The true face of the supposed "only democracy in the Middle East". A young American Jew quietly and calmly voices his opposition to Israel's policies towards the Palestinians, both in the occupied territories and in Israel itself, and is attacked by the Israeli police, who drag him along the road face down and throw him into a police van.
American jewish boy roughly man handled and arrested in Jerusalem for sticking up for the Palestinians during jewish march.
YouTube is deleting user accounts who have this video. I suggest people copy/download this video and spread it around themselves if my account is also deleted.
~~LET THE TRUTH BE KNOWN, SPREAD THIS VIDEO AROUND~~
Police violently arresting a Jewish teenager in Jerusalem for speaking the truth and charged him for "attacking and biting a police officer" !!! For one American Jewish teenager, this year's Jerusalem Day earlier this month turned out to be an event not to remember, as he was detained for two days on suspicion of attacking and biting a police officer.
"Lucas," a 19 year-old from Philadelphia, cut a rather different figure in the Jerusalem Day flag parade in the capital. Like many participants in the event, he wore a skullcap on his head; unlike the others, however, a Palestinian flag and a keffiyeh were also part of his outfit.
The youth, who arrived in Israel as part of a trip arranged by a Jewish-Christian group, claims he was attacked by a policeman during the celebrations.
The parade turned ugly this year when a small group of participants walked through East Jerusalem, and the Old City's Muslim Quarter, chanting "death to Arabs." Lucas, with a few comrades, stood opposite these demonstrators, and shouted out slogans in support of ending Israel's occupation of the territories. He says that dozens of Palestinians gathered behind him, and formed a spontaneous protest.
In a videotape, Lucas can be seen refusing to give policemen his passport, after he was apparently identified as the leader of the protest. After a few minutes, in the clip, a police officer is seen dragging Lucas forcibly into a police car, "Israel is occupying the Palestinian people in my name, in the name of world Jewry," Lucas, clutching his American passport, tells the camera. "And I myself, an American Jew, is here to say that is completely unjustified and ethically reprehensible.
"And we, world Jewry and all people of the world, will not stop until this occupation ends and until the Palestinian people have their right - the right of return, the right to live without occupation, and equal rights within Israel. That is why we are here."
Israel Police claims the young man attacked and bit an officer - however, the video does not show Lucas provoking any officers. It shows a group of policemen forcing him to the ground and handcuffing him; as a result, he required medical treatment afterward.
For his part, Lucas adamantly denies that he attacked a police officer.
"I didn't bite anyone," he says. "The police officer showed me his cuts [later], but they were caused by a sharp instrument, and there weren't any bite marks."
Lucas was held in detention for two days. The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court denied a police request to extend his remand; at the advice of his lawyer and family, the youth left the country after being released.
~~LET THE TRUTH BE KNOWN, SPREAD THIS VIDEO AROUND~~
While the information that we have covered thus far is certainly quite interesting, ultimately, if Islam is indeed the primary vehicle that Satan will use to fulfill his final rebellion against God, it is the Bible that must be the primary litmus test. What does the Bible say about the nature and the make-up of the Antichrist’s empire?
The Bible is abounding with proofs that the Antichrist Empire will consist only of nations that are today, all Islamic. If one were to do a thorough study of all of the various examples of such from the various Hebrew prophets, it would require an extensive study. But for brevity and our purposes here, we will present a limited argument based on some portions of Scripture from the Book of Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation. Despite the numerous and prevailing arguments made for the future emergence of a revived European Roman Empire as the Antichrist’s power base, we will see quite clearly that today, all of the specific nations that the Bible mentions that will make up the Antichrist Empire are all Muslim nations. Pretty simple. This fact leaves us with only a couple of options. The first option is to assume that before the coming of the Antichrist, most of these Islamic nations will experience significant transformation and leave their Islamic roots behind. There are problems with this option: While there are ample reports of individual Muslims coming to follow Jesus from throughout the Muslim world, there are really no concrete signs of any of these nations abandoning their Islamic roots on a larger scale. In fact, many of the nations that we will look at are presently seeing a resurgence of Islamic Fundamentalism sweeping throughout their lands. Nevertheless, I have heard Bible teachers for years express that before the coming of the last-days, Islam as a religion would basically fizzle out and become entirely irrelevant. The present reality – long term statistical trends – simply do not bear this out.
The other option is really far more reasonable, which is to simply conclude that indeed, the future Antichrist Empire will be an Islamic empire. This one fact alone, that of the Islamic dominance of all of the participant nations in the Antichrist Empire should be enough to make most Bible scholars and students of eschatology at least consider the role of Islam in the last-days very seriously.
In this chapter we will examine exactly which modern nations the Bible says will be the primary players in the last-days empire of the Antichrist.
Ezekiel’s Identification
The Prophet Ezekiel actually lists the nations of this final empire quite specifically as he prophesies the future attack of the Antichrist Empire against Israel. In the thirty-eighth chapter of his book, Ezekiel begins by directly addressing the Antichrist whom the Lord refers to by the unusual name of “Gog.” The name Gog is a specific title particular to a ruler from the land of Magog. It could be likened to the Pharaoh and Egypt. Pharaoh is an ancient title particular to rulers of Egypt, and “Gog” was a title particular to the land of Magog.
The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army-your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops-the many nations with you." 'Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. Ezekiel 38:1-7
I encourage you to open your Bible and read through all of Ezekiel 38 slowly. The specificity in which Ezekiel describes modern day Israel is quite astonishing. Prophesying to the Antichrist, Ezekiel says, “In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate.” Israel is described as, “the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods.” Clearly Ezekiel was describing the Israel of today.
So Ezekiel gives us the specific names of countries that will be involved in the invasion of Israel which will be led by Gog. Listed in order, they are Magog, Meschech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer and Beth Togormah, as well as “many nations with you.”
