What I and probably most other Dispensational Theology Christians believe to some extent or another and that is consistant with a literal reading, study or interpretation of God's Word - the Holy Bible is that it is not God's will that United States or other Western or other so-called Christian nations should try to impose worldly power in a Christian version or name on non-Christian nations or regions. Instead we believe God has called Christians to send individuals or teams of Christians to those nations or people groups who are not Christian to witness to them of salvation through Jesus Christ on a 1 on 1 basis or on a mass evangelism basis such as radio, television or the Internet. We believe President George W. Bush is building up unneccessary resentment against not only Christians but Westerners in general especially from the United States and that when the rapture happens very soon there will be widespread chaos with many people missing all of a sudden even from the middle of what they were doing. This will especially affect the United States where there are about 25% Bible believing Christians, although a significant amount of these are Southern Baptists, Pentecostal Christians or others who hold to Covenant Theology but will still take part in the rapture. The rapture is the removing of the true Church of Christians born of the Holy Spirit from Earth to Heaven at any time as they meet the condition "if we believe that Jesus died and rose again" in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 and the condition in the Gospel of John 14:1 "you believe in God, believe also in me" said by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in another passage about the rapture. (Rapture in the Bible sense does not mean extreme joy although that will certainly be true then too but if from the word rapere in Latin which means "to catch up" as in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.) Especially in the United States many true or Bible believing Christians are in positions of substantial authority or responsibility in society will all leave Earth immediately at the Rapture and go to Heaven. This quite possibly could include President George W. Bush himself even if he is president of the United States at the time if his true faith is more in Jesus Christ than in the Free Masons with the latter being the case for his father George Bush senior. This of course will leave chaos behind that will be a glaring invitation to those who resort to violence and have long-standing grudges, hatred or disagreement with the United States or its government or culture to exploit the resulting chaos by invading, trying to take power or conducting acts or terrorism as security measures, communications and order of command will all be seriously knocked out of order by the rapture. Most likely Islamic extremists such as those in Al Qaeda's "sleeper cells" will figure prominently in these "opportunists". I personally believe the Holy Spirit is restraining them until after the Rapture. I think this partly because the resulting chaos hasn't happened yet and as an act of grace to the Church or true Holy Spirit born and indwelt or "born again" Christians that have become partakers of God's grace(or undeserved favour) beginning with God's free salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and an individual's placing our whole hearted faith and the rest of our life in the hands of Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour.
After all this discussion and analysis you might be wondering what scripture I think applies as a prophecy about an open conflict in the last days between Islam and the West or with Islam and the rest of the world. To put it concisely it is the whole chapter of Revelation 6. This chapter is the first chapter in Revelation that deals with the Great Tribulation on Earth and is presenting what will happen immediately after the rapture and the removing of the restraining work of the Holy Spirit over all the Earth. Revelation chapter 1 focuses on a description of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory at God the Father's right hand. Revelation chapters 2 and 3 are the letters to the churches and deal with the present Church age that has continued since Pentecost in the year that Jesus Christ died and rose again and ascended to Heaven almost 2000 years ago and will continue a little longer until the rapture. Revelation chapter 4 has a description of the apostle John being caught up to Heaven (probably also symbolic of the Church soon being caught up to Heaven) and then appearing before God's throne and the giving of crowns and rewards for faithful Christian service. This scene of Christians with crowns and rewards is symbolized by the elders giving glory to God and to the Lord Jesus Christ (the Lamb) with their crowns and rewards. Revelation chapter 5 deals with a scene of all the true Church that then has been raptured and taken to Heaven in Heaven praising God and the Lamb(the Lord Jesus Christ). The Lamb (Jesus Christ) is then chosen to unloose the plagues or judgments of the Great Tribulation that then start in Revelation chapter 6 with the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalyse (Revelation). God in the past used a violent or godless nation that wasn't his chosen people to do His will such as when He used the Babylonians and Assyrians and later the Romans to judge Israel for their sin, disobedience and unbelief in Him and in His Son Jesus Christ in the case of the Romans. There are some symbols that are commonly associated with Islam in the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse that make a good and compelling case that these horsemen represent an invasion or open warfare by Islam against the West or the rest of the world that then would be composed of either secular people, nominal (only in name but not Holy Spirit born and transformed) Christians, Jews that didn't believe in Jesus and mystic people of eastern religions, the "New Age" movement, the occult, or tribal nature worship religions like that of the "First Nations" of the Americas. The 7 year 70th week of Daniel or the Great Tribulation continues to be described in Revelation chapters 6 through 18.
