I happened to see a tweet by a leading prophecy expert Jack Van Impe, and he stated, “The New World Order Is Holy Jihad World War is coming. The New World Order won’t stop until we are under Muslim control. Find faith in the true GOD. HE is coming.”
This is another case of a theologian basing Bible Prophecy on current news headlines rather than sound Biblical or geopolitical analysis.
The evangelical community usually favors conspiracy theories but radical Islam, ISIS, Caliphate as the Beast of Revelation is the evangelical community’s latest teaching to show that the news headlines are matching the Biblical forecasts.
Correcting Mr. Van Impe, the world is no longer in George Bush’s New World Order. We are in a multipolar world or also referred to as, “The Age of Empires,” which exactly lines with the predictions of Daniel the prophet. So the very mention of New World Order is dated geopolitically. The world has transitioned into the Age of Empires. This occurred with the growth of the emerging markets BRIC nations around 2005 and the entering into force of the EU’s Lisbon treaty in 2009, which gave the EU a greater political identity. Adding to this was BRIC nations becoming BRICS when South Africa qualified in 2010.
Islam is a religion and it formed along with all others that sprang from ancient Babylon, but it began in 622 A.D. In Revelation 17 we see that the Antichrist will persecute and seek to destroy all religion and its followers because he is going to be a dictator and allegiance is going to be to him and his police state. We saw this happen in Communist dictatorships. This is what is forecast during the Tribulation. Islam will not be tolerated under Antichrist’s dictatorship any more than any other faith that is not in him. He will especially hate Christians and Jews.
Walid Shoebat, a former terrorist is a big proponent of Islam as the Beast of Revelation. In his article The Debate Over the Antichrist he makes his argument and bases it on a very black and white view of the European Beast of Revelation, and his facts on the EU are limited and incorrect.
The EU under the Antichrist will include parts of the Middle East and Israel will become the Antichrist’s headquarters.
Cooper Abrams III explains in The Book of Daniel Chapter 11, the specifics of the Antichrist’s Middle East conquests as outlined in the book of Daniel. In the middle of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will go into the Jewish temple and declare that he is a god. From that day forward his true colors are revealed and he institutes the Mark of the Beast and murders anyone of any faith. Once he begins this campaign there are three and a half years to the battle of Armageddon. His actions spark Armageddon. When he hears rumors of the empires that are coming to fight him in the valley of Megiddo to stop his murderous campaign, he then invades many other nations. We know that ¼ of the world’s population are killed via his invasions (Rev.Ch.6).
The prophet Daniel was sick for three weeks when he saw the power of the final world empire. Daniel 7:7 describes it as, “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet.” To have this kind of power, the might described in this verse, the empire will have to be both an economic and political powerhouse, which rules out the Middle East nations. We see the military power of the Antichrist in Isaiah 10:14, “My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.” This invading army has such great power that the countries the Antichrist invades do not put up any resistance. This is the power of an empire and a large empire at that.
The camp that believes that Islam is the Beast of Revelation actually accept as true that a Caliphate will take over and rule the world by going into the various nations and establishing an Islamic State to rule them.
Forgetting that the various factions within Islam differ with one another and are fighting each other, this is not possible. More importantly this theory does not at all line with the predictions found in Bible prophecy.
ISIS, or any Caliphate is not the Beast of Revelation but rather fits Jesus’s predictions of the type of violence in the world in the end times that will lead to His return. Jesus warned that nation will rise against nation (Mark 13:8), and that the days prior to the start of the Tribulation will be like the days of Noah, which were characterized by violence and lawlessness. 2 Timothy 3:1-6 tells us that men will be brutal. This is what describes ISIS and ISIS is a clear picture of exactly the violence and brutality of the last days (end times). The fact that you have educated individuals joining ISIS from industrialized countries and even women wanting to partake in the brutality can’t show any more clearly that society is mirroring Jesus’s predictions of the end times. The book of Daniel describes it as, “sinners are come to the full.”
The Bible is clear that the Antichrist will have Jewish lineage and rise from the tribe of Dan.
He will not regard any god except the strange god of forces that help make him more powerful.. He establishes himself as a deity and like all dictators he will seek to abolish religion. His campaign will include Islam, only he is the son of Satan himself and he will especially hate Christians and Jews.
