The End of This World
The End of This World
The Bible ends with an apocalypse.
The word “apocalypse” doesn’t literally mean the end of the world. Apocalypse is a style of writing that means “secrets are revealed”. That’s why we translate the Greek word “Apokalypsis” as “Revelation”.
The Bible contains poems, laws, songs, parables, essays, bedtime stories, campfire stories, musicals, lectures, correspondences, genealogies, and … apocalypses. And somehow the Bible does all that while maintaining a mathematical number key for all those verses. The Holy Spirit has some serious literary range. ✍️
The book of Revelation is an apocalypse that reveals the future of our world, just like the book of Daniel. The reason most people associate the word “apocalypse” with the end of the world is because both Daniel and Revelation reveal a nightmare-ish, catastrophic end to our world:
One third of the global population dies
Hundreds of millions of soldiers die in war
The rivers turn to blood
All the fish in the sea die
There’s an unprecedented earthquake that flattens mountains, erases islands, and destroys our cities.
We aren’t going to cover all of Revelation and it is really difficult to decipher on your own, so I highly recommend these two summaries of Revelation illustrated by The Bible Project on YouTube.
Book of Revelation Summary: Chapters 1-11 (12 mins)
Book of Revelation Summary: Chapters 12-22 (12 mins)
The Two Strong Men
I’m not sure anyone’s interpretation of Revelation is 100% correct, including mine, but here’s how I would teach my 20-year old self about the last book of the Bible.
Let’s start by reading Revelation 13.
Revelation 13: 1 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. He had 10 horns and seven heads. On his horns were 10 diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like a bear’s, and his mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 One of his heads appeared to be fatally wounded, but his fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against him?”
5 A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies. He was also given authority to act for 42 months. 6 He began to speak blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling—those who dwell in heaven. 7 And he was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. He was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8 All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.
9 If anyone has an ear, he should listen:
10 If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he goes. If anyone is to be killed with a sword, with a sword he will be killed.
This demands the perseverance and faith of the saints.
So that all sounds terrifying.
The Beast from the Earth
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, but he sounded like a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 He also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. 14 He deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that he is permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image of the beast who had the sword wound and yet lived. 15 He was permitted to give a spirit to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 And he requires everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom: The one who has understanding must calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. His number is 666.
If you are totally confused by chapter 13, you're not alone, it’s confusing to everyone.
At The End of This World, there are two “strong men” who rule the Earth. The first “strong man” dies and comes back to life. For 42 months, he wages war against the saints and conquers them, so that every tribe, nation, and tongue on Earth worships him and is subject to his kingdom.
By the end of this story, I will tell you his name.
The second “strong man” is even scarier. He has supernatural powers to call fire down from the heavens. This strong man will be so invincible, maybe like Superman, that all the people on Earth will see him as a god. He will use his special powers to enforce the laws of the first strong man so that anyone who doesn’t worship the first strong man, and take his mark, will be executed.
Wanna know both their names?
The Beast From The Sea
To fully understand Revelation 13, we also need to understand the book of Daniel, and Matthew chapter 24, because they also contain prophecies about the future war at The End of This World.
Here are 3 videos from the YouTube channel, The Bible Explained, that explain Daniel and Matthew 24 way better than me.
Explaining Daniel’s Prophecies (Part 1) - Chapters 2, 7, and 8 (22 mins)
Explaining Daniel’s Prophecies (Part 2) - Chapters 8, 11, and 12 (29 mins)
Explaining Daniel’s Prophecies (Part 3) - Chapter 9 (32 mins)
As you can see, most of the prophecies in Daniel have already been fulfilled by the ancient empires of the world: the Babylonian Empire was the lion, the Achaemenid/ Persian Empire was the bear, the Macedonian Empire was the leopard, and the Roman Empire was the beast with the iron teeth.
So in Revelation 13, when a new beast emerges out of the sea (foreign peoples), the resemblance of a leopard, mouth of a lion, and feet of a bear give us clues about where this “new empire” will come from.
Here is a map of the former Macedonian Empire (the leopard):
Here is a map of the former Babylonian Empire (the lion):
Here is a map of the former Achaemenid/ Persian Empire (the bear):
This “new beast” has 7 heads and 10 horns, so it sounds like some kind of alliance between the modern countries that inhabit the former territories of the leopard, the lion, and the bear. That could mean any country from Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and maybe Pakistan. Most of these countries are Muslim countries that hate Israel already, so a future war against Israel isn’t that much of a surprise.
