1. Where will Antichrist come from?
2. If Antichrist is a Muslim, and worships Allah, how can he enter the rebuilt Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and claim to be God?
Where Will Antichrist Come From?
Since Antichrist will emerge out of the Islamic confederacy, it is necessary to see how it comes about. As we have shown in the first four parts of our teaching, the four beasts in Daniel chapter 7 do not represent the ancient kingdoms of Babylon, Mede/Persia, Greek and Rome, but present day Iraq (the lion), Iran (the ram), Turkey, Egypt, Syria and Albania (the he goat), with the last beast that is different from the three previous ones being a revived and revised Islamic Caliphate.
We remember that the four heads on the goat in Daniel 7:6 represent what we believe will be a Confederacy of Turkey, Syria, Egypt and Albania that will join in making war against Iran, after Iran has waged war to take over the Middle East in an attempt to establish a Shiite Islamic Caliphate. Out of the defeat of Iran, with Turkey leading the way, a Sunni Islamic Caliphate will be established, out of which will arise ten horns (leaders of ten nations or regions), and from which will come the Antichrist.
We must also remember that Daniel 7:3-12 shows that these beasts are four end-time consecutive kingdoms leading up to Christ's return, and that Daniel 7:17-27 tells us the same thing. Daniel 7:6-8 also shows us that the Antichrist will arise out of the fourth beast (the Islamic Caliphate).
6. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns pluckt up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
We remember that Rome never devoured, broke in pieces and crushed other nations. Islam is the only entity that has ever done that. But, let us take this a little further. The little horn that arises out of the ten horns, and the little horn that arises out of the four new horns, both represent the Antichrist. In Daniel 8:5-8, we recall from our prior teaching of Part III and IV that the goat (the Sunni Confederacy of Turkey, Syria, Egypt and Albania) attacks the ram (Iran) and defeats it. The goat has one horn (one primary leader, possibly Erdogan, President of Turkey, since Turkey is the dominant military power) and when that horn is broken, then four new horns (leaders) emerge, out of which comes up a little horn that will be the Antichrist. Let us look at the Scriptures.
The Four New Horns
"8. Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 9. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land." -- Daniel 8:8-9.
The four heads on the leopard represent the Confederacy of Turkey, Syria, Egypt, and Albania and their leaders, while the four horns that arise, after the first horn is broken, represent four new territories that will form after the Confederacy breaks apart. So, who are the four notable horns that arise out of the Confederacy of Turkey, Syria, Egypt and Albania, and the little horn that comes up out of one of the four new nations or regions? And who are the ten horns that arise out of the fourth beast in Daniel 7:7-8 in which three are replaced by Antichrist?
Daniel 8:8 mentions that these four new realms are in the four compass directions as seen from Daniel's perspective in Susa ("toward the four winds of heaven")...the territory of "Nation #1" covers the present-day nations of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, and northern Iraq. I call this nation "New Turkey." The land of the Kurds are within its borders. "Nation #2" is present day Egypt combined with some territory in northern Arabia and perhaps parts of Jordan and western Iraq. I call it "New Egypt". "Nation #3" is basically the Arabian Peninsula, the cradle of Islam, along with southern Iraq and the Gulf States, which I call "New Arabia." Finally, "Nation #4" will basically be Iran, but its territory will only include that inhabited by ethnic Persians. I call it "New Iran." In all, there will be four new nations that will be birthed from the huge area of the Confederacy. There were perhaps fifteen nations in the region that Iran invaded, and four will emerge. The boundaries of these four new nations are just guesses, of course. --Daniel Revisited, Mark Davidson, pp. 225-228.
The Antichrist will arise out of one of these four new nations, which will probably be Turkey, due to the fact that the descendants of "Yavan", (Arabic for Greece), the son of Japeth (one of Noah's sons) settled in that location. Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who was a type of the Antichrist, along with his descendants were from that area.
The Ten Horns
Now, let's look at the ten horns on this last beast that is different from the other three. We know, according to Daniel 7:6-8 that this fourth beast arises after the leopard. This will be the Islamic Caliphate, headed up by their Mahdi (the Antichrist). This agrees with Revelation 13:1-1 and the beast that rises up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns and also agrees with Revelation 17:3, 10-13.
1. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. --Revelation 13:1-2.
3. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns...10. And there are seven kings, five are fallen, one is and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength to the beast. --Revelation 17:3, 10-13.
In Revelation 17:10, there are seven kings. The five kings that had fallen represent the past kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Mede/Persia, and Greece, while the sixth was Rome. The other that had not yet come, and makes the seventh, was the Islamic Caliphate (Ottoman Empire), which ruled Islam from 1519 to 1924. The beast that was, and is not, and is the eighth, and of the seven, will be the Revived and Revised Islamic Caliphate (not Rome, since Rome was the sixth and could not be the seventh also). We must remember that this eighth empire, which was the seventh, had a king (ruler), as did the other six.
These Scriptures are also reflective of Daniel 2:41-43 and the ten toes, partly of iron and partly of clay (representing Islam trying to mix with other cultures and religions). According to Mark Davidson in his book Daniel Revisited, these ten kings and kingdoms will possibly be
#1. New Turkey (Magog, Meshech, Tubal, and Gomer)
#2. New Egypt (Egypt, part of northern Arabia, some of Jordan, and some of Iraq)
#3. New Arabia (southern Iraq, Arabian Peninsula, and Gulf States)
#4. New Iran
#5. Sudan (Cush)
#6 and #7 Libya, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia (Put)
#8. Turkmenistan
#9. Uzbekistan
#10. Kazakhstan (Togarmah) Again, these are speculative, and time will tell if they are correct. If so, these are the primary territories that Antichrist will rule over as he heads up the revived and revised Islamic Caliphate where his rule will be centered in the Middle East.
