More and more I get emails asking me if I believe the Antichrist will be Islamic. Some give me a list of reasons why I am wrong in my articles to think that the Antichrist will come from Christianity or Judaism. They send me reasons from other Bible prophecy teachers why the idea that Bible prophecy teachers thought the Antichrist will come from the Roman Empire was wrong and why he will really come from Islam. Although I respect the Bible prophecy teachers that are now teaching this I do not believe that the Antichrist and his Beast government will come out of Islam. You may be interested in my full response.

I will start with a slightly modified excerpt from my article on Islam:

“How the “holy war” with Islam will bring in the Antichrist?

There are now large Islamic populations in most European countries and among these populations are those trained in terrorism. When the war between the West and Islam does occur it will be totally necessary to isolate Islamic peoples in Europe in concentration camps. In order for this round up to be successful these States will have to become police states. This police state will get out of control and ultimately bring about the Beast Antichrist government and system. Hitler’s reign was a foreshadow of how this could come about but instead of a national socialist movement there will be a world pseudo Christian dominionist socialist movement. When the satanically possessed European dictator comes on the scene he will somehow appease Islam and Islam will join into the one world religion movement. Later, the dictator is killed and becomes incarnated by Satan. At that time he will claim to be God. He will move the world government headquarters to Babylon and he will turn on and destroy the harlot world religion. He will be easily accepted by most Muslims as their concept of “God” because he has the exact same nature as their Allah. He will seek to kill all those who will not worship him as God.

Islam is setting the foundation for the Antichrist Beast world system. Islam now totally controls or has major influence over forty nations in the world. In most other nations Islam is a rising force. Islam controls the masses by force and when it has control it does not tolerate other religions or those who do not adhere to its dictates. Islam in reality worships the god of this world and his name is Satan. When the god of this world becomes incarnate in the man we call the Antichrist he will be recognized by those in Islam as Allah. I am not saying that the Antichrist is Islamic although that is possible. I tend to think the Antichrist figure when incarnated by Satan will claim to be Zeus and will have supernatural help from fallen angels. Nevertheless, subtly Satan has established a worldwide foundation for his monotheistic world religion with himself as God and this foundation is called Islam. I do not think the Antichrist will claim to be Allah. He will claim to be above anything called God. (2Th2:4)

My point is that the leaders of Islam will recognize him as their own concept of God and the followers of this counterfeit god will use the world network already in place in Islam to rapidly bring in the forced world religion and the political system of the Antichrist. We get a strong signal from the book of Revelation about the power base of the Antichrist because like the Islamic fascist’s of today they also behead their enemies.”

So, it is not that Islam will be the Antichrist government. Those who have been indoctrinated by Islam will recognize Satan as the God they worship that they call Allah. I still think that radical Islam will force world religious wars that will bring in the Western Antichrist figure out of the area of the Roman Empire. I still believe that harlot Christianity will be the head religion that rides on the back of the Beast of Revelation chapter 17. I see no other option to fulfill that prophecy. At the mid-point of the seven years the Beast claims to be greater then anything called God and all people that do not love the truth will buy into the lie through his deception.

Nevertheless, Islam is setting the foundation for that intolerant would religion all over the world. I think an ecumenical movement will follow the religious wars where all names of God in all Religion will simply mean the Creator. Then one will arise claiming to be the Creator but he will have the attributes of Satan and the world will follow him believing that He is the Creator.

Having said all that, I fully understand why Christians would think that the Antichrist will come from Islam. It is antichrist. But when pseudo and dominionist Christianity fight the person labeled by the West, “the Islamic Antichrist” it will set the stage for someone in the West who will defeat radical Islam all over the world. This Western leader will be the actual Antichrist but he will be labeled a hero and the Messiah. The pseudo Christians and Jews will receive Him as a Messiah figure so you can understand why everyone even the elect will be deceived if that were possible. Like Jesus said to the Jews, “one will come in his own name and him you receive”. The Jews would never receive someone out of Islam as their Messiah. They will accept someone who will counterfeit their Messiah and lead them to destruction. Meanwhile, dominionist pseudo Christians will expect Jesus to come after the defeat of the person that they had labeled the Antichrist. However, those wars will only be false birth pains with a false tribulation created by man’s wars. Antichrist will try to counterfeit the role of the second coming through a satanic false tribulation that can be identified with the four riders in the Seal Judgments of Revelation. I do not think the 70th week of Daniel actually starts until the sealing of the 144,000 Jews at the sixth seal but you have to also realize that I believe there are 10 1/2 years from the rapture until the second coming. I believe when pseudo Christianity is expecting some type of Christ they will get the Antichrist.

