This is an update of an article I first posted 2 years ago.  Two things prompted me to post it again at this time.  First, it’s a good follow up to last week’s article on the growth of Islam.  And second, last week, at the last minute, Turkey booted Israel out of a joint training exercise also involving Italy and the US.  When they withdrew in protest, Turkey responded by scheduling a training exercise with Syria instead. The reason Turkey gave was Israel’s inability to deliver an order of Heron surveillance drones to Turkey on the agreed schedule, even though it was the failure of a part produced by Turkey that made on time delivery impossible.

Turkey has been distancing itself from Israel since the Gaza offensive, and on top of the canceled training exercise recently began airing a TV series depicting Israeli soldiers as child killers.  Inside sources indicate that Turkish PM Erdogan has become convinced that Turkey is destined to play a more pivotal role in Middle Eastern politics by reviving the Ottoman Empire.  To that end Turkey has been more involved in MidEast diplomacy, acting as a mediator between Syria and Israel,  and has formed a pact with Syria and Iran that features increased military and commercial involvement among the three.  Some see in this the re-birth of an end times military force known as the King of the North in Daniel 11.   Let’s take a closer look.

The Kings Of The North And The South

“At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.” (Daniel 11:40)

Three separate kings are in view in this one verse and their identities must be discovered to fully understand what will happen in the days leading up to the end. They are the King of the North, the King of the South, and the one who was identified in Daniel 11:36 as the king who exalts himself. We call him the anti-Christ. All of Daniel 11:4-35 has been taken up with a discussion of various generations of the King of the North and the King of the South, but the King who exalts himself is neither, and subdues them both.

First, the King of the North. The vision of Daniel 11 was given in 536BC and begins with an angel telling him what would happen to the Persian Kingdom then in power. After 3 more Persian Kings, a fourth would arise, an especially rich and powerful King. This Persian King, who we know as Xerxes I, took as his queen the Jewish woman Hadassah, called Esther in the Persian language (Esther 2:16-17). He put together a mighty army and mounted an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Greece in 480BC.  About 150 years later the tables would be turned and a King from Greece would conquer the Persian Empire. This was fulfilled by Alexander the Great.

Then Daniel was told in effect that Alexander’s Kingdom would be divided into four pieces according to the four winds of heaven, not going to his offspring. (After Alexander’s death his four generals divided up the Kingdom among them.) The next 30 verses are devoted to the families of two of the four, Seleucus, known in Daniel 11 as the first King of the North and Ptolemy, the first King of the South. 135 historically confirmed prophecies are contained in the first 35 verses of Daniel 11, most having to do with the descendants of these two men. The other two generals, Cassander (West) and Lysimachus (East) are not mentioned here, but in fact Cassander went back to their homeland and ruled over Macedonia, and Lysimachus eventually lost his portion to Seleucus.

So the first kings of the North and the South were Seleucus and Ptolemy. For territory Seleucus eventually got control of what we now know as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Turkey. Reigning for a time from Babylon in modern Iraq, he built a new capital city 20 miles to the south east on the Tigris river and named it Seleucia. Ptolemy took Libya, Egypt, the Sudan, Israel and Jordan, and chose Alexandria in Egypt as his capital.

Through their descendants, these two kings fought each other for control of the known world for the next several hundred years. Then Daniel 11:33-35 brings us to the Macabean revolt when the last important King of the North, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, was defeated.

History To Prophecy
Up till now this has all been a recounting of history. Beginning in verse 36 we fast forward to the time of the end when modern versions of these two kings will go after the anti-Christ. What would make them do that? Well, here’s where we get a little more speculative. There’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that a struggle is underway between Arab Moslems and non-Arab Moslems for control of the emerging Islamic Empire. The goal of Islam is a single Islamic World Empire, or Caliphate as it’s called, and there’s fierce competition to see who can bring it about. This competition finds Iran, and the countries aligned with it, pitted against Egypt and its allies. The Iran group is largely non-Arab and Shiite and the Egyptian group is largely Arab and Sunni.

