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Once again, catastrophe comes to Lebanon–2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate left in Beirut’s port exploded killing over 200 people injuring some 6,000, and made 300,000 people homeless.
Increasingly many in Lebanon are blaming the explosion on the terrorist organization Hezbollah. Hezbollah controls Beirut’s port and airport. Why did Hezbollah allow explosive material to remain so long at the Port? No one knows for sure. Remember, Hezbollah has a full-bodied relationship with Iran; both Hezbollah and Iran are Shia Muslims.
Lebanon is made up of a complicated patchwork of religious groups (18 religious groups total, including a small Jewish population). Beirut’s port and airport is completely controlled by Hezbollah. Hezbollah smuggles arms from Iran through the port of Beirut. Beirut’s port and airport is fully controlled by Hezbollah. Hezbollah did not blow up the ammonium nitrate; either it was careless management of the explosive, or possibly Israel was involved (for now, that is speculation).
Lebanese President Michel Aoun asserted last week, “There are two possibilities for what happened. Either it was a result of negligence, or external interference by a missile or a bomb,”said Aoun in a statement posted to Twitter. Note, that here has been an outbreak of confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah as of the past few months, also we have seen a succession of fires and explosions at sensitive military sites in Iran.
Israel days earlier moved to reject any involvement in the human devastation, with Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi telling Israeli N12 television the blast was most likely an accident. A US military explosives specialist who has worked closely with the Lebanese army told press sources on condition of anonymity that according to his connections among the Lebanese armed forces, the explosion was an “act of sabotage” against the hangar, which was holding not only ammonium nitrate, but also short-range missiles, presumably confiscated.
Some Lebanese defense analysts believe Israel did likely carry out the attack, but did not anticipate damage of this scale.
In the future, Lebanon will be involved with other Arab nations in a drive to destroy Israel. Read Psalm 83: 4,6-8–The prophecy reads, in part, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more…The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot” Lebanon (Gebal) and Tyre play a prominent role in Psalm 83. Gebal was an important Phoenician port city “between Sidon and Arvad (see Josh. 13:5; 1 Kin. 5:18). It was called Byblos by the Greeks and Romans, and Gubla by the Assyrians and Babylonians.” The Phoenician city is today known as Jbail or Jubayl in Lebanon, 25 miles north of Beirut.
We hope to gain greater clarity regarding what occurred at the port city of Beirut.
-–Steven LeBlanc
The Bible tells us a future Muslim leader (Mahdi), will rise on the world stage…and he will provoke to anger the end-time European Dictator whom the Bible calls the Beast. This provocation by the Islamic leader will cause this European Dictator to move troops into the Middle East; at that time, the European leader will then take control of Jerusalem. Who is this future Islamic Mahdi?
Nearly 1.7 billion Muslims eagerly anticipate the return of the Mahdi—the believed to be future Islamic “savior”. The coming of the Mahdi is an established doctrine for both Sunni and Shi’a Muslims (though there is a small number of Sunnis who reject his future appearance). This Mahdi or Islamic “savior”—is a Caliph who promises to establish the Islamic Empire! History tells us that various Islamic saviors have stirred up the Muslim world in the past. A future leader will inspire the world of Islam just before Christ returns! We believe he will be Sunni, not Shiite.
Over the span of nearly 1400 years of Islamic history, uprising (intifadas) have been led by self-proclaimed Mahdi. One movement of specific note took place in the later 1800s. In 1881, Muhammad Ahmad in Sudan proclaimed himself the Mahdi and launched a jihad against the country’s rulers—Egyptian forces commanded by British officers. Persuaded of his own appointment as Mahdi by a series of dreams and visions, Muhammad Ahmad led his followers to conquer Khartoum and defeat the Turkish and Egyptian forces under the command of a British general, Charles “Chinese” Gordon. Muhammad Ahmad’s caliphate lasted until the Sudan was retaken in 1898 by British forces. His leadership inspired the Muslim world.
A movie was made about this self-proclaimed Mahdi. Khartoum is a 1966 film starring Charlton Heston as British General Gordon, Laurence Oliver plays the Mahdi. It is based upon the defense of the Sudanese city of Khartoum, which was attacked by the Mahdi army—it is worth viewing. It will give you a sense of the hope given to Muslim leaders that inspire the Muslim world.
So, who is this future Islamic leader? There is a strong end-time despot, whom Daniel the prophet calls “the king of the South” (successor to the ancient Greek rulers of Egypt), he will rise up and provoke a Middle East war. This Islamic figure will attack or “push” at a dictator the Bible refers to as “the king of the North” (successor to the ancient Greek rulers of Syria). We believe this dictator from the “North” is a European leader who will then advance into the Middle East with lightning speed, overthrowing many nations (Daniel 11:40-44), attacking this King of the south (Islamic Mahdi).
This is what the scripture tells us (Daniel 11:40-43):
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south (Islamic leader) push at him: and the king of the north (European tyrant) shall come against him (Islamic leader) like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he (European dictator) shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He (European Dictator) shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
This King of the South may possibly be looked upon by many in the Islamic world, as a type of Islamic Savior. Many in the world of Islam believe that the Mahdi will reappear with Jesus Christ at his side, killing Jews and all the infidels while establishing the flag of Islam in all four corners of the earth.
