Islam and the Anti-Christ

by Shawn Karon
We are all weary of conspiracy theories and false predictions concerning the end times. These false oracles can have a demeaning effect on prophecy as a whole, resulting in a possible disinterest in Bible prophecy. My motivations for writing this are to raise awareness to a growing trend I see in Christian circles, which is the disillusionment with Bible prophecy and how it relates to Islam. I do not hate Muslims, but I do hate Islam. Unless you think "hating" is not becoming of a Christian, let's see what God says concerning this matter; Amos 5:15 says "Hate evil, love good", and Romans 12:9 says "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." The Bible says "This is the antichrist, he who denies that Jesus is the Christ. No one who denies the Son has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also."' (1 John 2:22-23) and "You have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come." (1 John 2:18). One may ask, what does this have to do with Islam, seeing as how this is a generic statement that can equally be applied to anyone who doesn't believe in Jesus Christ? Let us look closely at what the Quran says, "Say: Allah is One, the Eternal God. He begot none, nor was He begotten. None is equal to Him." (Quran 112:1-4). The Quran specifically attacks the doctrine that the biblical witness declares is essential to understanding the true nature of God and salvation. In so doing, the Quran has identified itself as antichrist in nature, by very definition. Further, The Bible specifically warned against the type of revelation that Muhammad claimed to receive. The Bible says "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14) and "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!" (Galatians 1:8). Muhammad claimed to receive revelation from an angel, not from God. The nature of that revelation was by definition antichrist, and was clearly "another gospel" which the authors of the Holy Bible warned about. Already we should be alarmed that Muhammad may have actually encountered Satan, which would explain why Islam desperately tries to cast doubt and scorn upon The Holy Bible, and replace it with an antichrist document, called the Quran. Projected statistics show that Islam will be the world's largest religion within the century, with over a billion members and growing rapidly. The secular world can no longer ignore the presence or influence of the political-religious movement of Islam whose objective is the domination of the world and to make all nations submit under its authority, by the sword if necessary. Muslims feel that it is their mission to create the "Kingdom of God" on earth, by sheer force, precisely the opposite of the teachings of Christ. The so called "religion of peace" has a history of bloodshed and terrorism, and the world is slowly being awakened to this fact. Unfortunately viewing Islam strictly from a secular-political point of view is a tragic mistake, as there remains a spiritual dimension to Islam that even so-called religious individuals are unaware of. The Holy Bible predicted the rise and fall of Islam hundreds of years before its founder Muhammad raped and pillaged his way across the middle east spreading his new ideology by the sword. Before the advent and revelation of Christ, the Old Testament scriptures referred to this man as "the beast", "the little horn", and "the lawless one". The prophet Daniel in a terrifying vision describes the antichrist as follows, "And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his

heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes." (Daniel 8:24-25). Notice that it says "by peace shall destroy many", as it is the contention of Muslims that the word "Islam" finds its root in the Hebrew word "Shalom", which means peace. Therefore a possible rendering could be "by Islam shall destroy many." If that translation makes you uncomfortable, than the simple spirit of the passage is clear; using a false banner of peace, this evil leader with his evil political-religious system will destroy. This persecuting power will fight against God's Holy people, as well as the Prince of Princes, Jesus Christ Himself. This is a stunningly accurate prophecy, for in Islamic eschatology it is expected that that a man named the Dajjal will lead the Jewish people in a war against the Islamic forces. The Dajjal will be hailed as the Jewish Messiah (who is in reality the real Jesus Christ), and will fight against Islam in the end times. To initiate this battle, what The Holy Bible identifies as the False Prophet and the Beast (antichrist) in the Book of Revelation, is what the Muslims identify as the Al-Mahdi and Isa (the false Jesus), which Muslims expect to lead them in a final battle for world domination. The Quran specifically endorses the use of violence for this cause, specifically the beheading of those who believe in scriptures other than the Quran, "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them." (Quran 8:12). This is directly linked to the persecuting power of the Beast in Revelation; "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. (Revelation 20:4). This amazing prophecy states that this antichrist (the beast) will actually behead Christians in an end-time scenario still yet future. Beheading as a method of execution is archaic and barbaric to essentially all civilized societies, but it remains the preferred method of in all Islamic controlled countries to this very day. To envision a future in which Christians will be beheaded by any other persecuting force is impossible; clearly Islam is identified here as the single force by which the antichrist actively beheads Christians in the end time scenario. No other political or religious system both encourages this method and to this very day employs it. Muhammad himself personally beheaded approximately between 600 to 900 Jews in his lifetime (Ibn, 545-7). Concerning false Christs, The Holy Bible quotes Jesus as having said, Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect--if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. (Mark 13:6; 21-22). It is no surprise then that the Isa of the Quran is not actually the real Jesus Christ, but rather one of the false Christs that Jesus Himself warned us about. Many Muslims will make claims such as we love Jesus, but the Isa of the Quran is not the Son of God, the Savior. The Isa of the Quran is a mere prophet, hardly the portrayal that the Old and New Testament give of the suffering Messiah who would save the world from sin and sit upon David's throne as King forever. The Old Testament is vital in understanding the mission and nature of the Messiah, as it would be impossible for Jesus to have expected anyone to understand who He was unless the scriptures had testified of Him prior to His coming. For this reason, Jesus would often say, You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me. (John 5:39). Jesus held people accountable in understanding who He is, because the Scriptures already told people who He was. It is no surprise then that Muslims must deny both the Old and New Testament to remove the definitions of the Messiah, in order to redefine Jesus in the way Muhammad and the "angel" he met wanted to. However, this is precisely what Jesus warned us about, The Spirit clearly says that in

