Revealing the Identity of the Antichrist

In this epistles, John the apostle mentions a term that has become synonymous with the archenemy of Christ or the Messiah and Christians everywhere. It is Antichrist. This word’s meaning is self-evident, but, by John’s own definition, let’s now discover who really fits the strictest definition of Antichrist.

The first place John mentions this term is in the second chapter of his first epistle.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)

The prophetic apostles then goes on to make two further references to this arch-villain of the Messiah and his disciples.

…and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (1 John 4:3)

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 1:7)

How does John define the spirit of antichrist? From 1 John 2:18–19, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7 we learn the following:

  • The antichrist spirit was prophesied to come on the scenes. Presumably, this specific spirit could not emerge until the Messiah had come.
  • The Antichrist or the spirit thereof pretends to the Messiah or the Anointed One from heaven and deceives people into believing this lie.
  • Antichrist and all spirits of antichrist, in the most literal sense, emerged of the first century apostolic faith of the Jewish Christian community or, by possible extension, its direct successors. 
  • The spirit of antichrist denies that Yeshua is the Messiah (Savior and Redeemer of man).
  • The satanic spirit denies that Yeshua is part of the “Godhead”. 
  • Next, it denies that Yeshua is is deity and is the Son of Elohim.
  • Finally, it denies the incarnation of Yeshua. 

This then is how the Bible defines the spirit of antichrist.

Other biblical references that many Christians scholars believe allude to this end times Antichrist figure include:

  • The Beast (Rev 13:4)
  • The abomination that causes desolation (Matt 24:15)
  • The desolator (Dan 9:27)
  • The man of sin (or lawlessness), the son of perdition (2 Thess 2:3)
  • The little horn (Dan 7:8)
  • The Assyrian (Mic 5:5; Isa 10:5; 14:25)

What should be our reaction when we encounter this demonic spirit of antichrist? The wise counsel of John in his second epistle sums up our firm conviction on this matter.

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Messiah does not have Elohim. He who abides in the doctrine of Messiah has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. (2 John 9–11)

What additionally can we learn about the person of the Antichrist and the spirit of antichrist from the four passages where antichrist is mentioned in John’s epistles?

From 1 John 2:18–19, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7 we learn that the Antichrist and all spirits of antichrist have come out of the first century apostolic faith of the Jewish Christian community. In the strictest sense, this eliminates some of the world’s largest religions (e.g., Hinduism, Buddhism) as being contenders for the end times religious system of the Antichrist. That leaves paganized mainstream Christianity and Islam. From John’s writings, we also learn that the spirit of antichrist denies that Yeshua is the Messiah (Savior and Redeemer of man), denies that Yeshua is part of the “Godhead,” is deity and is the Son of Elohim, and denies the incarnation of Yeshua. This rules out mainstream Christianity, even in its paganized or somewhat apostate form. Of the existing major world religions extant on earth today, only Islam fits the strictest biblical definition of Antichrist and religion thereof. 

Yes, it is true that Islam did not yet exist in John’s day. John died in the 90s A.D., and Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was not born until A.D. 570. However, Islam did not spontaneously combust out of a religious vacuum. If one reads the Koran, one will discover that the tenets of Islam are pulled from several already existing religious systems of the day including Judaism, Christianity, the moon worshipping religion of Muhammad’s own tribal religious system, as well as from the Greek philosophers including that of dualism and gnosticism. When one reads the entire Koran, it is becomes evident that Islam is a mongrelized, jumbled mixture of a various religious threads and traditions.

This then begs a relevant question: To what religious system was John specifically referring when he penned his first and second epistles probably late in his life in the A.D. 90s? What religious ideology was in existence in his day that had broken off of early Christianity and was proclaiming a false Messiah among other things? This most likely would have been the religion of gnosticism that Paul was already combatting in his epistle to the Colossians, and which rose to prominence under Marcion (the heretic) of Sinope (A.D. 85–160), who came to prominence in the early to mid-second century A.D. Eventually, the early church fathers branded gnosticism as a heresy and Marcion a heretic for denying the bodily manifestation of Yeshua the Messiah. However, later on, Muhammad would pick up and proclaim some elements of Gnostic heresy and it would be enshrined in the Koran. Thus, modern Islam is the descendant of this antichrist doctrine.

Now having established which major religious system fits the strictest definition of antichrist as John defines it, we cannot overlook the fact that John also states, “it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come….” While in the end times there may be one Antichrist figure that personifies a larger philosophy of rebellion against the YHVH Elohim and his divine Truth as revealed in his word, the Bible, John leaves the door open for there to be many other iterations of the antichrist spirit as well. 

In the loosest sense, anyone, any philosophy, any religious system or anything else that opposes Yeshua the Messiah or Jesus Christ and the Word and Truth of the Bible is of the spirit of Antichrist. This would include anyone or anything that aligns itself with Islam and takes a stand against the followers of Yeshua or those who teach the Word of Elohim. Let’s be frank here. This eventually includes almost the entire world! 

Moreover, there are strains of the spirit of antichrist in modern religious Judaism, and even mainstream Christianity. That is why YHVH pleads if not commands his people to come out of Babylon (Rev 18:4).

To be sure, the spirit of antichrist exists in all of the false religions of the world as well such socioeconomic systems as Marxism and all of its ungodly substrates. 

Eventually, the nascence of the spirit of antichrist goes back to Satan the serpent in the Garden of Eden, when he deceived the first humans into joining him in his preexisting rebellion against the commands or the word of Elohim. 

