Why Iran is Fearless: They Await the Mahdi

When Mohammed died in 632, there was a power struggle over his succession. The Sunni group contended that since Mohammed had not designated a successor, they, his followers, should choose one of his closest disciples.

However, the Shiite followers of Mohammed’s son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, thought he and his descendants should be the next ruler. Ali was chosen the fourth caliph, but was assassinated, as was his eldest son.

When Ali’s younger son, Husayn (who was also Mohammed’s grandson), was beheaded in the Battle of Karbala in 680, the Sunni/Shiite split was permanent.

The Shiites continued to install a succession of rulers called Imams, members of Mohammed’s household and his prophetic heirs. Over the next two centuries, every single Shiite Imam was poisoned on orders of the Sunni caliphs (spiritual and political rulers).

The Twelfth Imam, Mohammed al- Mahdi, was a five-year-old boy who escaped the clutches of the Sunnis. The traditions of Twelver Shiism, the official religion of the Islamic Republic of Iran, claim that he disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the year 874, but remained alive. After his disappearance, he communicated to the world through four agents who died out in 941. At that point the Twelfth Imam went silent, entering the period of “Great Occultation.”

In his last communiqué to the world, via one of his messengers, the mysterious Imam consoled his followers with prophecies regarding his eventual reappearance.

What is important for us today is that this Twelfth Imam prophesied that he, as the Islamic messiah, would reappear when the evil that Muslims were suffering was at its absolute apex. It is he who will “fill the world with peace and justice as today it is filled with violence and tyranny.” (Peace and justice to the devout Muslim means nothing less than a world converted to Islam and ruled by Sharia law.) (www.frontpagemag.com; link: goo.gl/KTPYJL)

Revenge is a core component of the Shiite religion because its history is drenched in assassinations of their Imams, losses in wars and other failures, and they see justice as coming to Shiites through their promised retaliation by slaughtering Sunni Muslims, Jews, Christians and all infidels (non-Shiites).

Now for the truly terrifying part: the reigning authority on Twelver Shiism is historian Emmanuel Sivan, professor emeritus of the Hebrew University. He has pointed out that “an integral part of the Shia Islam’s belief involves the initiating of a planetary conflagration.” The Mahdi’s advent can be hastened by creating the right set of circumstances – world-wide violent upheavals in a cataclysm of blood and fire. (www.pjmedia.com; link: goo.gl/lJoIjU)

One blogger trying to peer into the future wrote: “There is no requirement that non-Muslims must be responsible for that violence. Could Shiites like the Ayatollah Khameinei and the mullahs behind him, decide to hasten the Twelfth Imam’s return and the consummation of all things by, say, launching a nuclear strike against Tel Aviv or some other infidel outpost, knowing that by doing so they would almost certainly be provoking a retaliatory strike that would subject the Muslims in Iran to more defeat and repression than even the Shiites had previously suffered? That would be enough to bring the Twelfth Imam out of the well where he is said to be hiding.” (www.frontpagemag.com; link: goo.gl/KTPYJL)

Barack Obama, by acceding to the Iranians’ nuclear ambitions, has given a tremendous impetus to these revenge fantasies, probably not realizing or caring that Iran’s mullahs take the prophesies of the Twelfth Imam very seriously indeed. Obama has just made the odds appear to them to be considerably more favorable. (Ibid.)

ANTI-CHRIST AND THE MAHDI

Anyone who takes a few hours to compare the Bible’s description of the anti- Christ and the appearance of Shia Islam’s Mahdi will see many similarities. As always, Satan counterfeits the Truth with lies, falsehoods and deceptions.

Just take a look at this one Islamic tradition:

Shia tradition teaches that because Jesus will declare himself to be a Muslim upon his return, he will lead many Christians to convert to Islam. Regarding those who do not convert to Islam, the Quran states that Jesus will be a witness against them on the Day of Judgment:

The Koran states: There is not one of the People of the Scripture [Christians and Jews] but must believe in him before his death [according to Islam], and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a witness against them [for not believing in Islam]. (Surah 4:159)

Sheikh Hisham Kabani, Chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America, clearly articulates the Islamic perspective regarding Jesus’ evangelistic role when he returns.

“Like all prophets, Prophet Jesus came with the divine message of surrender to God [Allah] Almighty, which is Islam. This verse shows that 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 Messenger, 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.” [See study on the Muslim Jesus] (www.answering-islam.org; link: goo.gl/1eEboJ)

In conclusion, the Madhi – an anti-Jehovah, anti-Christ ruler, together with a false prophet who calls himself Jesus, will deceive much of the world. As the Iranian Mullahs see it, the Madhi and his lesser assistant Jesus will establish Islam throughout the world and kill all who will not convert to Islam. (Ibid.)

On the practical level: Iran is at this moment stepping up arms shipments to Hezbollah and Hamas, as it plans to have billions more to spend on nukes and create terror in the world. According to the Israeli government, Iran is acting in recent days and weeks to prepare and arm Hezbollah for conflict with Israel on a large scale. Israel’s Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror warns that it is very likely Israel will soon have to defend itself with a large-scale ground war in Lebanon. (www.timesofisrael.com; link: goo.gl/uhWMNW)

In Biblical terms, it appears the prince of Persia has again gone to battle against the angels Gabriel and Michael, Israel’s prince. (Daniel 10:13, 20-21) It would seem that the Prince of Persia is most likely the prince spoken of in Daniel 9:26 who will again come to destroy the city of Jerusalem. Whatever principalities and powers are working through Islamic Shiites and Sunnis, they believe they will win. They see Christianity and Judaism as weak, fading religions, ready to submit to Islam.

WHAT ARE CHRISTIANS TO DO?

God’s people must be willing to lay down their lives, their reputation, their well-being no matter where they live. Those who truly worship God in spirit and in truth will be challenged, sometimes to the death.

Christians are being killed in many Muslim countries. Bill O’Reilly said a few days ago on Fox News that Christian leaders, specifically Catholic leaders from his own religion, would not come on his program to denounce the killing of Christians in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Nigeria and Kenya, to name a few. He called America’s Christian leaders MIA – missing in action.

Deep, anti-God beliefs, whether from Hollywood or Harvard, are working mightily to make it illegal to fight sins that God proclaims in His Word are abhorrent to Him.

The Jewish people, not knowing the Messiah, and not having the power of the Living God of Israel in their hearts, are dependent on Christian prayers and backing, whether they know it or not.

The reality is, Christians and Jews who do not stand against sins as described in the Bible, will in the end be destroyed themselves. As Mordechai told Queen Esther, Esther 4:13-14.

“Do not think in your heart that you will escape… For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Queen Esther was in Iran at the time of this event. Boldness to go to the death saved her people. Nothing less will save the Christians in America and Europe today.

But if we don’t take a stand now, we will be swallowed up by Islam’s Sharia law, by Allah’s warriors who are not afraid to stand before every media microphone, in every UN venue and proclaim their god Allah and his prophet Mohammed as the way and the truth.

YESHUA THE MESSIAH’S WARNING FOR THE LAST DAYS:

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Matthew 24:4-6

Many followers of the true God will be killed – which is already happening in countless countries. As Islam takes hold in the Western countries, persecution will follow:

You will be hated by all for My name’s sake. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Luke 21:16,22,14

Yet Yeshua exhorts us not to be frighted:

But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. Luke 21:9,28

The Great Sign of Yeshua’s return to earth will be when the harvest is brought in:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14

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