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, and one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer. Revelation 6:1-2.
First it should be noted that the rider on the white horse of Revelation 6 is NOT the same as the rider on the white horse of Revelation 19. For the rider on the white horse of Revelation 19 his name is called the King of kings and Lord of lords and his vesture dipped in blood referring to His death on the cross for the sins of the human race at His first coming all make unmistakable that the rider on the white horse or Revelation 19 is the Lord Jesus Christ in His glorious return from Heaven to set up God's Kingdom on Earth at the end of the Great Tribulation. However there is no such authority or association with the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6 and the scripture even says a crown was GIVEN to him not that he had it himself by his own merit or right. Although I found many cultures have an idea of a white horse including European, Chinese and Buddhist from Nepal and western North America, I found the concept of a white horse to be especially strong in Islam or in Islamic countries including Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. Both of these countries are associated with Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. Natural white horses are also quite common in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. There is also a story called the celestial journey that most Muslims think is true in which Mohammed ascended up to Heaven from Jerusalem on a heavenly flying white horse. However I have read even on a Muslim web site that this ascent by a white horse from Jerusalem was not believed by Muslims until several decades after Mohammed's death and there is firm historical basis that Mohammed actually died a fairly normal death in Medina in what is now Saudi Arabia in 632 AD. Although now on May 2, 2011 after the likely killing of Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011 in a gun fight in Pakistan at the orders of Barack Obama, I believe Osama bin Laden is now dead. However it is quite likely that the idea of an Islamic invasion of the west lives on with some Islamic militants including in Al Qaeda and that another Islamic terrorist leader could arise soon or at least in time for the beginning of the tribulation that could become associated with a white horse. This man could then be the leader of an Islamic invasion of the west instead of Osama bin Laden that will only put down by the Antichrist in his rise to power preparing for his total control of the world in the second 3 1/2 year half of the tribulation. Also as I said earlier the chaos caused by the removal of all true Christians including in the United States but also from every other nation on Earth and of the Holy Spirit's work of restraining of violence and other evil will give militant Muslims a free reign to invade other non-Islamic countries especially the United States and other countries that had significant proportions of evangelical Christians at the time of the Rapture.
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given him a great sword. Revelation 6:3-4
Again the removal of the Holy Spirit from restraining people from sin and violence could easily take peace from the earth. The added fact that Christians will be missing and in Heaven will give opportunity and incentive for militant Muslims led by a leader similiar to Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda and like minded groups or individuals to fight against the West and Israel and the rest of the non-Muslim world. The "great sword" is significant as Islam is often called "the religion of the sword" and this is how Islam grew rapidly especially in the beginning of its history. The great sword could more specifically refer to nuclear bombs or other weapons of mass destruction. An additional danger of nuclear weapons that I have learned of more recently is that they can produce an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) including if they are detonated in the air above a region. Among other things this could cause electrical or electronic devices or systems including electrical grids especially those using a cascade system to be overloaded and a massive blackout. This could be one thing that could lead people to kill one another in the food and other scarcity that would result without electricity. It could be some time until recovery. However some places like the United Kingdom have a lattice type of electrical grid that are much less vulnerable to this type of electrical grid mass failure. Another thing that could cause