All evidence points to the EU as the final World Empire. With its 508 million citizens, world’s largest economy, world’s largest standing army, undemocratic institutional structure, the euro poised to take over the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. The EU is also already an empire and this was asserted by Commission President Barroso. Only EU news is boring compared to ISIS. The EU is not a headline grabber, they are no waving severed heads or threatening to take over the White House, which gets everyone’s attention.
When you add the erroneous rumors that the EU is going to fall apart, the EU is not regarded with any significance. It is impossible for the EU to fall apart and dissolve at this time in its history.
The EU comprises of 28 members who have coordinated their law with EU laws, this does not include the 18 members of the eurozone who have eliminated their currencies for the euro. This was a process that was not accomplished overnight, but took several years for each country to complete. How can the EU fall apart when the member nations laws are now entwined in EU law? Not to mention the many benefits that being part of the EU provides its member’s economies. Germany is strong economically because its trade earnings are earned primarily from trading within the EU, which EU laws have made advantageous to Germany and its other member nations. If a nation leaves the EU, it financially will shoot itself in the foot. It is like a State leaving the US.
The EU is built on various treaties (7 treaties and Single European Act to be exact) and has evolved since the EU’s first treaty, which was signed around the time Israel become a nation. In those years two significant prophetic events occurred: the formation of Israel as a nation and the founding of the EU or the Final World Empire, which through the Antichrist will seek to destroy that nation. Since its formation the various treaties built upon the previous ones adding laws moving the EU toward greater economic and political union. Yet many believe the EU is weak and the EU can disbanded overnight. The launch of the euro in around 2000 received the same criticism and yet within a couple of years the euro was the world’s second reserve currency.
Where Islam fits is that it is no doubt a sign of the end times and fulfills Jesus’s predictions of the violent end times. In addition, radical Islam will contribute to the need for the peace treaty, which starts the Tribulation. They might also provide the spark to fulfilling other prophecies such as Ezekiel 38-39, but they are not the Final World Empire i.e. the Beast of Revelation.
Some Arguments By the Proponents of the Theory of Islam is Beast of Revelation are as follows:
1. The aim of Islam is to destroy Israel.
Several passages indicate that the Antichrist deceptively promises peace to Israel. If the Antichrist were Islamic with the intention of destroying Israel from the onset, Israel will not sign a peace treaty. The peace treaty is a total deception that Israel does not have any clue is a deception. This rules out a Caliphate as a Final World Empire or the Beast of Revelation..
2. The Roman Empire was split in two, the Eastern empire lasted longer and was more significant and Daniel’s passage that the Antichrist will not honor the god of his fathers refers to Islamic Istanbul that evolved from Christian Constantinople.
The Antichrist clearly rises from the tribe of Dan, which I detail in several articles and talk about the many contrasts of the Antichrist and Jesus in the Bible. The reference of the God of their fathers is mentioned in the Bible about 29 times and refers to the faith in the true God of Abraham. Consistently when we read of the deaths of the Jewish patriarchs and Israel’s kings, the Bible tells us that they were buried in the tombs of their fathers. This is NEVER a reference to any other faith or of the death of anyone of another faith. We never read of someone who worshiped Baal as going to the tomb of their fathers, this is always a reference to Judaism that was established via the promise to Abraham. The reference to the Antichrist “honoring a god his fathers did not know” is a reference to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Second, Daniel’s prediction of the Roman Empire sites two times in the Roman Empire’s future history: at the time of Christ , his and shortly thereafter with the destruction of the second temple in AD 70 and in its final state just prior to Christ’s return.
3. That Antichrist worships a god of fortresses, and Islam is a faith of war.
We are also told that it is a foreign god in Daniel 11:39 and this god sounds like technology, because it also tells us that he goes against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge and advance in glory, and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.
4. The various names of the Antichrist : the Assyrian, the King of Tyre.
The Antichrist is also referred to as the King of Babylon. We have Babylon (Iraq), Assyria (Syria) and Tyre (Lebanon)
This does not indicate that Antichrist is going to be Islam. God called the Assyrian king “the rod of My anger” and so also was Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon. This does not mean that the Antichrist is Islamic or of Islamic origin. If holding to the exact locations and religions of that day then Islam would automatically be ruled out because it did not emerge on the scene until 622 A.D.
