Christ’s return for the church will mark the beginning of a great judgment, and the overturning of the present geopolitical configuration. As tensions build, the saints patiently await deliverance from a burgeoning global pandemonium.

But we’re not the only ones who await divine retribution. The raging factions of Islam now believe that within a very short time, a divine one – the Mahdi – will come to defeat the infidel and install Islam as the world’s only faith. Their Mahdi, a messianic figure, bears a strong resemblance to the Judeo-Christian Messiah. A brief review of religious history will make clear why this is so.

Down through the ages, many religions have taken key ideas from the Judeo-Christian faith, incorporating them into their own systems of worship. Heaven, hell, judgment and the glory of the Kingdom have all been picked up and adapted into the cultural backgrounds of many Eastern nations.

Of such adaptations, there are many examples. However, there is one especially good case in point. It is the religion called Zoroastrianism. It goes all the way back to the Persian monarchs Cyrus, Ahasuerus and Darius. All of them worshiped Ahura Mazda, the god of Zoroastrianism. These Persians are all named by Daniel, Isaiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah and the histories of Second Chronicles.

It should come as no surprise that many of Zoroaster’s teachings are very much like those found in the Bible. Born in 660 B.C., he taught a monotheistic religion, a coming savior and the end-time truths of resurrection, judgment and a peaceful kingdom. Where did he get such ideas? Naturally, from the Holy Scriptures of the twelve tribes. The rise of Zoroastrianism dates back to the time of the Babylonian captivity. During this period, the fall of Judaism witnessed the rise of a new religion, as Zoroaster adapted its key points into a religion favorable to the Persian culture.

Zoroaster claimed to have had a series of visions, given to him by Ahura Mazda, the so-called "god of light." By the time the Persian monarchs rose to power, the religion had won many followers in the Middle East. At the same time, Israel suffered a tragic fall, then rose again to build the Second Temple.

It is no mere coincidence that during the centuries preceding the first coming of Christ, other counterfeit religions flourished. The influence of Judaism waned, as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism and other eastern religions came into their own.

Israel was miraculously preserved through this period, but even the Judaism that survived became so perverted that it was roundly condemned by Jesus when He came. Following His resurrection, Christianity spread throughout the civilized world. But at the same time, counterfeit religions grew with equal vigor. In the third century, A.D., Zoroastrianism experienced a reform movement, but its revival was fleeting. Christianity sharply cut into its numbers.

Then, in A.D. 651, the Muslims defeated Persia. All Zoroastrians who would not convert were either killed or exiled. The monotheism of Zoroaster was then shifted to Islam, as it began its historic climb to power. Many wars raged back and forth, both through the Middle East and as far north as Europe.

The teachings of the new religion of Islam featured a heaven and a hell, and a god of vengeance who, it was said, would one day send a savior – a Mahdi – to rule the world and to set up his kingdom. Many of its beliefs revolved around biblical claims that went all the way back to Abraham, whose true inheritance was claimed to be through Ishmael, not Isaac. Ishmael was cast as the forbearer of the population that would finally inherit the world, under Islam.

Today, Islam boasts itself as the world’s fastest-growing religion. In the nearly fifteen centuries since it was founded by Mohammed in A. D. 570, its intense form of monotheism has swept the Middle East, and is now a world power. It is important to note that its precepts are not really original, but, like ancient Zoroastrianism, are simply copies and modifications of Judaism and Christianity.

Most important of all is its belief in end-time prophecy, and in the firm conviction that the world will be saved by a coming messiah figure, called "The Twelfth Imam." It is taught that he will soon return to rule the human race, bringing Islam into its kingdom age. He is none other than the Imam Mahdi, or the "guided one."