It should not surprise students of prophecy to learn that Iran’s group is almost identical in territory to the Biblical King of the North and Egypt’s group is a modern equivalent of the King of the South, with the addition of Saudi Arabia and absent Israel. (Of all the countries involved, Syria is the biggest anomaly here, being Arab speaking and predominately Sunni. Maybe this is why Iran reportedly has a contingency plan to depose Bashar Assad if it becomes necessary.)

But remember, according to Daniel 12:1 we’re talking about the beginning of the Great Tribulation here. Both Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39 will occur before this competition for Moslem supremacy comes to a head. This tells us that while Syria will cease to be a factor after Isaiah 17 and is not even mentioned in Ezekiel 38, Iran will neither be pre-emptively destroyed by the US and/or Israel (even if an attempt is made) nor completely taken out of play because of Ezekiel’s battle, and will recover to contend for Moslem supremacy.

Ezekiel’s phrase “ send down fire” (Ezekiel 39:6), which many believe to be a reference to nuclear warfare, is directed at Magog, the distant coastlines (somewhere beyond the Mediterranean) and the battle field in Israel. No mention is made of any destruction in Persia (Iran). Whatever Iranian forces are involved in Israel will be decimated, but Iran itself will survive.

Followers of middle East politics can already spot the jockeying between these two groups for Islamic supremacy. For instance, remember how Osama bin Laden, a Sunni from Saudi Arabia, condemned the Shiite Hezbollah for “prematurely” going to war with Israel in the summer of 2006? Even though Israel is their common enemy, he warned the Arab world not to support the Hezbollah action. Lately it’s been rumored that if push comes to shove, Saudi Arabian air space will be opened to Israeli jets on their way to bomb Iranian nuclear targets. (Although reported in the British news, Saudi Arabian officials deny this.)   And notice how Iran has displaced Saudi Arabia as the primary sponsor for Hamas, even though Hamas is Sunni. To win this competition, you have to control Jerusalem. All of Iran’s positioning with Hamas, Syria, and Hezbollah is directed toward that end.

If this view is correct we should expect to see more jockeying between these two groups, building to a point where at the outset of the Great Tribulation only a king superior in power and authority to both can unite them. This superior King will have to be an Islamic figure with an even greater right to head the Caliphate than either the King of the North or the King of the South, and even then they won’t give up without a battle.

A Non-Traditional Perspective
Of course this view requires that the one world religion of the last days will be Islam, not some version of Catholicism or New Age pantheism. And it makes it more likely that when the anti-Christ emerges, he’ll come from the Eastern leg of the Roman Empire, not the West. Constantinople (Istanbul) is also known as a city on seven hills, is a former capitol of the Roman Empire, and can just as easily fulfill the prophecy of Rev. 17:9 as Rome does.

As details of Islamic eschatology become more widely known, prophecy students are discovering striking similarities between descriptions of al Mahdi, sometimes called the Moslem Messiah, or 12th Imam, and a figure from Christian eschatology called the anti-Christ. I’ve made mention of them in previous articles, how in their respective prophecies both come on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire to restore peace, both have a seven year reign, both head a one world religion and one world government, both claim supernatural origins, and both reigns end in a battle between good and evil that brings Earth’s final judgment.

He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians (Sudan) in submission. (Daniel 11:41-42)

This view also provides the first plausible explanation I’ve seen for why Daniel was told that present day Jordan will be spared in this Grand Caliph’s “holy” quest to put the world under submission, even though Egypt, Lybia and the Sudan will be forced to bow. Sunni Moslems believe that the Grand Caliph has to be an Arab from the Hashemite family of which King Abdullah II of Jordan is the current patriarch. This helps explain Abdullah’s extra-ordinary influence in middle eastern affairs and why he “unofficially” controls the Temple Mount. The Hashemites once held sway over the entire Middle East and served as custodians of all Moslem Holy Sites.

I’m not saying that Abdullah II is the anti-Christ. Remember, Daniel 11:41 says that Jordan and its leaders will be delivered from the anti-Christ’s control. I believe Jordan will be left alone out of deference to King Abdullah’s  genealogy as the 43rd direct descendant of the prophet through Mohamed’s daughter Fatima, and his closest living relative.

