guarantee your Salvation is to sacrifice YOUR life in martyrdom to the faith . . . otherwise you have to hope that you’ve done enough good deeds in your life to save yourself from Hell. According to Islam Allah will resurrect everyone from the dead on judgment day and cause them to walk over a bridge. Under the bridge are the flames of Hell. If you’re sins outweigh your good works you will fall off the bridge into Hell. If your good works outweigh your sins you will make it to the other side where Paradise awaits. While it’s true there are many martyrs in Christianity their Salvation did not depend upon giving up their lives in service to Christ nor was their martyrdom earned by forcing Christianity on others with the sword or through acts of terrorism. The vast majority of Christian martyrs earned that title when being oppressed by governmental, military, political and even religious persecution where all the aforementioned institutions were the ones in power. Another theological difference is the Covenant with God. In the Bible the Lord makes His everlasting covenant with Isaac, promising that His chosen people Israel will spring forth from Isaac and that God will give to Israel the Promised Land (Genesis 17:19). The Muslims claim that the followers of Moses (who wrote the Torah) corrupted this record and that God made the everlasting covenant with Ishmael (Abraham’s oldest son with his maid Hagar) instead. Thus the Muslims claim they are God’s chosen people and not the Jews and that all the land in the Middle East as outlined in Genesis 15:18-21 belongs to them. Our faith and hope of Salvation centers around Christ: Who He is and what He did. I ask you now to review The Apostle’s Creed which sums up the most important points of Christianity: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. Islamic theology is directly opposed to that which holds Christianity together: God as Father, Jesus as His Son, His crucifixion and death on the Cross for our sins and His Resurrection. Although Islam claims He was caught up to Heaven they maintain He’s only human and not sitting at His Father’s right hand as God the Son who will judge the quick and the dead. Islam denies the Holy Ghost and the validity of the Christian Church. Communion is null and void because they say Jesus didn’t die for our sins and they claim that Allah will resurrect the dead and not Jesus. There is no question that Christianity and Islam are diametrically opposed to each other. All the claims made by one are completely denied and contradicted by the other which means one of them is not just “misguided” but flat out WRONG. One is of God and the other the Devil. There’s no middle ground or sitting on the fence here (there never has been with Jesus or Mohammed). It’s time for you to choose and then stand on your choice. Here are a few Scriptures I would like you to meditate on, use the charts above for review and apply to these verses: John 8:42: Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 1 John 2:22-23: Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ (Son of God)? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. John 4:1-3: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (Note: Mohammed claimed that the Quran was dictated to him by the angel Gabriel.) 2 Corinthians 11:14-15: For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. See also Galatians 1:8: But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 2 John 1:7: For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. I want to ask you some hard questions: 1) What spirit being(s) would deny the Godhood of Jesus Christ? 2) What spirit being(s) would deny our Father-child relationship with God? 3) What spirit being(s) would deny that Jesus went to the Cross and died for our sins? 4) What spirit being(s) would deny that Jesus was resurrected from the dead? Here are your choices of spirit beings: God, the Devil, angels & demons…. WHO was the spirit being that challenged Jesus in the beginning of His earthly ministry in the attempt to derail Him? WHAT kind of temptations did he throw at Jesus? (See Matthew & Luke 4.)
challenge the work He was about to do on the Cross and the Resurrection: “the ruler of this world is coming but he has found nothing in Me.” (John 14:30, spoken the night before the Crucifixion.) Think of the opening scene in Passion of the Christ. IN CONCLUSION I want to make something clear. In no way shape or form am I preaching hate toward the Muslim people. If you take that away you are misinterpreting the message. Another difference between Christianity and Islam is that Christians are commanded to LOVE our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39) and even to LOVE any people we consider enemies (Matthew 5:44). God’s desires are to be our desires and His desire is that none would perish but all would come to repentance and Salvation through Christ (2 Peter 3:9). Our true enemy is the Devil and his demons (Ephesians 6:12) and I am here to expose any heresies and false teaching that he promotes. The Bible makes it clear that any doctrine, teaching, theology or “gospel” that takes away from the divinity, saving works and saving grace of Jesus Christ is ANTI-Christ and is not of God but of the Devil. The only path of Salvation to Heaven is Jesus. He is God in the flesh, the Messiah & the Savior! Let’s now answer the questions we asked in the beginning of the chapter: 1) “Do Christians and Muslims worship the same god?” NO: God the Father and Allah are clearly 2 different beings with vastly different qualities. 2) “Is Islam a religion of peace or …?” Not for the fundamentalist Muslim who sees Jews & Christians as heretics and blasphemers and who are the enemies of Islam. Moderates have a strained “peace” but even they believe that one day Islam will rule the world. Liberal Muslims are peaceful people who do not believe in terrorism. 3) “How do the Bible and the Quran differ?” VASTLY. The Quran claims that it’s the truth and that the Bible is corrupt. 4) “How do Jesus and Mohammed differ?” GREATLY. Jesus is the divine Son of God, the Way, the Truth and the Life. The Savior. Mohammed was a regular guy who advocated violence, oppression of women, and marriage with young girls (his youngest wife was 6). 5) “What are the theological differences between Christianity and Islam and are they compatible? To a true believer of either faith they are not compatible in the least. Only a liberal Christian or Muslim could make them compatible. |
1) | The mysterious “Eighth” Kingdom (Revelation 17:11). |
2) | The true lineage and religious identity of the Antichrist and the |
False Prophet. | |
3) | The true “mark” of the Beast and what it means. |
4) | What Islamic End Times theology says about the Jewish Messiah. |
5) | My take on the Last Days “lie” or “strong delusion” |
(2 Thessalonians 2:11) that will deceive even “the very elect” | |
(Matthew 24:24). | |
…and much more |
In the previous Chapter we discovered that Christianity and Islam are diametrically opposed to one another: what one holds to be sacred the other views as blasphemous.
This time we’re going to explore the End Times Scenario laid out by Islam and see how that differs from the one in the Judeo-Christian Bible. By the time this chapter is over you will know the TRUE religious identity and lineage of the Antichrist and False Prophet and that of their final empire known as “The Beast.”
In the next few chapters you will, for the first time ever, find out what the REAL “Mark of the Beast” is (and it’s not what you think!). You will also discover what “The Abomination of Desolation” is—the image that the Antichrist and False Prophet force everyone to worship—and again it’s NOT what has been taught in the past. You will discover what nations will rise to power in the Last Days and in what order so you can WATCH for it to happen and many more prophetical signs not revealed until NOW.
If you’ve studied Eschatology (theology of the End Times right before the Second Coming of Christ) you’re aware of the 3 major characters: Jesus, the Antichrist and the False Prophet. If you’re a Christian, Jesus is the Good Guy, the Antichrist the main bad guy, and the False Prophet the secondary bad guy. Jesus represents God (John 1:1) whereas Antichrist and False Prophet represent the Devil (Revelation 13). The Antichrist and False Prophet are allowed to make their debut at the beginning of the final 7 years (Daniel 9:27) before the return of Christ known as Daniel’s 70th Week (one “week” in Hebrew is 7 years in English). They’re allowed to establish a powerful empire that will ATTEMPT to take over the world (Revelation 13).
At the end of the 7 years the armies of the Antichrist will gather together in the Valley of Megiddo—known as Armageddon—and there they will fight against Jesus and His Saints who come from the sky to the earth (Revelation 19). Jesus now comes as the Conquering King of kings and Lord of lords and will utterly destroy the Antichrist’s army and then cast both the Antichrist and False Prophet into the Lake of Fire. After that Jesus establishes His Millennial Reign on earth that lasts for 1000 years (Revelation 20:4).
CLASSIC end time teaching is that the Antichrist will come from Europe and that his final empire—known as the Beast—will be the European Union. I’ve taught that the False Prophet will be an apostate Christian who sides with the Antichrist and will become his religious leader…. I was WRONG on both counts and now officially retract those teachings in light of new revelations that have sprung up.
As much as its hurts to do that I’m also glad because I hunger for the truth and know you do too. Hebrews 1:1 states that revelation (about some things) is progressive and this is especially true when it comes to End Times teaching. The angel Gabriel told Daniel the Prophet that the closer we come to the Second Coming the more God would reveal about the end times to His people (Daniel 8:26, 9:24, 12:5-13). I must reveal something that has me excited and alarmed at the same time: I’ve received more End Times revelation in the last year than I have in the last 10 which tells me that the return of Christ may very well be nearer than we might think! These things have recently been revealed by the Holy Spirit to the global Church and we’re in on the “ground floor” of these revelations. They’re being unsealed now because truly we are in the Last Days—Jesus is preparing to mount up on His white horse and we need to be ready!
Here then is the true religious identity & lineage of the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and the “Beast” which is the final world empire: they will all be Islamic. Islam will not just have “a” role in the Tribulation but the LEAD role here on earth.
We’re going to start today with the Antichrist and False Prophet—their characteristics and actions according to the Bible, the Quran and the Hadith (the Hadith or Sunna are a separate work from the Quran and gives the history of Islam: what Mohammed did & said as well as his followers. The Quran is all theology & prayer and the Hadith are the historical records.)
NOTE: While most Muslims hold the Quran to be holy and Allah-inspired, not all feel that way about the Hadiths. Shiite Muslims have a greater tendency to cling to the Hadiths and the idea of an Islamic Messiah than the Sunni Muslims do, for example.
What many Christians don’t know is that Islam has their own version of the End Times and the last 7 years. Their version contains the same 3 major characters as ours . . . but turned completely around. (Please remember that we already discovered when we compared Islam & Christianity side by side—Mohammed took everything held as holy by Christians, turned it completely around, then called it “truth.”)
Before I continue any further I strongly suggest you read the book “God’s War on Terror” by Walid Shoebat. Walid was raised as a Muslim in Bethlehem, went on to become a terrorist for the PLO and converted to Christ in the early 1990’s. He is the one whom God has anointed to bring this fresh word to the Western Church and where the meat of this information has come from. Walid now preaches at most of the major prophecy conferences in the world and has been on The O’Reilly Factor, CNN, CBS and the BBC. You can go to his website at www.walidshoebat.com
Shiites and some Sunni Muslims are looking for the return of Imam-al-Mahdi or what we would call the Islamic Messiah. According to their legends, the 12th descendent of Mohammed is being held in a well deep in the earth by Allah perfectly preserved from which he will ascend and rise for the final 7 years before Judgment. At the beginning of that 7 year period he will come out of the well and begin to establish an Islamic world order that will dominate the entire world through false peace and then military conquest. Muslims say that their Madhi’s name will be “Muhammad bin Abdullah.”
The Bible calls the Antichrist “the beast who comes up out of the abyss” (Revelation 11:7). The similarities to the Madhi which is also said to ascend from an abyss or cave is too co-incidental.
The Bible links the 666 to the beast. A man named Adonikam who came out of Babylonian captivity, had 666 male children and grandchildren, Ezra 2:13 “The sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty six.”
Adonikam means the “Lord of Rising.” The meaning of his name perfectly depicts the Rising of the Madhi from the well or cave within the earth. Adonikam was not the beast, but his name suggests a clue which can be linked to the Madhi whom Islam is waiting to rise from the abyss. In Revelation 9:11 a fallen angel named Apollyon (the destroyer) is released from the Abyss. Biblical scholars believe that Apollyon is the Spirit of the Antichrist, the spirit of Destruction. This perfectly fits with the Madhi whom Islam claims will rise from the abyss and destroy the world conquering it for Islam. The 9/11 attack of the world trade centre, I believe was prophetically linked to Revelation 9:11 which is the very verse in which Apollyon appears. By using this date the Muslim Terrorists were revealing themselves and their coming Madhi, as Apollyon -the Destroyer in Revelation “9:11.”
(SIDE NOTE: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmidinajead fully believes this theology and spoke it during his speech to the U.N. and many other times on TV and to newspapers. He believes he can “speed up” the coming of his Mahdi by attacking Israel. AGAIN I say: there is no separation of religion and state for Islamic nations. We might want nukes for political and security reasons but Iran is developing nukes totally for religious reasons.)
Muslims believe that Jesus will return—remember they say He never died but was caught up to Heaven by Allah where he is being held even now. They say Allah will send him back down to earth in the final 7 years and he will declare to all one of two things: 1) that he LIED to everyone about being Allah’s son or 2) that everyone misinterpreted what he said and that he never claimed to be Allah’s son. This “Jesus” will then go on to declare that Islam is the way, the truth and the life and he will then admonish all Christians to convert or face the consequences.
Afterwards he and Madhi will team up and systematically kill all the Jews in the world and force everyone else to convert to Islam or die by the sword.
At the end of the 7 year period Madhi and Muslim “Jesus” gather their armies together in the valley of Megiddo to fight the Dajjal. The Dajjal is their Antichrist, their bad guy, and they’ve been preparing their followers for 7 years to hate and fight him. LISTEN NOW! They acknowledge that the Dajjal is the Jewish Messiah, who is coming in the clouds to rescue the Jews! That He will have great powers so as even to control the weather. Mahdi, Muslim “Jesus” and their great army will fight against the Dajjal and win. In the end, the world is dominated by Islam and is finally at peace.
We will now compare, side by side, the characteristics of the Antichrist as given in the Bible to the characteristics of the Madhi given in Islamic theology. Let’s start with a big one that’s already on some of your minds:
“And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” (Daniel 9:26).
This verse is the one used by scholars for centuries to identify the lineage of the Antichrist as coming out of Europe. The “prince who is to come” is most certainly referring to the Antichrist, so now we need to examine the rest of the verse to correctly determine his lineage whether European or Arabic. The “city” referred to is Jerusalem and the “Sanctuary” is the Jewish Temple that existed in Jerusalem in the days of Jesus. Thus the lineage of Antichrist is hidden—or rather revealed—through “the people of the prince.”
In 68 A.D. the Jews rebelled against Rome and Rome sent the 10th Legion commanded by General Titus to quash the rebellion. In 70 A.D. all was said and done and Rome won the day. In complete fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 9:26 they sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the holy Temple. Because Titus was Roman and the army BELONGED to Rome prophecy scholars have thus assumed the Antichrist will come out of Europe . . . but let’s examine verse 26 of Daniel again. It’s the people of the prince to come who do the actual destroying of Jerusalem and the Temple, so therefore it’s from THEM the Antichrist will spring forth. Historical examination of the Roman 10th Legion gives us an astounding discovery.
While it was the Roman 10th Legion and the Legionnaires were Roman citizens, they were not from the Western half of the empire but the Eastern half which was the Middle East. General Titus was the commander of all the Eastern Legions and not the Western. The Roman 10th Legion that destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple consisted of Arabs, Syrians & Turks . . . all of which are now Muslim countries. Take a look at a modern map—the ENTIRE Middle East is Muslim except Israel. The Eastern half of the Roman Empire was the Middle East including North Africa all of which are Muslim nations.
There are many names given in both Old and New Testaments for the Antichrist: “son of perdition,” “man of sin,” (2 Thessalonians 2:3), etc.
Some of the names are ones that speak to his lineage such as “The Assyrian” (Isaiah 10:24, 14:25 & Micah 5:5-6), “King of the North” (Daniel 11:40) & “King of Tyrus” (Ezekiel 28:2). Remember that Biblical perspective is geographically and spiritually from the standpoint of Israel and not the USA. Then the Antichrist must come from NORTH of Israel which leaves Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, or Russia. There is absolutely no Scriptural evidence that he comes from Russia even when you take things as allegorically as possible which leaves Lebanon, Syria & Turkey. Ancient Tyrus is modern day Lebanon which leads us into his next name, “The Assyrian.” If you check your old Bible maps all 3 of the aforementioned countries were part of the ancient Assyrian empire.
“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,” (Daniel 7:25). Several times throughout the Book of Daniel the Antichrist is shown to blaspheme God and even raise himself up to be equal to God (Daniel 7:8, 11, 20, 11:36). The New Testament confirms exactly the same thing about the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:4, Revelation 13:5-8).
As we discovered before the teachings of the Quran and Allah’s prophet Mohammed both blasphemed Jesus by claiming that He was NOT God’s Son, nor Savior, nor went to the Cross, was not resurrected and called Him a liar. Both go on to say that Islam is the only path to Salvation and that Mohammed is Allah’s greatest messenger. The Islamic Mahdi—who will be a Muslim’s Muslim—will do exactly the same in the attempt to deceive Christians to cast off their faith. Backing him up will be the Islamic “Jesus” who will preach that he was the Jesus of the Bible and that he lied about being God’s Son and has thrown HIS lot in with Islam.
“And shall intend to change times and laws.” (Daniel 7:25). Islamic theology makes it clear that Madhi and Muslim Jesus establish a Caliphate—a Muslim empire—that will rule the world. A Caliphate (Islamic Empire) is to the Muslims as the Vatican is to Catholics. The Caliph (a person) is to the Muslims as the Pope is to the Catholics.
There has not been a Caliphate or Caliph since 1924 when the Ottoman Empire fell.
Islam has its own set of laws called “Sharia Law” which all Muslims are supposed to live by and Sharia Law will become the rule of the Islamic Empire, replacing any other laws and rules nations may have established. Time wise most of the world operates by the Gregorian Calendar which includes B.C. and A.D. The Muslims, however, operate by a different calendar called “Hijrah” and year 1 for them was 622 A.D. when Mohammed immigrated from Mecca to Medina. Thus 2010 A.D. for us is 1431 Hijrah or H for Muslims. Mahdi will force anyone in his empire to come under this calendar.
“He shall regard neither the gods of his fathers . . . nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.” (Daniel 11:37). Some translations say “God of his fathers” which led many to falsely believe Antichrist must be Jewish since the word “god” is singular. The Hebrew word used here, however, is “elohiym” which is PLURAL—gods and NOT “God.” Thus it should read “he (Antichrist) shall not regard the gods of his fathers.” Before, Mohammed and the Arabs worshipped 360 gods and Allah was the Moon God (thus the crescent moon on the Islamic flag). Mohammed came along and declared all the other gods to be false and that Allah was alone in his godhood (Tawhid). Thus Mohammed “did not regard the gods of his fathers” and neither shall Antichrist-Madhi.
Antichrist-Madhi will also be possessed by Satan-Allah and thus he follows the same pattern Satan has since he was still in Heaven—he wants to replace and be God. Wants others to worship him as God . . . it’s the same old same old with Satan just likes it’s always been.
In the same chapter and verse (Daniel 11:37) Antichrist is said to not regard the desires of women. This short part of the verse has puzzled prophecy buffs for years including myself. I was told this would mean 1 of 3 things: that Antichrist was homosexual, asexual, or that he cared nothing for the desires of Jewish women who want to birth the Messiah.
I immediately rejected the last as soon as I heard it because it was too much a stretch. I concluded it must mean one of the first two, although neither of those options sat well with me.
Earlier we mentioned that it would be Islamic Sharia Law, which the Antichrist-Madhi will impose. Sharia Law is VERY oppressive & denigrating toward women and was created by Mohammed. For example, Sharia Law dictates that it takes 2 women to testify against 1 man in Islamic court because Mohammed said women only have half a brain. If a Muslim wife disrespects her husband in any way he must bring her through a 3 step process of reconciliation. 1) Verbally admonish her. If that doesn’t work then 2) Deny her in the bedroom. No, ladies, I’m not kidding . . . Allah says this punishes YOU! If that terrible consequence doesn’t do the trick then 3) BEAT HER. (Surah 4:34) “Moderate” translations of the Quran ADD to that last command words like “lightly” or “with a toothpick” but the original says nothing of the kind.
A Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man, although a Muslim man can and is encouraged to marry non-Muslim women. If a Muslim wife commits adultery on her Muslim husband, she is to have her head cut off or be stoned to death. In case you think that only applied back in Mohammed’s day, think again. In the USA, in Buffalo, NY in 2009 a “moderate” Muslim man named Muzzammil “Mo” Hassan discovered his wife wanted a divorce and beheaded her. It made all the news. What was shocking was this man had formerly been hailed by the media as a moderate non-terrorist Muslim, because right after 9/11/2001 he made a series of videos and started his own TV station, for the sole purpose of introducing Islam to the West. He proclaimed himself to be a “bridge-builder” between Islam and the USA and he wanted to portray a non-terrorist, non-violent image of Islam.
Last but not least only Muslim men are given the “perks” of going to Paradise. The 72 virgins everyone talks about are special women created by Allah himself, but here is what the media never tells you, but it’s in the Quran: these 72 are buxom AND they don’t have personalities. (Surah 78:31). No wants or needs except to please the man to whom they’ve been assigned. Do you truly wonder why so many young Muslim men with their whole lives ahead of them, are willing to blow themselves up?
Some of you are asking why there are female suicide bombers then— what motivates them? FEAR. First is this: Mohammed told his men that Allah gave him a vision of Hell and, quote, “it was full of women.” This should scare any true believing Muslim woman that too many of her gender obviously fall short of doing enough good works, to earn paradise. Remember what the Quran says is the ONLY guarantee to paradise—Shahid: martyrdom in the cause of Allah. Keep something in mind as well: if a Muslim woman has premarital sex or is raped Sharia Law says to kill her. These women are given a choice: be stoned to death, or attach bombs to their bodies, and blow themselves up in a crowd of Jews, to redeem her soul and bring honor back to her family (who have been publicly shamed because of her sin).
Is there any doubt that Antichrist-Madhi, a Muslim’s muslim, will “not regard the desires of women”?
Daniel 8:25, Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 13 all state the Antichrist-Madhi will be deceptive and will successfully deceive many, even the “very elect” as Jesus put it. Although the Quran says lying is a sin, the context is one Muslim lying to another. There are 3 Islamic terms we need to define: “Kitman,” “Taqiyya,” and “Hudna.”
Kitman and Taqiyya or “holy hypocrisy” (as Muslims call it) are very similar in that they both mean to conceal one’s Islamic faith to a non-Muslim, and this deception includes speaking lies and spreading disinformation in any form. Taqiyya is more precise in that this deception is for the purpose of self-preservation of life or reputation, and also includes hiding one’s intentions especially if they’re hostile. This is why terrorists live and work in the USA until one day they're caught in a plot to blow something up.
To be fair a moderate Muslim will claim this is only a theology practiced among Shiite Muslims, or others who are more fundamentalist . . . the Mahdi-Antichrist will be as fundamentalist as one can get! As we’ll cover in a moment, the Madhi-Antichrist starts off as a man of false peace, who may even play down or deny his Islamic faith to deceive Israel and the West….
(I know what some of you are thinking right now. A picture of Obama sprung up in your minds especially for the fact that he spent much time denying that he took on any of his father’s Muslim beliefs, and also the fact that he just won the Nobel Peace Prize. I do not believe at this time that Obama is the Mahdi-Antichrist, and one reason for that is that according to his birth certificate he was born in Kenya, Africa which is SOUTH of Israel and Madhi will come from the NORTH of Israel.)
Again we see the opposite nature of Christianity vs. Islam—Jesus tells us that our love and faith in Him should be the LIGHT of the world for ALL to see (Matthew 5). 11 of the 12 disciples were martyred because they would not conceal nor deny their love for Christ even in the face of torture and death. The one who lived, John, was exiled to the prison isle of Patmos for life because he would not renounce Jesus. Hundreds of thousands have been martyred since that time for exactly the same reason (Hebrews 11:35-38). Jesus told us that whoever proclaims His name publically before others that He (Jesus) will proclaim before His Father and all the angels . . . but whoever denies His name before others will be denied by Jesus in Heaven (Matthew 10:32-33).
“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week, He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.” (Daniel 9:27). “Hudna” springs off Kitman and Taqiyya but is based on TREATIES with non-Muslims and Hudna states that a treaty with infidels does NOT have to be honored and should be kept a max of 10 years. This time frame gives the Muslims time to gather money and military power, to finally break the treaty and militarily attack those they formerly had a treaty with.
An excellent example is provided by Mohammed himself in the Hadith. When he first came to Medina he and his new followers were not powerful enough to take the city by force . . . so he made a peace treaty with them that was supposed to last 10 years. Within a few years after going on many raids his coffers increased and so did his number of followers. When he was finally powerful enough he broke the treaty and his army rode into the city and took it by force.
In 1993 Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for signing a 7 year peace treaty with Israel called the Oslo accords. When asked by the media if he was going to grant Israel peace Arafat replied “I will give them the same peace Mohammed gave at Medina.” Hudna! He was biding his time. Since then there have been over a 100 “cease fires” agreed to by the PLO, Fatah and Hamas all of which those terrorist organizations always break.
In the current day do not be surprised if Iran agrees to “peace” with the West over its nuclear arms goals. That “peace” will be totally false and act to buy them time to develop a fully operational warhead they can use to destroy Israel. Hudna! The Kitman and Taqiyya they continually use is to tell us what we want to hear and in their own country say “Death to Israel! Death to America!”
As far as the End Times are concerned and the final 7 year covenant he confirms, many believe it will be between the Jews and Arabs over creating a Palestinian State further dividing up the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. It’s also speculated that the “hook” for the Jews will be the building of their Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Islamic theology states that Madhi will sign a 7 year peace agreement between Muslims and “the Romans” (which symbolizes the West) and that a Jew will preside over the confirmation process. According to Scripture antichrist breaks the treaty at mid “week” (3.5 years into it) and then begins a military conquest against the Jews and Christians of the world which is exactly the historical pattern & prophetic theology of Islam End Times. Again: another of MANY theological coincidences between the Antichrist and Islamic Mahdi.
Daniel 11:38 shows that Antichrist “honors the god of forces” and Revelation 13:4 shows people amazed at his military power/aggression saying “who can make war with the Beast and possibly win?”
In the Quran Allah demands war against unbelievers (Surah 9:124) and especially against Jews and Christians (Surah 9:29). Other “war” verses are Surah 5:34, 9:73, 123 & 191. The Mahdi & Muslim “Jesus” are predicted in Islamic End Times theology to make war on all those who do not convert to Islam and crush them.
Daniel 7:21, 25, 9:27, & Revelation 13 make it clear Mahdi-Antichrist makes war on the saints and PREVAILS against them. Several of the minor prophets of the Old Testament along with heavy hitters like Ezekiel and Isaiah (along with Daniel, of course) speak of great persecution of Jews by Antichrist. Jesus brings this same persecution up in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, telling the Jews to flee to the wilderness as soon as Madhi-Antichrist sets up the Abomination of Desolation in the Jewish Temple (the mysterious “image of the Beast.”) Deliverance doesn’t come until the end, when Christ returns and fights the Mahdi-Antichrist.
Islamic theology includes this militaristic persecution & conquest! Again Allah commands war against Jews & Christians (Surah 9:29) and Islamic theology states this will happen worldwide in the final 7 years.
“Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god” (Daniel 11:39). This verse is fascinating because it clearly shows that Antichrist will have OPPOSITION even before Christ returns from the “strongest” nations, who also worship a different God than his. My hope and prayer is that the USA is one of these nations and it could very well be. Back in Genesis God Himself prophesied over Ishmael and his descendents (the Arabs) that “he will be a wild man, his hand would be against every man and every man’s hand against him” (Genesis 16:12). Again, Islamic End Times theology states Mahdi will fight against all unbelievers in the attempt to convert them to Islam and establish a worldwide Islamic order.
