Is Islam "Mystery Babylon" of End Times?

http://islammonitor.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3343:mystery-babylon-and-the-scarlet-whore&catid=209 ^ | 04 March 2010 | Geoff Dickson

[ScubieNuc]

Who is the Scarlet Whore who sits on the Beast

First we should consider what it means that the Whore sits on the beast. Walid Shoebat reasons by interpreting mountains as nations / empires and not as hills, the seventh beast empire was Islamic ending with the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1922AD. Revelation 13 claims that the “head” will be revived. That is, the Islamic empire will be rejuvenated coming from the same persecuting empires that preceded it, but NOT including Rome. This is a clear indication that the eighth beast empire will be Islamic, NOT Roman.

We have shown that the Babylon in the End-Times is Arabia and that the last beast empire is Islamic. Also, Mecca is the spiritual home of all Muslims and that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia which controls Mecca is corrupting nations with its oil wealth. We should consider how Mecca / the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fits the whore of Babylon. As the spiritual home of Islam, Mecca rules (influences) over 1.5 billion people on this planet, in every country. The colour scarlet denotes royalty and of course the Royal House of Saud controls Mecca, the spiritual home of Islam. Mecca causes people to fly planes into buildings, to blow up infrastructure, to strap bombs on themselves to blow up the Kuffaar, and to behead infidels shouting ‘Allahu Akbar”.

[ScubieNuc]

Very interesting article. The one thing I found very intriguing was that some Islamic teachers have been teaching that Mecca and Medina will be destroyed, thereby causing a march on to Jerusalem.

I can imagine a scenario where Iran nukes, Saudi Arabia, blames Israel and the US. This would eliminate all Islamic/Arab opposition and would unit many other Arab nations to march to their orders. It would also cause Muslims in the US to react quite violently.

[Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears]

I have been thinking of this a LOT lately!

Especially in light of the "Chrislam" religion promoted by Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life) and Robert Schuller (TV New-Age/Feel-Good-Christianity Preacher).

It supposedly "melds" the best of the two religions together...which is apostacy.

VIDEO: Chrislam: Abomination or Unity With God?

Matthew 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect."

[ScubieNuc]

Wow! I had never heard of “Chrislam” before, or of Rick Warrens endorsing this apostasy. [[[shaking head]]]

Thanks for the heads up.

[Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears]

I only learned of it fairly recently. Google it...it’s pretty alarming to me.

[ScubieNuc]

I just did. You are correct, very alarming stuff.

[MestaMachine]

Why is it semingly so hard for Bible *scholars" to accept what is literal straight from the Bible itself?

Scarlet (from the Persian سآقرلآت säqirlāt)

Babylon is Persia and Iran is PERSIA, not saudi arabia. Iran is trying to revive an islamist version of the Persian Empire which includes Iraq, (Babylon,) and they are succeeding.

From 2009:
U.S. TO HELP REBUILD CITY OF BABYLON IN IRAQ

obama was elected in 2008 and since he has been in office, Iran has been his pet.
This week, Iran and Iraq have signed 6 memoranda of understanding and our soldiers have returned to being cannon fodder thanks to Iran's very visible interference in Iraq. obama has allowed this, even mandated it by his policies.
As Americans shed their blood, Babylon rises. LITERALLY

[I still care]

Interesting. Thanks for posting.

I actually have been thinking on this independently.

Christ said the last days will be “as the days of Noah”, and I’ve often wondered about that. One of my thoughts has been that in those days, among all the world, there were only 8 righteous- Noah and his family.

Where in the earth today is absolute uniformity of a false religion, that there would be only a hidden family here and there that would be righteous before the Lord? Islamic countries.

It’s just a thought I had, but I’ve been wondering about it.

[Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears]

Babylon is Iraq, is that not right?

Saddam Hussein considered himself to be the reincarnation of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.

http://www.atlastours.net/iraq/babylon.html

However, I will not debate this, as I do not claim to be any kind of expert.

[RobRoy]

>>It would also cause Muslims in the US to react quite violently.<<

If they did, they would be wiped out in short order. So would Dearborn.

[Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears]

I see, you already posted this... Iran and Iraq were both Persia.

Forgive my lack of reading comprehension. lol

[Dogbert41]

ping

[Dogbert41]

ping

[MestaMachine]

Babylon was the beautiful Persian capital city in which Nebuchadnezzar resided. And yes, it was in what is NOW Iraq...and is NOW being rebuilt at great expense, (with OUR help,) to what seems to be its original design with all the opulence and splendor it once had including the fabulous Hanging Gardens. Babylon is the reason Iran wants Iraq so badly. A restoration of Persia with Babylon as its capital.

[ScubieNuc]

First, thanks for responding with your input. You may be correct. I’m not claiming to be a Biblical scholar, just a Christian seeking to understand the Bible and my role as a Christian today. That includes end times prophesies.

My two comments are:
1) Revelation is a complicated book, filled with images and symbology. I don’t claim to have it completely understood, but I’m working at learning.
2) I used to think of the “Whore of Babylon” more along the lines of Rome/the Catholic Church/or the apostate Christian Church. This article along with some others have opened my eyes to a different angle. All in all, it’s very interesting.

