I was searching the web and found the following assertion being put forward by many silly Islam hating individuals (who seem to be mostly lying, clownish Evangelical Christian missionary fools). This assertion of these Christian missionary evildoers is that in the original Greek of the Christian's New Testament Bible; the Greek letters for the number "666" (which is the so-called "mark of the beast" in Christian theology) allegedly look like the Arabic letters for Allah (which is the Arabic word for God). In this short post I will go about refuting these evil claims made against the divine religion of Islam and Allah the one true God.
To begin with, as my old posts have dealt with, the mark of the beast or the number "666" is mentioned in the following section of the Christian's New Testament Bible. Revelation 13:15-18
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.That number is 666. (NIV Bible)
All real historians and Christian theologians admit that the mark of the beast and the number "666" specifically are historic references made by the anonymous author of the Book of Revelation to the Roman Emperor Nero Caesar (also spelled Neron Caesar). The anonymous author of the Book of Revelation used what is called gematria in the Hebrew language to make a secret code for Nero Caesar as the beast: who oppressed the Christians in Rome. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gematria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_of_the_Beast
Quote- Some scholars contend that the number 666 is a code for the Roman EmperorNero.[13][14][15][16][17][14][16][18][19][20] Charagma is well attested to have been an imperial seal of the Roman Empire used on official documents during the 1st and 2nd centuries.[21] In the reign of Emperor Decius (249–251 AD), those who did not possess the certificate of sacrifice (libellus) to Caesar could not pursue trades, a prohibition that conceivably goes back to Nero, reminding one of Revelation 13:17.[22] ... However, rumors circulated that Nero had not really died and would return to power.[29] It has also been suggested that the numerical reference to Nero was a code to implybut not directly point out emperor Domitian,[30][31] whose style of rulership resembled that of Nero and who put the people of Asia Minor, whom the Book of Revelation was primarily addressed to at the time, under heavy taxation.[32] The Greek spelling, "Nerōn Kaisar", transliterates into Aramaic as "נרון קסר", nrwn qsr. The Aramaic spelling is attested in a scroll from Murabba'at dated to "the second year of emperor Nero." [33]Adding the corresponding values yields 666, as shown:
So "666" almost certainly meant Nero Ceasar whom the Roman people thought actually had not died and would return to rule the Roman Empire one day. Neron Caesar again adds up to "666" in Hebrew gematria, and even more telling the spelling "Nero Caesar" (that is Nero instead of Neron, which is a different method of spelling the same name) adds up to "616" in Hebrew gematria and this variant "616" is found in many early Christian New Testament manuscripts in place of "666" for this verse Revelation 13:18! Adding more clear evidence that this verse of the New Testament means Nero Caesar and thus is in that historical context.
One of the images given by these Christian missionary fools is the following, this image below has one top a pair of swords, the Arabic letters of the word "Allah" (meaning God in the Arabic language), followed by another odd looking sword! Then below these images the bottom line has the Greek language text of "666" taken from the New Testament Book of Revelation 13:18 (again in the original Greek language text).
These pathetic anti-Islamic Christian missionary charlatans claim that if you "flip" the middle character in the bottom Greek language text of "666", in Revelation 13:18 of the Greek Bible, this Greek character allegedly "looks" like the Arabic script for Allah. By claiming this these Christian missionaries are asserting that Islam and Allah are allegedly the Antichrist or the "666" mark of the beast mentioned in the Bible (which historians tell us means Nero Caesar anyway): Almighty Allah forgive me for repeating these evil kaafir disbelievers claims! One of the many good refutations of this Christian missionary insanity and propaganda is the following post from this Islamic forum from a poster named "Gajibur": http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-22387.html
Quote- Here's my answer to this propaganda. Firstly, the presenter of this little propaganda film shows his deep ignorance, because like brother "sahih baba" indicated rather sarcastically, the Arab Christians also call God "Allah". Arab Jews also call God "Allah", Why? Because "Allah" is the Arabic word for God. The Arab Christians and Jews were using the word 'Allah' way before Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w) was even born. They think the Muslims invented the word 'Allah' but it was in use before Islam. So now this ignorant presenter has to say that those christians and jews were also worshipping the devil. :lol: .
Secondly, the Greek symbol for '666' only has a slight resemblance as far as i can see to the Arabic 'Allah'. Therefore it is quite desperate on their part to say the word 'Allah' is the same as the Greek symbol for '666'. What about those "x" shapes i saw in the Greek symbol for '666', why have the Christians conveniently forgotten about that.
Thirdly, Christian prophecies say that the Antichrist will deny Jesus(a.s) came from God. Islam does not deny this, in fact Islam says Jesus(a.s.) came from God and that he was a prophet of God. So according to Christian scriptures Islam can't be a satanic or Antichrist religion because it does not deny Jesus(a.s.) came from God.
end quote.
The silly Christian missionary website I cited and posted the image from above again includes swords, claiming these are the "X" looking letter or Greek character from the Greek language version (or translation) of "666". See this link with an original Greek language version of the Christian New Testament Bible: http://gknt.org/gnt/chapters.html
The last two letters or characters are the Greek language text of "666" or "mark of the beast". As for the "X" portion of this Greek text, the silly Christian missionaries again assert that this "X" like character somehow looks like the Saudi Arabian "sword" emblem! To begin with the "sword" emblem is only a symbol or emblem of the government or monarchy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia the religion of Islam itself has no "symbol" as that is part of idolatry which we as Muslims fight against as true monotheists. As for the "sword" emblem it is the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_Arms_of_Saudi_Arabia
This coat of arms from Saudi Arabia, looks nothing like an "X" lol! Just look at this above Saudi emblem (or coat of arms) again it has two clearly hooked swords that hook outwards. This would be a very deformed alleged "X"!
In fact again this "X" like character or letter from the Greek New Testament of Revelation 13:18 is actually just the Greek letter X! And looks nothing like the Saudi Arabian coat of arms (emblem) which again has two swords crossed hooking clearly downwards which would be a very deformed alleged "X"!
Greek"X" or Chi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi_%28letter%29:
To conclude the Christian missionary clowns have nothing but their own imaginary claims made by flipping the Greek text sideways and claiming these Greek letters allegedly look somewhat like the Arabic word "Allah" (meaning God in the Arabic language). And then also these deceptive Christian missionaries claim the "X" and other Greek symbols included in the Greek of Revelation 13:18 allegedly look like "swords" which these Christian missionaries claim look like alleged "Islamic" swords (putting aside the "sword" is not an Islamic symbol as the religion of Islam forbids symbols as idolatry, the Christian missionaries only try to use the Saudi monarchy's coat of arms or emblem). As I showed the Saudi Arabian coat of arms looks nothing like a standard "X" shape as the two crossed swords in the Saudi coat of arms have sword blades that hook sharply downward and could only be called a very deformed alleged "X"! As for the last shape or "sword" the Christian missionaries use in their image, this is not a symbol found in any Arabic or Islamic source whatsoever (much less some alleged "symbol" of the religion of Islam as these Christian missionaries absurdly try to claim)! It is just a random hook like blade, that actually looks nothing like the Greek language text below it: showing the Christian missionary liars are just grasping at straws.
This particular Christian missionary claim against the true religion of Islam reminded me of another thing American Christians are famous for doing. That is claiming they allegedly found images of Jesus Christ on different food items! These include claims of Christians that they have found alleged "images of Jesus" on such benign food items as grilled cheese sandwiches, potato chips, cheetos, bananas, etc! http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Religious_pareidolia
A Cheeto http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetos that allegedly looks Jesus: nicknamed the Cheesus! Followed by some photos of other regular Cheetos.
Jesus allegedly on a banana
Another famous image many desperate Christians make claims about is this image below of what these Christian claim is the face of the "devil" in the fireball of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001.
Also the list of food products were Evangelical Christians claim to have seen images of Jesus or the Virgin Mary could go on and on! These lying Islamophobic Christian missionary clowns are refuted.
This post will be a greatly condensed, summary version of my first post that refuted the claims of Glenn Beck and his host Joel Richardson trying to falsely tie the Muslim belief in Imam Mahdi to what these cult-like Evangelical Dispensationalist Christians (and in Beck's case Mormon) hacks try to claim is the traditional Christian theological view of the Christian "Antichrist"
A traditional Twelver Shi'a Muslim source on Twelver Shi'ite Muslim beliefs concerning Imam Mahdi and the end times according to Twelver Shi'ite Islamic theology: http://www.al-islam.org/awaited/
This above link is a free book available online written by one of the greatest modern Twelver Shi'a Muslim scholars: Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr of Iraq who was martyred on April 9, 1980 by forces of the Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. A photo of the martyred Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr of Iraq.