No, it’s more likely that al Mahdi (also known as the anti-Christ) who will be senior even to Abdullah II, will bring the Kings of the North and the South into submission while sparing Jordan.  Incredibly, in a way only God could manage, this makes Petra, a mountainous area about 3 hours south of Jordan’s capitol Ahman, the perfect hiding place for the believing Jews during the Great Tribulation.

And this view explains why, with all the quicker and easier ways of executing people available, the one mentioned in Revelation is beheading. We’ve only recently been made aware of Islamic terrorists’ preference for this method. For generations Biblical scholars were ridiculed for their insistence on a literal understanding of beheading as the method of execution in Tribulation times. That all changed when we got to Iraq.

The biggest mistake the West makes is to ignore the religious undercurrents in the Islamic Middle East. As recent events have already shown, Moslems will always choose to be governed by Islamic law rather than western style democracy, given the chance. Their religion teaches them that Islamic law is more just. And the goal of Islam is a world wide Caliphate where there are only two kinds of people, those who submit and those who are targets for execution.

He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. (Rev. 13:15)

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. (Rev. 20:4)

If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the Footsteps of the Messiah. 10-17-09

Table of contents for Islam & The End Times

1. Islam And The End Times

Perspective by Jack Kelley

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast-all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. (Rev. 13:8)

There’s a lot of interest in the role of Islam in the End Times. And from what I’m reading, a lot of misunderstanding, too. Recent surveys are shedding some light.

It’s becoming clear that Moslems are increasing in number faster than any other religious group in the world. Their current growth rate is four times faster than that of Christians.  According to a recent survey by The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, those who practice Islam now make up nearly one-fourth of the world’s population at 1.57 billion members, second only to Christianity.  This is revolutionary in nature and even though it’s happening right before our eyes, most Western Christians haven’t even noticed.  And not only are Moslems the fastest growing religious group in the world, they also hold that distinction in the United States, Canada and Europe, with Europe perhaps being the model of where Canada and then the US are headed.

Comparing the current birth rates of native Europeans with Europe’s Moslem immigrant population leads us to one very clear and surprising conclusion: the Europe we have known is very quickly changing into what some refer to as Eurabia, where Europe will soon find itself under the power and control of Islam. Today there are more Moslems in Germany than there are in Lebanon. France’s Moslem population, while fewer in number than Germany’s, represents a greater percentage of French citizenry, and given the current rate at which church buildings are being converted there may soon be more mosques in England than functioning churches.

Following the rapture of the Church, Islam will be the most populous religious system on Earth by a wide margin. Whether you believe that Islam is a religion of peace or not, it’s pretty obvious that they’re not going to just go away after the rapture and abandon their long held dream of becoming the world’s dominant religion just at the point of realizing it.

What About Ezekiel 38?

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Islam will no longer be a viable religious force after the Battle of Ezekiel 38 either. According to The Pew Forum report, the countries who will unite against Israel and be defeated there are a small percentage of the total Islamic population. For example, the four largest Islamic countries by population aren’t even involved. In fact, two thirds of all the world’s Moslems live in 10 countries and of those only Turkey (5) and Iran (6) are named by Ezekiel. Rough estimates indicate that as little as 15% of the Islamic world will be represented by the forces aligned against Israel, and remember it’s only their soldiers who die in battle, not their total populations.

Compare that to what will likely happen to the 2.2 billion strong “Christian” world in the Rapture and it’s not hard to see that Islam will still be the strongest religious force on Earth as Daniel’s 70th Week begins. (After all, none of them will be raptured.) Islam would be the obvious choice for a man who wants to use a religious system to gain control of the world.

