Joel Richardson

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  3. Hello brother Joel,

    First I’d like to thank you for helping reveal Islam in Bible prophecy. You and Walid Shoebat helped me on the path to understanding.

    Since then I have learned much more about the prophecies of the end times. Indeed I have found a completely different paradigm. Combined with what I have learned from your and Mr. Shoebat’s studies, it forms a more complete picture. It still identifies Islam as antichrist but through a different line of reasoning (it doesn’t study anti-parallels in the Koran). I am linking the download urls for the book “The False Prophet”. You should be able to read through it in no more than two days as it is a short book. I am sure it will present to you a completely different way to look at Old and New Testament prophecy.

    Cordially,

    Aegis

    Links:
    http://www.ellisskolfield.com/pdf/TFPChapters1-9.pdf

    http://www.ellisskolfield.com/pdf/TFPChapters10-17.pdf

  4. Hi,

    I must say that those two books you wrote have left me re-reading the Bible, especially the prophets, very late each night with my jaw open. (Im trying to tell as many people as I can, but no one seems to be interested, but whatever).

    Do you have any comment on the “seven shepherds” mentioned in Micah 5?

    The other question is this. When the Mehdi plays Hitler with the middle east, conquering, coercing and reigning totalitarian, where is NATO? In the real world, NATO is always intervening. That a dictator like the future Mehdi is able to take over so many nations, unchecked by the democracy/human rights obsessed western powers, is unsettling.
    A possible explanation why a power like NATO does not interfere is because we cant. We simply wont be a force to be reckoned with in the future, whether this is through the inevitable war with Russia or China, or through economic collapse is anyone’s guess.
    One man can take over the Middle east, for once without any fear of Western intervention.
    Do you have any comment on this idea?

  6. Joel,

    I just finished your book, Mideast Beast, and I believe you are right on in regards to Islam being the final kingdom and source of Antichrist. What I would like your opinion on is John Price’s book, “End of America” as it seems to dovetail nicely into your work. John’s book makes the assertion that the “Daughter of Babylon” is the United States and will be “taken out” by Islam via nuclear holocaust. And that God is warning people in the US to flee. I’m really studying and praying to see if this is true. The reason that the US does NOT come to Israel’s rescue is because we are no more. Have you read his book and what is your take? I do think as we get closer to the end of the age, Daniel’s prophecies are becoming more clear.

  7. I thoroughly disagree with the view that the US is Mystery Babylon. In my DVD Understanding the Times, I explain why.

  8. Errr…excuse me…having to bump into your article insulting Islam and basically stating that the Prophet Muhammed was ‘evil’ would you be surprised to recieve death threats! Especially with what is occuring in the world today. If you dont like Islam then leave it be, we dont need another ignorant fool provoking us for jest. You believe in your religion and we believe in ours. Don’t act like you’re an expert on Islam to brainwash naive folk.

  9. Joel, have you written any Bible studies on any of these prophetic books? I have read “Islamic AntiChrist” and was astounded! Now I am looking for a Bible study to dovetail onto what was revealed in your book.

  11. Hi Joel, I am reading Mideast Beast, and enjoying it very much. I do have a question for you from page 26. Wasn’t the prophecy of Ezk 39:25 fulfilled in 1948-49? And what are your thoughts about the fact that Israel is surrounded on all sides by her enemies right now. I recently saw a map on the news during the Benghazi horror showing fires representing riots going on simultaneously. They totally surrounded Israel. Thanks for your thoughts on the matter.

  12. Hi Anna,

    Many people today who love Israel look to many of the prophecies that speak of the LORD restoring Israel, as referring to what has happened now in modern times, often failing to acknowledge the trouble that will come before the restoration. Ezekiel 38, 39 is one cohesive prophecy, begins with a sense of peace and security, and then comes the invasion and then after this comes the genuine security and peace. The same pattern is seen in Daniel 11-12, Matthew 24 and so many other very clear prophecies. There are tough times ahead for Israel. I wish that it were not so, but the Scriptures are quite clear on this matter. It is our job to pray and stand with Israel and refuse to repeat our failures make by the Church during the Holocaust.

    Blessings

  13. Definitely praying! I am looking at the devastation of the Philippines as one of the nations that chose to divide Israel…
    Blessings on your ministry. You may be young, but you are wise.

  14. Hi Joel:

    I really admire you and and your work, in both prophetic teaching and Islamic missions. I’m sure you’re probably preparing an article for your blog centered around the recent UN General Assembly vote to divide the land of Israel, which I believe will end up having significant implications in that region. However, I was wondering if at some point you would post an article that specifically addresses the Mark of the Beast? I’m familiar with your teaching that the mark will be the spoken creed of Islam (based on the teaching of the Islamic beast that will rise from the earth and mark the “true believers” on the forehead with his staff). However, I’m also familiar with Walid Shoebat’s teaching that it will be the literal mark of the Bismillah worn on the foreheads or arms of Muslims, based on his observation of the Arabic letters for Bismillah in the Codex Vaticanus (allegedly translated incorrectly into the Greek numerals for 666). This interpretation is intriguing and seemingly convincing, except after you read this article posted by a NT professor from Biola that goes by the handle “Eutychus” a couple of years ago. http://eutychusnerd.blogspot.com/2010/07/mark-of-beast-is-islam-walid-shoebat.html I’m hoping you might have some insight on this subject to share? I apologize if you have addressed this issue previously and I missed it. I only discovered you and your teaching earlier this year, so I’m a fairly recent student of yours. Again, I really appreciate you and your teaching. God bless you, your family and your ministry.

    Gabe from Modesto, CA

  15. HI Gabe,

    What the Mark of the Beast will be is still a mystery to me. However, I am confident that it will be a credal / confessional / issue that entails a rejection of Christ. Otherwise there would be no basis in the idea that those who take the Mark go to hell. This is the only standard by which one finds or fails to find eternal life.

    I do not agree with Walid’s thesis on the Mark of the Beast. I do think that the striking similarity of the Greek and the Arabic might be an interesting “hint” but nothing more. In reality, this is about all Walid sees as well. I think he may have even modified his opinion on this over the years, but I cannot speak for him. While this is the one issue that has got Walid a lot of attention, both positive and negative, he himself doesn’t place much emphasis on it at all.

    Apart from this one issue, I think the rest of the chapter on the Mark of the Beast in God’s War on Terror is spot on and should be considered by anyone pondering this issue.

    Blessings

  16. Joel,

    I have been blessed to have been selected to teach a class at my church about biblical prophecy. Although I absolutely espouse the same views as yourself, this class is supposed to be a general overview of prophecy, teaching all the different viewpoints. So far I am having a great deal of trouble finding a relatively unbiased book that goes over everything (including the islamic endtimes viewpoint if possible). I was wondering if you could recommend anything? So far the closest I’ve been able to come is “The End: a complete overview of bible prophecy and the end days” by Mark Hitchcock, and “What you need to know about bible prophecy: 12 lessons that can change your life” by Max Anders. Thank you in advance for your advice. (feel free to reply to my email if you’d like).

  17. Michael,

    I would recommend

    When Jesus Returns by David Pawson.

    Also, End Times Simplified by David Sliker.

    The Omega Course is also good.

    I hope this has helped. Bless you!

  18. Hi Joel:

    Thanks for your quick reply. Always looking forward to your next post. I attend a large, evangelical church in Modesto that still holds to the Euro-centric eschatological paradigm and I’m preparing to teach a Bible class on the Mideast-centric interpretation. I have a degree in world history but when it comes to Bible teaching, I’m only a layman. I don’t necessarily consider this a disadvantage, if the Spirit of God is working through me, but any general advice you may have for me would be greatly appreciated. My audience may not be very receptive, and it’s very important to me to communicate this teaching effectively. It has not only impacted my intellectual viewpoints but also my relationship with God. I was previously dis-interested in “end times” prophesy (disillusioned is more like it), but God has used your books and several other teachers to lead me to re-discover what it means to live in view of our Lord’s return and He has rekindled my desire to spread the gospel (in my case, to Hispanic peoples). May God continue to bless your ministry to Muslim people throughout the world.

