Disclaimer: I do not claim to have all the answers. As with everything there is a certain amount of growth that happens over time and this page is my journey to find those answers. Acts 17:11 speaks to what I
hope from anyone reading this page as I also attempt to strive toward the goal
of being a compitent watchman.
A book by Joel Richardson called
The Islamic Antichrist (Free) brings up some interesting points that I
would like to address and study here. He holds that “Islam is the
primary vehicle that will be used by Satan to fulfill the prophecies of
the Bible about the future political, religious, military system of the
antichrist.” There is also a book by Walid
Shoebat that covers the same aspects of this theory called
God’s War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy and the Bible.
This page is a work in progress and
will involve some serious reflection as I hadn’t had any doubts, until
looking at the Islamic and
Jewish
antichrist theories,
that the man of sin would arise from
Europe. It
is still a journey, but as with all things I must study and look at the points, history
and scripture to understand myself and make a decision. Regardless of which
way I lean, this page will focus on points of the theory as well as
counter-points presented against the theory.
One of the primary premises of determining the identity comes from the
book of Daniel speaking of the
prophesied 70 weeks for Israel.
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore
and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and
the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy
the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with
a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
According to Joel Richardson’s historical research cited from Publius
Cornelius Tacitus, Titus Flavius Josephus as well as more modern scholars
and historians, the Roman army that destroyed the temple in 70 AD was not
comprised of “European” Romans, but rather inhabitants of Asia
Minor, Syria, Arabia and Egypt - ancestors of the modern-day inhabitants
of the Middle East.
If this is the case, then scripture would be stating that the people
were those now comprised of the Islamic Middle Eastern people and therefore
the “prince that shall come” would be of those people. Today
Islam is the unifying religion of all these peoples with a supernatural
hatred of Israel and the Jews.
January 17, 2010 The idea that the Antichrist
will come from a Muslim nation — and not from Europe — has become popular
since 9/11. But it doesn’t square with Scripture. Let me explain.
Chuck Missler, one of the proponents of the Muslim Antichrist theory,
said that prophecy buffs have been “nearsighted.” Since
the Bible teaches that the Antichrist will come from the region of the
Roman Empire, they’ve mistakenly assumed that he will come from
Western Europe and have forgotten the fact that the Roman Empire also
had an eastern division, which continued long after the western division.
It’s this eastern leg of the Roman Empire that the Antichrist
will come from, according to Missler. Read about it
here.
But is it true that prophecy buffs have been nearsighted, or do
they have good reasons to believe that the Antichrist will emerge from
Europe? I believe it’s the second answer.
The eastern leg
of the Roman Empire (called the Byzantine Empire) did not come into
existence for a few centuries after the time of Christ. Yet Daniel 9:26
— the verse that teaches that the Antichrist will emerge from the Roman
Empire — says he will come from the same people who destroyed the city
and the sanctuary. This destruction occurred in 70 A.D., when the Romans
destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish temple.
Since the eastern
leg didn’t exist in 70 A.D., then the Romans who destroyed the
city and sanctuary couldn’t have referred to the people from the
much later, eastern leg. This is why prophecy scholars have historically
believed that the Antichrist will come from the people of the old Roman
Empire (represented today in Western Europe).
Yet to salvage
their theory, some proponents of the Muslim Antichrist theory say that
the Roman army included conscripted soldiers from Syria, so the Antichrist
will be of Syrian origin. But this is nonsense to claim that, somehow,
conscripted soldiers who are merely following orders represent the Roman
Empire. Philosophers have a Latin phrase for this type of last-ditch
argument — i.e., a weak argument that’s only purpose is to save
someone’s favored viewpoint. It’s called an ad hoc argument.
The fact that the eastern leg of the Roman Empire didn’t exist
in 70 A.D. seems, to me, to be a fatal flaw in the Muslim Antichrist
theory.