Ultimately, the evil spirit of antichrist, which is rebellion against YHVH’s Torah-word, has spread its destructive cancerous tentacles globally and now infest everyone and everything. In a word, the spirit of antichrist is nothing more than sin, which is rebellion against and the violation of YHVH’s Torah-law or commandments (1 John 3:4). Only through a relationship with Yeshua the Messiah, who came as Elohim in the flesh as the Son of YHVH Elohim, can sinful and rebellious man be redeemed and set free from the grip of the spirit of antichrist. Those who remain under the control of this satanic spirit will die in their sins, while those who repent and turn to Yeshua and receive him not merely as their Savior, but as their Lord and Master and love him by conforming their lives to his Torah-word will experience eternal life and inclusion in the kingdom of heaven as adopted sons and daughters into the family of Elohim.

 

Edom (the Muslims) Exposed

Many, if not most of the modern Moslems or Muslims (especially the Arabs) trace their lineage back if not biologically then spiritually to Ishmael, the son of Abraham by Hagar. Islam in its religious book, the Koran, claims that it was Abraham and Ishmael who built the Kaaba (The Koran, Sura 2: 121 or 127, depending on the version.), which is the small building containing a stone that supposedly fell from heaven. This shrine is located in the midst of great mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. 

In Genesis 16:11–12 YHVH prophesied the following concerning Ishmael and his descendants:

The angel of YHVH said to her further, “Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son; and you shall call his name Ishmael, because YHVH has given heed to your affliction. And he will be a wild donkey of a man, his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; and he will live to the east of all his brothers.”

The modern Moslems have twisted the biblical account of Abraham’s giving the birthright blessing to Isaac and believe instead that Ishmael was the promised son of blessing. Both Israelites and Arabs, therefore, believe that they have a right to the Promised Land of Canaan, and, hence, this disagreement is at the roots of the modern Arab-Israeli conflict.

Scripture further records that Esau, the disinherited son of Isaac, also had a jealous anger against his brother Jacob, who received the birthright promise instead of him. Scripture further records that Esau married the daughter of Ishmael (Gen 28:9). Thus in some of Esau’s descendants (he had more than one wife), the lineage of Esau and Ishmael were combined and both men had a jealous feud with the sons of Jacob, which has been passed down generationally to this day.

The Bible has more to say prophetically about the descendants of Edom (another name for Esau, Gen 31:6, 8)than about those of Ishmael. Edom is portrayed as an aggressive and bloodthirsty people who are opposed to Israel at every step. We will discover what Scripture has to say about this below.

In the mean time, let’s take a closer look at Edom.

Edom (meaning “red”) was Esau’s nickname (see Gen 25:25, 30; 36:1, 8–9, 19, 43). 

Esau intermarried with the descendants of Ishmael (Gen 28:9). 

  • Seir is another name for the land of Edom (Gen 32:3; 33:16; 36:8).
  • Esau intermarried with the people of Canaan (Gen 36:2). He intermarried with the Hittites, the Hivites, as well as the Ishmaelites.
  • His descendants included the Amalekites (Gen 36:12, 16) who fought against the children of Israel upon leaving Egypt and as soon as they had entered the wilderness en route to the Promised Land (Exod 17:1).
  • Esau’s sons were dukes or chieftains (leaders of clans) and kings (Gen 36:15–16, 40–43).
  • Although Esau’s direct lineage was confined to the area of the traditional land of Edom, in modern-day Jordan, it is clear from the biblical record that he and his descendants intermarried with many of the neighboring nations, so that his descendants were scattered far and wide over the region that later became known as the Holy Land.
  • The entire one-chapter Book of Obadiahis a prophecy against Edom. Let’s note several key points in this prophecy that might help us to understand some things about Edom in light of end-time Bible prophecy and how this relates to the end-times Arab-Israeli conflict. When you think of Edom, think of the modern day Palestinians.

Verse 2, The descendants of Edom are greatly despised (scorned, held in contempt, disdained).

Verse 3, Though they dwell in the clefts (places of concealment, retreats) of the rocks, they are proud and view themselves as invincible.

Verse 4, YHVH promises to bring Edom down.

Verse 7, Esau has a confederacy (league, alliance) of nations, which include many of the modern Moslem and Arab nations.

Verse 11, Edom’s eyes are on Jerusalem. Edom among other foreigners will cast lots for Jerusalem (seek to divide it among the nations or religions of the world as an international city under the control of the United Nations?).

Verse 13, Edom has entered into the gates of the land of Israel in the day of her calamity or disaster.

Verse 14, Edom will kill Jewish refugees trying to escape the land of Israel in her time of distress.

Verse 15, The time frame of the fulfillment of these prophecies is “near” the day of YHVH, when he will judge Edom and the other heathen nations. 

Verse 16, Edom will be drinking (celebrating?) on the Temple Mount which is YHVH’s “holy mountain,” and as a result, they shall drink the cup of YHVH’s wrath.

Verse 17, The house of Jacob will get the Temple Mount back!

How many descriptions of the modern Palestinian and other Islamo-terrorists do we see in Obadiah? What other people-group fits this description? Is Esau a picture of many modern-day Palestinians and their Moslem backers who hate the Jews, the state of Israel and America? 

We have learned who Jacob represents in end-time prophecy. Now we learn who Jacob’s descendants’ arch-enemy will be and who will attempt to prevent them from returning to the land of Israel. This will happen in the end times before the coming of the Messiah. We will learn more about this later.