    Gabe

    BTW: I don’t know who complained to you but I easily caught the humor in your post-election article and thought it was entirely appropriate. No apology necessary!!

  19. Hi Gabe,

    Just go for it and learn as you go. You’ll do great. In my view, people are very receptive to this perspective because it makes so much sense. It makes sense of the world as well as Bible prophecy. All the pieces fit and what we are seeing confirms it. Some who are long time students of prophecy have some unlearning to do, but if they are students of the Word and not of their teachers only, they will also be receptive.

    Blessings

  21. Hi Joel

    I write a magazine and would like to put the following article on your book. As I quote quite a lot from your writings I would like your permission to do so. Article below. Comments welcome:

    Tony Pearce

    Mid East Beast.

    Joel Richardson has written a book called Mid East Beast – ‘The scriptural case for an Islamic Antichrist.’ In this book he questions the view that the Antichrist comes out of a ‘revived Roman Empire’ in Europe (i.e. the EU) or’ One World Government’ brought about by globalism (the New World Order). Instead he puts the seat of the end time Beast of the Bible in the Islamic Middle East. He also says that the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13) is a not physical mark without which you cannot buy or sell (e.g. through a microchip inserted under the skin) but is a spiritual mark of allegiance to Islam. He says the Islamised countries of the Middle East will come together into the armies of Gog and Magog as prophesied in Ezekiel 38-9 in the final battle against Israel which brings this age to a close. Gog and Magog is seen as the same battle as Armageddon and the other views of the end time battles to be found in the Hebrew prophets (e.g. Zechariah 12-14). He ties all this up with present developments in the Middle East, in particular the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist groups seeking an Islamic Caliphate to rule over the region, the growing persecution and suppression of Christians in the region, the hatred of Israel and the Jewish people, and the jihadist goal of world domination by Islam. In this article I will look briefly at these issues.

    The location of the Beast.

    One obvious question for this view is the fact that Revelation 13.7-8 speaks of a worldwide rule of the Beast: ‘And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.’ On the basis of this scripture prophecy teachers have said that the Antichrist must have worldwide dominion. David Reagan wrote: ‘The final Gentile empire will unite the world politically, socially, economically and spiritually. Every nation will be included.’ ‘The Gentiles in Prophecy’)

    While this would seem to be the obvious interpretation of this verse, Joel Richardson raises some valid reasons for questioning it. Firstly the scriptures speak of other nations in opposition or waging war against him (Daniel 11:39-45, Revelation 16.12). Secondly the use of the word ‘all’ in scripture is sometimes a hyperbole or exaggeration. For example Luke 2:1-3, ‘And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.’ Ezra 1.2: ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.’
    Commenting on these verses together with Daniel 2.36-38, Daniel 8.5, Romans 10.18, Mark 1.5, Joel Richardson writes: ‘Using a bit of common sense we already know the answers to the following questions, but in light of the verses above let’s ask the obvious: Did Caesar literally tax the whole world? Did every last man, woman and child in Judea and Jerusalem get baptized in the Jordan River? Did Nebuchadnezzar or Cyrus literally rule over the entire earth, ruling over the native Indians in North and South America? Was the Gospel preached to the whole literal earth during the lives of the disciples? We know that the answer to each of these questions is ‘No’ because these verses are obvious examples of a figure of speech known as a synecdoche. It is like saying ‘the whole world watched the Super Bowl on Sunday.’
    He points out that in the verses that speak of the whole ‘earth’ such as Revelation 13:3-4, 13:8, 13:12, 13:17 and 17:8, the word for ‘earth’ is the Greek word ‘ge‘, which will often be referring to ‘a country, land enclosed within fixed boundaries, a tract of land, territory, region’. The region he locates for the beast to come out of is the Middle East region familiar to the prophets and which are the surrounding countries to Jerusalem, which is the focus of the end time conflict (see Zechariah 12.2, 14.14, Joel 3.11-12). There is one easily identifiable factor, which unites these countries – the religion of Islam. Of course this does have a worldwide influence since there are now millions of Muslims living in the western world, many of whom are strongly motivated to make their presence felt with the ultimate goal of Islamising the west.
    According to the view that the Antichrist arises out of Europe (EU), the beast system is a revival of the Roman Empire. However the Roman Empire also went into the Middle East and eventually divided into the western empire with Rome as its capital and the eastern empire with Constantinople (modern Istanbul) as its capital. The image of Daniel 2 is interpreted to mean the empires, which follow Babylon down to the end of the age or the second coming of Christ. The fourth empire, represented by the legs, is Rome. As the image has two legs, so Rome was divided east / west, with the eastern part now the Islamic region of Turkey, the Levant and North Africa (with Israel in the middle!).

    Speaking of the Greek and Persian Empires, Daniel 8.23 says: ‘And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.’ Most interpreters link this figure in Daniel with the antichrist of Revelation. The text implies that he arises out of ‘their kingdom’ (i.e. the region of the Greek and Persian empires). Neither of these empires went westwards from Greece, but did go eastwards into the lands that are located in the heartland of Islam today. In Daniel 8.26 we read that ‘he shall be broken without human means’. According to Revelation 19 the beast and the false prophet are thrown alive into hell by the Lord Himself at His return. Daniel 8.28 says that this vision ‘refers to many days in the future’ (i.e. the last days of this age).

    In chapter 5 of the book of Zechariah we read about a vision that Zechariah was given of a flying scroll and a ‘wicked woman’. An angel tells Zechariah that ‘This is the curse that is going out over the whole land’ at the appointed time (5:3,11). The Prophet Zechariah then writes that ‘the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, ‘Look up and see what this is that is appearing.’ I asked, ‘What is it?’ He replied, ‘It is a measuring basket.’ And he added, ‘This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.’ Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman’ (Zechariah 5:5-7). Zechariah continues, ‘He said, ‘This is wickedness,’ and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed the lead cover down over its mouth. Then I looked up–and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth. ‘Where are they taking the basket?’ I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, ‘To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When it is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.’’ (Zechariah 5:8-11).
    Of particular interest here is the fact that this ‘curse’ is described as a ‘woman’ who would be set up in ‘Babylon’ (Shinar). The Babylonian Empire encompassed areas of Saudi Arabia (the birthplace and spiritual homestead of Islam) to the south, to parts of Asia Minor (Turkey) in the north, and from Egypt in the west to Persia (Iran) in the east. This area is today the regional epicentre of Islam. Additionally, one intriguing aspect to the ‘curse’ that goes out over the whole land is that the word for ‘curse’, and even how it is pronounced, is the Hebrew word ‘alah’. The Prophet Isaiah, in describing the condition of the earth at the time leading up to the Second Coming of Messiah, says that ‘the curse [alah] has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate’ (Isa 24:6).
    There should be little doubt that the ‘woman’ of Zechariah 5 that would have a house built for it in Babylon directly represents the ‘Whore of Babylon’ referred to over 600 years later in Revelation. The ‘house’ at the centre of Islam is the Grand Mosque in Mecca, which is the central place of Muslim worship and the direction they are commanded to pray to. Interestingly Mecca is known as the city of seven hills! (Revelation 17.9) John in Revelation 17 is given a vision of the future and of ‘the great harlot who sits on many waters … And on her forehead a name [was] written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH’ (17:1,5). Given the fact that the ‘Whore of Babylon’ directly represents the curse (alah), is being carried by the Beast, and is herself marked with a name upon her forehead, does it not stand to reason that the Mark of the Beast would therefore be associated with, or directly related to, the ‘woman’ and ‘curse’ (alah) prophesied by Zechariah and John?
    The name Babylon, written upon the forehead of this ‘woman’, comes from the Hebrew word ‘Babel‘, which means ‘confusion (by mixing)’. Since the region of ancient Babylon is today the epicentre of Islam and its god ‘Allah’, it would be befitting to note a brief history of the founder and ‘prophet’ of Islam, Mohammed, and his self-proclaimed holy book, the Qur’an.
    In an effort to entice Jewish and Christian converts to Islam, Islam’s prophet incorporated a twisted mix of Jewish and Christian teachings with the existing Babylonian religion of Arabia early in his campaign to gain adherents to his ‘new’ monotheistic Arab religion (formerly polytheistic), even going so far as to claim that ‘Allah’ was the same god that Jews and Christians worshipped (as is being claimed today by Muslims and many deceived Christians). Abolishing all other Babylonian gods except for the moon god Allah does not make him the same as Yahweh, the God of the Bible any more than it would if for Zeus if all Greek gods apart from him were abolished. At the time of Mohammed, Jews and Christians understood this and rejected his claims. This caused him to grow increasingly hateful and violent against Jews, Christians and all non-Muslims in general, leading to texts being inserted into the Koran, which cause the anti-Semitic and anti-Christian hatred that permeates Islam today.
    The Mark of the Beast.

