Islam
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For more than a generation, the kingdom of the Antichrist has commonly be equated among evangelicals with Europe. Many, having been influenced as young believers more by such books as "The Late Great Planet Earth" and now by the "Left Behind" series than the Bible, take the word of the prophesy "experts" as gospel. We were taught that the next event in the prophetic time line was the rapture of the church and then all hell would break loose as the Antichrist rebuilds the Roman Empire first in Europe and then spreads his control over all the world. The prophesy teachers also told us of a coming middle east war in which the Soviet Union with her Arab allies would invade Israel, be destroyed by God, and then the Antichrist would appear and make a seven year treaty with Israel. Many watched with trepidation as the European Community (now European Union) expanded to ten nations. But the EU went from 10 to 25 without the Antichrist appearing. And the USSR disintegrated without the prophesied invasion. But still the same old interpretations go on... and on... and on. Let us go back and take a fresh look at what the Bible really teaches. One of the touchstones of the old system of prophesy interpretation was the distinction between the invasion of Israel by the forces of Gog, prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39, and the battle of Armageddon. The first thing we should ask is why do the commentators take such pains to make this distinction? It is because the events spoken of in Ezekiel 38 and 39 do bear a remarkable similarity to the events recorded in Revelation 16 and 17. As this does not fit into the 'experts' vision of a European Antichrist Kingdom', they take pains to explain why these two prophetic visions do not refer to the same thing. But what if the finale of Ezekiel's war and Revelation's battle of Armageddon are in fact the same events? Though there are some details that differ between Ezekiel and Revelation, these details are not matters of contradiction. On the contrary, some of the details common to both accounts in Revelation and in Ezekiel, such as the summoning of the birds to feast on the dead, are an unmistakable sign that God intends for us to identify the end of the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 with the battle of Armageddon. And if this identification is correct, it means that the allies of Gog listed in Ezekiel may be among the ten kings that give their power unto the beast in Revelation. The nations or peoples listed in Ezekiel are Meshech and Tubal (and perhaps Rosh if it is a name rather than meaning 'chief prince'), Persia, Ethiopia (or Cush), Libya (or Put), Gomer and Beth-togarmah. When one looks at the area where these nations lived, one comes up with the following: The area of Turkey and the Islamic republics of the Former Soviet Union, The general area of Iran and Afghanistan, North Africa and the East African areas of Sudan and Somalia. What is the common factor linking these peoples together? Islam! For some strange reason prophesy teachers have been afflicted with a case of tunnel vision. They see the Roman Empire as a European phenomena and are therefore Euro-centric when it comes to the Empire of the Beast. If one will only look at the map of the ancient world, it is apparent that the Roman Empire was much more of a Mediterranean empire than a European one. Once one left the vicinity of the Mediterranean, the north was barbarian. Revelation speaks of seven heads which are seven kings (kingdoms), five have fallen, one is, one is yet to come, then an eighth arises that is also one of the seven. At the time John wrote, five kingdom who had been oppressors of Israel and God's people had fallen: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. One was: Rome. So what was the seventh? Rome never completely fell. The Eastern Empire officially was destroyed by Moslem armies when Constantinople fell in 1453 AD. The western empire, though fragmented, persists to today. However, there existed a mighty empire that conquered almost all of the Mediterranean world in less than 100 years, swept over Persia and India further than Alexander the Great had ever traveled, and as an imperial power in control of most of what was the old Roman empire lasted until 1917 AD, though the European empires had nibbled away much its outward power by that time. The seventh head of Revelation must have been the Islamic world. And in Ezekiel 38 and 39 we find that all the peoples listed are currently Islamic.
Other things spoken of in Revelation are consistent with an Islamic Beast.
One thing seemingly inconsistent with orthodox Islam is the
self-deification of the
Antichrist. Islam is strictly monotheistic and does not allow
anything to be
associated with God. However, it is possible one could claim
to be possessed by Allah himself.