Is Gog Antichrist?
There is a divergence of opinion among prophecy teachers and Bible scholars regarding the identification of Gog and his coalition of nations. The majority position for the past few decades however, is that the invading army of nations described in Ezekiel 38-39 is not the army of Antichrist, but of another army led by another world leader. I personally reject the idea that Gog is anyone other than Antichrist. While a smaller book could be written examining all of the various reasons why this is so, for now, we will only very briefly examine two of the primary reasons why I think this is untenable.
Thou Shalt Have No Other Gog
There are two specific mentions of Gog and Magag in the Bible. Gog is mentioned not only in Ezekiel but also in the Book of Revelation. Let’s look at the passage from Revelation:
When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:7-10
Even after the earthly thousand-year reign of Christ from Jerusalem, the Bible says that yet another army will form to attack the holy city of Jerusalem. Again, the leader of this army is called Gog and his army, Magog. Those who take the position that Gog is not the Antichrist must wrestle through the fact that this “Gog” and his armies are resurrected so to speak at least a thousand years after the first Gog. This is a difficulty. Obviously, the first “Gog and Magog” shares more than a mere name with the second “Gog and Magog.” There is a correlation between the two that extends beyond this very unusual title. Those who see Gog and the Antichrist as two separate entities must be able to explain just what similarities the Gog of Ezekiel and the Gog of Revelation bear that merits them both carrying the same name.
Actually, in order to estimate who Gog is, all one must really do is take a look at who Antichrist is. Antichrist, quite simply, is the devil incarnate - or at least the closet thing to it. There are actually passages of Scripture that shift from speaking of Satan to speaking of the Antichrist seamlessly as if they are one and the same. (See for instance Isaiah 14) And as we have seen, Satan will even share his worship with Antichrist. Simply stated, Antichrist is Satan’s puppet that he will use to attack Jerusalem. And at least in the Book of Revelation, Gog is also Satan’s puppet that will serve the very same purpose. In terms of both role and function, Antichrist and the Gog of Revelation are essentially the same. Even as Satan will raise up a man to carry out his work in the days to come, so will Satan also raise up a man to carry out his final rebellion against God one more time at the end of the Millennium. Both times, the leader of Satan’s rebellion against Jerusalem is referred to as Gog and his army is called Magog. Why should we view the basic nature of the first Gog as being any different than the second? Those who view Ezekiel’s Gog as a competitor to Antichrist find themselves taking a very inconsistent position.
But if you are not yet sure, consider this second point. Ezekiel says specifically of Gog that the prophets spoke of Him in times past:
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Are you not the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel? At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. Ezekiel 38:17
The question must be asked then, if Gog and Magog are spoken of by Israel’s former Prophets prior to Ezekiel, then where are all of these references? One will be very hard pressed to find any unless one does some serious stretching of the Scriptures. But if we take the position that Gog is Antichrist, then it is very easy to find numerous passages about Antichrist and his invading Army throughout the prophets.
While there are several more very good arguments to support this view, I will assume that this is enough to move on. Gog and the Antichrist are one and the same. Now let’s take a look at which specific nations will make up Gog’s coalition.
Rosh?
Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him… Ezekiel 38:2
Some Bible translations differ on how to interpret the portion of this verse that says, “the chief prince of.” In Hebrew, the word translated as “chief prince” is “rosh.” The problem is that while rosh most probably means “prince,” or “head,” some argue that it should be treated as a proper noun, referring to the name of a place. Those who feel as though it is a place, use the word “Rosh” to find Russia here as one of the nations. The basis for doing so of course is due primarily to the similar sound of the two words. This opinion is also supported by the fact that Ezekiel specifically says that Gog would come from the North. While indeed, Russia is perfectly north of Israel, the actual interpretation of the word Rosh however is based on a bogus principle. One cannot simply take a word from an ancient Semitic language (in this case, Hebrew) and find a correlation to a modern name from a drastically different language (in this case an early form of Scandinavian) simply because the two words “sound the same.”
The Hebrew word “rosh” is used well over five hundred other times in the Bible and is each time interpreted as meaning “head, chief, top, best” or something similar. It is the same Rosh that we find in Rosh Hashana – “The Chief day of the Year” - the Jewish New Year. Also, consider this: of the eight nations mentioned, all except one are grandsons of Noah. The other is Persia. Persia however was a very well known nation in Ezekiel’s day having formerly been the head of the Medo-Persian Empire that ruled the entire Middle East. Now juxtapose this to Russia, which did not even exist in Ezekiel’s day. To simply attempt to toss “Rosh” into the mix, an alleged name that is neither a descendant of Noah nor a well-known nation of that day is certainly out of place. As Bible scholar Dr. Merrill F. Unger admits, "Linguistic evidence for the equation [of Rosh with Russia] is confessedly only presumptive." 1
During the cold war, of course, this opinion was a popular one. The reasoning of many was that because Russia was the “head” of the great Communist (read: atheist) Soviet Union, surely such an anti-God empire was the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. But we must be very careful not to read our assumptions or modern events into Scripture. We must allow Scripture to speak for itself. Unfortunately, many Bible teachers still seem to cling to this interpretation. The notion that Russia is specifically mentioned here in Ezekiel, is a strong, if not irresponsible stretch, and certainly should not be treated as anything more than a mere speculation built on a very weak foundation.
Satan’s Coalition Of The Willing
Now let’s identify the nations that are mentioned. Of the eight nations that are mentioned, specifically: Magog, Meschech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer and Togormah, seven are mentioned in the Book of Genesis as being descendants of Noah and his three sons. Bible scholars and historians are able to trace the names of Noah’s sons to certain people groups and regions and thus to identify them with modern nations. While the identification of some of these people groups is somewhat debatable, there is a general measure of agreement among Bible scholars as to their identification.