Here is also a good brief writing containing the traditional Sunni Muslim view of the reality of the blessed Imam Mahdi and the end times according to traditional Sunni Muslim theology. The link comes from a Twelver Shi'a Muslim website, but uses only traditional, respected, and largely accepted Sunni Muslim sources: http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter2/2.html
Now, here again is part 3 of 3 of Glenn Beck's Fox News show on February 17, 2011 wherein he interviewed an anti-Islam hatemonger named Joel Richardson: who is also a Dispensationalist Evangelical Christian hack and self-proclaimed alleged "prophet" who tries to claim the Muslim figure of Imam Mahdi, who will join with the Muslim Prophet Jesus (PBUH), in the end times when the righteous Muslims will be fighting the Islamic theological view of the Antichrist called the Dajjal (or more correctly the Masih ad-Dajjal or "False Messiah") http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masih_ad-Dajjal
Again, Part 3 of 3 of Glenn Beck's lies on his February 17, 2011 Fox News show.
Here again is the screenshot of Glenn Beck's infamous chalkboard from this February 17, 2011 edition of his Fox News show. The chalkboard contains the assertions of Glenn Beck, who is again trying to claim the Muslim belief in the Mahdi (an accepted belief among both Sunni Muslims and Twelver Shi'ite Muslims, who make up nearly 100% of the modern Muslim world or Ummah of around 1.5 billion people)
Now my summarized, condensed refutation of Glenn Beck and his Evangelical Christian guest Joel Richardson's false claims against the Muslims and our Imam Mahdi who, along with the Muslim Prophet Jesus (PBUH), will lead the righteous Muslims against the evil Dajjal (Antichrist) in the end times.
1) Glenn Beck's chalkboard and guest Evangelical Christian liar and hatemonger Joel Richardson first claim the Christian theological view of the Antichrist will allegedly see the Antichrist killing Jews and Christians. This is completely inaccurate as traditional Christian theology only speaks of the Antichrist in Christian theology oppressing and killing Christians! In fact according to the Christian New Testament those who do not accept Prophet Jesus (PBUH) as the Messiah and do not believe in his return are themselves the Antichrist! From the Christian New Testament Bible: 2 John 1:7- I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. (NIV Bible). This verse from the New Testament has to mean Jews are themselves the Antichrist (or his followers) as Judaism openly disbelieves in, rejects, and reviles Prophet Jesus (PBUH) as a "false Prophet" and declares his mother the blessed Virgin Mary (PBUH) an alleged "whore": Allah forgive me for repeating the Jews lies against Jesus and his blessed Virgin Mother.
As for the second part of this first claim on Beck's chalkboard, Muslims (both Sunni Muslims and Twelver Shi'ite Muslims) and Islamic theology (from both schools of thought within the religion of Islam) do not say anything about Imam Mahdi or the Muslim Prophet Jesus (PBUH) allegedly killing "Jews and Christians" in this end times period or Messianic age. Actually Islamic theology and Muslim belief is quite clear that the vast bulk of the world will freely revert (or convert) to the religion of Islam. This is especially true of Christians who will be instructed by the Muslim Prophet Jesus (PBUH) to follow his religion of Islam (monotheism and worshipping God alone), we Muslims belief Prophet Jesus (PBUH) will among other things break the Christian "cross" and condemn today's modern Christians for their worship of him (PBUH). Prophet Jesus (PBUH) will say he is only a human and he is a Muslim worshipping Almighty Allah and following the religion and Shari'ah or law of the final Prophet: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Many Jews will also revert (or convert) to Islam in this end of times period as they will realize the truth of the religion of Islam and accept this reality. The Muslim belief is that Imam Mahdi and the Muslim Prophet Jesus (PBUH) will only fight and kill those evildoers who ally themselves to the evil Dajjal (Masih ad-Dajjal, "False Messiah") who is a servant of Satan. Again according to Islam belief most Jews and Christians will revert (convert) to the religion of Islam so Imam Mahdi and Prophet Jesus (PBUH) will certainly NOT "kill them"!
2) Glenn Beck's chalkboard next claimed that Christians allegedly believe the Christian religion's Antichrist will allegedly "rule the earth" for a period of "seven years". This claim is false and found nowhere in the Bible (neither in the Old Testament or the Christian's New Testament). This claim presented by Glenn Beck and his guest the Evangelical (so-called) Christian hack Joel Richardson comes only from a movement or "cult" within modern Christianity called "Dispensationalism": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dispensationalismhttp://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dispensationalism
Here is even a traditional non-Dispensationalist Christian source (and website) refuting the asinine, non-Biblical based assertions and claims that the Dispensationalists make up on their own (most often again with little to no Biblical backing or evidence whatsoever): http://www.againstdispensationalism.com/95theses.shtml
Dispensationalism is a very modern movement (or in many people's opinion a cult) that has only been around in the Christian world for a little under 200 years. Dispensationalism was founded as a small movement or cult in the 1800s (aka 19th century) in the largely Christian nation of England or Great Britain.
There is again no Biblical evidence for an alleged "seven years" of worldly rule by the Christian religion's Antichrist. A good book refuting this claim of Dispensationalist Christians that the Antichrist will allegedly rule for "seven years" is this wonderful academic book End Time Delusions by author Steve Wohlberg: http://www.amazon.com/End-Time-Delusions-Steve-Wohlberg/dp/0768429609 On page 192 of this book Steve Wohlberg refutes the Dispensationalists (and their invention of an alleged "seven year" rule of earth by the Antichrist) by saying the following: “The third frog of false prophecy is now teaching a secret rapture, seven year tribulation, futurist antichrist (sic), literal drying up of a literal Euphrates, and a literal Middle-East Armageddon involving literal armies attacking literal Jews. Dear friend this is all false prophecy….”
As for Islamic theology and sources there are a wide variety of approximate years given by different Islamic scholars and sources (from both Sunni Muslim and Twelver Shi'ite Muslim schools of Islamic thought) for the amount of time Imam Mahdi will rule the earth as a Messianic leader who will bring peace and complete justice and goodness to the world before the end of the world and the final judgment by Allah(SWT). Figures given for the amount of years Imam Mahdi will rule the world in complete, Messianic justice and fairness as ordained by Almighty Allah range from 5 years, to 7 years, to 9 years, to even 20 or 40 years! There are also even narrations and interpretations given by certain classical Muslim scholars that the statements in Islamic literature that say Imam Mahdi will rule for "7 years", before he passes away from a normal human death to go to the eternal paradise of Jannah or heavento be with Allah(SWT), are to be interpreted as each one of those "7 years" actually being equal to 20 of our human years. So that would mean according to this Imam Mahdi will rule the earth in the Messianic kingdom for 20 X 7 or 140 years! So Beck and Joel Richardson use a made up claim found nowhere in the Bible about the Antichrist in the Christian religion ruling the earth allegedly for "7 years" (which again has no source), and then these Islamophobic fools take one of the variants given for how long Imam Mahdi will rule the earth in the Messianic era of Islamic theology and try to make a connection. But as I showed above they failed!
3) The next claim on Glenn Beck's chalkboard, on his Feburary 17, 2011 Fox News show, claimed that both the Christian religion's Antichrist and the Muslim holy figure of Imam Mahdi will allegedly "make peace with the nation of Israel" and then allegedly "break this peace with Israel halfway through the 7 year period of rule" (this is again the "seven year" period of rule that Beck and Joel Richardson were trying to claim is found in both Christian and Islamic literature, for my refutation of this claim just go back up to point #2 for my refutation of this false claim made by Glenn Beck and Joel Richardson).
The claim in Dispensationalist Christianity that the Christian religion's Antichrist will allegedly make a "peace treaty" with the modern day racist, colonialist settler "nation" that calls itself "Israel" again has no Biblical backing! It again branches of from the original scenario made up by the Dispensationalist Christian that says without any evidence whatsoever that the Christian religion's Antichrist will allegedly "rule the earth" for a period of 7 years. The Dispensationalists then state (yet again without evidence of any sort, hope you see this pattern of lack of evidence in all the silly Dispensationalist Evangelical Christian's claims) the Antichrist will allegedly break his "peace treaty" with the state of Israel halfway through this period of 7 years or thus at 3.5 years through his alleged 7 year reign. Again all this gibberish made by the Dispensationalism movement in American Evangelical Christianity, stated by fools like Joel Richardson and his friend the Mormon Glenn Beck of Fox News, has no evidence or actual source anywhere within the Bible or even traditional Christian theological literature of history.
