God's War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy and the Bible

by Walid Shoebat

  “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. (v. 1) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. (v. 2) Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. (v. 3) ‘But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.’ (v. 4) Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. (v. 5) And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?” (v. 6) Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that[4] it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when [5] the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. (v. 7) Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” (v. 8) And he said, “Go your way, Daniel,[6] for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. (v. 9) [7] Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. (v. 10) “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the[8] abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. (v. 11) Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. (v. 12) “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days. (v. 2)” (Daniel 12:1-12)

  The italicized verses have already been shown to parallel Islam. Western Bible scholars who support the re-establishment of Israel and believe that God appointed the Arch-Angel Michael to watch over Israel agree that these scriptures pertain to the Antichrist persecuting Israel and the saints. It is mostly the Anti-Israel groups that still see these as history. As such, a deliberate measure of violence must be inflicted either upon the passage or history for one to interpret this portion of the passage through a Preterist lens. Clearly, this corrupt view cannot escape the clear text: “He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place,” (Daniel 11:36). This is referring to the End-Times (time of wrath) just before the return of Christ and events prior to the resurrection of the dead. “At that time, Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt,” (Daniel 12:1-2).

  Preterists (those who believe that the majority of Biblical prophecies was fulfilled in the first century) seem to ignore this portion: “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain,” (Daniel 11:36-39). There were no events in his life and career that can be found that historically correlate with Antiochus exalting “himself above every god.” Nor did he reject the gods of his fathers. On the contrary, Antiochus worshipped the same pantheon of Greek gods as any other Greek. In fact, Antiochus even set up an altar to Zeus in the sanctuary of the Jewish Temple. Beyond this, Daniel says that Antiochus would meet his death in Israel. However, history records that Antiochus in fact died in Persia. The question that begs an answer to the false accusation of the Antichrist being a Jew is, “Why would God choose Antiochus (a gentile) for a type of Antichrist, then choose a Jew?”

  The Antichrist’s god is different than Antiochus. At a glance, this passage appears to say that this evil one will not honor any god, but will exalt himself above all gods. Yet on the other hand, he is also said to honor a “god of fortresses” and to employ the help of “a foreign god.” He is not an atheist, as some claim. He simply rejects all gods, except his foreign god of war (god of fortresses). This would match perfectly the ideology of Muhammad and the Mahdi, who are commanded to advance the cause of Allah with the banner “There is no god but Allah.”

  The part of the vision that has to do with the End times begins in Daniel 11:21: “There shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.”

  God sees the Antichrist as a “vile person.” He rises to power peaceably by means of intrigue—clever plotting and politics. Today in Turkey, the Islamist party is not accepted by their predecessors and their attempt to reinstitute the Caliphate is rejected. This soon will change this since the Antichrist gains support peaceably and through trickery (v. 22), but then use force to crush his opposition and strengthen his position. We know from Daniel 9:26-27 that the Antichrist makes a peace covenant; therefore, the “prince of the covenant” is clearly the Antichrist.

  This league or covenant appears to be a peace accord, as well as some sort of religious pact—possibly one that tackles the thorny issue of coexistence between Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the Middle East, and by which Jerusalem could be declared an international city with free and equal access guaranteed to people of all faiths. This covenant could also clear the way for the Jews to finally be able to rebuild their Temple on Jerusalem’s Mount Moriah and resume animal sacrifices on its altar—something that hasn’t happened since the last Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D In Daniel 11:31, the Antichrist puts a stop to the daily sacrifices, so obviously they must be resumed between now and then, and the signing of the covenant seems a likely time for that.

  “For he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people”—or “a small people.” The Antichrist rises to power through his popularity with the “small” or poor people of the world, the masses, who respond to his political and economic policies. Or he does it with the help of a “small” elite group of insiders.

  “He shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches,” (v. 24). This would fit Islam perfectly. If one searches Islam for “Ghana’em”, it sounds as if he will distribute the wealth to win the support of the poor in the countries he conquers. So does the phrase found in verse 39, where it says he will “divide the land for gain”—his main crime of dividing Israel. “He shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers.” Like Muhammad’s expansions and exploits, after him Umar, then Saladdin, the Mahdi will do the same. He will expand the Islamic kingdom by advancing to Egypt, Libya, and Sudan. This is evident from verse 25: “He (the Antichrist) shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for they (the Antichrist and his forces) shall devise plans against him.”

  It sounds like the king of the South has an even greater force than the Antichrist at this point. The tide of battle turns when the king of the South (Egypt) is betrayed by some of his own people. “Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain,” (v. 26). We have seen Anwar Sadat, the late Egyptian President, betrayed and killed by Islamists, and this is similar since the majority of Egyptians are Muslim fundamentalists.

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  T
he Little Horn And The Rest Of Scripture Fits Like A Glove

  The Little Horn must come from the Seleucid Division of the Grecian Empire. This would definitely discount any European Roman entity.

  THE LITTLE HORN CONNECTS TO THE ANTICHRIST IN DANIEL

  The Bible states in Daniel 8:9, “out of one of them (the 4 Grecian horns) came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land,” he must come from the Grecian Empire—the Eastern part of the Roman Empire and north of Israel. Since he is going south he must be coming from the north parts in relation to Israel, exactly as specified in Ezekiel 38, and Joel 3.