And remember, the anti-Christ won’t be confirming a covenant with Israel for the purpose of helping them. He’ll be doing it to help himself. By means of peace he’ll deceive many, Daniel warned (Daniel 8:25). And with the exception of the fleeing Jewish remnant, the world will be deceived, saying “Peace and safety” just as sudden destruction comes upon them (1 Thes. 5:9). But God will not be deceived. He’s already on the record, calling it a covenant with death. (Isaiah 28:15) But doesn’t this covenant serve God’s purpose, you ask? Well of course everything that happens serves God’s purpose, but that doesn’t mean everything that happens is good for man. The Jews will think they’re getting a guarantee of peace but God will use the covenant to usher in Daniel’s 70th Week, a time when He’ll completely destroy the nations, and purify His covenant people. It’ll be anything but peaceful.

Let’s also remember how crafty the enemy is. For example, MI-6, the British intelligence service, has just confirmed that Iranian Pres. Ahmadinejad, who could be one of the leaders of the Islamic coalition in Ezekiel 38, was born Jewish. The family converted when he was 4 years old. Knowing that, how could we say the anti-Christ (who some believe has to be Jewish) could not come from an Islamic country that was once part of the Roman Empire? Please, I’m not saying Mr. Ahmadinejad is the anti-Christ. I’m only saying that someone like him could be.

Almost 4 years ago I first reported on the similarities between Islamic prophecies of al Mahdi and Christian prophecies of the anti-Christ. I noted how both are said to come on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire to restore peace, both have a seven year reign, both head a one world religion and one world government, both claim supernatural origins, and both reigns end in a battle between good and evil that brings Earth’s final judgment. It almost sounds as if they’re the same person.

At that time the majority of prophecy students were still convinced that the anti-Christ had to be of Western European origin, aligned somehow with the Roman Catholic Church. But since then I’ve become aware of more and more who are taking a second look at this traditional view, and are considering the possibility of a coming world leader whose roots are in Islam.

A Lesson From Daniel

When Daniel had his vision of Gentile Dominion, the period of Gentile rule over the Earth, it came to him in the form of 4 great beasts. The first was a lion, representing Babylon. The second was a bear, the Medo-Persians, and the third was a leopard, Greece. Then in Daniel 7:7 he said, “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast-terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.” This is a reference to Rome. In animal imagery, the horn demonstrates authority, and when used symbolically the number 10 denotes the completion of divine order. This 4th beast would have complete authority over Earth and would never totally relinquish it until the Lord comes to take it by force. (Daniel 2: 44)

The anti-Christ will make his first Biblical appearance in Rev. 6:2, disguised as the man on the white horse. According to Daniel 8:25 he’ll seem to be a great peacemaker, but his intent will be to conquer the world. His true identity won’t be revealed until Revelation 13:1-2 where it becomes clear that he’s been empowered by Satan. Verses 1- 2 describe him thus. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

Compare Rev. 13 to Daniel 7 and you’ll see that while the 10 horns show that he’ll have all the authority of the fourth gentile kingdom, his identifying characteristics will be more like the first three of Daniel’s beasts. Babylon, Persia, and Greece were all oriented toward the East. Only Rome had a western orientation (which made it different from the other three, as Daniel noted) Could this mean that the anti-Christ will also look first to the East (Isalm) to consolidate his power?

Time will tell. In his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel told us how the end times version of the 4th kingdom would be characterized by inner conflict. He said that where it had once been as two strong legs of iron (the Eastern and Western divisions of Biblical times) rebuilding it at the end it would be like trying to mix iron and clay. (Daniel 2:40-43) He could have been describing some of the social unrest we’ve witnessed in several European countries as their native populations have not always responded well to Moslem immigration.

My purpose in writing this is not in any way to confirm or endorse the views of some experts on Islam who’ve who’ve burst on the scene recently with all sorts of new interpretations of Christian prophecy. It’s to remind us all to keep our eyes open. Things are happening fast and will continue to challenge our traditional perspective. Daniel was told that as the End of the Age approaches knowledge will increase (Daniel 12:4). That means we’ll be given a clearer understanding of how events will unfold than those who came before us. This will happen through careful observation, actually seeing the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and comparing them to Scripture. But God knows the end from the beginning, so none of this is new to Him. Where we see change, He just sees a closer alignment of Earthly events with Heavenly truth. It’s time to keep an open Bible handy as we watch the headlines because we now have another reason to search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 10-10-09

Q. Because during the tribulation the people left on the earth will be involved in a one world religion, do you believe the news story about the Pope while in Turkey praying towards Mecca with the Muslims gives validly to their religion and is an indication how easy it will be to convince people to follow a one world religion? Is there any were else in the Bible that speaks of a one world religion besides Revelation 17?