    ‘He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.’ Revelation 13.16-18.
    According to Joel Richardson the famous Mark of the Beast is not a literal number tattooed onto the hand or forehead or a microchip inserted beneath the skin. He says, ‘the Mark of the Beast is very likely a spiritual mark just as the mark of Christ upon the elect is spiritual.’ Revelation 7.3 and 14.1 speaks of those who have the seal of God on their foreheads. Most interpreters see this as a spiritual sign of allegiance to the Lord and ownership by Him. So why should not the mark of Revelation 13 also not be a spiritual mark? He also points out that the hand and the head are often used in scripture as a sign of allegiance to the Lord by the believer in the head (mind) and the hand (action). ‘And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.’ Deuteronomy 6.5-8. Orthodox Jews do apply this verse literally to tefillin or phylacteries, which are bound to the hand and forehead, but the symbol and the original meaning was that the Law of God should govern your thinking and your action. There are also a number of symbols used in Revelation, which are not meant to be understood literally (e.g. The beast, the dragon, the horns and the diadem in Revelation 12.3, the lamb in Revelation 14.4, the harlot in Revelation 17.5).

    Joel Richardson equates worship of Allah with the mark of the beast. He says ‘According to Islam, anyone who believes that Jesus was God in the flesh who died on the cross for the sins of mankind, the foundational belief which Christianity is built, is accused of committing the worst of all possible sins called ‘shirk‘. In Islam, this is an unpardonable sin that ‘Allah’ will never forgive. In Christianity it is the key to everlasting life.’ Islam denies that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross and rose again from the dead and teaches that He is a created being, the last but one of the prophets and that when He comes again He will do so as a Muslim and convert the world to Islam before dying and being buried. As such it qualifies as ‘antichrist’ according to 1 John 2.18-23 and 4.1-3 and as the product of false teaching according to 2 Peter 2.1.

    Submission to Islam must mean denying the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since the only way to be saved is through repentance and faith in Jesus it follows that no one can be saved through Islam, therefore submission to Islam means that a person is under the wrath of God. Islam forces its adherents to submit to ‘Allah’ and his ‘prophet’ and demands that you reject any belief that Jesus is the Son of God and all other non-Islamic teachings. It also teaches that ‘Allah’ weighs the good deeds and bad deeds of Muslims on a scale to determine who makes it into Paradise, and who does not. In contrast, notice that Christians only receive a mark on our foreheads when we are sealed by God. Why not in our right hand as well? Unlike Islam, which is based upon works, Christians are saved by grace through faith, by being born again, by believing in the true Jesus of Biblical Scripture who died upon the cross, by being transformed by the renewal of our mind. We are not saved by works, lest any one should boast (Eph 2:9).

    It could be argued on the basis of Revelation 14.9-11 that this means that anyone who has participated in Islamic worship cannot find salvation, which is obviously not true. When I asked Joel about this, he replied that he did not mean this, but anyone who submits to the Islamic denial of Jesus as Saviour and Lord cannot experience salvation and remains under the wrath of God.

    The biggest question that many will have regarding a symbolic mark is, ‘If the Mark of the Beast is only symbolic, how can those who do not have a literal mark not buy or sell?’ This is often used as well by some as an argument against a figurative mark, arguing that any such mark must be visible and/or physical if it is required in order to buy or sell.

    When it comes to the conditions that exist in many Islamic nations for Christians, Dr. Labib Mikhail, a former professor of homiletics from the Faith Mission Bible College in Cairo, Egypt, states that one reason why people are forced to embrace Islam is because of the poverty they will assuredly find themselves in if they do not. ‘If you don’t embrace Islam you may not find a job; you may not find an apartment, and you’ll be in financial trouble’. Non-Muslims, particularly Christians and Jews, living in Muslim-dominated countries are finding themselves subjected to an ever increasing wave of discrimination, oppression and persecution at the hands of the Ummah (Islamic Community). Even today a Christian in a Muslim country is often treated as a second-class citizen or worse, unable to serve in the military or police, many cannot work or own a business, or even find a place to live. They cannot own a weapon to defend themselves, nor can they testify against a Muslim in court, etc. etc. etc.

    This type of treatment is getting worse, not better. In many parts of the Muslim world Christians are being threatened either to convert to Islam or face execution. Christians elsewhere are threatened to convert in other ways that, for some, make life just as difficult. In many Islamic nations, for instance, everyone must be given an ID card and this ID card specifies what religion you are, such as ‘M’ for Muslim or ‘C’ for Christian or ‘J’ for Jew. For example, ‘Christian converts and members of minority religions suffer daily discrimination in Egypt, which restricts their access to work, education, travel and healthcare… Every Egyptian over 16 years old must have an ID card which mentions religious belief’. In fact, ‘an ID card is required for the most basic needs in Egypt — to open a bank account, get a driver’s licence, obtain a pension cheque, enrol at school, get a job, and even for childhood immunizations.’

    When we begin to understand the dire social and economic conditions that Christians are increasingly facing in Islamic nations we begin to understand that those who will not be able to buy or sell, or are targeted for execution, are those Christians that refuse to submit to Islam both in mind (forehead) and in deed (right hand) yet remain in Islamic nations during the rise of the Beast. How can a non-Muslim ‘infidel’, who is often threatened with death, buy or sell if they are not permitted to work and earn money, if they are not granted permits to open a business, if the superior Muslim will refuse to sell to the inferior ‘dhimmi’? As bad as this situation is now, it is only going to get worse.
    Walid Shoebat, an Arab from the West Bank who came to Christ after being involved in terrorism against Israel, put forward an interesting theory regarding Revelation 13:18 and ‘666’. He says that when he first saw the Greek symbol that is translated in the Bible as ‘666’ he immediately recognized it as the Arabic character for ‘Bismillah’, which means ‘In The Name Of Allah.’ His theory is interesting and is something to consider. Jihadists typically wear the ‘Bismillah’ on the forehead and on the right arm. Below are the words first in Arabic then in Greek as they appear in the Greek text of Revelation.

    Another item worthy of consideration is the fact that the word for ‘number’ in Revelation 13:18 is ‘arithmos’ which does not only mean number. It also means multitude. In fact, ‘arithmos’ is used a total of 18 times in the New Testament, and aside from Revelation 5:11 when John refers to the number of beings he witnesses around the throne of God, every other time ‘arithmos’ is used it is referring to a group of people. This is significant because it therefore means that the Greek text is better understood as ‘the multitude of the beast: for it is the multitude of a man.’ But what man would that be? There is nothing in the text telling us that the man referred to here must be the end-of-days Antichrist. In fact, consider the following — in order to convert to Islam one must recite the Islamic creed, called the Shahada, by declaring, ‘There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah.’ Because of this very fact it therefore stands to reason that the multitude of a man refers not to a personal Antichrist, but rather to Mohammed, the founder and prophet of Islam. If you cannot acknowledge Mohammed, you cannot become a Muslim. Thus, the multitude of the Beast, which is the multitude of a man, are they who receive the Mark of the Beast upon their ‘foreheads’ and are therefore destined for destruction. This contrasts with the great multitude, which is the multitude of the Lamb (Rev 7:17, 14:4) that receives the seal of God upon their foreheads (Rev 7:3, 14:1) and are therefore destined for redemption (cf Eph 4:30).