If you saw the Daniel videos, then you know that Daniel 11 provides even more details about the future war at The End of This World.
Daniel 11: 40 At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle like a whirlwind, but the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the beautiful land (Israel), and many will fall. But these will escape from his power: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of the Ammonites. 42 He will extend his power against the countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. 43 He will get control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt. The Libyans and Cushites will also be in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will terrify him, and he will go out with great fury to annihilate and completely destroy many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.”
In the Bible, North and South are always in reference to the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is basically the center of the universe for the Bible. When we combine Daniel 11 with the territories described in Revelation 13, this sounds like some kind of “Muslim civil war” within the confines of the former Ottoman Empire. Why else would the King of the North annihilate Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia, but remain at peace with Jordan (Edom, Moab, and the royal family in Amman)?
In verse 40, the original Hebrew word we translate as “whirlwind” is pretty scary because in a modern context it could easily mean nuclear war. It says the King of the North retaliates and “sweeps through them like a flood”. The original Hebrew words mean he “engulfs” them by “passing over” their heads, so that sounds more like missiles or swarms of murder drones.
If “swarms of murder drones” sounds preposterous, just remember that America has been using “murder drones” in Muslim countries since November 3, 2002. That’s when the CIA killed six suspected al-Qaeda members in the country of Yemen with the first targeted drone strike.
America invented “push-button delete”. 🎯
In verse 44, we see that there is an international response to the King of the North from the nations to the East and further North. East probably means China or India, and North probably means Europe or Russia (assuming Russia still has an economy after Putin bankrupts them intellectually and economically over the Crimean Peninsula). 🙄
So When Is The End?
Here’s what happens next in Daniel’s description of The End of This World.
Daniel 12:
1 At that time Michael the great prince who stands watch over your people will rise up. There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since nations came into being until that time. But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will escape. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to shame and eternal contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
4 “But you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.”
As we discussed at the beginning of this book, verse 4 isn’t translated accurately. Back in 1611, the English translators of the King James Bible didn’t have any context to understand The Internet. In the original Hebrew that Daniel wrote, “many” is not a pronoun that means “many (people) will roam around”. Daniel never even mentions people in that sentence. The only noun in that second sentence is knowledge, so the English should read:
But you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal the book until the time of the end— KNOWLEDGE will roam around and exponentially multiply.
The reason I use “exponentially multiply” instead of “increase” is because the original Hebrew word that Daniel wrote means “to sexually multiply”. The word “many” is actually a modifier of that. “Exponentially multiply” sounds way more professional than “Knowledge will travel around the world doubling faster than bunny rabbits”.
I’m not saying this is the end of time for sure, I am saying there is an Internet on Earth at the end of time for sure, according to the Bible.
Nobody knows exactly when all these things will happen, not even Jesus. Jesus says that in Matthew 24, but he also gives us additional signs and warnings for when The End of This World is near.
Matthew 24: 1 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple complex, His disciples came up and called His attention to the temple buildings. 2 Then He replied to them, “Don’t you see all these things? I assure you: Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down!”
Signs of the End of the Age
3 While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. 14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.
The End of This World will be live-streamed on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Of course the good news “will be proclaimed in all the world for everyone to witness”. There will even be comment sections and reaction videos on YouTube.
And then the end will come.
Another important clue to this timing is that Jesus says every stone of the second temple will be thrown down, which hasn’t happened yet. Most of the stones that Jesus is referencing were already thrown down by the Romans in 70 AD. They still litter the temple complex today.
Those stones have been laying around for 2,000 years, but the western “Wailing Wall” still stands.
It’s difficult for me to imagine these stones coming down (unless they get destroyed in a Holy War by the King of the North).
The Two Messiahs
The verse we read in Matthew 24:5 gives us some really important clues about the identity of the “second strong man” in Revelation 13. Remember, the second strong man is not the “beast from the sea”. Revelation 13:11 says he arises from the Earth and has two horns like a lamb, but he speaks like a dragon.
In Matthew 24:5, Jesus says the second strong man will “come in his name” and deceive many by saying, “I am the Messiah”. The reason the second strong man is like a lamb is because he also calls himself “Jesus”.
Let’s continue reading the signs in Jesus’s description for The End of This World in Matthew 24.
Matthew 24: 15 “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 17 A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house. 18 And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again!