I am almost sure aliens (demons) will somehow be involved in that deception as well as Marian apparitions. The pseudo Christian world and Israel will get a Christ like that they want. He will lead them to take over the world and set up a world kingdom called by God, “Babylon the Great” but after Antichrist sets up his counterfeit kingdom of god he will turn on those who will not worship him with a vengeance. So in my opinion those teaching that Islam is the government of the Antichrist could be setting people up to be deceived through the future holy wars and by the real Antichrist. In my opinion, they are not seeing the whole picture. They have substituted something that today seems obvious on the face of it. It makes sense from today’s point of view to say Islam will be the government of Antichrist but if all scripture is taken into account it really does not fit. It is all too simplistic, just like those who thought Hitler’s Fascism or Communism were the demonic movements that would bring in the Antichrist.

Also understand that Islam is a bastardization of the scriptures. It really does not mater if Muhammad distorted Bible prophecy, or if his followers did, or if it came from Satan. The point is that Islam is a counterfeit of the real. We should not take lying prophecies of the counterfeits and expect to find truth in them just because their lying prophecies seem to fit Bible Prophecy of an Antichrist.

The Bible implies that the Antichrist is Assyrian. I have been saying that I think he will be a Catholic with Jewish blood who will be brought up in a Middle-East country. Thus, he will appeal to all three religions and fulfill their expectations. Think of an Obama type person with a Jewish mother and a Arab father who claims to be a Christian. Of course that is just meant as a suggestion it may turn out quite different.

All religions are moving toward pluralism and universalism. Once radical Islam is defeated people may be free to believe what they want in private but in public there will be no proselytizing allowed and all exclusive clams to God will be outlawed as hate speech in the name of world peace and security. Wait until after the war against Iran, Syria and all radical Islam and you may see the picture more clearly.

Why should we look for a revival of Catholicism? Because it will provide the answers the world is looking for. The supernatural manifestations claiming to be Mary will be a deception used by Satan in the last day. Read the works of Roger Oakland on this topic. Catholics worship Mary, Muslims have more regard for Mary then they do Jesus and many have statues of Mary and follow the Marian manifestations. Even Eastern religions have high regard for Mary idols. So imagine a scenario where during a bloody religious war a so called divine intervention comes from this “Queen of Heaven” demon (there is nothing new under the sun). The world is then set up for a one world religion. It also is no accident that the Emergent and Emerging Church movement is moving back toward Catholicism, and mysticism as are some mainline churches and Word-Faith New Wave Pentecostals.

I admit that if you just look at the situation today it would look like the Antichrist comes out of Islam but there are always backlashes and counter revolutions. Thirty years ago everyone though Communism would be the catalyst. Today they think it will be Islam. Islam will be the catalyst but it will be the catalyst to bring in the Antichrist out of a Roman Empire that will proceed to unite all religion back under the Pope. Also keep in mind the leader of the Roman Church at the time of the Antichrist is after the true Christians are removed. So the remains of the Catholics will not contain true Christians. In addition, take note that the Vatican is the only religion on earth that has embassies in almost every nation and has a seat at the U.N. and they are mentioned in written U.N. plans to establish a world religion.

When pluralism and universalism is the world religion Jesus will not be regarded at God. That will be outlawed. How anyone can think that the Western world that is now rapidly moving toward religious pluralism, universalism and amorality is going to accept the exclusiveness and the laws of Islam is beyond me? That is not at all realistic and there is no way that Islam can militarily conquer the West.

When Satan is actually booted out of the Heavens with his angels and he claims to be God on earth and he has his fallen angelic army to help him enforce his decrees then he will use those in Islam and all repressive religions to further his agenda. That is the parallel. It is not that the Antichrist is Islamic it is that Islam and all religion outside of true Christianity is antichrist and all of those religions will help bring him in power.

