Matt Leasher

The Burden Against Islam

By Matt Leasher

“You shall have no other gods before Me.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, (Exodus 20:3-5)

Throughout the ages of history people of all kinds of cultures and walks of life have followed and worshipped a wide array of false gods and idols. The first two of the Ten Commandments listed above show that God’s anger and jealousy will become stirred towards those that worship false gods. The Lord God that created all of creation certainly has the right to be jealous if we are found worshipping any other god but Him. He created all things and all people so all praise, honor and adoration belong to Him and Him alone. Furthermore, the Lord says that if we pass our worship of a false god down to our children they too will be subject to His anger and wrath.

EMPIRES OF IDOLS

Throughout the history of the world’s great empires, almost all of them were centered on false gods and idols. The Bible lays out the history of the world’s great empires in the book of Daniel, particularly chapters 2 and 7. The empires of the world worshipped so many gods for so many things that the list is too long to list here, however there were certain gods that were of highest prominence over the other gods. For instance, Egypt worshipped Ra, the Sun god. Babylon worshipped Marduk and Sin, (or Bel), the moon god. The Greeks worshipped many gods but viewed Zeus, (the god of sky and thunder) as king over all of the other astral deities. Later the Romans also honored Zeus but under the name of Jupiter. In the Old Testament God was severely angered at the Israelites that would worship Baal, (also referred to as Baal-Zebub in 2 Kings 1:2). It is no coincidence that Baal-Zebub sounds a lot like Beelzebub which is one of the many names for Satan, (see Matthew 12:24).

Anytime an entire nation or yet empire is led to worship a false god it is without a doubt the work of Satan leading people away from the true God. With that in mind we can undoubtedly label Allah, the god of Islam, as Satan in yet another one of his disguises leading millions of people astray. Even the Quran itself labels Allah as "the great deceiver"!

ISLAM – THE RELIGION OF SATAN

As mentioned, the Babylonians worshipped Bel the moon god and the god Sin “the controller of the night” which had a crescent moon as his emblem. This moon god became Allah when Islam was being formed. Even in pre-Islamic Arabia, Allah was already being recognized as a moon god before Muhammad adopted him. Now in Isaiah 14:12 we are given another one of the names of Satan being referred to as Lucifer which means “morning star” or “son of the morning star.” When we put these two things together the image of the Islamic crescent moon with the star next to it comes to mind. This emblem is used on many of the flags we see for Islamic nations. For further relevance, Islam is an eastern religion and the east is where the morning (or the day) begins, hence “morning star”.

WHERE IS THE PEACE?

The word “Islam” itself means “submission”. According to tradition Muhammad received the inspiration to write the Quran while under the “submission” of an angel. Despite the many claims from moderate Muslims that Islam is a religion of peace their holy book says otherwise. Violence is commanded:

"Fight and slay the pagans (infidels) wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war." Quran, Sura 9:5

If Islam is resisted:

"Their punishment is execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from the opposite sides, or exile from the land." Sura 5:33

"Let not the unbelievers think they will ever get away... strike terror into the enemy of God and your enemy... rouse the faithful to arms!” Sura 8:59

"If they reject your judgment, know that it is Allah's wish to scourge them for their sins. Sura 5:49

These commandments from the Quran are hardly commandments of a peaceful religion. If a muslim is true to his lord, (Allah), then these are his commandments otherwise he is just a “professing” muslim in the same way that we see “professing Christians, people that carry the title of “I’m a Christian” yet they don’t read their Bibles, go to church, or live lifestyles that hardly resemble Jesus. Some even call themselves Christians and don’t even believe or acknowledge Jesus as Lord or that He is the only way to salvation. The same is true in the Islamic world. These proclaiming “peaceful” Muslims are of the same kind of tree. Most of them either inherited their faith or were forced into it and they wear the garb and follow the rituals but don’t realize that they are following a satanic cult driven by deception, violence and hatred and are ignorant to what their holy book commands of them. Jesus said that we would know a tree by the fruit that it bears, (Matthew 7:20). If we are bearing good fruit then we are kind, loving, respectful and compassionate of others regardless of their beliefs and we are following Jesus and obeying His commandments to the best of our ability. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

ISLAM IN THE TRIBULATION – THE GREEN HORSE?

In Revelation chapter 6 we see the details of the beginning of the Tribulation period with the opening of the seal judgments. The fourth seal is of the “pale” horse rider. The Greek word that was translated as “pale” is chloros, which is the root word for chlorophyll, the pigment in plants that makes them green. All the other places where “chloros” is used in the New Testament it is translated as green so this “pale” horse is in reality a “green” horse. Green is the color of Islam. Many of their national flags are green as is much of their apparel. Muhammad himself had instituted green as the color of Islam because he described paradise as being filled with green and that the people of paradise would wear green garments of fine silk, as recorded in the Hadith – the teachings of the prophet Muhammad.