    My comment on this is that it does raise very interesting possibilities. I have felt more and more recently that the alternative view of the mark being a microchip inserted under the skin does have huge practical difficulties surrounding it. To force this on a mass of the world’s population would be an incredibly difficult and time consuming operation, hardly possible in the time frame of the Revelation passage (42 months / 3 ½ years) amidst the massive upheavals going on in the world at the time.

    The War of Gog and Magog.

    According to many commentators on prophecy, the War of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38-9) is an invasion of Israel led by Russia and Muslim Middle Eastern allies in the last days. Often this is placed before or at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the final period of history, which climaxes with the battle of Armageddon and the return of Christ. Some have taught that in this battle Islam will be destroyed and the Antichrist will then arise out of Europe or the New World Order. Joel Richardson disagrees with this view and puts the war of Gog and Magog at the end of the tribulation period with Turkey as the location of Magog and Gog as an Islamic leader who comes out of this region. He equates this leader with the Antichrist of the Bible and the Mahdi of Islamic belief. According to many Muslims the Mahdi will arise in the last days of this age, lead the Muslims to defeat Israel and rule over the world. Both Shiite and Sunni Muslims share this belief and it is a motivating principle in the Iranian leadership today.

    Among the reasons he gives for this conclusion are as follows. Most ancient interpreters, Jewish, Christian and secular, located Magog with Turkey not Russia. Ezekiel 39.17-20 speaks of a ‘sacrificial meal’ for ‘birds of every kind’ after the armies of Gog are destroyed. Revelation 19.17-18 also calls for the birds to come and eat the flesh of the armies destroyed at Armageddon. Ezekiel 39.21-29 speaks of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the house of Israel as a result of which ‘the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward… And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.’
    If Gog and Magog comes before or early in the tribulation this would not be the case because Israel goes then through the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30), when ‘two thirds’ are cut off (Zechariah 13). This is hardly consistent with God saying ‘I will not hide My face from them anymore.’ If it comes after the tribulation period it ties in with Zechariah 12-14 and Revelation 19 as the time when the Holy Spirit convicts Israel that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah (Zechariah 12.10) bringing salvation. He then comes to stand on the Mount of Olives, brings the war to an end and sets up the Messianic kingdom (Ezekiel 40-48, Zechariah 14.5-21, Revelation 20).
    If this is the case then Gog is an Islamic leader coming out of the land of Magog (Turkey?), leading the armies to the final battle. He is also the Antichrist of Revelation.

    Current world developments.

    The Middle East is the heartland of Islam, the place where the Jewish state of Israel has been placed and currently the place where a radical form of Islam is gathering pace in the control of nations. As these nations become more Islamised so they become more dangerous and difficult for non-Muslims to live in and more hostile to the existence of the state of Israel. The results of the Arab Spring so far have been the establishment of radical Islamic governments in Tunisia and Egypt. Libya and Yemen are still in some transition but many radical Islamist groups are holding positions of power. Morocco has seen a moderately Islamist party gain power through elections. Syria is in a state of civil war, with the outcome likely to be power going from the secular dictatorship of Assad to Islamists allied to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is now agitating for change in Jordan, which would bring them, power and reduce the power of King Abdullah. Most importantly Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is in the process of transforming the country from being a secular republic aligned to the west, part of NATO and previously in alliance with Israel into another Islamist regime.

    Erdogan is planning to alter Turkey’s constitution to give himself power until at least 2021. He has talked of ‘moving forward with the spirit that the spirit that founded the Ottoman Empire… We must go everywhere our ancestors have been.’ Turkey borders with Syria, and it is possible that the current crisis could eventually see Turkish intervention there. The Ottoman Empire was the last Islamic ‘Caliphate’, abolished in 1922, which many wish to see revived in a new Caliphate ruling over the region. Israel / Palestine was part of the Turkish Empire until the British came to the region in 1917. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, now vying for power in the countries in ferment in the region, has as one of its foundation beliefs the reestablishment of the Islamic Caliphate, according to some with Jerusalem as its capital. Such a Caliphate would be disastrous for the regions Christian minorities, already facing economic deprivation and expulsion from places where they have lived for centuries. It would also be a threat to Israel if all these nations came together with the aim of removing the Jewish state and setting up an Islamic Caliphate centring on Jerusalem. This would also bring together the armies of Gog and Magog for the final conflict and the second coming of Yeshua the Messiah.
    This region already has an ideology believed by the overwhelming majority of its inhabitants, unlike Europe. It has a motivation to subjugate non-believers and to come against Israel. Could the raising of the black flag of Islam be the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, following the fall of Jerusalem in the last days to Islamists who declare their triumph on the Temple Mount, only to be shatteringly defeated by the returning Messiah Yeshua at the end of this age?
    There are still difficulties with this scenario but many of the pieces do fit much better with the scriptures and the facts on the ground than the European dictator arising out of the EU and injecting all the population with a microchip without which they cannot buy or sell. If this is the case then the world would seem to be close to the fulfilment of these prophecies as the nations of the Middle East continue to go towards radical Islam, Israel finds itself surrounded by hostile nations seeking its destruction and the shrinking Christian population is threatened with death or economic extinction. Maranatha – may the Lord come soon!

  22. Hi Tony,

    You have my permission. I haven’t read through the whole article as of yet, but the first few paragraphs seem to accurately represent my writings.

    What is the name of your magazine?

    Many Blessings

  24. Hi Joel,
    I just finished “The Islamic Anti-Christ” I loved it! I have believed pretty much as you do in this book. I would like to add another Bible comparison to the Muslim beliefs. — The Dajjal is one eyed – the Bible too talks of an evil Shepherd . . . I will let you read it for yourself. Enjoy!! Hope this helps you in further writings. Zech. 11: 4-17 key verse “17” which eye is it????
    Thank you for the great read!!!

  25. Hello Joel. Do you see “new age” sort of gnostic concepts coming to play any significant role in end times? This movement would presumably clash with Islam.

  26. <blockquote cite="The Declaration of Bishop Sophronius,
    When Khalifah Omar entered Jerusalem in 639AD, he was met by Sophronius, Bishop of the Jerusalem Church, who showed him around
    the city. Seeing the temple mount (then in rubble), Omar declared that he was going to build a memorial to Muhammad on the original site of
    the temple of God. Sophronius exclaimed in horror, “Verily, this is the Abomination of Desolation as spoken of by Daniel the prophet, and it
    now stands in the holy place.”     Though Sophronius was a very old man of about 80, Khalifah Omar put him in prison and to forced labor, the
    severities of which killed him.From Jerry Landay’s, The Dome of the Rock (Newsweek, New York, NY, 1972) p. 18
    The Dome of the Rock being the Abomination that maketh Desolate is not new
    theology! That knowledge has been in the Church for over 1300 years.
    Somehow we have forgotten the prophetic words
    for which Sophronius gave his life.

    Jerry Landay Dome of the Rock”

    For far too long I have watched the modern church collectively ignore 1900 years of church history. I understand this may be hard for you to accept, but correctly identifying the abomination in the book of Daniel is the lynchpin of your doctrine for obvious reasons.

    Abomination of Desolation

  27. Hi Joel,
    I quick questions that I couldnt find an answer to in your or Walid’s books.
    They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. Rev 17
    If the seventh king is the Islamic caliphate, which one – the one that ruled from 7 to 20 century or the coming revived one? The text says IT MUST REMAIN A LITTLE WHILE, but the Caliphate ruled over Israel for 13 centuries…so maybe it’s talking about the coming one? How do you explain all this?

    Thank you!

  28. The seventh king / kingdom was the historical Islamic Empire, composed of various caliphates, but the reference to the one yet to come, that would remain for “a little while” can only be a reference to the final king, the Antichrist. This reference to the shortness of his reign is a repeated theme, throughout the book of Revelation and other prophets. In fact, it references this just a couple of verses later when it says:

    “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.” – Rev 17:12

    One hour being an expression referencing the shortness of his / their reign.