Meshek and Tubal
Regarding Meshek and Tubal, here again, we find some prophecy teachers once again giving them a Russian identification. Many very well-known prophecy teachers base their opinions primarily on the fact that the Scofield Study Bible identifies these two “nations” as correlating to the modern Russian cities of Moscow and Tobolsk. The problem again, is that the basis of this interpretation comes primarily from the similar sound of the words: Meshek – Moscow, and Tubal – Tobolsk. While this may be convincing to some, the weakness of this reasoning has already been discussed above. Again, unless one can legitimately trace the roots of a particular word back to its Hebrew origin, then the argument is based on very weak evidence. It is a forcing of the puzzle piece where it doesn’t naturally fit.
Mark Hitchcock, a well-known Bible teacher accurately points out that Meschek and Tubal are mentioned in Ezekiel 27:13 as trading partners with ancient Tyre. Tyre was in what is today Lebanon. “It is highly doubtful” says Hitchcock, “that ancient Tyre was trading with people as far north as Moscow and Tobolsk.” In fact, it is questionable whether or not these areas were even very well populated in Ezekiel’s day. Hitchcock concludes that:
A closer study of these names reveals that Meschech and Tubal are the ancient Moschi/Mushki and Tubalu/Tibareni peoples who dwelled in the area around, primarily south of, the Black and Caspian Seas in Ezekiel’s day. These nations today are in the modern country of Turkey, possibly parts of southern Russia and northern Iran. 2
Meschek was located near what was known as Phrygia, in central and western Asia Minor, while Tubal was located in eastern Asia Minor. So with Meshek and Tubal, we are dealing with portions of modern Turkey. Today this region is predominantly Islamic. While modern Turkey has undergone a drastic secularization in the last century, within even just the past few years there have also been some quiet, though very strong trends toward a return to a stronger Islamic identification. 3
Magog
Regarding the identity of Magog, there is some difference of opinion among Bible teachers and historians. Referring to the Magogites, The Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible speaks of this diversity of opinion:
Some think they find them [Gog and Magog] afar off, in Scythia, Tartary, and (Southern) Russia. Others think they find them nearer the land of Israel, in Syria, and Asia the Less [Turkey]. 4
Those who argue for a Scythian connection find their best argument in a reference from the ancient Jewish historian Josephus, who wrote, “Magog founded the Magogians, thus named after him, but who by the Greeks are called Sythians.” Hitchcock says of the Sythians:
The ancient Sythians were a great nomadic tribe who inhabited the ancient territory from Central Asia all across the southern part of ancient Russia. The descendants of Magog were the original inhabitants of the plateau of Central Asia. Today the land of Magog is inhabited by the former Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and possibly even northern parts of modern Afghanistan. 5
Former Muslim Walid Shoebat agrees. Shoebat points out that:
The Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, citing ancient Assyrian writings, places the location of Magog in the land mass between ancient Armenia and Media - in short, the Republics south of Russia and north of Israel, comprised of Azerbajian, Afghanistan, Turkestan, Chechnya, Turkey, Iran and Dagestan. Significantly, all of them are Muslim nations. 6
Thus, while the specific nations that comprise Magog may be partially in question, the same general area is agreed upon. We are dealing with Asia Minor, and possibly parts of central Asia – some of the southern regions of the former Soviet Union. Today, Islam dominates this entire region.
What if we take the alternative interpretation made by some Bible scholars, that Magog is speaking of Syria? Even if this were the case, we still have an Islamic nation.
But here is the real key to identifying Magog: By identifying Meshech and Tubal – which we have already done. The reason for this is the wording of Ezekiel: “Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief (or head) of Meshech and Tubal.” Magog, is the “head” of land of Meshech and Tubal. We have already seen that Meschech and Tubal are located in modern day Turkey. Thus it would be foolish to assume that Magog as their “head” is in some other distant region or nation. While it seems more likely that Magog is either a portion of Turkey or a conglomerate of the former Soviet Turkic “istans”, whether it be these or Syria, we are definitely dealing with an Islamic entity.
This point is essential. Because we know that Gog – The Antichrist - will come from the land of Magog, which is definitely an Islamic region, it very unlikely that he will not be a Muslim. While I suppose that anything is possible, particularly in the distant future, it is very hard to imagine a non-Muslim ruling over any one of these nations, at least not anyone who doesn’t outwardly pose as a Muslim. Now, let’s move on to identify the remaining member states of Antichrist’s coalition.
Persia
Persia is very easy to identify. Essentially, Persia is modern day Iran. Many Iranians in America, if asked where they are from, will simply say they are from Persia. In fact Iran was still called Persia until 1935. Obviously Iran is a predominantly Muslim nation. While there are some wonderful signs of change in Iran due to a growing dissatisfaction with Islam among Iran’s massive youth population, it does not seem likely that a majority of Iranians will leave behind its Islamic roots anytime soon. 7
Cush
Cush is also relatively easy to identify. Some Bible translations merely interpret Cush as Ethiopia, though this is not accurate. The Cush of Ezekiel’s day was far more northwest than the Ethiopia of today. In Scripture, Cush was often associated with Egypt and was a border nation to her:
Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the LORD. Because you said, "The Nile is mine; I made it," therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol [Northern Egypt] to Aswan [Today in southern Egypt], as far as the border of Cush. Ezekiel 29:9-10
Also, one of Cush’s defining characteristics was her rivers. (Isaiah 18:1)
Being a border nation with Egypt, the rivers were most likely the five rivers that fed the Nile. Of course, the context of Ezekiel is the best context to interpret where Ezekiel was referring. If we look at a map, the Nile river flows directly into the southern border of Egypt from the modern nation of Sudan. In the nation of Sudan, there are five rivers which all merge to feed the Nile to the north. The only legitimate identification of Cush then is modern Sudan, officially known as The Islamic Republic of Sudan since the 1989. While Sudan does have a large Christian minority, it is ruled by the Muslim majority. Today Sudan is an absolute cesspool of Islamic oppression toward the minority Christians. The Sudanese government is Islamist to its core. As Hitchcock accurately says, “One would be hard pressed to find a more rabid enemy of Israel and the West today than Sudan.” Sudan is thus identified as another Islamic participant in the Antichrist’s empire.