such a grid failure at least in North America is excessive activity from the sun including extreme solar flares striking earth such as happened in 1859 in the so-called Carrington event. This shorted out many of the telegraph systems which were about the only electrical systems then in operation. Such a comparable event now would be devastating to the electrical grid and other electrical and electronic systems or appliances on earth as well as to satellites in space. This could also lead to people killing one another due to scarcity of materials and could be also at the same time as such an attack by militant Muslims in the beginning of the tribulation in the seal judgments of Revelation 6. Also it is very significant that Saudi Arabia which contains the holiest sites in Islam in Mecca and Medina and from where Mohammed and to a less important note Osama bin Laden comes from has a sword at the bottom of their flag. They also have writing in Arabic which I learned in the Shahada or confession of Islam where they confess their belief that Allah is the only true God and their belief that Mohammed is his only prophet or messenger. The sword I found out represents the military victories of Ibn Saud who led efforts to unite much of the Arabian peninsula into the country we now call Saudi Arabia in the early 1900s. Ibn Saud and the house of Saud saw and continue to see themselves as protectors and promoters of what they see as the pure or unchanged or uncorrupted version of original 6th or 7th century Islam based only on the Quran and the Hadith and Shariah law as set forth by Muhammed ibn-Abdal-Wahab and called Wahabism. This is the version of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia and promoted while he was alive by Osama bin Laden and still probably by most of Al Qaeda or other militant Muslims. This includes the mostly Saudi Arabian Islamic terrorists that carried out the destruction of the World Trade towers in New York City, attacked the Pentagon and probably tried to attack the Capitol building and according to some more recent reports had even more grandiose plans across United States at the same time but thankfully didn't have enough resources or organization to accomplish the additional part.
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that say on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny(in those days a penny was a day's wages), and three measures of barley for a penny; and see you hurt not the oil and the wine (these last two are symbols or luxury or affluence perhaps because the rich won't be too affected by these judgments at this time). Revelation 6:5-6
In Revelation 6:5-6 a description of widespread and severe famine is given that would probably result from the war and terrorism caused by the first two judgments and horsemen of the apocalypse. This is especially true if my suspicion that these first two riders on the horses respresent a fairly unchecked invasion or warfare between Islam and the West or the rest of the world.
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Revelation 6:7-8
The fourth and last horseman in Revelation 6:7-8 is or brings death and this would be predictable with all the immediately previous warfare, invasions, destruction, and famine especially if it refers to unrestrained warfare between Islam and the West or the rest of the world.
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest for a little season, until their fellowservants should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. Revelation 6:9-11
Finally in verses 9 to 11 of chapter 6 of Revelation there is a description of who some of God's faithful or regarded true people are at that time and how they are affected by these invasions and other events. These are people who will believe God and His Word - the Holy Bible including its central message that God's salvation is only available as a free gift through and through personal wholehearted faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as one's personal Lord and Saviour but who hadn't believed in God and Jesus before the rapture. They therefore didn't or couldn't participate in the rapture. This will include many moderate and even some hard-line Muslims that trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour in the Great Tribulation. These people will be the victims of the probable militant Islamic violence and invasions and will be both Jewish and Gentile(or of all the other nations). Unfortunately, many other moderate Muslims will join the last days interfaith or ecumenical one world Babylon religious system in the Great Tribulation or the 70th week of Daniel.