The only biblical reference to the decent of the Antichrist is that he is an Assyrian. He appears to move his throne to Babylon only after he actually becomes incarnated by Satan. The woman that sits in the midst of the ephah in Zec chap 5 seems to be the same woman that John talked about as sitting on seven hills ruling over the world at the time of his writing. This woman was in Rome but this woman called wickedness is carried to Babylon for the last 3 1/2 years.

Having said that, go ahead and believe what you want. It is not going to change the future one iota and I am not going to be convinced by anyone that the Antichrist or the Beast government will be Islamic.

If you want more background information on the identity of Mystery Babylon you will find it in Chapter 17 of my Revelation Commentary.

Due to overwhelming interest on my Oprah and Tolle Blog post I am posting another opinion of Tolle’s “A New Earth” book.
The teaser quotes that I am putting below is just a small sample of the articles. I cannot do justice to Debra Rae’s article here you have to read the full articles.

I just want to make it clear to everyone that Tolle’s teaching in ” A New Earth” is totally contrary to the fundamental truths of Christianity and Christian Orthodoxy. It is Old Age and New Age paganism originated with the lie of the Serpent and man’s rebellion. It first reared its ugly head in force at Babylon. Those that embrace and promote Tolle’s satanic views are certainly in danger of eternal damnation.

If you have a problem with my statement read this article because Debra Rae will clearly tell you what is wrong with Tolle’s message so there is no need for me to repeat it.

If you actually read the article and you still have a problem with what I said. It just shows that you are still dead in your sins, not knowing Christ. You therefore need to get saved. Here is everything you need to know about how to be saved.  So there is no need for me to repeat the salvation message to any Tolle supporters who read this post either. Just read my article.

If you respond making it clear to me they you did not even read Debra Ray’s articles (or my article if you support Tolle) your comment will be deleted.

If you respond by attacking me for presenting this article or for what I said in this comment. I now give you fair warning that your comment will be deleted and you will be banned from this Blog. If you have a problem with what Ray said contact Debra Ray. If you have a problem with what I said even after you read my salvation article. Tough!

This post is here for Christian eduction purposes. It is not to start a debate with every New Age believer in the Internet Universe. That will also shortly stop on other such posts.

Debra Rae — Only Imagine Tolle’s New Earth, Part 1
Debra Rae — Only Imagine Tolle’s New Earth, Part 2

In A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle contends that “no situation or event is ever really finished,” and the “only place of power” is the present moment. By avowing “no heaven, no hell, just now,” purportedly enlightened folks, as he, presume to wriggle free from accountability to a righteous God. In effect, these become self-proclaimed laws unto themselves.

This mindset is not new. Humanist Manifestos assert that false hope of “heaven hereafter” is unreasonable and, therefore, harmful.

Notwithstanding, secular and cosmic humanists alike actively reject and attempt to eradicate traditional theism. To Tolle, the sacred Name of God is attributed to a company of highly evolved masters (Jesus among them), each of whom claims transcendent consciousness and common divinity with all life—in Motulsky’s words, “fallible humans with total power.”

To dispute this fallacy, one need only recall the burning bush, through which YHWH revealed to Moses His Name, I AM that I AM. When Jesus ascribed to himself equal I-AM status, his captors fell backward under its power. It stands to reason that Jesus was either God Incarnate—the way, truth and life, as he claimed to be—or he was an unsurpassed liar. In either case, Jesus was not merely “a good man” or, as the case may be, “an ascended master” (Tolle’s assertion).

Not only does he demote the one whose name is above all names, Tolle promotes Self to “Godhood”—namely, the Source, Divine Life Essence, “formlessness” (or spirit). Unbeknownst to many New-Earth enthusiasts, his creed rehashes a spirit-channeled revelation of Theosophist-medium Alice Bailey, probably the most notable founder of contemporary New Age mysticism.

In Tolle’s misguided view, Christ is every man and woman. True, he references “universal law,” but Tolle ascribes the Ten Commandments as necessary only for those cut off from their own “I AM”-ness. Note that it was not Tolle, but rather co-Masonic Hierarch Alice Bailey who conceptualized and coined the term for this—namely, “Christhood.” This, my friend, exceeds folly. It is blasphemy. For such arrogance, even the angel Lucifer was cast in shame from heaven!