In the previous chapters we discovered a major revelation that blew away previous erroneous teachings: that the Antichrist, the False Prophet and the final world empire a.k.a. “The Beast” will all be Islamic. We discovered that Islam has its own version of the End Times and they await the coming of The Mahdi—the Islamic Messiah—who will establish a Caliphate, and begin to convert the entire world to Islam. Alongside him is who the Quran calls “Isa,” also known as Muslim Jesus, who will return at the same time as Mahdi, and declare to the world that he lied about being God’s Son. He will then join with Mahdi in “evangelizing” the world for Islam. At the end of 7 years, Isa will fight the Dajjal—whom they admit is the Jewish Messiah coming in the clouds to rescue Israel. According to Islamic theology Isa kills the Dajjal and then Islam rules the entire world.
We compare the Islamic Mahdi and the Biblical Antichrist side by side, and discovered that only the Mahdi fulfills all the characteristics & actions of the Antichrist. We proved that he will NOT come out of the European Union as previously taught.
In this chapter we’ll delve into the mysterious figure known in the Book of Revelation as “The False Prophet.” In Revelation chapter 13:11-17 it says:
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Revelation calls this man “The False Prophet” (16:13, 19:20 & 20:10). Let’s review what Revelation 13 lists as the characteristics of the False Prophet:
1) | Comes “up out of the earth.” |
2) | Has 2 horns and resembles a lamb. |
3) | Speaks like a dragon. |
4) | Exercises great authority in Islam & the Caliphate. |
5) | Causes people to convert to Islam. |
6) | Performs “signs” such as calling “fire” from the sky to strike the |
earth. | |
7) | Deceives people with these signs, causing them to convert to |
Islam and “make an image” to worship. | |
8) | Creates the famous “Mark of the Beast” that people must take to |
prove their loyalty. |
Remember: Islam has all the same characters in its end times theology as Christians do—they just twist them around to make evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). We’ve already established that their Messiah—the Mahdi—is our Antichrist. Who is the Mahdi’s right hand man? Isa, or the Muslim Jesus! I believe that Isa is The False Prophet of Revelation and I will give you Scripture to back up my position. Before we continue you should have already seen that Satan takes all of the truths of the Scripture and twists them as he’s always done, which can lead to confusion. His twisting and distortions contain enough “fact” to possibly deceive the very elect. The best liars are not those who tell all lies all the time, but those who use facts and truth, and twist them. Let us now take the 8 characteristics of the False Prophet from Revelation 13 and go through them one by one.
According to Islamic End Times theology, one of the first signs of Judgment Day—LISTEN NOW
“And when the word shall come to pass against them (non-Muslims), We shall bring forth for them a Beast from the earth that shall wound (speak to) them, because people did not believe our revelations.” (Quran 27:82).
Another translation says “speak” instead of “wound” so in other words, this “Beast” will rebuke non-Muslims for not believing that the Quran is the final revelation of Allah and Mohammed his last and best Messenger (Prophet). Here’s a quote from Mohammed himself about this event:
“The first of the signs that will come is the rising of the sun from its place of setting and the emergence of the Beast upon the people. Whichever of these 2 occurs before then the other is right behind it.” (Hadith—Abdullah-b-Umar, Sahih Muslim).
Remember the first thing Isa—Muslim Jesus—will do when he returns, is to declare that he lied about being the son of God, convert to Islam by declaring that there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger. Then he will rebuke the Christians for calling him God’s son and call upon them to convert to Islam or die. Let those who have ears hear! Remember the first Islamic Beast kingdom (Revelation 13:1) is spoken of as coming out of the Sea, meaning the Islamic nations around Israel, but the false prophet is described as “coming up out of the earth” (Revelation 13:11). When this verse speaks about the earth, it can also be translated as “the Land,” meaning the land of Israel. So whereas the first Islamic Beast kingdom comes from the Islamic gentile nations around Israel “the sea,” a second Islamic Beast Kingdom, rises from the Land of Israel “the earth,” ruled by the False Prophet. By extension this could easily refer to a new Palestinian Kingdom, which rises from the conquered parts of Jerusalem and Israel.
Its two horns, could also describe Fatah and Hamas, who both want to rule Israel. The false Prophet (Isa -Muslim Jesus) will be seen as a religious leader such as an Imam or Ayatollah. And may rise from Israel or Palestine.
The real Jesus Christ is called The Lamb 29 times in the New Testament. The False Prophet resembles a lamb which led many in the past—myself included—to conclude this man was a Christian, who falls away from the faith and sides with Antichrist. One of the prime candidates for years was whomever the Catholic Pope will be when Antichrist makes his debut and many still believe this.
We now see this as patently false in light of the new revelations God has opened up to us in these Last Days, unless that last Catholic Pope converts to radical Islam which is highly unlikely. The false god Allah,
a.k.a. Satan will produce someone who will claim to be the Jesus of the New Testament and who that is I know not. What I do know is that he will impersonate Jesus, the Lamb. Notice the description in Revelation 13:11—he has 2 horns . . . lambs don’t have horns! This shows us the false, deceptive nature of this man who is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That he’s pretending to be a lamb, when in fact he’s a goat (and remember the goats are those who never had any love or compassion for “the least of these my brethren” (Matthew 25:31-46) signifying Jews and Christians and that most certainly is the case in fundamental and even moderate Islam.)
The Dragon is Satan (Revelation chapters 12, 13, 16 & 20) and the reason the False Prophet speaks like Satan, is because he’s a liar like Satan is (John 8:44). Remember that Islam takes the truth of God & Jesus and calls it blasphemy and falsehood. They deny Jesus is Son of God, Savior & Messiah. They deny He went to the Cross and died for our sins and that He was raised from the dead. These lies are right from the mouth of the Dragon himself, who has always sought to undermine Christ and all of His works. The Dragon is the originator of calling evil good and good evil. The False Prophet will continue this work as he worships the Dragon.
Let’s do a side by side comparison of the names & characteristics of Satan vs. those of Allah. Almost any copy of the Quran contains the 99 “Beautiful” names of Allah. Some seem quite godly and divine such as “Merciful” and “Compassionate” but others carry a much darker meaning.
Lucifer | Allah | |
Means “shining” one. (Isaiah 14:12). | Also means “shining” one (Quran 24:35) | |
Known as “morning” or “dawn” star (Isaiah 14:12) Angels & Demons frequently called “stars” in Bible. | Is called a star and Lord of the Dawn (morning) (Quran 24:35, 114:1-3). Also called “The Star of Sirius” (Quran 53:49). | |
Extremely Prideful (Isaiah 10:12 & Ezekiel 28:2). Note that pride is a SIN in Scripture (Romans 1:30, 2 Tim 3:2 & James 4:6). | Called “The Most Proud One” and “One Filled with Pride.” Al-Muqtadir | |
Called “god of this world” [surface] (John 12:35, 2 Cor 4:4, & Revelation 11:4) and that of “the bottomless pit” [underworld] (Revelation 9:11). | Called “Lord of the worlds” (meaning both surface and underworlds). | |
Called “prince of the power of the AIR” (Ephesians 2:2) and “ruler of darkness in high places” [the sky] (Ephesians 6:12). | Called “Lord of the wind.” | |
Called ruler & lord over demons (Matthew 12:24 & Rev 9:11). | Called “Lord of the Demons.” (Quran 69:43, 51:56, 114:1) and is SERVED by demons (79:1). | |
Demons follow Lucifer and are his allies (Matthew 12:25-26 & Rev 9:11). Note: demons are ENEMIES of God and His OPPOSITION (Matthew 13:39, Luke 10:19 & Acts 13:10). | Demons follow Allah and are his allies (Quran 72:13). | |
Knows the Bible & twists it | Knows the Bible and wrote his own |
(Genesis 3, Matthew 4 & Luke 4) | version (the Quran) where he took |
and is fighting against its truths | truth of Jesus & Scriptures and |
and prophecies to achieve his | twisted them. Created new scenario |
own goals. Knows Jesus will be | where he wins in the end. DEMONS |
victorious, that he (Lucifer) will | believe Quran is inspired word |
lose and is angry about it | (Quran 72:1-8). |
(Revelation 12:12). | |
No repentance for Satan or his demons—the destiny of every last one of them in the Lake of Fire (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:10). Have no DESIRE to repent—there is no truth or light in them whatsoever (John 8:44). | Some demons repent and convert to worship of Allah, Islam, and acknowledging Mohammed as Prophet of Allah (Quran 72:1-13). |
Called Destroyer & Murderer (John 8:44, Malachi 3:11). Causer of disease and affliction (Luke 13:16, Acts 10:38). Note: The REAL God is a Healer, a Deliverer, a Father and a Savior! | Called “Al-Darr” which means “Afflicter & Causer of Harm.” Also “Creator of Suffering.” |
Creator of evil & darkness from | Creator of evil and darkness but |
whom we need to be delivered | Muslims urged to seek refuge in the |
from (Matthew 6:13—“deliver us | same one who creates the evil and |
from the evil one.”) | darkness to escape evil and darkness (not a joke).[Quran 114:13] |
Some of the other Names of Allah include Al-Mudhell, The Giver of Dishonour. Al-Mumit, The Bringer of Death, The Destroyer (which is the exact name Apollyon in Revelation 9:11.) Allah is also called
Al-Mu'akhir, The Great Deceiver (Satan is the Deceiver in Rev. 12:9)
If that’s not enough to convince you and for some of you it won’t be, I saved the best for last: the Mac Daddy of them all. Are you ready? (next Chapter)
The god Allah existed before Islam did, when the Arabs were polytheistic. He was 1 of 360 gods and was known as “the god of the crescent moon.” Allah is also called “the morning/dawn star” as we saw in the chart above which completes the symbolism of
the Islamic flag.
When Mohammed came along he declared the other 359 gods to be false and there was only Allah.
Satan was called “Bel,” (Isaiah 46:1, Jeremiah 50:2, 51:44) “Baal,” (Numbers 22:41, Judges 2:13, Romans 11:4) and “Baal-zebub” (Matthew 12:27) in both Old Testament and New Testament. They’re all the same name and mean the same thing. Bel, Baal & Baal-zebub is the cult of the crescent moon and Bel/Baal/Baalzebub is the MOON GOD. The origin of Bel was Babylon. When Gideon defeated the Satanic Midianites upon God’s command, his last act was the tear the crescent symbols off the camel’s necks to show the dominance and victory of the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob over Satan (Judges 8:21). Psalm 83 tells exactly what nations Jesus fights when He returns, ALL of which are Muslim in modern times. It specifically states that He will do the same to them as Gideon did to Midian and its leaders . . . in other words, just as Gideon tore down the Satanic symbol of the crescent moon so will Jesus tear down the Satanic crescent moon & star symbols all over the Middle East! Islamic End Times theology takes this truth and twists it: they have Isa – a Muslim Jesus, returning and tearing down all the CROSSES on earth.
Now read slowly and carefully: Satan’s name is called Lucifer which we get from Isaiah 14:12. “Lucifer” is the English translation of a Hebrew word which is “heylel” or “hilal” (Strong’s Hebrew Concordance, H1966)
He is described as Son of the Dawn (or Morning). In Hebrew, the words translated are Heylel Ben Shachar. What is even more fascinating however is that the word Heylel, which is translated in the King James as Lucifer is also found in Arabic, having a nearly identical meaning. Most specifically:
Hilal in Arabic means Crescent Moon.
When we put the whole phrase together Heylel Ben Shachar, it simply means Crescent Moon, son of the Morning Star or the Dawn—or in simpler terms, a crescent moon with a star lingering over it. Of course, this has come to be the very symbol of Allah and Islam. Yet Isaiah portrays the crescent moon and star to graphically depicts Lucifer himself.
Nearly every Islamic flag carries this symbol, as does nearly every mosque brandish this symbol on the pinnacle of its dome and/or its minarets. Consider the implications of this then: the very description that the Bible uses to describe Satan, Islam applies to itself.
This really shouldn’t surprise you. Satan wants to be God and he wants to be worshipped. For him this is what it’s all been about since he originally rebelled in Heaven and it’s what his goal is here in these Last Days. Mohammed—the first false prophet and form of Antichrist— spoke and wrote (the Quran) with the mouth of the Dragon. Both the Mahdi and Isa during the Tribulation will “speak like a dragon” because they worship the Dragon as well.
Not surprisingly then, one particular Quranic narrative contains several of the very same elements that we find in the biblical account of the fall of Lucifer or Satan. In the Quranic surah entitled Qadr, (power or fate), we find a passage that speaks directly of the dawn—when the angelic host came down from heaven. Let’s look at the Quranic passage that describes the Night of Vision:
“We have sent it to thee in the Night of Vision, what do you know of this Night of Vision. The Night of Vision is better than a thousand months. The angelic hosts descend [to earth] in it with the Spirit by command of their Lord. Peace shall it be until the rising of the Dawn (Morning star).” —Surah 97:1-5
Paralleling the biblical narrative, we have:
According to Islamic tradition, this event occurred on the 27th day of the month of Ramadan. It was then that Muhammad allegedly had his encounter with the “angel” who revealed the Quran. Ramadan is the same month during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, basing the fasting season on the appearance of the moon. These words, in fact, parallel Scripture regarding Satan (the Dawn) being cast out of heaven, and taking one third of the angels with him.
Isaiah 14:12-14: For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
It may also be interesting to note that the very sin of Lucifer in this passage as defined by the phrase uttered in his heart; “I will ascend… I will be like the Most High.” The word for ascend or rising in Hebrew is “Alah,” (Strongs Hebrew Greek Ditionary H5927 A primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or active (mount). And of course its the name used by Muslims for God.
In the same way that Allah has laid claim to the title of Almighty God of the universe, despite the fact that he is simply an Arabian moon god, so also Lucifer’s desire was and is to be exalted as an equal to God Almighty. And so as if the divine hint found in the word Heylel, meaning both Lucifer and Crescent Moon is not enough, so also in the very same passage—the use of the word Alah for Lucifer’s sin of ascending or rising to take God’s place—may indeed be another prophetic hint, unveiling the identity of that ancient and very evil being hiding behind the title of Allah. And so we may very well expect to see the very flag of Islam, with the Crescent Moon symbol featuring prominently on it, as the very banner of the revived Islamic Beast Empire. Will the final Antichrist Empire march under the flag of Lucifer? This then may be the Image of the Beast.
Other translations call the abomination the “awful horror ” and described it as being placed on the pinnacle of the temple.
Daniel 9:27 The Awful Horror will be placed on the highest point of the Temple and will remain there until the one who put it there meets the end which God has prepared for him."
When a country takes over another, the first thing they do, is erect their flag and the symbols of their empire. Muslims have been renown for converting Churches into Mosques in the middle east, and the symbol of their desecration has been none other than the crescent moon, erected on its pinnacle. When this happens to God’s Temple it will be the Greatest Abomination, for it is a representation of Lucifer. However this “Abomination” which is placed in God’s Temple, may be linked to something else already worshiped by every Muslim around the world, but we’ll discuss that a bit later.
The False Prophet -Isa will be the right hand man of Madhi-Antichrist according to the Bible, the Quran, and the Hadith. Take modern Iran for instance: Ahmadinijead is the “President” but Ayatollah Khameni is “Supreme Leader” and holds almost as much authority. Isa is placed in charge of Mahdi’s armies, for example, and he is the one who fights against the Dajjal in Armageddon.
According to both Christian and Islamic theology, the False prophet -Isa will cause many to convert to Islam. Remember that when Isa returns he preaches to the world that he is the same Jesus of the Bible and that he lied about being Allah’s son (or that people misinterpreted what he really said). He will call upon all Christians to renounce the whole “Son of God & Savior” thing, and convert to the one true religion of Islam. He will then set forth and begin tearing down all the crosses in the Middle East. Along with false miracles that Scripture says he will perform, many will convert.
The False Prophet -Isa will be able to perform signs and miracles, even to call down “fire” from the sky.
When some see these miracles they will believe he is the real Jesus and will convert to Islam. The False Prophet -Isa then sets up the mysterious “image of the Beast” that the converts will worship. More on all this later….
In the last Chapter we identified some characteristics of The False Prophet and what actions he will take when he comes. We posited that he may very well be Isa—the Muslim version of Jesus—who will return in the Last Days to form the Mark and Image of the Beast. We compared Lucifer to Allah and were clearly shown they are one and the same.
In this chapter we discuss the Beast—the final empire that will be in place when Christ returns.
The traditional view of The Beast is that he and the Antichrist are one and same . . . but Scripture shows the Beast to be MORE than that. While the Antichrist is most certainly part of the Beast—the Head, if you will—the Beast represents the final world empire the Antichrist will be ruling over. Revelation chapter 13:1-10 says:
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
The key to unlocking the mysteries of Revelation is the Old Testament where many of the symbols we see in Revelation are explained. Some chapters of Revelation explain others and in this case—chapter 17 gives us some interpretation into the verses of chapter 13 we just read. Let’s take Revelation 13 verses 1-10 verse by verse with Old Testament references. Keep in mind the context of the Beast—it’s not a person but an empire and its peoples. Remember the Bible is Israel and specifically Jerusalem centric . . . not Europe centric. Thus when Scripture talks about “Greece” or “Rome” it refers to the eastern blocs of these empires both of which ruled over different places in the Middle East at one time. For example, the Headquarters of Alexander the Great was not Athens, in Greece, but Babylon, Iraq and his conquering trail took him EAST and not West. The Eastern bloc of the Roman empire—also called the Byzantine Empire—mostly consisted of the Middle East whose Headquarters was in Constantinople (now called Istanbul), Turkey and not Rome, Italy. We must remember this when we attempt to interpret Scripture.
Verse 1: “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.”
THE SEA: a Hermeneutical symbol, “sea” and “water” often represents multitudes of people and that’s absolutely the case here. In other words, the Beast will rise up out of a particular group of people that we need to identify in order to understand where this Empire will be.
7 HEADS: The 7 heads represent 7 major empires (Revelation 17:9— “mountains” are hermeneutically nations/empires) as follows and in this order: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece (eastern section), Rome (eastern section) and the Islamic Empire.
10 HORNS: the 10 horns represent the 10 nations which will rule over the final empire.
10 CROWNS: the 10 crowns will be the ten kings/rulers over the 10 aforementioned nations.
BLASPHEMOUS NAME: The name on the heads of the Beast is against God and Christ which is what makes it blasphemous. I believe this blasphemous name is “Allahu Akbar” -“Allah is Greater,” meaning greater than other gods. This is an affront to the true God, for Allah is claiming to be “Greater” than the true God Jehovah. Allahu Akbar is found on almost every Muslim Country’s Crest, this is why God describes it as written across the heads of the Beast.
Verse 2: “Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.”
The interpretation of the 3 animals below are given in Daniel chapter 7.
LEOPARD = Greece/Ionia, the Eastern section of the Empire which is TURKEY/IRAQ.
BEAR = Medo-Persia which is IRAN/KURDISTAN.
LION = Babylon which is IRAQ.
THE DRAGON = Satan.
From verses 1 & 2 here is what we can conclude about the lineage of the nations and people that the final world empire will contain: they are ALL Middle Eastern Arabs & Turks. No Europeans. Religious wise ALL of the aforementioned nations are currently Muslim.
The Beast is the empire of the Devil and that’s where it gets all of its power, rulership and authority. It’s the tool of the Devil that he uses on earth in the attempt to achieve his goal . . . what’s the goal of the Devil? To be God & to be worshipped as God! For every last soul on the planet to pledge allegiance to him instead of Jesus.
Verse 3: “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.”
Remembering that the “heads” of the Beast represent empires, one of the empires is dealt a DEATH blow which is what it means to be “mortally wounded” but then that wound is HEALED. Let’s address and reject another traditional teaching of verse 3 which is that during his reign on earth the Antichrist will receive a mortal wound to his head and be resurrected from the dead, by Satan. This is patently false because Satan is the master of death (John 8:44, Hebrews 2:14) and only Jesus has the power of resurrection and life (John 11:25). To say that Satan has resurrection powers is to say that he can offer eternal life. We also know, once again, that The Beast represents not a single man but rather Satan’s system of government and religion of which the Antichrist is only one part of.
To get back to our point, one of the 7 empires has already been dealt a death blow and therefore should have been gone forever but instead will be healed, i.e. BROUGHT BACK to rise to power again. Which of the 7 will it be, when was it mortally wounded and when will it return? We fast forward to Revelation 17:9-11 to further our understanding: “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.”
Again we draw upon Hermeneutics which is the field of proper Biblical interpretation to understand that “mountains” mean nations/empires and not literal mountains. Thus as we’ve already stated, the 7 Heads of the Beast are 7 empires and in the time of John and the writing of Revelation (around 95 A.D.) we’re told “5 (of the empires) have fallen, one IS, and the other has not yet come (is in John’s future).”
In 95 A.D. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece had already fallen (were in the past and defeated). The one that was in power at the time was Rome and the one that was yet to come in John’s future was the Islamic empire. The end of verse 10 says “and when he comes, he must continue a short time” clearly referring to the Islamic empire that was in John’s future and the “he” is Mohammed who started that religion and empire. The context of verse 11 is that of verse 10: the 7th head of the Beast—the Islamic empire—is the one which is mortally wounded and becomes the EIGHTH head (empire) which Jesus will eventually cast into the Lake of Fire at His Second Coming (Daniel 7:11, Revelation 19:20).
Why does the 7th head become an 8th head? The first Islamic empire started with Mohammed around 632 A.D. and lasted all the way until 1924 as the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
Following the dictates of the Quran and Mohammed, the goal of the Muslim Caliphate was to convert the entire world to Islam through Jihad—verbal invitation first and if turned down, then by the sword. The Muslim armies invaded Europe and pushed their way west all the way to France. The decisive battle that stopped them from the total takeover of Europe and the destruction of the Christian faith was the Battle of Tours or Poitiers in 732 A.D. in France. Charles Martel turned the tide of the Muslim invasion which until then had been virtually unstoppable. For more info. go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tours
In 1924 the British dealt “the mortal wound” to the 7th head of the Beast when it took down the Turkish Ottoman Empire. It dismantled the Caliphate and the office of the Caliph and Islam was without both for the first time in 1400 years. Again: the Caliphate is to the Muslims what the Vatican is to the Catholics and the Caliph is to Muslims what the Pope is to Catholics. After this event Turkey became a republic instead of an empire.
Apart from the biblical interpretation that the seven heads of the beast are Egypt, Assyria Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Islam.
There is something else quite astounding, Islam itself has had seven Caliphates, and is a seven headed beast of its own, the last being the Ottoman Caliphate, which wounded the beast to death.
The Islamic 7th head of the Beast—at some point in our near future— will be revived (healed) and will reform. This Caliphate (the Beast) along with its Caliph (the Antichrist) is what is thrown into the Lake of Fire by Jesus at the Second Coming. Thus a MAJOR sign that Christ’s return is near, even at the doors, is to look for the reestablishment of the Islamic Caliphate and the office of the Caliph (who will likely be the Antichrist). Most every Muslim wants this and efforts have already been made toward this end.
SIDE NOTE: if Islam is a religion of peace that’s been “hijacked” by extremists as we’re often told, then why aren’t the “moderate” Muslims speaking out against the extremists? Since the 9/ 11 attack where are the moderate Muslim groups demonstrating in the streets against the Taliban for the bad representation its giving them? Why aren’t they going on national TV and speaking out against suicide bombers, condemning their actions and proclaiming that this is not true Islam?
I can tell you right now: if self-proclaimed Christians were blowing up buildings and/or attaching bombs to themselves and self-detonating in crowds of women and children I would be the first to speak out against them and their actions. I will speak right now that Tim McVeigh and his actions were ungodly and deplorable (he claimed to blow up the OK federal building for God). When the KKK burns crosses in people’s yards that is a blatantly anti-Christian act and they should be punished to the full extent of the law. The “Christian” man who murdered abortion Dr. Tiller committed a sin and is not a hero in any way, shape or form but is a murderer, pure and simple.
Romans 16:17: Jesus made it clear that we’re to love one another and even love those we consider to be enemies, praying for and doing good to them (Matthew 5:41-43). Any who takes on an “eye for an eye” theology is not a real Christian and is in direct rebellion against Jesus Christ. It’s the duty of real Christian to mark them as they are causing division and teaching/doing false doctrine.
Thus after we’re told again and again that true Islam is peace we waited—and are still waiting—for an outcry amongst peaceful Muslims against bin-Laden, Hamas, Hezbollah and suicide bombings . . . but they are FEW and far between at best. Why? The first reason is fear: when a Muslim speaks out against the radical elements in his religion he’s considered an apostate by them and his death is ordered. The second reason is the lack of a Caliphate and Caliph. Why? Only the Caliphate/Caliph can authorize Jihad. Since this office doesn’t exist yet, bin Laden and others who have declared Jihad on Israel and America are operating out from under proper Islamic authority. They’ve “gone rogue” if you will.
WHEN the Caliphate is reestablished and a Caliph steps into that position all “moderate” Muslims will be forced to make a choice. Why? If the Antichrist is the Caliph—and he most likely will be—he will be as fundamentalist as they get. For the first 3.5 years of the last 7 he will indulge in Kitman & Taqiyya—he will conceal his true intentions and the depth of his fanaticism to the world and pretend to be a man of peace. He will use Hudna—make false “peace” treaties with Israel and the West. Daniel and Revelation both say he will break his treaties 3.5 years into the last 7 and there will be no more concealment and deception about his intentions or beliefs.
He will make MILITARY war upon Jews and Christians and Scripture says he will OVERCOME them (ouch). The moderate Muslims of the world will be forced to make a black and white choice as the Caliph-Antichrist will declare open Jihad upon Israel and the West. He will force everyone in the Middle East to take his mark and/or worship him/his image. He will call upon Muslims all across the world to do the same. The moderates will either side with him completely or death sentences will be pronounced upon them—there’s no middle ground or sitting on the fence. The hope is that Scripture says some Muslims will recognize Jesus as Savior and convert, praise be to God! Any in the Middle East who do so will most likely be martyred via beheadings, as the Islamic sentence upon a Muslim who converts to Christianity is death and this assassination is to be carried out by FAMILY members according to Sharia Law. Why do you think that Jesus said of those Last Days:
Mark 13:12: Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
This verse never made any sense to me until I understood Islamic Sharia Law…again I remind you that the Bible is Jerusalem-Israel-Middle Eastern centric and not USA centric. The vast majority of the events taking place in the End Times are there and not here. I watched an end times movie once—that took place in the USA of course— where a teenage son turns his dad into the authorities for converting to Christianity and not taking the Mark of the Beast. Even though my understanding was the same as that of the movie makers, I was troubled by this scenario because it did not ring true in my spirit.
The news here is good and bad: some Muslims will reject the Mahdi-Antichrist and recognize that Jesus is the only way. The minute they do their own family members are required by Sharia Law to kill them as apostates (ones who have fallen away from the faith). Many of these good people will be the Martyrs, we see them in Revelation chapter 6 (the 5th Seal) standing before the Throne of God and asking Him when they will receive justice. Don’t worry, fellow saints, they will get it . . . BIG TIME! Everything works together to good for those who are in Christ.