Put
Biblically, Put (or Phut) is the region west of Egypt. Today this is the nation of Libya. The Septuagint translates the word Put here as Libue. Most modern scholars seem to agree with this interpretation. Shoebat however includes Algeria, Morroco and Tunis along with Libya. Either way, we again have another region or nation that is entirely Islamic.
Gomer
Gomer, it seems to be almost universally agreed upon among scholars, “refers to the Celtic Cimmerians of Crim-Tartary.” 8 Regarding the identification of Gomer, Baptist Pastor Fred Zaspel, accurately points out that:
Gomer is well known to the ancient world as Gimarrai of north central Asia Minor [Cappadocia]. These people are also known as the Cimmerians. This seems to be the simplest, most obvious interpretation. 9
So Gomer is Gimarra is Cimmeria is Cappadocia. Cappadocia is simply central Turkey. Again, another Islamic region.
Togarmah
Zaspel again sums up the identity of Togormah quite well:
Togarmah was a descendant of Noah through Japheth then Gomer (Gen.10:1-3). He is know to Assyrian records as Tilgarimmu… Tilgarimmu was a city state in Eastern Anatolia (Asia Minor, modern Turkey), more specifically, as Ryrie states, "the southeastern part of Turkey near the Syrian border." This identification is generally acknowledged by all. 10
Once more then we have another region that is in present day Turkey.
Assessing the Eight Nations
Thus in the final assessment we have five of the eight nations mentioned by Ezekiel occupying modern Turkey and possibly some of the southern Russian regions near the Caucasus Mountains as well as some of the Turkic nations of Central Asia. Obviously, the Lord directed Ezekiel to significantly highlight Turkey. The other three nations mentioned: Libya, Sudan and Iran, together with Turkey form a perfect circle around Israel. Turkey covers Israel’s entire northern horizon, while Iran is east of Israel, Sudan is South, and Libya is to the west. Israel finds herself surrounded on all four corners by the Islamic nations of the Antichrist Empire.
While many Bible teachers have for years prophesied a coming invasion of Israel headed by Russia, we see that the Bible simply does not substantiate this position. In fact, it is fair to say that the entire argument for a primary Russian involvement is based on weak scholarship and actually requires a violation of basic linguistic norms. Instead, we see an Islamic Invasion of Israel, most likely led by Turkey and involving minimally three or more other Islamic nations. While there is always the temptation to read ones enemies into Scripture, we should instead simply take the Bible for what it says. While presently, there is not any pressing reason to see Turkey as the leader of an imminent world Empire, this is nevertheless, what Ezekiel prophesied. And as we are about to see, this is indeed confirmed through other portions of Scripture as well.
What Is The Seventh And The Eight Empire?
Before we procede, I wish here to acknowledge someone who has greatly contributed to my understanding of this issue. His name is Walid Shoebat. He is a former Palestinian terrorist and is the author of Why I left Jihad. I highly recommend this book. It may be ordered through his web site at www.shoebat.com
Beyond the above identification of the nations of Ezekiel 38, the Book of Revelation also confirms the notion that indeed the region of Turkey will be the head of the future Antichrist Empire. Let’s examine these passages from the Book of Revelation:
There I saw… a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:3
Here we see the final “Beast” empire of the Antichrist. The Beast is seen to have seven heads and ten horns. We already know from the Book of Daniel that the ten horns represent the ten nations or kings that will comprise the Antichrist Empire. But the seven heads are seven empires that have existed throughout history that all have been foreshadows of the final empire that is to come. As usual, whenever a prophecy is given in the Bible that may be difficult in its symbolism, the Bible clarifies the symbolism and explains the passage for us:
This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. Revelation 17:9-11
Now the seven heads are called seven mountains. The Bible often uses mountains as a symbol representing a kingdom or an empire. But most importantly this passage gives us insight into the fact that before Jesus returns, there will actually have been a total of eight “Beast” empires. The eighth empire will be ruled by the Antichrist. How can this passage help us gain insight into the identification of the final Antichrist Empire? First, we see that at the time that it was written to John, five of the empires had already fallen. This is seen in the phrase, “five have been.” These empires are generally accepted by Bible teachers as being the following:
The Egyptian Empire
The Assyrian Empire
The Babylonian Empire
The Persian Empire
The Greek Empire
After these five, the angel tells John that one empire “is.” At the time that John wrote the Book of Revelation, Rome “was.” It ruled the Middle East, Northern Africa and much of Europe. Thus the sixth empire was the Roman Empire. The next empire, of course, is the seventh, and then the eighth will be the empire of the Antichrist. So the seventh empire is the empire that we need to identify. Because according to the verse above, it is the eighth empire that will be a resurrection or a revived version of the seventh empire:
“The beast who once was, and is not, is an eighth king.”
Let me just paraphrase this portion for clarity:
“The seventh beast (empire) that existed, but then did not exist, will come back as an eighth empire.”
So if we are now waiting for the final eighth empire, then what was the seventh? What empire followed Rome?