This kinda makes me concerned for Saturdays in the winter.
22 Unless those days were limited, no one would survive. But those days will be limited because of the elect.
23 “If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it! 24 False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note: I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.
The Coming of the Son of Man
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days:
The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the celestial powers will be shaken.
I hope “the sun will be darkened” doesn’t mean nuclear winter.
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
So we have two Jesuses at The End of This World, both claiming to be “The Messiah”. One arises from the Earth and the other appears in the sky.
All four Gospel writers and Paul mention that you will know which Jesus is the real Jesus because he will return through the clouds. It’s in:
Matthew 26:64 “You have said it,” Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Mark 13:26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
Mark 14:62 “I am,” said Jesus, “and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Luke 21:27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them rin the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.
Revelation 1:7 Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him. And all the families of the earth will mourn over Him. This is certain. Amen.”
Remember, the “false Jesus” is so amazingly powerful that he can “deceive the elect”. He can perform miracles and call fire down from the heavens. But, he is a person who arises out of the ground. So, in the future, if there is a guy named Jesus that has magical superpowers, but he doesn’t fly in from the clouds, he’s not the real Jesus.
In Matthew 24:25, Jesus says, “Take note: I have told you in advance.” Well, I just reminded you SEVEN more times.
The Abomination That Causes Desolation
In Matthew 24:15, Jesus mentions the most important sign for understanding The End of This World. In verse 15, Jesus mentions the “abomination that causes desolation”, spoken through the prophet Daniel, and says “let the reader understand”. “Let the reader understand” means the reader needs to do some math.
The disciples hearing the story in Matthew 24 were already well aware of a previous “abomination that causes desolation” in Jerusalem.
In 167 BC, Antiochus Epiphanes conquered Jerusalem in one of the many Jewish holocausts in human history. Plural. Remember how the Romans dismantled most of the stones from the temple complex? That was during another Jewish holocaust called the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Josephus claims over 500,000 Jews were killed during that siege and another 97,000 Jews were enslaved. Before those two holocausts, the Babylonians tried to exterminate the Jews, and who knows how many Jews died during the Christian and Muslim Crusades.
The Jews sure do get “holocausted” a lot. 🤔
@jewishfriends: I hope you appreciate that joke.
To be fair (or unfair), holocausts were a way of life for almost every tribe, nation, and religion in ancient human history. The scarcer the resources, the more evil the humans, right? I believe your people were chosen by Yahweh for a whole bunch of reasons, but one of them is because almost every empire in human history tries to kill you.
Quick story: I was in Israel, at the home of our Jewish friends, celebrating the first night of Hanukkah. They have four kids and we have five, so the wife asks me why we have so many. I tell her some long story about how my wife’s crazy, and then I ask her, “Why you do have so many? She simply said, “We’re repopulating.” 😬
I didn’t know how to respond. Eventually, she looked up from working in her kitchen and said, “Yeah, it was a big deal hit when our population hit 6 million people again. You know, based on how many we lost recently.”
Which is more improbable:
One people group is targeted by that many holocausts?
One people group keeps surviving that many holocausts?
Both are incredibly improbable. You can read all about the number key in the Bible and 10 more reasons why I believe your people where chosen by Yahweh in:
Okay, back to Antiochus Epiphanes “holocausting” the Jews in 167 BC. Antiochus Epiphanes wanted to eliminate their entire culture. Once he had full control of Jerusalem, he halted the daily prayer and sacrifices at the Temple Mount. Then Antiochus Epiphanes built a statue of himself inside the Temple for all the people to worship him. That was the first “abomination that causes desolation”.
So Jesus is predicting a future “abomination that causes desolation” that starts the clock for the end of time. Let’s read what he said one more time.
Matthew 24: 15 “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains!
The reason Jesus says to flee from Judea is because there will be a massive earthquake that changes the geology and topography of Israel. According to Zechariah 14, the Mount of Olives will split into a wide valley with half the Mount moving North and half the Mount moving South. Revelation 16 says that all the mountains in Israel will be flattened and Ezekiel 47 says freshwater will bring fish from the Mediterranean into the Dead Sea. So when Jesus says run, he means RUN!
The reason Jesus says the reader needs to understand Daniel is because Daniel chapter 12 specifically mentions the abomination that causes desolation. Let’s start reading in verse 5. This is literally the next sentence after the angel tells Daniel about the Internet at the end of time.
If you get confused, keep reading, because Daniel was confused too.