The Beast from the Bottomless Pit
When the Bible talks about the fourth beast, it includes a kingdom and its ruler. The Bible tells us that this last beast (Antichrist), that was, and is not, will ascend out of the bottomless pit and rule for seven years (the 70th week of Daniel) over the Middle East. During this time he will also kill God's two witnesses (possibly Elijah and Enoch) and exhibit their bodies in the street of Jerusalem for 3-1/2 days, after which, God raises them from the dead:
3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesy a thousand two-hundred and threescore days (31/2 years), clothed in sackcloth... 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city (Jerusalem), which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. --Revelation 11:3, 7-8; (emphasis mine)
8. And the beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is...11. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. --Revelation 17:8, 11.
We do not know who the Antichrist will be, but according to the Scriptures, he has existed in the past, will come out of the bottomless pit and be brought back to life. This has to be a person since a kingdom cannot be brought out of the bottomless pit. Antichrist means "against, as well as in place of." He will be a counterfeit of Jesus Christ.
If Antichrist Is Muslim, and Worships Allah, How Can He Enter the Rebuilt Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and Claim to Be God?
1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2. that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3. Let no one deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4. who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. --II Thessalonians 2:1-4.
There are four things the Apostle Paul is emphasizing in the above Scriptures that are of utmost importance.
1. He tells us not to be deceived regarding the timing of the coming of the Lord Jesus and the rapture of the Church.
2. He tells us that day (the return of Jesus) will not come until the "falling away" takes place first (falling away is the Greek word "apostasia" or "apostasy", which means "a renunciation or abandonment of one's religious faith or object of one's previous loyalty." Many believers will turn from following the Lord Jesus Christ in the last days before He returns.
3. He tells us that day (rapture) will also not come until the "man of sin is revealed" (Antichrist).
4. He tells us that this man of sin will shew that he is God.
The argument from most Bible teachers regarding Antichrist being Muslim is that he will shew himself to be God in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem; and to a Muslim, that would be blasphemy against Allah, but what they do not understand is the true meaning behind him shewing himself to be God from an Hebrew/Greek Scriptural standpoint, as well as from an Islamic standpoint. I believe my answer below will clear up this misconception.
If the Antichrist is Muslim, and worships Allah, then how can he claim to be God? As I said before, from a Muslim perspective, that would be blasphemy. This question is vital to our understanding of what will actually take place when the Antichrist enters the rebuilt Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and commits the Abomination of Desolation.
We must first understand that the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem will not be holy to the Antichrist. Islam's holy places are Mecca and Medina (although they consider the Dome of the Rock and Al Aska mosque as holy); therefore, when he enters the Temple and commits the Abomination of Desolation, it will be a defiling of the Jewish place of worship, which will mean nothing to the Antichrist, since his god is Allah and not the true God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the true followers of Jesus Christ. What he will be doing is showing that Islam and Allah are greater than Judaism and Christianity. This reminds us of Antiochus IV Epiphanes when he committed the Abomination of Desolation by going into the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in 168 BC, offering a pig upon the altar to his god Zeus.
The Islamic world is waiting on their "savior", their Mahdi. What we must realize is that the word "savior" to them does not mean the same as it does to Jews and Christians. They consider it to mean "the one who will unite the Muslim world and rule it to the glory of Allah;" whereas the word "savior", according to the Scriptures, means a Redeemer: one who through His shed blood saves us from our sins.
"For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:...I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior." Isaiah 43:3, 11.
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;" I Timothy 1:1.
"For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold...but with the precious blood of Christ," I Peter 1:18-19.
Islam does not recognize the Hebrew/Greek Scriptures, but the Qur'an, which is a mixture of perverted Bible stories, fables and contradictions. In fact, 'savior" is not even one of the 99 names of Allah. Again, to the Muslims, the word "savior" is the unifying force (their Mahdi) that will bring the Muslims together and conquer the world.
II Thessalonians 2:4 says the Antichrist "sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." Since Islam believes that Christianity supplanted Judaism (It did not supplant Scriptural Judaism), and that Islam supplanted Christianity, for the Antichrist to enter the Jewish Temple and defile it would not mean that he is saying he is God to Islam, but that he is supplanting the Jewish God as Islams Mahdi. To the Jewish and Christian way of thinking, we would say he is proclaiming himself to be God, since the word 'savior", according the the Scriptures, is a title or position that is exclusively God's. So, although Jews and Christians would think he is saying he is God, the Muslims would not say he was calling himself Allah, but their Mahdi who will have conquered the Jews and Christians. We are dealing with two different mindsets.
Another argument the teachers of a European Antichrist is that he cannot be Muslim, according to Daniel 11:36-37:
"And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods...neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all." --Daniel 11:36-37.
The Antichrist will consider himself greater than all the religions and gods people worship throughout the world, as well as the one true God of the Bible. He will also blaspheme God, since he thinks Allah is greater. But to fully understand what Daniel is saying, we need to include verses 38-39.
"38. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory:" --Daniel 11:38-39.
So, we see that Antichrist does not exalt and magnify himself above every god, for in verse 38 it says, "in his estate" (his office or base of operation) he shall honor the god of forces. When we look at the history of Islam, we see that it has been, and is, a religion of the sword and forces everyone outside of its belief system to submit or be killed. Truly, the god of forces (Satan) is who Antichrist will serve. It is interesting that a primary goal of Islam is to eradicate all Jews and Christians. But we should not be surprised, seeing that it is a geopolitical-religious system designed, birthed, and implemented by Satan himself. He would like to wipe out every semblance of God and take over His place as ruler of all creation. Needless to say, he will never succeed. Jesus is Lord!
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