Comparing The False Prophet And The Muslim Jesus
Amazingly, the similarities between the biblical narratives of the end-times and the Islamic narratives do not end with the Antichrist and the Mahdi. If it were so, then it might be easier to dismiss the many similarities as mere coincidence. The parallels however, do not stop with the Antichrist and the Mahdi, but extend again quite clearly, into the person of the man biblically known as the False Prophet and the man known in Islam as Isa al-Masih – Jesus the Messiah.
The specific plan of Satan down through the ages is articulated clearly in the Bible. The Bible teaches that Satan will raise up not one, but two men as his agents in the earth to lure men away from the worship of The One True God. The first man that Satan will use is the Antichrist. We have already examined his role in chapter five. The second man is known biblically as the False Prophet. We will examine his role next…
The Unholy Partnership Of The Antichrist And The False Prophet
The nature of the relationship of the biblical False Prophet to the Antichrist is one of a partner in crime so to speak. It is only in the final book of the Bible that we learn about the False Prophet. The Apostle John was the first and only author of Scripture that received revelation about this assistant to the Antichrist. In Revelation chapter thirteen, John introduces us to the man described as "another beast" but spoken of later in Revelation as the False Prophet:
Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast… And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth… Revelation 13:11-14
From this passage, we can determine a few things about the False Prophet. Firstly he is called a beast – he is, like the Antichrist, a man possessed by Satan. He is another human pawn of the Dragon, exercising the will of the Dragon on the earth. But instead of ten horns, he only has two. The horns speak of authority. The power and authority of the False Prophet is clear, but it is not nearly equal to that of the Antichrist who is said to have ten horns. We also see that the False Prophet is a miracle worker. Among the many miracles he is said to work, one is mentioned specifically: He is said to cause fire to come down from the sky. The False Prophet’s primary reason for performing miraculous signs is to cause the inhabitants of the earth to follow and even to worship the Antichrist. The two are pictured as a team, a partnership with one common goal – deception, seduction and a luring away of anyone who worships Yahweh, the God of the Bible.
The Unholy Partnership Of The Mahdi And The Muslim Jesus
Likewise in the Islamic narrative of the last-days, we do not find a lone character who is coming to rescue the world, but instead we find a team. We find both the Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus. And as in the case of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, we find that one is clearly filling a supporting role while the other is the leader. While the Mahdi is clearly described as being, "the Viceregent (Caliph) of Allah," 1 Jesus is described as being one who will "espouse the cause of the Mahdi" 3 and "follow him." 2 The partnership between the Mahdi and Jesus is one of the leader and his subordinate. And as we have already seen, and will continue to see, the partnership of the Mahdi and Jesus is indeed an unholy partnership – particularly if you are not a Muslim and have no intention of becoming one. If this is the case, then you are marked for death – plain and simple. The Muslim Jesus is a twisted version of the biblical Jesus who said:
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me; that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:38-40
Instead of espousing the "cause" of the Father, the Muslim Jesus espouses the cause of the Mahdi. Instead of saving those followers of His whom the Father has placed under his oversight, the Muslim Jesus instead slaughters those who remain faithful to the words of Jesus as found in the Bible. The Muslim Jesus is not the tender yet strong shepherd of the gospels, but rather The Wolf himself in the shepherd’s clothing.
The False Prophet As The Antichrist’s Chief Enforcer
The coming of the lawless one (The Antichrist) will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth… He performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Revelation 13:11,12
We see in the Bible that the False Prophet will come with "all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing." He will perform "great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down out of heaven… (To deceive) the inhabitants of the earth." But after his miracle working power fails to convert every last person on the earth, his primary drive becomes to set up a system whereby the inhabitants of the earth will have only two options; worship the Antichrist or be killed. The False Prophet is said to create some form of "image," possibly some form of idol or statue that has the ability to "speak." Exactly what this "image" will be is yet to be seen.
He (The False Prophet) was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. Revelation 13:15
There is something highly unusual about this image that "could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed." Somehow the image itself will have the ability to enforce the law of the False Prophet; it will have the ability to cause people to be killed. This seems to work in tangent with the infamous "mark of the beast" that is part of the False Prophet’s system. All the inhabitants of the earth will be "forced, everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:17)
So biblically speaking, the False Prophet is the enforcer of the Antichrist’s global worship movement. Imagine for a moment, a miracle working evangelist who is completely possessed by Satan and refuses to take no for an answer at the threat of death. This is exactly what the False Prophet will be.
