In a number of my articles which deal with the subject of End time prophecies I explain that unlike quite a few Christian theologians and Bible students who anticipate the rise of the kingdom of the Beast -- and the Ten Horns who temporarily support him -- in Europe and Russia, over the years I have pondered the possibility that these End time events may actually revolve around the country of Israel, and Ten Arab/Muslim nations who will temporarily give their power and allegiance to the devilish global leader who the Bible refers to as the Beast. These events are described for us in verses such as the following:
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns . . . And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows . . . And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings." Daniel 7:3-7
"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads." Revelation 12:3, KJV
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." Revelation 13:1, KJV
"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns . . . And the angel said unto me, wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns . . . 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 . . . And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." Revelation 17:3, 7, 12, 16, KJV
The fact that I currently embrace this theological position does not mean that I have totally rejected possible Russian involvement; after all, even now the Arab states are divided in their loyalties between Russia and the United States of America. Both nations -- the USA and Russia -- have long-term interests in the affairs of the nations of the Middle East, as is clearly evidenced by American involvement in Iraq, and Russia's current involvement with Iran. In my articles, I've also posited that the False Prophet -- who is mentioned in Revelation chapter thirteen and elsewhere -- may possibly be a religious leader who will stir up the masses in support of the Beast. If -- as I speculate -- the rise of the Beast and the Ten Horns is indeed a more localized event which centers around the nation of Israel, then it seems only natural to assume that Islam may be the religion of the False Prophet, and not Roman Catholicism as some theologians have proposed.
If you pay close attention to the news, particularly to news which details events that involve Israel, the Arab nations of the Middle East, and Iran -- Iran is not Arab, it is Persian -- then you may realize that the volatile political situation in that area of the world may possibly reach a boiling point in the not-too-distant future. Consider the following facts:
The Palestinians have been fighting for their own state for decades now; and yet, they don't seem to be that much closer to their dream of achieving it. The Jews keep stalling with more words, military incursions and settlements expansion, while the Palestinians occasionally lob rockets into Israel out of frustration, and Hamas and Fatah each continue to try to win the hearts of the Palestinian people. At least the suicide bombers have been at bay for a while now.
Turning to the nation of Iraq, despite the more than nine years of occupation by the United States, that nation still hasn't overcome its internal problems. At this current time, despite the fact that parliamentary elections were held in March of 2010, the Iraqi leadership remains both divided and corrupt, and a new government has yet to be formed. Lethal violence is likewise still very much the norm, even in the capital city of Baghdad. Utility services such as electricity and water still remain at substandard levels -- even in Baghdad -- and one must wonder what the USA has been doing there all these years. It simply doesn't take that long to restore everything that was destroyed during the illegal American invasions more than nine years ago.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring country of Iran, assisted by Russia, the Iranians are finally initiating the process to fire up their first nuclear reactor; a reactor which the USA adamantly claims may ultimately be used to produce nuclear weapons grade fuel. Israeli and American political figures -- and the mass media -- have been continuously filling our ears with anti-Iranian banter, and rumors of an impending Israeli military strike has been on the lips of many for months now. The latest word from that who are supposedly “in-the-know”, is that Iran will supposedly have its first nuclear weapon within about a year, and UN sanctions have proven to be an ineffective tool of persuasion.
But we must ask ourselves: Is this simply more psychological manipulation of the masses by the powers-that-be? I am again reminded of the constant campaign of fear and intimidation that was strongly promoted during the eight long years of the Bush administration. Let's not forget George W. Bush's misguided "mushroom cloud" remark, which ultimately led to the illegal invasion and war to supposedly find and destroy WMD in Iraq. If you want a perfect example of government deception and manipulation, which clearly demonstrates how easily the American public can be hoodwinked, just consider the years 2000 to 2008. Bush promised to get Osama bin Laden dead or alive. He also promised to find those elusive WMD in Iraq. Bush is no longer in office. The WMD were never found. Osama bin Laden is now dead, but this did not occur during George W. Bush's watch. The American public has for the most part forgotten about it all, even though the USA -- and the world -- continue to pay for Bush's deception and mistakes.
