Islam’s Messiah Is Coming!

In Arabic, Islam’s Messiah is called al-Mahdi, or simply Mahdi. Islamic literature has much to say about the role of their Mahdi when he arrives. The timing of his arrival is the major question. It is said that he will arrive when the world is in a state of utter chaos, but he will end the chaos and usher in peace and justice. It is written by Muslim scholars and Hadith interpreters that he will “bring in true and uncorrupted guidance to all mankind, creating a social order and a world free from oppression in which Islam will be the norm for all nations.”

Islamic literature also reveals that their long awaited Mahdi will initiate a peace treaty with the Jews. The treaty will have the duration of seven years which will coincide with the time that Mahdi is said to reign.

“The Prophet (Mohammed) said…he (the Mahdi) will divide the property, and will govern the people…and establish Islam on earth. He will remain seven years, and then die…”

Perhaps not coincidently there is a Biblical passage from the prophecy of Daniel that also speaks of a seven year peace treaty.

“Then he shall confirm a covenant (treaty) with many for one week (seven years)…” Daniel 9:27

The above passage from Daniel, however, is describing the advent and activities of the Anti-Christ. This peace treaty, which will be signed to be broken, will signal the beginning point of the seven year tribulation period which Jesus describes as follows:

“…For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:22

Muslim Hadith interpreters state that the Islamic Mahdi is even described in the Bible.

“And I saw and behold a white horse. He that sat on him…went forth conquering and to conquer.” Revelation 6:2

The above description of the rider on the white horse is what is commonly called the first horseman of the apocalypse. There are four such horsemen that appear at the beginning of the tribulation period. Let’s look at the above verse in total:

“And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” Revelation 6:2

The rider is seen as having a bow without arrows and a crown was given to him. This is the man who God allows to draft the seven year peace treaty with Israel. He doesn’t need arrows of war at this time because he will conquer with deceit. He is again determined to be the Anti-Christ.

Remember it was said earlier by Islamic scholars that their Mahdi would reign for seven years and then die.

The Bible does in fact confirm that the Anti-Christ will be destroyed at the end of the seven year tribulation period. The Apostle John describes this event as follows:

“…Then the beast (Anti-Christ) was captured, and with him the false prophet…These two were cast alive into the lake of fire…” Revelation 19:20

So the Islamic version of their Mahdi is that he will appear on earth at a time of chaos and confusion to bring justice and order. He will initiate a peace treaty between Israel and Arab nations. He will rule during the duration of the seven year “peace” treaty, and then die leaving the world in a better state than he found it.

The Biblical version of these events is that during a time of chaos and confusion God will allow the appointment of a very charismatic leader. The Bible describes this man as having “a mouth speaking pompous words.” This man will offer to solve the age old conflict in the Middle East between Israel and their Arab neighbors. He will devise a peace treaty of seven years duration. This treaty will be broken in the midst of it, i.e. after three and a half years, at which time this charismatic leader will claim to be God. At this point the world will experience the worst catastrophic events ever recorded in human history and over half of the population of the earth will be destroyed. This great tribulation will continue until the end of the seven year period when another white horse will appear with a divine rider.

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:11-16

Notice the similarities between the Islamic version and the Biblical version. Both state that there will be a time of chaos. Both state that there will arrive on the scene one riding on a white horse who will bring an end to the chaos. Both state that there will be a seven year period to end the chaos and usher in righteousness and justice. Both state that the “peace maker” will die after the seven year period.

There is a major difference, however, between Islam’s version and the Biblical version of these events. Islam’s version states that their Mahdi will arrive to mark the beginning of the seven year tribulation period while the Biblical version states that the real Peace Maker of the world will arrive to mark the end the seven year tribulation period.

Again, note the words of Christ Himself:

“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” Matthew 24:11

Influenza Virus H1N1

The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning that one-half of the United State’s population could be affected by this virus during the upcoming flu season. The H1N1 virus is similar to certain strains of “swine flu.” A relative term that is being associated with the potential dangers of H1N1 is “pandemic.” This then reminds us of the term “pestilence” which is defined by Webster as “a contagious or infectious…disease that is virulent and devastating…” Pestilence is a term used both in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. While we may think that modern medicine would knock out the spread of any kind of viral disease, according to the Bible there will be a future time when pestilence will be a cause of worldwide devastation. The Bible reveals that such ancient weapons of mass destruction will make a comeback in the coming years.