Today, some in the Islamic world believe that the Imam Mahdi is already among us, awaiting the proper moment to step forth in power. One of the leading candidates for this office is Osama bin Laden. In his October 23, 2005, G2 Bulletin, Joseph Farah quotes Paul L. Williams, author of The Al Qaeda Connection. He is a former FBI consultant and expert on Middle East affairs who believes that Islamic scholars are convinced that the time for their ascent to power is near:

"Islamic clerics point out that the signs in the heavens are propitious for such an event. This year, Muslims will experience solar and lunar eclipses during the holy month. These great heavenly signs, according to Islamic visionary Hazrat Mirza Ghulan Sahib, foretell the coming of the ‘Mahdi,’ the mighty warrior of the Apocalypse, who will defeat the army of Yajuj wa-Majuj (‘the infidel unbelievers’), led by the Dabbah or ‘the Beast.’ He [the Mahdi] will lead the Muslims to great victory and bring forth the Day of Islam, when all of creation falls before the throne of Allah."

All this began to unfold during Ramadan in 2005. Note that the Mahdi is called the "warrior of the Apocalypse." This term, from the Greek of the New Testament, is the original name of the book of Revelation, predating Mohammed by five hundred years. And in the book of Revelation, we find the "beast," or Antichrist. He was originally named in the prophecy of Daniel, who wrote early in the sixth century B.C. Thus Islam liberally copies from both Revelation and Daniel. Then, it makes them its own, interpreting them in favor of the followers of Allah.

Note also that Islam uses the term "Yajuj wa-Majuj" to explain an invading army. This term is an Arabic transliteration of a term found both in Ezekiel and Revelation: "Gog and Magog." In the first case, it refers to a Russian leader and his Islamic alliance, as they invade Israel, where they are soundly defeated. In the second, Gog and Magog are the forces that rebel against God at the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age.

Finally, look at the term, "Day of Islam." One of the oldest and most definitive terms in the entire Bible is "Day of the Lord." It refers to the judgment of the nations and the establishment of the Kingdom. The Lord, Himself, will preside over it, seated upon the throne of David. Islam simply takes this term and modifies it to suit its own cultural interpretation.

Williams writes, "Islamic tradition says that the Mahdi will be a descendant of Muhammed through his daughter Fatima. He will have a distinctive forehead, a prominent nose, and a black mole on his face. He will arise from Arabia and will be called from a cave by Allah to serve as the savior of all true believers."

Of course, Bin Laden sports all the Mahdi’s appropriate physical features and background resumé. As a cave-dweller in Afghanistan, he was tailor-made for the part.

Williams continues, "Bin Laden speaks of the president of the United States as Dabbah, the beast he must slay, and of the American people as the Yajuj wa-Jajuj, the nation of Gog that he must destroy. In his edicts and official correspondence, he no longer signs his name as Osama bin Laden but as Osama bin Muhammed bin Laden."

Many prominent Islamic scholars believe that he is the Mahdi. Williams points out that in October of 2005, during Ramadan, two eclipses occurred. One was Solar (on the 3rd) and the other was Lunar (on the 17th). This phenomenon had occurred only once before – in 1894. At that time, clerics said that when it happened again, it would mark the time of the emergence of the Mahdi.

Because of the perceived auspicious nature of the times, Williams says a special dispensation has been given to Islamic terrorists: "One Muslim, who views bin Laden as the Mahdi, is Sheikh Nasir bin Hamid al Fahd. Al Fahd recently issued a religious ruling or fatwa on behalf of the clerics of Saudi Arabia that granted bin Laden and other terrorists the permission to use nuclear weapons against the United States."

"Al Fahd justifies the mass casualties and destruction that would be caused by the ‘American Hiroshima’ – the al Qaeda plan to detonate seven tactical nuclear weapons in seven major U.S. cities – by arguing that an estimate of the number of Muslims killed by Americans would total almost 10 million."

From all of this, any discerning Christian can see that Islam has taken the key end-time prophecies of the Bible, mixed them up, and turned them upside-down. America is Gog. Its president is the Beast. The apocalypse is dominated by the Mahdi, who destroys both America and Israel. This will bring the world into the glorious age of its kingdom, called the Day of Islam.