This also explains something else that always mystified me: Revelation 13 says the Beast not only blasphemes God but “those who dwell in Heaven.” I understand the Beast blaspheming God but “those who dwell in Heaven”? Now I get it: these will be the martyred Saints Revelation already referred to as being in Heaven AND (here’s more Good News) who number in the MILLIONS perhaps BILLIONS (Revelation 7:9). Remembering that the events in Scripture are Middle-Eastern centric I believe many of these martyred Saints will be former Muslims who rejected worship of the Mahdi & his image and refused to take his Mark. Who saw Jesus Christ not as a Prophet but as the Divine Son of God, born of a Virgin, sinless, died on the Cross, raised from the dead, sitting at the right hand of the Father and coming back soon to avenge them!
This will enrage the radical Muslim Antichrist who will behead them for their apostasy and then blaspheme them as unbelievers: “Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.” (Revelation 13:6). Although he doesn’t know it the Antichrist will be cutting off his own head with everyone he kills because they’re all raised up at the Second Coming, to fight alongside Jesus in the final battle against him and the Beast Empire he rules over (Joel 2:1-11, Revelation 19:14).
After that very long side note let’s get back to our focus. Islam the 7th Head of the Beast was dealt a death blow in 1924 by the Christian West ending the 1400 year Caliphate. In these Last Days the Caliphate and office of the Caliph will be reinstated—“the deadly wound will be healed.”
I need to address something in Revelation 13 that has caused many to grossly overstate something, that is, that the Antichrist will form a SUCCESSFUL one world government, one world economy and one world religion. That is his goal, yes, but he will NOT succeed. Even as I was taught this in my early days I had issue because the same teachers who proposed this, would go on to say, that later on in the Tribulation, the Orient (“the Kings of the East”—Revelation 16:12) would gather a 200 million man army AGAINST the European Antichrist. Say what? I recall responding that the Antichrist does not succeed in his one-world government/religion/economy if all the Orient is against him. Does the USA & Australia also come under the Antichrist’s one world system?
Here are the verses that those of the “one-world” scenario rely on:
Revelation 13:3-4: And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
Verses 7-8: And authority was given him (the Beast) over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Seems pretty certain doesn’t it? Going to the Greek reveals something else, however. In chapter 13 verse 3 the Greek word for “world” is “ge” which means “land, soil, region and country; PART of the globe.” (Strong’s G1093). Thus Revelation 13:3 should read “And all the land/region/country marveled and followed the beast….” If you’ve been paying attention, what land/region/country is God talking about? THE MIDDLE EAST. The same exact word is used in verse 8 so that should read “All who dwell in the land/region/country will worship him, whose names have not been written….”
What about verse 7 where authority is given to the beast over “EVERY tribe, tongue and nation”? Ironically the word for “nation” is “ethnos” which means NON-Jewish nations, Gentiles and heathen. Every nation in the Middle East is non-Jewish except Israel. As a matter of fact they’re all Muslim. Antichrist WILL have dominion over all those tribes languages and nations. But also as Caliph of Islam, he will have authority over ever Muslim in every country around the world.
Micah 5:5 refers to Mahdi-Antichrist as “The Assyrian” and prophesies the following for the Last Days: “When the Assyrian comes into our land (Israel), and when he treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princely men.”
The “shepherds” in this case are countries and 7 of the 8 “princely men” are the leaders of those countries. Who is the 8th? Jesus Himself which we discover in verse 6!
Seeing that “2 wings of the eagle” help Israel (Revelation 12:14) against the Antichrist at Mid-Week (3.5 years into Daniel’s last 7 years) I can only hope and pray that the USA is this eagle and will be one of these 7 shepherds and 8 princely men!
The Book of Daniel backs up Micah because one of the things Antichrist will do, is to make war on the strongest nations [fortresses] (Daniel 11:39) and again I can only travail in prayer that the USA who is currently a strong fortress, will be one of those nations. Isaiah 66 speaks of Armageddon and says that “the ships of Tarshish” will come against the Antichrist in a naval attack (verse 19)…examination of Tarshish is Eastern Europe. Islamic End Times theology bolsters these positions by saying Madhi and Isa will make war upon all nations that do not convert to Islam, until the whole globe is Islam in faith, government and commerce.
Arabs are all descended from Ishmael and God prophesied of Ishmael and his children, that their “hand shall be against EVERY man” (Genesis 16:12). Although Madhi-Antichrist will use lies and concealment at first to project himself as someone who unites others for peace, his true colors come out halfway through and his hand will be against most of the world.
When taken in context, with the rest of Scripture, its crystal clear that the region the majority of these events take place will be the Middle East. Although the Muslims in every country will no doubt heed the call of Jihad, trying to bring down the countries of the world from within. At that time the whole world will be involved in warfare, whether its with Islam or other nations is unclear, but God describes a global war in Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 25:29: I will begin my work of destruction in my own city (Jerusalem). Do they (the nations of the world) think they will go unpunished? No, they will be punished, for I am going to send war on all the people on earth. I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken.
Indeed God states that this War with Islam will start in Jerusalem and spread to the entire world, even if its only through internal violence.
The Beast will be strong in that it will have lots of money, manpower and military might. All the Muslim nations of the Middle East will come under the Caliphate and unite (for awhile) under the Mahdi and Isa. Those in that empire will MARVEL [be amazed] after it (Revelation 13:3) because hey: “we finally did it! After 1400 years the glory of the Islamic empire is reborn stronger than ever! The prophecies spoken in the Quran and the Hadith are coming to pass, Allah be praised!” They will worship Allah the Dragon (verse 4) and they will worship Islam [the Beast Empire] and say “what empire is greater than ours and who can stand against us?” (Revelation 13:4).
At mid-week (3.5 years) the Beast is allowed by God to continue for another 3.5 years and at mid-week is when all Kitman, Taqiyya and Hudna come to an end and the Antichrist “comes out of the closet” with his true beliefs and intentions (verses 5-8). He brings the blasphemous Satanic image into the Jewish Temple and commands all to worship it. He institutes the Mark of the Beast which every one must take on his right arm or forehead. Those who refuse to worship the image or take the Mark are beheaded.
Can there be any doubt that the final world empire will be an Islamic Caliphate and NOT the European Union? The last 42 months (3.5 years) of Daniel’s 70th week will be tough on Jews & Christians. Antichrist persecutes them and is victorious over them right up until Jesus returns.
BUT . . . at the Second Coming all the blood of the martyred is avenged when Jesus returns in power and glory, riding a white horse with a sword coming out of His mouth, to tread the winepress of His wrath. His immortal and invulnerable army will be at His side and they will PARTICIPATE in the battle (see Joel 2:1-11). Islam the Beast will be cast into the Lake of Fire along with its head the Mahdi and False Prophet, then Jesus Christ will rule.
So we have discovered that Islam will be the 7th head of the Beast which appears in Revelation chapters 13 & 17 and that was “mortally wounded” in 1924, and will be revived in the near future.
Now I want to briefly address the dream King Nebuchadnezzar had in Daniel chapter 2 which is similar to the vision of the Beast John had. Old Neb dreamed of a statue with a head of gold, chest & arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and the 10 toes were mixed with iron and clay. Again these different metals and body parts represent EMPIRES. (Daniel 2:30-45). Daniel interpreted the dream as follows:
Head of Gold: Babylonian Empire Chest and Arms of Silver: Medo-Persian Empire Belly and Thighs of Brass: Greek Empire
Legs of Iron: not specifically identified by Daniel but is also the 4th Beast he saw in a later vision (Daniel 7:7) that he could not compare with any living animal. This Empire is the Islamic Empire that began with Mohammed and lasted until 1924.
10 Toes of Iron mixed with Clay: This is the LAST DAYS Islamic Empire that will be ruled over by 10 nations and 10 kings and will be “mixed” and “divided against itself” as iron and clay do not mix.
Daniel 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
When the prophet Daniel used the word “mixed” he used the Hebrew word Arab.
Strongs H6151
'arab
(Chaldee); corresponding to H6148; to commingle: -mingle (self), mix.
I believe the prophet Daniel was prophetically calling the Beast an Arab Kingdom. Although the Antichrist will unite the Muslim nations together under his authority and that of the Caliphate, Scripture shows there will be conflict within this empire. We just read that the final empire will be iron mixed with clay and will be divided against itself. In Daniel 7:24 the Antichrist must “subdue” 3 of the 10 kings for some reason. Even in Islamic Eschatology, the Mahdi attacks Saudi Arabia and both Mecca and Medina are destroyed.
Even now there are two conflicting power blocs in the Muslim Middle East. First is the Sunni Muslim bloc headed up by Saudi Arabia and the other is the Shia bloc led by Iran. The irony is that its not a clean break between Sunni and Shia because several Sunni nations like Libya have sided with Iran. The deciding factor for these nations is who is more sympathetic with Israel and the West? The clear answer is Saudi Arabia. Thus even Sunni Muslim nations are siding with Iran as they have a hardline stance against Israel and the West. Already the empire is divided against itself—iron mixed with clay—and although it will temporarily unite under the Mahdi it won’t last.
Jesus himself spoke prophetically about Satan’s kingdom:
Matthew 12:25: And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
This perfectly describes the Arab kingdom, a kingdom divided against itself, like iron trying to mix with clay.
Iron and Clay can also describe two types of government which will try to mix together in the Beast Empire. During Daniel’s day the only type of government which had every existed, was monarchy. Always ruled by a king, strong and like metal. For whatever the king said was law. Even Jesus says when he rules, he will rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15). But in the last days Daniel described another form of government which he couldn’t quite understand, he called it miry clay, weak, changing. Clay has always described mankind himself made out of clay and dust of the earth. This other form of government was none other than Democracy ruled by the people (clay) who elect a president.
So when he says “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men.” The “they” are the kings -“Arab monarchs,” who will unite with the clay, democratically elected -“Arab Presidents” to form this ten nation Islamic alliance against Israel.
The same alliance of Arab Kings and Presidents is described by King David in Psalm 2:2, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
A revived Ottoman Empire or Caliphate, is the current agenda of Prime minister Recep Erdogan, of Turkey, for he has stated openly that he wants to revive the Islamic Empire, this is also the agenda of the Taliban who are trying to revive the Caliphate in Iraq, and the President of Iran too is preaching the revival of the Islamic Empire and the return of the Madhi, Islam’s Messiah figure who will conquer the world for Islam. Its only a matter of time, until we see the second rise of the Islamic Empire, the Empire of the Beast.
Revelation 13:16: He (the False Prophet) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand (also translated “arm”) or on their foreheads, No one could buy or sell without this mark, that is, the beast's name or the number that stands for the name.
This Chapter is even more exciting than the last because we will identify, for the first time in 2000 years: The Mark of the Beast (it’s NOT what you think!).
False Prophet -Isa now creates the famous “Mark of the Beast” that all converts to Islam MUST take to prove their loyalty to Islam. According to Islamic End Times theology, a “mark” or “badge” is created by their holy Beast to mark “true Muslims” in the end times! The Hadith states:
“The task of the Beast will be to distinguish the believers (Muslims) from the non-believers, with Prophet Moses’ staff it (the Beast) will draw a line on the forehead of every (Muslim) believer whereby his face will become bright and luminous and with the ring of Solomon it will seal the nose of every non-believer whereby his whole face will become black. Thus there will be complete distinction between the Muslim and the non-Muslim, so that if many parties (people) sit at a dinner table, the Muslim and non-Muslim will be distinguished.” (Hadith reported by “Abdullah-b-Umar,” Sahih Muslim.)
Mohammed himself stated that at Judgment Allah brings forth a “badge” or “mark” that he gives to the Muslim and written across it is “There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his Messenger.” This badge/mark will save the Muslim from damnation and must be worn on the right arm/hand (Tirmuthi 2369).
The Greek word for “mark” used is “charagma” which is translated as follows: “a scratch or etching, a stamp or badge of servitude” (Strong’s G5480). The Greek word for “right” is “dexios” which means one’s right hand or SIDE [which includes the arm] (Strong’s G1188).
Please remember that Islamic theology states that a holy (to Islam) Beast will rise up out of the earth to mark/scratch/etch the foreheads of all true Muslim believers and this mark will cause the Muslims face to glow and clearly distinguish him from infidels.
Islam states that at Judgment Allah presents the true Muslim with a badge of servitude that must be worn on the forehead or right arm to prove that one is a Muslim.
Thus let’s see the verse 16 again in its fullest translatable sense:
“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark/etching/scratch/badge of servitude on their right side/hand or on their foreheads.”
Looking at verse 17:17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. The word “number” is “arithmos” and also means “multitudes” as in multitudes of people (Strong’s G706). It’s clear from this verse that all within this Middle Eastern Islamic Empire will not be able to conduct any commerce if they are not Muslim and have not received the Mark which contains 2 things:
The NAME of the Beast The MULTITUDES (NUMBER) of his name.
Go back to verse 17 and read it again. Read carefully: the “mark” of the Beast will be the etching/scratching on the forehead/right arm and will contain the Name of the Beast which can be WORN like a badge of servitude and the “number” of the Beast…well, you’re all thinking its 666 because that’s what the Bible says, doesn’t it? Let’s apply our alternate meanings to these Greek words in verse 18:
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the multitudes of the beast, for it is the multitudes of a man:
Yes, I left out the 666 part because now we’ll review that. If you check Strong’s Greek Concordance you’ll notice 3 different symbols as follows:
The description given in Strong’s is that these are 3 Greek number symbols, chi xi stigma and are supposedly the 22nd, 14th, and an “obsolete” letter and that these letters are used as numbers respectively 666. This confusing description along with the fact that there are clearly 3 symbols but all are given the same heading in Strong’s is quite strange as if the translators really DIDN’T know what these symbols were but tried to force them into the Greek language. While these symbols resemble chi xi stigma there are also some marked differences.
Here is what I put forward to you:
what if these were NOT Greek symbols at all but rather what if the Apostle John saw the symbols of another language, that he faithfully wrote down not knowing what they were? If one goes to the oldest manuscript of the New Testament in existence—the Codex Vaticanus—we see these symbols as being less Greekish and more something else.
What if these symbols represent an entirely different language than Greek? Taking the context of Revelation 13 where its being revealed to John what the Mark of the Beast is, then is it possible, that the Mark, Name and Number/Multitudes of the Beast would be in the language of the Beast? Is it possible that John saw these mysterious symbols and faithfully wrote them down, as he saw them, even if he didn’t know what they were?
This is certainly not unprecedented in Revelation. John often described things his 1st century mind couldn’t comprehend: war machines and technology that would be like magic to someone from his time. He faithfully wrote down what he saw and used 1st century language to describe 21st century technology.
Let’s get back to the Mark and remember what Revelation 13:17 says: the Mark contains the name and the number/multitudes of the Beast . . . 2 things that add up to complete the Mark.
The language of the Islamic Beast is Arabic just as the language of the Greek Beast under Alexander the Great was Greek. Although the New Testament was written in Greek when God showed John the mark/name/number of the Beast I believe He showed John in the Beast’s own language: ARABIC. Below is the most COMMON symbol in all of Islam, very much like the Cross is the most common symbol in Christianity.
This symbol is called “Bismillah” and you need to remember it.
“Bism” in Arabic translated to “in the name of” and “illah” is “Allah.” Thus this symbol means “in the NAME of Allah.” If you buy any copy of the Quran or go to an Islamic website you will find this symbol there. This
symbol is most commonly written as you see above, but can and has been rotated all degrees is Islamic literature and has the exact same emphasis and meaning no matter how it’s rotated. ALSO the arrow-like line pointing upward on the right side is often drawn elsewhere on the symbol: through the center, to the left, or not at all depending on which Arabic writer is writing. Do a search for “Bismillah” on the internet to see the several variations.
Let’s now compare Bismillah with the middle symbol found in the Codex Vaticanus of Revelation 13:17:
If the Arabic supposition is correct, we now are starting to unlock the true meaning of the Mark of the Beast, his name and number. Whereas 666 has yielded nothing but confusion and ridiculous speculation for centuries. Most have attempted to use Gematria—an ancient Kabbalistic Jewish tradition of numerology that assigns meanings (usually letters) to numbers. Thus people have come up with strange speculations as to who the Antichrist is. In the 60’s and 70’s it was Henry Kissinger because his name according to Gematria adds up to
666. In the 90’s people thought it was Bill Clinton because when you include his middle name Jefferson it adds up to 666. The word “computer” also adds up to 666.
Clearly neither of these candidates fits the profile of a radical Islamic Antichrist. We must remember that unless specifically stated in Scripture (as in the case of the 7 Thunders—Revelation 10:3-4) that Jesus wants us to KNOW things and be in the know (1 Samuel 2:3). It would be a cruel joke on the part of Christ to command us over and over to know the signs of the times and be waiting for His return and then not give us the knowledge to discern the time of his coming.
Thus we have unlocked one of the two parts to understanding the Mark: the NAME of the Beast is Islam whose main symbol shows their allegiance to the Dragon, Allah . . . remember Revelation 13:4: “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast.”
Verse 4 clearly shows dual worship: to Allah and Islam itself. Members of the Beast worship the Dragon Allah and prominently display his primary symbol, Bismillah, wherever they go just as a Christian wears a crucifix, to show their allegiance to Jesus Christ. “Wearing” or displaying Bismillah is to say “I am a Muslim and worship Allah.”
Let’s review the strange “X” symbol that translators thought was the Greek number “chi.” Again if we follow the Arabic leading we find the second most common symbol in all Islam. One might say the second most common symbol in Christianity is the fish. So thus we have the second most common symbol in Islam, the crossed swords, which is used to denote military CONQUEST which is done through large Here we have it in the same order as Revelation 13:17! Armies (MULTITUDES!):
Multitudes (Jihad) Allah Bism (In the name of)
The top row of symbols is in Arabic and we must remember that Arabic (as well as Hebrew) are read from right to left. The far right symbol is “Bism”—“in the name of.” The middle symbol is that of Allah himself and the far left symbol are the crossed swords of Islam denoting military conquest. The military conquest is of the world as we’ve reviewed previously as Islamic Theology states that eventually Islam will dominate the world through Jihad.
The bottom row of symbols are what appears in the original text of Revelation 13:17 as denoting the Mark of the Beast which contains its name and number/multitudes.
Putting the Mark of the Beast together in Arabic we now have the following: “In the Name of Allah there will be Jihad.” The Jihad will consist of great hordes (multitudes) of Islamic warriors just like the glory days of the Caliphate hundreds of years ago. Thus we fulfill the conditions in Revelation 13 that the Mark will contain both the name of the beast and the numbers (multitudes) of people who are part of and worship the Beast. The X character is also the symbol for Ten and the Bible tells us there will be Ten nations/multitudes in this Islamic Beast Alliance, waging Jihad in the name of Allah.
Remember what we’ve already reviewed before about Islamic Eschatology:
1) A Beast will rise up out of the earth and mark (etch/scratch) all true Muslims on their foreheads.
2) A badge/mark of servitude can be presented to Allah at Judgment as a ticket to Paradise and written on the badge is “There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger.” The badge is to be worn on the forehead or right arm.
3) Madhi and Isa will team up and convert the entire world to Islam through Jihad which is a verbal invitation first and if refused then military conquest.
The Islamic approach and symbols completely fulfill all of Revelation 13’s conditions for the Mark, as it contains the name of the Beast— Islam—who worships the Dragon Allah and does everything in his Satanic name. It’s followed up by the goal of worldwide Jihad through a large army (the crossed swords) to convert the entire world to Islam.
Revelation 20:4 and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
As Revelation states, any who do not take and wear this Mark will be beheaded and Islam is the only major religion that still beheads people. As Muslims often state, Islam is not just a religion but a system of government (Sharia Law) and commerce, which is why no one within that empire, when it comes, will be able to buy or sell unless they have the Mark.
At the Mid-Way point of the final 7 years is when the Antichrist enforces the taking of this Mark and the eternal consequences for any who do is clear:
Revelation 14:9-11: Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.
As I stated before I believe many present day Muslims will refuse this Mark and see that Jesus Christ is their Savior and I believe this confirmation to be in Revelation 15:2:
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
With the exception of the small state of Israel the Middle East is Muslim dominated and I can only hope and believe, what I just said in the last paragraph. Our enemy is not the Muslim people but rather the false god who rules over them and all the heresy he’s taught. Instead we need to Intercede for the Muslim people and pray that the Father will give them into the hands of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 15:2 says this crowd has VICTORY over the Beast, his image, his mark, and the multitudes of his name . . . in Revelation
12:11 they achieve this victory through the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. In other words, they get Saved and then go and evangelize to their fellow muslims. Let us pray that Christ will reveal Himself to them in the here and now!
Here is another confirmation of 666 being linked to Allah and Islam. The Bible tells us to count the number of the Beast/Kingdom for it is the number of a man (Muhammad) and his number is 666 (In the name of Allah). The Bible states you need wisdom, to discern the number of the Beast. Amazingly the Punctuation Marks in the name Allahu Akbar “Allah is Greater” appear to be the very number 666.
So not only on Islamic flags, can we find the Greek X which John wrote, But the very number 666 itself can be discerned in name of Allahu Akbar.
Islam doesn’t even deny that 666 is connected to them. In fact they proudly claim that it is connected to Muhammad and the Quran itself.
It is interesting to note that many Muslims believe the number “666" to be a holy number. They also believe that the number 19 is holy as well. In knowing this I am not surprised that the number of terrorist that destroyed the World Trade Center was 19. They are called by many in Islam “the magnificent 19". The number “666" is believed to represent the Quran and the Prophet Mohammed.
Muslims believe that the book of Revelation was inspired by Satan and that he used the number “666" as a bad number in order to prevent Christian people from accepting the Quran and the teachings of Mohammed because of fear.
According to the 1st Muslim website :
http://www.66619.org/666.htm
Quoted on this Christian website
http://www.israelinbibleprophecy.com/islam_Quran_666.htm
“The number 666 is highly publicized all over the world and it is associated with evil and danger.
However, it is not what it seems. It was a Satanic trick. The trick was to prevent the people approaching the 666.
Satan knew that the 666 is the book of GOD and the people should be kept away from it. According to his plan, he placed a bad image to the number 666. Indeed, it is a glorious Quran, in a preserved master tablet.”
“It is the intent of this newsletter, God willing, to present the readers with easily verifiable and yet utterly irrefutable physical evidences that the Quran, the Final Testament, is indeed the highly publicized “666" that the corrupted Pauline church is afraid of. Satan’s scheme reflected in his book of “The Revelation,” placed in the Bible, to give “the number” a bad connotation shall backfire.
The 19-based mathematical miracle of the Quran shall prove to the whole world that the book, “666,” is without a doubt “a revelation from the Lord of the universe.”
The authorized translation of the Quran shall find its place in every household.
The sincere souls shall receive the message; they shall embrace God’s religion, “Submission,” in throngs.
The corrupted religionists shall be deprived of their illicit earnings. When money, “their god,” is taken away from these human devils, they perish. (Here we see the muslim intent to stop Christians buying and selling by their Mark)
The Quran, “666,” was sent down through Prophet Muhammad (G.V. 92) and its mathematical miracle was revealed through Rashad Khalifa
(G.V. 505,725).
From a 2nd muslim website… http://www.66619.org/thequran.htm
666 , The Quran is a gift from GOD to humanity that it guides to the right path which leads to Heaven.
The proofs shall be the evidences that this Quran is the 666 that Satan, his religions, his temples especially the Church are afraid of.
The Quran is the 666 and GOD preserves the 666 with the number 19.
Either the number 666 is the number of the beast [evil], as the Bible describes, or it is the holy number of the Quran. There is no middle ground. In the days to come people will be forced to make a decision either way, under penalty of death.
Revelation 13:17 No one could buy or sell without this mark, that is, the beast's name or the number that stands for the name.
The Beast will try and starve to death all those who refuse to submit to him and Islam. It will be one of the ways he forces people to convert. Unfortunetly we have no idea how wide spread this will become. We can only be sure that the farther this Islamic Empire spreads across the Globe, it will make each country it conquers, take the mark or starve. The Bible doesn’t say that money will not exist, only that buying and selling would be prohibited without the mark.
Just before Jesus returns he sends a terrible plague on those who have taken the mark and worshiped the Islamic Empire and its image:
Revelation 16:2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Terrible and painful sores appeared on those who had the mark of the beast and on those who had worshiped its image.
Revelation 16:10 … and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
The reason these people are unrepentant is because they believe they are following the right God “Allah.” So even when God punishes them with terrible sores they remain defiant.
The original Greek, describes this sore. As a foul, and malignant, ulcerated sore, or an evil, poisoning wound. It will appear, like boils, all over their bodies. And the pain, will be so bad, that they will cry out in agony. With no relief. This will be part of God’s judgement, for turning on the Christians and putting them to death.
Islam has always made converts by force and Jihad, this has been the main means of obtaining followers. As we can see it is the identical means by which the Bible states the Beast will obtain worshippers, for the Beast gives mankind the option of submission or death.
You cannot believe the 666 is both good and evil. You have to make a choice as to what you believe. Is the Bible correct, or is the Quran correct? Your eternal destiny depends on the choice you make.
“Bay’ah” is an official Pledge of Allegiance that Muslims give to the Caliph and Allah. A pledge which Muhammad made compulsory for every citizen of an Islamic Empire. In the early days of Muhammad's career, he often asked those who had expressed a desire to follow him to make a pledge of allegiance or submission to him. This pledge is known as bay'ah. It is an outward oath or pledge promising allegiance-complete submission to the ruler. After Muhammad died, this practice of making a pledge was carried on under the Caliphs. The Muslims would make a pledge of allegiance to the Caliph, and likewise the Caliph would make a pledge of allegiance to Allah to rule strictly according to Islamic law. Many modern Islamic books and articles that speak about the restoration of the Caliphate present the giving of the Bay'ah (allegiance) as a very common theme.
The Arabic name for this pledge, is “Bay’ah,” which shockingly translates, as the word sell! Muslims are well aware of this, that by taking this pledge, they are selling themselves, to the Caliph, as a slave.
This worship of the Antichrist, or his image, describes perfectly the pledge of allegiance to the Caliph as master.
Once people have worshiped him, they will receive his mark to show their submission. A sect of Islam called, Amardia, are already practicing this oath of allegiance. In an Islamic religious sense, this oath, is the standard procedure of pledging allegiance to an imam as spiritual leader in exchange, for the spiritual guidance, given by an Imam or a spiritual leader.The First Amardia Caliph, issued a warning, to those wishing, to offer their Bay’ah, by saying,
‘…if you want to do Bay'ah at my hand, be very clear, what Bay'ah means. Bay'ah means to sell, yourselves. A man gives up everything, and that is why Allah, has called this man, “Abd’’ (meaning one who worships, from Abdullah, which means slave of Allah.) So, whatever feelings and inclinations you may have, you have to follow what I say. And if you accept these conditions, then in the name of Allah, I accept these responsibilities.’’