As we noted, Edom’s hatred for Israel has its roots in the antagonism between Ishmael and Isaac, and then afterwards between Esau and Jacob. The hatred that Esau had for Israel has been passed on down to successive generations of Edomites. The biblical prophets discusses this murderous antagonism on Edom’s part as being carried down generation to generation to the very end times. Let’s review some of these biblical prophecies.

Ezekiel 36 speaks about the conflict between end-time Edom and end-time Israel. In verse two, we see that the enemies of Israel have regarded the “ancient high [or declared, promised] places” of Israel as “ours in possession.” This is a clear reference to the holy places in Israel (e.g., the Temple Mount for the Jews and Bethlehem for the Christians—only in recent years have the Palestinians taken Bethlehem and forced—out of persecution and intimidation—the majority of the large Christian population of that city to leave). “High places” can also refer to the militarily strategic high places such as the Golan Heights and the ridges surrounding the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Next, let’s look at Ezekiel 35, which is a prophecy against Edom. In verses four through five, we see that end-time Edom will be devastated because of its perpetual hatred for the children of Israel. They have killed their enemies by the power of the sword. This is how Muslim’s have traditionally spread their religion—by their curved scimitar sword. Advancing Moslem armies force its captives to leave, covert or die. According to verse five, this is to be occurring at the time of the punishment (of the children of Israel?) at the time of the end (NAS) or the end of time (lit. Hebrew). This is another example of YHVH’s using Edom (Esau) to bring Ephraim and Judah to its knees in the time of the end.

In verses six through nine of the same chapter, we see that YHVH will punish Edom for its blood-thirstiness against Israel and will devastate its cities and slay large numbers of its people. Other biblical prophecies indicate that the militaries of Judah and Ephraim will be the means by which YHVH accomplishes this.

Finally, in verse 10, Edom (Islam) wants to take over or possess the two countries or lands (Heb. eretz) of Israel or those of Judah and Ephraim (or the Jews and Christians), even though YHVH was there (in the lands of his people). Their anger and hatred against Israel is based on envy or jealousy (verse 11) of Israel.

The Koran, the religious book of Islam, has taken the historic and prophesied hatred of Edom and formed a religion around it. The Koran was written by Mohammed, a Jew and Christian hater, more than one thousand years after the prophecies of Ezekiel and Obadiah. Here are some quotes from the Koran that confirm the prophecies of the Bible with regard to Edom.

Make war upon those to whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in God [Allah]…and who forbid not that which God and His Apostle [Mohammed] have forbidden, and who profess not the profession of the truth, until they pay tribute out of hand, and they be humbled. The Jews say, “Ezra is a son of God”; and the Christians say, “The Messiah is a son of God.” Such sayings in their mouths. They resemble the sayings of the infidels of old! God do battle with them! How they are misguided! (Sura 9:29–30)

When thy Lord spake unto the angels, “I will be with you: therefore stablish ye the faithful I will cast a dread into the heart of the infidels.” Strike off their heads then, and strike off from them every finger-tip. (Sura 8:12)

“O people of the Book!…Can I announce to you any retribution worse than that which awaiteth them with God? They whom God hath cursed and with whom He hath been angry—some of them hath he changed into apes and swine; and they who worship Thagout are in evil plight, and have gone far astray from the right path. (Sura 5:64–65)

Only recompense of those who war against God and His Apostle, and go about to commit disorders on the earth, shall be that they shall be slain and crucified, or have their alternate hands and feet cut off, or be banished from the land…(Sura 5:37) (All quotes are from The Koran; Ivy/Ballentine Books, New York, 1993)

 

Who is Edom in end times Bible prophecy?

militants

Genesis 25:27–28, Esau vs. Isaac. There are only two types of people on this earth: Esaus and Jacobs. Ponder or discuss this for a moment. Consider, for example, the fact that hanging on either side of Yeshua on the cross, spiritually speaking, there was a “Jacob” and an “Esau.” (Read Luke 23:39–43 and discuss.) We see the same thing in Matthew 24:39–41. (Discuss.)

What type of person was Esau? He was described as a cunning hunter. Nimrod was the only other person in Scripture termed “a hunter.” What kind of person would a hunter have been then compared to a farmer or herdsman? Esau was a man of the field. Field in Scripture is a metaphor for the world (see Matt 13:38). Esau was a profane (unhallowed, worldly, ungodly) man (Heb 12:16). He had no esteem for things of eternal value. That is why he sold his birthright. He lived for the moment and had no eye for, hope in, or faith toward the future. He sought instant gratification of his sensual nature. His god was his belly. He disdained and dishonored his family heritage and those things that were highly esteemed by his father and grandfather. In Gen 26:34–35, we see, to the great grief of his parents, Esau marrying one of the local heathen Canaanite girls. He did not honor his parents or respect their wishes and marry inside the faith.

Do these traits describe some unbelievers that you know, and even some believers? Perhaps you were like this before you were saved. Do we see many Esau-types running around among the younger generation today?

Genesis 25:30, Esau…Edom. Many, if not most of the modern Moslems (especially the Arabs) trace their lineage back if not biologically then spiritually to Continue reading


 

“One Christian Slaughtered Every Five Minutes”

  • The White House said it was preparing to accuse the Islamic State of genocide against religious minorities, recognizing various groups, such as the Yazidis, as victims. However, Christians are apparently not going to be included.
  • An NGO report states that one Christian is slaughtered every five minutes in Iraq, and that, “Islamic State Militants in Iraq are using Christian churches as torture chambers where they force Christians to either convert to Islam or die.”
  • When Pope Francis stood before the world at the UN, his energy was, once again, spent on defending the environment. In his nearly 50-minute speech, only once did Francis make reference to persecuted Christians — and their sufferings were merged in the same sentence with the supposedly equal sufferings of “members of the majority religion,” that is, Sunni Muslims. Sunnis are not being slaughtered, beheaded, and raped for their faith; are not having their mosques bombed and burned; are not being jailed or killed for apostasy, blasphemy, or proselytization.
  • “What is happening in Lebanon is an attempt to replace the people with [Muslim] Syrians and Palestinians.” — Gebran Bassil, Foreign Minister of Lebanon.