This would be consistent with the descriptions of Antichrist
exalting himself above
every so-called god. The early Caliphs had titles such as
"The Vice-regent of
God" and "The Shadow of God," also, the goal of Sufism (mystical Islam)
is
to become one with the spirit of Allah, in Shia Islam the leaders are
much more closely
and spiritually identified with Allah. So, perhaps, even the
Antichrist's claim to
be god may be consistent with Islam, especially if one were able to
offer proof in the
form of miracle working power. This could be similar to the
widespread pagan and
new-age idea of a christ as being a mere man who is totally controlled
by a god. ( It is
interesting that these same ideas are being pushed in the Church by
teachers such as
Kenneth Copeland and many others.) In Revelation there is a sign that depicts the Beast with seven heads and ten horns, but the central focus is not on the Beast but on the Woman the sits upon the Beast. The Woman is described a the Great City (see America and Babylon) and is hated by the beast. In fact, it appears that it is the common hatred of the ten kingdoms for the Woman that motivates them to give their combined power to the Beast. Who in the world today bears a resemblance to the Woman of Revelation? Who today bears a special hatred for America? And who would love to burn her with fire? Western civilization and the United States in particular are dependent for their very survival on oil. Already global oil production outside of the Persian gulf has probably peaked and will begin to decline. Oil and Gas reserves in the United States are rapidly depleting and Texas is just about dry. Once global production permanently falls below demand, prices will skyrocket and the world will fall into permanent global recession and decline. Already America has fought multiple wars to maintain her access to Persian gulf oil. She has publicly declared that it is her policy not to allow any nation to even have the potential to challenge her or her vital interests. Ezekiel tells us that the nations of Sheba and Dedan will say to Gog, 'Have you come to capture sp-oil?' [hyphen not in the original] Guess where Sheba and Dedan were located; -the Arabia peninsula in the area of the Persia gulf. Exactly where the oil fields are! Does anyone remember 1973? By the way, there are currently eleven nations as members of OPEC. Ten (except Venezuela) are Islamic. OPEC was founded to break the control of the major oil companies, known as the Seven Sisters. (Just a possible alternative scenario to watch) None of this proves that the Beast is Islamic or America is Babylon the Great, but things seem to be lining up that way. As disciples of Jesus, we need to keep our eyes, ears, and minds open. We need to be willing to discard the outdated teachings of the past as the events come closer and the focus sharper. Past interpretation came as a result of looking at the world of that day in light of Scripture. We must always hold firm to the Word and hold loosely to our interpretation, especially when things are not yet clear. However, as we look at the growing population and declining resources of the world, as we realize that western civilization is absolutely dependent on oil and there is no replacement for oil even on the horizon, and that with the event of peak oil production and declining energy available per person near at hand if not having already happened; we are coming to a point where time is running out for new prophetic scenarios to appear. There simply is not much time left for the global empires described in Revelation to emerge. Not only is modern civilization fueled by oil, but also modern agriculture. The world simply cannot feed itself without oil. A point of global crisis is fast approaching with more and more nations armed with nuclear weapons. Leaders will be forced to act to try to seize the remaining oil reserves (most of which exist in the Persian gulf) for themselves and their people. Jesus said,"...for then there will be a great tribulation,
such as has not
occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.
And unless those days
had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of
the elect those
days shall be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is
the Christ,' or
'There He is,' do not believe him. For false christs and false prophets
will arise and
will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even
the elect. Behold,
I have told you in advance." The Rise of the Caliphate?One of Osama Bin Ladin's principle demands is the re-establishment of the Caliphate. For orthodox Islam, there is only one legitimate form of government -the Caliphate. The Ummah (Islamic world) is to be ruled by a Caliph (Imam -Shi'a), a single political/religious/military leader. At the end of World War I, the victorious British and French chopped the Ottoman Islamic Empire (where the Caliphate was located) into pieces. Apparently, they assumed that by dividing the Islamic world into a bunch of small and weak nation-states, they would permanently do away with the threat of Islam, which had challenged and frightened Europe for 1300 years. Prior to this, there was no Iraq, nor Syria, nor Jordan, nor Saudi Arabia, nor the Gulf States. France and England created them all. France and England had already swallowed up Egypt and North Africa, India and Afghanistan. There is a reason there are no democratic Islamic nations in the middle-east. Democracy is un-Islamic! So- much for foolish American attempts to impose "democracy" in Iraq. There can never be a separation of Church and State in orthodox Islam, nor rule by the people. It's simply contrary to Islamic tradition and law. So, as important as the removal of infidel military forces from the holy lands of Islam is to Bin Laden and other orthodox Moslems, the re-establishing of legitimate Islamic government and the removal of the national divisions imposed by the West is equally or even more important. Now, does this priority of Islamists fit into what the Word of God has to say about the rise of the Beast? Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. Notice that there are some unusually things about the ten "kings".