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and two others were standing there, one on this bank of the river and one on the other. 6 One of them said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long until the end of these extraordinary things?” 7 Then I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river. He raised both his hands toward heaven and swore by Him who lives eternally that it would be for a time, times, and half a time. When the power of the holy people is shattered, all these things will be completed.
8 I heard but did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”
9 He said, “Go on your way, Daniel, for the words are secret and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; none of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand. 11 From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 The one who waits for and reaches 1,335 days is blessed. 13 But as for you, go on your way to the end; you will rest, then rise to your destiny at the end of the days.”
Man, the Bible is crazytown. I know I sound crazy explaining it, but I’m just a math geek who really likes games and puzzles. The Bible is the most fun math puzzle I’ve ever seen. I have listened to it, in its original order, 100 times in a row just for fun. The numbers are so improbable.
I even enjoy nerdy math lectures like this, “The Hebrew Language, The DNA Of Creation”. (86 mins)
So 1,290 days after “the power of the holy people is shattered” is the end of days for some people. It seems like others may survive 1,335 days? If you recall, Revelation 13 said the first beast would have control over the world for 42 months, which is about 1,260 days. “Time, times, and half a time” could mean 3.5 years, which is 1,277 days.
In Revelation, there are so many scrolls being opened and trumpets being played to create calamities on the Earth, that I don’t really know which judgments are happening on which of these days. I think it’s safe to say that Jesus and Daniel both believe the days of “the elect” will be cut short, but I don’t know how short. Some theologians believe in a “Pre-Tribulation Rapture” and some believe in a “Mid-Tribulation Rapture”. It’s safe to say that whatever happens in the 42 months after the abomination that causes desolation, will be truly horrific.
The Anti-Jesus
Now that we understand the abomination that causes desolation, let’s read about the “second strong man” in Revelation 13 again. This is the description for the Jesus from the Earth.
The Beast from the Earth
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, but he sounded like a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 He also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. 14 He deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that he is permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image of the beast who had the sword wound and yet lived.
The “image of the first beast” is the abomination that causes desolation.
15 He was permitted to give a spirit to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
The word Spirit comes from the word for breath. This means the image is animated in some way. This phrase, “to give spirit to an image of the beast”, sounds a lot like a caveman trying to describe artificial intelligence.
16 And he requires everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom: The one who has understanding must calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. His number is 666.
I’ve heard all kinds of theories about this mark and the number 666, but most of them sound overcomplicated. The mark is biometric.
The original Greek word translated as “forehead” (metōpon) literally means “behind the eye”, which is a retinal scan. We can already buy groceries at Whole Foods with the fingerprints on our right hand. So whatever kingdom rules every tribe, nation, and tongue on Earth in the future…they will enforce their laws in the marketplace with biometric artificial intelligence.
@americans: Before I discuss 666, let me state for the record that QAnon is fake news and Caesar Nero isn’t coming back to life. If you think President Trump or President Biden is the antichrist, then you are vastly overestimating the importance of America. As per usual. Every prophecy in the Bible is centered on Jerusalem, the everlasting center of this universe.
Revelation 13 (rebellion) : 18 (strong man) says that 666 is the number of the beast and the number of a man, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that 666 is the number of his name. Technically, verse 17 could mean the number of the first beast’s name is 666 or any another number. I don’t know the first beast’s name, but we don’t need it to know who he is because “666 being the number of a man” is just as important.
Whenever numbers are repeated in the Bible’s number key, they kind of mean that we see the number now, and then we also see the same thing later. Let’s use 1-2-3 as an example:
means “beginning”
means “witness”
means “strong”
In the Bible number key, the number 11 means “confusion” or “chaos”. There’s a beginning, and then another beginning, which creates confusion as to which way to go. The number 22 means you will witness something now and then witness it later, like “marketing” or “gossip”. The number 33 means “enduring strength”—strength now and strength later.
Number 6 means “sign of man”. There aren’t many 66’s in the Bible, but I think of 66 meaning the “sign of man” now, and then the “sign of man” later (like the sign of Saint Jerome in the 66 books of the Latin Vulgate Bible). So my guess is 666 means “the sign of man” past, present, and future.
When the number of a man is 666, it means the man doesn’t die.And that number 666 might apply to more people than just the Anti-Christ. Check out this verse in Revelation 9 (judgment) : 6 (sign of man).
Revelation 9:6 In those days people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.