Looking further into this green horse in Revelation 6:8 it says this, “So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him.” In Islam they glorify death. Islam teaches that the shedding of ones own blood in martyrdom in the name of Allah is how they are accepted into heaven. This is in complete contrast with the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for the remittance of all sins so that through Him we are accepted into heaven. Satan has muslim terrorists believing that when they commit an act of suicide killing they will be rewarded with paradise but in reality they are immediately sent to hell - “all murderers will have their part in the lake of fire, (Revelation 21:8). When a muslim sacrifices his life in the name of the false god of Allah, he is dying in his sins!

…the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. (John 16:2-3)

Islam does not know the Father or the Son. Continuing on in verse 8, “and power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” Notice it says that “power was given onto them, (speaking about a group of people), over a fourth of the earth.” There are about 6.8 billion people in the world and approximately 1.8 of them are muslims. This is almost exactly a fourth of the population. It then says that they are to kill with the sword. It has been a long tradition within Islam to kill with the sword for centuries even in these modern times. When they behead infidels it is with the sword. Furthermore, we see the symbol of the cross-swords on many of their flags. To kill with hunger - Many of the governments and leaders of the Islamic nations in the Middle East and Africa purposely oppress their people in poverty and hoard the wealth to themselves hence, killing with hunger and death.

Immediately after the pale green horse rides we see in the 5^th seal the cry of the martyrs that were slain for the word of God and the testimony that they held. These are most likely the victims of the onslaught of the Islamic pale green horse!

We know from Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 & 39 that the Islamic nations of today will be involved in at least two very big end time wars, so with that combined with the description of the “green” horse of Revelation 6, we can rightly assume that Islam will play a significant role in the Tribulation period.

THE PEOPLE OF THE PRINCE TO COME

Traditional Bible scholars tend to believe that the anti-christ will be from Rome because of the verse in Daniel 9:26 which states that the “prince who is to come”, (anti-christ), will be of the same people that will destroy the city and the sanctuary which was the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. at the hand of the Roman army.

Flavius Josephus' historic recordings have confirmed many of the events in the Scriptures. The one thing that is particularly interesting is Josephus' observance of exactly who it was that destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D. and particularly in regards to the verse in Daniel 9:26. Now we know that the "people of the prince who is to come" (the antichrist) were the Romans and because of this verse many biblical scholars hold firm that the antichrist will come out of Europe in the form of the revised Roman Empire but if we look at the fine details, the people of the prince to come actually has an Islamic twist to it.

All of the empires that have ruled throughout the ages that are mentioned in the Bible have all covered the landmass of today's major Muslim nations that are threatening Israel. This is also true with the Roman Empire especially the Eastern leg of the Roman Empire in the time of the Temple's destruction. In fact Josephus' writings delve deeper into the identification of the exact legion of the Roman Empire that destroyed the Temple.

The Temple was destroyed by the Eastern leg of the Roman Empire under the reign of Titus Caesar. Now Titus' confederation was divided into 4 legions. All four attacked Jerusalem in 70 A.D., however it was the Fretensis legion that were the ones who physically burned the Temple down. Now who were the Fretensis legion made up of? They were made up of people from Turkey and Syria which by that time were long under the Roman rule and had become Roman soldiers themselves! So here we find the exact identity of "the people of the prince who is to come"!

WHAT’S UP WITH TURKEY?

In Daniel chapter 2 we see the statue of metals that depict the Empires throughout the ages both past, present (in Daniel's time) and future. The legs of the statue are made of iron and represent the two legs of the Roman Empire. The western leg had Rome as its capital and the eastern leg had Constantinople as its capital founded by Constantine in which whom the Roman Catholic Church would be founded in 380 AD. Constantinople was located in an area of Asia Minor which is today's nation of Turkey. The eastern leg of the Roman Empire fell from within in 476 AD but the western leg was conquered in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks which were of the Islamic Ottoman Empire and would go on to reign throughout southeast Europe, western Asia and northern Africa up until 1923. Christian Constantinople would become Islamic Istanbul as it is today.

In Daniel chapter 8 we see the vision of the ram and goat and how the Grecian Empire was divided into 4 inner Empires after the death of Alexander the Great. We then see a prophecy of Antiochus Epiphanies who was a parallel to the coming anti-christ in how he desecrated the Temple and took away the daily sacrifice. Ironically Antiochus Epiphanies came from the Seleucid division of the Grecian Empire that was stationed in the area of today's Turkey, Syria and Iran!

Time and time again the Bible seems to be telling us that the anti-christ is going to arise out of the area of Turkey and be of Islamic rule.... not necessarily strictly European as so commonly believed. However, there is still a very good possibility that it could be both! After all, Turkey is a NATO member and has been strongly bidding to get into the EU.