Because of the harsh anti-Semitic nature of the German third Reich, some Bible teachers have speculated that Germany was the seventh empire and thus Germany will come back as the eighth. 11
The most common belief however, held almost universally by Bible teachers, is that the Antichrist Empire will be a revived Roman Empire. There are however some glaring problems with this theory: Firstly, Rome was the sixth empire. If Rome was the sixth, and will also be the last, then what happened to the seventh? This theory has a gaping hole. Is Rome the sixth, seventh and the eighth empires? Neither Scripture nor history nor common sense supports this. Secondly, every one of the previous six empires ruled the Middle East, including Jerusalem. This is very important. We must always remember that the Bible is thoroughly Jerusalem centric. It is not America centric, nor is it Western centric. In the biblical view of things, Jerusalem is the center of the earth. This point cannot be underscored enough. Any theory that revolves around a revived Roman Empire based in Europe - for instance on the European Common Market - is a foreign concept to the Bible. Unless the empire rules over or directly affects Jerusalem, it is actually a bit irrelevant to biblical mind-set.
And the third crucial point is that if we look at the first six empires, each succeeding empire either destroyed or absorbed the empire that preceded it. There is a very natural sucession. If we look at each empire, we see that they all fulfill these two characteristics: they ruled over Jerusalem and they defeated or absorbed their predecessor. The Egyptian Empire ruled all of Egypt and Israel as well. But the Assyrian Empire defeated the Egyptian Empire and likewise ruled over a vast portion of the Middle East, including Israel. After this, the Babylonian Empire defeated the Assyrian Empire and became even larger than its predecessor, again, ruling over Israel. Such is the pattern with each successive empire: The Medo/Persian Empire succeeded the Babylonian Empire only to be succeeded by the Greek Empire. The Greek Empire was in turn suceeded by the Roman Empire. Which leads us to the seventh empire. Who overcame the Roman Empire? In order to answer this question, we need to briefly review the fall of the Roman Empire. What exactly happened?
In 395 A.D., The Roman Empire was divided into two portions; the eastern and the western portions. The Eastern portion became known as the Byzantine Empire. In 410 A.D. the western capital city of Rome fell to invading Germanic tribes known as the Visigoths or Barbarians. The western/European half of the Empire including its capital had fallen but the Roman Empire nevertheless continued. How so? It simply shifted its capital and its throne from Rome to Constantinople – a thousand miles east. The western European portion of the Roman Empire fell but the Eastern Byzantine portion of the Roman Empire lived on for nearly another thousand years with Constantinople as its capital. The Roman Empire didn’t actually completely fall until the eastern portion of the Empire finally fell to the Turks in 1453 A.D. Likewise it was the Islamic Caliphate of Umar Ibn al-Khattab that took Jerusalem in 637. Thus we see that it was the various manifestations of Islamic Empire culminating with the Ottoman Empire that suceeded the Roman Empire and ruled over the entire Middle East, beginning with Jerusalem for over thirteen hundred years. 12 The Turkish Empire existed right up until 1909.
Thus we see that the only empire that fulfills the patterns necessary to be considered the seventh empire is the Turkish/Ottoman Empire. This of course corresponds perfectly with Ezekiel’s list of nations with such a heavy emphasis on Turkey.
The Coming Restoration Of The Caliphate
The Turkish Empire was the seat of the Islamic Caliphate. It was not until 1923 that the Islamic Caliphate was officially abolished. Today the Islamic world is awaiting the restoration of that Caliphate. The Bible teaches that someday soon the Turkish Empire will be revived.
The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, then he was not, and yet came again. Revelation 17:8
At that time, we may expect to see the Islamic Caliphate restored. Eventually this position will possibly be given to a man whom the Muslim world would refer to as the Mahdi, but whom people of understanding would identify as the man known biblically as the Antichrist.
The Third Temple will soon be rebuilt in Jerusalem. We discuss Israel's Seven year Peace Treaty, which will be signed with the Islamic Antichrist (From Turkey), which begins the final seven years of tribulation. This results in Jerusalem being Conquered and the Islamic Caliph setting himself up on the Temple Mount and being proclaimed the Messiah. We discuss how the Islamic Antichrist will be like Antiochus Epiphanes and the truth behind Sharia law. Also more on the Mark of the Beast and its Islamic Connection.
MUSLIMS KEEP ASKING: HOW CAN THE MAHDI DECLARE THAT HE IS GOD AND STILL BE FOLLOWED BY MUSLIMS?
Although it can be interpreted in that way. The KJV Bible does not actually say that he says the Words "I AM GOD". What it does say, is that by sitting in the Seat of God in the Holy of Holies, he is (SHEWING) SHOWING HIMSELF TO BE GOD. So its very possible for the Islamic Mahdi, just by sitting in God's Seat, to be Showing himself to be God, having usurped God's very Earthly Throne.
2Thess 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, **SHEWING**(Showing) himself that he is God.
Strongs Greek Dictionary G584 ἀποδείκνυμι apodeiknumi From G575 and G1166; to show off, that is, exhibit; figuratively to demonstrate, that is, accredit: - (ap-) prove, set forth, shew.
So the KJV Bible does not actually say he "SAYS" he is God, but it says he "SHOWS HIMSELF OFF" as being God.
It is in his HEART that he magnifies himself and thinks of himself as greater than Yahweh. This is confirmed by the Prophet Daniel.
Daniel 8:25 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
Therefore it is very possible for Muslims to follow the Islamic Mahdi Antichrist.
Satan’s goal has always been to cause the inhabitants of the earth to worship him rather than God. As such Satan has long had a very specific plan to raise up his own worship movement that will literally cover the face of the earth. Those who believe the Bible, know this to be true. Through the Antichrist, and his False Prophet, the Bible says that Satan will come very close to achieving his goal just prior to the return of Jesus.