The Gospel according to Tolle further asserts that belief in Christianity as ultimate Truth serves ego by creating “an illusory sense of superiority.” Never mind that self-proclaimed “spiritual leader” Eckhart Tolle boasts his own pantheistic Self-deification! Although both opposing worldviews presuppose “union with the divine,” Christians alone bow the knee, acknowledge their sin and accept unmerited favor from a merciful, personal God to whom they remain accountable. In contrast, Tolle and followers grasp for themselves Godhood itself.

One of these two mindsets most certainly creates the “illusory sense of superiority,” but it’s plainly not the way of the Cross.

In Tolle’s world, when advanced, highly evolved humans seize “Presence power,” their consciousness shifts from the illusory “sweet by and by” to power-packed Presence. No longer are they hindered by the “mental idolatry” of blissful eternity with “our God.” They have instead come to accept their common divinity with all of Life. Having triumphed over matter by self-mastery, the fully “conscious” trade their tradition-bound “phantom selves” for their purported “I AM”-ness.

Achieving mastery qualifies awakened adepts to act as “Custodians of the Plan” and to watch over and even guide all of humanity’s spiritual progress. In so doing, these work hard to extinguish forces of darkness/evil—i.e., Jews and Christians. The desired outcome is for the old “Piscean Age” with its obsolete traditionalism to give way to an anticipated “Age of Aquarius,” marked by promises of peace, harmony and brotherhood.

Debra Rae — Only Imagine Tolle’s New Earth, Part 2
Regretfully, “A New Earth” à la Tolle counterfeits the “real deal”—that being, the impending Millennial Rule of Christ on earth. In effect, Tolle’s “New Earth” exchanges the closest thing to utopia since the Garden of Eden for what the apostle Paul has aptly labeled an outright lie.

Then again, Tolle has his own take on sanity and wellness: To resist evolutionary emerging consciousness is plain-and-simple insanity, and to embrace traditional belief systems is to be unwell. Proclaiming “My God” or “our God” is what he demeans as “a mental idol,” thus making oneself “right” and others “wrong.”

In fact, Tolle predicts that rigid belief structures like biblical Christianity are destined to collapse.

In Tolle’s world, global unity is perceived as imperative to proper flow of the god-force. Once humanity takes a “quantum leap” to its higher destiny, mystical powers and psychic ability will flourish; however, the reluctant may need to be removed to a nonphysical dimension, where their karma can catch up before they are allowed back to the physical plane!

Tolle characterizes Christianity as divisive and prohibitive. This, he claims, creates “an illusory sense of superiority” not to be found in New-Earth consciousness, but then Tolle clearly distinguishes between the “conscious” and the “unconscious,” “the perfect” and the “not-so-perfect.”

Bottom line: There’s no need for pie-in-the-sky imaginings when biblical Christianity outright delivers in the here-and-now and also throughout eternity. The redeemed in Christ can bank on it, and “whosoever will” are invited

Here is the take from the Lighthouse on Brian Mclaren’s newest book “Finding Our Way Again” Brian Mclaren is obviously a blind soul who could not even find his way with his seeing eye dog. What Mclaren teaches is not Christianity and I wish that Bible colleges and book stores would quit peddling his pagan delusions as something the church needs to learn about. We do not need to know these things any more then we need to know what was in the books that the early Church burned.

There is a common thread in all these emerging teachers. These are nothing but wolves dressed in old gnostic wolves sheep’s clothing. These religious perverts want us to believe that religion will unite on some higher plain where all paths lead to God through everyone looking inside themselves for some self deception. They think satanic illumination will bring peace and brotherhood to the planet. Oh brother! How demented can these people get and why is the church contemplating their teachings? Has the Christian church also gone nuts?

They believe the world is going to become united on mystical religion and they are right. Who do you think the Women that rides the Beast is? She is Mystery Babylon the harlot religion. So please understand that their purpose driven life is to merge Oprahitis with Mclarenstupiditis and come up with the Bell Tolled for all those that Foster this mother of all harlots.