The Muslim Jesus As The Mahdi’s Chief Enforcer
The False Muslim Jesus according to Islam will likewise be the greatest evangelist that the world has ever seen. He fulfills the description of the False Prophet in this regard to a tee! We see that the false Muslim Jesus, like the False Prophet comes to convert the Christian world to a new religion. In the case of the Muslim Jesus, the religion is, of course, Islam:
When Jesus returns he will personally correct the misrepresentations and misinterpretations about himself. He will affirm the true message that he brought in his time as a prophet, and that he never claimed to be the Son of God. Furthermore, he will reaffirm in his second coming what he prophesied in his first coming bearing witness to the seal of the Messengers, Prophet Muhammad. In his second coming many non-Muslims will accept Jesus as a servant of Allah Almighty, as a Muslim and a member of the Community of Muhammad. 4
Though based merely on this description, Jesus’ power to convert seems based more on the simple fact of the persuasiveness of his words, presence and actions than any specific mention of miracles. Just like the False Prophet however, the Muslim Jesus refuses to take no for an answer. As seen above, Jesus, along with the Mahdi, institutes the Islamic Law all over the earth and in so doing, abolishes the Jizyah Tax which non-Muslims historically have had the option of paying as "protection" money not much unlike the "protection" money that mafia bosses extort from businesses in their area. After the time that the Jizyah tax is abolished, "all people will be required to embrace Islam and there will be no other alternative." 5 But what if some still refuse to convert? Then, as we have already seen, the leaders of the so-called "religion of peace," the Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus will have them executed.
The False Prophet As Executioner
From the Bible’s description of the False Prophet we learn that one of the primary motives behind his plan in creating this "image in honor of the beast" is so that those who refuse to worship it are killed:
He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. Revelation 13:14,15
Later there is a specific reference to the exact form in which these people will be killed:
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. Revelation 20:4
The Bible tells us that those who refuse to participate in the system established by the False Prophet, who refuse to worship the Antichrist or his image will be killed. The specific method that the Bible highlights is beheading. We will discuss this fact in more detail in a later chapter. The False Prophet will be the greatest executioner that the world has ever known.
The Muslim Jesus As Executioner
And how different is the Muslim Jesus? We have already examined the Islamic traditions that establish that Jesus will abolish the Jizyah tax thus leaving only two options for Christians and Jews worldwide: convert to Islam or die.
Jesus, the son of Mary will soon descend among the Muslims as a just judge… Jesus will, therefore, judge according to the law of Islam… all people will be required to embrace Islam and there will be no other alternative. 6
The time and the place for [the poll tax] is before the final descent of Jesus. After his final coming, nothing but Islam will be accepted from them, for taking the poll tax is only effective until Jesus’ descent 7
We have also seen the Islamic traditions that picture Jesus as being the leader of an army that slaughters tens of thousands of Jews who are all said to be followers of the Dajjal (Antichrist).
The Yahudis (Jews)… will be his main followers.8
Isa (Jesus) kills the Dajjal at the Gate of Hudd, near an Israeli airport, in the valley of "Ifiq." The final war between the Yahudi’s will ensue, and the Muslims will be victorious. 9
In the Last Hour Muslims will fight with Jews. Since the Jews are an integral part of the army of the Dajjal, and Muslims are the soldiers of the Prophet Jesus, they will fight each other and the Muslims will become triumphant until even a stone or a tree would say: Come here, Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me; kill him. 10
The biblical False Prophet and the Muslim Jesus are both described as establishing a system of Law that will enforce the mass execution of anyone who refuses to convert to the new global religion.
A Dragon In Sheep’s Clothing
We have all heard the expression "a wolf in sheep’s clothing." Most people don’t know that Jesus is the originator of this saying. Interestingly, when Jesus coined this expression, he was referring specifically to false prophets. The exact phrase was, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves" (Matthew 7:15). Likewise, The False Prophet to whom all other false prophets are merely a foreshadowing is described by the Apostle John as one who, "had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon" (Revelation 13:11). This is to say that the False Prophet will appear to be mild and gentle – a "lamb-like" person, but inwardly he is a man who is literally possessed by Satan himself. He will be filled with deception, murder, rage and hatred. His purpose will be to deceive as many people as he can into worshipping the Dragon.