The descriptions in the Bible of the King of Babylon and Tyre, which are references to the Antichrist talk a good deal of international trade and the wealth he brings his kingdom through trade. From these passages see learn there is an economic (trading) dimension of the final world empire i.e. Beast of Revelation.. We also see the economic dimension in Revelation 17 at the destruction of Babylon. With so many passages that detail the Antichrist’s empire synonymous with international trade why are these passages, which are numerous ignored when determining that a Caliphate is the final world empire or the Beast of Revelation?
ISIS and any of the Islamic states are not known for international trade, but the European Union gained its strength through trade and economics. Along with being the world’s largest economy, currently 178 of the fortune 500 company headquarters are located in the EU. In addition, according to economist and bestselling author (among his many accolades), James Rickards points out that the European Union holds the most gold reserves in the world. James Rickards favors the euro as the world’s future reserve currency that will take over from the dollar.
5. The Throne of Satan (Rev.2:13) is in Pergamos, i.e. Turkey further authenticating Islam as the Seat of the Antichrist.
According to CBN’s article on the Throne of Satan, it was located at the altar of Zeus, father of the gods, who is a Greek god. It goes without saying that this is another plug for the EU, with Greece as its member and Greek mythological symbols and names used in various places throughout the EU. The EU Website is named Europa after the Greek goddess after whom the continent of Europe was named.
On the topic of Turkey, EU membership is one of Turkey’s goals that the nation has been working towards for some time.
6. The head wound of Revelation 13 refers to the Caliphate, which suffered a head wound in 1924 (helped in part by Laurence of Arabia and the Arab revolt) is going to return to the seat of Turkey (deadly head-wound healed).
The head wound is yet future and the book of Zechariah elaborates on the wound in Zechariah 11:17 and tells us that the Antichrist’s wound is a literal wound that will leave his arm paralyzed and his right eye blinded. It reads, “Woe unto the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither. And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”
7. The false prophets has two horns, Sunni and Shi ite that Turkey will unite under the Caliphate and the Whore of Babylon are the Saudis who own all of the oil wealth.
At this point this is just taking the Word of God to fit the” Islam as Beast of Revelation theory” and none of the above makes any sense scripturally or geopolitically so I will not even address it.
On the topic of oil wealth, what about gold? I referred to James Rickards who in his book The Death of Money: The Coming Collapse of the International Monetary System, devoted a good deal of his book to the topic of gold reserves and their importance in the International Monetary System. The evangelical community that favors Islam as the Beast of Revelation places more importance on oil reserves than gold as contributing to the strength of the final world empire, which is another reason they favor the Middle East nations as the Beast of Revelation. If you read James Rickard’s book you will learn that gold reserves are far more important in the international pecking order than oil. The reason is that an empire’s economic strength is what makes it powerful. James Rickards consulted the US Pentagon on how the markets can be used to detect a terrorist attack and he has emphasized that a country or empire and topple another country or empire via the markets.
In the book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar’s vision, the lion’s head of gold is Babylon, which we also see in the Beast of Revelation. The EU possessing the most gold reserves is in line with Bible Prophecy. According to atheists Will and Ariel Durant in their book The History of Civilization, Babylon was the commercial hub of the ancient world. This is why in the Bible the head of the lion is made of gold, it symbolized Babylonia’s wealth and Babylon possessed a significant amount of gold, which lent to its power. This applies in the ancient and modern world. Babylon also conquered Tyre and acquired its great wealth that is detailed in Ezekiel 28. Why does the Islam as the Beast of Revelation camp ignore the passages on the economic strength of the final world empire? They argue that they get economic strength through their possession of oil. We see in Scripture the reference to gold. This is in part because expositors have taught that the lion’s head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image represented royalty and thus depicted his being a king or empower of a mighty power, when it represents the wealth of Babylon via the amount of gold (and silver) it possessed, which lent to Nebuchadnezzar’s strength and power.