Then as for Muslims and Islamic beliefs, there is absolutely no Islamic source whatsoever that claims Imam Mahdi will make any form of "peace deal" with any modern nation state especially not a state called "Israel"! Since there is no evidence of an alleged "peace deal" to start with, there will be nothing for Imam Mahdi to allegedly "break" halfway through to being with: which completely torpedoes this false claim of Glenn Beck and his guest Joel Richardson.
4) The next claim made on Glenn Beck's chalkboard is that the Christian religion's Antichrist will allegedly rule the earth from his "global seat" at the "Temple Mount" in Jerusalem, Palestine. The quick refutation to this claim is firs there is no evidence or mention in the Bible that says the Christian religion's Antichrist will allegedly rule the earth from a "global seat" (or headquarters at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem). This is yet more ideology created out of nothing by the Dispensationalist Evangelical Christians themselves, which again has no authentic source within the Bible or real classical Christian theological literature of history.
As for Islam, Islamic sources declare again that Imam Mahdi and the Muslim Prophet Jesus (PBUH) will lead the righteous Muslim forces blessed by Almighty Allah against the evil forces of the Dajjal (Masih ad-Dajjal or the "False Messiah") and his evil followers who will be the soldiers of Satan on this earth. The pious Muslim forces lead again by their leader Imam Mahdi and the returned Prophet Jesus (PBUH) who is a Muslim will fight, defeat, and kill the evil Dajjal and his wicked forces. Muslim sources do say this battle will happen in Palestine and the Muslim holy city of al-Quds (Jerusalem) will be in Muslim hands. This is quite natural as all three Abrahamic religions (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) place great importance on the holy city of Jerusalem (al-Quds) and belief the righteous party will rule the holy city of Jerusalem. We as Muslims believe that Islam and the Muslims will regain our right over the holy city of al-Quds (Jerusalem) as we are the inheritors of the Prophets (Peace Be Upon Them) and Islam is the final divine religion sent by Allah(SWT) the One Almighty God!
Picture of Haram al-Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary) in al-Quds (Jerusalem), Zionist occupied Palestine: this is the site the Jews call the alleged "Temple Mount". Haram al-Sharif includes the holy sites called the Qubbat al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock) and Masjid al-Aqsa (the Al-Aqsa Mosque).
5) Next Glenn Beck claims on his chalkboard that both the Christian religion's Antichrist and the Muslim's Imam Mahdi will allegedly, according to Glenn Beck and his lying guest Joel Richardson, "kill/behead non-believers". This claim of Glenn Beck is also easily refuted.
The Christian's New Testament (in the Bible) says only one thing about the Christian religion's Antichrist "beheading" anyone. It is found in Revelation 20:4- I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. Theyhad not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (NIV Bible) This verse (Revelation 20:4) of the Book of Revelation in the Christian's New Testament infers that Christian's would've been "beheaded" for their testimony (meaning belief in) Jesus (PBUH) and their belief in the "word of God" (according to Christian's the "Gospels" and the rest of the Christian New Testament in the Christian's Biblical canon). This completely contradicts the first point on Glenn Beck's chalkboard that states the Christian religion's Antichrist will "kill Jews and Christians", we can see quite clearly that it is only Christians (i.e. followers of Jesus in Christian theology) that were oppressed and killed by the Antichrist: not Jews! In fact again 2 John 1:7 of the Christian New Testament Bible actually infers that Jews themselves are the Antichrist because they reject Jesus (PBUH) as Messiah and do not believe Jesus (PBUH) will ever return to earth (that is what makes Jews followers of the religion of Judaism that rejects Jesus, and not followers of Christianity or Islam). 2 John 1:7- I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. (NIV Bible)
As for Islamic beliefs, Muslim scholars and theological sources again state that Imam Mahdi will (alongside Prophet Jesus) lead the righteous Muslim forces against the Satanic forces of the Dajjal Antichrist (again called the Masih ad-Dajjal or "False Messiah" in Islamic theology). The Muslims will fight, defeat, and kill the evil Dajjal and his evil forces. Islamic sources state that virtually the whole world will revert (or convert) to the religion of Islam and thus the only people that are not Muslim or allied with the Muslim Ummah (or nation) at this time will be evildoers and Satanic followers of the Dajjal Antichrist. As for Islamic narrations regarding Imam Mahdi allegedly "beheading" people there are none in traditional Sunni Muslim sources and the ones that exist in Twelver Shi'ite Muslim sources again refer only to the Muslims and Imam Mahdi fighting and killing the evil, satanic forces of the Dajjal Antichrist (Masih ad-Dajjal, of "False Messiah") in the end times.
Twelver Shi'ite Muslims do not believe any of their ahadith books (books of narration) are completely authentic (or "Sahih"), so Twelver Shi'a Muslims state every hadith in their main hadith books needs to be individually studied for its isnad (chain of narration) as even Twelver Shi'a Muslims believe even their main hadith books contain hadiths that are weak and false (having been narrated by liars and fabricators). Lastly, there are a few small Twelver Shi'a Muslim hadiths (that have not been declared authentic) which state the Imam Mahdi will behead a large group of people who are actually deviant "Muslim" scholars! This is something that has led to tension between Sunni and Twelver Shi'ite Muslims; as some Sunni Muslims have stated that Twelver Shi'a Muslims belief these deviant Muslim scholars that Imam Mahdi will kill (or "behead") are Sunni Muslim scholars. Twelver Shi'a Muslims have countered this saying they believe that, if these hadith are even true or authentic to start with, they refer to Imam Mahdi fighting and killing deviant Muslim scholars from deviant Muslim groups like the Wahhabis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahhabis) who Twelver Shiite Muslims believe will thus have joined the evil forces of the Dajjal Antichrist against the righteous Muslims (who again will be led by Imam Mahdi and the Muslim Prophet Jesus) in this end of the world time period.
6) Next Glenn Beck's chalkboard mentions the "mark of the beast". What Beck and his foolish guest Evangelical Dispensationalist Christian hack Joel Richardson, don't tell their viewers is that all legitimate academic Biblical scholars and real Christian theologians believe the "mark of the beast" or "666" mentioned in Revelation 13:17-18 was actually a historic symbol for the Roman Emperor Nero Caesar who greatly oppressed the Christians in Rome. In the Hebrew language letters are assigned numerical values in what is called "gematria" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gematria the name "Neron Caesar" adds up to "666" in Hebrew gematria. Some early Christian manuscripts actually have "616" in place of "666" this is because if one spells "Neron Caesar" as "Nero Caesar" in the Hebrew language that Hebrew gematria value is "616"! So the "mark of the beast" or "666" (aka "616") is actually just a code hidden in Hebrew gematria that the anonymous writer of the Christian New Testament Bible's Book of Revelation used for the Roman Emperor Nero Caesar who had oppressed and killed Christians in the Roman Empire and who according to the old Pagan beliefs of Pagan Roman citizens was allegedly a "god" who would return to earth (that is Roman Paganism belief about Nero Caesar from back in that old historical time).
As for Islam their is one mention of a creature in the Holy Qur'an that will come at the end of times and will according to the Holy Qur'an chastise disbelievers. We read in Holy Qur'an Surah 27 (An-Naml or The Ants) Ayah 82 (so Qur'an 27:82)-
Transliteration: Wa 'Idhā Waqa`a Al-Qawlu `Alayhim 'Akhrajnā Lahum Dābbatan Mina Al-'Arđi Tukallimuhum 'Anna An-Nāsa Kānū Bi'āyātinā Lā Yūqinūna
Qur'an Surah 27:82- And when the word befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith]. (Saheeh International translation)
So this دَابَّةً "creature" (called "dabbatan" or "dabbah" in Arabic, which some translate as "beast" or "beast of burden", or again "creature") mentioned in Holy Qur'an Surah 27:82 will be sent by Almighty Allah out of the earth as the end times are beginning and this creature (or "beast") will chastise or criticize the disbelievers for not accepting the truth of Islam. This is entirely different than the "beast" spoken of in the Christian's Book of Revelation in the New Testament. The "beast" in the Christian's Book of Revelation (putting aside the historical fact that this "beast" was the now deceased Roman Emperor Nero Caesar showing the Book of Revelation is wrong as Nero Caesar is long dead and the world is still around) was said in Revelation 13:15-18 to put a mark on all the people's right hands or foreheads so they would be allowed to "buy and sell" (i.e. perform commerce).