Notice that it is made clear, that Bay’ah, is worship. So when the Bible says that people will worship the beast, Bay’ah, is by Islamic definition.
It now makes perfect sense, why the Greek word for “Mark” written in Revelation is “Charagma,” for Charagma means a badge of servitude, as a slave. Under the Islamic Antichrist people are going to sell their souls to the Antichrist, and become a slave of the Antichrist. Jehovah calls his follows his sons and daughters (2Corinthians 6:18), but Allah calls his followers slaves. Unfortunately Islam has deceived Muslims, into wanting this mark of slavery and portraying it as something holy, rather than a seal, which will mark them, for eternal fire and suffering. Like anxious children, many very eager Islamists look forward to the day, when all Islamic citizens, of the regions and lands under the Caliphate, will be required to make a pledge to the Caliph. According to Islamic tradition, those who do not make this pledge will die the death of an idolater. The Islamic tradition states:
"One who withdraws his hand from the obedience to the ruler (Emir) will find no argument in his defense, when he stand before Allah, on the Day of Judgment. And one who dies without having bound himself, by an oath of allegiance (Bay'ah) to an Emir, will die the death, of one belonging to the days of Jahillyya. (Pre-Islamic days of ignorance, and idolatry).
When Mahdi-Antichrist emerges in the Last Days all Muslims and nonmuslims will be required to give this pledge or be executed.
Revelation 12:11 They (the Christians) won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.
Revelation 13:14-15: And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
3.5 years before the return of Christ the False Prophet will command his fellow Muslims to make “an image to the beast.” He then is able to “give breath” to it that it will be able to “speak.” Last but not least, any who refuse to worship this mysterious image will be executed.
The word “image” used in Revelation 13 is the Greek word “eikon” (from where we get “icon”) and means “a likeness, that is, (literally) statue, profile, or (figuratively) representation, resemblance:— image.” (Strong’s Greek Concordance, G1503 & G1504).
What is this strange “image” and how will the False Prophet be able to make it “speak”? All manner of wild speculation has emerged over the years. In the Left Behind series it was a wooden statue make in the likeness of the Antichrist and a speaker was installed within it so that it could “talk.” I’ve heard Christians postulate that when the time comes it might be a robot made to look like the Antichrist that can talk and I’ve also heard that it could be a holographic computer generated likeness. The most far reaching postulation I’ve heard is a clone.
All of these guesses proceed from the false assumption that “the Beast” is the lone person of the Antichrist when in fact its an image of the Islamic Caliphate which Antichrist will set up. Thus, the “image” will NOT be of a man but a symbol of his empire, which drastically changes its qualities. Whatever the image/resemblance/likeness is, it will be made to represent Islam. Remember that in verse 4 of Revelation 13 all those within the empire “worship the Beast” meaning they worship Islam & the Caliphate (empire). We must remember that Islam is not just a faith but a system of government and commerce.
Modern people even within the Church, are under the impression that certain Biblical commands are obsolete. Let’s take the 2nd Commandment, for example:
Exodus 20:4-5: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God.
Most of you reading this, are saying “who does that anymore?” Those of you who might have read the first 5 books of the Bible (the Torah), might be thinking, “the reason God gave that commandment was because it was a big problem BACK THEN in ancient times, when people were ignorant, but it doesn’t apply in today’s world.” Most Christians would interpret this in today’s society as a commandment meaning, we should not worship money or materialism.
While that allegorical interpretation is not wrong per se, we have to ask if the LITERAL interpretation of not bowing down to idols, is still for today. In other words, are there people who are literally making idols and bowing down to them, so that this warning on God’s part would apply? The first time I read through the Book of Revelation it revealed something very interesting: in the last 7 years before the return of Christ, there are clearly those who are doing just that! We just read in chapter 13 that the False Prophet -Isa will cause his followers to create an image that is to be worshipped. In Revelation chapter 9 the Lord shows us that those who refuse to repent of their sins continue to worship idols (Revelation 9:20).
Idolatry is a sin because it replaces God with a cheap physical imitation that can do nothing. God is “jealous” because He loves us with all of His heart and doesn’t want us adulterating Him by turning away from Him and towards false gods. Think of it as a “pet peeve” on His part, as it’s been happening since the beginning of time. Lucifer turned a third of the angels in Heaven away from God to worship him (Revelation 12) and then here on earth Lucifer has repeated the same pattern for 6 millennia among mankind. Jesus said that all TRUE worshippers of His Father worshipped Him in SPIRIT and truth and went on to say that God the Father was spirit and must be worshipped in that fashion (John 4:23-24).
Thus—listen now!—anyone who worships any physical representation (image) of what they call “God” is NOT worshipping in spirit and is deceived (and does not have the truth).
Again you ask: “who is bowing down to an idol in the 21st century?” Here is the answer: 1.3 billion people are doing it a minimum of 17 times per day in 5 prayer times. All Muslims are required 5 times a day to stop whatever they’re doing, to face Mecca—specifically the Ka’ba and The Black Stone—and worship it. They must genuflect a minimum of 17 times during these 5 prayer sessions. Even in Nigeria, Africa which is a densely populated Muslim country, a bell rings throughout the cities at these 5 specific times as a reminder and the Muslims all come out from work, home, etc. to kneel towards Mecca and pray.
MECCA is the holiest site in all of Islam and is located in Saudi Arabia. Mecca is Mohammed’s home town and the location of the Ka’ba. The Ka’ba is the Islamic Temple to Allah, if you will, and they hold it to be as holy as the Jews did their own Temple, when it was still standing. Please see the picture of the Ka’ba below.
One of the five pillars of Islam is Hajj, which states that one must make a pilgrimage to Mecca once per year and go to the Ka’ba to worship. That which is WITHIN/ON the Ka’ba, is The Black Stone is seen below.
The question we need to ask is WHY 1.3 billion people are worshipping a strange image known as The Black Stone? Let us now investigate this mysterious stone and what both Islam and the Bible say about it.
The Stone predates Islam and Arabic legend says it was a “star” sent by Allah that fell from the sky. Please remember that pre-Mohammed the Arabs were polytheistic and worshipped 360 gods of which Allah was one and was known as the Moon God. Mohammed got himself in trouble with his own people in Mecca when he started preaching that Allah was ALONE (remember this is called “Tawhid”) and that there are no other gods besides him. Mohammed was especially adamant that Allah had no sons or daughters for 2 reasons. The first was to turn people away from Jesus Christ who said He was the Son of God and the second was to convert his own Arabic people away from the theology of the time, which was that Allah DID have kids. Ironically, pre-Mohammed Arabic theology stated that Allah’s daughter was the Greek goddess Aphrodite (Diana), whose name in Arabic is merely the feminine version of Allah, which is “Allat”!
The Apostle Paul himself came against the worship of this stone in Acts 19:35 while at Ephesus which was the seat of worship of the Moon Goddess Diana (remember that Allah is the Moon God (masculine)). Paul was preaching at Ephesus and converting many Diana worshippers to Christ. A certain silversmith named Demetrius got really stressed about it because he made a great living making graven images of Diana and saw his profits flying out the window, with each convert. Thus he incited the crowd to riot and they grabbed up several of Paul’s companions. The city clerk speaks up in the attempt to quell the crowd before things get too violent and makes an interesting statement:
“Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?”
This image was a Black Stone—I believe the same one, that sits in Mecca in the Ka’ba right now. Islam claims the stone image fell down from heaven, the Ephesians also claimed their image fell from heaven, from the Moon gods.
The worshippers of Diana and the stone image, worked themselves up into a frenzy, … all of them with one voice went on crying out for about two hours, Great is Diana of Ephesus. (Acts 19:34)
The very same cry from the worshippers of Diana and the stone which fell from heaven, is the very same cry heard today, from Muslims. They also bow before a stone which fell from heaven. And the cry is the same, “God is Great,” and its heard from every muslim who shouts “Allahu Akbar.”
The Bible warns us not to worship the stars or host of heaven:
"And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven"
Deuteronomy 4:19
The prophet Moses warned them about worshipping the stars and host of heaven, and I pray all muslims who read this will realize the sin of bowing down to a fallen stone /star-meteorite before its to late.
The very images of a tent and star were images which apostate Jews had made to worship in the wilderness, whom God called Moloch and the star Rephan.
Acts 7:42: God turned his back on his people and left them. Then they worshiped the stars in the sky, just as it says in the Book of the Prophets, "People of Israel, you didn't offer sacrifices and offerings to me during those forty years in the desert. Instead, you carried the tent where the god Molech is worshiped, and you took along the star of your god Rephan. You made those idols and worshiped them. So now I will have you carried off beyond Babylonia." (see also Deut 4:19)
Doesn’t a tent and star remind you of anything? It should. These are the exact same two images which Muslims worship today. Where? In the desert. The same place the apostate Jews worshiped their tent/tabernacle Moloch and star Rephan, idols which they created. This is utterly shocking, the very same two images which God turned his back on his people for, are the same two images worshiped by Muslims.
Bowing down to any image is blasphemy, but God seems especially offended by the worship of the image that the False Prophet will present in the Last Days:
Revelation 14:9-11: Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Ouch. WHY does God give such a stern warning of the worship of this particular image? Here is why: Mohammed called The Black Stone “Yameen Allah” which stands for “the right hand of Allah.” Jesus is also called the Right Hand of God the Father in Scripture and sits at His Father’s Right Hand (Psalm 80:17, Psalm 98:1 & Psalm 110:1).
Mohammed also calls the Black Stone “The Shekina Glory.” These terms show, once again, Satan’s desire to be God and do everything he can to imitate God. The Shekina Glory was the manifest presence of God Himself that filled the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, where the Ark of the Covenant resided in Old Testament times (Exodus 40:34-35). Mohammed knew this and guided by Satan himself, who is a liar and thief, stole the concept and applied it to The Black Stone to make it appear holy. Thus far we have two blasphemous comparisons of the Black Stone to Jesus Christ.
Worse than that is his declaration that by doing Hajj—making the pilgrimage to Mecca once per year, circling around the Black Stone 7 times and then touching it—the Black Stone takes your sins away…. If you’re a Christian I want you to stop reading RIGHT NOW and contemplate the absolute blasphemy of this doctrine.
A Star/stone which fell from Heaven and takes away your sins. The Star which fell from heaven was Lucifer, the morning star mentioned in Isaiah 14. A star/angel which wanted to exalt himself to the level of God. This is the very Stone/Star Lucifer they claim takes away their sins.
In case you didn’t make the connection I’ll help you: Who is the Lamb of God, the final, perfect and only sacrifice that can take away our sins? Who is the Royal High Priest Who—being God in the flesh—could perform the dual role of being High Priest Who makes atonement for sin AND being the sacrificial Lamb at the same time? There is NO NAME in Heaven or Earth whereby we must be Saved other than that of Jesus Christ! (Acts 4:12). He alone is Savior and Lord!
Mohammed was trying to claim that The Black Stone which fell as a star has the same saving power and grace as Jesus Himself, and the vast majority of Muslims believe it. Islamic legend has it that when the Stone first fell, it was white but has turned black, because it’s absorbed the sins of all those who’ve touched it for centuries. See picture below modern Muslims touching the stone.
Remember the Aphrodite reference made earlier? (She is the feminine version of Allah.) She was the goddess of love and fertility and in ancient times and the temples of Aphrodite were brothels and dens of iniquity. The ritual of touching the Black Stone is very “sensual” in nature. Muslims don’t just touch it and move on, they kiss and caress it in a very passionate manner. Both secular and Christian people who have observed this ritual over the centuries have noted that for many it verges on being sexual.What about the strange reference that the False Prophet will be able to “breathe life” into the image and “make it speak”? Here is an interesting parallel drawn by Islamic end times theology which specifically references the Black Stone.
At Judgment Allah will “raise up” the Black Stone so that it will have two eyes, a tongue which will enable it to talk, and will give truth to all who touch it (Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Abani).
Again we see the eerie parallel between what the Bible and Islam both say about the end times. The Bible says:
Revelation 13:15 And he (the false prophet) had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Last but not least both the Prophet Daniel and Jesus Himself warned of “The Abomination of Desolation.”
Speaking of the Antichrist Daniel says the following Daniel 11:31:
And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.
The “sanctuary fortress” is the third Jewish Temple which has yet to be rebuilt and “they” are the Antichrist and his followers. There are 2 things the Antichrist does: 1) “takes away the daily sacrifice” and 2) “places (in the Temple) the Abomination of Desolation.
When the Jewish Temple is rebuilt the Jews will finally be able to offer animal sacrifices to God for the first time in 2000 years which they will do on a daily basis. The Antichrist will STOP this practice. He then profanes the Temple by bringing something there—clearly an object of SOME sort. WHY is it called the Abomination of Desolation? More in a minute.
Daniel 12:11 shows when the Abomination of Desolation will be brought into the Temple: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
In other words, 3.5 years into the final 7 years before the return of Christ, is when Antichrist stops the daily Jewish sacrifice in the Temple and brings in the Abomination of Desolation. The Abomination of Desolation is allowed to stay there exactly 1290 days, then Jesus Christ will appear from heaven and will cast it into the Lake of Fire. What will happen when Antichrist sets up the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple? Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:15-22:
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
Jesus is telling the generation of Jews and Christians who will be in Israel when Antichrist sets up the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple to GET OUT ASAP. Please remember something: Antichrist starts out as a man who seems to want peace and harmony between Islam and Israel, between Islam and the West. He even goes so far as to confirm a treaty between these nations that many are happy with and seem to usher in a new era of peace and safety. This Hudna (false treaty with infidels) is broken 3.5 years later when Mahdi-Antichrist shows his true colors of being a radical Muslim and not the moderate everyone thought he was.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they (Israel) say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them (from the Antichrist), just as labor pains upon the woman that is pregnant, and they shall by no means escape.
His first act is to stop the daily Jewish Sacrifice and then bring in the Abomination of Desolation into the newly erected Jewish Temple.
Why does the Antichrist take away the Daily sacrifice? The book of Daniel has the answer:
Daniel 8:12 And a host (army) was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.’
The reason is transgression, but transgression against what? You see the sacrifices the Jews will be offering will be for sin. But the muslims state that their black stone is the only thing which can take away sin, and this is what (in the muslim mind) the Jews are transgressing against. So the stone replaces the offering for sin, and becomes the abomination which causes desolation. The stone will replace the offering for sin and in doing so replace Christ, the true offering for sin.
Mark 12:10 Have you not even read this Scripture: The "Stone which the builders rejected, this One came to be Head of the Corner;
Satan has satanically counterfeited Jesus Christ whom the Bible calls the Chief corner stone, and replaced him with the image of Satan a star/stone which fell from heaven. He will replace Jesus Christ, taking his stone /star from Mecca and placing his stone/star in the Temple of God. So that the chief Corner stone of Satan’s temple becomes the chief corner stone of God’s temple, the ultimate Blasphemy.
Revelation 13—fills in the blanks. He will present the image to all within his Middle Eastern Empire and will force everyone to bow down and worship it. He will introduce the Mark of the Beast which contains the name and numbers of the Beast and will force everyone to take it. Any who refuse the Mark and/or the worship of the Abomination of desolation, will have their heads cut off. Immediately after, according to both Jesus and Revelation, a great violent and military persecution of Jews and Christians will begin and millions will be martyred. This violent persecution will go on for 42 agonizing months which is why Jesus says “the days will be shortened for the elect’s sake” otherwise everyone would be killed.
You’ve likely put two and two together: I’m convinced that the Abomination of desolation is The Black Stone which currently resides in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, housed in the Ka’ba.
It will absolutely be moved from Mecca, to Jerusalem as the Bible, the Quran and the Hadith display. Please remember that according to Islamic End Times theology Mahdi destroys both Mecca and Medina, the first and second holiest sites in Islam. Why? More about that in the following chapters when we study and indentify the mysterious Harlot of Babylon. Islamic theology states that after the destruction of these two sites, Mahdi sets up camp in Jerusalem which is considered the 3rd holiest site in Islam.
The Bible completely agrees saying Antichrist will enter the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:4) and then does all the other things already pointed out in Revelation 13.
Some translations say the abomination will be placed on a corner: Which may indicate that it will be placed on the corner of the altar of sacrifice, directly in the place where the Lamb symbolic of Christ was offered for the sins of the world.
Daniel 9:27: he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on a corner of the altar will be abominations that desolate, even until the end. And that which was decreed shall pour out on the desolator.
The Bible mentions “many” abominations, meaning the place will be over run with Islamic symbols and flags, such as one emblazoned behind Osama Bin Laden when he made his televised speeches. Which is a black or white flag symbolic of the Caliphate with the Islamic Shahada written across it in Arabic calligraphy. Either flag crescent or Ka’ba stone would fulfill the purpose of a blasphemous emblem or image. It states there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.
But the Ka’ba stone placed in or on God’s Temple, is more likely as it represents a replacement for Christ, who takes away the sins of the world. Why is the Black Stone an “abomination that makes (a person) desolate”? That should be obvious by now if you’ve been paying attention! It’s an abomination because it attempts to replace Christ as Savior and elevates itself to His divine stature. It will make all those who worship it “desolate” because there will be absolutely no chance whatsoever for repentance and therefore Salvation for anyone who bows down to it, when the Antichrist sets it up in the Temple. Jesus is THE LIFE (John 14:6) and there will be no life everlasting for anyone who makes that terrible mistake—only eternal torment in the Lake of Fire. In other words, any who worship it will be desolate of all life, all hope, and be desolate from God. They will be the walking dead . . . truly, an abomination that makes one desolate.
Just as Revelation 13:15 says that False Prophet will give life to the image of The Beast (the Black Stone) and it will speak. Obviously pretending that its the voice of God, but it will be the voice of Lucifer, emanating from it and demanding worship. And every Muslim which bows down to it around the world, when the call to pray is heard, will loose their souls. My prayer to God is that He might fore warn the muslims not to bow to it, and to reveal to them the terrible deception Satan has planned for them.
The Muslims who make the pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca to circle and touch/kiss the Black Stone have placed their faith and hope in something other than Christ which is Idolatry. Before you judge them too harshly I ask you this: is there something YOU put faith and hope in other than Christ? Is there some philosophy you cling to you believe will get you to Heaven such as “I’ve never killed anyone or done anything super bad so I’ll go to Heaven when I die.” Perhaps you don’t believe in Heaven or God or maybe these are things you’ve never given much thought to. The fact is that every person on this planet puts their hope in someone or something . . . so let your hope be in Christ, for he is the only Saviour.
Earlier we discussed the link between Moloch -the star God, which the Jews worshiped in the desert and the star/stone and Tabernacle which Muslims now worship in the desert. But just who was Moloch? Moloch was a false god, his name means “the king” it was the name of an ancient Ammonite god. Moloch worship was practiced by the Canaanites, Phoenician and related cultures in North Africa and the Levant. As a god worshipped by the Phoenicians and Canaanites, Moloch had associations with a particular kind of propitiatory child sacrifice by parents. Moloch features in the Book of Deuteronomy and in the Book of Leviticus as a form of idolatry (Leviticus 18:21: "And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Moloch"). Moloch sacrifices have traditionally been understood to mean burning children alive to the god Moloch, (2 Kings 21.6 ; Ezekiel 20.26 ,31; 23.37.) According to Biblical texts, the laws given to Moses by God expressly forbade the Israelites to do what was done in Egypt or in Canaan.
Today Moloch worship continues in a different form. But people are still passing their children through the fire to their god. We must remember that the Bible defines Moloch worship as human sacrifice by fire.
Today Muslims send their sons and daughters with bombs strapped to them and blow them up in fire, passing them on to their god Allah/Moloch -through the fire. Allah even promises heaven and virgins to those who do this for him. The Islamic terrorists blow up men, woman and children as “fire sacrifices,” all in the name of Allah, shouting Allahu Akbar. There is no denying that Moloch and Allah have
both been offered blood and human sacrifice, in mass ritualistic killings. Many rockets sent over into Israel have “Allah is Greater,” written on them. This makes it a fire sacrifice offering to Allah. Every suicide bomber who shouts Allahu Akbar and blows themselves up, have offered a human sacrifice to Allah, by fire.How can the God of the Bible who said he would turn his back on people who offered human sacrifices to him, possibly be the same God Allah who demands human sacrifice? God links the Antichrist to Moloch “the King,” In Arabic “the King” is Al-Malik, one of the 99 names of Allah. Islam will have Moloch as their King, the Caliph/King who claims to be God. The Antichrist will be Moloch/Satan himself who will destroy by the fire of bombs and rockets (fire offering). The book of Daniel describes the two ways the Antichrist will kill people, by sword and by flame.
Daniel 11:33 And those who are wise among the people will be the teachers of the mass of the people: but they will come to their downfall by the sword and by the flame, being made prisoners and undergoing loss for a long time. The word for “flame” used here is the Hebrew word “lahebeth”
Briggs H3852 -lahebeth 1) flame 2) tip of weapon, point, head of spear
It means flame or the tip of a weapon or spear. This is describing a warhead, a rocket. So the Antichrist kills by the sword; which only Muslims use to decapitate, and by rockets and bombs (flame).
Can there be any doubt that Moloch is Allah, the god who requires human sacrifice. In the below verse you can see God has prepared the lake of fire for the Antichrist Moloch Al-Malik “the King of Islam,” Because he destroys by fire (bombs and rockets) andhe and his followers will suffer the same fate, of fire and brimstone in the lake of fire, which is very different from the heaven which Allah promises:
Isaiah 30:33 For a place of fire has long been ready; yes, it has been made ready for the king; he has made it deep and wide: it is massed with fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of fire, puts a light to it.
Revelation 19:20 Then the Beast (the Caliph of Islam) was apprehended, and with him the False Prophet (false Jesus) who had performed the signs before him, by which he had deceived those (Muslims and non-Muslims) who received the mark of the Beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Matthew 25:41 "Then he (Jesus) will say to those on his left, 'Away from me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.' Then they will answer him, 'When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important (Christian) ones, you refused to help me.' These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life."
What a terrible punishment God has prepared for those who hate his people and refuse to help his Christians, in the hour of there great distress, when they will be being persecuted and abused by the nations. Those who refused to help the Christians and even attacked and slaughtered them, will find their judgment to be the lake of fire.
Today we discover the possible identity of the Harlot of Babylon. The identity of the Harlot must be very important to God or He wouldn’t have dedicated 2 entire chapters to it. If it’s important to Him that means He wants it to be important to us!
Revelation 17: Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
(skipping to verse 15)
Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
In our effort to discover the identity of the Harlot of Babylon let’s break Revelation 17 down to her characteristics:
1) INTIMATE WITH ISLAM: She’s sitting on Islam (the Beast) because she has a direct & intimate relationship with it and received sustenance of some sort from it. This fact eliminates the more popular candidates posited by theologians that the Harlot is the Catholic Church or the United States, as neither rely upon or have an intimate relationship with Islam.
2) RICH: her clothing and jewels signify her financial prosperity which is backed up by chapter 18 which gives a detailed description of the same.
3) “FORNICATES” WITH KINGS/NATIONS: clearly showing she’s an entity and not an individual and later on we discover she’s a nation/city. We often hear the phrase that one nation/leader is “in bed” with another, so the Lord is telling us that the Harlot is in bed with many nations politically and financially (also backed up by chapter 18).
4) HAS MARTYRED CHRISTIANS: this nation/city is directly responsible for the martyrdom of Christians in the past and during the Tribulation.
5) WILL BECOME (future tense!) ENEMIES OF THE 10 KINGS/NATIONS THAT RULE OVER ISLAM AND THEY WILL DESTROY HER. Remember that right now the Harlot still “rides” on the Beast and it allows her to . . . but at some point during the Tribulation the Beast will turn upon the Harlot and destroy her. Thus something will happen to destroy the intimate relationship the Harlot has with the Beast . . . think of it like a rodeo: the bull finally gets tired of its rider, throws her off, then tramples on her until she’s no more.
Whereas Revelation 17 describes the characteristics of the Harlot Revelation 18 gives us the consequences of her actions and those who “fornicated” with her—God’s response to her sins, if you will. In chapter 18 an angel with great authority verbally declares that Babylon will fall and become the habitation of demons. Please note: Middle Eastern belief among both Jews and Arabs is that the DESERT is a place where demons dwell which is why Jesus made the reference that when a demon is cast out it wanders the desert for a while, then comes back with 7 more of its fellows [he got them from the desert and brought them back with him] (Matthew 12:43-45). ALSO please remember that it was when Jesus fasted in the DESERT that Lucifer appeared to Him to tempt Him (Matthew 4:1). Thus chapter 18 shows that the nation the Harlot represents must contain a desert.
Chapters 17 & 18 both make reference that the Harlot produces “wine” and that ALL the nations of the world have “fornicated” with her, so that they may “drink” and “be drunk” with this “wine.” Since the “fornication” represents political and financial alliances and transactions, this “wine” must be something that all nations desperately want and need. Something they’re willing to make sacrifices for, something they’re willing to “prostitute” themselves for, pay lots of money for, even kowtow to the Harlot for. Think of a drug addict selling themselves and shaming themselves to their own detriment AND that of others to get their fix. This “wine” must be so desirable that all the nations of the planet are willing to do anything to get it….
What do YOU think the “wine of the desert” is that all nations go to war for, rely on, spend billions on, and make political and financial arrangements for?
OIL
The Bible declares that the Antichrist will take control of all the oil in the middle east, when the below verse uses the word “fattest” places, its the Hebrew word “Mashman,” meaning Oil (Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Definitions H4924).
Daniel 11:24 In time of peace shall he enter even into the fattest (Oil) places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers: he shall scatter among them prey, and spoil, and substance, and he shall plan his devices against the fortified places, even for a time.
The Antichrist knows that if he controls the Oil in the Middle East, he controls the world, and every nation will have to bow down if they want to get it. The Bible says the Antichrist will divide his spoils amongst his followers, which is exactly what Muslims state the Madhi will do, divide the spoils with his followers, just as Muhammad did when he conquered.
The Bible is so accurate it even predicted mankind’s need for Oil. In chapter 18 God calls upon the nations of the world to break off their immoral relationship with the Harlot. To stop doing anything and everything to get her oil, to stop relying on it. Isn’t this the way it is now?
U.S. politicians—especially in a Presidential election year—are always talking upon the “dependency upon foreign oil.” The OPEC nations determine the price of our oil at a whim—if they’re not getting enough profits they cut production and the price per barrel goes up. This affects the ENTIRE economy of the world and every person living in it. Demand for oil across the globe is not going down but up—especially from China, who is going through an industrial and technological growth spurt.
The fact is the U.S. and most every country in the world is “in bed” with OPEC. We’ve gone to war and made political and economic agreements with them so that we can continue to receive and be DRUNK with (let those who have ears hear!) with the wine of the Harlot. Our economies and our politics are “in bed” with OPEC and should she decide to cut us off we would be DEVASTATED. We would be like the drug addict whose had his only source of drugs taken away and we would go through major withdrawal.
