Related:
- All articles by Islamic Eschatology Scholar Timothy Furnish
- ‘What ISIS Really Wants’- Review of Graeme Wood’s article in The Atlantic.
- Persecution of Christians a Significant Indicator of Future World Chaos
The biggest threat now is not Radical Islam. It is 'Apocalyptic Islam'. Let me explain.
by Joel C. Rosenberg, February 27, 2015 - (hat tip to John B.) |
Joel C. Rosenberg addressing the National Religious
Broadcasters Convention (photo credit: NRB)
|
(Nashville, Tennessee) — Yesterday, the Christian Post published the following article: “ISIS, Iran Are Agents of ‘Apocalyptic Islam’ Paving Way for ‘Islamic Messiah,’ Says NYT Bestselling Author.” I hope you will take a few moments to read it and consider the analysis.
Last night, I discussed this subject in more detail at the closing dinner of the National Religious Broadcasters convention. Here are excerpts from those remarks. I also promised to post stunning research data on the End Times beliefs of Muslims from a 2012 Pew Research Center study. You will find those numbers below.
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THE THREAT OF “APOCALYPTIC ISLAM”
The threat we face is not simply from Radical Islam. Indeed, it not even primarily from Radical Islamic groups like Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and al Qaeda at this hour, as serious as these threats are.
The most serious threat we face in the Middle East and North Africa is what I call “Apocalyptic Islam.”
This term — “Apocalyptic Islam” — is one that each of needs to become familiar with and begin to teach others. Why? Because for the first time in all of human history, we have not just one but two nation states whose rulers are driven not by political ideology — or even mere religious theology — but by apocalyptic, genocidal End Times eschatology.
The Islamic Republic of Iran today is ruled by an apocalyptic, genocidal death cult. (see also here and here)
The former are Shia. The latter are Sunni. Both believe the End of days has come. Both believe their messiah – known as the “Mahdi” — is coming at any moment. Both are trying to hasten the coming of the Mahdi. Yet each has entirely different strategies to hasten his arrival or appearance on earth.
ISIS wants to build a caliphate. Iran wants to build The Bomb. ISIS is committing genocide now. Iran is preparing to commit genocide later.
In the near term, ISIS is more dangerous. Why? Because ISIS is on a jihadist rampage right now. Robbing. Killing. Destroying. Enslaving. Raping. Torturing. Beheading. Because ISIS is a Satanic movement. This is not mere terrorism. This is genocide. These are demon-possessed people making blood sacrifices to their god and if they are not stopped they will murder millions and bring down one Mid-eastern regime after another.
As Americans, we dare not turn a blind eye to this threat. If we don’t defeat the jihadists over there, they are coming here. We must act, and act now.
Longer term, Iran is the most dangerous, especially if the President approves this disastrous nuclear deal that is emerging. Why? Because the apocalyptic leaders of Iran are biding their time to build a nuclear arsenal capable of killing tens of millions of people in a matter of minutes.
Far too few people in the West truly understand the nature and threat of Radical Islam. Fewer still are aware of — much less understand — the nature and threat of Apocalyptic Islam. Indeed, many dismiss these concerns all together. But the fact is that a deep and widespread belief exists within the Islamic world that we are living in the End of Days, and that the Islamic “Mahdi” or “messiah” is coming at any moment to bring Judgment Day and the end of all things.
According to a 2012 report by the Pew Research Center, “in most countries in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, more than half or more of Muslims believe they will live to see the return of the Mahdi.”
Consider that sentence again — “more than half.” In a world of 1.5 billion Muslims, that means more than 750 million Muslims believe not only that the Mahdi is coming, but that his arrival is imminent.
- In Egypt, 40% of Muslims believe the return of the Mahdi is imminent.
- In Jordan, 41%
- Among Palestinians, the number is 46%
- In Iraq, a stunning 72% of Muslims believe this
What’s more, an enormous number of Muslims believe that Jesus is coming back to earth. In their eschatology, however, Jesus is not the Savior. He’s not the Son of God. He does not come to reign as King. Rather, Islamic End Times theology posits Jesus as the deputy, serving under the Mahdi, and forcing all people to convert to Islam or die.
- In Jordan, 29% of Muslims believe Jesus is coming back to earth
- In Egypt, it’s 39%
- Among Palestinians, the number is 46%
- In Iraq, an eye-popping 64% of Muslims believe Jesus is coming back.
These facts have real-world implications. Our President and many policy-makers are ignoring both the facts and their implications. But we must be clear: we face a threat from Radical Islam which seeks to attack us. We face an even greater threat from Apocalyptic Islam which seeks to annihilate us.