I enjoy your website tremendously and thank you for your wisdom and insight. I’ve always thought (and been taught) during the Tribulation the Roman Catholic Church would be the religious system of the antichrist. However, in recent days, as I listen to the news and do research on the Internet, I’m hearing more and more how Islam is gaining a hold in Europe and even in America, with all the universities and mosques springing up almost overnight, and with the Muslim leaders’ talk of conquering the world. What are your thoughts on Islam being the religious system of the antichrist during the tribulation vs. the Roman Church?
I think the Rapture will leave the Catholic Church in a state of utter chaos with a significant number of its members gone. Islam on the other hand won’t be adversely affected at all. And if the anti-Christ comes from the Eastern leg of the Roman Empire he’ll likely be at least nominally Muslim. Since the two religions share an admiration of both Mary and Jesus, as well as a works based view of salvation, I can see the possibility of an accommodation that would make the combined group far and away the most dominant religion of the post-rapture world.