Throughout September, as more Christians were slaughtered and persecuted for their religion — not just by the Islamic State but by “everyday” Muslims from all around the world — increasing numbers of people and organizations called for action. Meanwhile, those best placed to respond — chief among them U.S. President Barack Obama and Pope Francis — did nothing.

“Why, we ask the western world, why not raise one’s voice over so much ferocity and injustice?” asked Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the head of the Italian Bishops Conference.

Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III said: “I do not understand why the world does not raise its voice against such acts of brutality.”

As one report put it: “Human rights activists see it. Foreign leaders see it. And more than 80 members of the U.S. Congress see it. Together, they are pressuring the leader of the free world [President Obama] to declare there is a Christian genocide going on in the Middle East.”

In response, the White House said it was preparing to release a statement accusing the Islamic State of committing genocide against religious minorities, naming and recognizing various groups, such as the Yazidis, as victims. However, Christians are apparently not going to be included as victims, as Obama officials argue that Christians “do not appear to meet the high bar set out in the genocide treaty.”

Meanwhile, Father Behnam Benoka, an Iraqi priest, explained in a detailed letter to Pope Francis the horrors Mideast Christians are experiencing. To his joy, the pope called the Middle Eastern priest and told him that “I will never leave you.” As Benoka put it, “He called me. He told me certainly, sure I am with you, I will don’t forget you… I will make all possible to help you.”

However, later in September, when Pope Francis stood before the world at the United Nations, his energy was, once again, spent on defending the environment. In his entire speech, which lasted nearly 50 minutes, only once did Francis make reference to persecuted Christians — and even then they did not receive special attention but, in the same breath, their sufferings were merged in the same sentence with the supposedly equal sufferings of “members of the majority religion,” that is, Sunni Muslims (the only group not to be attacked by the Islamic State, a Sunni organization):

I must renew my repeated appeals regarding to the painful situation of the entire Middle East, North Africa and other African countries, where Christians, together with other cultural or ethnic groups, and even members of the majority religion who have no desire to be caught up in hatred and folly, have been forced to witness the destruction of their places of worship, their cultural and religious heritage, their houses and property, and have faced the alternative either of fleeing or of paying for their adhesion to good and to peace by their own lives, or by enslavement.

Yet, as the following roundup from September shows, “members of the majority religion” –Sunnis — are not being slaughtered, beheaded, and raped for their faith; are not having their mosques bombed and burned; are not being jailed or killed for apostasy, blasphemy, or proselytization.

Savagery and Slaughter

Uganda: Three Muslim men beat and raped a 19-year-old Christian woman. The young student was returning home from St. Mary’s Teachers College in Bukedea when she was ambushed by three masked men. “I tried to scream, but one blocked my mouth and another slapped me as they forcefully dragged me off the footpath,” said the victim. “I heard one of them telling the others that I should be killed because my parents deserted Islam. But another said, ‘But we are not sure whether this girl is a Christian.'” Instead of killing her, they raped and beat her so severely that she is still receiving hospital treatment for her injuries.

United States: Freddy Akoa, a 49-year-old Christian healthcare worker in Portland, Maine, was savagely beaten to death in his own home by three Muslims. Found next to Akoa’s body was his blood-splattered Bible. The slain had cuts and bruises all over his body and a fatal head trauma. Internally, he suffered 22 rib fractures and a lacerated liver. The police affidavit stated that Akoa “had been beaten and kicked in the head, and bashed in the head with a piece of furniture in an assault that continued relentlessly for hours.” Akoa was apparently throwing a party before or during the attack. The three assailants were all Muslim refugees of Somali origin. In recent times, both in America and Europe, several “refugees” have turned out to be Islamic terrorists, some with direct ties to ISIS. (A faction of Al Shabaab, Somalia’s premiere jihadi organization, recently pledged allegiance to ISIS.)

Syria: A Christian from the Qaryatain village in the province of Homs was executed by the Islamic State for refusing to obey the dhimmi [second-class, “tolerated”] conditions imposed on Christian villagers. ISIS also killed a Christian priest, chopped his body into pieces, and sent the pieces back to his family in a box. Earlier ISIS had kidnapped the priest and demanded a ransom of $120,000 from his family, which finally managed to raise the ransom money after two months. But after paying it, ISIS reneged on their word and brutally killed the Catholic priest anyway.

Pakistan: The Muslim family of a woman who converted to Christianity and married a Christian murdered her husband and wounded the young woman. Aleem Masih, 28, married Nadia, 23, last year after she put her faith in Christ. The couple then fled their village as the woman’s family sought “to avenge the shame their daughter had brought upon them by recanting Islam and marrying a Christian,” said a lawyer involved in the case. Eventually Nadia’s father, Muhammad Din Meo, and his henchmen managed to abduct the couple and took them to a nearby farm. “The Muslim men first brutally tortured the couple with fists and kicks and then thrice shot Aleem Masih — one bullet hit him in his ankle, the second in the ribs while the third targeted his face,” the attorney said. “Nadia was shot in the abdomen.” The Muslim relatives left believing they had killed the couple. “The attackers returned to their village and publicly proclaimed that they had avenged their humiliation and restored the pride of the Muslims by killing the couple in cold blood.” Police, however, found Nadia still breathing when they arrived at the farm. “She was shifted to the General Hospital in Lahore, where she is fighting for her life after a major operation in which two bullets were removed from her abdomen.” A large number of Muslims were gathered at the hospital when the critically wounded woman arrived. “The mob, some of them armed with weapons, was shouting furious anti-Christian slogans…. They were also praising Azhar for restoring the pride of the Muslim Ummah [community] and saying that he had earned his place in paradise for killing an infidel.”