Pope’s Retreat Preacher Speaks on Antichrist as a “pacifist,
ecologist and ecumenist” (March 1, 2007) Papal watchers
are wondering what message Pope Benedict XVI was giving when he selected
retired Bologna archbishop Cardinal Giacomo Biffi to preach the annual
Lenten retreat to the Pope and the top members of the Vatican. Rocco
Palmo, expert Vatican reporter for The Tablet, the international Catholic
weekly published in London England has noted the significance of the
selection of the Lenten retreat preacher. “Since time immemorial
-- or, at least, the retreat’s heightened profile over the 20th
century -- the selection of the preacher has become a closely-watched
indicator of the prevailing winds in the papal apartment,” said
Palmo on his blog. “(T)he choice often falling to a voice the
Pope might like to tout... and not just for a higher prominence on the
preaching circuit.” Palmo added weight to his remarks noting that “Before
their respective elections to the papacy, both Joseph Ratzinger and
Karol Wojtyla were tapped to lead the annual exercises.” This
year’s selection when it became known created a stir since Cardinal
Biffi, while he is known for orthodox faith and frank words, is most
well known, at least in the secular media, for his preaching on the
Antichrist. In fact, the Times of London reported in 2004 that the Cardinal
described the Antichrist as “walking among us.” The Lenten
retreat did not disappoint. Cardinal Biffi picked up on his oft repeated
theme of the Antichrist, basing his remarks on the works of Vladimir
Soloviev, a Russian theologian who has received praise from Pope Benedict
prior to his elevation to the pontificate. Quoting Soloviev, the Cardinal
said “the Antichrist presents himself as pacifist, ecologist
and ecumenist.” “He will convoke an ecumenical
council and will seek the consensus of all the Christian confessions,
granting something to each one. The masses will follow him, with the
exception of small groups of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants,”
he said according to a Zenit translation of a Vatican Radio summary
here. In his “Tale of the Antichrist” Solovyov foresees
that a small group of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants will resist
and will say to the Antichrist: “You
give us everything, except what interests us, Jesus Christ.”
For Cardinal Biffi, this narrative is a warning: “Today,
in fact, we run the risk of having a Christianity which puts aside Jesus
with his cross and resurrection.” The 78-year-old cardinal
added that if Christians “limited themselves to speaking of shared
values they would be more accepted on television programs and in social
groups. But in this way, they will have renounced Jesus, the overwhelming
reality of the resurrection.” The cardinal said he believes that
this is “the danger that Christians face in our days …
the Son of God cannot be reduced to
a series of good projects sanctioned by the prevailing worldly mentality.”
The preacher of the Spiritual Exercises added that “there are
relative values, such as solidarity, love of peace and respect for nature.
If these become absolute, uprooting or even opposing the proclamation
of the event of salvation, then these values become an instigation to
idolatry and obstacles on the way of salvation.” Cardinal Biffi
affirmed that “if Christianity -- on opening itself to
the world and dialoguing with all -- dilutes the salvific event, it
closes itself to a personal relationship with Jesus and places itself
on the side of the Antichrist.” Cardinal Biffi’s
reflections, in fact, are very similar to remarks Pope Benedict made
last Fall in a meeting with Swiss Bishops. While Pope Benedict did not
speak of the Antichrist, he spoke of a new false or “substitute”
religion, calling it also a “successor” of religion. “Modern
society is not simply without morality, but it has, so to speak, ‘discovered’
and professes a part of morality,” the Pope told the Swiss bishops. “These
are the great themes of peace, non-violence, justice for all, concern
for the poor, and respect for creation.”
However, the Pope warned that these “great
moral themes” have “become an ethical complex that, precisely
as a political force, has great power and constitutes for many the substitute
for religion, or its successor.” “It is only if human life
is respected from conception to death that the ethics of peace is also
possible and credible,” concluded the Pope. “It is only
then that non-violence can express itself in every direction; only then
that we truly welcome creation, and only then that we can arrive at
true justice.”
Possible Future Fulfillment?
I believe that the “deadly wound by the sword” may happen
as a result of the abomination of desolation. This abomination of desolation
coincides with
Michael the Archangel
standing up (Daniel 12:1 | 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8) when he goes to heaven
to cast the dragon and fallen angels to the earth as revealed in Revelation
12:7-9; 13. I believe, like the Maccabean revolt, the Jews will realize
that the great peacemaker is not who he seems when he declares himself God
in their temple. Currently it is difficult to see such a secular liberal
Israel getting upset, but I believe there are several events that come before
that will shift the spiritual state of the nation of Israel prior to the
rebuilding of the temple.
The dragon, having just been cast out of heaven will heal the deadly
wound of the beast (7th head) and the world will
be amazed. In retaliation, the newly revived and dragon-controlled beast
(8th head of the seven now controlling global politics
through emergency powers) will order the genocide of all Jews in Judea because
of the assassination attempt. They will be viewed by the New World Order
as the intolerant “destroyers of civilization” that the
Alliance of Civilizations will be working against.
I believe the false prophet may be the
12th Mahdi and with signs and lying wonders he will direct the worship
of Muslims to the antichrist. When the antichrist orders the complete destruction
of Israel, their stated goal of wiping Israel off the map, they will probably
be worked into a fervor and go through Jerusalem and Judea like a wave of
murder, Joel 2:1-11 killing 2/3 of Israel. Zechariah 13:8-9
This starts the
time of Jacob’s
trouble of Matthew 24:15-22. That’s why Christ said for them in
Judea to run to the mountains when they see the abomination of desolation.
Because soon after that, the antichrist will order the genocide of the Jews
for their revolt.
Antichrist coming from Turkey?
I’ve have a hard time with the antichrist coming out of Turkey or
Iran for the following reasons.