Recently, Iran’s new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, declared that "Israel must be wiped off the map." He was quoting an earlier Iranian leader, the late Ayatollah Khomeini. He didn’t quit there, declaring that, "Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s fury."

His reference clearly invoked Iran’s newly acquired nuclear technology, complete with intermediate-range ballistic missiles that can reach Israel. The most frightening aspect of Ahmadinejad’s bluster is his strong belief that he is acting to bring forth the Imam Mahdi.

On November 17, 2005 Reuters reporter Paul Hughes wrote, "His call for the destruction of Israel may have grabbed the headlines abroad, but it is President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s devotion to a mystical religious figure that is arousing greater interest inside Iran.

"In a keynote speech on Wednesday [Nov. 16] to senior clerics, Ahmadinejad spoke of his strong belief in the second coming of Shiite Muslims’ ‘hidden’ 12th Imam.

"According to Shiite Muslim teaching, Abul-Qassem Mohammad, the 12th leader whom Shiites consider descended from the Prophet Mohammed, disappeared in A.D. 941, but will return at the end of time to lead an era of Islamic justice.

"‘Our revolution’s main mission is to pave the way for the reappearance of the 12th Imam, the Mahdi,’ Ahmadinejad said in a speech to ‘Friday Prayers’ leaders from across the country.

"‘Therefore, Iran should become a powerful, developed and model Islamic society.’

"‘Today, we should define our economic, cultural and political policies based on the policy of Imam Mahdi’s return. We should avoid copying the West’s policies and systems.’"

According to recent news reports, these comments are typical of the Iranian President’s recent speeches. In virtually every public statement, he invokes the name of the Imam Mahdi. It is also stated that Ahmadinejad is connected with a secret society devoted to the Mahdi. This society, banned in the early 1980s, now seems to have been activated once again.

According to Reuters, "The Hojjatieh Society is governed by the conviction that the 12th Imam’s return will be hastened by the creation of chaos on earth. Ahmadinejad, who is only the second non-cleric to become president since the revolution, has made clear his immense respect for Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, a deeply conservative cleric with close ties to the Hojjatieh-founded Haqqani theological school in Qom."

Western political leaders are said to be deeply concerned about the fact that an Islamic zealot will soon control a considerable nuclear force. What better way to create chaos than to unleash nuclear missiles on U.S. forces in the Middle East, or launch intermediate range ballistic missiles toward Israel? After all, he has called for Israel’s annihilation.

Recently, several news bureaus have reported that a member of the audience in the UN during one of his speeches claimed that a light surrounded him until the end of his speech. One witness (Ayatollah Amoli), in a report from Radio Free Europe (November 29, 2005), addressed Ahmadinejad with the words, "… in the name of God, I saw that you became surrounded by a light until the end of the speech."

Ahmadinejad agreed, then added, "I felt it myself, too. I felt that all of a sudden the atmosphere changed there, and for 27 or 28 minutes all the leaders did not blink."

Then he added, "I am not exaggerating when I say they did not blink; it’s not an exaggeration, because I was looking. They were astonished as if a hand held them there and made them sit. It had opened their eyes and ears for the message of the Islamic Republic." The clear intent of these reports is to suggest to the devout of Islam that Ahmadinejad may be the long-awaited Imam Mahdi.

A December 12, 2005 report from Newsweek confirms the above account. It repeats certain facts, but adds others, making it clear that many regard the Iranian leader as a spiritual mystic:

"Eerie stories about Ahmadinejad’s mystical obsessions have been drifting out of Tehran of late, specifically his devotion to the so-called 12th Imam – the Shiite messiah, better known as the Mahdi, who’s supposed to return and lead an apocalyptic revolution of the oppressed over vague forces of injustice.