In Revelation 18, however, God has finally had enough—The end of chapter 17 has Him putting it into the hearts and minds of the Beast to destroy the Harlot which means her oil as well. God gives the nations of the world one last chance to repent and calls upon us to “come out of her.” This statement is a Jewish reference to intimacy—the Lord is telling us to get OUT of bed with the Harlot. It’s vital that we end our dependence upon OPEC oil otherwise chapter 18 makes it clear we will share in her destruction.
Ironically her destruction according to Revelation will be “with fire” and LOTS of “smoke.” The smoke will rise so high and be so abundant that neighboring nations and even ships at sea will witness it. I ask you now to remember the pictures of Desert Storm and the Iraq War when the Iraqi’s set fire to the oil—the black smoke blotted out the sun and could be seen from miles. When the nation known as the Harlot is destroyed the fire and smoke will probably be so massive it will be seen from space.
On the day that happens all the nations dependent on her oil will “weep and lament”: “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’
Remember: the drug addicts have been cut off cold turkey. All the trains, planes, automobiles, trucking, shipping, getting to work, running your generator, etc. will ALL be cut off because there will be no more source of oil/gas. During Katrina gas prices shot up—when the Harlot is destroyed oil will truly be “black gold” and few gas stations will have any. Those that do will probably charge ridiculous prices per gallon.
Revelation 18 goes on—once again—to describe that the Harlot is responsible for the slaying of Christians and Prophets. While the oil addicted nations of the earth are weeping over her destruction, God is rejoicing because justice has finally come to her.
With the detailed descriptions given to us by God in Revelation chapters 17 & 18 there is only one nation who fits all the following criteria at present: The nation that seems to meet all the prophetic requirements of the Harlot of Babylon is Saudi Arabia. Let’s take the above 7 conditions point by point.
1) | Intimate with Islam. |
2) | Rich/Prosperous. |
3) | Sells oil to nations of earth, getting rich off the proceeds and |
causing other countries to get rich. |
4) | Forms economic & political relations with these nations for the |
sake of oil. | |
5) | Also sells other products like spices, clothing, jewelry, livestock, |
and deals in slavery (Revelation 18:11-18). | |
6) | Has martyred Christians & Jews for centuries. |
7) | Located near a sea (Revelation 18:17, 21). |
1) Saudi Arabia is an Islamic nation (Sunni) and contains the 2 most
holy Islamic sites: Mecca and Medina. 2) It’s one of the top 5 richest nations in the world. 3) It’s the greatest producer & seller of oil in the world and the
dominate OPEC nation. 4) Is “in bed” with both Eastern and Western nations for the sake of oil. 5) Is home to “the Arabian Mall” a “strip” in Mecca that sells ALL the items listed in Revelation 18:11-18 including human trafficking!
6) Is directly and indirectly responsible for the martyrdom of Christians and a MAJOR financer of terrorism. Fully half or more of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia, as was Osama bin Laden.
7) Located near the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf—is known as “the Desert by the sea.”
Remember the Bible says she has a name written on her forehead “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”
What I found intriguing is that Mecca too is called “a Mother.” Mecca is known as – Umm al-Qura which means -“Mother of all settlements” or “Mother of Cities” in the Quran 6:92
While the martyrdom of Christians certainly angers God, the straw that breaks the camel’s back, is when the kings of the earth sell out Israel and divide the conquered parts of it, for oil. When the Antichrist conquers Jerusalem he will divide up the land and God’s people will be sold off like slaves:
Joel 3:2 … for My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they shared out My land.
Joel 3:2-3 They have cast lots for My people, have given a boy as payment for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.
The Kings of the Earth have gone after a “harlot” (Mystery Babylon) and “wine” (oil).
If the Saudi Arabia theory is correct then at some point in the near future, the Islamic Beast Empire she rides upon turns on her and destroys her. This is so that he can control all the oil in the Middle-East, and only distribute it to nations willing to submit to his Islamic Empire. According to Islamic End Times theology, the Mahdi makes WAR upon Saudi Arabia and ends up destroying Mecca and Medina. This causes him to move his Headquarters to Jerusalem (exactly in line with Scripture) where he then takes over the Jewish Temple and sets up the Abomination of Desolation.
So the question some of you are asking right now, is why would the Mahdi go to war with a fellow Muslim nation and destroy it?
In the here and now, there are two power blocs in the Middle East: one is Sunni Muslim and the other Shiite. Saudi Arabia is the head of the Sunni power bloc and Iran is the head of the Shiite bloc. The Shiites are the ones who believe more strongly in the coming of the Mahdi and tend to take a hard line stance against Israel and the West. Think Ayatollah Khomeni back in the 70’s & 80’s and Ahmidinijead in the here and now. These are the ones who burn American and Israeli flags and shout “Death to Israel! Death to America!” Iran and its allies await the coming of their Mahdi who will lead them to dominate the entire globe for Islam.
The government of Saudi Arabia—despite being Islamic—does NOT believe in the coming of the Mahdi nor do they want him to come. They’re very much like the Pharisees in Jesus day, who did not want the Messiah to come. Why? Because they’re rich and live lavish lifestyles, commanding lots of money and power throughout the globe. If Mahdi were to appear and start causing trouble, that would be the end for the prosperity and power of Saudi Arabia. They like things the way they are.
Whereas Iran and its allies want war with Israel and the West, Saudi Arabia is (listen now!) “in bed” with Israel and the West as well as China and other nations because we’re its oil customers! Whereas Iran rattles their sabre at us all the time, Saudi Arabia never does that. They want our money and we want their oil and both sides know it. As a result, Iran and its allies see Saudi Arabia as “prostituting” itself and Islam with Israel and the West. As of right now the Saudi bloc in the Middle East is stronger than the Iranian bloc.
Remember that Mahdi will be the most fundamental of fundamentalist Muslims and he will not tolerate Saudi Arabia who behaves like a Great Harlot to other nations. When he comes there will be a fundamental shift of power to the Shiite bloc and if Saudi Arabia truly is the Harlot of Babylon in Revelation chapters 17 & 18 then she will be destroyed by the Mahdi. The Bible says it will happen “in one hour.”
All this being said, literal Babylon in Iraq may still have a part to play. I wouldn’t discount, Iraq and one of its cities becoming the Capital of the Islamic Empire.
Just as Jesus Christ was born from the tribe of Judah. So does the Antichrist have a linage through Muhammad from the Banu Hashim clan.
The name Hashemite comes from the clan of Arabs from which Muhammad descended. The Hashemites have been the rulers of the Caliphates of Islam for the past 1300 years.
This is the exact title given to the Antichrist, the “Son of Destruction.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you* by any means, because [that Day will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction.
Paul tells his readers not to believe anyone who claims “the day of the Lord has come.” Paul says before Christ’s coming, the Antichrist “son of destruction” will appear, claiming to be God and creating a great apostasy, where Christians fall away from the truth turning to another belief.
The kingdom of Jordan, today ruled by King Abdullah II today is still called the “The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.” Indeed every Caliphate which ruled the Middle east, was from the Hashemite (Destroyer) Linage of Muhammad, and from Muhammad all the way back to Ishmael, whom the Bible called a “Wild man,” ie. a Wild Beast, whose hand would be against every one, and everyone against him Genesis
16:12 , hence a Destroyer. And take a guess where Ishmael lived? In Saudi Arabia, in the Desert, and even more specifically in Mecca. He was the original “Wild man” the Beast in the Desert of Mecca, the same Beast/kingdom of Islam described as being in the Desert in Revelation.
A Wild Man is simply a "Terrorist," a Destroyer, a son of Destruction. The Title “Son of Destruction” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, is a direct reference to the Hashemites, the sons of Destruction, which were the sons of Ishmael and Muhammad.
That should have just clinched it for you, the very title, the exact Title, given to the Antichrist and its found to be a son of the Hashemites, a descendant of Muhammad. Remember there were two lines from Abraham, Ishmael, the son of the flesh, and Isaac the son of promise. Satan chose the son of the flesh, because it was the opposite to the line from which Christ descended. And its from the linage of Ishmael that he has chosen to bring forth his Antichrist.
We have discussed that the Beast linage runs back to Ishmael. In Revelation 13:2 The Beast is described as looking like a leopard with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion and Revelation 17:3 says it was covered with names of blasphemy.
Calligraphy is big in Islam. They use both Quran verses and names of Allah to create images of animals. One of the most popular images in Islam is the Ishmael Lion, not only does it represent “a man” Ishmael the founder of their race, but also a wild beast, which bears a striking resemblance to the Beast described by John, covered with names ofblasphemy. Can there be any doubt, that the Beast are descendants of Ishmael and Muhammad, the Kingdom of Islam, covered with names of Blasphemy, which praise Allah as God, giving him names which belong only to the true God. This is exactly what John saw in the wilderness.
This destroying terrorist mentality of Ishmael, has continued down through all his generations and indeed his descendants are against everyone and everyone against them, fitting of the title Son of Destruction/Destroyer, or Wild Beast.
John saw something akin to the “Ishmael Lion” as a representation of the Islamic Beast Empire, for it not only portrays the Wild Man Ishmael, but also a wild animal and the whole race of people, which descended from him, the Arabs. The Arabs take their name from the country of Arabia. It’s the very country in which Ishmael lived. Its no wonder that John saw the Beast in a Desert, for the Desert he saw the Beast in, was the Arabian Desert. For “Arab” is the name after which the whole race of Ishmaelites are named. And not only do we find the Beast sitting in the Arabian Desert, but the Harlot Religious City also, who rides the Beast, Mecca, in the same Desert after which the Arabs are named.
Satan stated that he would be like the most high. So the question must be asked, if Satan wanted to be like God, did he choose for himself a race of people “the muslims,” to bring forth his Antichrist? So that he could be “Like God,” himself who had his own people, the Hebrews, from which he brought forth his Christ. If this is what Satan meant, to be “like” the Most high, then the day the fallen angel appeared to Muhammad in the cave, was the day Satan chose for himself a people, and he gave them another gospel. Islam goes one step to far and even claims the Jewish prophets as their own. This would indeed fulfill the claim of Satan wanting to be “like God,” for he has even stolen God’s prophets and claimed them as his own. This would indeed make Islam the religion of the Dragon, who is trying to usurp God’s throne. God warned us in Galatians not to believe angels which appear, preaching other gospels.
Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
This is exactly how Muhammad received the Quran, from a fallen angel preaching “another gospel.” God could not have been more clear. He pre warned us that Satan was preparing to come with another gospel. And the Quran is indeed “another gospel,” preached by who? An angel, exactly the way the verse warned us it would happen.
For teaching this alternative gospel, the above verse states God Cursed this angel. The Angel claimed he was sent by Allah. Astoundingly not only is Allah the word for ascending and rising, but in Hebrew “Alah,” a word with a similar spelling, is another word for a Curse.
Strongs H423
'alah From H422; an imprecation: -curse, cursing, execration
On the Day of Atonement the Jewish Priests chose two goats. They cast lots to see which one would be sacrificed to Jehovah and which would become the scapegoat, after the first goat had been sacrificed as a penalty for sin, the sins would be applied to the head of the second goat, the scapegoat and sent into the wilderness to a being called Azâzêl:
The goat chosen for Azazel shall be presented alive to the LORD and sent off into the desert to Azazel, in order to take away the sins of the people. (Leviticus 16:10)
These two goats formed the complete offering for sin, one sacrificed to God as the penalty for sin and other carrying the sin off into the wilderness. After the priest had made atonement over the scapegoat, laying Israel's guilt upon it, he sent it away, with all their iniquities into the wilderness to Azazel. Biblical Scholars are divided as to who Azazel was. The Apocryphal book of Enoch references Azazel as a star/angel which fell from heaven before Noah’s Flood, and taught mankind to sin and how to make swords and weapons for warfare (ie. Jihad). So hence in the Apocryphal book of Enoch God ascribed all mankind’s sin to this Angel of warfare and imprisoned him in a pit in the Desert, to await the day of Judgment.
The book of Enoch and the Bible both affirm that Azazel is imprisoned in a pit in the desert (Enoch 10:4). This is interesting seeing that the Beast of Revelation is also describe as being in the desert, Satan himself was also described as being in the desert, when Jesus Christ was tempted, by him:
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit up into the wilderness, to be tempted by the Devil.
So the Desert seems to be place where Satan and his demons hang out. From these two animals, symbolically we can see that Jesus was the one slain as a sacrifice for the sins and became a lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and it would seem that Azazel/Satan would be the one who will “bear the penalty” of those sins forever in the lake of fire, having been the author of sins.
The Name Azazel, has two meanings depending on how the name is divided. Firstly AZAZ + EL means God strengthens, but AZ + AZEL also means “goat of departure,” the goat which wandered off into the wilderness carrying away the sins. This angel was so named because as mentioned in the book of Enoch he was the first to rebel and leave heaven like Satan... and hence a "goat" being symbolic of evil (as opposed to sheep meaning good) and the departure was him leaving heaven to live on earth, and coming to tempt Adam and Eve.
So the Goat for Azazel is the Symbol of Satan on which the Jews applied their sin, to be sent off into the wilderness to Azazel/Satan the original author of Sin. And he will have to bear the penalty for being the author of sin forever in the lake of fire.
This gives astounding new meaning to the saying of Jesus that when he comes to rule the earth, he will divide the sheep from the goats:
Matthew 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. What becomes apparent is that the goats are a portrayal of those people which have followed the Antichrist/Goat/Satan and gone astray like Satan did, wandering in the wilderness like a goat, which strays. And indeed the wilderness is the very place which muslims go to worship. Jesus speaks about separating the sheep from the goats. You see in a normal flock, the sheep and goats mix together unnoticed, you can barely tell a sheep apart from a goat. But it becomes apparent that sheep, like Christians, are docile, while goats are violent and often found head butting and attacking the sheep. This is very much like the muslims who although appear godly, are violent like goats who attack the Jews and Christians “the sheep” and have gone astray into the wilderness, where Satan the author of warfare and destruction is said to be.
So if Jesus is the lamb of God, and his followers are sheep, then Satan/Azazel is like the “Antichrist Goat” who leads people astray and attacks the Jews and Christians and his followers are goats. Its no coincidence that the Satanists worship the Goat within a Star. For this is indeed the image of their false god, the author of sin “Satan the goat of departure” Satan/Azazel the goat who leads the world astray. But lets take a closer look at the symbolism behind the pictures below.
The first image is the Azazel goat -Baphomet. The name Baphomet appeared first in 11th and 12th century Latin and Provencal as a corruption of "Mahomet,” the Latinisation of "Muhammad,”[see Wikipedia Baphomet] but later it appeared as a term for a pagan idol in trial transcripts of the Inquisition of the Knights Templar in the early 14th century. The name first came into popular English-speaking consciousness in the 19th century, with debate and speculation on the reasons for the suppression of the Templars. Since 1855, the name Baphomet has been associated with a "Scape Goat" image drawn by Eliphas Lévi.Its interesting that Muhammad and Satan/Azazel scapegoat would be linked together by Satanists. Note the symbols being pointed to by the Baphomet are the very symbol of Islam itself, the Crescent moon and the Star on his forehead. One below and one above, as Satan the crescent moon rises from earth into the heaven.
Satanist know exactly that image of Satan is the Crescent moon and Star, whom they worship. The image which we have discussed previously, the fallen Morning star son of the dawn Hilal Lucifer in Isaiah 14, means crescent moon, son of the dawn. The same one who will rise up again. Unfortunately this is the same image which the Muslims worship, the very star according to their faith which fell from heaven, to earth. The same star which has been placed in the corner of the Ka’ba, the corner stone or capstone of their faith. This is the stone toward which they pray every day. The stone that according to them takes away their sins. It was the Goat sent into the wilderness which took on all Israel’s sins and carried it to the author of sin in the desert. But Muhammad took it one step further and created a temple for the stone in the desert, the temple of Azazel/Satan/the goat. Are you seeing the connection yet? The stone/star is the Azazel/Satan the scapegoat who claims to take away sins like the Azazel goat did. Muslims say it is ridiculous that Jesus could have taken on the sins of the world. But it can’t be more ridiculous than a stone fallen from heaven which takes away sins. In fact it is the very opposite of the truth of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and Islam has chosen the Goat of the wilderness/Satan the fallen star to take away their sins. The problem is, that the Author of sin, isn’t in the business of taking away sin, only fooling people into believing he has. They have replaced Jesus Christ with a stone which can not save them. The Bible calls the Antichrist the “man of sin.” For when the Antichrist is possessed by Satan, he will become sin incarnate. He will offer mankind forgiveness of sins, by his Image which speaks (the Ka’ba stone ) and by taking his Mark. This will be a most terrible deception having replaced Jesus Christ, with the image of a stone/star fallen from heaven.Here is the ultimate secret the Freemasons hold. They call it the Great Seal and its found on the one Dollar Bill.
At the bottom the words Novus Ordo Seclorum, in what appears at first to be a banner, which reads New Order of Ages. This New Order is Satan’s Empire that will rule the world. Note that the letters spelling out MASON can be found at the points of a hidden star of David, which they call the Seal of Solomon. The pyramid is a representation of all the empires of the world culminating in the final empire ruled by Satan himself asthe Capstone. The one thing the Freemasons all wait for, is the day when the Third Temple of God will be built in Jerusalem. This is why the Solomon star is pointing to the letters for M.A.S.O.N. Because Solomon was the grand Mason/Architect of God’s Temple. And the Freemasons are the ones behind the scenes helping Satan to create his New world order. The Pyramid to Freemasons represents the Jewish Temple of God, with the Eye of Horus its cap stone, representing the day when Satan the Morning star of the Dawn, will sit on God’s earthly throne in the Third Temple and proclaim himself God (like 2Thessalonians 2:4). The stone capping God’s temple is not symbolic, it is literally the day when the Star /Stone of Satan from the Ka’ba, is placed in the Temple of God.
This is the secret of the Great Seal. When the Islamic Antichrist sets himself up as God, in the Jewish temple and erects the Star of Satan Ka’ba Stone with in it, and begins his final Empire of Terror, and the Dawn of a New Age. Not only is the Seal of Solomon star hidden in the Great Seal, but the banner with the words “New order of Ages” is not a banner at all, but the disguised Crescent moon of Islam. Annuit Coeptis, means” he has
approved (our) undertakings.” Meaning Satan the Star has approved of something, but what? The Bible says the Dragon Satan gives his power and seat and great authority to the Beast Empire, the New order of Ages Empire, this is what Satan approves of. But which empire has Satan’s blessing. That secret lies in the word “Coeptis,” which has two conjoined Letters OE, which stand for none other than the Ottoman Empire, the Empire of Islam.
Lets finally break the secret of the Great Seal wide open. The Great Seal can only be understood when you realized that the Pyramid represents the Jewish temple to Freemasons, but not just one temple, but all three of the Jewish Temples. From the first temple built by Solomon, to the last temple yet to be built in Jerusalem.At the base of the pyramid is the date 1776 written in Roman numerals. Remember, this does not stand for the
U.S. Declaration of Independence on
July 4th, but rather for the inauguration of the Illuminati on May 1st. Just as a matter of interest, who else appreciates this date? Witches and top men in secret societies are initiated into upper degrees on this day, and communists always have their May day parade on may 1st . Nowtofind asecret message: M-1000D-500C -100C-100L-50 X -10X -10V-5I -1= l776 (May1st).
Placing the roman numerals in a specific order around each temple/pyramid from first to last. You will see the hidden number 666 which runs along its base.
The Freemasons tie this number directly to the Third Temple and the Man who will proclaim himself God within it, but most Freemasons have no idea that He will be an Islamic Antichrist. Its only the top level Freemasons who know that the Antichrist will be an Islamic Terrorist Dictator.
Both the Jewish star and the Muslim crescent and star are hidden in the same Great Seal. Which reveals that the Crescent of Islam will be the New Order of Ages Empire and take over the Jewish temple. Muslims call America the One eyed Devil, because of the Eye of Horus on this Seal. They have no idea that the hidden Satanic meaning, is that the Ka’ba capstone, the Morning Star-stone of Satan, becomes the corner stone of the Jewish Temple.
The Symbol of Baal Worship was the Crescent and StarThe crescent moon and Morning Star represent what God was intending to warn us about, for it is the symbol of the Image of the Beast/Ka’ba stone star. The Beast is Islam and it symbol is the crescent moon and star. The Greek word used for “Image” is “Eikon” or Icon. (Strongs G1504)
From G1503; a likeness, that is, (literally) statue, profile, or (figuratively) representation, resemblance: -image.
When we realize first that the Beast is an Empire, we recognize every empire has an image. We all know icons on our desktops, the icon is the symbol of the program it runs. So when the Bible says it’s the “eikon of the Beast,” its saying it’s the symbol of the Empire. And that which represents the Islamic Empire most is the crescent and star, the image which muslims all bow down to, the star Ka’ba stone.
So on the day when the Antichrist enters the Jewish Temple and proclaims himself God, those who bow before him or the symbol of his Empire (the Ka’ba stone star) which speaks, will have committed an unforgivable sin. The word used for “worship” of the Beast, is the Greek word Proskuneo (Strongs G4352)
From G4314 and probably a derivative of G2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand); to fawn or crouch to, that is, (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore): worship.
Can you see the profoundness of this word. Not only does it describe bowing down, which Muslims perform daily, but it also, describes the very act of worship by “kissing” and Muslims kiss the Ka’ba stone on Hajj. Although they deny this is worship, the Bible declares outright, that bowing down and kissing an object is worship, no matter how much you deny that it is. Also Moses strictly forbade bowing before stars and the host of heaven (Deuteronomy 4:19). And if Muslims believe that Moses was a Prophet, they should be obeying what he said.
When the time comes, everyone will know what the image of the Beast is. For the punishment of not bowing before it, will be death, by beheading. And we all know that no other nation prostrate themselves, more than the muslims, or behead people. I thank God that he will reveal, this truth to the Muslims before that terrible day. Let those who have ears to hear listen, for God will even send his Angel to shout this warning loud and clear, that everyone may hear:
Revelation 14:9 And another, a third angel, followed them, saying in a loud voice, "If anyone prostrates themselves in worship before the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink from the wine of the rage of God, the [rage] having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath, and he will be tormented in fire and sulfur [or, brimstone] before the holy angels and before the Lamb. " And the smoke of their torment ascends to ages of ages [fig., forever and ever]; and they have no relief day and night, the ones prostrating themselves in worship before the beast and his image, also if anyone receives the mark of his name."
How terrible it will be for those who refuse to heed God’s warning. The Bible is quite clear, anyone bowing to the Islamic Empire, the Antichrist Caliph, or the Image of his Empire, and taking the mark on Forehead or right hand (so they can buy and sell in his Empire) will suffer God’s wrath forever in the lake of fire.
Reuters OIC -ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE King David in Psalm 2 states very clearly that the day will come when the Presidents and Islamic kings will hold a conference together, (likely speaking of the OIC -Organization of the Islamic Conference) to declare they want to break the bands of Christianity and cast away the cords -the laws of Christ. King David Prophesied of this day -The words in brackets are mine for clarity: Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage (the Islamic nations), and the peoples meditate on a vain thing? (conquering Israel) The (Islamic) kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers (Presidents) plot together, against Jehovah and against His anointed (Christ), saying, Let us break their bands (their hold over society) in two and cast away their cords (their laws) from us. He (God) who sits in the heavens shall laugh; Jehovah shall mock at them. Then He shall speak to them in His anger, and trouble them in His wrath. Yea, I have set My king (Jesus Christ) on My holy hill, on Zion (on the throne of God in heaven). I will declare the decree of Jehovah. He has said to Me, You are My Son; today I have begotten You. (God confesses Jesus as his Son) Ask of Me, and I shall give the nations for Your inheritance; and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your
This Psalm was written by King David, which Muslims too believe was a prophet, if only they would heed his warning before its too late.
Again King David prophesied the exact agenda currently playing out in the Middle east and that an Alliance of Islamic nations will try to destroy Israel, he even mentions some of those nations:
Psalm 83:1-8 O God, do not keep silent; do not be still, do not be quiet! Look! Your enemies are in revolt, and those who hate you are rebelling. They are making secret plans against your people (Israel); they are plotting against those you protect. "Come," they say, "let us destroy their nation, so that Israel will be forgotten forever." They agree on their plan and form an alliance against you: the people of Edom (Jordan) and the Ishmaelites (Saudi Arabia); the people of Moab (Lebanon) and the Hagrites; the people of Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, and of Philistia and Tyre. Assyria (Iraq) has also joined them as a strong ally of the Ammonites and Moabites (the Palestinians), the descendants of Lot.
Can there be any doubt the Bible is the Word of God? Who but God could predict with such accuracy the events currently unfolding in the Middle East. That these Islamic nations will unite against Israel and help the Palestinians. Even the very words the Muslims shout against Israel, "Come," they say, "let us destroy their nation, so that Israel will be forgotten forever." Psalm 83:4
King David asks God to destroy those nations: Psalm 83:11 Do to their leaders what you did to Oreb and Zeeb; defeat all their rulers as you did Zebah and Zalmunna, (the Midianites whom Gideon striped of their crescent moons Judges 8:21 ) who said, "We will take for our own the land that belongs to God." Scatter them like dust, O God, like straw blown away by the wind. As fire burns the forest, as flames set the hills on fire, chase them away with your storm and terrify them with your fierce winds. Cover their faces with shame, O LORD, and make them acknowledge your power. May they be defeated and terrified forever; may they die in complete disgrace. May they know that you alone are the LORD, supreme ruler over all the earth.
Psalm 83 Declares it will be God -Jesus Christ himself, who becomes so furious at what the Islamic Nations have done, that he will return from heaven, to destroy those who destroyed his people, at his Second Coming. The Islamic nations have no idea how much they are infuriating God, by claiming the land of Israel as their own. Unfortunately it will be too late, when they find out that God, was a God of Peace and not Destruction, when Jesus Christ returns to reclaim Jerusalem which the Islamic nations will conquer.
Joel 3:16 The LORD roars from Mount Zion; his voice thunders from Jerusalem; earth and sky tremble. But he will defend his people. "Then, Israel, you will know that I am the LORD your God. I live on Zion, my sacred hill. Jerusalem will be a sacred city; foreigners (Islamic nations) will never conquer it again.
Isaiah 46:10 From the beginning I revealed the end. From long ago I told you things that had not yet happened, saying, "My plan will stand, and I'll do everything I intended to do."
I pray that the Muslims may see the error of their ways. I pray they heed the warning which King David prophesied against them, telling them, that what they believe, is in error. And that by attacking Israel, they are making themselves enemies of the God of Heaven, and piecing themselves through with many sorrows. God is the God of Peace, and love, not hatred and warfare. In fact Jesus Christ will be only happy to share Israel with them when he returns, if they repent and believe that he’s God’s son. Otherwise they will find themselves on the wrong side, when Christ returns.