Under Sunni Islam, the Caliph can be chosen by "prominent men". And they do not have to represent all of Islam. Ten "kings", or prominent leaders, or delegates, might be given the authority to choose the next Caliph. This could explain why they receive power for only one hour. They have been given authority (power) to choose the Caliph that will unite all Islam. Now, under Shi'a Islam, the Caliph (Imam) is chosen by Allah and not by men. But the Bible says the Antichrist will come "with all power and signs and lying wonders". Under Shi'a Islam, the Caliph or Imam can be confirmed as Allah's choice by a miracle! By doing this, the Antichrist could unite Shi'a and Sunni Islam (a division that was literally caused by the wound of a sword, the death of Ali). Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. Notice that it is also possible that the deadly wound may have been to the Islamic Empire at the end of WWI and it's revival may constitute its healing. Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power (authority) was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. The Caliph/Imam would have authority over all Muslims in all the world, regardless of what nation they live in. Islam recognizes only two kingdoms: Dar al-Islam (the house of Islam) and Dar al-Harb (the house of War). The Caliph would be like a Super Pope, and according to Shi'a Islam, he would be infallible. And he would go forth to make Jihad on the Saints. Imagine, for one moment, this Caliph of a united Islam of over 1.2 billion people, spread throughout the world, with nuclear weapons in his right hand (Oh yes, there is already an Islamic bomb, remember Pakistan?) and the oil spigot in his left (not to mention the considerable combined conventional military power of the Islamic world). By the way, Islamic tradition says that at the time of the end, an Islamic Messiah called the al Mahdi will rise up and destroy the Christians and the Jews. He and an Islamic "Jesus" (lamb with two horns- false prophet?) will break all the crosses and destroy the churches. Tradition says the Mahdi will rule for SEVEN years. The dominate Shia tradition holds that the Mahdi is the twelfth Imam, who was born in 868 A.D. In 872 A.D. he went into hiding. The Shia's believe he entered a spiritual state and will reappear at the end of the age, much like many Christians and Jews expect Elijah to return.
Was, is not, and will come; like the Twelfth Imam: he was, he is not (visible on earth), and yet he will come (they say). Another interesting aspect to the Caliphate is the Oath of Allegiance given to the Caliph. Let us consider the Mark of the Beast in regard to this Islamic tradition. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Note that the Scripture does not say everyone will be given a unique number or mark, which is what the popular computer ID theory holds. Indeed, how would one implement an information technology based system in all the world? We forget that most of the world lives at a level far below western standards of wealth and technology. But the Scripture says the mark is either the name of the Beast or the number of his name. If the mark is a mark indicating allegiance to the Beast, it would be a more literal fulfillment of the Scripture and would not require universal electronic control of commerce. Muslims would simply be ordered to refuse to buy or sell to those who did not have the mark (i.e. non-Muslims). To disobey the Caliph is to disobey Allah according to Islamic tradition.
"The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day." (841) If the pope has kissed the Koran, which repeatedly declares 'God has no Son', how can any Catholic resist the Beast? And consider the implications for those addicted to oil! No mark, no gas! How many would refuse to make a simple submission to Islam and take an oath of allegiance to the Caliph in exchange for the privilege of continued access to oil? Especially after John Paul II and Vatican II's acknowledgment that good Muslims also go to heaven? The fact is, according to the majority of those who call themselves "Christian", the fact that one denies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is no hindrance to entry into the Kingdom of God. In addition, once one chose to take the mark, he also would be obligated to refuse to buy or sell to those that did not have it. The mark would spread like a virus! The Firm Covenant with the ManyAlmost all "prophesy experts" believe that the Antichrist will make a treaty with Israel for seven years and in the midst of the seven years he will break that treaty. They base this on Daniel 9:27 KJV Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. NAS Daniel 9:27 "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." But Daniel does not say he will make a covenant with Israel but "the many". The reason the NAS translates it as "the many" is because the Hebrew word for many (rab) has the definite article attached. It is perhaps a title or a name (noun), not a quantity (adjective). Who is "the many" with whom the Antichrist makes a covenant for seven years? Consider whom in the world one would have to make a covenant with. Who is presently sitting in the midst of the middle east with a large military force and who also militarily, economically, and culturally dominates the world and is the most powerful adversary of Islam. And consider the motto of the United States: "E Pluribus Unam", "from MANY, ONE." Could it not be that the Antichrist makes the treaty with Babylon the Great, the United States of America, until he is able to gather sufficient power that the treaty is no longer necessary? As Mohammad also did with the city of Mecca.