A. After his comments about Islam being a violent religion, the Pope has been trying to make amends without retracting his statement. Visiting a mosque and praying toward Mecca are attempts to do this. Lately the Catholics and the Moslems have found that they share a common affection for Mary, although the Catholic Church takes it to a greater extreme. I believe that after the Rapture, the remaining Catholics will have no trouble joining ranks with Islam and forming the core of the one world religion.

While the Bible contains numerous references to the worship of idols and false gods, and the Roman Empire attempted to enforce Emperor worship on all their conquered nations, the one world religion is a concept uniquely suited to the end times scenario.

Q. My question to you is this: every time I mention that Islam is not a peace-loving religion my husband said neither is Judaism. He teaches Sunday School and they have been going through all the books in Old Testament. He maintains that God instructed Israel to overtake its enemies with violence in order to gain the Promised Land. Also, that God deals with His/our enemies harshly. I try to counter this with God’s love for us through Jesus Christ but I don’t seem to be making any headway.

Do you have any suggestions on how to answer this? I feel the times are such that we, as Christians, are going to have to be able to defend our beliefs against this very thought.

A. In all of their history, Israel has fought only one war of aggression and that was when they conquered the Promised land. And even then, God only permitted them to attack after he had given the Amorites 400 years to repent and return to Him. During that time God had Israel wait in Egypt even though the Egyptians made them slaves in the interim. (Genesis 15:12-16) Finally God’s patience ran out and He used Israel to judge the Amorites for their disobedience. God is our Creator and has the right to require our obedience to His laws. He loved us enough to die in our place so we could avoid being punished for our disobedience, but for those who reject this provision, His anger justifiably remains.

And it would be good for your husband to remember that Judaism is a religion instituted by God, just like Christianity, while Islam is not. The two can’t be compared.

Q. 1)What do you think about the pre-wrath rapture of the Church? I was pre-trib for such along time until I read the book by Marvin Rosenthal, “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church”. It made so much sense that just cannot see any other way. I would just like to know what you think about it and have you read the book.

2)If the Muslim’s messiah is the the anti-Christ then how does this go with the anti-Christ coming from the Holy Roman Empire?

A. Marvin is a very persuasive person and he and I have talked at length about his rapture view. One of the major disagreements we have concerns where the Wrath begins. I believe it begins in Rev. 6 with the Seal Judgments. Rev. 6:15-17 say, Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to 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 their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

He places it much later, around the time of the Bowl judgments. Through out the Old Testament the entire tribulation period is often called the wrath of God. Isaiah 26:20 & 34:2 are examples. The idea of it only being the last cycle of judgments in the Book of Revelation is man’s interpretation not God’s intent. In summary, the Rapture of the Church will precede the time of God’s wrath, but God’s wrath includes the entire tribulation period, not just part of it.

The Roman Empire had both Eastern and Western components. The Eastern one was comprised of many of the countries we now know as Moslem nations such as Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and parts of Iran and Iraq.

Q. Could you please help me with a question that has been on my mind for awhile now. The Muslim religion worships Allah, I believe that he is not the same God as we worship. I’ve had conversations with people who tell me that they are one and the same. I would love to hear your views on this.

Thank-you for this wonderful website and the many blessings it has brought to us.

A. When Mohammad developed Islam, he consolidated the pantheon of 360 Arabic deities into one. That one was called al Ilah, later shortened into Allah and was the Arabic god of the moon. That’s why you’ll see a crescent moon atop most mosques.

Allah and the Judeo-Christian God are not the same. Their differences were clearly summed up by former former Attorney General John Ashcroft who said, “Islam is a religion where Allah requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is a belief that God sent His Son to die for you.”