    Also:

    “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.” -Revelation 12:12

    And elsewhere:

    Come, my people, enter into your rooms And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while Until indignation runs its course. -Isaiah 26:20

  29. Joel,
    I have read “Mideast Beast”, God’s War on Terror”, and some other material/books about Islam and the mid-east anchoring of the Bible. Looking back I think I believed in this approach before the readings, at least subconciously. Perhaps I was being lead to the information!
    My question is how does one go about finding a church in their area that DOES NOT practice replacement theology? It seems the overwhelming majority practice it and a smaller number are non-committal either way. Perhaps I will be lead to an answer in this regard also, but can you give me any suggestions? For instance would a non replacement theology church be an independent church by definition, or is there any denomination where it would or could be found?

  30. Hi Rich,

    ONe route to consider is to simply call some pastors and ask to get together. In general, most Bible churches, a lot of Baptist churches, many independent churches, and of course any Messianic synagogue would fall into the category that you are considering. I would counsel you to prayerfully make an effort to be led by the Spirit and avoid goofy fringy kind of groups. 🙂 I hope this helps.

    Blessings

  31. Hi Joel. Your book with Whalid is great. much new insight.
    My question. What is your stand on the pre-wrath rapture?
    thanks for your response.

  34. I think it is far too premature to even speculate on these matters. While we may watch various individuals, I think it is unwise to speculate on who the AC is until things become more focused. I am however, not a fan at all of Erdogan.

  35. Hi Joel,

    I’m a big fan of your ministry. I’m sure you have a lot of projects on your plate, but have you ever considered writing/co-writing a novel series like Left Behind before?

    Blessings, sir.

  36. Hi Nathan,

    I have. But not yet. My next project is a documentary, hopefully to be completed by years end.

    Blessings!

  37. Hi Joel, I’ve been wrestling with the Isaac/Ishmael saga for a while now. I am a child of the one true Son of God, Jesus and have read and pondered the word for a long time. Most of the time the Holy Spirit has been my only teacher, but what a good teacher, eh? Well, God being a just God tells Hagar that her son will also be a founder of a great nation that will be in conflict with his brother Isaac. This appears to have followed a similar pattern, 12 tribes, similar practices in thier ceremonies, same God (might be stepping on some toes here but I do feel I am right here), same father…Abraham. The family tree starts there for both the Jew and the Arab. Both persecuted Christians and both say attempting to convert someone from being a Muslim or Judaism is against the law. One crucified Jesus, one of their own the other doesn’t believe he could rise from the dead. But both are waiting for the Messiah to come as a glorious saviour riding in as a mighty warrior proving that they are the chosen nation. Of course, we know that it is the Jewish nation of Israel that will have the Messiah but do you think God, our merciful and loving Father, would use poor Ishmael to bring forth the anti-christ? I have always felt that they are actually looking for the same person…Jesus! They just have been blinded…remember when Jesus says he goes by many names? I think the false prophet here is Mohammed and he has misled the Arabs, just like the Pharasees misled the Jews. The anti-christ…he is going to be someone who the whole world (lost of the world) will look up to. His charisma will be christlike and only those of us that know Jesus’ voice will recognize that he isn’t really Jesus! Therefore, won’t it be from a culture that cultivates love and peace? It seems to me that is what this world is hungry for. I just don’t know. Just asking:).

  38. Joel,

    Do we actually need a “Mahdi”? Couldn’t it be more possible that its only some sort of general leader of perhaps Turkey that will rise up and garner support without the Muslims thinking he is the “Mahdi”? I’ve read both Islamic Antichrist and Mideast Beast… and I know what you mention about the Mahdi in Islamic Antichrist, but on the other hand, the Qu’ran and the Hadiths aren’t necessarily our source of revelation (obviously). Thus what is your idea on the thought of a general leader that will rise up without the Muslims thinking of him as their Mahdi? And how would that tie together with the false prophet in Revelation? Or should we really be looking for a Mahdi to appear and a false Jesus to appear?

  39. Aaron,

    Of course we do not need a Mahdi. I suspect that many may look to this leader as such, but it certainly required, as it is not written in Scripture, which as you correctly state, is our only source of authority. Islamic Antichrist was written 8 years ago. I would likely word things much more cautiously if I were to re-write it.

    Blessings

  40. Joel, I have read some short essays on the internet saying that Daniel 9’s seventy sevens gave a very accurate time for the Messiah’s first advent. Do you interpret the passage in like manner, and is there any evidence that the Jews of Christ’s time thought of Daniel 9 in this way? They were aware the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, so i would think they also had thoughts about Daniel 9 and whether it pointed to his arrival in their own time.
    Essentially, I’m wondering if Daniel 9 is a powerful tool for convincing people of prophecy, as Isaiah 53 is.
    Thanks!

  41. Greetings, Joel.

    I believe you are spot-on about placing the Battle of Gog and Magog at the end of the tribulation, but a few logistical issues have always eluded me. When the Antichrist commits the Abomination of Desolation in the middle of the tribulation and establishes the Temple Mount as his base of operations, why would he later return at Armageddon with his armies to invade Israel? For a commander to destroy his own command center just sounds improbable to me.
    Secondly, how is it possible for villages in the West Bank to exist with open borders living in peace and security, when the armies of Gog (Antichrist) are descending upon them and the 2nd Coming is imminent? It doesn’t seem possible.

    I’d love to know your thoughts.

  42. Hello Joel,
    I just came across your website after having watched some of the teaching videos on youtube. As a former student of Islamic studies I pretty much came to the same conclusions with regard to the antichrist/mahdi figure. I thank God for your life and work and may he continue to bless you richly and protect you on all your ways.
    In Christ

  43. Hi
    I just got the significance of Strong’s Hebrew #693 “arab” the definition is to “ambush” “lie in wait” and the scriptures scream out that the Arabs are the ones who “lie in wait”. Joel in your first dvd series you taught that Arabs are the mixed ones in the feet of the Daniel chapter 2 but this ads another element to that understanding…also it is a method of prophecy that you recognize i.e. God telling us the same thing in different ways and in different places in the bible.

    check out the uses of Strong’s #693 in the bible!…God Bless You Guys and I use NASB haven’t checked with other versions yet

  44. Hi, Joel,

    If you’re looking for subject matter for an article, or if you’d just like to answer briefly in this blog, I’ve been wondering about Zechariah 13:8.

    “In the whole land,” declares the LORD, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.”

    Does “the whole land” mean Israel as its borders are today, or all the land that God gave to Abraham and his descendants? And does “two-thirds” mean two-thirds of the Jews or two-thirds of all the land’s current inhabitants?

    Thanks, and God bless.

  45. Any thoughts on the idea of 120 Jubilees? And along with that… what do you think about Judah ben Samuel’s prophecy?

  46. Dear Joel,
    Did you know that the Church of God weblinks are being placed at the beginning of some of your articles published on WND. That’s what I’m seeing here in Australia. Is that something only happening here in Australia or is it happening on USA websites also?
    http://www.wnd.com/2012/08/which-nations-does-psalm-83-really-include/ Are the Church of God doing that with your approval? With WND approval? I emailed WND asking them that also

  49. Joel, I have wrestled for years with the interpretation of what the covenant of Daniel 9:27 really means and would love to hear your views on it. It seems to be a very evangelical mainstream idea that the 70th week is defined by a seven year peace treaty and that this is the covenant that is confirmed or made with many. My spirit and brain though keeps telling me this is not correct. No where in the Revelation do I see anything lasting seven years, only 3 1/2 years (42 months, 1,260 days, or the time, times and half a time periods mentioned). Based on the fact that sacrifices will stop at the mid point and that seemed to have happened after the 3 1/2 year Vespasian and Titus campaign, it seems to me the first half of the 70th week happened from the spring of 67 to the fall of 70, and that triggered the desolation of the temple and land of Israel, and also triggered the time gap implied by Hosea 6 of 2 days or 2,000 years. After being torn apart and smitten, they will be revived on the third day and a day is as a thousand years as we know. Of course there has been much debate as to who the “he” is that confirms or makes the covenant also. Is it Jesus, Gog, or Jimmy Carter?(Jimmy’s time is probably running out)… The covenant does not necessarily have to be a peace agreement… it could be Gog getting the various fighting factions to agree to the common goal of the destruction of Israel for 7 years. Vespasian and Titus got the “peoples of the prince”, ie. Syrians, etc.. to agree to fight for 3 1/2 years to overcome the rebellion and Gog may also get the various countries and groups to come together for another 3 1/2 years for the same purpose, even though they may not know they are doing it for 3 1/2 years. They may not define the time period with a piece of paper, it will just take that long. The covenant could also be the warning God has always made to Israel that if they rejected him or did not obey his commandments he would send a people whose tongue they know not to destroy them and make them desolate, ie..Deut 28… Anyway, this is what I wrestle with and would greatly appreciate your insights and opinions. Thank you and God bless you for your work and efforts. A fellow seeker of the truth….