"Last week, a videodisc began circulating that reportedly shows the president chatting with one of the country’s leading clerics, Ayatollah Javadi Amoli. Referring to his September speech to the United Nations, during which he called for the return of the 12th Imam, the Iranian president confides that he felt himself surrounded by a radiant light. Not one foreign diplomat blinked during his speech, he adds. All this has caused a major stir, prompting some critics to wonder if Ahmadinejad has come to fancy himself as the 12th Imam’s representative on Earth – a dangerous notion for a man with a Ph.D. in traffic management." In other words, now we have a "holy man" with the bomb … and the zeal to use it.

The Shiite view of the Mahdi has been formalized in the tale of eleven descendants of Mohammed … followed by the 12th man. On their own website, Shia.org, one of their official commentators explains the Mahdi as follows. (In the following quotes, "AS" is an Arabic abbreviation for "Peace be Unto Him.") Note especially, their comparison of the Mahdi with Jesus:

"In the previous part, I provided extensive traditions from the six authentic Sunni collections concerning the fact that the Imam Mahdi (AS) who is different than Jesus (the messiah) WILL come and he is the descendant of Prophet [Mohammed] and his daughter Fatima. The traditions further illuminated the fact that Jesus (who was a great Prophet) will pray behind al-Mahdi (who is an Imam). Also I gave the fatwa [decree] of Sunni scholars who stated that the belief in the ‘Mahdi of the House of Prophet’ is one of the Islamic tenets for ‘Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’a’ [the essence of the Sunni faith], and any one who denies it is either ignorant or an innovator.

"In this part however, I would like to talk about some special specifications of Imam Mahdi which are questionable for a majority of Sunnis. Imam Mahdi’s identification:

"Shia believe that Imam Mahdi is the only son of Imam Hasan al-Askari (the 11th Imam) who was born on 15th of Sha’ban 255/869 [A.D.] in Samarra, Iraq. He became the God-appointed Imam when his father was martyred in 260/874 [A.D.]. Imam Mahdi went into occultation (disappearance; living among people while they can’t recognize him) at the same time. He will re-appear when Allah wills. More specifically:

"His title is ‘al-Mahdi’ which means ‘The Guided One.’

"His name is Muhammed Ibn al-Hasan (AS).

"His lineage, traced back to al-Imam Ali (AS), is: Muhammed Ibn al-Hasan Ibn Ali Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Musa Ibn Ja’far Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn al-Husain Ibn Abi Talib (AS)."

Note that the Shiites acknowledge Jesus, but only as a prophet, and one who will worship and follow the coming Imam Mahdi. Though there are differences in Sunni and Shiite belief, they both hold to a "second coming" motif, in which the Mahdi comes to lead Islam to world conquest.

Note that the Twelvers teach that the Imam is twelfth in a line of religious clerics descended from Mohammed, himself. It is of great current importance that he was born in Samarra, Iraq, since the current focus of military action includes this city, regarded as sacred to the Shiites. This has fanned a great deal of passion among Shiites who await the coming of the Mahdi.

Were someone to arise today, offering signs and powers to prove his divinity, the Shiites would flock to him. Shiite teaching states that when the Twelfth Imam comes, he will require no introduction. His identity will be self-evident, most likely because of his remarkable powers.

Though the Sunnis and Shiites disagree about the lineage of the Mahdi, both would rush to support him, if the word came that he had unveiled himself.

Christians viewing the present situation in Iran and Iraq should remember that over eighty percent of the combined Shiite population are Twelvers. They believe that in 874 A.D., Mohammad al-Mahdi went into hiding after the assassination of his father. His disappearance is referred to by Islamics as the "occultation." In the 1,132 years since, Allah is said to have given him the power to hide in plain sight.

That is, he is still alive, circulating among his people, but they don’t know him. He is even said to have conversed with a few of the faithful down through the centuries. As the story goes, he hides in a cave, but is now reachable at a certain well, where thousands of believers drop notes in an effort to communicate with him.

