In part 1, we examined Daniel 9:26, a verse used in supporting a revived Roman Empire since history tells us it was Rome that invaded Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and sacked the temple. What has been forgotten until recently is that the ethnicity of the soldiers who actually destroyed Jerusalem and set fire to the temple was Middle-Eastern. We looked at several excerpts from two famous historians, Josephus and Tacitus, for confirmation.

• Watch a VIDEO explaining the history: A Proper Interpretation of Daniel 9:26 [6:20]

In part 2 below, we will examine additional, peripheral Scripture concerning the ethnicity of the Antichrist.

Jon

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FURTHER SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE POINTING TO AN ISLAMIC ANTICHRIST

Some personal characteristics. Let’s take a look at a verse from Daniel describing the Antichrist.

“He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all.

[Daniel 11:37 NASB]

This verse tells us the Antichrist will not regard his fathers’ god/s because he will declare himself to be God. This is easily understood. It also tells us he will not regard the desire of women. This is not so easily understood. What is the desire of women?

To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.”

[Genesis 3:16 NASB]

God tells Eve that her desire will be for her husband who will rule over her. He specifically explains just how a husband should rule over his wife in the New Testament.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

[Ephesians 5:25 NASB]

Islamic Sharia Law teaches men it is their right to abuse their wives. Islam disregards a woman’s desire for her husband and how husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church.

Daniel 11:37 in the ESV reads,

He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.

[Daniel 11:37 ESV]

This translation is saying that he will not regard the god of women either. In most translations, this part about women is between two segments talking about gods as though it is referring to a god of women. Most translations also use the word “other” or “others” before “god” to support this interpretation. The question is which is the correct translation? Interestingly, a woman-god can be found in Jeremiah 7:17-18, 44:17-19 & 44:25. She is an Assyrian and Babylonian goddess called the Queen of Heaven also known as Ishtar, Ashtoreth or Astarte (Read about how this religion started in Babel and spread around the world giving rise to all false religions today). Daniel was writing while in captivity in Babylon. If he is making reference to the Queen of Heaven, it is further suggestive that the Antichrist will be of Middle-Eastern origin.

I must mention that some interpret this verse as meaning the Antichrist will be a homosexual having no desire for women. I don’t believe an in-depth study of the verse reveals this.

SOME BIBLICAL REASONING POINTING TO WORLDWIDE ISLAMIC RULE

A one-world political, economic, religious system. Muslims have been migrating to every part of the world and Islam is being accepted, even welcomed, by many of our world leaders. Islam has but one purpose, to spread Sharia Law, and we’ve been hearing more and more about this even in our own country. The Book of Revelation says, at the time of the end, there will be a one-world political/economic/religious system in power eventually to be governed by one man, the Antichrist [Rev 13]. Remembering Hitler, and many attempts before that to exterminate Jews, it seems to me, at the very least, another holocaust is on the way, this time at the hands of Islam. I cannot say this will be the Great Tribulation with finality but it causes me to pause and wonder whether Islamic Sharia Law may be part of God’s final judgment on a wicked humanity. Sharia Law encompasses a complete government system – economic, political and religious – all in one and is entirely contrary to all other cultures in that it actively teaches conversion or death.

Changes in times and law. In Daniel 7:25, we are told that the Antichrist will attempt to make changes in times and law.

‘He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

[Daniel 7:25 NASB]

Consider Sharia Law, a complete government and religious system, even has its own time that is different than the rest of the world’s system of time. Currently, the entire world uses Greenwich Mean Time, a product of the West. It would appear that Muslims wish to change the standard of time to Mecca Time, as it’s called.

•  Giant Mecca clock seeks to call time on Greenwich

A head full of dust. Some interpret verses about the destruction of Babylon the Great in the Book of Revelation as the destruction of a country, namely America, or a revived Roman Empire. Though I will address this later, let’s look at a peripheral argument against this. In the verse below, and in others, it describes Babylon as the city that rules over the earth at the time of the end. There is ample evidence which points to a literal destruction of a rebuilt Babylon at the time of the end both in the Bible and in the news. Let’s look at one verse,

“And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’

[Revelation 18:19 NASB]

In context, the people being described are lamenting over the destruction of Babylon, called the great city [Rev 18:10; 16; 18; 21]. I want to bring your attention to the beginning of the verse by asking you this question, doAmericans and Europeans throw dust on their heads when they are upset? Certainly Jews do [Jos 7:6, Job 2:12, 1Sa 4:12] but so do non-Jews of Middle-Eastern origin. A few examples follow.