The appearance of the False Prophet as "a lamb" may also quite possibly be a reference to notion that the False Prophet will claim to literally be The Lamb, Jesus Christ (John 1:36; Revelation 5:6,13). This would make sense if we look a bit more closely at Jesus’ warnings to His disciples in Matthew chapter 24. Repeatedly, Jesus warns his disciples of the many false prophets who will come in the last-days, but in the very first warning that Jesus gives His disciples when they ask him about the nature of the Final Hour before His return, Jesus says, "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many." (Matthew 24:4-5) While I do not believe that every false prophet that will emerge in the last-days will literally claim to be Christ himself, it is clear from this passage that some will. And if The False Prophet of Revelation 13 is the archetype and very model for all other false prophets, then it also stands to reason that the False Prophet may very well claim to be Jesus Christ himself. This of course is a perfectly brilliant (though infinitely evil) plan. Who else better could you imagine to have as your back-up man and your primary minister of propaganda than someone whom much of the world believes to be Jesus Christ himself? It appears that this is what Satan has planned for the Antichrist/Mahdi.
Conclusion
Muslims are very fond of using Jesus as an evangelistic tool among Christians. Numerous Muslim books have been published which extol the greatness of Jesus and express a deep love for Him. One Muslim web site even proclaims that "Jesus led me to Islam." Muslims use Jesus as a lure to draw Christians in, in order to convince them of the truth of Islam. But the advertised Jesus of Islam is much different than the Muslim Jesus that comes to reveal his true identity as the most radical of fundamentalist Muslims. The Jesus that returns in Muslim tradition makes Osama Bin Laden look like a novice. He is pictured as coming to establish Islamic Law across the face of the planet that would legalize the execution of anyone who refuses to convert to Islam. He is pictured as leading the army that will slaughter tens of thousands of Jews who are said to be followers of the Dajjal. If ever such a person existed that could rightly be described as a "beast," then surely, the Muslim Jesus is such a man.
Muslims are awaiting a man to come that will claim to be Jesus Christ. He would be presented as a lamb. If such a man ever exists, he will claim according to Islamic tradition, that he has been alive in heaven for the past two thousand years, waiting to return to complete his life and accomplish his mission on the earth. Such a man would be a liar. He would be a true student of his master, the father of lies. He would come to fulfill what the Bible expresses to be the chief boiling desires of Satan, to either deceive Christians and Jews – indeed the entire earth into worshipping him or to slaughter them. In the Bible, we see that it is for these very purposes that Satan will empower his False Prophet. The biblical description of the False Prophet and the Islamic description of the Muslim Jesus, on all the essential points, are identical.
Notes:
1. Ibn Maja, Kitab al-Fitan #4084 as quoted in Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, The Approach of Armageddon? An Islamic Perspective (Canada, Supreme Muslim Council of America, 2003), p. 231
2. Ayatullah Baqir al-Sadr and Ayatullah Murtada Mutahhari, The Awaited Savior, (Karachi, Islamic Seminary Publications), prologue, p. 3
3. Sais I-Nursi, The rays, The Fifth Ray, p. 493, as quoted in Harun Yahya, Jesus Will Return, (London, Ta Ha, 2001), p. 66
4. Kabbani, p. 237
5. Mufti Mohammad Shafi and Mufti Mohammad Rafi Usmani, Signs of the Qiyama and the Arrival of the Maseeh, (Karachi, Darul Ishat, 2000), p. 59
6. Sideeque M.A. Veliankode, Doomsday Portents and Prophecies (Scarborough, Canada, 1999) p. 358
7. Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, The Reliance of the Traveller and Tools of the Worshipper, a Classic Manuel of Islamic Sacred Law, Translated by Noah Ha Mim Keller, (Amana Publications, Beltsville Maryland, revised 1994) p. 603.
8. Who is the evil Dajjal (the "anti-Christ")? by Mohammed Ali Ibn Zubair Ali http://www.islam.tc/prophecies/masdaj.html
9. Muhammad Ali Ibn Zubair, The Signs of Qiyama, translated by M. Afzal Hoosein Elias from the original (with references): " Aalalaat-e-Qiyyamat aur Nuzul-e-Eesa." http://members.cox.net/arshad/qiyaama.html
10. Veliankode, p. 218
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