Ezekiel 38:1-3 And the word
of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog,
the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy
against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against
thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
Meshech is Turkey (Ancient Muschki and Musku in Cilicia
and Cappadocia) Tubal is Turkey and also southern Russia and Iran
(Ancient Tubalu in Cappadocia.)
The antichrist is supposed to confirm a covenant
with many that allows the temple to be rebuilt that he will later declare
himself god in, but not the God of his fathers.
Daniel 11:37,38 Neither shall
he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard
any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall
he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall
he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant
things.
To me, this is in direct opposition to any ideas of claiming to be Christ.
It is his claiming to be god that marks the attempted destruction of the
Jews. There wouldn’t be much point in saying he’s their Messiah
if he’s going to kill 2/3 of them.
It’s looking a lot
like the
Gog/Magog invasion is being set up. Even to the extent that
Turkish and
Russian troops will be sent into Lebanon to keep the peace without disarming
Hezbollah. To me, it looks like a deception to have all the armies just
a few miles North of Jerusalem for easy and quick attack. They found Iranian
military in Lebanon already. That’s some of the major players in the
Gog/Magog invasion already deploying troops to Lebanon under what I believe
are false pretenses.
I could be wrong, but it’s too perfect and fits with the way they
work. Lay low with a good deception that lulls the enemy into a sense of
security (keeping Hezbollah from firing), then suddenly they all swarm in
on Israel. If this is the case, How would anyone from Turkey have any kind
of sway to bring peace in Israel when that nation has just failed an attempt
to wipe out Israel?
Audio:
Other Sources:
Walid Shoebat
is a proponent of this belief and there is some audio where he goes
over these points. You can listen to some of his comments in the
audio section above. Several
of the clips were from
Chuck
Missler’s 66/40 broadcasts of the Strategic Trends.
-
Proponents of this belief point out that what Islam calls the
antichrist, will actually be Yeshua. This has the potential danger
for those not strong in their Biblical understanding to fall into
accepting this man as Yeshua instead of expecting him to come in the
clouds and gather us to Him. The
pre-trib
harpazo believers would point out they would be gone already,
but I don't
believe this is accurate. This could set some of them up to
believe since the harpazo hasn't come yet, that this couldn't be the
antichrist. If the Jewish antichrist theory is correct, both these
theories could play off each other and, if possible, deceive the
elect. The key is knowing what the Bible says about how Christ will
really come. Matthew 24:23-28 | Luke 21:27-28
-
The eastern leg of the Roman Empire (called the Byzantine Empire) did
not come into existence for a few centuries after the time of Christ.
+ Would it matter that it is not the Eastern leg of the Roman
Empire if “the people of the prince to come” were
Arabian conscripts acting against orders? Look
for historical reference
-
While I currently feel that the man of sin rises from Europe and the
false prophet is possibly the Imam Mahdi, at a surface glance I can
also see it possible that the man of sin is the Mahdi and the false
prophet is from Europe. It would make more sense for the development
and implementation of a global “mark of the beast” from
the West than from Islam and that is one of the primary functions of
the false prophet.
-
I still feel that historically the “woman riding the beast”
points to the Roman Catholic Church
-/+
A point made by Dr. Mark Hitchcock on September 18, 2010 in the audio
above is that he will show no regard for the gods of his fathers and
exalt himself above all gods. He will sit in the temple and declare
himself to be God. The Mahdi would never declare himself to be God and
the moment that he does, he is no longer Muslim so while he may have
originated from Islam, he would not remain in that capacity following
the abomination of desolation. This could of course point to the possibility
that he originates from Islam, but upon declaring himself to be God,
separates himself from the god of his fathers, elevating himself to
the status of God. The question then is, would faithful Islam accept
him?
+ Revelation 20:4 speaks of people beheaded during this time
of great tribulation for their witness of Jesus. I used to think of
it in a European sense with a guillotine, but now with the rise of Islam,
it does seem more likely that the beheading would be in the nature of
that done by Islam and part of the Koran.
+ Daniel 11:36-38 speaks of the man of sin not regarding the
god of his fathers, and Islam didn’t exist until around 633 AD
when Mohamed claimed to receive revelations. It points back to Adam,
but the holy book and teachings of Islam didn’t exist until Mohamed
channeled them throughout his life. Daniel also speaks of him honoring
a god of forces, or war, with gold, silver, precious stones and pleasant
things. In Islam
Zakat, or almsgiving, is one of the five pillars of Islam.
+ Daniel 2 is Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue. Walid
makes the point that the Western leg of the Roman Empire never controlled
Babylon while the Eastern leg, the people of the Middle East always
have.
+ Daniel 7 combines all the beasts together, comprised of Middle
Eastern historical nations.
+ Daniel 7:25 Islam is trying to change the times and the laws.
(Sharia)
“Be not overcome
of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21
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