Isn’t that quote amazing? People in the future will long to die.
If immortality seems preposterous, realize that geneticists like David Sinclair have already learned how and why our “DNA source code” gets corrupted using the Information Theory of Aging. Our biotechnology is getting closer and closer to solving this problem every day. If you want to learn more about this theory or David Sinclair’s work, check out this story from my chapter on Biology:
So when these people of the future take the mark 666, they are probably taking the Cure For Aging. 😳
Death will flee from them. It’s so ironic: God locked us out of the Garden of Eden to “protect us” from the Tree of Life because he didn’t want us locked inside this evil world forever. But, we are creators made in His image, so we found a way to create our own “Tree of Life”.
Now as crazy as all this sounds, there is already a Jesus who is “666”, meaning a Jesus who never died.
In “Improbable Origins”, we discussed the amazing similarities between the “origin story” of Islam and the “origin story” of Judaism. Well, the “ending story” of Islam has some amazingly similarities to the “ending story” of Christianity. The biggest difference is that Muslims believe that Jesus never died on the cross and is still alive in heaven today.
So if you’re looking for an Anti-Christ, he is the Christ who didn’t die on the cross. 🤔
Muslims believe that “the Jesus who never died on the cross” will return to Earth before the Day of Judgment and establish his kingdom with a man named Imam Mahdi.
@ChatGPT: who is the Mahdi in Islam?
ChatGPT: According to Islamic belief, the Mahdi is a messianic figure who will appear before the Day of Judgment and establish justice and righteousness on Earth. However, it is important to note that different sects and interpretations within Islam have varying beliefs about the Mahdi's identity and the timing of his appearance. There are differing views among Sunni and Shia Muslims regarding the Mahdi. Sunni Muslims generally believe that the Mahdi has not yet appeared and will emerge in the future, while some Shia Muslims believe that the Mahdi is the twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, who went into hiding and will return at the end of time. It's a complex and nuanced topic with diverse perspectives within Islam.
Could those “differing views” lead to a Muslim Holy War?
The Muslim prophecies around Imam Mahdi are absolutely fascinating. You should read some of these prophecies in their words, not mine. Here are a few of my favorite quotes about Jesus and Imam Mahdi from al-Islam.org.
1. “Muslim scholars irrespective of their denominations are quite unanimous that upon the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (May God hasten his reappearance) Prophet Jesus will also descend to Earth from the heavens. During that time, Jesus and Imam Mahdi will spread peace and justice on earth and the earth will attain unprecedented peace, justice and welfare. Jesus will be like the minister for Imam Mahdi and his main mission will be to correct the dogma of Trinity and to clarify his humane personality and servitude to God.”
Here’s a god and a king who attain unprecedented peace.
2. “As we learn in chapter 8, the holy Quran in a unique style denotes the false dogma of crucifixion. The holy Quran clearly states that Allah raised Jesus to Himself. Thus, Jesus has not tasted physical death yet. On the other hand, ‘Every creature shall have a taste of death’. (29:57) In conclusion, Jesus must return to earth to live a physical life and die a physical death.”
Here’s the Jesus who never died. #666
3. “The Almighty Allah states: ‘And there will be none of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) but must believe in him before his death and on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them.’ (4:159) Most interpreters of the Quran agree that the above Ayah is regarding the time of the return of Jesus to earth. During that time, there will be no Jews or Christians but those who believe in Jesus as a Messenger of Allah and a human being.”
#worshiptheimageordie #enforcedbybiometrics
4. “Prophet Jesus will not return to earth to bring a new Shari’a Law. Thus, he will pray behind Imam Mahdi. In fact, Imam Mahdi who is the 12th and the last successor of the Prophet of Islam will lead the world. The main purpose of the return of Jesus to earth is for him to prove to the Jews and the Christians the truth about himself.”
#compelspeopletoworshipthefirstbeast
So there you go, we already have two Jesuses ready for a showdown at The End of This World. One Jesus already died and will return to live forever, while the other Jesus never died and will return to live 40 years. There’s no way to know for sure which one is right since our entire universe is based on Uncertainty. So you’ll have to decide that for yourself, but either way, both accounts are a bajillion times more plausible than the “religion” of atheistic evolution. 🙄
And I believe that mathematically and scientifically. You can read all the scientific reasons in my book:
The End of The End
Nobody knows when the stopwatch will begin, not even Jesus. Let’s continue reading in Matthew 24. Remember, this is Jesus talking to his disciples.