The only thing else mentioned about the creature (or "beast") sent by Allah(SWT) in Holy Qur'an Surah 27:82 to chastise the disbelievers in the end times, is in some Islamic hadith sources (both Sunni and Twelver Shiite Muslim). That the creature would use two tools: one called the "staff of Moses" and the other called the "seal (or ring) of Solomon" and that one of these tools would be used to hit the nose of the disbelievers and the other would be used to make the faces of the Muslim believers bright and beautiful: by Almighty Allah's command. There is also one Sunni Muslim hadith that just states the following:
“Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The Beast will emerge, and it will mark all the people on their noses, and this mark will last, so that if a man buys a camel, and is asked who he bought it from, he will say, 'From the man with the mark on his nose.' ” (Reported by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 322).
This Sunni Muslim hadith mentions a mark on all the people's noses, not on their right hands or foreheads! Also there is nothing that says this "mark" reported in the work of Ahmad (meaning Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and declared Saheeh or authentic by "Salafi" scholar Sheikh Al-Albani: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Albani) being anything harmful and it actually says all people will get it regardless of whether they are believers or disbelievers further refuting Beck's claims! All that will happen, according to this hadith, is that people will all have this mark remaining on their noses so much so that if someone asks a person who they bought an item (in this case a camel) from the person will answer: "From the man with the mark on his nose." Which could be interpreted as meaning people will not be able to differentiate between people in this period around the end times. If someone wants to know what this or some other narration means they need to ask Islamic (in this case Sunni Muslim) scholars for the interpretation and understanding. In closing none of this has any similarity to the Christian religion's Antichrist, so Glenn Beck and Joel Richardson's silly assertions against the Muslims trying to link Imam Mahdi to the Christian religion's alleged Antichrist are completely refuted!
The Muslim Prophet Jesus (PBUH) will return to earth to join Imam Mahdi and the righteous Muslims in establishing justice and truth on the earth; and they will together defeat the Satanic forces of the Masih ad-Dajjal ("False Messiah") and his wicked followers, insha'Allah!
Here is part 3 of 3 of Glenn Beck's February 17, 2011 show on Fox News. My essay below is a refutation of the lies made by Glenn Beck and his evil guest Joel Richardson an anti-Islam Evangelical Dispensationalist "Christian" liar! http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dispensationalism
Quote from this above link on Dispensationalist Christians- saying Dispensationalists are: "practically brand spanking new, being invented in the 1830s by a fundamentalistChristiansect in Scotland called the Plymouth Brethren."
Again here is Part 3 of 3 of Glenn Beck's stupid Fox News program on February 17, 2011 wherein he talks mostly to a crackpot Evangelical Christian Dispensationalist hack named Joel Richardson: I refute them all below in detail.
And here is a screenshot picture of Glenn Beck's infamous chalkboard on his February 17, 2011 Fox News show. This is the chalkboard list wherein Glenn Beck maligns Muslims and tries to claim that the Muslim belief in the Mahdi is allegedly "identical" or "the same" as the alleged Christian belief in the Christian "Antichrist": I refute this claim by Glenn Beck & co. item by item in my wonderful essay below.
Salamu alaikum I have been working on a very long essay refuting this issue, as I saw this evil show by the wicked man Glenn Beck (who is himself a silly, deviant Mormon "Christian"). I have not had a chance to proofread my essay I'm just gonna submit it here and make new versions later. Sorry if the grammar doesn't make perfect sense at points or if there are any errors in spelling, etc. May Allah(SWT) helps us all.
My essay, it is very long but I hope very good:
On Thursday February 17, 2011 right wing television personality Glenn Beck (of the Fox News network) had an extremely unusual subject for his syndicated show entitled “Glenn Beck” (again on the Fox News channel in the United States). Beck hosted an anti-Islamic Evangelical Christian fruitcake named Joel Richardson (who, as a side note to any mainline Christians reading this, declares himself to be an alleged “Prophet”). Richardson appears to be a fundamentalist Evangelical Protestant Christian; he is also what is called a Dispensationalist (followers of a 19th century English figure named John Nelson Darby). Dispensationalist Christians are again a cult originated in the 19th century, that follow the deviant non-Biblical teachings and absurd fanciful alleged Bible “interpretations” of this fellow named John Nelson Darby who lived from 1800 to 1882 in England. Mr. Joel Richardson appears to also believe in non-Biblical, made up theories, such as the alleged “rapture” (not found anywhere in the text of any English Bible, the “rapture” is yet another creation of the mind of John Nelson Darby and his cult follower “Dispensationalists” in our times). I will provide a summary of what Joel Richardson said on Glenn Beck’s Thursday February 17, 2011 broadcast and I will God willing provide a very thorough refutation of this charlatan Joel Richardson lies against the religion of Islam and also his twisting and lies against even actual traditional Christian theology and doctrine.
This evildoer Joel Richardson wrote a book called “The Islamic Antichrist”, wherein he tries to claim that Muslims end times beliefs are allegedly “just like” the views of the Antichrist in Christianity: that is of course the “Christianity” of Dispensationalist cultists like Richardson (this Richardson is trying to claim Muslims are allegedly followers of the Antichrist, God forbid). On this February 17, 2011 broadcast Glenn Beck wrote on his famous (or should I say infamous) chalkboard two different columns: one entitled “Jesus” and the other entitled “12 Imam” (meaning Imam al-Mahdi in the Twelver Shi’a Muslim belief).
A side issue that needs to be mentioned: all Muslims from every school of thought within the religion of Islam believe in Imam al-Mahdi: we just disagree about the particular facts about Imam al-Mahdi. All Muslims agree Imam al-Mahdi will come in the end times and lead the Muslims. Imam al-Mahdi will be joined by the Muslim Prophet Jesus and they will together lead the righteous Muslims in the fight against the forces of Satan led by the Islamic view what could be termed the “Antichrist” called the Dajjal. Where Twelver Shi’a Muslims (or Ithna Ashari Shi’a Muslims) and Sunni Muslims disagree on the specifics of the Mahdi is on the following points I will now quickly spell out. Twelver Shi’a Muslims believe Imam al-Mahdi was the culmination of Twelve leaders (or “Imams”) from the Prophet Muhammad ’s family. The first of these Twelve Imams was Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib the cousin of Prophet Muhammad. After Ali ibn Abi Talib the rest of the eleven remaining leaders (or “Imams”) of the Twelver Shi’ites were descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib (and by extension the Prophet Muhammad) via Ali’s marriage to the Prophet Muhammad ’s daughter Fatima al-Zahra: starting with their sons the Second Imam: Hassan ibn Ali; and Third Imam: Hussein ibn Ali. Twelver Shi’a Muslims believe Imam al-Mahdi was born in the year 869 CE with the full name Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi (link: http://en.wikipedia....hammad_al-Mahdi); and that when he was a young boy Allah sent him into what Twelver Shi’a Muslims call the “Occultation” (or Ghaybat in Arabic) which means he disappeared from our current world on the order of Allah and is with Allah who will send him back to earth in the Messianic age alongside the Muslim Prophet Jesus to lead the Muslims against the evil Dajjal. Contrasting with this Sunni Muslims simply believe Imam Mahdi will be born as a normal human being in our modern world (Sunni Muslims also believe Mahdi will be a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad) and that Mahdi will go on to lead the Muslim world, alongside the Muslim Prophet Jesus , in the end of days again against the evil forces of the Dajjal (Antichrist).