Of course, the previous paragraphs describe just a few of the more volatile situations in the Middle East which have been highlighted by the news media. There are other problems that don't make the news as often, such as the constant squabbles over water rights, which will only continue to grow worse as the region of the Middle East slowly dries up. As I point out in other articles, the Book of Revelation informs us that one of these days, the Euphrates River -- which is an important water source for Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran -- will dry up, as we see here:
"Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates . . . And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared."
Revelation 9:14, 16:12, KJV
So the point is, there are a number of hot issues and hot spots in the Middle East which could explode at a moment's notice; and ultimately, some of them will; and in my view, they may very well be catalysts for the final events of the End time, as they are described for us in the pages of the Bible -- events which may center around Islam -- the faith originated by and promoted by Muhammad.
Considering the relative closeness of these End time events, and the Great Tribulation in particular, which will involve the slaughter of possibly millions of people who believe in the Holy Scriptures, I feel that it is important for us to try to understand what will motivate these Arab and Muslim nations to commit such atrocities in the name of their god Allah. Of course, I say this based on a Futurist -- and not a Preterist -- point of view; meaning that I believe that the Great Tribulation isn't a historical event that occurred during the First Century; rather, it is a future event that will transpire after the Holy Covenant -- which is possibly the coming peace agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis -- is broken. Furthermore, as I point out in my blog "Tribulation and the Church;
I embrace a Mid-Tribulation Rapture point of view. Finally, as I noted earlier, this series is based on the belief that the Beast and the False Prophet will embrace the Muslim religion.
Regarding the manner in which Christian Believers are going to be slaughtered once these events begin to occur, we will be discussing it later on in this series. What I find tragic about this future scenario, is that according to the Bible, thousands of years ago, Abraham's second wife -- Hagar the Egyptian -- and her son Ishmael, appear to have worshipped the same God as Abraham and Sarah. Consider the following incident that occurred after Hagar had fled from Sarai, or Sarah, her mistress:
"And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? And whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angels of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction." Genesis 16:7-11, KJV
As I note in the previous articles, Ishmael -- who was Abraham's first son by Hagar --became the progenitor of the Twelve Princes of the Arab nations. However, it would be Isaac -- who was the seed of faith who was born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age -- who would receive the inheritance of the Lord, as we can determine by the following verses:
"And God said Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year." Genesis 17:19-21, KJV
"Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham: And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations." Genesis 25:12-16, KJV
Based on the previous Scriptural evidence of Hagar's apparent devotion to the God of Abraham, her husband, God's blessings upon her and her son Ishmael, and upon Ishmael's descendants, and my personal study of the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an, I can only conclude that when Muhammad arrived on the historical scene approximately six hundred years after the time of Jesus, and began to promote a new religion that, while having certain similarities to both the Jewish and the Christian faiths, yet at the same time, is quite contrary to both of them, he wasn't listening to the voice of the One True God, who his ancestors apparently still worshipped to some degree. In short, while my words will obviously be offensive to Muslims, is it possible then that Muhammad was actually one of the many false prophets of whom even Jesus warned us in His discourse concerning the End time and the time of His own Second Coming? Consider the following verse:
"For there shall arise false Christ’s’,and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:24, KJV
To my personal dismay, I learned some time ago that the holy book of the Muslims -- the Qur'an -- contains a surah called As-Saff -- or The Ranks, Battle Array -- in which there is a verse where Jesus supposedly prophesies concerning the coming of Muhammad, in order to follow in His footsteps as the next great prophet of God.
Consider this verse as it is found in three different translations of the Qur'an:
Yusufali Translation:
"And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, "This is evident sorcery!"
As-Saff (The Ranks, Battle Array) 61:6
Pickthal Translation:
"And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who cometh after me, whose name is the Praised One. Yet when he hath come unto them with clear proofs, they say: This is mere magic."
As-Saff (The Ranks, Battle Array) 61:6
Shakir Translation:
"And when Isa son of Marium said: O children of Israel! surely I am the messenger of Allah to you, verifying that which is before me of the Taurat and giving the good news of an Messenger who will come after me, his name being Ahmad, but when he came to them with clear arguments they said: This is clear magic."