No One Knows the Day or Hour
36 “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son —except the Father only.
So God, the Father, can keep things from his “avatar”.
37 As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38 For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. 39 They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
We’ve covered a lot in this discussion of Revelation, so let’s recap. It sounds like there will be a resurgence of the Ottoman Empire in the future. There is some kind of civil war within it, where the King of the South (Sunni?) will attack and defeat the King of the North (Shia?). The King of the North will return with the help of “the Jesus who never died on the cross” who has supernatural powers to call down fire from heaven. This “lamb with two horns” will roll through the southern half of the alliance, including the Beautiful Land (Israel), and only Jordan will be spared. The King of the North will declare jihad on the entire world and kill anyone who doesn’t honor Imam Mahdi at a new mosque in Jerusalem. The King of the North will control the world and the world’s economy by biometrically marking everyone.
Any questions?
In Revelation 19, the “Jesus from the clouds” comes down wearing a robe that says “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” with a heavenly army. The “Jesus from the Earth” and the false prophet gather together with the armies of men in a final battle against their Creator. The “Jesus from the clouds” throws the beast and the false prophet into the Lake of Fire while they are still alive and everyone else just drops dead from the words spoken by the “Jesus from the clouds”.
In Revelation 20, we witness order. Satan is chained up and thrown into the abyss. The believers who were beheaded for refusing to worship the beast are resurrected to live 1000 years of peace on Earth with the “Jesus from the clouds”. The Bible says these martyrs are especially blessed and the second death will have no power over them.
That’s amazing.
When the 1000 years of peace are over Satan is released from his prison abyss and tries to rally the people of Earth for one more final battle against the city of Jerusalem. Fire will come down from heaven and devour them, and Satan will be thrown into the Lake of Fire where the beast and false prophet have been tormented day and night for 1000 years.
That seems like the scariest way to spend 1000 years of human attention. This Lake of Fire torments them all forever and ever.
After that, Death and Hades give up their dead and God judges everyone according to their faith, and then their works. Anyone whose name isn’t written in the Book of Life is thrown into the Lake of Fire along with Death and Hades.
In Revelation 21, we witness a new beginning.
Revelation 21: 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. 2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:
Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.
5 Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water as a gift to the thirsty from the spring of life. 7 The victor will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.
The new Jerusalem coming down from the Heavens is a massive cube that is 1500 miles on each side (2400 km). Here’s how it’s described.
Revelation 21: 10 He then carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 arrayed with God’s glory. Her radiance was like a very precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal. 12 The city had a massive high wall, with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; the names of the 12 tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates. 13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 The city wall had 12 foundations, and the 12 names of the Lamb’s 12 apostles were on the foundations.
15 The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which the angel used. 18 The building material of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold like clear glass.
19 The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone:
the first foundation jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
21 The 12 gates are 12 pearls; each individual gate was made of a single pearl. The broad street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 I did not see a sanctuary in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Each day its gates will never close because it will never be night there. 26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 27 Nothing profane will ever enter it: no one who does what is vile or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Here is the scale of new Jerusalem:
In verse 19, we see the precious stones in the foundation match the precious stones on the breastplate of judgment for the Jewish High Priest. This 1500-mile cube is the center of all intelligence and wisdom and judgment and knowledge and discretion in all universes because the Source of all Intelligence lives inside it.
There are likely more universes to visit from New Jerusalem since there are 12 gates guarded by 12 angels, but the Bible doesn’t really say where any of the gates lead.
In Revelation 22, the last book of the Bible, we learn there is a river of living water that flows down Main Street from the throne of God. Trees of Life, plural, grow on both sides of the river and come into season once a month. Their leaves are used to heal the nations. The people that live in this eternal city will have both The Knowledge of Good and Evil and Eternal Life.
We close this chapter with my favorite quote from NT Wright:
“How can you cope with the end of a world and the beginning of another one? How can you put an earthquake into a test-tube, or the sea into a bottle? How can you live with the terrifying thought that the hurricane has become human, that the fire has become flesh, that life itself came to life and walked in our midst? Christianity either means that, or it means nothing. It is either the most devastating disclosure of the deepest reality in the world, or it’s a sham, a nonsense, a bit of deceitful play-acting. Most of us, unable to cope with saying either of those things, condemn ourselves to live in the shallow world in between…”
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➡️: Governing as King
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