With the issue of differences between Twelver Shi’a Muslims and Sunni Muslims on Imam al-Mahdi out of the way, now let us return to examining and refuting the asinine claims of Mr. Joel Richardson and the Mormon Glenn Beck. Under the heading of “Jesus” Glenn Beck writes what he claims is the Christian understanding of what the Antichrist will be and do. Beck writes: “Antichrist kills Jews/Christians”, “Antichrist rules for 7 years”, “Antichrist makes peace with Israel and then breaks this peace”, “Antichrist global seat the Temple Mount in Jerusalem”, “Antichrist beheads non believers”, “Antichrist mark of the beast”, and finally Beck writes “Jesus returns”. In the other column under what he entitles “12th Imam” (aka Imam Mahdi) the evildoer Mormon cultist Beck writes his fraudulent claims about Imam Mahdi. Beck writes: “Imam Mahdi kills Jews and Christians”, “Imam Mahdi rules for 7 years”, “Imam Mahdi makes peace with Israel and then breaks this peace”, “Imam Mahdi global seat the Temple Mount in Jerusalem”, “Imam Mahdi kills/beheads non believers”, “mark of the beast”, and “Jesus returns”. Again basically the Mormon Glenn Beck and his Dispensationalist cultist guest Joel Richardson were trying to malign the Muslims and claim that we (and our blessed Imam Mahdi accepted by both Sunni and Twelver Shi’a Muslims) are allegedly followers of the Antichrist (whom these evildoers Beck and Richardson are trying to claim is allegedly the “Antichrist”, Allah forbid). I will now beginning the thorough refutation of Beck and Richardson’s asinine claims and theories promised above. The way I will do this is by citing numerous academic, very respect sources from both Islamic and Christian theological traditions; and also other historical sources of note. I will address each issue raised by Beck and Richardson one at a time; that is by taking what is written on Glenn Beck’s “chalkboard” about what he again entitles “Jesus” and “12th Imam” and refuting Beck and Richardson’s claims one by one. Starting with the first claim made by Beck and Richardson in the column “Jesus”: “Antichrist kills Jews/Christians” and the column “Imam Mahdi”: “Antichrist kills Jews/Christians”
Claim #1- Column “Jesus”: “Antichrist- kills Jews/Christians”--------------- and Column “12th Imam” aka “Imam Mahdi”: “Imam Mahdi- kills Jews/Christians”
In this claim Richardson and Beck are trying to say that just like their view of what the alleged Christian theological belief is on what the Antichrist will do to Christians and Jews: Imam Mahdi will allegedly do the same thing. That same thing is allegedly “killing the Jews/Christians”. With how much these tools, Beck and Richardson, claim to love the modern Zionist entity that calls itself the state of Israel it doesn’t surprise me in the least that they mentioned Jews ahead of even Christians on their little list of who they believe the Antichrist is out to get! But their disgusting love of the murderous Zionist entity (or state of Israel built on stolen Palestinian land, Palestinians who have a sizable Palestinian Christian minority even today) is a side issue that is beyond the scope of this current essay! This claim of Beck and Joel Richardson is truly laughable. Let us first deal with what Beck and Richardson are claiming about Imam Mahdi. Islamic tradition makes it very clear that Imam Mahdi and the Muslim Prophet Jesus will together lead the righteous Muslims who will then be united against the demonic forces of evil personified in the “Antichrist” we Muslims call the Dajjal (whose full title is the Masih ad-Dajjal or false messiah: http://en.wikipedia....Masih_ad-Dajjal). As to what exactly will happen in this period let us quickly read from both a Sunni Muslim source and Twelver Shi’a Muslim source. First, from authentic Sunni Muslim hadith we read in the Sunni Muslims most famous and authentic hadith collection Sahih al-Bukhari: Quote- Sahih al-Bukhari Volume 3, Book 34, Number 425: Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the son of Mary (Jesus) will shortly descend amongst you people (Muslims) as a just ruler and will break the Cross and kill the pig and abolish the Jizya (a tax taken from the non-Muslims, who are in the protection, of the Muslim government). Then there will be abundance of money and no-body will accept charitable gifts.
end quote.
A second hadith from the main Sunni Muslim sources assures us of the reality of Imam Mahdi. This is found in Sunan Abu Dawud, which is a collection of ahadith (the Arabic plural of hadith meaning thus hadiths) rated as the fourth strongest of the six major Sunni hadith collections: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_major_Hadith_collections. We read in Sunan Abu Dawud; Quote- Sunan Abu Dawud Book 36, Number 4272: Narrated Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The Mahdi will be of my stock, and will have a broad forehead and a prominent nose. He will fill the earth will equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, and he will rule for seven years.
end quote.
So as we see nothing about allegedly “killing all Jews/Christians”. We are simply told by Sunni Muslim sources that Imam Mahdi will return with the Muslim Prophet Jesus; wherein the Muslim Prophet Jesus will among other things break the Christian symbol of the cross and order those who claim to follow him (i.e. Christians) to follow Islam as Prophet Jesus will declare to all that he was only a righteous Prophet of God and that he himself (Prophet Jesus) is a follower of Prophet Muhammad i.e. Islam and thus making Prophet Jesus a Muslim. The unified Muslim army led by Imam Mahdi and Prophet Jesus will again do battle and defeat the wicked forces of the evil Dajjal (Antichrist) and his minions. Muslim literature tells us by this point the vast bulk of humanity will have realized the truth of Islam and will have become Muslims: and that is why the jizya tax will no longer be accepted of non-Muslims living in a Messianic Islamic world. Because the only people who will not follow Islam at this point, specifically after Prophet Jesus returns to earth and orders those claiming to be his followers (i.e. Christians) to become proper followers of God (i.e. Muslims), are those who are satanic followers of the false messiah Masih ad-Dajjal who will be the agent of Satan (called Shaytan in Arabic) on earth. Now let us go briefly to a Twelver Shi’a Muslim source on what will happen with non-Muslims when Imam Mahdi and Prophet Jesus emerge to led the soldiers of Allah against the soldiers of Satan (i.e. Dajjal). We read the following from the work of Twelver Shi’a Muslim scholar Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini: http://www.al-islam....ntl/Chap-14.htm Quote-
“In addition, on the basis of general prevailing conditions at the time of the appearance, one can speculate that when the promised Mahdi emerges and presents Islamic truths to the world, informing humanity about Islam's revolutionary and reformative aspects, large numbers of people will accept Islam. Hence, they will save themselves from being killed. For, on the one hand, they will have perfected their ability to perceive religious truth and, on the other, they will have witnessed the miracles performed by the Imam of the Age. Moreover, they will find the social conditions extraordinary and inexplicable, and the call of the leader of the revolution will reach their ears. These circumstances will lead thousands and thousands of people to convert to Islam at the hands of the Mahdi, thereby saving themselves from destruction.
As for those who persist in their disbelief after all these signs, the Peoples of the Book, that is, the Jews and the Christians, will continue to receive the protection of the Islamic government. Other sinful and corrupt disbelievers will be killed by the universal upholder of justice, the Mahdi. The number of the latter group will, consequently, be insignificant.”
end quote.
So again what this top Iranian Twelver Shi’a Muslim scholar, Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini (his biography available here: http://www.najaf.org...h/book/16/2.htm), says is that after seeing the brilliance of Imam Mahdi the world will convert to Islam in droves and even after this People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab) that is Jews and Christians will continue to receive the protection of the Islamic state and Islamic government in this Messianic era. The only people who Imam Mahdi will thus kill, again according to this top Twelver Shi’a Muslim scholar from Iran, are the completely sinful and evil disbelievers who will be agents of Satan and thus people who either follow (or followed) the Dajjal/Antichrist. Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini sums this up by saying this wicked group of people that Imam Mahdi will execute for their evil is going to be in his words “insignificant” in terms of world population, thus the world will have mostly completely converted to the true religion of Islam. This is all very at odds with Glenn Beck and Joel Richardson’s absurd claim that Imam Mahdi will allegedly go on some rampage allegedly “killing” all the Jews and Christians as Beck and Richardson want their audience to believe. To sum this up again all Muslims, including the majority Sunnis and Twelver Shi’ites who together make up the vast bulk of the 1.5 billion Muslims of the world, simply believe Imam Mahdi will lead the Muslim army with the Muslim Prophet Jesus together against the satanic forces of the Dajjal/Antichrist and his wicked, deceived minions and followers in the end of times. This is Islamic eschatology or end times studies: http://en.wikipedia....iki/Eschatology and http://en.wikipedia....mic_eschatology
To completely refute this particular claim of Beck and Joel Richardson we now turn ourselves to the second part of Beck’s chalkboard’s claim; that allegedly in Christian theology the Antichrist is going to kill the Jews and Christians or as Beck wrote on his stupid chalkboard: “Antichrist: kills Jews/Christians”. This particular statement by Beck and Richardson is so without basis it is not even funny! There is a reason, within even Christian theology, that the Antichrist is called the AntiCHRIST! As anyone with a brain could see it is because in the Christian theology of most of Christian history (including most mainline Christians of all different Christian denominations today, except of course for the now American led Dispensationalist cult created by John Nelson Darby and the so-called “Plymouth Brethren” in 19th century England) the Antichrist has been viewed as someone who will be the enemy of the Christians: as his name or title clearly implies. So I have to ask Glenn Beck and Joel Richardson why didn’t you also call the Christian Antichrist the alleged “Anti-Jew”?! As anyone who has even elementary knowledge of world religions would know full well the religion of Judaism openly rejects Jesus and does not believe he was the Messiah. So if Beck and Richardson had bothered to read the New Testament of the Christian Bible they’d see the following mentioning those who according to Christian theology are themselves the Antichrist (or according to this likely agents of the Antichrist)! 2 John 1:7- I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. (NIV, Copyright 2010). So it is pretty clear from even just this one New Testament verse (2 John 1:7) that all those who “do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” are “the deceiver and the antichrist”. This would necessarily include the Jews, as any Jew who follows the religion of Judaism would be able to tell you full well: Jews not only do not accept Jesus as Messiah but they also do not believe he will ever return to earth “in the flesh”; i.e. they believe he is dead and gone (and was certainly not their Messiah according to Judaism). Much more could be said about this, but I think the simply fact (again summed up in 2 John 1:7 of the Christian’s own New Testament) that Jews are among those Christian theologians categorize as the antichrist themselves (or followers of the antichrist) means the alleged Christian Antichrist will not be going around “killing Jews” as Beck and his pathetic friend Joel Richardson are trying to claim. This completely destroys this first point on Beck’s foolish chalkboard.