ISLAMIC EUROPE?

Many of the nations in Europe today are being overrun by an Islamic presence such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and England and many have more mosques than they do churches. In fact over 900 churches in the UK have been converted into mosques! It isn't hard to foresee Islam possibly getting the upper hand in Europe sometime in the near future. Currently a man by the name of Anjem Choudary, an Islamic cleric and Sharia judge that lives in the UK, has been vigorously campaigning to get Sharia Law passed in the UK through his radical Islamist group named Islam4UK.

In Daniel 7:25 it says that the anti-christ beast "shall intend to change times and law". Whenever Islam takes over a nation they immediately implement Sharia Law and along with their Islamic calendar which is a lunar calendar of 12 months but 354 or 355 days rather than the 365 days of our Gregorian calendar. The first year of their calendar began with the Hijra, which is the emigration of the prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina. The current Islamic year is 1432 AH. Islam attempts to change times and laws!

While none of the European nations have become Islamic nations as of yet, the influence of Islam and the push for Sharia Law is fierce. If Turkey gets its way and becomes an EU member things could change in Europe drastically and quickly. With this in mind it can be very possible that the anti-christ will be Islamic and from the revised Roman Empire (the EU) both at the same time! It can very well be all-inclusive. The two feet in Daniel's statue are yet to be fulfilled and they are made of iron mixed with clay. It would make sense that they would be a mixture of the eastern leg of the Roman Empire (Europe) and of the western leg of the Roman Empire (Turkey and Middle East). After all, the feet are connected to the legs on a literal human body aren't they? The iron is the revised Roman Empire mixed with the clay, which is Islam. Iron doesn’t mix well with clay and we can clearly see even from current news that the Islamic states cannot even get along with each other.

ISLAM IS “ANTI” CHRIST

Almost every single terrorist act that we read or hear about was done in the name of Allah. For 1400 years they have been all about world domination. They don’t want to share the world they want to own it and they are driven to do so with terror and force. They will not be satisfied until the entire world is bowing down to Allah. This will never change. That is why they will be a force to reckon with as we etch further and further into the last days. Islam is the only religion that is “anti”, (against), Jesus Christ. They deny the entire trinity. They reject Christ as the Son of God and they reject the God of the Bible – Jehovah. In fact inside the dome on the Dome of the Rock mosque that sits on the temple mount in Jerusalem, the Islamic writing on the inside southeast side of the dome reads, “…believe only in Allah and of his messenger, but do not say "Three" (Trinity) and it will be better for you. Allah is only one God. Far be it from His glory that he should have a son.” Indeed, a bold denial against the Trinity and against the Lord Jesus Christ! All other religions go off on their own agenda but Islam is out to convert all others to theirs by all means possible. Jesus is named in the Quran but only recognized as a prophet that will return with the Mahdi, (Islamic Messiah) and tell everyone that Christianity was a lie and he will help the Mahdi convert the world to Islam. Blasphemy at its height!

Ironically, the Islamic Mahdi, (which means “one of the moon”), is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will be on the Earth for seven years during a time of world chaos to rid the world of injustice against Islam and led what is left of the world to follow him and then led them into a final apocalyptic battle to defeat the forces of evil. A stark parallel to the characteristics of the anti-Christ that is described in the Bible only being on the wrong side of good and evil and with the wrong conclusion!

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

SUMMING IT UP

It seems to be of no coincidence that as we get closer to the Tribulation hour that Islam has been on the rise more and more. As we examine current events we see that the things going on in the Islamic nations and around Israel are lining up with the Scriptures. Throughout the books of the prophets we see judgment upon judgment being laid on nations that are all today’s Islam nations. There is the burden against Egypt, (Isaiah 19), the burden against Babylon, (Isaiah 13), the burden against Edom, (Isaiah 21:11), the burden against Arabia, (Isaiah 21:13), the burden against Syria, (Isaiah 17) and even the burden against Israel that shares its land with a large Islamic presence. The word “burden” means “a duty or misfortune that causes hardship, anxiety or grief.” Do we not see this in all of these nations today? Sure other nations are going through troubles too but they are not listed in the Bible and that is for a reason. The reason being is that the Bible is outlining the nations that are specifically against God or shall we say “anti” (against) Christ. Traditional Bible scholars have overly insisted that the anti-christ and his system will evolve out of Rome but we don’t see “the burden against Rome” anywhere in the Bible. The Bible is consistently naming Middle Eastern nations throughout its prophecies as being the subject of God’s wrath. Furthermore, the Roman Catholic Church does not deny the Father, Son or Holy Spirit. Islam does! As for the Muslims that are faithful to their holy book we can certainly see the kind of fruit that they bear.

“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 7:19)