8. The Antichrist the long awaited Mahdi – the savior of Islam who conquers the whole Middle East and sets about conquering the whole earth, bent on putting all Jews to the sword (near-destruction of Israel) everything described in the bible. In short: Islam’s savior is the Antichrist and The Antichrist is Islamic their Mahdi.
Babylonian teachings taught a version of the flood that is in the Bible, and there were many other teachings in Babylon that bore resemblances to accounts in the Bible. Islam’s forecast of the Mahdi, while it bears some similarity, it lacks in many of the details and cannot because of a slight overlap be said that this is the Antichrist who is coming. The Mahdi that is predicted does not hide his intentions on putting the Jews to the sword, whereas the Biblical Antichrist is clearly a deceiver whose intentions are not known until midway during the Tribulation. It boggles my mind that the Islamic teaching of the Mahdi can prompt evangelical Christians to believe this is the coming Antichrist. More significant and accurate are that Satanists anticipate the coming of the Son of Satan and know that he is going to be the Antichrist.
9. The Islamic Caliphate is the beast that was – and is again in Iraq and will move to Turkey (once the Eastern Roman empire) unites the Islamic world against Israel and to attempt to conquer it and sit in Jerusalem. Mecca is the great harlot which is covered in the blood of the saints (beheadings), where Jesus Christ was crucified (denial of the son). Rome for all her heresies is no Antichrist but believes Jesus the Son of God. Mecca sits on many waters – nations – each one that Christ will come against in the end times. The Bible is Middle East centric – and the whole world means the nations surrounding the Middle East.
Islam did not gain significance in the eyes of the world until the last couple of decades and prior to that the Catholic church was viewed as the dominant world religion. With radical Islam taking center stage in the news, it now holds the seat of the Whore of Babylon of Revelation 17? What about the martyrs of the Protestant reformation? Are all of those barbaric murders now forgotten and not part of Revelation 17? According to the adherents of Islam is the Beast of Revelation, Mecca is now the city of the seven mountains that the woman sits, even though Rome is the city of the seven hills. The seven hills of Rome are:
Aventine Hill
Caelian Hill
Capitoline Hill
Esquiline Hill
Palatine Hill
Quirinal Hill
Viminal Hill
Aventine Hill
Caelian Hill
Capitoline Hill
Esquiline Hill
Palatine Hill
Quirinal Hill
Viminal Hill
Mecca is not a city on seven hills unless the supporters of this theory start naming cities all over the Middle East to fit their theory. In addition, the treaty that established the European Union was signed in Rome on Capitoline Hill.
The Islam as the Beast of Revelation theory is based on current news headlines, fear and hype. It also takes a literal view of the interpretation of the prophetic scriptural language where the literal does not apply. The idea of Islam being the Beast of Revelation fails two major parameters for interpreting the prophetic writings:
1. Comparing Scripture with Scripture
2. The geopolitical test.
This is based on the idea that Bible Prophecy is fulfilled through the natural order of events as they occur via social, scientific, economic, and in governments. Several evangelical teachings regarding how Bible Prophecy will be fulfilled are geopolitical impossibilities.
This is based on the idea that Bible Prophecy is fulfilled through the natural order of events as they occur via social, scientific, economic, and in governments. Several evangelical teachings regarding how Bible Prophecy will be fulfilled are geopolitical impossibilities.
The Bible is very specific on how the Antichrist comes to power and of his political seat and the powers his position must allow him to accomplish his aims. My book The Seat of the Antichrist explains all of this in detail. The political seat of the Antichrist alone negates the Islam as Beast of Revelation theory because there is no leadership position within the Islamic Caliphate that will allow any of the powers the Scriptures outline.
The EU is not making emotional gripping headlines like ISIS. Lets face it, ISIS is a headline grabber. They are very effective at shock value and using the internet to relay their message. This feeds those evangelicals who do not look behind the scenes and base their analysis of Bible prophecy and current events on news headlines. What the news headlines don’t satisfy they use the conspiracy theories to fill the rest of the gap.
I have had many individuals write me who try to convince me of Islam is the Beast of Revelation way of thinking and they actually get upset that I do not convert to their way of interpreting current affairs. There is almost its own proselytizing within that group to their view. That being said, and with the ridiculous theories that are being taught by various prophets and watchmen I now officially separate myself from those watchmen and prophets by identifying myself as a Magi.
