Christians around the world continue to look for a person they call The Antichrist and really think that they are going to recognize him immediately when he appears. This "antichrist" guy is really going to turn the world upside down and cause all kinds of problems, according to them. He is even going to make people take a mark (mark of the beast) on their hand or in their forehead just in order for them to live and do normal daily business.
They also think they can read all about him in their "Bible" because that is what their preachers keep telling them.
Unhappily for all of these people the preachers have been telling them much less than the whole truth, for you see, there is no such person in all of scripture that fits the characteristics they "know" this guy will exhibit.
There are two SEPARATE entities who do have all of these characteristics however, and together they will rule this earth before the return of our Master and Savior, Yahushua the Anointed of Yahuwah. These two are the first beast (Revelation 13:1-10) and the second beast (Revelation 13:11-18). Between these two are all of the things that people have been told belong to The Antichrist. And remember that they have no power of themselves but in fact are only exercising the power given to them by the REAL antichrist, Satan (the dragon).
There have also been many books written about many people of this earth calling them The Antichrist. The actions of each one of these people somehow triggered the idea in some author's mind that they were the prophesied person who would establish a one-world government and religious system at the time of the end and just before the return of Yahushua. Unhappily for those authors, all of the people they were writing about have since gone the way of all the earth and the system prophesied in scripture is still not here. With that turn of events it should be obvious to the most casual observer that those times are still somewhere in the future, whether far future or immediate future.
There are events unfolding today that to the discerning follower of haMashiach are certainly pointing to a time much closer to immediate than to a time further away. These events all deal with the world situation concerning islam, its adherents, and their actions all around the world. These events fit and fulfill some of the prophesied times of trouble that every one was sure would come.
Look around, folks. The times of the end are upon us!
"If those times are really here," you say, "then where is this guy the second beast that we used to think was The Antichrist?"
He is not far away either. Keep in mind that everything about him will be a counterfeit of Yahushua, the True Savior and bringer of true peace to the earth. This counterfeit guy will establish a one-world government and system of religion that will produce an enforced peace and he will require everyone to follow along or die. Either they will become one of his religion's followers, accept a low status within the system, or they will die according to the manner described in Revelation 6:9-11. Under his system there will appear to be peace for some time, but it will be an illusion and not very long lasting. Those who do not accept his religion will be killed out of hand as they are caught if they refuse to convert. Those who are caught and decide to convert will be given a token of identity to tell the original followers of his religion that they are converts and therefore should not be killed. Most of the original followers will be able to be identified by their physical appearance of ethnicity. Those who are not identifiable in this manner will require the token of identity.
This token of identity has been in use for millennia and will be issued again. It will be issued by the same people who were issuing it before. This system is in place right now and it is now taking the first steps that will lead to world dominion.
It will be the religion of this system that becomes the one-world religion and their theocracy will become the one-world government with this guy (mentioned above) as the unquestioned leader. This token is in scripture called the mark of the beast and unless you take it you will die by the sword or from starvation if you cannot find enough food in the wild to sustain you. You will not be able to shop in any store or market in the world without being a member of this religion. As scripture says, you will not be able to buy or sell. The token (or mark) will be used to identify those who have accepted dhimmi status or have converted to the one-world religion. A dhimmi is a person with a status of much less than a second-class citizen in the realm who is held in much disdain by the people of the religion. They must pay a poll tax and do so in humiliation. The leaders of this religion make sure that they are humiliated as they pay the tax too. History abounds with evidence of this.
So who is this guy and what is the system that will bring all of this about?
The guy is called by those who believe the stories about him "The Twelfth Imam," or al-mahdi (the directed one). He is supposed to be the still living imam who was the twelfth in line from muhammad. He was born in 868 CE, or 256 years after the founding of this false religion. He supposedly has been "occulted," or hidden, since shortly after his assumption of the "imamship" from his father, who was the eleventh imam from muhammad and was "martyred" (read murdered). His hiding location has been a mystery for all that time.
The system is islam and it will become the single ruling system and religion in the world shortly before the return of Yahushua. This "mahdi" is going to impersonate Yahushua and will fool the very chosen if they are not careful (Matt. 24:24, Mark 13:22 ). Keep in mind that the times while he is ruling will start out to seem as really peaceful and all of mankind will think they are under the rule of our Master, but if you are alert and aware, you will not be fooled. This guy is going to be no less bloodthirsty than you see muslims being today, and the blood that will be shed will be those who profess to be Christian, Yahudiyth (Jewish), or anything other than muslim.
