John,
Hey. James and I were looking up something online that he’s been hearing about lately, about the 12th imam of Islam. When reading about the 12th imam, we noticed lots of similarities between that character and things we’ve read in Revelation about the beast and end times. Seeing the current world events where the muslims hate Israel so much, I could see how this type of hatred could lead to the battle of Armageddon (when the time for that arrives). Do you think the beast would be a muslim? Some are suggesting this now (well, they are saying antichrist, but we know that isn’t the case) and they point out various similarites between the prophecies in Revelation and muslim beliefs and practices. For example the saints who are foretold to be beheaded, would be in line with the method of execution that muslims would use, and other various things. What they are saying doesn’t sound unreasonable to think. We wanted to ask you if you have any thoughts about these things. Here are a few of the things I found on Wikipedia abouth the 12th Imam:
“According to Twelver Shi’ite doctrine, he is an actual historical personality and is the current Imam and the promised Mahdi, a messianic figure who will return with the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He will reestablish the rightful governance of Islam and replete the earth with justice and peace” (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Imams)
And this:
“The Occultation (Arabic: غيبة Ghaybat) in Shia Islam refers to a belief that the messianic figure, al-Mahdi, who in Shia thought is an infallible male descendant of the founder of Islam, Muhammad, was born but disappeared, and will one day return and fill the world with justice. Some Shia, such as the Zaidi and Nizari Ismaili, do not believe in the idea of the Occultation. The groups that do believe in it differ on the succession of the Imamate, and therefore which individual is in Occultation. The hidden imam is still considered to be the Imam of the Time, to hold authority over the community, and to guide and protect individuals and the Shi’a community. (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Occultation)
And this:
Sevener
“Ismaili before the rise of the Fatimid Empire believed that Muhammad ibn Ismail had gone into Occultation, and were called Sevener to reflect their belief in only seven imams, Muhammad’s father Ismail being the last till his return. The Qarmatian Sevener branch accepted a Persian prisoner by the name of Abu’l-Fadl al-Isfahani from Isfahan, who claimed to be the descendant of the Persian kings, as the returned Muhammad ibn Ismail [2][2][3][4][5][6][7] and also as their Mahdi. They rampaged violently across the Middle-East in the tenth century, climaxing their bloody campaign with the stealing of the Black Stone from the Kaaba in Mecca in 930 under Abu Tahir Al-Jannabi. After the arrival of the Mahdi they changed their qiblah from the Kaaba to the Zoroastrian-influenced fire. After their return of the Black Stone in 951 and defeat by the Abbasids in 976 they slowly faded out of history and no longer have any adherents.[8] “
Thanks,
James and Lyn
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Hi James and Lyn:
I have said for a long time now that the religious system of Christianity is preparing the way for many of God’s people to receive the Beast as the Savior of the world, the Messiah. The main element of that preparation is Christianity’s teaching that a person can be born again without being baptized with the holy ghost. This is why I say that: If one may be “born again” and belong to the family of God without the real holy Ghost, then it follows that one may also become a preacher of the gospel without it, and it also follows, then, that one may be the Messiah without it.
ANY religion, Christianity, Islam,. or whatever, which teaches that someone may be a citizen in God’s kingdom without having His real holy ghost is preparing people to receive the Beast as the Messiah. He won’t have it, either. And whether we are talking about being an ordinary citizen of God’s kingdom or the Messiah himself is irrelevant; it is just the idea that one may be of God, or be sent by God, without the baptism of the holy ghost that prepares people to look outside the real body of Christ for fellowship and for leadership.
This is the very reason that many of God’s people give ear to teachers without the holy ghost, men and women who cannot be sent by God to guide His flock because “if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
Islam has its own version of the Messiah, but in reality, Muslims are looking in the same wrong direction that Christians are looking in, for they are greeting unconverted sinners as brothers and listening to leaders who teach that even without the baptism of the holy ghost that Jesus died for us to have, people can be of God.
jdc