From the Lighthouse

Brian McLaren’s newest book, Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices, is the first in a series of eight books by Thomas Nelson publishers. The General Editor of the series, which is titled The Ancient Practices Series, is emerging church proponent Phyllis Tickle. Other authors in the series include Dan Allender, Scot McKnight, Diana Butler Bass and Joan Chittister.

In Finding Our Way Again, McLaren thanks several contemplatives like Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and Joan Chittister. He also says he is “indebted” to Tony Campolo and Jim Wallis and recognizes Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones for teaching him contemplative practices. It is not surprising that McLaren thanks these listed teachers - McLaren has been in the emergent camp from the beginning of its inception, and where there is emerging, there is contemplative.

The interfaith theme is threaded through Finding Our Way Again. In one section, McLaren says that even Christian communion is something to be shared with people of all faiths (in particularly with the Jewish faith and Islam); he states that this “sacred meal” is a celebration of “inclusion” and “reconciliation” (p. 26). This makes a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who told believers to do this in remembrance of Him, acknowledging His atonement for sin - a mockery because the beliefs of other religions reject Christ as being God and the slain Lamb who could take away sin.

As do other emerging/contemplative teachers, McLaren believes in a literal global kingdom of God on earth before Christ returns that will incorporate all the world’s religions and all creation, a “world yet to be born” that “desperately” needs “these spiritual practices.” He also relates: “[T]hese practices” have “enlivened the three Abrahamic faiths” (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) and should not be “allowed to go extinct” (p. 29).

Finding Our Way Again emulates McLaren’s previous writings on atonement, on Jesus being the only way to God and salvation, on the return of Christ and on the last days. The difference with this book is that the emphasis is on how we can attain to this awakened state - through mystical practices. One chapter is devoted primarily to these contemplative exercises, but the entire book is seeping with its core message - “reconciliation with God, one another, and all creation in a global community” (p. 42).

In the last chapter of McLaren’s book, “Theosis (via Unitiva),” he sums up his calling by stating that “The purpose of the via purgativa [the practices] is to prepare us for the via illuminativa [the awakening], and the purpose of the via illuminativa is to prepare us for the via unitiva [all is one], the union of our nature with the nature of God” (pp. 171-172). He calls God “fire” and says, “We join God in being fire … Before the beginning … God was All, and All was God” (p. 175). This is the exact same message that Eckhart Tolle and Oprah are propagating. But while many Christians are now condemning Tolle’s message, they don’t realize that the very same message is permeating their very own churches. For those readers who care about the spiritual future of their children and grandchildren, it is vital they understand the meaning of McLaren’s spirituality in particular and the emerging/contemplative movement in general. We believe this is an extremely compelling motivation and should prompt us as believers to defend the faith and the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

There is nothing new under the sun. Jesus said what happened prior to the flood of Noah will happen again just prior to His coming. The combining of human and animal genetics will again bring God’s judgment on the whole world and only Jesus’ return will save a remnant. Seeing that humans have already started to corrupt God’s creation by creating chimeras and transhuman monstrosities indicates that time is getting might short.

Thomas Horn — Did Ancient Biotechnology Create “Nephilim?”

The benei Elohim saw the daughters of Adam, that they were fit extensions” (Gen 6:2, Interlinear Hebrew Bible).

May 3, 2007 — RaidersNewsNetwork.com — In the study of the Old Testament Book of Genesis, beings of great stature called “giants” appear, which some scholars believe came into existence after powerful angels known as ‘Watchers’ descended to earth and used women (or their biological matter) to construct bodies of flesh, which they used to “extend” themselves into the material world.

The Apocryphal books of Enoch, 2 Esdras, Genesis Aprocryphon and Jasher support the Genesis story, adding that the sin of the angels grew to include genetic modification of animals as well as humans. The Book of Jasher, mentioned in the Bible in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18, says, “After the fallen angels went into the daughters of men, the sons of men taught the mixture of animals of one species with the other, in order to provoke the Lord”(4:18). This clear reference to the Genesis 6 record illustrates that “animals” were included in whatever cross-species experiments were being conducted, and that this activity resulted in judgment from God. The Book of Enoch also supports this record, saying that after the fallen angels merged their DNA with women, they “began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish” (7:5,6).