  51. Dear Joel,

    Are you aware that the Discussion Forum cannot be opened, it does not work? If you are aware of it, when these Forums will work?

  54. Hey Joel:

    Not sure if you’ve seen this MEMRI TV compilation previously (it’s a couple of years old), but it’s an excellent example of the growing spirit of anti-semitism and spirit of antichrist in the nations surrounding Israel:

    And here’s a link to a YouTube video I found regarding the increasing manifestation of anti-semitism and the spirit of AC in Islamic countries today:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu6Ond1ESq8

    MEMRI TV is an excellent resource for anyone in the West who wants to escape the Euro-centric focus of eschatology and see what is being taught on the airwaves in ALL of the nations surrounding Israel. It’s obvious, if you know where to look. Now put THAT together with the MYRIAD of Biblical prophesies regarding the appearance of the Lord and his judgement of those SAME nations, and the answer is clear. No mystical medieval prophesies needed (i.e. Petreus Romanus).

    The Body of Christ needs to get right before God, be sober and vigilant, and run with perseverance the race marked out before us. There is still a lot of work for the laborers in the fields, and if Tim Warner is correct in his interpretation of God’s timetable, we have very little time to do it. A time is coming when many of us might find ourselves in front of an Islamic Sharia court with the great opportunity to testify for Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit (Mark 13:9-11), refusing the invitation to confess the Shahada, and then submit our very hands and necks as drink offerings to God (Phil.2:17, 2 Tim.4:6) under the sword of the executioner (Rev 20:4, Quran 8:12). I only pray, that if God blesses me with that opportunity, I meet it like Paul. Pay attention, churches!! He is already arranging things!! (Rev 3:9-13 LGV).

  56. 02-26-13
    Joel, read your ‘The Islamic Antichrist’am now going through it again.
    I have studied Mormonism and Islam for many years but need a little help.
    To my the truth or falsity of Islam is based on one question:
    Did Jesus claim to be God?
    I need non Christian sources, because Muslims believe the Bible corrupt on this point.
    Do you know of a Jewish source that explains their rejection of him on the basis of his claim to be Divine?
    I feel if we can give Muslims non Christian sources for his claim to be Divine it will help them to do some thinking.
    Vern Cavin

  57. Joel, the first time I thought the Antichrist may be Islamic was in 2005. I was discussing muslim eschatology with an Egyptian Islamic military officer compared to Biblical eschatology. I was shocked when he told me that the Muslim messiah was going to make a 7 year treaty. I thank you for your work here. I have thought long about the Islam religion. After the rapture, they will be the dominate religion upon the earth. It is understandable that much hatred will be directed towards Israel and the Jews afterwards by a Muslim messiah who will possibly broker a peace with Israel to prevent war. I liked how you linked the Ottoman Empire into your thesis. Regarding the split of the Roman Empire, it has never truly been incorporated into the eschatological views of Christians nor how they were rulers of the ‘world’ for a time. The reality is there are only two groups who believe they are God’s chosen people, the Muslim Arabs and the Jews. Gentiles like us seemed to always understand we were outside looking in. When Jesus comes back, He will settle it once and for all. Thanks for your work.

  58. Hi Joel:

    Now that we know that the new pope is neither a Peter, nor a Roman (you can’t get much FURTHER away in the world than Argentina, actually) I think that the proponents of that fallacy obviously have some egg on their face. I’m not asking you to rub that egg in their face in a rude or arrogant way, but perhaps a gentle admonishment is in order? A warning to all of the readers to be careful in the future and not be a student of pop-esy? Obviously, the conclave of cardinals are much more concerned about their rapidly shrinking congregations in the New World and the rapid growth of evangelical Christianity, hence a Latin American pope, compared to their concern for fulfilling some prophesy is irrelevant. The un-biblical and ridiculous argument is exposed, but do you think it’s appropriate to make a point of that?

    Gabe

  59. What are we to make of the Petrus Romanus Book? The new Pope is Francis I
    I am a Bible believing Evangelical Roman Catholic Christian who is very
    suspicious of all privte revelations and nonbiblical prophecies.
    Wish we could get back to scripture.
    God bless you.
    Bill Huebler

  60. Hello Joel! Just stopped by to catch up on what you have been doing, and had a desire to say hi. So glad you are doing well, and see you are super busy.
    Take care and god bless you in all you are doing for him
    In Him
    Norma

  61. @ Gabe from Modesto…

    Though I can’t speak for Joel, there’s a few things to consider… Pope Francis’ parents were Italian immigrants…

    Besides the Petrus Romanus prophecy, there is also Rabbi Judah ben Samuel’s prophecy (look him up), who has been accurate to a T… everything he prophesied has fallen accurately on the 50 year Jubilee cycle…

  62. Hi Aaron:

    Thanks for your reply and your input. I would just point out the fact that Francis I is not an Italian national, nor is his name Peter in any sense. So in a round-about way, he only partially fulfills this prophesy. And that’s how these prophesies work. Partial fulfillment of some vague criteria is easy if people really want to make it happen any way possible. They’ve been doing it with Nostradamus for years.

    The Malachy prophesy is a fraud. It was written in the late 16th Century to support particular candidates for pope in a conclave. The writers claimed that they had discovered the prophesys in the Vatican as written by Malachy 440 years before, but conveniently, no one else had ever seen them. They were, of course, very accurate about every pope within the 440 years preceding, and not very accurate at all about almost all of the popes afterwards. Partial, vague fulfillments do not meet the Biblical criteria for a prophet. Only a false prophet. And we are told to test these things (1 John 4:1). We CANNOT take extra-biblical sources of prophecy seriously at this point. That is a VERY slippery slope. I’m not saying Francis will NOT be the last pope, but I’m not even going to give a second look to anything outside of the Word of God at this point. There will be way too much deception in this last generation to even consider mystical Catholic or Jewish visions. I know Joel would agree with me, because he’s already said so:

    https://joelstrumpet.com/?p=4741

    If your interested in some serious Biblical scholarship regarding Bible chronology as it relates to the Jubilee cycles, check out this site.

    http://www.120jubilees.org/

    Joel has endorsed Tim Warner’s book on regarding this issue, named the Times of the End.

    God bless you bro,

    Gabe

  63. I would not be so fast to dismiss the prophecy of St. Malachi.

    We have the same situation here as we had with the Pope Benedict XVI. Not only the original name, but the name the Pope has chosen may fulfill the St. Malachi’s prophecy. This prophecy told that next to last pope will be the “Glory of the Olive”. And Benedictine Order is associated by tradition with olives.

    Let us analyze the name: Peter the Roman. Peter means “rock”.

    Take a look what they wrote about St. Francis, whose name the new Pope has chosen:

    “There are cornerstone figures in Catholicism,” such as St. Francis, Allen said. Figures of such stature as St. Francis of Assisi seem “irrepeatable — that there can be only one Francis,” he added.
    http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/13/world/pope-name/index.html

    That means that St. Frances is the unrepeatable CORNERSTONE figure. St. Francis is the Rock, he is “Peter”!