Matthew 24:30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
The above verse says all the people of the earth, those who rejected Christ will weep and lament, when they see Jesus coming, for they did not believe. And now its too late to repent for the Son has been revealed, and all that awaits is judgment. I can’t imagine the terror that those who have rejected God’s Son will feel. As they see heaven ripped wide open, to reveal the Son of God coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. For those who believed and suffered for Christ, there will be Joy, but for those who rejected the Son and even persecuted his followers, there will be utter despair and terror.
Jesus perfectly described Muhammad when he said:
Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing,(looking godly) but inwardly they are ravening wolves (violent killers). You shall know them by their fruits (works). Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruits, nor can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you shall know them.
Does the Quran really contain dozens of verses promoting violence?
The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. Muslims who do not join the fight are called 'hypocrites' and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.
Most of today's Muslims exercise a personal choice to interpret their holy book's many calls to violence according to what their own moral preconceptions find justifiable. Apologists cater to their preferences with tenuous arguments that gloss over historical fact and generally do not stand up to scrutiny. Still, it is important to note that the problem is not bad people, but bad doctrine.
Unfortunately, there are very few verses of tolerance and peace to abrogate or even balance out the many that call for nonbelievers to be fought and subdued until they either accept humiliation, convert to Islam, or are killed. Muhammad's own martial legacy -and that of his companions -along with the remarkable stress on violence found in the Quran have produced a trail of blood and tears across world history.
Quran (2:216) -"Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not."
Not only does this verse establish that violence can be virtuous, but it also contradicts the myth that fighting is intended only in self-defense, since the audience was obviously not under attack at the time. From the Hadith, we know that this verse was narrated at a time that Muhammad was actually trying to motivate his people into raiding merchant caravans for loot.
Other than the fact that Muslims haven't killed every non-Muslim under their domain, there is very little else that they can point to as proof that theirs is a peaceful, tolerant religion. Where Islam is dominant (as in the Middle East and Pakistan) religious minorities suffer brutal persecution with little resistance. Where Islam is in the minority (as in Thailand, the Philippines and Europe) there is the threat of violence if Muslim demands are not met. Either situation seems to provide a justification for religious terrorism, which is persistent and endemic to Islamic fundamentalism.
The reasons are obvious and begin with the Quran. Few verses of Islam's most sacred text can be construed to fit the contemporary virtues of religious tolerance and universal brotherhood. Those that do are earlier "Meccan" verses which are obviously abrogated by later ones. This is why Muslim apologists speak of the "risks" of trying to interpret the Quran without their "assistance" -even while claiming that it is a perfect book.
Far from being mere history or theological construct, the violent verses of the Quran have played a key role in very real massacre and genocide. This includes the brutal slaughter of tens of millions of Hindus for five centuries beginning around 1000 AD with Mahmud of Ghazni's bloody conquest. Both he and the later Tamerlane (Islam's Genghis Khan) slaughtered an untold number merely for defending their temples from destruction. Buddhism was very nearly wiped off the Indian subcontinent. Judaism and Christianity met the same fate (albeit more slowly) in areas conquered by Muslim armies, including the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Europe, including today's Turkey. Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of a proud Persian people is despised by Muslims and barely survives in modern Iran.
So ingrained is violence in the religion that Islam has never really stopped being at war, either with other religions or with itself.
Muhammad was a military leader, laying siege to towns, massacring the men, raping their women, enslaving their children, and taking the property of others as his own. On several occasions he rejected offers of surrender from the besieged inhabitants and even butchered captives. He actually inspired his followers to battle when they did not feel it was right to fight, promising them slaves and booty if they did and threatening them with Hell if they did not. Muhammad allowed his men to rape traumatized women captured in battle, usually on the very day their husbands and family members were slaughtered.
Zechariah mentions the same mentality of raping the woman, will be something which the Antichrist and his army will do, when they conquer Jerusalem Zechariah 14:2 says, For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished
It is important to emphasize that, for the most part, Muslim armies waged aggressive campaigns, and the religion's most dramatic military conquests were made by the actual companions of Muhammad in the decades following his death. The early Islamic principle of warfare was that the civilian population of a town was to be destroyed (ie. men executed, women and children taken as slaves) if they defended themselves. Although modern apologists often claim that Muslims are only supposed to attack in self-defense, this is an oxymoron that is flatly contradicted by the accounts of Islamic historians and others that go back to the time of Muhammad.
Consider the example of the Qurayza Jews, who were completely obliterated only five years after Muhammad arrived in Medina. Their leader opted to stay neutral when their town was besieged by a Meccan army that was sent to take revenge for Muhammad's deadly caravan raids. The tribe killed no one from either side and even surrendered peacefully to Muhammad after the Meccans had been turned back. Yet the prophet of Islam had every male member of the Qurayza beheaded, and every woman and child enslaved, even raping one of the captives himself (what Muslim apologists might refer to as "same day marriage").
One of Islam's most revered modern scholars, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, openly sanctions offensive Jihad: "In the Jihad which you are seeking, you look for the enemy and invade him. This type of Jihad takes place only when the Islamic state is invading other [countries] in order to spread the word of Islam and to remove obstacles standing in its way." Elsewhere, he notes: "Islam has the right to take the initiative…this is God’s religion and it is for the whole world. It has the right to destroy all obstacles in the form of institutions and traditions … it attacks institutions and traditions to release human beings from their poisonous influences, which distort human nature and curtail human freedom. Those who say that Islamic Jihad was merely for the defense of the 'homeland of Islam' diminish the greatness of the Islamic way of life."
Muhammad's failure to leave a clear line of succession resulted in perpetual internal war following his death. Those who knew him best first fought to keep remote tribes from leaving Islam and reverting to their preferred religion (the Ridda or 'Apostasy wars'). Then, within the closer community, early Meccan converts battled later ones. Hostility developed between those immigrants who had traveled with Muhammad to Mecca and the Ansar at Medina who had helped them settle in. Finally there was a violent struggle within Muhammad's own family between his favorite wife and favorite daughter -a jagged schism that has left Shias and Sunnis at each others' throats to this day.
The strangest and most untrue thing that can be said about Islam is that it is a Religion of Peace. If every standard by which the West is judged and condemned (slavery, imperialism, intolerance, misogyny, sexual repression, warfare...) were applied equally to Islam, the verdict would be devastating. Islam never gives up what it conquers, be it religion, culture, language or life. Neither does it make apologies or any real effort at moral progress. It is the least open to dialogue and the most self-absorbed. It is convinced of its own perfection, yet brutally shuns self-examination and represses criticism.
This is what makes the Quran's verses of violence so dangerous. They are given the weight of divine command. While Muslim terrorists take them as literally as anything else in their holy book, and understand that Islam is incomplete without Jihad, moderates offer little to contradict them -outside of opinion. Indeed, what do they have? Speaking of peace and love may win over the ignorant, but when every twelfth verse of Islam's holiest book either speaks to Allah's hatred for non-Muslims or calls for their death, forced conversion, or subjugation, it's little wonder that sympathy for terrorism runs as deeply as it does in the broader community -even if most Muslims personally prefer not to interpret their religion in this way.
Although scholars like Ibn Khaldun, one of Islam's most respected philosophers, understood that "the holy war is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the Muslim mission and (the obligation to) convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force,” many other Muslims are either unaware or willfully ignorant of the Quran's near absence of verses that preach universal non-violence. Their understanding of Islam comes from what they are taught by others. In the West, it is typical for believers to think that their religion must be like Christianity -preaching the New Testament virtues of peace, love, and tolerance -because Muslims are taught that Islam is supposed to be superior in every way. They are somewhat surprised and embarrassed to learn that the evidence of the Quran and the bloody history of Islam are very much in contradiction to this.
Others simply accept the violence. In 1991, a Palestinian couple in America was convicted of stabbing their daughter to death for being too Westernized. A family friend came to their defense, excoriating the jury for not understanding the "culture,” claiming that the father was merely following "the religion" and saying that the couple had to "discipline their daughter or lose respect." (source). In 2011, unrepentant Palestinian terrorists, responsible for the brutal murders of civilians, women and children explicitly in the name of Allah were treated to a luxurious "holy pilgrimage" to Mecca by the Saudi king without a single Muslim voice raised in protest.
For their part, Western liberals would do well not to sacrifice critical thinking to the god of political correctness, or look for reasons to bring other religion down to the level of Islam, merely to avoid the existential truth that this it is both different and dangerous.
There are just too many Muslims who take the Quran literally... and too many others who couldn't care a less about the violence done in the name of Islam.
The Great Apostasy
Conversion by Terror
Perhaps the saddest and most devastating aspect of the last-days is what the Bible calls the Great Apostasy. The Bible teaches that in the last days many of those who name the name of Jesus, who call themselves Christians, will turn away from the faith and even renounce Christ. Referring to this most horrific and chaotic period, Jesus said:
Matthew 24:10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.
Paul the Apostle warned the believers on more than one occasion not to be deceived into believing that Jesus had already returned. For until the Great Apostasy and the emergence of the Antichrist, the “Day of the Lord” – the return of Jesus, will not come.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.
1 Timothy 1:4 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
In this chapter we will examine how the dramatic growth of Islam may be tied into the coming Great Apostasy as well as the relationship between terror and the success of the Antichrist.
One day Islam is going to put that very choice to you, will you submit or hold on to Christ? When that day comes, will you have the courage to stand up for the truth of Jesus Christ, even in the face of certain death, and beheading? Jesus warned that many would fall away because of this very decision, the choice between Jesus and saving their own lives by worshiping the Beast of Islam.
Matthew 10:37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life shall lose it. And he who loses his life for My sake shall find it.
Jesus says if we love anything more than him, we are not worthy of him, and goes on to say he who finds his life shall loose it. What a strange saying. How can you find your life and loose it. You see this whole passage is about the last days when people, will be given the choice to worship the Beast or die for Christ. He that chooses to live and worship the Islamic Beast, will think he is saving his life, but in truth he will loose eternal life and be thrown into the lake of fire, on judgement day.
If someone loves his father or mother, or his son or daughter more than Christ, and is willing to bow down to the Beast, just to stay alive, he is not worthy of Christ either. Can you see what a terrible time Christians and even Muslims will have in the last days. The decision whether or not to die for belief in Christ. To give up your life and your family for Christ. Can you just imagine the awful horror of a wife or child, begging their father just to submit and stay alive with them. This will be the most terrible trial, for Christians. The Antichrist won’t care if you believe he is God or not, all he requires is submission to him and his Empire. Satan tempted Jesus with the very temptation he will offer to mankind in the last days, the kingdoms of the world, for your submission.
Matthew 4:8 Again, the Devil took Him up into a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.
This is the same thing the Islamic Beast offers the people on earth, if they fall down and worship, they will be allowed to live in the Islamic kingdom, when Islam conquers the whole world. The only thing it will cost you is your eternal soul. Jesus said:
Luke 9:24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit will a person have if he gains the whole world, but destroys himself or is lost? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
The above verse continues to describe the offer which will be made by the Islamic Antichrist, to the people of the earth, that if they worship and submit they will live and gain the whole world. But Jesus says what will it profit you, if you submit and live and loose your eternal soul, for when the Son of Man comes from heaven in his Glory, those who were ashamed of him and his words and denied him before men, because of Islamic persecution, Jesus will deny knowing them and cast them into the lake of fire. So by gaining your life and submitting to the Beast, you will actually loose it, for eternity.
I never understood why the Christians would be hated by all nations in the last days, until I understood who was doing the hating:
The Great falling away has started very subtly, “haven’t you heard it said, “we all worship the same God,” we just call him by different names. This was the beginning of the Apostasy, claiming that the Christian God is the same as all other God’s including Allah. Can you see how people can fall away from the truth.
2 Corinthians 6:15: And what agreement does Christ have with Belial?(Satan) Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever?
Christ says Satan has no part in him, a Christian can not be in agreement with a non Christian.
2 Corinthians 6:14: Do not try to work together as equals with unbelievers, for it cannot be done. How can right and wrong be partners? How can light and darkness live together? How can Christ and the Devil agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
2 Corinthians 6:17: So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself.
It’s the world which is telling us to “compromise” our faith. That “we all worship the same God,” but the Bible is intensely opposed to this concept that God and Satan can agree. The world says, “we all have the same basic doctrine in all our faiths, so it doesn’t matter which God you worship.” But unless they have the Son of God, they have nothing, unless they have the one who paid the price for sin, the lamb of God, they are without hope. And will have to pay the same price which God’s Son paid for our sin, to die and be cast into hell. Unless they have the Son who conquered Hell, death and the grave and rose from the dead, and has the power of life eternal, the power of resurrection and has promised to raise all who believe in him, they have nothing.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.
Revelation 20:4 And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark on their foreheads, nor in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Jesus warned the people living in Jerusalem that a time would come when the Muslims would kill people and think that by doing this, they are serving God:
John 16:2 You will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time will come when those who kill you will think that by doing this they are serving God.
Can you see the astounding accuracy of Jesus Christ’s words. Even predicting that the Muslims would think that by killing Christians and Jews, they are serving God. Jesus said love your enemies:
Luke 6:27 But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. And to him who strikes you on the one cheek, also offer the other. And to him who takes away your garment, do not forbid your tunic also.
How can a God, which tells people to murder in his name, possibly be reconciled with the God of Love and patience, even telling us it is better to be wronged than to retaliate. A God who told us to love our enemies. Loving our enemies and murdering our enemies, are so vastly different. How can the God of the Bible be the same God as the Quran.
Consider the following statement made in Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini’s Al-Imam Al-Mahdi: The Just Leader of Humanity. Referring to those who refuse to convert to Islam and submit to the Mahdi’s leadership over the earth, we read:
This group will indisputably be opposed to justice and will never give up their stubborn antagonism against any power. Such people will do anything against the promised Mahdi to protect their vested interests. Moreover, they will do anything within their power to demoralize and combat those who support the Imam (Mahdi). To crush the negative influence of this group there is no other solution except warfare and bloodshed. 1
Anything, including blatant murder, will be excusable, so long as the goal of Islam’s vindication is finally achieved. The psychology here cannot be underestimated.
But beyond the emotional invigoration that we would expect to see among Muslims, we would also expect to see an equal measure of terror among those who do not wish to become Muslims. This brings us to another very important psychological factor that will likely come into play during the last-days: Terror. But even more specifically, it is what psychologists have labeled as “the Stockholm Syndrome.” Allow me to explain. Perhaps the oddest quality to the Antichrist Empire is that it is a both religious worship movement as well as a demonically inspired military machine hell-bent on crushing, devouring and trampling “the whole earth.” These two elements together seem at first like a completely incompatible combination. We in the West with our religious freedom view worship as a voluntary act of reverence and love directed toward the one whom we deem worthy of such worship. We see however, in the Book of Revelation, a hint of the mentality that will be present in the worshippers of Satan and the Beast. It says that “Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?’” Weseein the worshippers an “if you can’t beat him, may as well join him” mentality that is motivated by fear and terror. We see a clear example here of the Stockholm Syndrome. The Stockholm Syndrome is essentially a reference to the psychological dynamic that has been repeatedly observed where the one who has been held prisoner, abused or terrorized eventually identifies with and supports their captors or tormentors. A classic case in the United States was when newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, only to have eventually joined their cause and even committing armed robbery of a bank. In the case of the future worshippers of the Beast, it is the trampled down and dominated, who eventually give in and worship their dominator. In utter awe, they will ask, “Who is like him?”
Not surprisingly then, many psychologists have made the observation that equate the behavior of victims of terrorism or other abuses with the behavior of those captives who have come to define the Stockholm Syndrome. The comparisons are quite fascinating as they relate to our discussion. In an article entitled The Stockholm Syndrome: Not Just For Hostages, we read:
The Stockholm Syndrome is an emotional attachment, a bond of interdependence between captive and captor that develops 'when someone threatens your life, deliberates, and doesn't kill you.'… The relief resulting from the removal of the threat of death generates intense feelings of gratitude and fear which combine to make the captive reluctant to display negative feelings toward the captor or terrorist. "The victims' need to survive is stronger than his impulse to hate the person who has created his dilemma."… The victim comes to see the captor as a 'good guy', even a savior.2
Should we be surprised then that the Stockholm Syndrome is at work in the terrorism plagued nation of Israel? George E. Rubin, in Commentary Magazine, May 2000 sees symptoms of the Stockholm Syndrome abundant among many in Israel:
After 50 years of unending conflict, most Israeli Jews seem to have concluded that the burden of maintaining their nation is just too difficult to bear. The country's secular leftist elites--who control education, culture, the news media, and the government--blame the Jews for the Arabs' desire to destroy Israel, and the majority seems to be afflicted with the "Stockholm syndrome": though the victims of Arab hate, they identify with their oppressors.3
Rubin is not alone in this observation. Aharon Megged, an Israeli novelist mirrors Rubins comments:
We have witnessed a phenomenon which probably has no parallel in history; an emotional and moral identification by the majority of Israel's intelligentsia with people openly committed to our annihilation. 4
Even as psychologists and intellectuals have observed the Stockholm Syndrome present among victims of Islamic terrorism in Israel and elsewhere, the Beast Empire led by the Antichrist will likewise inspire a global case of this syndrome. People will be overcome with a terror that will eventually lead to literally worshipping the Beast. The Tormentor will become the Savior.
This dynamic may be one of the primary reasons responsible for the explosion of conversions to Islam among westerners since 9-11. While common sense would tell us that 9-11 would have caused many to be repulsed by Islam, instead we see in many quarters just the opposite effect. We see this phenomenon in one young American woman’s “testimony” of how she converted to Islam. In a story from the New York Times about the “thousands” of converts to Islam after 9-11:
Shannon Staloch is not sure why, but upon hearing of the hijackings, she immediately grabbed a book from her backpack and recited the Arabic declaration of belief; she made the conversion official 12 days later. 5
The aspect of this story and many others like it that amazes me is the complete absence of any intellectual or spiritual reasons that many converts can lay their fingers on, when examining their decision to convert. “Not sure why,” this woman simply felt the overwhelming need to convert to Islam upon hearing of the horrific murder of thousands of people in the name of the very religion that she was converting to. In Ms. Staloch’s case, Islamic “terror” had its desired effect. Certainly Usama Bin Laden would be pleased to hear the news.
In the last-days, terror will be increased a thousand fold. And the Bible makes it clear that terror will have its desired effect upon the inhabitants of the earth. “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him? Why resist him? He is simply too powerful.”
The budding trends that we are seeing today -the conversion of the terrorized to the religion of the terrorists, will come to full fruition in the days to come as the Beast and his kingdom terrorize the whole earth in the name of his religion. So once again, we see that the methods of Terror and Fear utilized by the Antichrist and the methods of Islam are the same. The parallels and the psychology here cannot be ignored.
Notes:
5. Jodi Wilgoren, The New York Times, October 22, 2001 Islam Attracts Converts by the Thousands, Drawn Before and After Attacks
Special Thanks to Joel Richardson for the majority of this Chapter from his book -The Islamic Antichrist by Joel Richardson Go to www.joelstrumpet.com for the latest on the Islamic Antichrist.
While the last chapter dealt with the concentrated hatred and
murderous spirit of Islam toward the Jewish people, this chapter deals in a more general sense with the worldwide persecution and martyrdom that will be waged against anyone who is a follower of Jesus or who refuses to become a Muslim during the last-days.
In the Book of Revelation, chapter twenty, the Apostle John sees a particular company of people. John gives us a very brief synopsis of what he sees. He is specifically describing the future end-time Martyrs:
Revelation 20:4: I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
I’ve dwelled on this verse many times. The Bible says that in the last-days, beheading will specifically be the primary method by which people will be martyred. They will be killed specifically for their “testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God.” It is a strange picture to try to imagine. Is the Bible implying a worldwide resurrection of guillotines in every town square? What exactly is the Bible inferring will occur that will result in a worldwide standard of using beheading specifically, as a means of executing Christians? As I have tried to envision the nature of the end-times and what they will look like, I have often wondered about this verse. There are other passages that are very similar to this one. They also speak of a future persecution and a global trend of executing Christians for their faith in Jesus:
Matthew 24:9: Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
Here Jesus warns His disciples that they will be hated and ultimately put to death as a result of their identification with Him. But then there is a prophetic expansion on this prediction. Jesus says that “you will be hated by all nations because of me.” Jesus specifically predicted a global element to this future persecution against Christians. This next verse gives us even further insight:
John 16:1-4 All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you.
In this passage from the Gospel of John, Jesus is initially speaking to the disciples outside of a strictly end-time context. He first warns the disciples that in the days ahead they would see his followers put out of the synagogues. This prophecy came to its fullest expression after what became known as the Bar Kochba rebellion in 132-135 A.D. It was during the Bar Kochba rebellion that the final separation of church and synagogue took place. Bar Kochba was a false Jewish Messiah. He was supported and endorsed by the highest level of the rabbinic authority at the time, the renowned Rabbi Akiva. As a result of Akiva’s support, Bar Kochba was authenticated as Messiah in the eyes of the Jewish people. When Bar Kochba led the Jews in a rebellion against Rome, any Jew who did not participate was viewed as a traitor to the Jewish nation. The Jews who were followers of Jesus however, who before this time, still regularly participated in the synagogue services, could not support a rebellion led by someone whom they knew to be a false Messiah. As a result the Jewish followers of Jesus were expelled from the synagogues en masse and Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled in the second century.
But in the second part of this verse, Jesus is speaking of the end-times. “In Fact,” he goes on to say, “the days will come when your persecutors will do far more than merely expel you from a synagogue; they will literally kill you.” But the most bewildering and intriguing aspect of this verse is the next portion of Jesus’ statement. He says that those who kill you will literally think that in doing so, they are offering a service to God. It is this portion of the verse that is key. How could someone in today’s world literally think that God demands the killing of other human beings simply because they believe differently? It’s such a completely foreign concept to most modern western minds. It is not, however, a foreign concept to history. Both Islam and Christianity – both Catholic and Protestants, are guilty of this very thing, murdering those who are perceived to be heretics from the only true religion. Jihad, the Crusades, the Inquisitions – all fit the bill of murder for and in the name of God. One thing is for sure, an absolutely necessary ingredient in any such bloody exchange would have to be a firm conviction that God is on one’s side and that He commands such executions. It is impossible to imagine any belief system or philosophy on the earth that could carry out such a thing other than a well-established world religion. While totalitarian regimes are certainly capable of such a thing, this verse specifically says that the ones who carry out these executions will believe themselves to be serving God in doing so. No, the system that carries this out will be a religious system that views itself as the earthly steward of some form of global divine government. It must view itself as God’s only organization or community on the earth. Only such a scenario can account for the actions that we read about in these verses.
In summary then, when we compare these three verses we get a very specific picture of what end-time persecution and martyrdom will look like. Firstly, it will be global. Secondly, it will necessitate a belief system that views itself as having a divinely appointed governmental role on the earth. Thirdly, it will involve the specific method of beheading as its primary method of execution. So we have a global religion that will view itself as a divinely appointed system on the earth authorized by God to behead those who refuse to join. As we are about to see, in terms of religious systems that exist in the earth today, only the religion of Islam fulfills these requirements.
At the time of this writing, in late 2004, there is in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and a few other countries, a new story, now just about weekly of foreigners and Christians being beheaded by Islamic radicals. As such there has been a debate raging about whether or not this practice is indeed “Islamic” or if it is merely the barbaric practice of a few radicals who are violating the true principals of Islam. Among the public statements intended to be picked up by the western media are the usual statements denouncing of such incidents as having anything to do with “true Islam.” In most cases, the western media gobbles these disavowals up and reprints them without much question. But if we examine not only Islamic tradition and history, but also the “word on the street” feelings of those Muslims who make their opinion known everyday, on Internet message and chat groups, we find a much different reality. Islamic message boards all over the Internet have been debating the legitimacy or non-legitimacy of such actions since they have become front page news stories. An article from CBS News entitled, Saudia Arabia’s Beheading Culture, dated June 27, 2004, also picked up on some of this Internet “chatter”:
And on Islamic Internet forums, mostly used by radicals, beheading has been a popular topic in recent weeks, with many participants describing it as the "easiest" way to kill an American or a Saudi from the ruling family.1
The only mistake that CBS made is to assume that most of the participants who use such forums are indeed “radicals.” I have participated in several such Islamic “communities” and have befriended many Muslims through such groups. Many in these forums presently live in the USA and Canada and many are converts from Christianity. While the writer of the CBS article assumes that because of the barbaric nature of such discussions that the individuals are all thus “radicals,” I have found many of them to simply be individuals who take their faith as a Muslim seriously, even as I take my faith as a Christian seriously. While some of the members of these discussion groups seem to be disgusted and ashamed by the recent rise of beheadings, the overarching majority seem to be far more focused on doctrinal issues such as whether the beheadings were done properly or if the specific victims were considered enemies or were innocent parties etc. Sam Hamod, who is the former director of the Islamic Center in Washington D.C., when given the opportunity to chime in on this issue, in an article featured in the Washington Times used the moment not to condemn the beheadings, but to make the point that the men committing the beheadings in Iraq and elsewhere are doing it all wrong:
“You can't do it like the idiots on TV. The right thing to do is slit the person's throat, not cut off the entire head.” 2
Beheading in Islam is not a new phenomenon by any means. Due to the utter disgust of many throughout the West with regard to this practice of late by radical Muslims in Iraq and elsewhere, many moderate Muslims and Muslim apologists have repeatedly been making the claim that beheading is not an officially sanctioned Islamic practice. They claim it defies the basic tenants of Islam. These claims are made to create a better image of Islam in the western eye. Unfortunately, these claims are either made out of ignorance of Islam’s history or are made with an active intent to deceive. Indeed, as we are about to see, beheading is the very heritage of Islam. Beheading is not only commanded as a specific method of killing ones enemies in the Quran, but as we will see, it was also a favored method of killing by Muhammad and many of his followers.
When Muhammad began his career of violence and aggression, his band of Muslim warriors was still very small. Caravans traveling back and forth from Mecca and Damascus became Muhammad’s favorite soft targets. Because the inhabitants of Mecca depended on these caravans for their life they were more than a bit disturbed after several attacks by Muhammad and his gang of marauders. Finally, men from the tribe of Quraysh came from Mecca to attack Muhammad and his men. This battle, which came to be famously known as the Battle of Badr, saw Muhammad and his fledgling army gain a surprise victory over the Quraysh. Among the people who were slain was Abba Hakam.