However, clerics say that he is not really at the bottom of that well. Rather, he lives as a normal man, being guided to the places that Allah shows him.

Also, he is believed by some to have communicated to the most religious Moslems through intermediaries called Babs (gates). We might call them "mediums." The last of these Gates is said to have died in the year 941 A.D. When this happened, the level of his occultation is said to have deepened, placing him beyond the reach of all but the most spiritual in Islam.

From that time forward, the Twelvers began to teach that Muhammed Ibn al-Hasan, the Twelfth Mahdi, would come back to this world in the last days, in visible form as the great Imam Mahdi. He will bring peace to all the earth, and justice to all men.

During the years when the Ayatollah Khomeini ruled Iran, many elevated him as the long-awaited Mahdi. Some referred to him as the Mehdi … a term that emphasizes messiahship.

The Twelvers teach that after the return of the Imam Mahdi, Jesus will return to become one of his followers … to stand up and pay homage to the Twelfth Imam.

The above history of the Twelvers reveals a long dispute about the true revelation of the Mahdi. He appears as a man, whose true claim to power is questioned by the Sunni Moslems. Some Sunnis believe that he hasn’t been born yet, or that he has been born in the current era, and has not yet revealed himself.

But both Sunnis and Shiites believe that he possesses divine power. And, after all is said and done, perhaps this will be his chief claim to fame, when both groups will welcome him as their savior.

It seems biblically significant that Islamic believers say he will come from a cave, or that some believe he will arise from the depths of a sacred well. He will, in short, arise from the earth. With this in mind, read the following:

"Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six" (Revelation 13:11-18).

Here, we see the true "beast." Islam now believes that the American President is the beast who must be killed. But the Bible’s beast is a man who will arise from the earth; he will not be divine, but demonic. And he will be able to perform miracles, by which he will convince all men – and especially Islamic clerics – that he is the Imam Mahdi.

Islamic scholars say that when the Imam Mahdi comes, he will be followed by the Hadhrat Isa, their name for Jesus. Amazingly, they say that only Jesus will be able to kill the Dajjal (the Antichrist). They teach that the Antichrist comes to the Jews, showing power, signs and wonders. They will believe him to be their true Messiah, but Jesus will kill him!

To Christians, it is highly offensive to think that there are actually people living who see Jesus as a follower of their vaunted self-appointed leader, the Mahdi, who is, himself, only a gifted man. At this point, we must allow the very words of Jesus to address the end-time scenario we have been describing.

In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus mentions the end-time events that will lead to the Tribulation. Then, He describes a key element of this catastrophic period:

"Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not" (Matthew 24:21-26).

From this statement, it is quite obvious that one of the hallmarks of this "great tribulation" will be a proliferation of false messiahs. As we have already seen, the world’s fastest-growing religion now resounds with the heartfelt belief that their Mahdi is about to reveal himself, if he hasn’t already done so.

In Christ’s discourse, He actually refers to the "desert." How quickly we envision the arid and dusty wastelands of Iraq and western Iran, where daytime temperatures routinely soar to 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Winds whip clouds of fine sand thousands of feet into the air. Southward, in the United Arab Emirates, it gets even hotter. Today’s battle against Islamic terror is a desert battle.

It seems quite appropriate that, when Jesus evokes a picture of false messiahs, it is set in a background of secret chambers of the desert. It takes no imagination at all to envision Osama bin Laden, one of the men presenting himself as the Mahdi, sitting in a secret cave in the desert.

Based on existing reports, that’s exactly what he’s doing today.

But the words of Jesus are specifically addressed to the remnant of Israel, residing in Judea. The "false Christs" whom He mentions are not just those who appeal to Islamics. They are also pretenders to the throne of David.

In the well-known narrative of John, chapter five, Jesus healed a crippled man by the pool of Bethesda. He did it on the Sabbath, causing the Jewish authorities nearby to bring accusations against Him. In fact, they threatened to kill Him.

