aspen said:
Nero and the Roman Empire were the Beast power.
You are correct and inaccurate all at the same time.
If one wants to correctly interpret Biblical prophecy one ought to be inclined to consider the events which have transpired since the words were committed to paper. History.
Nero's Rome included the entire Mediterranean basin. History.
In the forth century AD the empire was split into two sections for more efficient administration; the west ruled in Rome and the east ruled in Byzantium/Constantinople. The great capital of the Romans in the city of Rome fell in the fifth century, but the power of Rome continued in the east, in Constantinople under the Byzantines. History.
The rise of Islam two centuries later and the conquest of Arabia soon threatened the Byzantine Empire. The Muslims began to attack the Romans - those who western history books called the Byzantines. BUT
the Muslims called them Romans (and still do). History.
When Muslim invaders threatened Constantinople itself, as well as Spain in the west and eastern Europe reaching as far as Vienna the Pope responded by calling for a defensive war - the first Crusade. History.
The very city of Rome raised an army to fight Islam and defend the lands of the church. Muslims never forgot it. History.
In 1453 the eastern capital of Rome, the city of Constantinople later renamed Istanbul, was conquered by the Ottoman leader Mehmed II. The caliphate of the Ottomans, which united all Muslims lasted until November 1, 1922. History.
Following the defeat of the Ottomans in WW I, Turkish nationalism was united by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who led a national movement culminating in the establishment of the modern state of Turkey in 1934. History.
Move to the twenty first century and take a look at Muslim rhetoric, rhetoric in Arabia, rhetoric in Iran and rhetoric in Turkey itself. In all places four things are common;
- desire for a revival of the caliphate on the pattern of the Ottomans
- unity of Islamic nations
- revenge for perceived persecution of Islam
- struggle/jihad against Rome.
Rome in Muslim terminology means the west; Europe, America and the church.
Rome in historic records refers to the political power which ruled from the same city for the longest period of time in human history - Constantinople.
Rome in prophetic terms refers to a power that raises itself up against God and basic human rights, the very epitome of evil incarnate - Islam. It's political capital is the same city, Istanbul/Constantinople/Byzantium, that which inherited the ancient power of Rome.
When interpretations of Biblical prophecies are considered from the point of view of the first century when they were written, when the great empire had not yet split and intervening history had not yet been written, no other city matches the pattern other than Rome, Italy.
But that was then and this is now!
"There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it."
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey (since March 14, 2003)
Prophecy is and always has been about descriptions of events in the future. In Biblical terms, the extreme future. Two thousand years later, in the extreme future where we now live, the events that have transpired reveal an astounding duplication of the Biblical pattern of what the world WOULD look like, what the world DOES look like today!
In light of events of the past fifteen hundred years the primary evidence for a major anti-God world system IS the development and growth of the most murderous anti-Christian empire and religion the world has ever seen; Islam. Go back to the Holy Bible and consider its description of the religious, economic, political and even historic roots of this system.
The ancient power of Rome effected history from the same city, Constantinople, from centuries before Jesus time until 1922! The sword of Muhammad, the battle flag he used to conquer Mecca and a tuft of the prophets hair are all preserved in a museum in Istanbul/Constantinople to this day. There is no greater link between Biblical prophecy and current events than this city and the people who now rule it.
Today Islam works and prays and hopes for a restoration of the twelfth caliphate which will unite all Muslims under the direction of one man, he who is called al Mahdi. Compare the descriptions of al Mahdi in Muslim prophecy to Christian and Jewish prophecy. They MATCH! Nearly ever single detail of prophecy in all three religions MATCH!
Has this ever happened before? Ever?
Is there another religious political and economic system on the planet that even comes close to the anti-Christian dedication evidenced by Islam? There were the NAZIs and the Communists, but they were and are atheist in nature, not religious at all. Those systems didn't match all the criteria. Islam does. History.
Biblical cautions describing times and places and people in the end times are chillingly accurate. And they all point to Islam, every single one of them including those of Islam itself!
Read books like THE ISLAMIC ANTI-CHRIST, THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO ISLAM AND THE CRUSADES and others.
Now is the time to educate yourself.
Don't rely on the lies of the media.
They are opposed to Christianity and favor Islam already
and you know it!
"We ask Allah to turn this Ramadan into a month of glory, victory, and might, to hoist high the banner of religion*, to strengthen Islam and the Muslims, to humiliate polytheism and polytheists [Christians], to wave the banner of monotheism, to firmly plant the banner of jihad*, and to smite the perverts and the obstinate."
- Sheikh Aamer bin Abdallah al-Aamer 2004
"There will come a time when men will kill you and think they are doing God a favor."
- Jesus
If Our Lord wasn't talking about Muslims, then who?
If the Bible wasn't talking about rabid militant Islam, then what?
If prophetic interpretations aren't referring to conditions today, then when?
but that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...
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(*) Keep your eyes out for this 'banner of religion'. It's also called the flag of jihad. Jihad means 'struggle'.
It's a black flag with white (sometimes yellow) Arabic words written on it. There may also be a sword or an assault rifle portrayed beneath the words. in English the words are the shahada - the Muslim statement of faith 'There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet'. These are the same words as on other flags such as the Saudi flag; white text on a green field.
The black flag of jihad, this banner of religion, has also been adopted by a terrorist group. Perhaps you've heard of them; al Qaeda.