Aba Hakam was severely wounded but still alive when Abdullah, the servant of Muhammad, ran up, put his foot on Aba Hakam’s neck, got a hold of his beard and started insulting the fatally wounded man whom his own people had named “the father of wisdom.” Abdullah cut off Abba Hakam’s head and carried it to his master. "The head of the enemy of Allah!" exclaimed Muhammad joyously; ----"Allah! There is no other god but he!" -"Yea There is no other!" responded Abdullah, as he cast the severed head at the Prophet’s feet. "It is more acceptable to me;" cried Muhammad, hardly able to contain his joy, "than the choicest camel in all Arabia.” 3 (emphasis mine)
Sadly the blood lust of Muhammad and his followers only increased from here. In 627 A.D. Muhammad himself oversaw what can only honestly be called a mass slaughter. Muhammad and his army laid a siege around the Jewish village of Qurayzah. After twenty-five days, the village surrendered, hoping that Muhammad would be merciful to them. Instead Muhammad had his soldiers dig several trenches and forced between six to nine hundred men to march into them. At the hands of Muhammad’s soldiers, they were all beheaded. The trenches became mass graves. From Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul, Islam’s earliest and most well received biography of Muhammad we read the gruesome account:
Then they (Qurayza) surrendered and the apostle confined them in Medina... Then the apostle went out to the market of Medina (which is still its market today) and dug trenches in it. Then he sent for them and struck off their heads in those trenches as they were brought out to him in batches… They were 600 or 700 in all, though some put the figures as high as 800 or 900… This went on until the apostle made an end to them. 4
Apparently, after this great slaughter, something was awakened in Muhammad. Those 600-900 men from Qurayza who were beheaded were not enough. Soon after this incident, Muhammad had 400 more Jews beheaded. Muhammad was allied with two groups of men, the Khazraj and the Aus. The Khazraj were in charge of beheading the four hundred Jews but the Aus were standing by on the sidelines. When Muhammad looked and saw that the faces of the Khazraj were taking pleasure in beheading all the men and the Aus were standing on the sidelines, he ordered that the last twelve beheadings be carried out by the Aus:
Abu ‘Ubayda told me on the authority of Abu ‘Amir the Medinain, when the apostle (Muhammad) got the better of the sons of Qurayza he seized about four hundred men from the Jews who had been allies of Aus against Khazraj, and ordered that they should be beheaded. Accordingly Khazraj began to cut off their heads with great satisfaction. The apostle saw that the faces of the Khazraj showed their pleasure, but there was no such indication on the part of Aus, and…when he saw that there were only twelve of them left he gave them over to Aus, assigning one Jew to every two of Aus, saying, “Let so-and-so strike him and so-and-so finish him off.” 5
Later, another campaign of beheading took place under Muhammad as he re-entered the city of Mecca with his army of ten thousand he called to the warriors in his army from Medina and asked them, “Do you see the soldiers from Quraysh (from Mecca)? Go and slaughter them.” Mark A. Gabriel explains the meaning of the word that Muhammad used for slaughter in Arabic:
The Arabic word for slaughter presents the picture of a farmer harvesting his crop with a scythe. In other words, Muhammad was telling them, ‘Cut their heads from their bodies as you would cut fruit from the branch of a tree.’ 6
So this is where it all began, with Muhammad. But it’s certainly not where it ended. Remember that whatever Muhammad says or does is considered just as authoritative and as inspired as the very Quran itself. It is the actions of Muhammad that dictate the model for living that Allah has ordained as his will for all Muslims:
If you love Allah, then follow me (Muhammad). -Sura 3:31 (Shakir)
Ye have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern of (conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day. -Sura 33:21.
By slaying the men of these Jewish villages this way, Muhammad set the example of what Allah has ordained and even commanded for all faithful Muslims to follow.
Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s best friend and successor, became the first “rightly guided” Caliph of Islam after Muhammad’s death. Abu Bakr’s general was Khalid bin al-Walid al-Makhzumi who also fought under the leadership of Muhammad. Under Muhammad, Khalid fought so effectively that he earned the title, The Sword of Allah.
Upon Abu Bakr’s orders, in 633-634 A.D., Khalid extended an invitation to the people of Arabia to accept Islam. This “invitation” however, was actually nothing more than an overt threat of war and death to those who refused to convert and submit to the rule of Islam. The actual invitation read as follows:
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. From Khalid bin al-Walid to the governors of Persia. Embrace Islam so that you may be safe. If not, make a covenant with me and pay the Jizyah tax. Otherwise, I have brought you a people who love death just as you love drinking wine. 7
After this “invitation” to Islam, many refused to convert to Islam. Among those who refused were a group of Persians and Christians from Ullays on the Euphrates River. Khalid attacked them in 633 A.D. The battle was fierce and so Khalid made a vow to Allah during the battle that if he could defeat them that he would make the canal that surrounded their village literally run with their blood. He commanded that all who were defeated and taken alive, be beheaded in the canal. There were so many captives that it actually took a day and a half to behead all of the men. The blood however, coagulated and Khalid’s troops were forced to eventually release water into the canal in order that it would run red with the blood of the slain lest Khalids vow be left unfulfilled. Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Jarir At-Tabari, the early Islamic historian and theologian recorded this event:
Khalid said, “O Allah, if you deliver their shoulders to us, I will obligate myself to You not to leave any one of them whom we can overcome until I make their canal run with their blood.” Then Allah defeated them for the Muslims and gave their shoulders to them. Khalid then commanded to his herald to proclaim to his men, “Capture! Capture! Do not kill any except he who continues to resist.” As a result the cavalry brought prisoners in droves, driving them along. Khalid had detailed certain men to cut off their heads in the canal. He did that to them for a day and a night. They pursued them the next day and the day after, until they reached the Nahrayn and the like of that distance in every direction from Ullays. And Khalid cut off their heads. 8
Some of Khalid’s men proclaimed to him:
“even if you were to kill all the population of the earth, their blood would still not run… Therefore send water over it, so that you may fulfill your oath.” Khalid had blocked the water from the canal. Now Khalid brought the water back, so that it flowed with spilled blood. Owing to this it has been called Blood Canal to this day. 9
Amir Taheri, an Iranian born journalist, in an article from the New York Post, May 14, 2004 entitled “Chopping Heads,” outlines several other incidents throughout Islam’s history of the practice of beheading:
In 680, the Prophet's favorite grandson, Hussein bin Ali, had his head chopped off in Karbala, central Iraq, by the soldiers of the Caliph Yazid. The severed head was put on a silver platter and sent to Damascus, Yazid's capital, before being sent further to Cairo for inspection by the Governor of Egypt. The Caliph's soldiers also cut off the heads of all of Hussein's 71 male companions, including the one-year-old baby boy Ali-Asghar. 10
Thus the pattern had been established and now the principal that Muhammad had modeled now came back and touched his own family. Eventually stories of beheading came to fill Islam’s history. Andrew Bostom, editor of The Legacy of Jihad points out that in the late fifteen century,
Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, who is revered as a paragon of Muslim tolerance by modern revisionist historians, recorded the following in his autobiographical “Baburnama,” about infidel prisoners of a jihad campaign: "Those who were brought in alive [having surrendered] were ordered beheaded, after which a tower of skulls was erected in the camp." 11
Skipping forward to a slightly more modern era, Taheri continues:
In 1842 the Afghani Muslims overtook the British garrison in Kabul and beheaded over 2000 men, women and children. The heads were placed on sticks around the city as decorations. 12
The practice continued during the 1980’s, in Afghanistan, where an estimated 3,000 Soviet troops were beheaded by the Afghani warriors. The practice of beheading was also a common practice throughout the Iranian revolution:
In 1992, the mullahs sent a "specialist" to cut off the head of Shapour Bakhtiar, the shah's last prime minister, in a suburb of Paris. When the news broke, Hashemi Rafsanjani, then president of the Islamic Republic, publicly thanked Allah for having allowed "the severing of the head of the snake." 13
Taheri even makes reference to one Algerian “specialist” named Momo le nain, who was recruited by an Islamic group known as the GIA specifically for the purpose of chopping off heads:
In 1996 in Ben-Talha, a suburb of the capital Algiers, Momo cut off a record 86 heads in one night, including the heads of more than a dozen children. In recognition of his exemplary act of piety, the GIA sent him to Mecca for pilgrimage. Last time we checked, Momo was still at large somewhere in Algeria. 14
Taheri likewise relates the situation in Pakistan where:
Rival Sunni and Shite groups have made a habit of sending chopped off heads of each other’s activists by special delivery. By one estimate, over 400 heads have been chopped off and mailed since 1990. 15
And today, we see the power of beheading on the Indonesian Island of Borneo, where Muslims have been using beheading as means to drive out the Christian majority. Nearly half of the Christians have fled the island.
And beyond all of these very incriminating examples there are also the government sanctioned beheadings that take place weekly in Saudi Arabia after Friday prayers just outside the Mosques:
The Saudi government beheaded 52 men and one woman last year for crimes including murder, homosexuality, armed robbery and drug trafficking… A condemned convict is brought into the courtyard, hands tied, and forced to bow before an executioner, who swings a huge sword amid cries from onlookers of "Allahu Akbar!,” Arabic for "God is great." 16
Allahu Akbar was also the phrase being screamed by the murderers of Nicholas Berg, the Jewish-American contractor, and Kim-Sun-il, the Korean translator and evangelical Christian, whose dream of one day being a missionary to Muslims was indeed both fulfilled and brought to an end in the very same moment…
So while it is clear what the history of Islam teaches, we also need to look at what the scriptures and scholars of Islam have to say about this subject.
Whenever a Muslim “extremist” carries out a horrifying act in the name of Islam, most Muslims that I know are very quick to state that, “That is not Islam! Islam is not to be judged by the behavior of a few, but needs to be studied to see what it really teaches.” Fair enough. So the question then is: What does Islam really teach about the killing of non-Muslims?
The first thing that should be pointed out is that according to Islamic law, Muslims are for all practical purposes, allowed to kill non-Muslims. This is based on the law of Qisas. Qisas is essentially the law of reciprocity. It is the Islamic version of an “eye for an eye.” Qisas for instance states that if a Muslim murders another Muslim, then that Muslim will likewise be executed. Amazingly though, this law does not apply to a Muslim who murders a non-Muslim. This teaching is found in a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari:
Narrated Ash-Sha'bi: Abu Juhaifa said, "I asked Ali, 'What is (written) in this sheet of paper?' Ali replied, it deals with The Diyya (compensatory blood money paid by the killer to the relatives of the victim), the ransom for the releasing of the captives from the hands of the enemies, and the law that no Muslim should be killed in Qisas (equality in
punishment) for the killing of (a disbeliever). 17 (emphasis mine)
In some cases of course, other penalties such as prison or a fine might be given to the murderer. But sadly, reality bears out that in such a culture that does not value the life of non-Muslims as much as that of Muslims, a blind eye is most often turned to the murder of non-Muslims. If you go to the website of the Voice of the Martyrs at www.persecution.org, or the Barnabas Fund, at www.barnabasfund.org, you can read hundreds of stories, updated daily, of Christians who are mistreated or even murdered without any legal repercussions for the Muslim murderer. The statement below is a perfect example of the mentality that I have often encountered when talking to many Muslims from the Middle East. This statement was made on an Internet interfaith discussion group. Notice the attitude toward the killing of non-Muslims (kaffirs):
The kaffirs (unbelievers) have been attacking Muslim countries killing Muslim people from the beginning of time… when we have done nothing. Like the people of Israel attack the Muslims from Palestine because they do it for the land and because they hate Arabs/Muslims ...we defend them for Allah. We try and spread Islam, The one and only true word of Allah. They rejected it, therefore we are allowed to kill them. It is not haram (forbidden/illegal) to kill a kaffir. Of course we want to Inshallah (by the will of Allah) peacefully live with them and Inshallah teach them about the beautiful religion. 18 (emphasis mine)
Do you see the altogether twisted mentality expressed in the above comment? The “beautiful religion” that allows the killing of those who do not belong to it??
Perhaps the quranic verse that is most often quoted by westerners to demonstrate the violent nature of the Islamic religion is the verse known within and without Islam as “the verse of the sword”:
So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the obligatory charity, leave their way free to them; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. -Surah 9:5 (Shakir) (emphasis mine)
As many times as this verse is quoted, there has been a Muslim who has stated that this verse is not applicable today. While I would certainly love to believe this, the real question that needs to be asked is: How do the teachers and scholars of Islam interpret this verse? Do they say that it still applies today? The overriding majority of modern and classical Muslim scholars agree that it does. Remember the concept that the behavior of all Muslims is dictated by both the Quran and the Sunna (sayings, actions and behavior of Muhammad). From Ibn Kathir, the renowned eighth-century scholar, we learn the true Islamic interpretation of this verse. Kathir begins by citing for support of his interpretation, several eminent early Muslim Hadith narrators/scholars; Mujahid, `Amr bin Shu`ayb, Muhammad bin Ishaq, Qatadah, As-Suddi and `Abdur-Rahman. Kathir then explains the meaning of the verse:
The four months mentioned in this verse refer to the four-month grace period mentioned in an earlier verse: “So travel freely for four months throughout the land.” Allah said next, “So when the Sacred Months have passed,” meaning, upon the end of the four months during which [Allah] prohibited you from fighting the idolaters, Muslims are to, “fight and kill the idolaters wherever you may find them.” “Whenever you find them” means, on the earth in general… Allah said here, to execute some and keep some as prisoners. “Besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush” means, do not wait until you find them, rather, seek and besiege them in their areas and forts, gather intelligence about them in the various roads and fairways so that what is made wide looks ever smaller to them. This way, they will have no choice, but to die or embrace Islam… Abu Bakr [Muhammad’s closest friend and successor upon Muhammad’s death] used this and other honorable verses as proof for fighting against those who refrained from paying the obligatory charity tax. This verse allowed fighting people unless, and until, they embrace Islam and implement its rulings and obligations. 19
This doesn’t really leave any room for debate. Ibn Kathir lays it out as clearly as anyone could. We see that Muslims are allowed and even commanded to fight against the unbelievers (Mushrikun) and even seek them out where they are in order to force them to convert to Islam or accept death. Again it must be noted that Kathir is not an “extremist” Muslim but is perhaps one of Islam’s most universally received classical scholars.
Another pertinent verse from the Quran that applies to our discussion is the infamous “beheading: verse:
If you encounter (in war) those who disbelieve, you may strike the necks -Surah 47:4 (Khalifa)
When ye encounter the infidels, strike off their heads. –Surah 47:4 (Rodwell)
Ibn Kathir explains that the purpose of this verse is to:
(Guide) the believers to what they should employ in their fight against the idolators, Allah says, “So, when you meet those who disbelieve (in battle), smite their necks,” which means, when you fight against them, cut them down totally with your swords. “Until you have fully defeated them,” meaning, you have killed and utterly destroyed them. This is referring to the prisoners of war whom you have captured. 20
So when we look at these verses we see that Muslims are commanded to behead (or at a bare minimum “smite the necks”) of those non-Muslims whom they are fighting against. Sheik Omar Bakri Muhammad, judge of the Shari'ah (Islamic Law) court in Great Britain, as well as the secretary general of the Islamic World League and the spokesman for the International Islamic Front however, has a slightly different opinion:
What's the verdict? "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement." 21
After examining just a sampling of Islamic texts as well as the opinions of Islamic scholars, spokesman and everyday Muslims, we see that Islam not only commands the killing of non-Muslims but also supports a culture where killing non-Muslims has become an acceptable practice. But before we finish this discussion, there is one more very specific tradition that will surely come into play if indeed the person of the Mahdi ever becomes a reality.
The leadership role of a Caliph in Islam is a very powerful concept. The Caliph is viewed as the both the successor of Muhammad, and the leader of all Muslims. He is in a sense, the Pope of the Muslim world. The last Caliph that both Sunnis and Shia’ accept as justifiably elected was Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law. Ali died in 661.
Since then, many other Caliphs have held office, but none that held the universal sway that the first four Caliphs held. Muslims have been awaiting the restoration of the Caliphate to restore unity and leadership to Islam worldwide. As we have already seen, the Mahdi is expected to fulfill this role. From a Hadith in Sahih Muslim we read of the punishment for those who dispute the authority of the Caliph:
Whoever wishes to be delivered from the fire and enter the garden should die with faith in Allah and the Last Day… He who swears allegiance to a Caliph should give him the pledge of his hand and the sincerity of his heart (i. e. submit to him both outwardly as well as inwardly). He should obey him to the best of his capacity. If aman comes forward, disputing his (the Caliph’s) authority, they (the Muslims) should behead the latter. 22 (emphasis mine)
The Saudi Arabian Government holds this same opinion as well. On the official Saudi Arabian Islamic Affairs Department (IAD) website, we find a similar declaration:
The Noble Prophet said: 'It is obligatory upon a Muslim to listen and obey (to the authority of the Caliph) whether he likes it or not…One who has already taken an oath of allegiance to one leader (Imam) and has committed his hand and heart to him, should obey him as much as may be possible for him. If somebody else opposes and contests the authority of that leader (Imam), the said opponent should be beheaded." 23 (emphasis mine)
According to Islamic law, anyone who simply disagrees with the authority of a seated Caliph should be beheaded.
Now let us review the points that have been made. First, we have seen that the end-times as described in the Bible will be a time when Christians will be persecuted and murdered for their faith. The specific manner of death that the Bible mentions for Christians will be martyrdom by beheading. As we have most clearly demonstrated, it is quite undeniable that beheading is a tradition that stretches throughout Islamic history. Islam itself has thoroughly documented the fact that Muhammad and his immediate successors practiced beheading as the specific means to kill “the enemies of Islam.” This practice has continued in certain quarters of Islam to this very day. The Quran itself actually encourages beheading, or at a bare minimum, “smiting the necks” of “idolaters” and any “prisoners of war.” We noted some examples of the beheadings of such “prisoners of war” that have recently been in the news in Iraq and elsewhere. The death sentence is also prescribed for those who do not submit to or agree with the authority of the Caliph. As such it is actually very fair to assume that in the Islamic vision of the last-days, if a Caliph, specifically the Mahdi comes forward and accepts the notion that all Christians, Jews, Israelis, and any who support them are considered “enemies of Islam,” then it would be considered universally lawful and indeed even obligatory for all Muslims to “make war” and “smite the necks” of all Christians, Jews, or westerners, etc. as well as any who dispute the authority of the Caliph.
Once again then, Islam, its practices and teachings, fulfill exactly the description of the forces that will gain power and dominate the world in the biblical end-time scenario. Having seen the murderous nature of the Islamic texts, as well as the proper Islamic interpretation of them, it is important to see the reality of how this mentality plays out in the mind of an ordinary Muslim from the Middle East. Following is a post from an Islamic/interfaith Internet message board. It is the kind of post that is only too common on such forums. We end this chapter with one Muslim’s thoughts regarding the murder of Daniel Pearl, the slain American journalist:
Firstly Pearl is a Jew, a Munafiq, (a hypocrite) a Spy, and a Kaffir (unbeliever). Do not be fooled by these people. Their hatred for Islam can be seen from their mouths and what their heart conceals is much worse. I do not see where the sick part is in slaughtering… In Islam we… can't even torture the kaffir-we just slit their throat, and it’s proven when you pass a special area in the neck, they no longer feel pain.. And remember when we Muslims capture a Muslim munafiq, we do the same to him, we slaughter him. What do you think of a Dirty Jew, Stupid Munafiq, Two-Timing Spy, and a Kaffir? We do the same to him. Walhumdulilah. (Thanks be to Allah) And Remember the Rasoul (Muhammad) slaughtered a great number of Jews in one battle; the best of creation did this, because the Jews backstabbed Prophet Muhammad. And if you think this is still sick, InshaAllaahi (I hope by the will of Allah) you’re alive when Mahdi is around cause your going to see many Jew/munafiqqin (Jews/hypocrites) heads on the floor.
Notes:
K.Y. Blankkinship, SUNY series in near Eastern Studies, Bibliotheca Persica, State University of New York Press, Albany New York, 1993, p.44-45; as quoted in http://www.muhammadanism.com/Islam/islam_beheading.p df
16. CBS News, Saudia Arabia’s Beheading Culture, June 27, 2004
21. Joseph Farah, World Net Daily IslamicTerror.com? Muslim Websites in West Defend Bin Laden, Call for '5th Column'
November 13, 2001
Special Thanks to Joel Richardson for this Chapter from his book the Islamic Antichrist. Go to www.joelstrumpet.com for the latest on the Islamic Antichrist.
It is of paramount importance that we know the events and signs which the Bible says must occur before the second coming of Jesus. Otherwise, we may be deceived by the Antichrist and False Prophet, who will be proclaiming that Judgment day has come, and performing miracles and wonders so great, that even the elect of God could be fooled.
The book of Revelation mentions seven major signs, called the Seven Trumpets, which will occur during the first half of the seven year Tribulation. I would like to discuss these, so that you too will be able to discern the last days:
The start of the seven year Tribulation, begins with a 7 year peace treaty In the Middle-East. The Antichrist will sign an agreement guaranteeing Israel’s safety for 7 years. This treaty will not only be signed by Israel but by many Islamic nations and the Antichrist will act as the spokesmen for these nations.
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm a covenant (Peace Treaty) with many (nations) for one week (seven years)
Revelation 6:2 And I saw. And behold a white horse! And he sitting on it had a bow. And a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer.
Some Scholars believe this man on a white horse symbolically depicts the Antichrist, who goes out pretending to bring and maintain peace in the middle-east. Some believe that one of the incentives for this peace, will be the Arabs allowing the Jews to rebuild their temple. This will be a 7 year treaty which he breaks after 3.5 years. Daniel 9:27 uses a very interesting word “confirm,” he will “confirm a covenant” which is the Hebrew word “gabar,” meaning to “strengthen.” So it would seem that the Antichrist will have some sought of military might behind him, allowing him to enforce and strengthen this treaty.
Revelation 8:7: The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were cast on the earth. And the third part of trees was burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
Red hail and lightning strikes will be amongst the first signs to mark the beginning of the Tribulation. Changes in the electromagnetic field of the earth causes Red hail. Scientists believe it is the precursor to a polar Flip, which we’ll discuss at the end of the chapter. The earth will also experience a great increase in thunder storms, tornados and lightning strikes, which will cause fires all over the earth.
Revelation 8:8-9 Then the second angel blew his trumpet. Something that looked like a huge mountain on fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea was turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
Some Biblical scholars have interpreted this as an asteroid, while some believe it could describe a volcanically active tectonic plate shift, in the ocean which creates a massive tsunami.
Either way the result will be the same, a large part of the ocean turns to blood from the sea creatures dying and many ships will be destroyed by the tsunami.
Revelation 8:10-11 And the third angel sounded his trumpet: and there fell out of the heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. And the name of the star is called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood, and many of the men died of the waters because they were made bitter.
Biblical scholars agree that this is a meteor which falls from the sky burning like a torch. Scientists believe that if a meteor is big enough, it can cause a chemical change in the atmosphere, forming Nitric Acid rain, which falls to the earth polluting the water supply.
The Bible describes this meteor as Wormwood, meaning bitter, because after the impact, the water of both rivers and underground springs, will become like bitter poison, from the Nitric Acid rain and many who drink it will die. The Bible says the bitter water will affect one third of the earth.
Revelation 8:12 When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, one-third of the sun, one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars were struck so that one-third of them turned dark. One-third of the day was kept from shining, and also the night.
Biblical Scholars believe that the sun moon and stars will be covered with the dust thrown up into the sky from the meteor impact. Its likely that this is the correct interpretation. However darkening the sky for one third of the day, doesn’t seem like much of a judgment. This judgment may in fact be more severe than is first realized. Some have said it could be millions of asteroids blotting out parts of the sun moon and stars. Another opinion, is that the axis of the earth may shift, causing one third of the day and night to be lost. What ever this judgment is, it will affect the sun moon and stars from the earth’s perspective.
The Apocryphal book of 2 Esdras which is found in the Catholic, Protestant and most Eastern Orthodox Bibles was written by Ezra while in Captivity in Babylon. Ezra mentions strange signs in the heavens in the last days:
2 Esdras 5:5 And the course (of the stars) will be changed.
Jesus, also mentions signs in the heavens:
Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, as the sea and the waves roar
As we can see there will indeed be strange things happening to the sun moon, stars and planets. They may even change their orbits. And nations will be perplexed, unable to comprehend how that is possible, and tsunamis will devastate the coasts. God wrote through the prophet Joel and said:
Joel 2:30 I will give warnings of that day in the sky and on the earth; there will be bloodshed, fire, and clouds of smoke.
And another translation says:
Joel 2:30 And I will show wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke (ie. Tornados).
As we can see, God will warn the earth of his coming Judgment, with strange phenomenon occurring in the heavens.
Revelation 9:1-10 When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky. The star was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. It opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and smoke came out of the shaft like the smoke from a large furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Locusts came out of the smoke onto the earth, and they were given power like the power of earthly scorpions. They were told not to harm the grass on the earth, any green plant, or any tree. They could harm only the people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not allowed to kill them, but were only allowed to torture them for five months. Their torture was like the pain of a scorpion when it stings someone. In those days people will look for death and never find it. They will long to die, but death will escape them. The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were victor's crowns that looked like gold, and their faces were like human faces. They had hair like women's hair and teeth like lions' teeth. They had breastplates like iron, and the noise of their wings was like the roar of chariots with many horses rushing into battle. They had tails and stingers like scorpions, and they had the power to hurt people with their tails for five months.
Some biblical scholars believe the great star which falls from heaven which opens the bottomless pit is an angel, which opens something like a volcano causing smoke to billow out. Some believe it could describe a nuclear bomb.
John then describes locusts which come out of the smoke. John proceeds to give us a very strange picture of these creatures. Which he describes as a hybrid of man, locust and scorpion. Many biblical scholars have interpreted this as fallen angels whom God imprisonedbeing released, from their prison within the earth and coming to
torment mankind. Others believe it may also have a physical element and a strange undiscovered species of locust/scorpion, which torment and sting mankind for five months. Still other Scholars believe it may describe Military Attack Helicopters, which is more plausible.
The poison which these strange creatures afflict mankind with, is described like a neurotoxin, creating extreme agony and a form of paralysis. The stinging of mankind could relate to CHEMICAL WEAPONS and could be an amazing description of modern attack helicopters, spraying chemical weapons from their tails. The Apostle John described the vision God gave him as accurately as he could, using the most familiar terms of the time he lived in. We know that what John describes as "locusts" are not literal locusts, because literal locusts destroy green growing things, as in Exodus 10:13-15. But John's "locusts" only hurt men and do not hurt the green growing things. Also, the "locusts" that John saw were obeying commands and have a "king" in verse 11, but, Proverbs 30:27 says that the literal locusts HAVE NO king. In Revelation 9 Verse 3, they are shaped like locusts or grasshoppers. (A good description of the shape of modern attack helicopters) Verse 7, They looked like horses prepared for battle. (Decked out with all kinds of battle equipment) Verse 9, They had "armor plating,” and "wings" that sounded like many chariots pulled by horses running to battle -an excellent description of a modern helicopter's rotor blades. John says they had “breastplates,” Modern helicopters use "boron" armor plating, which is stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum. Verse 10, They had up turned tails like scorpions, and their stings came out of their tails. (A helicopters tail is upturned, and the chemical spray bar sticks out the rear) Verse 7, In the front where a locust’s face would be, they had MEN'S FACES! And indeed looking through a cockpit window, you can see the pilot’s face. John said the men wore crowns of gold, this could easily be their helmets and visors Verse 8, John described them as having long hair. The reference to long hair is in fact the wires which come out of theAlso in verse 8, Teeth like lions -many attack helicopters have Teeth painted around the lower front of the fuselage. Also, the racks of rockets look like teeth.