    St. Francis of Assisi name at the birth was Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone. St Francis’ name was Peter !!!
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi

    “The name symbolizes “poverty, humility, simplicity and rebuilding the Catholic Church,” Allen said. “The new pope is sending a signal that this will not be business as usual.”
    http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/13/world/pope-name/index.html

    This name means “rebuilding the Catholic Church”!

    Jesus told: “On this ROCK I will BUILD My Church”!

    St. Francis’ name at birth is Peter, he is the Rock and the Builder. New pope’s parents came from Italy. Rome is not just its capital Rome. Rome is the whole Italy.

    St.Francis was in essence “Peter (Rock) the Roman” He was a “builder of the Church”!

    “In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI recounted how St. Francis was born in 1181 or 1182 as the son of a rich Italian cloth merchant, according to the Vatican website.
    After “a carefree adolescence and youth,” Francis joined the military and was taken prisoner. He was freed after becoming ill, and when he returned to Assisi, Italy, a spiritual conversion began. He abandoned his worldly lifestyle.
    In a famous episode, Christ on the Cross came to life three times in the small Church of St. Damian and told him: “Go, Francis, and repair my Church in ruins,” Pope Benedict XVI said, according to the Vatican’s website.”

    http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/13/world/pope-name/index.html

    Jesus told to St.Francis: “Go Francis and repair my Church in ruins”

    Jesus told to Peter: “On this Rock I will build My Church”

    My God, there is a jaw-dropping similiarity!

    In addition, the new pope’s name Francis I (First) reminds you of Peter who is considered the First Pope.

    The conclusion is: The new Pope is “Peter the Roman” !!!

    The implication is also that St. Malachy is the true prophet of God ! I know that many people here may not like it, especially, the implication of the phrase: “On this rock I will build My Church”. But it is what it is !

  64. Gina,

    First, the Benedictine Order is not associated with olives. This has been repeated so many times around the internet that many believe it. But it is simply not true. Within the Benedictine Federation there are twenty different groups, one of which is the Olivetans. This is far from a fulfillment of the term Glory of the Olives. People are simply so determined to find fulfillment where none is that they are even willing to falsify the evidence. As for the claim that Francis of Assisi fulfills the term “Petrus Romanus” because someone has said that Francis was a “cornerstone figure” is in my opinion, just plain silly. If you are a Roman Catholic, then your determination to accept St. Malachy is interesting in light of the fact that the actual Church itself rejects Malachy’s so called prophecy. I do not intend to be rude with my comments here. I simply wish that folks would pay a fraction as much attention to the clear prophecies of the Bible, the infallible world of God, than to myths.

    Many Blessings!

  65. Joel,

    I am not a Roman Catholic.

    St.Francis name at birth was “Pietro” which is Peter. Also, as it was written in article which I cited, St. Francis had a vision in which Jesus said to him 3 times: “Go, Francis, and rebuild my Church”. This is a striking papalles with the words of Jesus to Peter: “On this rock I will build my Church”. Peter means “rock”. In addition, the name that the new pope accepted “Francis I [First]” reminds of Apostle Peter who was the First Bishop of Rome. These all are striking parallels.

    For me, it is absolutely clear that the new Pope IS “Peter the Roman”.

    I think that you deny it only because you want to deny it. It is my personal opinion.

    Gina

  66. Gina,

    Explain then why Benedict did not line up with the moniker “Glory of the Olives.” Secondly, and ironically as I am a Protestant, by denying it, I am actually being a better Roman Catholic than you. As I said, even the RC Church itself denies this prophecy.

  67. Joel,

    As I already told, I am not a Roman Catholic. I am a Russian Orthodox Christian.

    Although the priests of my Church hate the Catholic Church with passion, I never hated it. I do not have a particular special love for the Roman Catholic Church, but, at the same time, I do not hate it. Because of that, I think, that I am impartial when it comes to the Roman Catholic Church. By the way, I also believe that you personally do not hate this church.

    I am absolutely sure (as I believe you are) that the Pope has nothing to do with the Antichrist. There is no shred of doubt in my mind that the Antichrist is a Muslim and he has nothing to do with the Roman Catholic Church, which he hates with all his heart as any other Christian Church.

    The Catholic Church neither approved nor denied St. Malachy’s prophecy. There is no official document from the Catholic Church that says that the Catholic Church, as a whole, denies this prophecy. Some representatives of the Catholic Church could say that they deny this prophecy, but there is no official statement from the Catholic Church as the whole that says so.

    You asked me how Pope Benedict XVI is connected to the Glory of Olives. Below is the answer:

    ” Benedict’s choice of papal name is after Saint Benedict of Nursia, founder of the Benedictine Order, of which the Olivetans are one branch.
    Benedict’s name is a sound reference to the motto by St Malachy. In fact St Benedict is the patron saint of Europe and the olive is a symbol of peace thus implying that the head of church is a herald of peace in Europe and to the world. ”
    http://anonymousprophets.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/de-gloria-olivae-the-glory-of-the-olive/

    “…the following is the best evidence that Pope Benedict did indeed bring glory to the Olive or Olivetans:

    Bernardo Tolomei (1272-1348), founder of the Olivetan Benedictine Order, was canonized at St. Peter’s, Rome by Pope Benedict XVI on April 26, 2009 making him St. Bernardo Tolomei.

    On the 26th March 1319 Tolomei was given a Decree authorising him to build the future monastery of Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto, near Asciano, Italy. Fodor’s Review of Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore states “Tuscany’s most-visited abbey sits in an oasis of olive and cypress trees amid the harsh landscape of Le Crete.” The illustration of St. Bernardo Tolomei appears to show three large olives with two small olive branches sprouting on top. ”
    http://www.astrology.co.uk/news/benedict.htm

    But, at the same time, you did not answer one of my statements connecting Pope Francis I with Peter the Roman. In my previous comment, I wrote:

    ” St.Francis name at birth was “Pietro” which is Peter. Also, as it was written in article which I cited, St. Francis had a vision in which Jesus said to him 3 times: “Go, Francis, and rebuild my Church”. This is a striking papalles with the words of Jesus to Peter: “On this rock I will build my Church”. Peter means “rock”. In addition, the name that the new pope accepted “Francis I [First]” reminds of Apostle Peter who was the First Bishop of Rome. These all are striking parallels.
    For me, it is absolutely clear that the new Pope IS “Peter the Roman”. ”

    You did not address any of these parallels.

    Why do I think that St. Malacy’s prophecy is important? Because it lines up with Rabbi Judah Ben Samuel prophecy. Although, the only prophecies that are in the Bible are 100% correct, there were extra-Biblical prophecies which cannot and should not be dismissed.

    I must mention that, although I was born in a Christian family, I never was a strong Christian believer. That is until I read the book “God’s War on Terror”. After reading this book, I started to investigate in depth Islam and Christianity. As a result, I became a strong Christian believer. This was based not on a blind faith, but on the strong evidence. Walid Shoebat and you made me a new-born Christian.

    So, my comments cannot possibly be hostile comments, it is just a minor disagreement. I cannot possibly be hostile to you because you and Walid Shoebat are my spiritual mentors who led me to Christianity.

    Many Blessings!

    Gina

  68. Joel,

    For some reasons, I cannot access any of Discussion Forums on this website. This already happened in the past, when I could not access any of these forums for two days. Could you please help?

    God Bless!

    Gina

  69. Gina,

    Forgive me if I came across as too negative or disagreeable. I understand the connection that you are making, but I simply do not see it as all that profound. Particularly with the previous pope. I appreciate your passion to see this fulfilled. It would seem that if it were true however, that you would wish to become Roman Catholic, as it would tend to validate the notion that the present Pope is the leader of the “Church”. Perhaps you would embrace the Melkite tradition? In any case, as with all of these things, time will tell. I simply desire to see folks more oriented toward Scripture than extra-Biblical prophecies. While I do accept such prophecies as potentially having validity, I do always approach them with a level of skepticism. Perhaps it is my nature.

    Blessings!