And what about this prophecy from Isaiah:

“The vision which Esaias son of Amos saw against Babylon. Lift up a standard on the mountain of the plain, exalt the voice to them, beckon with the hand, OPEN THE GATES, YE RULER. I GIVE COMMAND AND I BRING THEM: GIANTS ARE COMING TO FULFILL MY WRATH [emphasis added]. . . . For behold! the day of the Lord is coming which cannot be escaped, a day of wrath and anger, to make the world desolate. . . . And Babylon . . . shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. . . . It shall never be inhabited . . . and monsters shall rest there, and devils shall dance there and satyrs shall dwell there . . .” (Isaiah 13:1-3, 9, 19-22, [Septuagint Version]).[8]

Given what is happening in Babylon (Iraq) and biotechnology today, we may be witnessing the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.

Here is one great interview with Joel Rosenberg who gives his very astute view of end time events. His latest book is “Dead Heat”

CNN.com - Transcripts

ROSENBERG: Well I think eventually Rome will be the center of the E.U. How is that going to happen? I don`t know. There is a lot I don`t know. The point is the Bible laid out some details it doesn`t give us all the details.

BECK: Is it true that we — we haven`t bombed parts of Iraq because of, not only the historic significance, but the biblical significance of — of Babylon?

ROSENBERG: Babylon itself, Babylon is a province, it`s also a city, but there is no one living in current Babylon, it`s being reconstructed. There is no question American forces were very careful about bombing in the area. However there was some archaeological destruction as troops were coming in and out of there. That was a problem.

But I interviewed for my previous book, “Epicenter,” a nonfiction book, “Epicenter,” you and I have talked about it. I interviewed the chief economic adviser to the current prime minister of Iraq and I said “The New York Times” and others are reporting you have a plan to rebuild Babylon as a cultural epicenter. He said absolutely. He walked me through the plans they have to rebuild the city. They believe cultural tourism in Iraq will be the second largest money producer after oil, two, three, four, five years down the road.

Now, right now it`s almost impossible to imagine people going on a vacation to Iraq.

BECK: Oh, no. Come to Iraq. I mean .

ROSENBERG: I just went there. My family thought I was crazy, president of Crazytown. But look, the Bible says that is what will happen. People will come from all over the world. Revelation describes all the merchants of the earth are coming to Iraq. That`s not that far off I don`t think.

I think much of the postmodern movement are made up of those who are just too damn lazy to study the Bible. It is so much easier for them to learn to contemplate their navel until “divine” revelation pops into their head. The leaders of this movement are quite different and deceptive, they know exactly where they are taking this group. They are the wolves in sheep’s clothing that Paul warned us about. If they do not qualify I would like to know who does?

If you notice it is not just happening in Christianity the old pagan practices spouted by media stars are also coming back to the future to the world in brand new wrappers. The queen called Mystery Babylon will not be denied. By the way, Christianity today magazine should be called pseudo Christianity today.

Christianity Today Ditches Sola Scriptura and Takes up Church Tradition - CWN

This brings us to the debate at the time of the Reformation: has God spoken in a binding, authoritative way only through Scripture, or does He speak throughout history through the Roman Catholic Church and her traditions? If the Reformers were correct, then the article in Christianity Today is senseless. Why would we believe “Christ” is guiding a process that is not spelled out in Scripture? Why consult church history rather than search the Scriptures for the beliefs and practices God has ordained?

The only answer to these questions is that these postmodern “evangelicals” have rejected the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. They want to reject “rigid propositions” but refuse to do the hard work of learning the Bible and learning how to determine what are or are not valid implications from Scripture. It never even occurs to the article’s author to ask whether the Bible ordains asceticism and mysticism (they are condemned in Colossians 2 and Deuteronomy 18).

BBC NEWS UK UK Politics EU ’should expand beyond Europe’: “Foreign Secretary David Miliband has suggested the European Union should work towards including Russia, Middle Eastern and North African countries.”