Q. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what the emergent kingdom will be that the Antichrist will arise out of. In Rev 17 we see the woman sitting on the “beast” with 7 heads and 10 horns. And the angel tells John that “the seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet
come”. And in Rev 13 we see the same beast coming out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns. And one of the heads was wounded as to death.  But it is healed and that healing causes the whole world to wonder after the beast.

The thing is, so many people think that this means the AC will be assassinated or wounded in some way physically. But, if the seven heads are kings/and or kingdoms, and one of those kingdoms is wounded, couldn’t this be referring to the Islamic power that will be 5/6 annihilated after Ezekiel’s battle? And this man of sin arises from that devastation to bring about peace? Being Islamic, he could claim to be of the seven and wounded, but something could distinguish him from Islam enough that the Jews will accept him and he will be the “eighth” king. We know ,according to Isa 10 that the AC will be Assyrian…this would fit in that scenario.

A. It’s an interesting possibility. The pronouns relating to the anti-Christ’s head wound in Rev. 13:12 are personal, implying that a person is involved, but Islamic teaching on the end times holds that an Islamic world leader will arise out of chaos, the kind of chaos that will result from such a resounding defeat as God will visit upon the Moslem armies.

They call this leader “al Mahdi” but the activities prophesied for him are frighteningly similar to those we attribute to the anti-Christ.

Q. Hi, I really appreciate and enjoy your ministry, and perhaps you can provide some guidance for me on a particular issue concerning Christians who misinterpret the Bible and constantly spew “give peace a chance” pabulum. I have been continually excoriated by a handful of misguided Christians who are against all war and think that we should never stand up for ourselves and piously recite passages from the Bible to support their peacemaker dream sequences.

I realize that we live in an imperfect, fallen world, where Satan is doing his best to steal the souls of mankind. This is not going to change until Jesus returns, despite the best efforts of the Dominion/Kingdom Now groups. Man chose to go against God and do things his own way, and wars have been the end result ever since. War is hell for a reason, and no one ever wants to go to war. But, as stewards of the earth, we cannot let the weapons of Satan destroy the whole world (I am thinking of the Iranian Hitler and his nuclear capabilities).

I do not pine for the demise of any of the innocent and pray that those who live in the darkness of a religion that lacks hope will see the light, but we cannot acquiesce our own destruction in the meantime.

Is the Church not the restrainer of evil? Am I incorrect in thinking this? I am just tired arguing with these Christians who would rather put on a burka and grovel at the feet of the terrorists. I am also tired of being equated to the Nasrallahs of the world, as though I am somehow equally radical. Ha! Thus, I humbly request some guidance on this, as I have reached a boiling point of frustration.

A. Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” One way to assure that is to let others know that you’re ready and able to defend yourself if threatened. James 4:7 says in part, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” As the world has learned all too often in the past, appeasing an enemy sworn to your destruction will only encourage him.

I truly believe that the problems facing the world today are more Spiritual than anything else. At issue is whether the God of the Bible or the god of Islam will triumph. We know that the outcome is not in doubt, but nowhere in the Bible is accommodation with false religion suggested. In fact the opposite is true.

Daniel and his 3 friends refused to bow before idols, breaking the laws of their rulers in doing so. Peter and John disobeyed the direct orders of the Sanhedrin in preaching the Gospel. Paul defied the powers of Rome. Christianity is a religion of peace, but not one of appeasement and accommodation. I’m with you.

Q. What is the significance of August 22 in Islam, and why did the President of Iran choose that day to respond to UN demands that Iran curtail their nuclear program?

A. The president of Iran has said that August 22 will be the date when all will know. He was not talking to the Western world, but to Moslem believers, making reference to the midnight ride of the prophet Mohammad who traveled on his winged steed to Heaven and the Furthest Mosque, now claimed by Moslems to be Jerusalem.

According to Islamic history, this event took place on the 27th of the Moslem month of Rajab. This year, that date falls on the 22nd of August. It’s been called the time of “the great light in the sky”. Ahmadinejad is informing the Moslem world that, this year also, an event of significance will happen on that date. He has promised that this event will change their destiny.