Below are excerpts from just three of the sources of evidence that I have accumulated showing that what I have said above is true. I have so much more information on this subject that if I included it all it would make this article too large to be read easily and go far beyond its intended scope. If you would like copies of what I have or direction to some of the other resources I will be glad to email them to you at your request. You can also find much more information about this coming system that will be run by this guy in many secular places such as your local library, the internet, commercial bookstores, etc.
Keep in mind that when the term "God" is used by muslims they are referring to the false eloah "allah."
Excerpts from The Dictionary of Islam, by Thomas Patrick Hughes, B.D., M.R.A.S., under the heading al-Mahdi, first published in 1886 CE.
Al-Mahdi – lit. "The Directed One"
A ruler who in the last days will appear on earth. According to the Shi'ahs he has already appeared in the person of Muhammad Abu 'l-Qesim, the twelfth imam, who is believed to be concealed in some secret place until the day of his manifestation before the end of the world. But the Sunnis say he has not yet appeared. In the history of islam there are numerous instances of impostors having assumed the character of this mysterious personage, amongst others, Saiyid Ahmad, who fought the Sikhs on the Northwest frontier of the Punjab and most recently, the Muhammadan who has claimed to be al-Mahdi in the Sudan in Egypt.
The sayings of the Prophet in the subject, according to al-Bukhari and other traditionists are as follows: (just one)
"The world will not come to an end until a man of my tribe and of my name shall be master of Arabia."
According to Shi'ah traditions Muhammad is related to have said : "O ye people! I am the Prophet and Ali is my heir, and from us will descend al-Mahdi, the seal (i.e. the last) of the Imams, who will conquer all religions and take vengeance on the wicked. He will take fortresses and destroy them, and slay every tribe of idolaters, and he will avenge the deaths of the martyrs of God. He will be the champion of the Faith, and a drawer of water at the fountain of divine knowledge. He will reward merit and requite every fool according to his folly. He will be the approved and chosen of God, and the heir of all knowledge. He will be the valiant in doing right, and the one to whom the Most High has entrusted Islam . . . O ye people, I have explained to you, and Ali also will make you understand it."
Excerpt from the book, Al-Imam al-Mahdi, The Just Leader of Humanity, by Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini
(Remember that the one they are calling "God" is Allah. Don't confuse this person with the Eloah [God] of the Sacred Scriptures.)
The Destiny of the Unbelievers
Dr. Jalali: What will happen to the unbelievers (kuffar) and those who associated partners with God (mushrikin)?
Mr. Hoshyar: From the readings in the Qur'an and the hadith literature it appears that during the Mahdi's rule the government and the power will be taken away from non-monotheistic and materialistic disbelievers, and will be vested in the hands of the Muslims and other worthy people of the world. Let us, for example, look at certain verses from the Qur'an:
It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that he may uplift it above every religion, though the unbelievers be averse. (Saff [61], 9)
God has promised those of you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely make you successors in the land, even as He made those who were before them successors, and that He will surely establish their religion for them that He has approved for them, and will give them in exchange after their fear security: 'They shall serve Me, not associating with Me anything.' (Nur [24], 54)
Yet We desired to be gracious to those that were abased in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them the inheritors, and to establish them in the land. (Qasas [28], 4)
These passages from the Qur'an give the glad tidings of that which will come when world power and government are in the hands of the qualified and worthy believers and Muslims, and the religion of Islam ("submission to the will of God") overshadows all other religions and actually eclipses them all.
The traditions speak about the period of the Mahdi's rule and assure the believers that the forces of disbelief and hypocrisy will be annihilated from the face of the earth. Everywhere there will be a true believer in God's unity. Thus, for example, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said:
Even if there remains one day in the life of the earth, God will bring forth a man from among my progeny whose name and character will be like mine, and whose patronymic will be Abu 'Abd Allah. Through him God will revive His religion and bring it back to its early glory. God will also endow him with victory and there will remain on earth none other than the ones who will declare the Unity of God (tawhid).
The Prophet was asked as to which of his children's descendants he would be. The Prophet struck his hand on Husayn, and said: "From his [descendants]."
Imam Baqir has related a hadith in which he says: "The Qa'im and his companions will fight so much that there will no longer be those unbelievers who associate partners to God."
The Destiny of Jews and Christians
Dr. Jalali: Since Jews and Christians are the followers of the heavenly books that teach monotheism, what will happen to them when the Mahdi appears?
Mr. Hoshyar: The apparent sense of some of the verses of the Qur'an seems to suggest that they will be around until the Day of Judgement occurs. God says in the Sura Ma'ida, 14:
And with those who say 'We are Christians' We took compact; and they have forgotten a portion of that they were reminded of. So We have stirred up among them enmity and hatred, till the Day of Resurrection.
