#
Christianity & Islam See Iraq War As Leading to Armageddon

Sound Familiar?

by Rod Dreher, National Review

Many Evangelical Christians in America are watching events unfold in 
the Middle East with great interest, seeing in the preparations for war 
the possible unfolding of the End-Times scenario predicted in the Bible. 
A small segment of ultraorthodox Judaism shares an apocalyptic vision, 
centering around rebuilding the Temple on Mount Zion (where the 
Islamic Dome of the Rock Shrine and al-Aqsa mosque, now sit). What 
many Americans don't realize, though, is that Islam also has an 
eschatological endgame, and that like any Left Behind-reading 
American, many Muslims see current events as a run-up to their 
own version of Armageddon.  

Islam derives its Last-Days scenario from the Koran, which appeared 
centuries after the Christian Bible u a fact that for non-Muslims could 
account for elements of Christian and Jewish prophecy appearing in the 
Koranic text. Particularly since the mid-1980s, modern interpreters 
within Islam cast the Arab-Israeli conflict, and more broadly, the 
conflict between Islam and the West, as part of the cosmic conflict that 
will mean the end of history and the ultimate triumph of Islam. David Cook, 
a Rice University scholar of Muslim apocalypticism, sketches below the 
main themes of Islamic End-Times prophecy, and its ramifications:  

Rod Dreher: What are the main beliefs of Islamic eschatology?

David Cook: Referring to Sunni Islam, the principal beliefs are:

1)There are a series of signs or portents previous to the end: moral and 
social decay, natural and cosmic disasters, and political events that will 
demonstrate in an incontrovertible manner that the end is about to 
happen.

2) A tempter, or Antichrist, called the Dajjal will appear and lead the 
world (with the exception of true Muslims) astray. Almost everyone will 
be subject to his tribulations, but just before he succeeds in annihilating 
the Muslims, Jesus will come down from the heavens and kill him.

3) There will be a messianic age, led by either Jesus or another 
messianic figure called the Mahdi. This latter figure will conquer 
the entire world and convert everyone to Islam.

4) After the time of the Mahdi, then Gog and Magog [cf. Ezekiel 38, 39; 
the Islamic version goes by the name Yajuj and Majuj] will invade the 
world and destroy it.

5) God will bring the world to an end.

Dreher: What sort of Muslim tends to make Islamic End-Times 
prophecy central to his piety?

Cook: Usually one without much hope in the likelihood that there will 
be positive changes that will benefit Islam in the immediate future. 
Such people can oftentimes be attracted by an apocalyptic, destroy-it-all 
framework or long for the messianic age.  

Dreher: How popular is apocalypticism at the present moment among 
Middle Eastern Muslims?

Cook: In certain areas, quite popular. Radical Muslims (followers of 
or sympathizers with al Qaeda) have responded to their setbacks during 
the recent past by publishing large numbers of apocalypses, and mahdi 
scenarios. Among Palestinians, apocalyptic speculations are also quite 
prominent. I think that apocalypse as a genre has become less popular 
in Egypt than it was 3-4 years ago, however, and Algerian radicals no 
longer use apocalyptic motifs either.  

Dreher: If one is reading current events through the lens of contemporary 
Islamic prophecy, what will one see?

Cook: Many of the apocalyptic wars before the appearance of the Dajjal 
speak of Christian powers invading Muslim lands. This is the 
interpretation of the [seemingly imminent] Iraq war. The Dajjal is said 
to be a Jew, and will blaspheme the area of Jerusalem. Ariel Sharon is 
usually made to fit that bill. Among radical Muslims, the Mahdi is 
oftentimes said to be either Mullah Omar or in some cases Osama bin 
Laden. One of the traditions says: "The Prophet of Allah promised us 
a raid on India" which is widely cited by Pakistani radicals.  

Dreher: Given the central role the Temple Mount plays in the End-Times 
beliefs of certain fervent Jews, Christians, and Muslims, what kind of 
trouble might we see there in the event of Middle Eastern war?  

Cook: Right now the Temple Mount is effectively closed. It will probably 
always be the center of scary predictions and fears for Muslims as long 
as Israel has any power or influence in the region, but I don't foresee 
any necessary reason why the Temple Mount should be a focus. Most 
of the material published now speaks of wars and apocalypses on a 
grand scale; the materials on the Temple Mount were all because of the 
fear that Israel would rebuild the Temple in the year 2000 (perhaps 
contributing to the explosion of the second Intifada during Sept. 2000).  

(snip snip snip)

All Copyrights (c) are acknowledged. Material reproduced for
educational and research purposes only.
========================================================================

Full article at RAIDERS News Updates - http://www.raidersnewsupdate.com/

Cheers, Steve..

---