Verse 4, The weapons John saw in Revelation Chapter 9 do not hurt the environment in the early stages of the battle, but only incapacitate men. Modern chemical weapons have been developed to do exactly that -hurt the soldiers but not the environment. We thought the world had banned chemical warfare after World War 2 and its horrible use of chemicals, but in 1988, Iraq (ancient Babylon of all places!) used a type of chemical weapon that killed many of their own Kurdish people! Verse 5, The soldiers are incapacitated, but not killed. Modern military chemical weapons can do exactly the same thing, for they attack the nervous system exactly like a scorpion’s sting! Some modern chemical weapons are designed to kill, and others just incapacitate the soldiers, preserving the local "infrastructure.” In verse 6, the soldiers John saw were incapacitated and wanted to die, to escape the pain, but were physically unable to kill themselves. An incredible 2000 year old description of modern helicopter gun ships and chemical weapons. John’s description is astoundingly accurate!
Revelation 9:13-21 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice coming from the four corners of the gold altar standing before God. The voice said to the sixth angel, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River!" The four angels were released; for this very hour of this very day of this very month and year they had been kept ready to kill a third of all the human race. I was told the number of the mounted troops: it was two hundred million. And in my vision I saw the horses and their riders: they had breastplates red as fire, blue as sapphire, and yellow as sulfur. The horses' heads were like lions' heads, and from their mouths came out fire, smoke, and sulfur. A third of the human race was killed by those three plagues: the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur coming out of the horses' mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and also in their tails. Their tails are like snakes with heads, and they use them to hurt people. The rest of the human race, all those who had not been killed by these plagues, did not turn away from what they themselves had made. They did not stop worshiping demons, nor the idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic, their sexual immorality, or their stealing.
The Euphrates River has been the place of many a battle. The angels responsible for this warfare in the middle east, have been kept in check by God. But during the Tribulation these four angels of warfare, will go out to gather their army the number of which is two hundred million. The Apostle John described that riders rode what appeared to him as horses with lions heads, and fire which came out their mouths. These are Tanks which John described, which will kill one-third, of all mankind, in global warfare. And as the apostle John said, mankind will be killed by the fire smoke and sulfur, which comes out of their mouths, which are actually cannons. And fire, smoke, and sulfur (a yellow substance), does in fact shoot out the front of the canon, every time they fire a mortar.
And their tails, which John described as snakes with heads, are in fact guns, which like snake bites, puncture people with holes. Thereby injuring them, as the apostle John, portrayed.
The apostle John, even saw the exact colors of the tank optics. Of red, blue an yellow. Which he called breastplates (Revelation 9:17). This is astoundingly accurate, no one but God could have shown him this kind of detail.
Islam will wage its war in the middle east against Israel, which I believe will pull the whole world into world war 3, which sees one third of mankind killed, mainly by these tanks, which John described men riding like horses.
And at the end of this war with Islam, Jerusalem will have been conquered.
During the first half of the tribulation, before Jerusalem is conquered, God will send two Old Testament Prophets Elijah and Enoch. The Bible says these two prophets never died, God just took them from the earth. During the first half of the tribulation, he will send them back to earth, to proclaim God’s salvation in the Middle East and Jerusalem for 1260 days, dressed in sackcloth. They will preach to both Muslims and Jews warning them to repent and believe in Jesus Christ the son of God. On Passover Jews always set a place at the table for Elijah. This is because Elijah will be sent back from heaven to preach to them.
Revelation 11:5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and destroys their enemies; and in this way whoever tries to harm them will be killed.
Revelation 11:6 They have authority to shut up the sky so that there will be no rain during the time they proclaim God's message.
Revelation 11:6 They have authority also over the springs of water, to turn them into blood; they have authority also to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.
Revelation 11:7-8 When they finish proclaiming their message, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will fight against them. He will defeat them and kill them, and their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, where their Lord was crucified (Jerusalem).
Revelation 11:9-10 People from all nations, tribes, languages, and races will look at their bodies for three and a half days and will not allow them to be buried. The people of the earth will be happy because of the death of these two. They will celebrate and send presents to each other, because those two prophets brought much suffering upon the whole human race.
These two witnesses of God will be killed by the Beast – The Madhi and his Islamic Army, when it conquers Jerusalem. All the Muslims in the world will rejoice at the death of these witnesses, and also because of the conquering of Jerusalem. And they will rejoice and send each other gifts in celebration of their victory.
Revelation 11:13 At that very moment there was a violent earthquake; a tenth of the city (of Jerusalem) was destroyed, and seven thousand people were killed. The rest of the people were terrified and praised the greatness of the God of heaven.
Revelation 11:15-19: Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The power to rule over the world belongs now to our Lord and his Messiah, and he will rule forever and ever! Then the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones in front of God threw themselves face downward and worshiped God, saying: "Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was! We thank you that you have taken your great power and have begun to rule! The heathen were filled with rage, because the time for your anger has come, the time for the dead to be judged. The time has come to reward your servants, the prophets, and all your people, all who have reverence for you, great and small alike. The time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth!" God's temple in heaven was opened, and the Covenant Box was seen there. Then there were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
Revelation 12:7-9 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. The huge dragon was thrown out---that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him.
Revelation 12:12-13 Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time." When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman (Jerusalem) who gave birth to the male child (Jesus).
This trumpet is announcing that the Kingdom of God has begun to reign in heaven, and will soon (in 3.5 years) come to earth. The Bible describes three terrible woes which will come upon the earth. The first is the stinging locusts, the second is the 200 million army and world war 3 and the third is Satan and his Angels cast down having been defeated by Michael the Archangel.
The third woe is Satan and his angels helping the Muslims to massacre and persecute the Jews and Christians in the world. For Satan’s descent to earth occurs after the Antichrist conquers Jerusalem, setting up the Abomination in God’s temple.
In Islamic Tradition, the Mahdi is said to attack Jerusalem and reconquer it for Islam in order that the new Islamic rule over the earth will be established from Jerusalem:
"(Armies carrying) black flags will come from Khurasan (Iran). No power will be able to stop them and they will finally reach Eela (Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem) where they will erect their flags." (Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini, Al-Imam Al-Mahdi: The Just Leader of Humanity, translated by Dr. Abdulaziz Sachedina)
Jerusalem will be the location of the rightly guided caliphate and the center of Islamic rule, which will be headed by Imam al-Mahdi (Sahih Muslim, Book 041, Number 6985)
Revelation 12:14-17 She (Jerusalem) was given the two wings of a large eagle in order to fly to her place in the desert, where she will be taken care of for three and a half years, safe from the dragon's attack. And then from his mouth the dragon poured out a flood (Army) of water after the woman (Jerusalem), so that it would carry her away. But the earth helped the woman; it opened its mouth and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth. The dragon was furious with the woman and went off to fight against the rest of her descendants, all those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus.
The above verse says that some of the people in Jerusalem will be helped to escape with the wings of a Great Eagle. I can only pray this is the USA, who will air lift many people to a place of safety. The flood which the dragon sends after these people is the Islamic army. Which will pursue them into the desert. But God will cause the earth to split open and swallow this army in a massive sink hole. And Satan will be furious and go after the remaining Jews and Christians.
As we’ll see in the section below, the Mahdi will not end his campaign against Jerusalem in a peaceful way. For the Islamic version of the last-days, ends with the Jews in Jerusalem, hiding behinds rocks or trees from the sword of Islam.
Muhammad described the conquering of Jerusalem and said:
“You will indeed fight against the Jews and you will kill them to the point where the rock and the tree will say: ‘O Muslim! O ‘Abdullaah (slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me. Come and kill him.’ Except for al-Gharqad for it is from the trees of the Jews.” (Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 69855)
Muhammad said that the rocks and trees will speak to the Muslims disclosing the hiding places of the Jews, so that the Muslims can come and slaughter them.
I believe that this is one of the evil signs and wonders the Bible speaks about. When it describes the coming of the Antichrist, for the Bible says:
2Thessalonians 2:9-10 When the wicked one (Islamic Madhi Antichrist) appears, Satan will pretend to work all kinds of miracles, wonders, and signs. Lost people will be fooled by his evil deeds. They could be saved, but they will refuse to love the truth and accept it.
Stones and Trees which speak, would definitely count as a false sign or wonder, which will deceive the world, including the Muslims. Mankind will not realize that Satan and his angels; having been cast from heaven, are creating these signs and wonders, even helping the Muslims to slaughter the people who are in hiding. No wonder the false prophet has the power to make the Image of the Beast speak. According to Muslim tradition, it will not be the only object speaking in those days, for they claim rocks and trees will speak. An object speaking, would definitely qualify as a false wonder. You have been warned!
The Apocryphal book of 2 Esdras in the Bible written by Ezra mentions a few of the strange signs which will occur in the last days:
2 Esdras 5:4-12 4 If the Most High allows you to live, you will see complete confusion after the third period: Suddenly the sun will shine at midnight and the moon during the day. The trees will drip blood and the stones cry out. And the course (of the stars) will be changed. One whom those who dwell in the land do not expect, he shall reign. Birds will fly away and the Sea of Sodom will cast up fish. And at night a voice will cry, unknown to many but all will hear the sound. Chasms will open in many places, and fire frequently burst forth. Wild beasts will leave their dens and women give birth to monsters. Salt water will be found in the sweet. And friends will suddenly attack each other. Understanding will then be hidden and Wisdom withdraw to her chamber. She shall be sought by many but not found. The unrighteous and unrestrained will increase in the earth.
As you can see Ezra says the world will go crazy with supernatural events which can’t be explained and no one will seem to have the answers. And people will turn to the Antichrist who claims to be God fearful that judgment day has come, and he is the only one able to save them. People will believe him because of all the unexplainable signs and wonders occurring. Ezra also mentions speaking stones, he says the sun moon and stars will altering their orbits. Trees will bleed, the ground will crack and spew out lava. He mentions an unknown voice will cry out at night. This voice could perfectly describe the Muslims call to prayer or it could be fallen angels calling out to people to submit to the Antichrist. But we must also remember, that God also sends angels to shout warnings to the people of earth, not to worship the beast or his image or receive the mark (Revelation 14:9). So this may also be the voice which sounds at night. If fact God may be in competition with the voices of demonic angels heard in the air, trying to lead men astray. Which is why so many people don’t heed the warning.
The end days literally sound like a horror movie on steroids. Mankind craves the supernatural, it’s the reason why Hollywood makes so much money, on special effects movies. For we are being “conditioned” to marvel at the supernatural, and follow those who have supernatural powers. Of course most of these supernatural events may only take place in the middle-east.
Then if people say “Behold, He is in the desert!,” or “He is in the secret rooms!” in the Jewish Temple, Jesus says “Do not believe it,” for this man is not Christ. In fact he is the one the Muslims call the Madhi, and many will follow him and take his mark.
With the conquering of Jerusalem the Islamic Empire with Ten rulers known as the Beast will rise. The Words in brackets are mine for clarity:
Revelation 13:1 And I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast (the Islamic Empire) coming up out of the sea (of many people), having seven heads and ten horns (ten rulers). And on its horns were ten crowns, and on its heads was the name of blasphemy (Allahu Akbar, “Allah is Greater,” meaning greater than Jehovah)
Revelation 13:4 And they (the muslims) worshiped the dragon (Allah/Satan) who gave authority to the beast (the Islamic Empire). And they worshiped the beast (the Islamic Empire), saying, Who is like the beast? (the Islamic Empire) Who is able to make war with it?
Revelation 13:5 And a mouth (the Antichrist) speaking great things and blasphemies (against God) was given to it. And authority to act forty two months was given to it.
Revelation 13:7 And it was given to it to war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given to it over every tribe and tongue and nation.
The Antichrist will be made the mouth piece for this Islamic Empire, and he will become its Caliph and Madhi. He will be allowed to attack and slaughter the Christians for 42 months. And he will blaspheme God and Jesus. Claiming, that Jesus was not the son of God.
A second Islamic Kingdom will rise and its ruler will be a Religious Leader, whom the Bible calls the False Prophet.
Revelation 13:11-12 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. And it had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon. And it exercises all the authority of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and those dwelling in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
This religious leader or Imam/Ayatollah (which some Biblical Scholars believe to be a fake Jesus) will stand wielding all the same authority of the Islamic Beast Empire. He will act as the religious head of the Empire.
Revelation 13:15 This second beast (False Prophet -Imam) performed great miracles; it made fire come down out of heaven to earth in the sight of everyone. And it deceived all the people living on earth by means of the miracles which it was allowed to perform in the presence of the first beast.
The Bible actually tells us what this fire is which the False Prophet calls from heaven:
Hebrews 1:7 And when God speaks about the angels, he says, "I change my angels into wind and my servants into flaming fire."
The Bible tells us that the angels including fallen angels, are able to look like – wind or flaming fire.
Ezekiel was witness to this when he saw angels appear like a tornado mixed together with Flaming fire.
Ezekiel 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
Mankind has never seen the spiritual world before, so when Satan and his fallen angels are cast to earth revealing themselves in these forms, mankind will be deceived, by Satan’s “Special Effects.” And they will submit and take the mark out of fear, of being put to death, by the False Prophet – Imam, who says all must submit to that Madhi, the one who supposedly has “Allah” speaking through him.
The beast (False Prophet – Imam) told them to build an image in honor of the beast (Islamic Caliphate Empire) that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was allowed to breathe life into the image of the first beast, so that the image could talk and put to death all those who would not worship it.
So the False Prophet -Imam will first do miracles such as calling fire from heaven, then he will tell the Middle East to set up an image (Symbol) of the Islamic Empire and make it speak, and those unwilling to bow before it will be put to death.
Revelation 13:16-17 The beast (False Prophet –Imam) forced all the people, small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to have a mark placed on their right hands or on their foreheads. No one could buy or sell without this mark, that is, the beast's name or the number that stands for the name.
As the Bible states, the Mark could either be on the flesh, or worn as a badge of servitude, on the forehead or right arm. And it will be a sign of your submission. Without it no one will be able to buy or sell in his Empire. The Bible states those bowing before the Antichrist or the image or taking his Mark will be rejected by God, and cast into the Lake of fire (see Revelation 14:9)
Just before Jesus Returns He will pour out his anger on the world, starting with those who took the Mark of the Beast Empire and worshiped its image.
Revelation 16:2 So the first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth. A horrible, painful sore appeared on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped the image.
Disgusting painful boil like sores appear on the people with the Mark and those who bow down daily toward the image which the False Prophet sets up. This will be only the beginning of God’s punishment for those who submit to the Islamic Empire.
Revelation 16:3 The second angel poured his bowl into the sea. It became like the blood of a dead body, and every living thing in the sea died.
The sea which this verse speaks about, may be the entire ocean, but its more likely to be speaking about the Mediterranean sea, which turns to blood. It will be the biggest Red Tide event to ever strike the earth, and everything in the sea will die.
Revelation 16:4-6 The third angel emptied his bowl into the rivers and streams. At once they turned to blood. Then I heard the angel, who has power over water, say, "You have always been, and you always will be the holy God. You had the right to judge in this way. They poured out the blood of your people and your prophets. So you gave them blood to drink, as they deserve!"
As you can see, the drinking water turning to blood, will affect the middle-eastern world. For God will punish the Islamic Nations for being so blood thirsty and slaughtering his people. This angel says God is right in doing this and he will force the middle-east and the world to drink the blood they lusted after, when they killed the Jews and Christians.
Revelation 16:8 The fourth angel emptied his bowl on the sun, and it began to scorch people like fire. Everyone was scorched by its great heat, and all of them cursed the name of God who had power over these terrible troubles. But no one turned to God and praised him.
Massive solar flares will strike the earth ripping through the ozone layer, and scorching the people on earth. Peter explains it like this:
2Peter 3:10-11 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore since all these things are thus to be destroyed, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy living and godliness
Revelation 16:10-11 The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast. Its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed on their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their deeds.
The Antichrist’s Middle Eastern Empire will be covered in darkness, which may be related to volcanic ash.
Revelation 16:12-16 The sixth angel poured his bowl on the great Euphrates River. Its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east. Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs. They were coming out of the mouth of the dragon, the mouth of the beast, and the mouth of the false prophet. They are the spirits of demons that perform miracles. These three spirits go out to all the kings of the world, to bring them together for the battle on the great Day of Almighty God. "Listen! I am coming like a thief ! Happy is he who stays awake and guards his clothes, so that he will not walk around naked and be ashamed in public!" Then the spirits brought the kings together in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
God will cause the Euphrates to dry up so that the Eastern Islamic armies can cross over. The Islamic Antichrist will gather all his armies coming toward Israel to destroy the last stronghold in Israel. And will assemble them in the Valley of Armageddon.
Revelation 16:17-19 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air. And a great voice came out of the temple of Heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done! And voices and thunders and lightnings occurred. And there was a great earthquake, such as has not been since men were on the earth, so mighty and so great an earthquake. And the great city came to be into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.
The seventh bowl and the great earthquake described above, coincide with the second coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus says in Matthew:
Matthew 24:1 “ after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man shall appear in the heavens.”
Lets review some of the events which Jesus said would occur on the day he returns, “the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven”
What Jesus is describing here is a “global event.” The sun and the moon withdrawing their light, -this could be explained by dust or
volcanic eruptions, but the clue to what really happens on the day when Jesus returns, is described when he says the stars will fall from the sky. I here you asking, “How on earth could the stars fall from the sky?” The only way this could happen, is by what scientists have called a Polar shift or Polar Reversal. This is the event which Jesus is describing. A day when the earth will reel back and forth and finally turn upside down. The Bible states emphatically, that the earth will turn upside down when Jesus returns and the stars will appear to fall from the sky.
The Polar reversal is described in Isaiah 24:21 which says:
Behold, Jehovah makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof.
Isaiah 24:19: The earth shall stagger like a drunken man, and shall sway to and fro like a hammock; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again.
This won’t be a slow axis shift, which we “may” experience earlier on in the tribulation (See trumpet 4). It will be a full scale reeling and turning upside down. Recently the earth has been experiencing many earthquakes. There seems to be one occurring every day, somewhere around the globe. The Bible says the earth is being weighed down by mankind’s sins. Mankind has no idea that these small earthquakes are actually a precursor to a MASSIVE GLOBAL EARTHQUAKE. Finally when the sin of mankind reaches its peak, this violent GLOBAL EARTHQUAKE will occur, beyond anything the Richter scale could measure. It will grip the earth shaking it to its very foundations, it will crack and shatter and split open every fault line. Huge cracks and ditches will appear which run through the streets.
If you watched the “movie 2012” when California rips apart, then you will understand what the Bible is describing here, on a Global scale. Here is another translation:
Isaiah 24:17 Disasters, pits, and traps (which swallow you up) are in store for those who live on earth. Whoever flees from news of a disaster will fall into a pit. Whoever climbs out of that pit will be caught in a trap. The floodgates in the sky will be opened, and the foundations of the earth will shake. The earth will be completely broken. The earth will shake back and forth violently. The earth will stagger. The earth will stumble like a drunk and sway like a shack in the wind. Its disobedience weighs heavy on it. It will fall and not get up again.
The same event is described twice in the book of Revelation:
Revelation 6:12 There was a violent earthquake, and the sun became black like coarse black cloth. And the moon turned completely red like blood. The stars fell down to the earth, like unripe figs falling from the tree, when a strong wind shakes it. The sky disappeared like a scroll, being rolled up, And every mountain and island was moved from its place.
The Global Earthquake will rock the earth back and forth and finally turn it up side down, this will make the stars appear to race across the sky, as if they were falling. Volcanoes will erupt, throwing ash into the sky, which is why the sun and moon grow dark. The apostle John described another scientific event, when he said “The sky disappeared like a scroll, being rolled up.”
John was describing a very rare event, which has only been observed by few. It is known as a Roll Cloud, and it occurs when a vacuum is created in the atmosphere, which pulls the Clouds into a cylinder which roll across the sky. This event will take place as the earth starts to reel. And the ground will be moving so fast that the air above it can’t catch up, which will create a vacuum forming a roll cloud.
Psalm 97:5 says, The mountains melted like wax, at the presence of the Lord.
The global earthquake will be so bad, that every hill and mountain will crumble, flowing down like candle wax before a flame.
Revelation 16:20, says, And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
The above verse may describe Einstein’s earth crust displacement theory, also described in the movie 2012. Where islands and continents move vast distances from where they where originally.
Revelation 6:15 says, The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. They told the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath has come; and who is able to stand?"
On that day people will be hiding in caves of the mountains, tunnels, and bunkers, because they won’t know where to hide. They will know that this is the great day of God’s wrath, and literally no one will be able to stand up, because the Global Earthquake will be so violent. The Global earthquake will seem unending. As the sky vanishes under a Roll Cloud and the Stars fall from heaven. The buildings in every city in the world, will collapse into utter destruction, killing millions. Revelation 16:19 says “and the cities of the nations fell.” Isaiah 30:25 calls it, “the day of the great slaughter. When the towers fall.”
And just when you thought, it couldn’t get any worse, Revelation 16:21 says, “Hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds each, fell from the sky on people.” As the volcanic ash and dust from the global earthquake, is thrown up into the sky, it will combine with a super cooled atmosphere, from the vacuum, created by the earth’s reeling. Resulting in hail stones, which weigh about 100 pounds each.
Matthew 24:30 says: “Then, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep, as they see the Son of Man, coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. The great trumpet will sound, and he will send out his angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from one end of the world to the other.”
Jesus said:
Luke 21:28 …when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
Jesus will not let the tribulation Christians have to suffer this Global Cataclysm, we are commanded to look up, for he will be coming to save us from all these disasters:
1Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead -Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Mark 13:27: And then he will send out the angels, and will get together his saints from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.
1Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
All those believers, who have turned to Christ, during the tribulation and are still alive, will be gathered together, with the resurrected Christians. And will be collected by Gods angels, to escape the Global Cataclysm. At this time the Antichrist will have gathered all his armies in the Valley of Armageddon heading toward Israel to annihilate the remaining resistance in Israel. The Antichrist will have told his armies to expect the appearance of the Dajjal (the Islamic version of the Antichrist) which is actually Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah. In ignorance they will fight against him, thinking they can defeat him. For their Quran predicts a victory over the Dajjal. They will not realize they have declared war against God himself.Revelation 19:11 says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war.”
Zechariah 14:4 says, “He will take his stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem, and the mountain will split in half, forming a wide valley that runs from east to west.”
From here, Jesus will go out to wage war, against the Antichrist and his army, and the many Arab nations, gathering against Israel.Joel 3:16 The LORD roars from Mount Zion; his voice thunders from Jerusalem; earth and sky tremble. But he will defend his people.
Revelation 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Joel 2:4-11: They look like horses; they run like war horses. As they leap on the tops of the mountains, they rattle like chariots; they crackle like dry grass on fire. They are lined up like a great army, ready for battle. As they approach (Jerusalem), everyone is terrified; every face turns pale. They attack like warriors; they climb the walls like soldiers. They all keep marching straight ahead and do not change direction or get in each others way. They swarm through defenses, and nothing can stop them.They rush against the city. They run over, the walls, they climb up the houses and go in through the windows like thieves. The earth shakes as they advance; the sky trembles. The sun and the moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD thunders commands to his army. The troops that obey him are many, and mighty. How terrible is the day of the LORD! Who will survive it?
Revelation 19:19-21 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered to fight against the one who was riding the horse and against his army.
The beast was taken prisoner, together with the false prophet who had performed miracles in his presence. (It was by those miracles that he had deceived those who had the mark of the beast, and those who had worshiped the image of the beast.)
The beast (Caliph / Madhi) and the false prophet (Imam) were both thrown alive into the lake of fire, that burns with sulfur.
Their armies were killed by the sword that comes out of the mouth of the one who was riding the horse; and all the birds ate all they could of their flesh.
Now we must ask the most important question of all: what do we DO will all this information?
The first point was for us to discern the signs of the Second Coming of Christ. When we start to see all the things happening that were pointed out in these chapters then we know that its near, even at the doors. We’re admonished over and over by Christ to be ready. I have not spoken about the Rapture of the Church. As churches are divided on this matter. Some say the Rapture will precede the tribulation, and the Christians won’t have to go through it. Others say it will happen when the Antichrist Conquers Jerusalem at the half way mark. Still others believe that the Rapture occurs at Christ’s second coming. But whether or not the Church goes through the tribulation, we are commanded to be ready for Christ at all times. The signs of the times gives us the ballpark figure time wise so that we can have the OPPORTUNITY to be right with God and bearing fruit. Remember that learning all this information was only to give us the opportunity to be right and bear fruit—it’s not the act of those things. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the signs when the point of the signs is so we have the chance and time to get ready. The Bible does say many Christians will reject Christ under the Islamic persecution, and a Great falling away will occur (2 Thessalonians 2:3 ). So we must make sure that whether we are taken out to escape or have to endure the end days, our hearts are right with God, and strong enough not to reject him under persecution.
NOW is the time to get right with God and you can only do that if you’ve repented of your sins and asked Jesus to be your Savior. Now is the time for Christians to repent of their sins and cast off the ways of the world, drawing closer to Christ and actively working for Him. It’s time for the Church to have a sense of urgency and spread the Gospel of the Kingdom which is what this book has done. The Kingdom Gospel (which is the one Jesus preached) is simple: “Repent (of sins, cast off the world and the devil, cling to Christ)! The Kingdom of Heaven (the Second Coming) is at hand (about to happen real soon)!
This book was not only written for Christians but also for all Muslims hoping that, some may see the truth, and not be deceived. God loves Muslims very much and wants them to turn to him. For God is a God of love and peace, not a God of hate and destruction.
Its time for you to make your decision. Whether to be humble and accept Jesus Christ, as your personal Savior, or reject him. The Bible tells us, that those who reject the Great Love of God, that he showed on the Cross, will find themselves with out hope, lost for eternity, in a place to terrible to contemplate.
Dear friends! it is the truth. Those who reject God Son, have rejected the eternal life, which was freely given to all who accept Christ. Who on earth rejects a free gift? And yet today people are rejecting the most important free gift, that of eternal life, found only in his Son. By rejecting Christ they have rejected the only means God has of Saving us. It’s like a man who is drowning and a life line is thrown to him, but he throws it back in the rescuers face saying “No thanks I don’t want your help.” He has rejected his only means of salvation, and he has rejected and denied himself life.
Even in our sin, he took our punishment, on the cross, so that we might not be found guilty, of breaking Gods law, on the day of Judgment. Dear friends, what greater love could God have shown, than to take our penalty and suffer for our sins, and be cast into hell for us, after which he rose from the dead conquering Hell death and the grave. Those who reject Christ, have rejected God’s greatest gift of love. And God did not make eternal life, something you had to buy or earn. He is giving it to you freely, all you have to do is say thank you and acknowledge his gift.
For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts (good works), but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8) For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
THE SINNERS PRAYER
Dear Father God, I repent of my sins. I open my heart to
Jesus. I confess Jesus is my Lord God and my
Saviour, I thank you for giving me eternal life. I believe that Jesus,
died on the cross for me and rose from the dead.
I thank you that today, you have made me your child. Amen
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