The dragon (Satan) gave the beast (The Antichrist) his power and his throne and great authority… And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 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. Revelation 13:2,4-8 (emphasis and parenthesis mine)
The description of this future worship movement is that it will literally touch “every tribe, people, language and nation.” The Bible teaches that at this time, whoever is not a worshipper of the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ will eventually be deceived into worshiping Satan, the invisible spirit behind the deceptive last-days worship movement. As we have already seen, the vehicle that Satan uses to bring about his own worship movement is the Antichrist and his “beast kingdom”, which will be a powerful empire with an equally powerful military machine. Daniel the prophet describes this empire and its military as a force that is “terrifying and frightening and very powerful” which “will devour the whole earth.”
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… The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. Daniel 7:7,23
Thus the Bible gives us a clear picture of the nature of Satan’s final swan song before Jesus casts him into the lake of fire for eternity. The Bible has clearly forewarned us of Satan’s coming empire whose goal will be nothing less than total World domination. The demands of this empire will be much more than mere allegiance to its governmental role, but total submission to and worship of its leader, the Antichrist and ultimately the Devil. Again, whoever does not submit to this brutal religious system will become its targets.
Islam And The Goal Of World Domination
In order to understand Islam properly, one must understand the way that Islam understands itself. Islam views itself as the only true religion - indeed the only religion worthy to be practiced. As such Islam has as one of its goals, total world domination. Islam’s driving goal is to literally eradicate what it sees as the false and misplaced worship of all other religions. Until the day that everyone says, “none has the right to be worshipped other than Allah,” Islam will continue its fight against unbelievers and unbelieving nations. We have already thoroughly examined Islam’s vision of global domination through its eschatology, but the concept is not just a future idea that Muslims are waiting idly by for the Mahdi and the Islamic Jesus to accomplish for them. The texts and scholars of Islam teach that global domination is to be striven for by all Muslims at all times. The striving for Islam’s furtherance and its eventual total world domination is called jihad. Indeed jihad (striving) is a basic requirement of all Muslims everywhere. It is an absolutely obligatory component of Islam.
Now, Muslim apologists and propagandists will be quick to argue here, that jihad is not about fighting for world domination. Some will make such misleading remarks as “jihad is merely about overcoming adversity.” Or they will point out that the “greater jihad” is a struggle against one’s self. While this inner struggle is a legitimate aspect of jihad, do not be deceived: The jihad that is obligatory for all Muslims to fight against one’s inner weaknesses in no way lessens the centrality of the demand of Islam upon all Muslims to wage jihad against the unbelieving world until Islam is supreme. This may include other forms of warfare such as in the intellectual or the political arenas, but wherever a Muslim engages in this fight, it is viewed as just that, a fight for the eventual global domination and universal supremacy of Islam.
Jihad
The word Jihad stems from the Arabic root word J-H-D, which means "strive." There are five types of jihad:
·Jihad al-nafs (striving against one’s inner self)
·Jihad al-Shaitan (striving against Satan)
·Jihad al-kuffaar (striving against the disbelievers)
·Jihad al-munafiqeen (striving against the hypocrites)
·Jihad al-faasiqeen (striving against corrupt Muslims)
As already stated, all five forms of jihad are obligatory for all Muslims. If you pay attention to the discussion of jihad in the media, you will find endless articles and claims by Muslims that misrepresent jihad as something other than what it really is. But as stated earlier, those who deny the central aspect of an outward jihad in Islam are either ignorant or purposefully lying. In fact, lying to hide or misrepresent the true nature of Islam to the unbelieving world is actually part and parcel of Islam’s method of carrying out jihad against non-Muslims. We will take a look at Islam’s doctrine of lying in the next chapter.
Despite what the advertisers of a nicer, more peaceful Islam say, Muhammad clearly made the claim that his commission was to fight against the unbelievers until they all submit to Islam and become worshippers of Allah. Since the time of Muhammad, global domination has been the goal of Islam.
Allah's Apostle (Muhammad) said, “I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.’” 1
Fight those from among the people of the Book, who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor hold as unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have declared to be unlawful, nor follow the true religion, until they pay the tax considering it a favour and acknowledge their subjection. -Surah 9:29 (Sher Ali)
O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him). -Surah 9:123 (Pickthall)
Unquestionably, we see that Muhammad encouraged the spread of his religion by force. Now, one might argue that Christianity also has a goal of spreading its message throughout the earth as well. While this is true, Christianity does not have a goal of fighting against those who are not Christians, but rather presenting the gospel message, or “good news” to everyone in order that they have the option to either freely accept or likewise reject God’s offer of forgiveness and acceptance. As someone once said, “evangelism” (preaching the Christian message to non-Christians) is merely one beggar telling the other beggars where the food is.
While Jesus, in calling new believers to follow him and serve God makes the beautiful statement:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. -Matthew 11:28-30
Muhammad calls his followers to something admittedly far more burdensome. With a tad of overt cajoling, he says:
Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not. -Surah 2:216 (Pickthall)
It would be quite easy to list several pages of verses from the Quran and Hadith that reflect this mindset of jihad and fighting against unbelievers for the express purpose of the furtherance of Islam. It is awfully difficult to take these verses out of context. Nevertheless, as I have said, many western Muslims will continue to make the claim that the Quranic verses that speak of jihad are only referring to overcoming adversity or defensive war, etc. Yet, as one Muslim commentator has said:
Don't believe those moderate Muslims in the Western media who tell you that jihad means "overcoming adversity," 2
Or as the popular Muslim author and teacher Muhammad Saeed al-Qahtani, states:
Jihad is an act of worship, it is one of the supreme forms of devotion to Allah… They say that Jihad is only for defense. This lie must be exposed…3
Rather than getting caught up in an in-house Islamic argument, we will rather simply examine the opinions of several prominent Muslim scholars throughout Islam’s history as well as the leaders and representatives of Islam in western countries today to see what Islam really teaches.