If they did that it would be no longer the EU. Why not expand your pilot project to the whole world you could call it the new UN or even Babylon the Great. So when you put all nations under regional/global governments how are you going to keep all the nation states together on all the issues? How are you going to prevent wars between them? Oh you say you will build a International Army that only answers to the Federal government bureaucrats? Sounds to me like you are then setting up a system of global governance the Bible calls the Beast. It will lead to tyranny and internal wars and persecutions of all perceived enemies of Global government and the prevailing secular humanist consensuses. Then one day a dark leader will arise and just take this Beast over and do anything he wants.

WorldNetDaily: Prophesied destruction of Damascus imminent?: “To Ahmadinejad’s way of thinking, if somebody has to be martyred to the Mahdi’s cause, why not Syria? Twenty-five hundred odd years ago, the Hebrew prophet Isaiah prophesied of the destruction of Damascus. This prophecy is made more fascinating by the fact it remains unfulfilled in history. Damascus is the oldest continually inhabited city on earth. Although conquered many times, its status as an economic and cultural center of antiquity preserved it intact to this day. But Isaiah predicted Damascus would one day face utter destruction: ‘Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and it will become a fallen ruin,’ he writes in Isaiah 17:1.”

“Bible prophecy doesn’t make allowances for a full-scale unconventional war of annihilation of Israel by Iran, however. Ezekiel predicts Iran’s participation of the Gog-Magog invasion as part of a Russian-led alliance, not a regional alliance with Syria. Both Iran and Israel are listed as participants in that future conflict.
But Syria isn’t.
Syria isn’t numbered among any of the various protagonists prophesied to participate in the conflicts of the last days.”

I think Hal is correct. Syria will be wiped out in the war on Islamofascism. Then the moderates will ascend to power in the Islamic nations and there will be a period of peace with Israel. Then Iraq and Israel will become the economic hubs of the Middle East. Later Gog (Russia) comes down against Israel that is resting in peace and many Islamic nations join with him but not Iraq. These forces are defeated by God. Iraq then becomes the center point of Babylon the Great of Revelation and the Middle East.

Big Brother is watching us all: “The US and UK governments are developing increasingly sophisticated gadgets to keep individuals under their surveillance. When it comes to technology, the US is determined to stay ahead of the game.”

“All right then, can you say what you’re actually working on now.” “Oh, language,” he answered enthusiastically, clasping his fingers together. “Unless we’re going to train every American citizen and soldier in 16 different languages we have to develop a technology that allows them to understand - whatever country they are in - what’s going on around them. “I hope in the future we’ll be able to have conversations, if say you’re speaking in French and I’m speaking in English, and it will be natural.” “And the computer will do the translation?” “Yep. All by computer,” he said.

It will probably be a ipod based speech recognition program that instead of just converting speech to printed words will convert it to another language and then output it to sound. I would think it would only take about ten more years of refining to get something that will be as good as an unprofessional human translator. The world will then be like it was before the languages were confused at Babylon.

The United Nation Returns to Iraq - HUMAN EVENTS: “Four years after an explosives-packed suicide cement truck blew up and destroyed the U.N. headquarters building in Baghdad, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to expand its operation in Iraq. “

“Iraq’s Al Azzaman Website quoted a senior U.N. spokesman as saying: “The U.N. is not concerned with what America wants. … We as an international organization will work to fulfill Iraqi ambitions and cooperate with the government.” The United Nations gives the Iraqi government a new diplomatic channel to coax anti-U.S. opposition groups into the political process. And that is most welcome.”

The UN will take over nation building in Iraq. It will be the world headquarters of the Beast world government of the Antichrist. Twenty years down the line most Christians will understand the implications of a modern world class city being built at Babylon, if they are still here.

‘U.S. Troops Now Fighting for U.N. in Iraq?’ - Cliff Kincaid - Jul 27, 07: “Despite all of the hoopla in the press about major differences between the Bush Administration and Congressional Democrats, they are united on one critical thing-giving the U.N. a much bigger role in Iraq. And this spells serious trouble, if not defeat, for a U.S. Iraq policy that once held out the hope of victory over the terrorists. It is time for honest conservatives to face the hard facts about the disastrous Bush Administration approach.”

Some might respond that this is a huge difference. But how much of a difference can it be when Bush and the Democrats agree on the fundamental issue of turning the country over to the U.N.? If, by some chance, the situation in Iraq stabilizes and the Iraqi government survives, who will be given the credit? I think we all know the answer to that. We can hear the commentators saying that the U.N. will have “saved” the U.S. in Iraq.