Philippines: Islamic terrorists from the jihadi group Abu Sayyaf were suspected in the bombingof a passenger bus in the predominantly Christian city of Zamboanga on September 18 that killed a 14-year-old girl and wounded 33 others. Intelligence sources had warned that Abu Sayyaf would be targeting cities and communities with heavy Christian populations. Only 20% of Zamboanga is Muslim, and the rest almost entirely Christian (mostly Catholic).

Egypt: The mother of a Coptic priest was robbed and killed in Fekria city in Minya.

Muslim Attacks on Christian Churches

United States: On Sunday, September 13, 40-year-old Rasheed Abdul Aziz was arrested for threatening the Corinth Missionary Baptist Church in Bullard, Texas. The Muslim-American had a gun and was dressed for combat — complete with camouflage helmet, camouflage pants, tactical vest and boots — when he entered the church around 1 p.m. According to Pastor John Johnson, Aziz said that Allah had told him to “slay infidels” and that “people are going to die today.” The pastor added, “I believe that his intent was when he came to our church was to actually kill somebody.”

Tanzania: During the course of one week, six Christian churches were burned down. On September 23, three churches were set ablaze: The Living Waters International Church, Buyekera Pentecostal Assemblies of God, and Evangelical Assemblies of God Tanzania Church. Three days later, on September 26, another three churches were also set ablaze: The Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kitundu Roman Catholic Church, and Katoro Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church. According to a local source, “The people woke up on 27th Sep to find their sanctuaries burnt down… The scenarios are the same; unknown people broke in, piled things onto the altar, poured petrol over it and set it alight. They fled before anyone could respond and so remain unknown.” The east African nation is mostly comprised of Christians and Muslims, though the ratio is disputed.

Bethlehem: Muslims set fire to the St. Charbel Monastery. Sobhy Makhoul, the chancellor of the Maronite Patriarchate in Jerusalem, said, “It was an act of arson, not a fire caused by an electrical problem [as local authorities had claimed], an act of sectarian vandalism by radical Muslims.” The fire caused no casualties or injuries — fortunately the building was unoccupied and under renovation — but the damage is evident, and the local Christian community evidently feared further violence. The Maronite leader added that, “The attack is… anti-Christian, like many other incidents across the Middle East. Extremist groups operate in the area, including some Hamas cells.”

Iraq: A report that discusses how one Christian is slaughtered every five minutes in Iraq, adds that, “Islamic State Militants in Iraq are using Christian churches as torture chambers where they force Christians to either convert to Islam or die.”

Syria: Within days of capturing the city of Qaryatain, the Islamic State destroyed an ancient Catholic monastery and threw away the remains of a revered saint. The Sunni terror group then gave an ultimatum to the Christians in Qaryatain to either pay jizya (extortion money), convert to Islam, or leave.

Islamic State jihadists in the midst of destroying the ancient Mar Elian monastery in Qaryatain, Syria.

Yemen: A day after a Catholic church in Aden was vandalized, another group of unidentified assailants set the Christian building “in flames,” in the words of a witness. Of the 22 churches that operated in Aden before 1967, when the city was a British colony, only a few remain open, used rarely by foreign workers and African refugees. The now-torched St. Joseph Church was one of those few.

Indonesia: On Sunday, September 27, the GKI Yasmin Church in Bogor held its 100th open-air service since 2008, when local Muslims had begun complaining that the church existed. Even though the church was fully registered, the authorities obligingly closed it. In December 2010, the Indonesian Supreme Court ordered the church to be reopened, but the mayor of Bogor refused to comply and kept it sealed off. Since then, the congregation has been holding Sunday services at the homes of members, and occasionally on the street, to the usual jeers and attacks by Muslim mobs.

Muslim Attacks on Christian Freedom
(Apostasy, Blasphemy, and Proselytization)

Uganda: A 36-year-old mother of eight requested prayer after area Muslims forced her to return to Islam, or lose her children and be killed. Although Madina remained Christian after her husband abandoned her a decade ago for her apostasy from Islam, she returned to Islam in September: “The relatives of my husband threatened to kill me and take away the children if I refused to go back to Islam. They said, ‘We are not going to lose our children to Christianity. We better kill you and get back the children.’… I have nowhere to go with my children, so I have decided to return to Islam to save the children and myself. I know Issa [Jesus] will remember me one day.”

United Kingdom: A Pakistani man, his wife, and their six children are suffering “an appalling ordeal at the hands of neighbours who regard them as blasphemers.” Their “crime” is converting to Christianity— more than 20 years ago. Despite being “prisoners in their own home after being attacked in the street, having their car windscreens repeatedly smashed and eggs thrown at their windows” the Christian family said that both police and the Anglican church have failed to provide any meaningful support and are “reluctant to treat the problem as a religious hate crime.” Nissar Hussain, the father, said, “Our lives have been sabotaged and this shouldn’t happen in the United Kingdom. We live in a free democratic society and what they are doing to us is abhorrent.”