Early in the tribulation probably soon after the events of the Islamic invasion of the West especially United States and probably Canada and perhaps other parts of the world after the rapture, the vile person the Antichrist will come against the King of the South (the Arabs and Muslims) and give them a significant defeat. The vile person or Antichrist or Beast out of the sea will be based in Europe and could be the next pope after Pope Benedict XVI. The vile person or Antichrist will probably mostly attack the King of the South and his armies in the Middle East but could also attack in North America. The vile person or Antichrist will get a remarkable victory over the King of the South or armies of the Arabs and probably other Muslims. The Antichrist or vile person or little horn will then return to his land Europe with great riches. Then the vile person or Antichrist or beast will be against the holy covenant. This in the last days is probably the covenant between God and His chosen earthly people the Jews but also probably against the covenant the Antichrist himself made at the beginning of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel in Daniel 9:27 to restore the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount for the Jews and their Temple worship including animal sacrifices. The Antichrist will then come against the south again but he won't get another big victory against them but not a defeat either. The vile person will then make efforts to overturn the holy covenant with the Jews partly with the view of installing himself and his image in the Third Jewish Temple. The vile person or little horn, beast or Antichrist will accomplish this starting half way through the tribulation when he breaks the covenant of allowing the Jews to rebuild their temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and restart their animal sacrifices by taking the Third Temple for himself and installing himself there to be compelled to be worshipped as God by all people on earth in the second half of the tribulation. The scripture reference from Daniel 11 of the vile person's or Antichrist or Beast's from Europe victory over the King of the South and their armies to overturn their victory in the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse and his then overturning the covenant of God and the Antichrist with the Jews to rebuild their temple and resume their animal sacrifices and install himself the Antichrist in that temple is as follows:
And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for he shall forecast devices him. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. And both of these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he (the Antichrist) return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. For the ships of Chittim (Cyprus) shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Daniel 11:25-31
The idea of a full invasion by Islamic militants of United States and the West after the rapture in the early part of the tribulation might seem scary and give too much power to Islam. After thinking about this matter more including other scriptures I have come to the conclusion that people living in the tribulation will not be just left to the mercy of Islamic miliatnts although the alternative is little better. There is another world power that is mentioned as being at war in the tribulation that is however also not of the Lord Jesus Christ among the One true Lord God in Three Persons. This other ungodly power is the Antichrist and his accomplice the False Prophet. In Revelation 13 the Bible says that people will say in the tribulation "who is like the beast(the antichrist) and who is able to make war with him". It is understood in this verse that although others might try to make war with him they are defeated which will likely include any Islamic militants or militias including Al Qaeda and all its linked groups. The Antichrist will also secure global power and this power and ability of the Antichrist to conduct war will be provided by the devil himself. The Antichrist will probably be the Roman Catholic Pope ruling during the tribulation for reasons I give in my webpage about The Antichrist. A verse in Daniel also mentions about the Antichrist's military power in the tribulation. The current pope is mostly a man of peace including concerning the war in Iraq but he could die soon or be forced out of office by the Antichrist at the beginning of the tribulation if the rapture and beginning of the tribulation start soon and Pope John Paul 2 is still alive. The next pope in the tribulation could easily be more militant and enter into strife with Islam especially if there are more attacks by militant Muslims on westerners or western targets soon. The reference in Revelation 13 of the power of the Antichrist who could be the tribulation Roman Catholic pope and the power he might use against militant Muslims are in Revelation 13 and Daniel 11 as follows:
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? Revelation 13:4
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself(the False Prophet) above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods(the God of the Bible and the true and Almighty God), and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the G(g)od of of forces(the Antichrist): and a god whom his fathers knew not (the Antichrist) shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god(The Antichrist), whom he(the False Prophet) shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them(the False Prophet and the Antichrist) to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. Daniel 11:36-39
Although all these things might sound radical and/or frightening to many even other Bible believing Christians, I think it is fully consistant with a plain literal interpretation of the Bible and reflection or analysis and description of the current conditions and trends in the relations of Islam and the West or with the rest of the world and the effect of the immediate future events associated with the Rapture. I welcome comments but I examined and continue to examine both secular and Biblical history, current events and trends and find this interpretation becomes more and more not less fitting with each day's current events or news. My hope is that this article will not unduly scare into panic the reader but will lead you to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour so you can take part in the Rapture. Then you also won't have to experience all these and many other terrible, literal events of the Great Tribulation. If you are already a Bible believing or born again Christian from whatever nationality or former religious background or no religious background at all I hope you will use this information to inform and warn other non-Christians around you to turn to and place their wholehearted faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that He died for their sins and rose from the dead to give them new eternal life and inform, challenge and comfort and cause more soberness to other true Christians around you.
Doug Currie Friday, January 16, 2004. Revised and Updated Sunday, September 5, 2004, Tuesday, July 12, 2005. Revised May 2, 2011 after the likely death of Osama bin Laden.
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