He used this occasion to teach upon His power and authority. As He spoke, it became clear to them that He was declaring His equality with God the Father. Of course, this infuriated them. But He concluded with the classic passage on His power and authority:

"But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" (John 5:39-47).

Here, Jesus plainly states that confirmation of His authority is written in Holy Scripture, and is not the product of acclamation by any human being.

As He utters this declaration, He makes a statement that is a plain end-time prophecy. He tells the Jews that He has come in His Father’s name, then says that when another comes in his own name (validating himself through his own personal qualities), the Jews will receive him.

During the last twenty centuries, many messiahs have presented themselves to the House of David as Messiah. The Jews followed some of them, like Simeon Bar Kochba in 135 A.D. Others, the Jews rejected and killed. All were either liars or self-deceived false messiahs.

Of course, the ultimate outcome of Jesus’ prophecy will be seen when the Antichrist comes. He will be the final "another," who "shall come in his own name" (John 5:43).

In the Scripture above, one can imagine the sting of Christ’s rebuke, as the Jews hear Him accuse them of not believing in Moses. Until that moment, they had boasted themselves as being the true followers of Moses, and the ultimate interpreters of the Torah. Then came Jesus, the Messiah, who flatly told them that He was the One of whose coming Moses had prophesied.

In Deuteronomy 32, called "The Song of Moses," we find one of the Bible’s greatest end-time prophecies. It uses the symbol of the true Rock, and of the false rock.

It features the fivefold mention of the "Rock," the salvation of Israel. Five times the Rock is mentioned, beginning with the following proclamation of His person and majesty:

"He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he" (Deuteronomy 32:3,4).

In Moses’ prophetic song, the translators of the King James Bible capitalized the Rock, because it is a personification of Jehovah, the Lord. The Rock is a foreshadowing of Jesus. In His preincarnate form, He fought for Israel on numerous occasions. The Rock hearkens back to the wilderness experience, when Moses obtained water by striking a huge rock, from which flowed the water of life for his people. It is the great symbol of the life that, by God’s grace, flows from the desert sands.

Indeed, just as Jesus said, Moses prophesied of Him. In fact, all five books of the Torah speak of Him. In Deuteronomy 32, the Rock is a wonderful depiction of Israel’s sustenance. But Moses also prophesies of another rock. This one is associated with a time of great trouble:

"Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection" (Deuteronomy 32:35-38).

Here, we see that during the "day of their calamity," – an obvious reference to the Day of the Lord – they have trusted in another rock, one who presents himself as a true messiah. This counterfeit rock has consumed their sacrifices and offerings. Just as the prophet Daniel said, he agreed to protect them, but in the end, offered no protection at all.

For him to have received the Jews’ sacrifices, he must have been the object of worship in a rebuilt Temple. And of course, the New Testament pictures him in exactly this way, as a man who is made the object of an abominable form of worship:

"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (II Thessalonians 2:1-4).

No matter how one looks at the current situation in the Middle East, a war is coming. Currently, Iran’s President Ahmadinejad is in the process of developing a nuclear offense. At the same time, Russia’s Vladimir Putin has pledged to protect Iran from any attempt to destroy that nuclear force.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad has rolled out the red carpet for the Imam Mahdi, and believes himself to be either the Twelfth Imam or his emissary.

He sees himself wreathed in glorious light, empowered by Allah to go forward in the creation of chaos.

The combined international efforts of the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, and the International Atomic Energy Agency have utterly failed even to slow down the progress of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The U.S. currently has no ambassador in Tehran. France and Germany have recalled their Iranian representatives.

Suicidal Islamic zealots believe that by creating anarchy and bedlam, they can hasten the coming of their Imam Mahdi. The world awaits this powerful man who can promise peace. When he comes, he will validate himself with great signs and wonders.

SOURCE: Prophecy In the News