Turkey: Since August 27, as many as 15 churches received death threats for “denying Allah.” Even so, “Threats are not anything new for the Protestant community who live in this country and want to raise their children here,” said church leaders. As former Muslims, many of the congregation, apostates from Islam, were threatened with beheading. The messages accuse the Christians of having “chosen the path that denies Allah” and “dragged others into believing as you do… As heretics you have increased your number with ignorant followers.” One of the messages depicted the Islamic State flag along with the words: “Perverted infidels, the time that we will strike your necks is soon. May Allah receive the glory and the praise.”

Pakistan: Police arrested a Christian brick kiln worker, Pervaiz Masih, in the Kasur District of Punjab province, after a Muslim business rival falsely accused him of insulting the prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Pervaiz, a father of four, including a seven-month-old boy, fled his home after Muhammad Kahlid filed a report, which said that he had made derogatory remarks about Muhammad during a dispute. Police detained four of Pervaiz’s relatives; then officers dragged his wife into the streets and ripped off her clothing as they tried to get information about her husband’s whereabouts. Police also beat local Christians and raided Christian homes for information in Pervaiz’s town. Pervaiz eventually handed himself over to police in order that his relatives be released.

Ethiopia: A group of 15 young Christians were attacked and arrested for engaging in evangelism in eastern Ethiopia. Separately, six Christian leaders were found guilty of inciting public disturbance, destroying public trust in government officials, and spreading hatred. The six men, members of a church administrative committee, had written a letter to their national church leadership on March 11 describing the persecution they endured as Christians living in the Muslim-majority Silte zone. They complained of discrimination in employment opportunities, unfair dismissal from jobs, harsh job performance feedback, burned church buildings, physical attacks and death threats. The letter was leaked to local media and widely disseminated, prompting their arrest and conviction.

Dhimmitude

Germany: According to a report, “Many Christian refugees from Syria, Iraq or Kurdistan are being intimidated and attacked by Muslim refugees. In several refugee centers set up by the local authorities, Sharia law is being imposed and Christians — which are a minority — are the victims of bullying.” Gottfried Martens, pastor of a south Berlin church, said that “very religious Muslims are spreading the following idea throughout the refugee centers: Sharia law rules wherever we are.” Martens expressed especial concern for Muslims who convert to Christianity — apostates who, according to Islamic law, can be killed: “There is a 100% chance that these people will be attacked.”

Lebanon: Christians are being overrun by Muslim refugees from Syria and Iraq, and are in danger of losing their place in their country, said Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil: “What is happening in Lebanon is an attempt to replace the people with [Muslim] Syrians and Palestinians.” Because Lebanon’s Christian population is, and has historically been, a minority, Bassil said their rights are being threatened because “some are attempting to impose Muslims over Christians” (a situation also occurring in the U.S.) In an earlier interview, Bassil said that the Mideast Christian community as a whole has been eroded “in large chunks”: “In Iraq, it happened over 20 years, and we saw that 90 percent of the Christians have left Iraq. In Syria, we don’t have actual numbers because of the chaos. We cannot tell. We know that there has been a lot of internal and external immigration and displacement…. But definitely churches have been destroyed and people have left already.”

United Kingdom: An Iranian, Noureden Mallaky-Soodmand, 41, was supposed to have been deported to Iran after he was arrested for hurling threats and brandishing knives on the streets of London. However, he was not deported, apparently because the Iranian Embassy was closed. He was, instead, re-housed 250 miles away in Stockton-on-Tees. Earlier, on April 2, holding a curved knife, he had run amok, screaming: “I’m a Muslim and I’ll chop your f***ing head, mother f***ers…. I’m Isis and my people will cut off your balls, Christians…. I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you all. I’m going to chop your head off and f*** you up.”

Egyptian Dhimmitude

Muslim attacks on Christians erupted in two separate villages in Samalout, north of the Minya governorate. One attack apparently took place in “revenge” for the construction of a small church. In one village, five Copts were injured; In another village, Muslims packed into a number of cars attacked a Christian wedding ceremony. Three Copts were injured; throughout the area, young Christian girls were sexually harassed.

Separately, a group of Muslims in the village of al-Oula, near Alexandria, attacked Christian homes and a church on September 20, after police attempted to return land stolen by a Muslim to its rightful Christian owner. When the police arrived to implement the order, they were attacked and fled. “After the security forces fled,” said a church leader, “a large crowd surrounded [the] church and hurled stones at it. Then they attacked four homes owned by Christians.” At least two Christians were seriously injured, one had his spine fractured. “The El Houty family [Muslim family that stole Christian land] used microphones in the local mosque and in nearby villages to call out for the Muslims from everywhere around the village saying that the police have come to take the lands and give it to the Christians.”

A Coptic Christian female student, Mariam, who was discriminated against, made headlines in major Egyptian media and created a scandal. Known as “Student Zero,” she was described by former teachers as a “brilliant student,” planning on becoming a doctor. She had scored 97% in her first two years and was expecting similar results in her final year — only to find that she had failed: her final grade was zero. She insisted on seeing the results for herself but was denied. When the issue made headlines, the results were shown to her. She and others — including handwriting experts — said that the handwriting on the test shown to her was not hers.

Pakistani Dhimmitude

A Christian family was almost burned alive during a “land grab” attempt of their home by Muslims. Because Boota Masih, 38, and his wife and family refused to abandon their home and property to some Muslims, they were violently beaten. The Muslims next sprayed petrol over the house to set fire to it, and locked Boota and his family in a room. The Masihs managed to escape by breaking through a window. Despite the presence of eyewitnesses, the local police were reluctant to register a formal complaint, and instead, according to the lawyers, arrested Masih on spurious charges.