Several experts in Islamic history and thinking have suggested that a nuclear event or other significant terrorist attack against Israel, the West, or both, might be deliberately timed for August 22 to take advantage of the mythical power surrounding this date. From reading these expert opinions you can see that the possibility of something like this happening is very real.

The fact that such a thing would bring a massive response from those targeted is of no consequence in the world of radical Islam. In fact it fits right in with Ahmadinejad’s belief that the 12th Imam, or Mahdi, (sometimes called the Moslem Messiah) will not return to Earth until a time of great crisis and bloodshed. He believes that he’s been called to create such a time and pave the way for the Mahdi’s appearance. The governments of the west have yet to learn that you can’t negotiate with a man who believes that if you kill him, he’s won.

Q. I just read your article on the Powerful Delusion. I personally don’t think that Islam is going to be the religion of the Anti-Christ. The one world religion of the Anti-Christ will accept all religions of the world, not just one. The Jews will accept the Anti-Christ, but the Jews will never accept Allah and the religion of Islam. This is one reason why Islam cannot be the One World Religion we know is coming.

A second reason everyone seems to be forgetting right now is that Islam is not the only religion waiting for a messiah, the man with all the answers to earths problems. The New Age is also awaiting their coming World Leader who will accept all under his wing.

We know that the Anti-Christ will come on the scene to bring the answers the whole world is looking for. He will bring false peace to the world and sign the 7 year covenant with Israel. The New Agers will accept him, the “false” Christians will accept him, the Jews will accept him, and all the religions of the world will accept him. This they will do willingly. We know that after the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation, Antichrist will claim that he alone is God and whoever opposes him will die. This would include not only those who find true faith in Jesus after the Rapture, but also those of all faiths including the Muslims who believe there is no God but “Allah”.

The Jews will be horrified when he enters their temple which the Anti-Christ allows them to build. The Muslim Allah would never permit a temple to the God of Israel to be built.

I would like to know what you think about these four reasons why I don’t believe that Islam will be the One World Religion.

A. You might be right. I presented my view as a possibility based primarily on the similarity between Christian and Moslem prophecies, but here are a couple of other factors for you to consider.

We know from scripture that true believers of both Judaism and Christianity will not accept the anti-Christ as the Messiah. The Book of Revelation speaks of their persecution and martyrdom. It also speaks of believing Jews being protected in the desert during the anti-Christ’s reign from his attempts to wipe them out.

Jesus said,”I have come in my father’s name and you did not accept me. Another will come in his own name and you will accept him.” (John 5:43) He was speaking to unbelieving Jews then, about the deception that would come upon unbelieving Jews at the End of the Age.

The title of my article was “The Powerful Delusion” a reference to 2 Thes. 2:11. There Paul says that God Himself will actually cause those who have rejected Him to be deceived into believing in the anti-Christ. To me that means whatever the anti-Christ’s background, the unbelieving world will accept Him. And let’s not forget that he’ll have all the supernatural power of Satan at his command with counterfeit miracles and such to help convince them.

And where the Temple is concerned, whether he’s Moslem, New Age, or any other religion, the anti-Christ only wants it built to further his own goals, and that’s to stand in the House of God and proclaim that he’s God. No matter who he is, he’ll see the Jewish religion as the means to that end. What we know for sure is this. In Ezekiel 44:7-8, God’s first complaint to Israel after He returns is that they let a foreigner, uncircumcised in Flesh (not Jewish) and Heart (not Christian) have charge of His Sanctuary.

I presented the Moslem view because Islam is the fastest growing religion on Earth and after the Church leaves it will be the largest. Most non-believers think Allah is just another name for the Judeo-Christian God, would have no trouble accepting the Moslem path to salvation, and think Islam is a religion of Peace that’s been hi-jacked by a minority of terrorists. If a Moslsem “messiah” were to come on the scene as a peace maker following a period of intense warfare and the disappearance of the Church he would already have the world’s biggest following. I don’t think the rest would have any trouble at all falling into line behind someone who promises them peace and a return to life as they knew it, regardless of who he is.