“What this means is that the U.N., with U.S. financial backing as U.S. troops prepare to withdraw, will take over more and more responsibility for Iraq, using increased foreign aid as leverage to bring the Iraqi factions together. “

I think the UN will take over in Iraq and I think that is also the prophetic scenario. Babylon will be rebuilt because the Antichrist will rule the world from there in the great tribulation. Lahay did not put that in his “Left Behind” series by accident, it is based on Zec. chapter 5. So if we look at the situation over there and we take into account how fast a modern new city can be built once their is peace in the Middle East and the oil is flowing we can easily see that all pieces for the end time world city can be in place before 2030. If you want an example of the building of a world class city in modern times within one decade check out the city of Dubai. Babylon will be greater.

World Tribune — Report: Iraq may have world’s second largest oil reserves

BAGHDAD — Iraqi oil production could double in five years, according to a new study.
The report found that Iraq’s oil reserves may be almost twice as much as previously estimated. The study by the U.S. consultancy IHS said another 100 billion barrels of oil reserves could be found in Iraq.
IHS said the estimate would rank Iraq as having the second largest reserves in the world

Iraq’s oil Reserves will prove to be even more then that. Iraq will have the capabilities to fill the world’s oil gap for at least 10 or 20 years if they get stability over there. In that amount of time the oil wealth could propel Babylon to become the newest world class city just in time for the Antichrist figure around 2030 AD. Four million barrels per day would work out to over $10,000 a year for each family in Iraq every year after all costs of production. If someone were selling that point to the Iraq people it just might give them the incentives to find peace. I think it will happen but only after world Islamic Fascism is dealt a near fatal blow.

FOXNews.com - Pope: Other Christian Denominations Not True Churches - International News News of the World Middle East News Europe News: “LORENZ AGO DI CADRE, Italy — For the second time in a week, Pope Benedict XVI has corrected what he says are erroneous interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, reasserting the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church and saying other Christian communities were either defective or not true churches.”

The new document — formulated as five questions and answers — restates key sections of a 2000 text the pope wrote when he was prefect of the congregation, “Domini’s Isis,” which riled Protestant, Lutheran and other Christian denominations because it said they were not true churches but merely Eccles communities and therefore did not have the “means of salvation.”"Christ ‘established here on earth’ only one Church,” said the document released as the pope vacations at a villa in Lorenz ago DI Cadre, in Italy’s Dolomite mountains.
The other communities “cannot be called ‘churches’ in the proper sense” because they do not have apostolic succession — the ability to trace their bishops back to Christ’s original apostles — and therefore their priestly ordinations are not valid, it said

I hope you ecumenically minded Protestants realized what this Pope just spelled out. He said that Protestant clergy are not ordained and they are therefore not priests in the one true Church. He also said that the means of salvation are not found in those churches. Thus, no matter how you want to spin it the Pope just said that all Protestant Christians are not saved unless they return to the apostolic authority of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic church is a counterfeit substitute to Christianity. Their earthly man made church supersedes the spiritual Church made up of all believers. She and those who return to this earthy church in the last days make up the Harlot of Revelation chapter 17 “The woman who rides the Beast”

WorldNetDaily: A triumph for traditionalists: “Why? Because the Holy Father knows the solemnity, mystery and beauty of the Latin Mass hold magnetic appeal, not only for the older faithful but the searching young. And he acted to advance a reconciliation with traditionalists out of communion with the Holy See, including the 600,000 followers of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, excommunicated in 1988, who belong to his Society of Saint Pius X. “

What you are saying is that the Latin Mass is mystical and that is why it appeals to so many. Your priests will now once again become like the pagan priests of Babylon who offered up the dead on their alters. The Catholic priests will say their own magic Latin words over wafers of bread and magicly convert it into the actual flesh of Jesus Christ so those who eat it receive Jesus into their stomachs and get spiritual power or grace until disgestion. This is not Christianity it is witchcraft and paganism. Leave it to a former Nazi to overturn the few reforms that actually tried to enlighten the Catholics