A Woman Rides the BeastSo he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 17:3 ) Note that the woman is sitting on the beast. She is not warring with the beast, nor fleeing from it. In the 80's, the President of the United States authorized the CIA to use all possible means (EXECUTIVE ORDER 166) to drive the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. Working through the Pakistani ISI, the CIA helped build up the Mujahadeen with billions of dollars, training and weapons. The ISI and the CIA helped establish the Islamic schools on the Pakistani border that inflame the youth with the teaching of the Quran and the Prophet. Like a horse with blinders, the United States was so intent on inflicting pain on her anti-capitalist foe, that she was oblivious to the nature of the Beast she determined to unleash. Not that jihad was the creation of the CIA, it was not. But the CIA decided to feed the Beast and try to harness it for its own purposes. This much is history. What might lie ahead? The United States has discovered that the soil of Iraq is a poor seedbed for "democratic capitalism." The President's [G.W. Bush] vision of world peace and safety, a fulfillment of his father's New World Order vision, through the states of the Middle East falling in domino fashion before the manifest destiny of free enterprise democratic capitalism has foundered upon the rocks of Allah and his Prophet. The problem for those who take a tiger by the tail is how to extricate themselves without becoming lunch. How does one make a deal with "Militant Islam" when there no longer exists a head to deal with? Perhaps the administration will come to believe that the dismantling of the Caliphate by the Western Powers in 1924 was a "mistake." Perhaps Mr. Bush or his successor will come to the same decision as the German industrialists who thought they could co-opt Hitler and use him if they helped him achieve power. Watch for the possibility of the U.S. tacitly or covertly supporting the re-establishment of the Caliphate. This is likely to be done clandestinely rather that publicly. The Ummah (Islamic world) would likely not support an American puppet as Caliph, a lesson she is still learning in Iraq after the failure of the Iraqis to elect a compliant secular stooge. And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast. (Rev 17:12,13) Look for this to be fulfilled in the near future. These ten (perhaps some form of delegates or leaders chosen to elect the Caliph?) will give their power and authority to the "Little Horn" of Daniel. If this is correct and Islam is the Beast, this appointment will give him authority over all the world of Islam. We will then see him take steps to consolidate his power, possibly fulfilling Daniel 11 as the king of the north. The United States may hope that in the restoration of the Caliphate (Khilafah), she will no longer have to fight a Hydra, but will seek to make a deal with the one head who is able to control the Beast. And the Beast would be motivated to make a "comprehensive Middle East peace" deal and guarantee access to oil in order to see the Caliphate and the promise of a united Islamic world restored. But the deal will not stand long. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate. (NAS Daniel 9:27) And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered greatly. (NAS Revelation 17:6) We can expect to see the United States stand by and do nothing as the Beast makes war on the Saints. And we must be prepared for the likelihood that she will herself persecute and kill the witnesses of Jesus. She will not take kindly to those who know what is going on and do not keep silent. And she is likely to assist the Beast even as the French government helped the Nazis round up the Jews of France. After all, what is the blood of a few disciples of Jesus compared to the life-blood of the economy! If the blood of the Saints must flow in order to keep the oil flowing, how many SUV owners and commuters will object? America already RENDERS (outsources) people to Syria and other Islamic nations for torture and death. But in trampling underfoot the Temple of God (the true Church), Babylon has doomed herself. She has drunk from the Holy vessels and touched the Bride of the Lamb!
BLOWBACK! Brothers and sisters, Islam is not the greatest threat to disciples of our Lord Jesus; lukewarm, Laodicean, materialistic, worldly, compromising "Christianity" is! The hour of testing is upon us. Let us look up, for the Kingdom of God is at hand! ** Dear friends, it has come to my attention since originally writing this web page that in 2004 the National Intelligence Council (United States Government) in its publication Mapping the Global Future is itself concerned with the possibility of a resurrection of the Caliphate. Expect that concern to morph into something else as she despairs of the possibility victory and searches for an alternative.
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Read what
the Catechism of the Catholic
Church says in regard to Islam:
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