The Scholars on Jihad
Ibn Kathir lays out the prominent role of offensive jihad in Islam’s early days as he comments on Surah 9:123 above:
Allah commands the believers to fight the disbelievers, the closest in area to the Islamic state, then the farthest. This is why the Messenger of Allah started fighting the idolaters in the Arabian Peninsula. When he finished with them… He then started fighting the People of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians). After Muhammad’s death, his executor, friend, and Caliph, Abu Bakr, became the leader… On behalf of the Prophet , Abu Bakr… started preparing the Islamic armies to fight the Roman cross worshippers, and the Persian fire worshippers. By the blessing of his mission, Allah opened the lands for him and brought down Caesar and Kisra and those who obeyed them among the servants. Abu Bakr spent their treasures in the cause of Allah, just as the Messenger of Allah had foretold would happen. This mission (of world domination) continued after Abu Bakr at the hands of he whom Abu Bakr chose to be his successor… Umar bin Al-Khattab. With Umar, Allah humiliated the disbelievers, suppressed the tyrants and hypocrites, and opened the eastern and western parts of the world. The treasures of various countries were brought to Umar from near and far provinces, and he divided them according to the legitimate and accepted method. Umar then died… Then, the Companions among the Muslims… agreed to choose after Umar, Uthman bin Affan... During Uthman's reign, Islam wore its widest garment and Allah's unequivocal proof was established in various parts of the world over the necks of the servants. Islam appeared in the eastern and western parts of the world and Allah's Word was elevated and His religion apparent. The pure religion reached its deepest aims against Allah's enemies, and whenever Muslims overcame a community, they moved to the next one, and then the next one, crushing the tyranical evil doers. They did this in reverence to Allah's statement, O you who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are close to you. 4
It is clear that Muhammad, and then his successors, Caliph Abu Bakr, Caliph Umar, and Caliph Uthman all attacked the surrounding nations offensively for the purpose of spreading Islam. These were not as is claimed by the historical revisionists, defensive wars. They were offensive wars whose goal was to force the victims to submit to Islam or be “crushed.”
Ibn Khaldun, the famous 14th century Islamic historian and philosopher in his classic and most notable work, the Muqaddimahsays of jihad:
In the Muslim community, the holy war is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the (Muslim) mission and (the obligation to) convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force. Therefore, the caliphate (spiritual), the royal (government and military) authority are united in Islam, so that the person in charge can devote the available strength to both of them at the same time. 5
In his book, “Jurisprudence in Muhammad’s Biography” the renowned Egyptian scholar from Al-Azhar university, Dr. Muhammad Sa’id Ramadan al-Buti writes that offensive and not defensive war is the “noblest Holy War” within Islam:
The Holy War (Islamic Jihad), as it is known in Islamic Jurisprudence, is basically an offensive war. This is the duty of Muslims in every age when the needed military power becomes available to them. This is the phase in which the meaning of Holy war has taken its final form. Thus the apostle of Allah said: ' I was commanded to fight the people until they believe in Allah and his messages… The concept of Holy War (Jihad) in Islam does not take into consideration whether defensive or an offensive war. Its goal is the exaltation of the Word of Allah and the construction of Islamic society and the establishment of Allah’s Kingdom on Earth regardless of the means. The means would be offensive warfare. In this case, it is the apex, the noblest Holy War. 6
According to the Encyclopedia of Islam, "the fight is obligatory even when the unbelievers have not started it.” 7 The concept of jihad in Islam is to literally attack unbelievers for the purpose of converting them to Islam “by persuasion or by force,” “even when they have not started it.”
Global Domination
Born in 1905, Mawlana Sayid Abul Ala Mawdudi was an Islamic scholar from the Indian subcontinent. His sermons (khutbat) and writings are world-renowned. He is viewed throughout the Islamic world as one of Islam’s greatest scholars. Here is what he had to say about Islam and global domination:
Islam is not a normal religion like the other religions in the world, and Muslim nations are not like normal nations. Muslim nations are very special because they have a command from Allah to rule the entire world and to be over every nation in the world.8
Mawdudi explains Islam’s goals and purpose:
Islam is a revolutionary faith that comes to destroy any government made by man. Islam doesn’t look for a nation to be in a better condition than another nation. Islam doesn’t care about the land or who owns the land. The goal of Islam is to rule the entire world and submit all of mankind to the faith of Islam. Any nation or power that gets in the way of that goal, Islam will fight and destroy. In order to fulfill that goal, Islam can use every power available every way it can be used to bring worldwide revolution. This is Jihad. 9
We have seen what some of Islam’s most respected scholars have said about jihad and Islam’s goal of global domination. Their viewpoint is undeniably clear. But what do the more modern, western Muslim leaders have to say about this subject?
Modern Western Muslims on the Islamic Goal of World Domination
Aduallah al-Araby in his book The Islamization of America cites a very frightening letter from one Catholic Archbishop to the Pope. In this open letter to the Pope, the Archbishop of Izmir (Smyrna), Turkey, the Reverend Guiseppe Germano Barnardini, spoke of a recent gathering of Christians and Muslims for the purpose of interfaith dialogue. An excerpt from his letter recounts that during the meeting, an authoritative Muslim stood up and spoke very calmly and assuredly:
Thanks to your democratic laws, we will invade you, Thanks to our religious laws, we will dominate you. 10
If you go to the web site of almost any Mosque in the United States, you will invariably see a link to the Council on American-Islamic Relations. CAIR, as it is called, is a Washington based Islamic group that likes to present itself as a moderate Islamic civil rights group. "We are similar to a Muslim NAACP," says spokesman Ibrahim Hooper. “Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has been garnering sizeable donations, invitations to the White House, respectful media citations and a serious hearing by corporations.” 11
Yet, according to Omar Ahmed, Chairman of the Board of CAIR:
Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Quran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth. 12
This is the same Omar Ahmed who tore into the Reverend Franklin Graham for calling Islam “an evil religion.” Mr. Ahmed addressed Graham in an open statement:
Learn more about Islam and Muslims before you repeat your erroneous and divisive statements about one of the three great Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Such statements only sow animosity and mistrust among Americans. As a religious leader you should instead work to rebuild our national foundation instead of trying to tear it down. 13
Perhaps Reverend Graham was more in touch with the true totalitarian doctrines of Islam than Mr. Ahmed realizes. Perhaps Mr. Graham had read Mr. Ahmed’s statement regarding Islam’s goal of domination in America and abroad when he made his statement. In any case, through these two statements, it is easy to see the double-speak that is displayed by Mr. Ahmed and many like him. When speaking privately to Muslims, Mr. Ahmed speaks of Islam as the only valid religion, with a goal to take over America, but when addressing the media, he speaks of “The three great Abrahamic religions,” and then he accuses Mr. Graham of being “divisive”.