later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (1 Timothy 4:1). Some of the ideas of the Mahdi are not specifically mentioned in the Quran, but in the Hadith, a compilation of commentaries on the Quran which many Muslims take as authoritative. The coming of the Mahdi is established doctrine for both Sunni and Shia Muslims. Many Muslims believe the Mahdi is the Twelfth Imam, Muhammad AlMahdi, who will return from his present state of "hiding". It has gained a strong hold on the imagination of many Muslims worldwide. Should such a man appear claiming to be the Mahdi, with signs and miracles that they expect, he will rally the Muslim world to his cause with unprecedented unity and mission to destroy the free nations of the world and conquer them in the name of Islam by violence and oppression. As the Bible says, "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders." (2 Thessalonians 2:9). The Mahdi is said to make a 7 year peace treaty with the nation of Israel, which is precisely what the prophet Daniel said the beast/antichrist will do, "He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (Daniel 9:27). This fascinating prophecy also confirms another stunning correlation between the Muslim Dome of the Rock, currently located "on the wing of the temple", which God calls an abomination. There can be little doubt that the Antichrist foretold by Daniel is the Mahdi of Islam. In 1 John 2:18 we learned that an individual called the "antichrist" is to be expected as the leading antagonist to Christ's church, "You have heard that the antichrist is coming." This figure called the antichrist is described in The Holy Bible in great detail. Of this antichrist figure, it says "Neither shall he regard the gods (idols) of his fathers, nor the desire of women." (Daniel 11). While some speculate this refers to his potential homosexual orientation, the Islamic treatment of women is so abhorrent it would be naive to overlook. The fact that the Antichrist does not regard the gods of his fathers suggests a pagan background, a potential reference to the Arab peoples history of polytheistic paganism prior to Islam. The Quran specifically endorses the illtreatment of women in the following verse: Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them. (Quran 4:34). In most Muslim-controlled countries, female circumcision (otherwise known as female genital mutilation) is rampant. Underage girls as young as 5 years old are married against their will and forced to have sex, and even Muhammad had a child wife named Aisha who was married at the age of 6 and raped by Muhammad at the age of 9. Women share a lesser inheritance than men, are liable to be divorced but have no ability to divorce themselves, a man can have up to four wives but a woman can only have one husband, woman must remain secluded in the house unless escorted by a family member outside, a woman's testimony is worth less than a man's, are not allowed a driver license, and other degrading and humiliating devices designed to degrade women are widespread. Lastly, during wartime Muslim armies have been known to rape their victims, as Muhammad and his original followers did. In The Holy Bible, it is predicted that the final war in Israel against the Antichrist will result in the nation's women being raped, For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women raped; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city (Zechariah 14:2). It is illegal to do this in most military forces, but the surrounding nations that hate Israel are all Muslim nations who have no apprehension