  LITTLE HORN CONNECTS TO GOG

  It all connects. Even my argument that Gog is the Antichrist cannot be escaped. He comes from the eastern part of the Roman Empire, the Grecian side; so does the little horn out of the 4 Grecian horns. Like Antiochus the Syrian, Gog also connects to the Seleucid Dynasty. Seleucus became king of the eastern provinces—more or less modern Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, together with parts of Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.36

  LITTLE HORN CONNECTS TO BEAST OF REVELATION 13

  Revelation 13 describes the End-Times beast in terms of regions:

  Leopard (Grecian), Lion (Babylonian), and Bear (Medo-Persian).

  All three Empires ruled the region of Asia Minor, i.e. the Seleucid portion of the Grecian Empire. Scripture places the land of Gog north of Israel, and Asia Minor is north of Israel. All prophetic writings must pinpoint the region, and indeed they do.

  LITTLE HORN CONNECTS TO MATTHEW 24:15

  Jesus’ own words are clear in Daniel. The abomination of desolation is the one described by Daniel (11:31) with a further reference to its appearance in the holy place in Daniel 12:11. Daniel 9:27 contains a third reference, as does Daniel 8:13.

  The Bible does not once mention any future leader coming from the West. Daniel 11:31 describes a final evil ruler, the “King of the North,” who sets up “the abomination of desolation” and puts an end to temple sacrifices.

  Therefore, in accordance with Matthew 24:15 and Daniel 8:9, we must conclude that Antichrist is “From one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel.”

  Even the ancient commentators agree. Early Church Father Jerome, in his Commentary on Daniel, writes: “Most of our commentators refer this passage to the Antichrist, and hold that that which occurred under Antiochus was only by way of a type which shall be fulfilled under Antichrist.”37

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  Unlocking Daniel 9 And The Evil Prince To Come (Muslim, Not European)

  The next significant prophetic passage to unlock the origin of Antichrist is the last portion of Daniel 9:26. The particular verse that we will examine is sandwiched in the middle of a very significant prophetic passage. This passage deals with a specific period of time referred to as “seventy sevens.” Here, we will focus exclusively on verse 26. Let’s begin by looking at it in its immediate context: “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing,” (Daniel 9:25-26).

  This portion of the prophecy is speaking of Jesus—the Anointed One, the ruler—who was “cut off” at the crucifixion. From here, the prophecy jumps forward to the destruction of the Temple—“the sanctuary”—in Jerusalem in AD 70. “The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary,” (Daniel 9:26).

  To solve this riddle and find the right piece of the puzzle regarding the Antichrist’s origin, pay attention to the following underlined and numbered words in italics: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people[1] of the prince[2] who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war, desolations are determined. Then he[3] shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” (Daniel 9:25-27)

  The argument for the Roman Antichrist stems from an incomplete analysis of verse 26, which assumes that “the people of the prince” must be Romans. After all, the Romans were the ones who destroyed the Temple, were they not? While it is certainly understandable how a quick reading of this verse could lead one to conclude this, when one scratches below the surface, this verse actually drives a nail in the coffin of this theory. The first things we need to analyze are the identities of [1] The People of the Prince [2] The prince [3] He, the one that confirms the covenant for seven years.

  1. Who is this “prince”? When did he come? Has he come yet? If so, when?

  2. Who are “the people of the prince”?

  Once you answer these questions and read the text again, you will get it.

  1. WHO IS THIS PRINCE? WHEN DID HE COME?

  Let us assume that “the prince” has come and respond to some wrong assumptions. Many Western students of prophecy assume that the prince has already come, because Titus the Roman general was the one who destroyed the Temple. Thus Titus is often identified as “the prince” who is to come.

  But, this can never be so because the “he” in verse 27 (“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week”) cannot refer to Titus who never engaged in a seven-year peace treaty.

  Neither did Titus commit an abomination of desolation. “And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation.”

  Some even go so far as to place an unjustified break, concluding that the “he” is indeed the Antichrist and destroyer of the Temple, but the prince must be Titus.

  Titus can never be this “he”.

  The only way for this interpretation to be accurate would be for Titus to come back from the dead. Is that what these interpreters wait for?

  This would be utter nonsense. The “he” pertains to the prince. Period. We cannot ignore the grammar. The prince must be the one who established this seven-year peace treaty. There is no way to escape this.

  So the correct and only answer to the question is that the prince is the Antichrist.

  He has not yet come.

  Western prophecy teachers generally agree that the prince must be the Antichrist. Thomas Ice agrees: “This prince has to be someone who comes after Christ. The only two viable possibilities is that it could either refer to a Roman prince who destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70 or a future Antichrist.”38 John Walvoord, Dwight Pentecost, and the majority of prophecy scholars agree that the prince must be the Antichrist.

  There are some strange interpretations, however. Doug Bachelor, a Seventh Day Adventist pastor states: “He (The Messiah) will confirm the covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week, he’ll bring an end to sacrifice. When he died on the cross what happened? The veil was ripped and he brought an end to the sacrificial system. This isn’t the anti-Christ this is Jesus. It blows my mind when I hear Evangelicals say this is the Antichrist. That is a Jesuit teaching. That this has found its way into the Protestants churches, its just an abomination of desolation!”

  Bachelor blames Evangelicals and Catholics for what he perceives as a misinterpretation. Yet this interpretation that this “prince” is Antichrist preceded both Evangelicals and Catholics. Paul stated, “that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God,” (2 Thess. 2:4). This is c
onfirmed by Irenaeus39, Clement40, Origen 41 and Hippolytus.42

  Yet this interpretation doesn’t stand merely because the Church fathers said it. An inductive analysis will show that it is mentioned in other parts of the Bible. Logically, how could the Messiah commit an abomination?

  2. WHO ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE PRINCE?