Claim #2- Column “Jesus”: “Antichrist- rules for 7 years”------------------------- and Column “12th Imam” aka “Imam Mahdi”: “Imam Mahdi- rules for 7 years”
I think this deceitful claim is likely the one that Beck and the cult leader Dispensationalist hack Joel Richardson (the self-styled alleged, new “Prophet”, Allah forbid) wanted to be most striking to their deceived viewers. Any fundamentalist Dispensationalist Evangelicals watching Glenn Beck’s program on Fox News would’ve likely been “convinced” by this deceptive claim. They would likely have thought “look they both are supposed to rule the earth for 7 years, it must mean Joel Richardson and Glenn Beck’s theory is correct”, the reality however is that this claim of Joel Richardson and Glenn Beck is very easily challenged and refuted (specifically from Christian theological sources). The Christian theological sources is were I will begin on this topic, I will demonstrate beyond any shadow of a doubt that the claim that the Christian Antichrist will allegedly rule the earth for “7 years” is found nowhere in the Bible and is simply an imaginative creation of the Dispensationalist Christian cult (again founded in 1800s England by folks like John Nelson Darby) who use their own baseless interpretations of Biblical text or scripture and also just some of their own fanciful theories they pull out of their own behinds (i.e. stuff not found or clearly mentioned anywhere in the entire Bible). On this issue of the Christian Antichrist allegedly ruling the earth for “seven years”, this is a fake length of years that Dispensationalist Evangelical Christians like Joel Richardson make up by imaginative use of a very confusing verse in the Bible’s Old Testament in the Book of Daniel. A good refutation of this fundamentalist Evangelical Dispensationalist claim is in a good academic book called “Bible Prophecy: Failure or Fulfillment?” by Tim Callahan. http://shop.skeptic.com/merchant.mvc?&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SS&Product_Code=b048HB The Old Testament book of Daniel verse in question is Daniel 9:25-27 which mentions what is called “the 70 weeks of years”. On this issue Tim Callahan writes: “Gabriel appears to him (i.e. the writer of the book of Daniel) and says that the proper interpretation of the prophecy is ’70 weeks [or Sabbaths] of years,’ i.e. 7 X 70 = 490 years.” (Tim Callahan, “Bible Prophecy Failure of Fulfillment?”, page 171). This “weeks of years” is were these Dispensationalist Christians get their claims about an alleged rule of “seven years” for the Antichrist: which plain and simple is not spelled out clearly anywhere in the Bible which is why these Dispensationalist clowns resort to crazy personal/fanciful interpretations of Biblical text from the Old Testament Book of Daniel. So after noting this 490 years period; Tim Callahan writes about the Book of Daniel’s writing on the author’s view of the Antichrist. Tim Callahan writes: “At that point, he (i.e. the Antichrist figure in this Old Testament Book of Daniel, which was thus a Jewish Old Testament book about history that has already past) will cause the observance of the sacrifice to cease and will cause abominations and desolations until he is defeated at the end of the 490 years. The fundamentalist interpretation of this prophecy is that the first 483 years end with the crucifixion of Jesus, after which there is a pause in the prophecy, the church age. The final seven years, they say, is the tribulation period at the end of the world that Jesus speaks of in the Olivet discourse and which John of Patmos speaks of in the Book of Revelation”. (Tim Callahan, “Bible Prophecy: Failure or Fulfillment?”, page 171). Tim Callahan continues to demolish this Dispensationalist Christian claim of the Antichrist in Christianity allegedly ruling the earth for “seven years”, he does this from page 171 to page 177 of his magnificent book again entitled: “Bible Prophecy: Failure of Fulfillment” which was published in 1997 and is still available on Amazon.com and elsewhere. Tim Callahan continues on saying fundamentalist Dispensationalist Evangelicals; also make up fake calendars for this alleged “prophecy” they are misappropriating from the Old Testament book of Daniel. These Christians like Joel Richardson use what they call and alleged “360 day Prophetic calendar” a completely fake calendar they make up (despite historians knowledge that the lunar Jewish calendar of history did not ever have 360 days and was a complex system that took into account what we today call leap years in our Julian or Gregorian calendar) through imagine use of the Genesis flood narrative in the Biblical Old Testament book of Genesis. The really priceless analysis or refutation of the “seven year” rule claim of the Antichrist that the clown Joel Richardson makes is seen by Tim Callahan: “Not only have fundamentalist failed to reckon the Jewish calendar correctly, they have also come up with strange reasons for separating the last seven years from the rest of the prophecy (i.e. Old Testament book of Daniel 9:25-27) and some ideas on the time periods involved that are so mystical in their ideas of numerical symmetry as to fit nicely into the so-called ‘psychic sciences’.” (Tim Callahan, “Bible Prophecy: Failure of Fulfillment?”, page 174). Callahan then moves to the academic work called “The Jewish Encyclopedia” which gives the Jewish/more historically based understanding of the book of Daniel: http://en.wikipedia....Book_of_Daniel. Tim Callahan writes; “If we accept this explanation, then we come to the last seven years of the prophecy, which the “Jewish Encyclopedia” sets at 171-164 BCE. This would begin with the murder of Onias III, followed by an agreement between Antiochus and the Hellenized Jews, which is violated after three and a half years (in 167 BCE) by the desecration of the Temple.
This is by no means the only scholarly interpretation of the 70 weeks of years. Both the “Abingdon Bible Commentary” and the notes in the OAV state that the phrase ‘going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem’ is open to too many interpretations to be pinned down to a certain date. As far as I know, however, no biblical scholar who is not a fundamentalist finds any basis for separating the last seven years of the prophecy from the first 483. Thus, since no destruction or desecration of the temple took place seven years after the Crucifixion, the 70 weeks of years cannot refer to Jesus.
One reason fundamentalists cannot accept these events as having to do with past history is that Daniel also predicts the end of the world just following the overthrow of Antiochus Epiphanes. However, just as in Isaiah and Ezekiel, the latter days were likely perceived by the author of Daniel as being in the near future. We must always bear in mind that to Isaiah seeing the Assyrian onslaught, to Ezekiel experiencing the Exile, and to the author of Daniel witnessing the attempted destruction of his people’s identity (i.e. via Greek Hellenization policies), the end of the world seemed to be unfolding before their very eyes. (Tim Callahan, “Bible Prophecy: Failure of Fulfillment?, page 177).
So just to sum all this up, there is no source for Mr. Richardson and other Dispensationalist Evangelical Christians claims that the Bible allegedly sets a period of “7 years” for the rule of the Antichrist.