Most degrading jobs continue to be reserved for Christians and other minorities. The latest example comes from the announcement of vacancies from the Punjab Institute of Cardiology Lahore. In the list, all jobs are open to all applicants — except for “sanitary worker” positions, such as toilet cleaners: only non-Muslim applicants are eligible. According to labor lawyers, “this is a form of direct oppression, racism and bigotry against the nation’s religious minorities,” primarily Christians, Hindus, and non-Sunni Muslims.


 

Islam and the Modern “Progressive” Movement

The so-called “progressive” liberal philosophical (called Progressivism) movement in the U.S. and other Western nations, broadly speaking, has one thing in common with Islam: they both hate YHVH Elohim — the God of the Bible — and those who follow and teach His word, the Bible. Many “progressives” and Koran-adherent Islamists or Moslems are currently waging an all-out war against Elohim’s people all over the world. Though they are two different ideological groups and are not formally united, they’re united in that they have a common enemy. The spiritual force driving both of them is Satan the devil, the god of this world, who is behind the spirit of Antichrist, which both “progressives” and Koran-adherent Moslems, by their actions and philosophies, advocate and are aggressively promoting globally.

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Presently in Africa, the Middle East and Near East, Koran-adherent Moslems are persecuting, enslaving, raping, exiling, stealing property from and genocidally exterminating Christians and Jews as per the instructions of the Koran. Concurrently, the “progressives” in America and the West are doing the same thing, but in a different way. “Progressives” are using the political parties, judicial systems, educational systems, the media and the entertainments industries they control to exile or exterminate Christians from the marketplace, political arena, the media, educational systems and the entertainment industry. “Progressives” are murdering Bible-followers verbally through every media and electronic mouthpiece available to them. Like their Muslim counterparts, they are using a corrupt court system, a wicked political establishment and any other means available to them to deprive Christians of liberty, property, and to “rape” them economically by depriving them of the freedom to run their own commercial enterprises as their biblically-ordered conscience dictates and to openly and freely practice their religion in the public square and even, at times, to freely preach or communicate Bible truth.

Although most so-called “progressives” won’t come out openly in favor of Islam, they nonetheless share the same hatred of Christians as do Koran-adherent Moslems, and “progressives” are doing everything possible to promote the Islamization of our government, schools and other social institutions at the expense of our traditional Judeo-Christians biblical values.

With regard to the agenda that “progressives” and Moslems share, the oft-heard adage, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” comes to mind. In this case, both groups hate YHVH Elohim, His Bible and His followers. This then unites them, de facto, as allies, which goes a long way to explaining the “progressives’” aggressive promotion of Islam in America and other Western nations, and their turning a blind eye toward the atrocities Moslems are committing against Christians and Jews worldwide. It’s not that the “progressives” love Islam; it’s that they hate the Bible so much that they’re willing to form an uneasy, philosophical alliance of sorts with Islam to help them rid the planet of the Bible and its followers.

Make no mistake about it, Satan the devil, YHVH Elohim’s archenemy, is behind it all, and he is the ultimate enemy of Bible followers. Thankfully, the devil has already been defeated by Yeshua’s victory over sin, death and the grave (1 Cor 15:55–58), and he’s simply living on borrowed time until Yeshua returns to finalize his victory over him and banish him for good (Rev 20:1–3; 7–10). Until then, the lovers of biblical truth and freedom must stand firm and united against Satan and his earthy minions (Eph 6:10–18; 2 Cor 10:4–6) in the name of Yeshua and through His blood (Rev 12:11; Luke 10:19; Rom 16:20).

I leave you with this exhortative question from the Book of Psalms —

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? (Psalm 94:16


 

The spirit of Antichrist is in the White House!

Shame on President Obama for his idiotic comments at the National Prayer Breakfast linking the acts of some Christians with the murderous jihadists cutting people’s heads off and burning people alive! The President reveals how vacuous his understanding is of Islam, history, Christianity and the Bible. Or, is he simply a lying propagandistic spinmeister who knows the facts, but could care less about them in an effort to force his ideological agendas upon the American people?!

I feel like we’re living in Goebbels Germany, or that I’m reading the Pravda of the former Soviet Union.

First, the Koran tells its followers to spread its faith by dismembering and murdering its enemies. History records that Mohammed did this. On the other hands, Yeshua/Jesus told his followers to love your enemies and his disciples followed his example.

Second, true disciples of Yeshua do not behead, crucify or burn their enemies. A thousand years ago when some “Christians” did this in medieval Europe, this was aberrant not normative Christianity. What the Muslims are doing to their enemies is normative not aberrant Islam according to the Koran. Go read the Koran for yourself and you’ll see what I’m saying is correct.

Third, the Crusades were in defensive response to the jihadist Muslims of that day that had taken over major parts of southern Europe and were moving northward quickly. This is history 101. As a former college professor, Mr. Obama doesn’t know this? Yeah right! So what’s his point?

The fact is, we have Edom in the White House, which is the spirit of Antichrist. Period!


 

What the Koran Really Says

Startling Insights from the Koran—The True Face of Islam Unmasked

It is important to educate yourself with the facts!