Don’t forget, there are over 52 million Muslims living in Europe. This end-time Islamic leader will most likely stir up many of these European followers of Islam to create massive unrest throughout Europe. Keep in mind that over 6 million Muslims live in France, 6.2 million live in Germany, 3.2 million live in the United Kingdom (London has a large Muslim population). Over 3 million live in Italy, over 1.3 million live in the Netherlands, nearly 1 million live in Belgium.
And let’s recall, in the recent past, in the capital city of Brussels Belgium and London England, the most popular baby’s name for a boy is Mohammed.
Now, let’s look at the Islamic understanding of the end-time Mahdi. The description of the Mahdi that emerges from various Islamic sources (Shi’a & Sunni) can be abridged as follows:
●Islamic tradition pictures the Mahdi as joining the army of Muslim warriors carrying black flags. The Mahdi will lead this army to Israel and re-conquer it for Islam. — Islam waves two flags. One is white and one is black. Written across both flags in Arabic are the words, “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger.”
●He will have a distinct forehead (receding hairline) and prominent nose
●He will rise in Arabia and be pressed by popular praise in Mecca to lead the Muslims
●He will make a seven-year peace treaty with a Jew of priestly lineage (Levite).
●He will conquer Israel for Islam and lead the “faithful Muslims” in a final slaughter/battle against Jews.
●The Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus will kill as many Jews as possible, until only a small number of Jews are left hiding behind rocks and trees.
●The Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus will use the practice of beheading for executions.
●Be extremely generous and altruistic to those who embrace Islam.
●He will establish the new Islamic world headquarters from Jerusalem.
●He will rule for seven years (possibly as much as eight or nine).
●He will cause Islam to be the only religion practiced on the earth.
●He will appear riding a white horse (possibly symbolic).
●He will discover some previously undiscovered biblical manuscripts that he will use to argue with the Jews and cause some Jews to convert to Islam.
●Jesus will descend dressed in yellow robes—his head anointed. He will say prayer behind al-Mahdi then join him in his war against the Dajjal (antichrist). He will worship Allah, and teach unbelievers about Muhammad. This is obviously a counterfeit understanding of Jesus—the real Jesus Christ will abolish manmade religions such as Islam.
You can see how it will require the return of Jesus Christ to chastise the nations of the world to bring about world peace. Islamic nations will come to see there is no Islamic savior. Jesus Christ is the only true savior. Zechariah 14 tells us more details of where Christ will defeat the armies of this world—that will include millions of Islamic soldiers. “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem… Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle” (verses 1-3).
The Prophet Joel indicates the specific location within Jerusalem. Notice: “I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land” (Joel 3:2).
So, it is in Jerusalem that the battle of the great day of God Almighty is fought. The steep valley that is today called Kidron, between the Old City of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, will be the battle location. Christ will descend with a spirit army and tread the winepress of His wrath (Revelation 19). Revelation 14:20 reveals the blood from the fighting will run several feet deep. This great battle will usher in the Kingdom of God. Only then, after a terrible war, will the nations of the world begin to yield to the leadership of Jesus Christ! All false religion, including Islam will be eradicated from the earth.
Is this Islamic leader the end-time antichrist?
The Bible reveals that the end-time beast, (antichrist) type dictator– will emerge in the last days as an unparalleled political, military, charismatic leader, and Islam describes the Islamic savior in similar terms.
First, we need to understand that the Bible reveals that the Beast Dictator (an antichrist), and the false prophet, will seek to conquer and seize Jerusalem. Muslim eschatology teaches that the Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus will do the same thing for Islam. So, people become confused as to who will be the greater power; the Beast dictator of Europe, or the King of the South (Mahdi figure of Islam).
We believe that scripture makes clear in Daniel 11:36 that the European Beast antichrist “shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god.” We also read in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 that a man will ultimately “oppose and exalt himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” To say the very least, a Muslim antichrist claiming to be God would be shattering the Muslim creed: “There is one God named Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.” It makes no sense to imagine a Muslim leader making any claim that he was God. Just as it is anathema to Muslims to call Jesus “God incarnate” or the “Son of God,” so it would be an abhorrence to Muslims for any human to claim he was God. (Keep in mind that Muslims are radical monotheists.) A Muslim antichrist would therefore be considered as an infidel among Quran-believing Muslims.
Some supporters of the Muslim-antichrist theory argue that the territory of the antichrist will be regional and not global. They propose that the antichrist’s domain includes several Muslim nations and not the whole world. Some now believe that the Mahdi’s empire will be a revived Ottoman Empire. Such an interpretation is not seen in the pages of prophetic Scripture. Revelation 13:7, for example, affirms that the antichrist will gain authority “over every tribe and people and language and nation.” How can such words mean anything less than great global influence? The dictator of the end-time is not a regional dictator—he is a man who exercises global clout. Of great significance, Daniel 7:23 enlightens us that the antichrist “shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces.” Notice the text says not “earth” but “whole earth.” The qualifying word whole leaves no doubt that the antichrist’s reach and influence will be global, not just regional.
(Read Daniel 11:40-45); To quickly summarize…The King of the North (is the end-time, Beast antichrist)—HE IS EUROPEAN. The King of the South, is an end-time Islamic figure who will provoke the European dictator. The European Dictator will then make war with this Islamic leader. This European dictator will at that time move troops into the Middle East, he will then take control of Jerusalem. The European leader, absolutely, is the stronger leader—He is the Beast system leader of Revelation 13 & 17:12-14; and Daniel 7:23—He is the ultimate antichrist dictator.