Now we can quickly move along to what Muslim tradition says about the length of the reign of Imam Mahdi, both in Sunni and Twelver Shi’ite Muslim traditions. The reality is the scholars of Islam (from all schools of thought) are divided on exactly how long Imam Mahdi’s rule will be. Some reports state Imam Mahdi will rule for 5 years, some state 7 years, some state 9 years, and others go up to even 20 years or 40 years! For example on narration given by the great Sunni Muslim scholar Al-Tirmihdi At-Tirmidhi reported that the Prophet said: “Al-Mahdi is from my Ummah; he will be born and live to rule five or seven or nine years. (If) one goes to him and says: ‘Give me (a charity), he will fill one’s garment with what one needs.’” An authoritative source I have in my possession a book by a famous Twelver Shi’a Muslim scholar, Sayyed Sadrudin Sadr, states that the following Sunni Muslim scholars have given the following number of years for Imam Mahdi’s reign: Abu Dawud says 7 years, Al-Tirmidhi again says either 5, 7, or 9 years. Sunni Muslim scholar ibn Majah narrates the same three possible amounts of years as Al-Tirmihdi, Sunni scholar Hakim al-Nishaburi says Mahdi will rule for 7 or 9 years (http://www.almujtaba...mammahdi/50.htm). Lastly, Twelver Shi’a Muslim scholar Ayatollah Sayyed Sadrudin Sadr mentions in this book of his called simply “Al-Mahdi(A.S.)” that the Islamic scholar who authored a book called “Eqdud-Durar” has narrated from an individual named Na’eem ibn Hemad that Mahdi would survive for forty years. And then after this Sayyed Sadrudin Sadr mentions that: “some traditions mention that Mahdi shall rule for seven years where each year would be equal to twenty years of our reckoning. From this meaning 20 X 7 making Imam Mahdi’s earthly reign by this (during the Messianic age of Islam before the end of time and Judgment Day) equal a total of 140 of our years! From page 388 of Ayatollah Sayyed Sadrudin Sadr’s book again entitled simply “Al-Mahdi(A.S.)” translated into English by Jalil Dorrani and published by the Naba Organization located in the Islamic Republic of Iran. So basically this fool Joel Richardson took one of the possibilities given for the length of Imam Mahdi’s reign in sacred Islamic tradition and coupled with his own Dispensationalist belief (again not rooted in any Biblical verses to begin with) that the Antichrist in his view of Christian theology will allegedly rule for “seven years”.
Claim #3- Column “Jesus”: “Antichrist- Peace with Israel- breaks peace”------------------- and column “12th Imam” aka “Imam Mahdi”: “Imam Mahdi- Peace with Israel- breaks peace”
This particular claim made by Joel Richardson on Glenn Beck’s February 17, 2011 Fox News show, is very easy to refute. So hopefully this section of this essay will hopefully be very succinct.
The Dispensationalist Evangelical Protestant cult (in this case represent by Joel Richardson) here adds on to their spurious claim that they have alleged “proof” that the Antichrist will supposedly rule earth for seven years. They add on to this spurious “seven year” rule of Antichrist claim by stating (again with no Biblical evidence whatsoever) that halfway through this seven year rule the Antichrist, who had at the start of this seven year rule made a peace treaty with the state of Israel, will proceed to break this supposed peace treaty with Israel halfway or 3.5 years through the seven year period of this alleged rule according to these Dispensationalist Christians. This claim that the Antichrist will allegedly make a peace treaty with Israel and then break it halfway through his supposed “seven year” rule (or thus 3.5 years through) has been widely claimed and circulated by famous American Dispensationalist Christians like Hal Lindsey in his famous or infamous Evangelical Christian books like: “The Late, Great Planet Earth”. A funny side note on this Hal Lindsey fellow (who Joel Richardson is surely a follower and admirer of): http://rationalwiki....iki/Hal_Lindsey We read from the website rationalwiki: “In the 1970s Hal Lindsey predicted that the Soviet Union would play the role of antagonist during the End Times. But now that there is no Soviet Union, he says it will be radical Islam. Then he made a prediction that a pre-tribulational rapture would take place in 1981, seven years before Israel’s fortieth anniversary as a reestablished nation, because the founding of Israel set off a "prophetic clock" which committed Jesus to wrap things up within a "generation" (i.e. 40 years).. He even wrote a book about the 1980s being the "Countdown to Armageddon". When Jesus didn't return in 1981 or 1988 he said that a generation could be 70 years, so Jesus should return before 2018. Then in "Facing Millennial Midnight: The Y2K Crisis Confronting America and the World" Hal Lindsey predicted widespread confusion and panic over the Y2K crisis, seven years before the 40th anniversary of the capture of Jerusalem by the Israelis, which was the event which really started the prophetic clock ticking all along. Of course, Y2K was a bust, and 2007 passed without Armageddon happening, so we're back to the 70 year generation idea. So maybe 2018, but 2037 for sure.” Joel Richardson comes from this pedigree of asinine snake oil salesmen and false prophets such as the fool Hal Lindsey.
Now for the Muslim response from Islamic traditions, I will simply refute Joel Richardson in one sentence on this issue. There is no tradition in any Islamic book (be it Sunni Muslim, Twelver Shi’ite Muslim, or any other Islamic school of thought period) that states Imam Mahdi will allegedly make a “peace treaty” with the state of Israel (which is obviously not mentioned as a nation, in our modern lexicon of “nation states”, in any work of Islamic scholarly literature either past or present). Since there is absolutely zero mention of Imam Mahdi concluding a peace treaty with anyone, much less a state called Israel in the Middle East, there is no way Imam Mahdi could break this nonexistent “peace treaty” halfway through any period of time: as it simply doesn’t exist to begin with! Didn’t Joel Richardson and Glenn Beck declare that Imam Mahdi will massacre the Jews and Christians (something I refuted above)? It seems Richardson and Beck can’t keep things straight does Islamic tradition and literature allegedly state Imam Mahdi will kill the Jews and Christians, or will he make a supposed peace treaty with Israel (in this case the “Jews” according to Richardson and Beck, let us put aside the fact that the modern day state of Israel in the Middle East largely has secular non-Judaism based Western style laws and contains many people who call themselves agnostics or atheists).
This claim of Joel Richardson and Glenn Beck is without any basis whatsoever and it has been shown to be nothing but a figment of the Dispensationalist’s fruity minds.
Claim #4- Column “Jesus”: “Antichrist- Global Seat Temple Mount”--------------- and Column “12th Imam” aka “Imam Mahdi”: “Imam Mahdi- Global Seat Temple Mount”
This claim by Joel Richardson and Glenn Beck is also very easily refuted. The quickest thing that refutes their claims that Christian theology allegedly says the Antichrist will rule the earth from his global seat in the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is that quite simply the Bible never says this! Here is a simple online search of the entire Bible for the word “Antichrist”: http://www.biblegate...searchtype=all. We get exactly four results. They are the following: 1 John 2:18- Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. (NIV Bible). 1 John 2:22- Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. (NIV Bible). 1 John 4:3- but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (NIV Bible). 2 John 1:7- I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. (NIV Bible). Not a single mention of any specific details about this Antichrist figure in the Christian’s New Testament Bible! So the very claim of Richardson and Beck, that the Antichrist (in Christian theology) will allegedly rule from his supposed global seat located at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is without any basis thereby making this section of their argument also bogus.
As for Islamic tradition, the Muslim scholars state in unison, thus from both Sunni and Twelver Shi’ite traditions, that Imam Mahdi and Prophet Jesus will lead the Muslim forces against the evil Dajjal and his satanic forces and wicked followers. The Islamic literature states there will be a battle between the Muslim forces again led by Imam Mahdi and the Muslim Prophet Jesus and the Dajjal and that this battle will take place in the holy city of Jerusalem. We read: http://islam-qa.com/...hdi%20Jerusalem
Quote- It is proven (in the hadeeth) then when the leader of the Muslims, the Mahdi will come to lead them in praying Fajr, ‘Eesa ibn Maryam will come down to them, and the imam will step back so that ‘Eesa can come forward and lead the prayer, but ‘Eesa will put his hand on his back and say, “Go forward and lead the prayer, for the iqaamah was given for you.” So their imam will lead them in prayer, and when he has finished, then ‘Eesa will head towards the Dajjaal, with whom will be seventy thousand Jews. When the Dajjaal looks at him, he will melt like salt in water, and the Messiah ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) will catch up with him at the gate of Lod (which is a town near Jerusalem) and kill him. Then Allaah will cause the defeat the Jews, and there will be nothing that Allaah has created that a Jew hides behind, but Allaah will cause that thing to speak. Rocks, trees, walls and animals will all say, ‘O Muslim, O slave of Allaah, here is a Jew, come and kill him!’ – except for the box-thorn tree (al-gharqad), for it is one of their trees and will not speak.”
End quote.
The land of Palestine will then be ruled by the Muslims, as God wills. The fact that all the Abrahamic religions predict the final battle of the forces of good and evil will take place in the holy city of Jerusalem is not surprising as this city is holy to all Muslim, Jews, and Christians. Jerusalem is and has been as historians say the most fought over piece of territory in the world. So bringing the fact that both Muslims and Christians believe the battle between Prophet Jesus and the Antichrist will take place in Jerusalem proves absolutely nothing. Then finally Richardson and Beck again had no proof for their claim (that was posted on Beck’s “chalkboard”) that the Christian’s allegedly believe the Antichrist will rule from the Temple Mount. This alleged seat of the Antichrist global rule is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, and is yet another fictional figment of the demented minds of the Dispensationalist Christian cult.