Some scholars believe that Tarshish was a Phoenician colony in Spain. Phoenicians are from the Middle-East. The sailors and pilots of the ships of Tarshish are referenced in Ezekiel 27:25-30 as throwing dust on their heads because of the destruction of Tyre with whom they traded.

And they will make their voice heard over you And will cry bitterly. They will cast dust on their heads, They will wallow in ashes.

[Ezekiel 27:30 NASB]

Also, in 2 Samuel 1:2-13, an Amalekite came to David with dust on his head while bringing him news of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan.

I believe John’s description of the shipmasters, passengers and sailors throwing dust on their heads in Revelation 18:19 is consistent with the idea of world-wide Islamic rule at the time of the end.

Islam beheads. It is common knowledge that Islam calls for the killing of all those who do not share in its system of belief. Often, death comes in the form of beheading. Who can forget the horrific story of Nick Berg who was beheaded by Islamic fundamentalists while he was alive and on camera just for being a Jew? The reporter Daniel Pearl suffered the same fate as some of our soldiers have and many others as well. Revelation 20:4 says,

Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

[Revelation 20:4 NASB]

Some interpret beheaded as meaning killed but not in any specific way. Since it actually says beheaded, I’m inclined to believe that’s what it means – a reference to the practice of beheading common to Islam.

The blaspheming mouth of the Antichrist. In Revelation 13:2, the beast, being both a demonic man and the world system he rules [Rev 13], will have a mouth like a lion.

And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

[Revelation 13:1-2 NASB]

The lion is known to be a simile for the kingdom of Babylon [Dan 7:4].

The famous story of Daniel and the lion’s den happened while he was in captivity in Babylon [Dan 6:16-23]. There are a number of other references to the blaspheming mouth of the Antichrist [Dan 7:8; 20; Rev13:5-6]. Perhaps describing the mouth of the beast as the mouth of a lion is a reference to his ethnicity. If so, it also would suggest this may have been known among the Apostles. Some of their descriptions of spiritual struggle and of Satan, who gives his power to the beast, use the same imagery.

But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.

[2 Timothy 4:17 NASB]

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

[1 Peter 5:8 NASB]

The Devil prowls around like a roaring lion and is the power behind the Antichrist perhaps giving him a mouth like a lion.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST ANY POPE AS ANTICHRIST

Here, I must highlight my rejection of any Pope as Antichrist and the Vatican as the future religious center of the world.

• The Vatican simply does not fit the description of the great city in Revelation 18
• The Vatican is not involved in supplying the entire international community with goods and services as described in Revelation 18
• Few take the Pope seriously except for Catholics and then not even all Catholics do
• Rome was already the religious center of the world at one time and has declined in that regard
• New (and not so new) spiritual departures are growing in popularity, namely the New Age, the emergent/emerging church, contemplative spirituality, Buddhism and Islam

• Istanbul, also, is a city on seven hills

http://www.greatistanbul.com/hills.htm, 

http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NTA0NjEzNDk3,

http://www.hotelsevenhills.com/

• Roman Catholicism is merely one facet of the harlot religion (see Declaring the End from the Beginning and Will the Revived Kingdom Really Be Rome?)
  
• Claiming that the Roman Catholic religion alone is Mystery Babylon the Great disregards a great many Scriptural references and a large portion of world history

Consider membership in the European Union has already surpassed ten countries, however it will be interesting to see what happens to the EU as a result of the world-wide economic crisis.

Conclusion. I’m not sure I would have looked in the direction of an Islamic Antichrist if it weren’t for some articles I came across some time ago and the current trend we are experiencing. Muslims are migrating to every part of the world and our leaders are welcoming them with open arms while Islam adamantly markets itself as a religion of peace in contradiction of its obvious violence. I am leaving out other Scriptural references that require greater study that I believe argue for an Islamic Antichrist as well.

Review Part 1

© P2ALM 2011