  71. Hi Joel:

    Do you know if Joel Rosenberg is familiar with you and/or your books? I just saw an interview with him about his latest book in the 12th Imam series on Erick Stakelbeck’s show. He obviously holds to the popular evangelical views regarding the pre-tribulational rapture, the Russian-Iranian Gog invasion (as a separate event from Armageddon), and the revived Roman empire. But I think it’s interesting that in his last 2 fictional series, he’s focused so much on Middle Eastern events in relation to Biblical prophesy, even relating them to Muslim expectations of the revived caliphate and the rise of the Mahdi (although obviously he believes these things are just a pre-cursor to the “real” Antichrist and his secular humanist empire from Europe). Having read your blog for several months now, as well as both Mideast Beast and God’s War on Terror (working on my new copy of Controversy of Zion), I now understand how convoluted and inconsistent the popular view is. So I was considering that I might send Joel Rosenberg a message via his website and link to your site and several of your YouTube videos. Might do the same for Erick Stakelbeck as well. But first, I wanted to get your opinion on that and see if you have conversed with either one of them already.

    BTW: A quick note about the irony of how God works. I was doing a YouTube search for Joel Rosenberg on YouTube a year ago to find one of his interviews. I mis-typed his name, and instead of finding his interview, I found a clip of an interview between Sid Roth and some guy named Joel Richardson. And I am so thankful I did!!

    God bless you,
    Gabe

  72. Gabe,

    Rosenberg knows who I am, and is familiar with my views. Only on a surface level, I would suppose. On occasions in the past, I have seen him quote some of my research, but has never attributed it to me. I think he may think I am a bit fringy, and so may tend to avoid me. If I could speak with him at length, I am sure I could quite easily convince him of the error of his interpretation of Ezekiel 38, 39. This is huge as it forms his entire eschatological worldview. That said, I like Rosenberg very much as a person. I love what he does with the Joshua fund. I think he is a good current events guy with amazing connections, and obviously a good writer. I do however believe that he receives far more credit as an expert on all things MIddle East than he deserves. I have frequently heard him making statements that are simply untrue. Basic errors. Of course, we all make mistakes, but his knowledge of both Islam and hermeneutics is lacking.

    Blessings!

  73. Joel:

    Thanks for your reply and I appreciate your gracious comments towards Joel Rosenberg. I’ve also heard him called a Middle East expert many times, and his books are very good fiction, but based on what I’ve learned just in the past year from yourself, Walid Shoebat and a few other teachers, he obviously has a very limited and incomplete view of Mahdism, and as you mentioned, he uses an inconsistent hermeneutic. Ironically, I’m studying hermaneutics in a theology course right now and Mideast Beast has given me great examples of how my teachers are violating their very own rules in relationship to a literal, historical-grammatical exegesis of eschatology. I’m doing a lot of research to prepare an inductive Bible study on eschatology that will cover multiple books and passages in the Bible and will be presenting it to my pastoral staff sometime this year, so pray for me (they might see you as “fringe” also, but they know me and trust me, so perhaps God can use that relationship to make them more open to receiving the same message). Otherwise, keep up the great work, and I might just encourage Rosenberg to read your book anyhow. As you said, God has given him influence in both media and politics, and millions of people read his books, so wouldn’t it be awesome if he came to a correct understanding of Ezekiel 38-39? I’m standing with you, Bro!!

    Gabe

  75. Joel,
    It seems that you misunderstood my last comment. I meant to say that the Internet windows in the Forums cannot be opened. Internet windows just show blank pages. Is this a problem or some malfunctioning originated on this website?

    Thank you,
    Gina

  76. Hi Joel
    It make sense that the bible is Middle Eastern centric and that everything turns around Israel and other Muslim countries….BUT, how will the number of the beast be implemented to the rest of the world in such a short period (7 years)

    It is easy to implement the number of the beast to all Muslims or to those belonging to the Caliphate since their Mahdi (our Antichrist) will have some control or system to implement it within the Caliphate etc…..but how will he do it to the rest of the world? Is that not also applicable in the Middle east only?

    Another question; Since you and Walid Shoebat are both teaching Muslim eschatology and referring to Middle eastern events only, WILL THE RAPTURE NOT ALSO BE FOR MIDDLE EASTERN BELIEVERS ONLY, TO ESCAPE THE WRATH OF GOD?

    Will God’s wrath be applicable on the Middle Eastern countries only, and the rest of the world will have their own type of punishment? Look at this bible verse…….Jeremiah 25:29: I will begin my work of destruction in my own city (Jerusalem). Do they (the nations of the world) think they will go unpunished? No, they will be punished, for I am going to send war on all the people on earth. I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken.

    My common sense is telling me that the whole Middle Eastern concept with it’s punishment and end time theology is totally different from the rest of the world. What I mean is that God have a different punishment for the rest of the world and that the punishment predicted in the bible (God’s wrath) is only meant for the Middle Eastern countries. I am just asking….

  77. Hi Joel
    Referring to my previous comment, to be more précised, you and walid shoebat said that we must never add or take away from a bible verse…read it as it is. Now look at the following verse:

    Jeremiah 25:29: I will begin my work of destruction in my own city (Jerusalem). Do they (the nations of the world) think they will go unpunished? No, they will be punished, for I am going to send war on all the people on earth. I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken

    Doesn’t God talk specifically about war on all nations; He does not talk about the wrath as in revelation, the hail, fire from heaven, the big earthquake etc. No it looks like the wrath God has spoken about in revelation is only applicable on the Middle east countries, the countries that He is at war with due to Israel.

    God has a different punishment for the rest of the world.

    May God bless

  78. Gina,

    You said: “St.Francis name at birth was “Pietro” which is Peter” Actually his name was “Francesco di Pietro (Peter) di Bernardone” Which means “Francis son of Peter, son of Bernardone”. Big difference actually.

    Blessings

  81. I’m sorry, that should be Mokhtar Belmokhtar. I had read some interesting articles on this guy earlier this year and was curious if you knew anything. Apparently he’s been reported KIA, although unconfirmed, so nevermind.

  82. Hi Joel:

    Not sure if you’re familiar with Rodney Stark (I’m guessing you might be), but I came across a couple of books of his that might interest you. He is co-director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor. He’s not necessarily a believer, and I wouldn’t necessarily endorse all of his arguments, but he has a very interesting perspective on both the spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire before Constantine, as well as the Crusades and how they do (or do not) affect the current struggle between Christianity and Islam. What I have read so far is very interesting, and I thought of you. Here’s the links to the books on Amazon where you can read the first few sections of the books:

    The Triumph of Christianity: http://www.amazon.com/The-Triumph-Christianity-Movement-ebook/dp/B005C6IJZA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1365701527&sr=1-1&keywords=the+triumph+of+christianity

    God’s Batallions: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002PEP4G4?ie=UTF8%20&tag=harpercollinsus-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002PEP4G4

  83. Joel:
    I appreciate your book ‘Mideast Beast’ a great deal. I have two specific questions I would appreciate your thoughts on if you have the time.

    1. Page 86 you discuss the rest of the beasts’ lives being extended for a season and a time. I’m not dismissing, but having trouble grasping the logic flow of your argument. As the statement comes immediately after the body of the beast being turned over to the flames, it states their dominion is taken away, but their lives prolonged. Is it possible that their Dominion is taken away by the return of Christ, but their lives prolonged. Hence at the end of the millineal reign they are once again deceived by Satan as Revelations indicates. There is a school of thought that a Season would indicate 250 years with a ‘time’ being a thousand. Enough time for Satan to once again deceive the nations after the millineal reign.

    2. If I accept your view, I have difficulty reconciling with Daniel’s description of events in Dan 7:19-22. How is the beast waging war on the saints if the saints are gone. Rather, as described by Daniel, their is no break. The horn rises to power and wages war on the saints until the Ancient of Days comes at which time the kingdom is given to the saints.

    Even though you are a rapturist (as am I), I believe your book could make a strong case for a historicist view of scripture in which the end time prophecy scriptures are played out over the Christian era and not have revelations primarily confined to the final Seven years.

    Again, I would appreciate any thoughts you may have.
    Tom

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