Ancient civilizations consulted with the prophets of God. When there were no prophets to consult, we see Herod consulting with the Magi (wise men). Seeing the Magi’s reverence for the Christ child, Herod tried to trick the Magi into coming back to him and disclosing Jesus’s location, but God warned the Magi in a dream for them not to return to Herod. While the Magi were not prophets they studied the prophetic writings as if they were a science and came to exact location of the young Jesus. They had such a sharp knowledge of the prophetic forecasts they were able to provide Herod details the Scribes and Priests could not relay. Their keenness of the expertise of Scripture evidenced itself in their gift of Gold, and Frankincense deriving from the Holy Incense and Myrrh from the Holy Anointing Oil God relayed to Moses and was used in the Holy of Holy’s and in the anointing of kings and prophets. Each of these two together represented the Christ and joined the other two mixtures.
The Magi’s act completed the triad of oil (herbal) mixtures representing the trinity and the arrival of the awaited Messiah. The overpowering Galbanum is in the Holy Incense representing God the father. The fiery scents of Cinnamon and Cassia dominate the Holy Anointing Oil, and depict the Holy Spirit, which actually appeared on the apostles as tongues of fire. The Frankincense and Myrrh combined is a most beautiful, regal, unusual, distinctive ancient fragrance with the oils of Frankincense and Myrrh known as healing oils. Even the wording of the recipe of the Holy Incense states that the Frankincense shall be in equal parts to the other oils, representing Christ’s position with the Father. Thus, the Magi’s gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh and the Greek word for gifts means gifts of honor, sacrifices and gifts offered to God, evidenced their Biblical acumen and evidenced the deity of the Christ child.
The Magi’s act completed the triad of oil (herbal) mixtures representing the trinity and the arrival of the awaited Messiah. The overpowering Galbanum is in the Holy Incense representing God the father. The fiery scents of Cinnamon and Cassia dominate the Holy Anointing Oil, and depict the Holy Spirit, which actually appeared on the apostles as tongues of fire. The Frankincense and Myrrh combined is a most beautiful, regal, unusual, distinctive ancient fragrance with the oils of Frankincense and Myrrh known as healing oils. Even the wording of the recipe of the Holy Incense states that the Frankincense shall be in equal parts to the other oils, representing Christ’s position with the Father. Thus, the Magi’s gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh and the Greek word for gifts means gifts of honor, sacrifices and gifts offered to God, evidenced their Biblical acumen and evidenced the deity of the Christ child.
In these end times instead of astronomy helping to correlate the predictions as the Magi used at the time of Christ, it is the study of international politics, global studies, and European Institutions and Politics, which many theologians who have churches do not have the time to put in for the research that it takes to provide a true analysis of exactly where we are at in these end times. Instead they go by current news headlines and conspiracy theories. Anyone in any kind of know in the world of foreign affairs and economics knows that by the time you read news, it is old news. I primarily relay news headlines to show that we are in the end times such as those pertaining to natural disasters, viral epidemics (plagues) or shocking violence and sexual depravity. I will relay EU headlines as well, but I do not get these articles from the news networks. Concerning the European Union, I go right to the sources.
When it comes to conspiracy theorists, I disregard them and do not take any eschatologist who relays them as having credibility, It negates whatever title they may possess because to adopt a conspiracy theory they neither know prophetic forecasts well enough and do not have a decent knowledge of current global affairs. This might be a reason why today’s eschatologists are not regarded with any esteem as were the ancient Magi who provided Herod their analysis. The Magi were analysts. They knew both the Scriptures and the sciences of their day.
This leads me to the introduction of my upcoming Magi Report, which is going to provide such analysis and will be a first report to do so. So be on the lookout, my first Magi Report will be published soon and will provide a detailed status report of the forecasts and their geopolitical implications, which includes an overlooked but significant aspect that ISIS does present that lends to the future predictions other than the Peace Treaty.
For the Video Series on this article :
Why Islam Is Not The Beast of Revelation
Islamic Beast-Signs of the Times
Why The Antichrist is Not the Mahdi