about raping women. The Quran has specific laws regarding how Muslims are allowed to rape prisoners of war. The Quran says: And forbidden to you are wedded wives of other people except those who have fallen in your hands as prisoners of war (Sura 4:24, see also Suras 4:3 and 33:50). Another interesting parallel between the Antichrist and Islam is the prophecy made by Daniel, And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (Daniel 7: 25). The Antichrist will war against Jews and Christians, and impose laws and times. There is a worldwide Islamic movement to establish Shariah law wherever Islam gains any level of significant influence. Should Shariah law ever take control of North America, all people would be forced to acknowledge Islam and pay tribute to Allah. This is precisely what Daniel says the Antichrist will seek to accomplish every place he gains control; he will enforce Shariah law. Muslims even have a different calender, in accordance with the Antichrist changing the laws and the times. To the Islamic calender, it is 1430H instead of 2010AD. Where as the Western calender is based upon the coming of Christ, the Islamic calendar began in 622AD when Mohammed went to Medina from Mecca in an event that has come to be known as Hegira. Muhammad remained in Medina until he returned to Mecca and forced everyone to accept Islam or be slaughtered. The Antichrist will find importance in replacing the Western calendar to remove the significance of Christ and exchange His glory for Muhammad and Allah. It is no secret that Muslim nations hate the Jews and want to destroy utterly the nation of Israel established in 1948, which is precisely the same sentiment of the Antichrist. In the whole land," declares the LORD, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it (Zechariah 13:8). In a still yet future scenario, two-thirds of the nation of Israel will lose their lives, a tragedy that exceeds the holocaust of World War 2. Since Israel's establishment in 1948, Muslim nations have made several attempts to destroy the Jewish people in the nation. Muslim children worldwide are taught that Jews are worse than animals, and the Quran and the Hadith specifically calls for the death of the Jews, The Jews will fight against you and you will gain victory over them until the stone would say: Muslim, here is a Jew behind me; kill him. (Hadith Book 41, Number 6983). We know from prophecy that the Antichrist will invade Israel in the midst of the Tribulation period with an army of Jew haters. If you want to enjoy a fascinating study, compare Revelation to the book of Joshua. Joshua leads a campaign to take the promised land of Israel, just as Jesus (whose name in Hebrew is the same as Joshua) will return to the Earth with this same purpose. It is interesting that in the book of Joshua, the first city the Israelites attack is "Jericho", which means the City of the Moon. Islam's main symbol is the crescent moon. The Israelites then go on to various important areas in Israel controlled by their enemies, which strangely enough are all Muslim controlled areas today. Just as Israel was commanded to rid the land of the Canaanites, the end time battle which God predicted in Zecheriah says "And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty" (Zechariah 14:5). God links the original battle of the Israelites entering the promise land with this final battle, identifying the commonality between her ancient enemies the Canaanites, and the Muslims occupation of the land today. God indeed "declares the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:9-10). In conclusion, Islam demonstrably is a religion created by Satan that was foretold and warned about by God in The Holy Bible. Muhammad was a false prophet who encountered Satan disguised as an angel of light, who taught Muhammad to deny the Lord Jesus Christ and begin a war against Him, His Church, and His nation (Israel). The Holy Bible warned us about a still-yet future individual known as the Antichrist,

which the Imam Mahdi of Islam undoubtedly fulfills. Muslims have been brainwashed to hate Jews and Christians by their false religion, and are blindly giving Satan power to increasingly gain control of the world through Islam. Islam denies the only way of salvation, the Lord Jesus Himself, and thus has damned countless millions of souls to eternal torment, while also enslaving people still alive to its tyrannical and barbaric practices that degrade human life and thwart intellectual and social progress. The hatred Islam promotes towards our fellow human beings is nothing short of Satanic in nature. In a culture increasingly devoid of biblical truth, and decreasingly tolerant of Christians, the opinions of this essay undoubtedly will be met with feelings of hostility. To my surprise, Christians are even uncomfortable with the idea that we have any right proclaiming another faith is evil, or Satanic, as if Satan wasn't active creating false religions as The Bible specifically tells us that he is doing. The nature of this information is to warn those who are ignorant of the coming war against God, which God Himself warned us about, and to awaken Christians out of their apathy. The appropriate response to this information is not hatred towards Muslims, and it must be stressed that the Christian method of dealing with enemies is to love them and tell them the truth. Many Muslims would be incapable of even entertaining the idea that their religion is false, let alone the fact that Allah is not actually God, but Satan himself. This information then should be used carefully, to inform Christians and warn them about the dangers of Islam, so that no Christian is deceived to depart from the faith, and to help possibly free those enslaved by Satanic religion of Islam. Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Fully rev. ed. Kenneth L. Barker, gen. ed Abdul, Musa O.A. The Quran : Shaykh Tabarsi's commentary. Lahore : Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, 1977. Oxtoby, Willard, World Religions Western Traditions, Oxford University Press, 2002. Ibn Ishaq, Sira, ed. Wustenfeld, Gottingen, ed. Saqqa et al., Cairo, 1955 Momen, Moojan, An Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985, p.169 Nigosian, S. A. (2004). Islam: Its History, Teaching, and Practices, Indiana University Press. Walker, Benjamin, Foundations of Islam: The Making of a World Faith, (1998) Peter Owen Publishers