[MestaMachine]

Maybe it is *complicated* because church hierchies do not want you to think you have an understanding beyond what they say. Common sense and logic will take you a long way. Sometimes, it means exactly what it says. If you question, it is considered blasphemy.
It is a debate I have often had with my own Rabbis because I KNOW that the Hebrew Mystics in ancient times wanted to hold to their power and set themselves up as the keepers of G-d’s *secrets.* It is a device of man, not G-d.
G-d gave us the power of understanding. Use it or lose it.

[PastorBooks]

Here is a good video where John Piper has a long interview with Rick Warren about his doctrine.

John Piper Interviews Rick Warren on Doctrine
desiringgod.org/blog/posts/john-piper-interviews-rick-warren-on-doctrine

"This 98 minute interview that I did with Rick Warren was recorded on May 1, 2011, during the Desiring God Regional Conference at Saddleback Church. It's the fulfillment of a commitment we made when Rick was not able to come in person to the Desiring God National Conference in Minneapolis in October, 2010.

"The nature of the interview is mainly doctrinal. I read Rick’s The Purpose Driven Life with great care. I brought 20 pages of quotes and questions to the interview. You will hear me quote the book dozens of times. With these quotes as a starting point I dig into Rick’s mind and heart on all the issues listed below (with the times that they begin on the video)."

Discussion here:

whatsbestnext.com/2011/05/john-piper-interviews-rick-warren-on-doctrine-and-thoughts-on-the-significance-of-their-relationship/

[ScubieNuc]

Well, I think by "church hierchies" you may be refering to the Catholic Church, and I am not a part of the Catholic Church. My church body encourages everyone to dig into the Scriptures, test, and raise questions, and search for answers.

While I know that there are mysteries, I also know that prophesies were written for people to read and get an understanding of what is to come. They weren't meant to be completely void of any understanding.

Ultimately, I believe understanding of God's Word comes from God's Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

[Rashputin]

IMHO, Turkey is currently the nation most likely to step into the ME stew, make a treaty to defend Israel against anyone who attacks it, and rise dramatically in international importance when they actually do defend Israel in some conflict against Islamic attackers. Since the Eastern Roman Empire lasted a thousand years past the Western half and since Istanbul was built on seven hills, there you have it, a neat fit with the usual stuff people say about Rome. Turkey could easily become the head of the Islamic world the same as it was up until the Caliphate collapsed. Some folks think Iran will, but they'll be smashed either by internal forces or by the usual inability of totalitarian revolutions to outlast the first crop of young radicals who help build it. Not the ones who first rule, mind you, but the ones who are in line right behind them.

Now, playing games with "when", that means 1979 for Iran then add seventy years, and you have Iran as toast around 2049 no matter what happens. That's also about a lifespan past when Arafat dedicated himself to Islamic Revolution rather than Marxist Revolution. IOW, right after he returned to the fold of faithful Moon God worshipers making it impossible for anyone other than Islamic Radicals to get popular support and survive. In addition, 1979 is the year when the generals in Turkey first decided that a coup was required and began deciding when to act. In 1980 they staged a coup, had a new constitution drawn up around 1982, and in doing so created the Turkey we all deal with these day. So, 1979 is a critical and Bada Bing, Bada Boom, you have a whole new time-line to market. The beauty of it is that you need only minor changes to the way people currently interpret the better known Scripture passages and you can make it all fit. Just think what a great mew mix you can come up with if you spend a few weeks on it?

Personally I think there are an endless number of ways you can play games with Scripture and events to come up with your own interpretation of prophecy. I think Shoebat is right about the Antichrist rising out of Islam because it fits all the criteria of being anti-Christ and is clearly anti-Christian. Beyond that, I don't care about End Times theories, particularly those that include "The Bestselling Rapture Doctrine" as one of the hooks to sell books.

A friend gave me a book by Shoebat because he says many of the same things I've said over the years when I would criticize popular prophecy theories. Otherwise, I wouldn't know who he is. What he has to say makes at least as much sense as the more popular and more widely accepted interpretations and in my opinion is more solidly grounded in history. There are a lot more important things to focus on than prophecy, though. First and foremost accepting that Christ is your only way to Salvation, then making sure you're carrying your cross and following Him.

But that's all just my opinion and everyone has an opinion. Especially those folks who insist that individual revelation ended with the Apostles but make a very comfortable living by marketing and selling their opinions as if they're individual revelation that allows them to interpret His Word better than anyone else can.

Regards

[ScubieNuc]

There are a lot more important things to focus on than prophecy, though. First and foremost accepting that Christ is your only way to Salvation, then making sure you're carrying your cross and following Him.

For the most part, I agree with you here. Knowing and understanding what prophecies there are and what is to come is important. I think it's important in giving us who are saved, assurance that regardless of what calamities are happening in the world, in the end, God prevails.

With the understanding that all is ultimately in God's hands and control, that should help us to "go into all the world and preach the gospel".

I recognize that there is a danger to get trapped into closing oneself off from the world, waiting and hoping for God to punish the evil, and trying to justify it all as "end times study". That is not my goal. Like with everything else, God seeks for us to have balance. Studying prophesy can be done with balance.

I also think ignoring prophesy because it is hard or associated with "lunatics" is also bad, though.

[vanilla swirl]

sorry, but that is a crappy video. I didn’t even finish it and found two blatant spelling mistakes.
I have little doubt that what it says is true but, if you want to accuse people by name give examples.

That said, yes I think Islam plays an extremely important role in the end times (soon to come).