Daniel Pipes, a scholar of militant Islam and director of the Middle East Forum, points out the case of one prominent American Muslim’s open aspirations to take over America. Pipes introduces one Isamil Al-Faruqi:
Ismail Al-Faruqi a Palestinian immigrant who founded the International Institute of Islamic Thought and taught for many years at Temple University in Philadelphia. "Nothing could be greater," Al-Faruqi wrote in the early 1980's, "than this youthful, vigorous, and rich continent [of North America] turning away from its past evil and marching forward under the banner of Allahu Akbar. [Allah is Great]" 14
In England, and throughout Europe, Islam has progressed in strength far beyond that of Islam in America. Therefore, in such a context, we see aggressive statements being made far more openly. As early as 1989, Europeans were shocked to see thousands of Muslims openly protest in the streets of Britian, France Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands carrying signs with the provocative slogan, “Islam - our religion today, your religion tomorrow.” 15
Dated June 15 1990, The Muslim Manifesto, published by the late Dr. Kalim Siddiqui, who was then the head of the Muslim Institute, (now the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain) on page 16 paragraph 7 states:
Jihad is a basic requirement of Islam and living in Britain or having British nationality by birth or naturalisation does not absolve the Muslim from his or her duty to participate in Jihad. 16
Dr. Siddiqui does not exclude Britain from the places where “armed struggle” is necessary. Jihad is obligatory everywhere. And as time has passed, the call to jihad in Europe has progressed to the point of being proclaimed openly in the streets by radical Muslim leaders. From the New York Times, April 26, 2004, we read:
The call to jihad is rising in the streets of Europe... In this former industrial town north of London, a small group of young Britons… say they would like to see Prime Minister Tony Blair dead or deposed and an Islamic flag hanging outside No. 10 Downing Street. They swear allegiance to Osama bin Laden and his goal of toppling Western democracies to establish an Islamic superstate under Shariah law, like Afghanistan under the Taliban. They call the Sept. 11 hijackers the "Magnificent 19" and regard the Madrid train bombings as a clever way to drive a wedge into Europe. Their leader, Sheik Omar Bakri Mohammad, spoke of his adherence to Osama bin Laden. If Europe fails to heed Mr. bin Laden's offer of a truce — provided that all foreign troops are withdrawn from Iraq in three months — Muslims will no longer be restrained from attacking the Western countries that play host to them, the sheik said. "All Muslims of the West will be obliged," he said, to "become his sword" in a new battle. Europeans take heed, he added, saying, "It is foolish to fight people who want death — that is what they are looking for”… And he warned Western leaders, "You may kill bin Laden, but the phenomenon, you cannot kill it — you cannot destroy it. Our Muslim brothers from abroad will come one day and conquer here and then we will live under Islam in dignity," he said. 17
Dr. Siddiqui and Sheik Omar Bakri Mohammad are far from alone in their calls for radical Islamic jihad against their very homes in Europe:
Abu Hamza, the cleric accused of tutoring Richard Reid before he tried to blow up a Paris-to-Miami jetliner with explosives hidden in his shoe, urged a crowd of 200 outside his former Finsbury Park mosque to embrace death and the "culture of martyrdom." 18
Muslims in the West regularly refer to Islam as the “religion of peace”, yet this religion of peace is responsible for over 90 percent of all fighting presently in the world. Think about that fact. The vast majority of world terrorism, violence and war is religiously motivated by Islam.
There are about 400 recognized terrorist groups in the world. Over 90 percent of these are Islamist groups (radical Islamic terrorist groups). Over 90 percent of the current world fighting involves Islamist terror movements. 19
The endless goal of moderate Muslim apologists is to make the claim that the radical terrorist groups are not behaving in an Islamic way. While I have no doubt that many moderate Muslims have a strong disdain for the murderous behavior of many of the most violent groups, the terrorists are actually carrying out a very legitimate aspect of Islam as defined by Islam’s texts, scholars and representatives. They are indeed behaving in an Islamic way. They are behaving like Muhammad and his successors. While it is often said that the terrorists have “high jacked” Islam, judged by what Islam really teaches, it is in reality the so-called moderate Muslims who are trying to change the true teachings of Islam.
When we look at the growth rates of Islam combined with the concept of jihad in Islam, and the growing popularity of its most radical interpretation, even in the West, the concept of a future Islamo-fascist world dictator becomes a genuine possibility. Based on trends and statistics alone, it really doesn’t take a stretch to see the possibility of this reality within this century. The Bible teaches that in the future, a man will arise whose sole driving goal will be to achieve complete world domination through his political-military-religious empire. Islam has this very same goal inherent in its most core doctrines. And today, as we watch the call to jihad being trumpeted ever louder by radical Muslim leaders all over the world, Islam is slowly moving ever so much closer toward achieving that very goal.