The word pestilence in the Old Testament is the Hebrew dever which means plague/destruction. It is further defined as a punishment from God which results in death.

In the Old Testament pestilences were normally associated with two other messengers of death, i.e. the sword and famine. All three are means by which the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would punish the Israelites for disobedience to His instructions. The Bible reveals that God will wait just so long for repentance from sin but then He intervenes with punishment when the sin is “without remedy.”

False prophets, who claimed to speak in God’s name, brought on such punishment.

“Then I (Jeremiah) said, ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, you shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you true rest in this place’”

“And the LORD said… ‘The prophets prophesy lies in My name, I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart…’”

“Then the LORD said to me (Jeremiah), ‘Do not pray for this people…I will not hear their cry…but I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.’” Jeremiah 14:11-14

Consider further that when the Israelites told God that they were going to do it “their way” they were once again told that they would be punished with the sword, famine, and pestilence.

“As for the word that you (Jeremiah) have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you! But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven…”

“Therefore thus says the LORD…the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will set My face against you for catastrophe…For I will punish those…by the sword, by famine, and my pestilence…’” Jeremiah 44:11-17

And in another instance the Israelites set up idols and worshipped false gods.

“Now the word of the LORD came to me (Ezekiel) saying…‘your altars shall be desolate, your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the corpses of the children of Israel before their idols…’”

“Thus says the LORD GOD: ‘…they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. Thus will I accomplish My fury upon them. Then you shall know that I am the LORD…’” Ezekiel 6:1-13

The examples cited from the Old Testament reveal that God sent pestilence for such flagrant sins as prophesying falsely in God’s name, openly defying God’s instructions, and idolatry, i.e. worshiping something other than the one true God.

The apostle Paul stated a primary purpose of the Old Testament:

“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition (instruction), upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” I Corinthians 10:11

Therefore, we should examine the present state of this nation to see if we are involved in any of the issues that brought pestilence on the Israelites, i.e. do we pursue strategies of peace with ungodly nations and boast that it is God’s will? Do we establish laws that are contradictory to God’s laws? Do we place anything above the pursuit of following God, such as the economy?

In the New Testament the word pestilence is from the Greek loimos which means plague; any deadly infectious malady.

Jesus told His disciples about events that would precede His return to earth.

“…and there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences…” Luke 21:11

And the apostle John confirmed Jesus’ teaching when he penned the book of Revelation. He described the fourth horseman of the apocalypse thusly:

“When He (Christ) opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come and see.’ So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with pestilence…” Revelation 6:7-8

The fact that this passage is in the Apocalypse confirms that the nations of the world will not learn their lessons and will be punished by the same means as were the Israelites several thousand years ago. Just this judgment alone will kill 1.5 billion people, or five times the present population of the United States.

In no way are we implying that the H1N1 virus is the pestilence cited above, however, we should recognize that such phenomena is a forerunner of that which is to come.

Comments welcome on http://bibleandcurrentevents.blogspot.com

Ye Old Town Hall Meetings

The definition of a Town Hall Meeting includes: “…an informal public meeting derived from the traditional town meetings of New England…everybody in a community is invited to attend, voice their opinions, and hear the responses from public figures and elected officials…town hall meetings are held so that people can influence elected officials in their decision making or to give them a chance to feel that their voices are being heard.”

Presently town hall meetings are being conducted across the nation. The primary topic is proposed health care reform legislation. In reality the issue is a bit deeper, i.e. many citizens are expressing their concern that government’s intention is to intervene in health care decisions just as they have been perceived recently as encroaching on other areas of private life.

The above definition of town hall meetings includes the privilege of voicing one’s opinion and hearing the response from those conducting the meeting. In recent meetings emotions have found expression in raised voices and not all of the meetings have been totally orderly. In fact there have been instances where participants have been physically removed from town hall meetings because of their exuberance.

It is interesting to note that town hall meetings have been around for a long time. And history as recorded in the Bible tells of some very colorful and vigorous such meetings. All of the ingredients, and then some, of today’s meetings were found in meetings conducted two thousand years ago.

During the first century AD the primary issue covered in town hall meetings was the emergence of Christianity. Christianity was initially termed the “Way” from the Greek hodos which was defined as a way of thinking, feeling, acting, manner of life and conduct. It originated with Christ’s words:

“I am the way…No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

This new teaching was that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob could only be accessed through Christ and that attempting to keep the Old Testament law was not sufficient to appease a holy and just God. Of course this teaching was vehemently opposed by the Jews and this opposition was openly expressed in ancient town hall meetings. Compare the following town hall meetings as described in the Bible and see if they resemble present meetings.

“Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen…disputing with Stephen and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. Then they secretly induced men to say, ‘we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God,’ and they stirred up the people…and they came upon him, seized him…they also set up false witnesses…” Acts 6:9-13

One would think that the above was excerpted from yesterday’s newspaper.

“Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against them…but the multitude of the city was divided; part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled…” Acts 14:1-6

Well, stoning hasn’t happened yet at our present town hall meetings, but I’m confident the thought has been entertained.

“Now when they had passed…they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul…went in…and reasoned with them…and some of them were persuaded…but the Jews who were not persuaded…took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar…when the Jews learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds.” Acts 17:1-13

The following account describes a town hall meeting where the financial well being of a special interest group was at stake along with the participation of organized labor.

“And about that time there arose a great commotion about the ‘Way.’ …a certain man…a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: ‘Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. Moreover you see and hear that…Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised…’”

“Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath…So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord…some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.”

“For we are in danger of being called in question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.” Acts 19:23-40

Well it appears that not much has changed with town hall meetings, only the topics have changed. As the wisest man in the world, King Solomon, once said:

“Is there anything of which it may be said, ‘See, this is new’? It has already been in ancient times before us. And there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

Taxes and Health Care

From such lofty issues as Islamic imperialism and the alignment of the nations to more mundane issues of taxes and health care, the Bible provides insights and examples of how such contemporary issues were addressed in the past.

Firstly, the collection of taxes by the government is sanctioned by the Bible; however, it was a flat tax instead of progressive and had nothing to do with the redistribution of wealth. In other words, according to the Bible, taxes imposed by the government were not based on one’s level of income nor is it stated or implied that taxes paid by the rich were to be used to subsidize the poor.

“When they (Pharisees) had come, they said to Him, (Jesus) ‘Teacher, we know that You are true and are partial to no one…but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?’ But He…said to them…‘bring Me a denarius that I may see it. Whose image and inscription is this?’ They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” Mark 12:13-17

In like manner the apostle Paul confirmed Jesus’ teaching relative to paying taxes to the government.

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God…because of this you also pay taxes…render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due…" Romans 13:1, 6-7

The next logical question is, then, why were taxes collected and what were they used for? According to the Bible the taxes that government collected were used for maintaining law and order and to punish those who transgressed the law.

“Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil…for he is God’s minister to you for good…he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” Romans 13:2-4

Consider for example that murder has always been a capital offense and the government has the authority to inflict capital punishment.

“Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning…from the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.” Genesis 9:3-6

Presently our administration and congress are attempting to gain acceptance of their proposed health care reform strategy by appealing to Christians, claiming that health care reform is both a moral and religious issue. They also claim that taxes should be increased for those who earn more than others to subsidize health care for those who may be unable or unwilling to pay for their own health care.

There are no scripture references that support such thinking. Various medical problems pervade the gospel records. How was the medical care for illness paid for back then?

“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any…” Luke 9:43

Therefore, the scriptures say that taxes are not collected to pay for medical care, but rather medical care is the financial responsibility of the individual. The Bible has nothing to say about medical care being provided or subsidized by the government or funded by taxation.

The issue becomes even more complex when proposed health care legislation includes financial assistance to individuals who desire to abort a pregnancy. Recall that one who intentionally murders another human being can be put to death by the government and the execution funded by taxation; however, current proposed legislation includes the provision not only to kill an innocent child, but proposes to fund that activity with taxes collected by the government. Many, if not most Americans think that any legislation that includes governmental funding of abortions should not be passed.

The profound irony is that there are professed Christians such as our president and the speaker of the House of Representatives that support the proposition of killing innocent children and funding such activities with taxes collected by the government from those with a certain level of earnings.

There are three anti Biblical issues involved here:

• The killing of innocent people for convenience

• Governmental funding of such activities with tax revenue

• The redistribution of wealth by way of taxation

It is both puzzling and disturbing that these issues would be presented as Biblical issues and it is even more puzzling and disturbing that such issues are being supported by more than a few organized religious groups. It is totally incongruent that anyone professing to be a Christian would support legislation that includes the above three anti Biblical issues.

It will be very interesting to see how the proposed health care reform legislation will appear in final form. Whatever the final version, even if the above anti Biblical issues are included, watch to see if any of our elected officials proclaim that “God’s will has been done.”