In the Sura Al 'Imran, 55, He says:
When God said, 'Jesus, I will take thee to Me, and I will purify thee of those who believe not. I will set thy followers above the unbelievers till the Resurrection Day.'
Again, in Sura Ma'ida, 64, He says:
The Jews have said: 'God's hand is fettered.' Fettered are their hands, and they are cursed for what they have said. Nay, but His hands are outspread; He expends how He will. And what has been sent down to thee from Thy Lord will surely increase many of them in insolence and unbelief; and We have cast between them enmity and hatred, till the Day of Resurrection.
As you can see, the literal reading of these verses suggests that the religions of the Jews and the Christians will be around until the Day of Judgement. Some of the hadith-reports corroborate this observation. Thus, for instance, Abu Basir asked Imam Sadiq: "What will the Master of the Command do to the 'protected peoples' (ahl al-dhimma)?" The Imam said: "Like the Prophet he will negotiate terms with them, and they will pay the jizya (poll tax), while accepting their inferior position [in the Muslim society]."
In another tradition Imam Baqir says:
The Master of the Command was named as the Mahdi because he will dig out the Torah and other heavenly books from the cave in Antioch. He will judge among the people of the Torah according to the Torah; among the people of the Gospel according to the Gospel; among the people of the Psalms in accordance with the Psalms; among the people of the Qur'an in accordance with the Qur'an.
There are traditions that speak just the opposite of what the Qur'an and above-cited hadith speak. These traditions relate that during the rule of the Mahdi there will no other communities except the Muslims. The Mahdi will offer the religion of Islam to the Jews and the Christians; if they accept it they will be spared, otherwise they will be killed. Thus, for example, the following tradition in which Ibn Bukayr asks Imam Rida the interpretation of the verse: "To Him submits everything that is in the heavens and the earth, in obedience and in aversion." The Imam relates:
The particular verse is revealed in reference to the Qa'im. When he appears he will offer the religion of Islam to the Jews, Christians, Sabians, and the disbelievers in the east and the west. Any one who willingly accepts Islam will be asked to pray, give alms, and perform all the obligatory acts; and any one who refuses to do so will be killed. This will continue until there remains none but a believer in and worshipper of One God everywhere on the earth.
Ibn Bukayr said to the Imam that in that case there would be far too many people who would be killed. The Imam said: "Whenever God desires something to increase or decrease He can do so."
In another tradition, Imam Baqir related that God will open the east and the west for the twelfth Imam. He will put up the fight until there is no other religion than the religion of Muhammad. In his commentary on the verse that says: "He (God) will manifest it (Islam), even if the disbelievers are averse to it," The Imam said: "He will do it in such a way that there will be no one left except that he will have accepted the religion of Muhammad."
Hence, there are two kinds of hadith: one in favor and the other objecting. However, it must be pointed out that those traditions that agree with the Qur'an have preponderance over those that do not, and therefore the latter must be of necessity rejected as unreliable. Accordingly, the Jews and the Christians will remain under the government of the twelfth Imam, but they will have abandoned their belief in the trinity and all forms of disbelief connected with associating partners to God, and become worshippers of One God. They will continue to live under the protection of the Islamic government. At the same time, the corrupt and tyrannical governments will come to an end, and power will be exercised by the well qualified Muslims. Islam will be the world's religion, gaining precedence over all other religions and the call of the Unity of God (tawhid) will be heard all across the world. In this connection Imam Sadiq has said: "When our Qa'im rises there is no place on earth where one will not hear the testimony: I bear witness that there is no deity except God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." According to Imam Baqir: "When the Qa'im takes the command all the godless governments will become permanently extinct." Furthermore, in explaining the verse "when they will be consolidated they will establish worship and give alms," the Imam said: "This verse was revealed to describe the Imams, the Mahdi and his loyal followers. God will make them the commanders of the east and the west, and through them God will fortify the religion and eliminate innovation and false [interpretations in it]. Indeed the ignorant people have ruined the truth. All this will be accomplished in such a way that there shall remain no trace of injustice. He will execute the duty of commanding the good and forbidding the evil."
Excerpts from Article Al-MahdiImam Mohammad Al-Mehdi Al-Muntadar (A.S)
In a hadith upon whose authenticity everyone agrees, the Holy Prophet has said, "If there were to remain in the life of the world but one day, God would prolong that day until He sends in it a man from my community and my household, His name will be the same as my name." He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny.
C.F. Castleberry
http://www.considerthis.net
buck@considerthis.net