As-Saff (The Ranks, Battle Array) 61:6
What makes this particular Muslim deception so subtle, is the fact that this verse is concealed between thirteen other verses in this surah, which Jews and Christians will readily identify with, due to the fact that the surah embraces some Biblical themes, such as the importance of putting obedience behind our faith -- much like James chapter two -- Moses and the rebellious Israelites, and Jesus and His Disciples. The truth is, if you read the Qur'an, you will find many things with which you are familiar as a Christian or a Jew. Some of the names will obviously be different, but you'll recognize the accounts of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Ark, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the story of Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses, Aaron and Pharaoh, the parting of the Red Sea, Gideon (Talut), King David, Solomon, Job, Jonah, etc. You will also read about Joseph and Mary, and discover that Mary's Immaculate Conception is accepted within Islam, even though I personally view this as a false doctrine. The birth of John the Baptist to Elizabeth and Zacharias is likewise discussed.
You may even begin to think, "Wow! This Qur'an isn't so bad after all! Maybe I have been wrong about the Muslim faith." But if that is your experience, then readers beware! As you will discover later in this series, while Christ's Divine Mission as a holy Messenger from God is accepted, as well as His many miracles, that is as far as it goes. He is totally stripped of any status greater than that; and I will provide many verses from the Qur'an to prove this particular point beyond a shadow of a doubt! In addition to the above topics, you will also discover that the Qur'an discusses Heaven and Hell, Satan -- who is known as "Shaitan" in the Islamic religion -- the Last Days, Gog and Magog, the Day Of Resurrection, the Final Judgment, a New Creation and other familiar themes. So, on the surface, the Qur'an appears to be a rather innocent book; but is it really, or does Islam teach certain things that some people don't know about?
The truth is, if you are a Spirit-led Christian and begin to read the Qur'an more closely as I have done, you will begin to recognize the blatant inconsistencies and the lies. As a long-time Christian, I am firmly convinced that this is so. Furthermore, I am convinced that it will be because of this strong delusion and rebellion on their part, that the Muslim nations may soon -- within a few short years -- ravage the country of Israel, and kill many people, all motivated by a misguided belief that they are doing so in the name of the "One True God" -- Allah. It is interesting to note that the Lord prophesied the following concerning the coming fate of His First Century followers:
"They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." John 16:2, KJV
It's important to realize that life is like a boomerang, and that we each reap what we sow. Just as the pharisaical Jews --such as the former Pharisee Saul -- persecuted and killed some of the First Century Christians, in the sincere belief that they were performing God's service, in the years ahead, it seems probable that the Jews may likewise be visited by their own sins when Muslim radicals, filled with pride and honor for their Islamic faith, and motivated by the devilish rantings of their Islamic False Prophet, may begin to kill the Jews, and destroy their synagogues, to a greater degree than what we have already witnessed with Palestinian suicide bombers. If and when this happens, tragically, the situation will have come full circle.
To fully understand this situation, and to help you to grasp why these events may happen at some point in the future, we will have to examine actual excerpts taken from Islam's holy book -- the Qur'an -- or Koran, according to the Western spelling of the word. Through this examination, you will come to recognize what is really felt and believed within the Arab and Muslim mind and heart. Be forewarned that this knowledge can be dangerous. It is ideas like these which put the life of author Salman Rushdie in danger; and to be quite honest, I too have considered the personal risk that I am taking by publishing controversial -- and to some people -- offensive information such as this. Nevertheless, I am motivated to be faithful to Him who has called me to this writing ministry. Furthermore, I still have much work to do for the Lord, and I trust that He will continue to protect me, until such time when I have completed my task.
As I stated at the beginning of this series, it would be a mistake on any of our parts to simply believe in government propaganda, or to accept mass media hearsay, regarding Muslim beliefs. So let us now go straight to the source; that is, to the actual writings of the "prophet" Muhammad -- or Mohammed if you prefer -- so that you can plainly see exactly what he taught and advocated almost fourteen hundred years ago. As I said, you will see that Islam is by no means the non-violent and peaceful religion that some people have proposed. Islam is a Satanist Anti Christian Religion whose main desire is to destroy Christianity and create a Gov’t based on Shari Law.
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