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The Koran (or Qur’an) is the sacred book of the religion of Islam. It contains the sayings of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. In the Koran, Muhammad (ca. 570 to 632) claims that the sayings of the Koran came to him from God (or Allah) via the angel Gabriel. Based on a passage in the Koran (Sura 7:157), many believe that Muhammad was illiterate and was incapable of writing these sayings down himself. At the very least, he was unlettered and unlearned. Shortly after his death, some of his followers who had memorized his sayings met together and recorded in written form what they remembered Muhammad to have said. This is how the Koran came to be.

The Koran forms the bedrock of the Islamic faith, although there are other sacred books belonging to the religion of Islam that have sprung up since the Koran was compiled.

Since some of the practitioners of Islam are presently on a crusade to forcefully convert many countries to Islam, and since many Muslims terrorists have demonstrated a particular hatred for Jews and Christians, and since there is much misinformation being broadcast in the western media, by western politicians and western educators as to what Moslems believe and what the Koran actually teaches, I took it upon myself to read the Koran from cover to cover to see for myself what it says. Below are some of the amazing facts about Islam that I learned from reading the Koran.

The following references are taken directly from the Koran. Chapter (Sura) and verse references may vary from Koran to Koran. Those listed below are from The Koran by Ivy Books (published by Ballantine books in 1993, a division of Random House, New York, ISBN 0-8041-1125-1). I will occasionally provide some alternate versions of the Koran as well for the purpose of confirming some of the more controversial passages by several translations.

Alternate versions of the Koran that I use for comparative purposes are:

  •  AKa (The Qur’an, by Abdullah Yusuf Ali; Elmhurst, N.Y. : Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Publishers and Distributors of Holy Qur’an, 2005, ISBN 1-879402-29-7)
  • AKb Koran: Quran—The Final Testament; Authorized English Version; translated from the Original by Dr. Rashad Khalifa, Ph.D. by Islamic Productions, 2003, http://www.quran-islam.org/93.html).

According to the Koran—

The Purpose of the Koran

  • The main purpose of the Koran is to warn all creatures (p. 294, Sura 38:79).
  • The Koran is a warning to the God/Allah-fearing (p. 375, Sura 69:48).

Muslim Theology

  • Moslems are to believe the Koran and the Bible (p. 58, Sura 4:136).
  • The koranic law of abrogation states that if something was written later in the Koran that contradicts something that was written earlier, the later cancels out the former (p. 10, Sura 2:100; p. 153, Sura 13:39).
  • One earns (immortality and) a spot in paradise or heaven by doing things that are right, and on the basis of one’s good works (p. 57, Sura 4:23; page 92, Sura 7:42; p. 198, Sura 20:111; pp. 251 and 255, Sura 29:6 and 57; p. 318, Sura 43:72). A sinner can be forgiven of his sins by paying alms, by being prayed over, through repentance and by his good works (p. 121; Sura 9:5–7). Paradise or heaven is guaranteed for those who fight and slay for the cause of Islam (pp. 121–122, Sura 9:11).
  • Those who oppose Allah and Muhammad will receive eternal hell fire (p. 117, Sura 9:64; p. 113, Sura 9:17; p. 164, Sura 16:31). The Koran portrays the torments of hell in the stereotypical manner reminiscent of Dante’s inferno (p. 208, Sura 22:20).
  • Allah misleads some people and guides others (p. 152, Sura 13:27; AKb 13:27; p. 154, Sura 14:4).
  • At the creation of man, Allah commanded angels to bow down to worship man (p. 159, Sura 15:30–33).
  • Allah gave the Torah to guide the children of Israel (p. 171, Sura 17:2; AKb 17:2; p. 264, Sura 32:23).
  • There are seven heavens (p. 214, Sura 23:17).  This is a concept that the Koran borrows from the pagan Greek philosophers.
  • Ishmael was a prophet and an apostle (p. 190, Sura 19:55).
  • Camels are used for sacrifices (p. 209, Sura 22:37) and for eating (p. 210, Sura 22:36).
  • The Koran teaches that Allah and the God of the Bible (YHVH Elohim) are one in the same, and the same God sent down the Book of the Law (the Torah) and the Koran (p. 254, Sura 29:45–46; AKb 29:46–47).
  • The soul of man is immortal soul (p. 255, Sura 29:58). This also is a concept that the Koran borrows from the pagan Greek philosophers who taught the concept of dualism.
  • There is no variableness in the way of Allah; that is, the word of Allah does not vary; i.e., the Bible and Koran do not  contradict (p. 279, Sura 32:45), since the Koran teaches that both books came from the same God (p. 254, Sura 29:45–46). At the same time, the Koran claims to clear up (or correct the errors of?) the Bible and replaces it (p. 64, Sura 5:18; p. 127; Sura 10:38).
  • Allah created the earth in two days (p. 307, Sura 41:8; AKb 41:9).  If this is true, how can the Bible and Koran both be truth and the word of God, since the Bible states the earth and everything else in six days? Elsewhere, the Koran claims that the earth was created in six days (p. 338; Sura 50:37).
  • Paradise or heaven is guaranteed for those who fight and slay for the cause of Islam (pp. 121–122, Sura 9:11).

The Koran on Muhammad

  • Muhammad was an “unlettered prophet,” which is interpreted to mean that either he was illiterate or was unlearned (p. 101, Sura 7:157; AKb 7:157 says Muhammed was a “gentile prophet” in place of “unlettered prophet”).
  • Muhammad had many slaves and wives and lots of sex (p. 269; Sura 33:49–51; AKb 33:50–51).

The Koran on the Fate of Infidels (Non-Muslims)

  • The Koran teaches Muslims to seize the infidels (non-Muslims), to slay them wherever Continue reading