Claim #5- Column “Jesus”: “Antichrist- Kills/Beheads Non-Believers”--------------- and Column “12th Imam” aka “Imam Mahdi”: “Imam Mahdi- Kills/Beheads Non-Believers”
To begin refuting the fools and self-proclaimed alleged “Prophets”: Joel Richardson and Glenn Beck. The only mention of the Antichrist beheading anyone in the whole Christian Bible is Revelation 20:4- I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (NIV Bible)
So here it implies that those who believe in Jesus (i.e. the word of God preached by Jesus as Christian theology states) will face. I will deal with the so-called “mark of the beast” or the number “666” in the next section of this essay. But just to give a quick summary this “mark of the beast” or the number “666” is mentioned in Revelation 13:17-18 and all academics, historians, and serious theologians (i.e. not fundamentalist Evangelical Christian clowns) declare that “666” is a code the author of the Book of Revelation used to mean the Roman Emperor Nero Caesar, who history tells us was a huge oppressor of the Christians (and thus an “antichrist” according to Christians). This stuff about “not being able to buy or sell unless they had the mark” clearly proves academics and legitimate Biblical scholars that have shown it is a historical reference to Nero Caesar (and thus Roman power). I will explain this in the next section using sources detailing how Hebrew letters have number values and “666” adds up in the Hebrew spelling again to the Roman Emperor, Nero Caesar. Another thing to keep in mind refuting Richardson and Beck is that yet again at the beginning of their silly chalkboard claims is the claim that the Antichrist will kill Christians and so many also allegedly kill Jews. This is contradicted by this section of Revelation 20:4- And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God (NIV Bible); this section of the verse is saying people were beheaded by the Antichrist because they testified for Jesus (i.e. according to Christian theologians that would be testifying that Jesus was the Messiah and the “son of God”) and because of these beheaded peoples belief in the “word of God” which in this case must mean the New Testament as it again mentions Jesus right before this! So no the Jews will not be killed by the Antichrist according to this verse as Jews openly reject Jesus as the Messiah and do not believe in the New Testament: that is what makes them Jews who follow the religion of Judaism and not followers of the religion of Christianity!
Now as for Islamic literature on Imam Mahdi, as I have already stated Imam Mahdi will only fight and kill the evil Dajjal Antichrist and his evil followers. As for beheading people, there are no Sunni Muslim sources or narrations that say anything about Imam Mahdi allegedly beheading anyone. As for the authentic Twelver Shi’a Muslim sources and narrations all they state is that the Imam Mahdi and his righteous Muslim followers will fight, defeat, and yes kill the followers of the Dajjal Antichrist. In addition to the Dajjal Antichrist, Twelver Shi’a Muslim sources also make mention of another evil Antichrist figure they call the Sufyani. http://www.al-islam....apter1a/10.html Quote- In fact, any Fitna is the manifestation of Satan. This includes all major Fitna which happened in the past (in the early history of Islam and civil wars, as well as the Wahhabi emergence in Najd) and also the great incoming Fitna by al-Dajjal and Sufyani as predicted in the traditions.
end quote.
Regarding “beheadings” there are some Twelver Shi’ite narrations that mention that Imam Mahdi will behead a large amount of deviant so-called “Muslim scholars”! Many Twelver Shi’ites state this is Wahhabi scholars (like those of Saudi Arabia) who these Twelver Shi’ites believe will assist the Dajjal Antichrist against the blessed Imam Mahdi and the Muslim Prophet Jesus. One last thing to keep in mind about Twelver Shi’ite hadith is that Shi’ite scholars themselves declare that they have no single ahadith book that is completely correct and does not contain weak or fake narrations. This contrasts with Sunni Muslims that believe their two main ahadith books, Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, contain only authentic narrations from the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. The top Twelver Shi’a Muslim hadith book is the book “Kitab al-Kafi” compiled by early Twelver Shi’ite scholar Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni: http://en.wikipedia....i/Kitab_al-Kafi and http://en.wikipedia....7qub_al-Kulayni
Now deceased Twelver Shi’ite Grand Ayatollah Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei (who was arguably the most revered Shi’ite scholar in the world until his death on August 8, 1992) stated regarding “Kitab al-Kafi” (again the most important and most authentic Twelver Shi’ite hadith book):
“There is within it (al-Kāfī) traditions, whose chains of narration contain (known) ignorants, liars and fabricators.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Khoei
So in conclusion, Richardson and Beck of course never told their largely ignorant American viewers that Shi’a Muslims question every narration and their scholars have to authenticate each hadith (or narration) one by one. So just saying a narration or hadith came from a book, is meaningless until the isnad (meaning chain of narration) of the hadith is verified: which would then make the hadith authentic. Also again there are simply no narrations in any Muslim book (of any sect) that lends any evidence to Joel Richardson and Glenn Beck’s assertion that Muslims (either Sunni or Shi’ite) believe Imam Mahdi will allegedly kill Jews and Christians. Muslims only believe the Imam Mahdi will kill the followers of the evil Dajjal Antichrist. Lastly on Jews and Christians a famous Iranian Twelver Shi’ite Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini again states regarding the reign of the blessed Imam Mahdi: http://www.al-islam....ntl/Chap-14.htm
Quote- “Hence, there are two kinds of hadith: one in favor and the other objecting. However, it must be pointed out that those traditions that agree with the Qur'an have preponderance over those that do not, and therefore the latter must be of necessity rejected as unreliable. Accordingly, the Jews and the Christians will remain under the government of the twelfth Imam, but they will have abandoned their belief in the trinity and all forms of disbelief connected with associating partners to God, and become worshippers of One God. They will continue to live under the protection of the Islamic government.”
end quote.
So Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini, of Iran, completely refutes the Dispensationalist liar Joel Richardson and his Mormon friend Glenn Beck again respected Iran Twelver Shi’ite Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini stated on Jews and Christians under Imam Mahdi’s blessed reign: “the Jews and the Christians, will continue to receive the protection of the Islamic government.”
Claim #6- Column “Jesus”: “Mark of the Beast”--------------- and Column “12th Imam” aka “Imam Mahdi”: “Imam Mahdi- Mark of the Beast”
This final assertion of the dispensationalist hack Joel Richardson on Glenn Beck’s racist program, is easily refuted as all real scholars, historians, and respectable/traditional Biblical theologians agree that the “mark of the beast” spoken of in the New Testament “Book of Revelation” was a historical reference to the oppressive Roman Emperor Nero Caesar who oppressed the Christians in Rome. Thus the author of the “Book of Revelation” was writing his book from the island of Patmos for his historical time. A side note: the island of Patmos is known to have large amounts of naturally growing psilocybin or psychedelic “magic” mushrooms which may explain all the funky stories of dragons and such sci-fi or fantasy movie like action in the “Book of Revelation”! For example Revelation 12:7- Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (NIV Bible).
On the “mark of the beast” (I recommend Tim Callahan’s great book Bible Prophecy: Failure of Fulfillment? from back in 1997) I will also include this thorough analysis of why this “mark” is almost definitely Nero Caesar as the “Book of Revelation” was written for its own historical context by an anonymous Christian author who thought his world was going to end very soon. We can read the following thorough refutation of Dispensationalist claims on “666” and by extension the “beast” and his “mark of the beast” in Christian literature: http://www.religious...ce.org/666a.htm
Quote- The source of the number 666:
The "number of the beast," 666, is derived from the book of Revelation -- the last book in the Christian Scriptures (a.k.a. New Testament):
Revelation 13:11-18: And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six." (King James Version)
It is worth noting that the number 666 may well be an error. The earliest manuscript of Revelation is from the Oxyrhynchus site. Papyrus 115 shows the number as 616. It is likely that the number 666 was either:
An manuscript copyist's accidental substitution of 666 for the original correct number of 616, or
An alteration of the original 616 intentionally made for some purpose.
Many Christians, and others, are absolutely certain that they know the identity of the beast whose name is related to the number 666, and whom they identify as the Antichrist, or of a being controlled by the Antichrist. Unfortunately, they interpret the book of Revelation in many different ways:
Literally;
Figuratively;
As referring to events that happened during the first century CE;
As referring to momentous happenings in our future
As meaningless material generated during the author's hallucination.
They have come up with a wide range of identities for the Beast, including the Roman Emperors Nero and Domitian, Pope Leo X, Saladin, Napoleon, Hitler, Bill Gates, Saddam Hussein, George W. Bush, Barak Obama, etc. A Google search for the search string "Barak Obama" antichrist returned about 674,000 hits in early 2008-DEC. Obviously, all or almost all are/were wrong.
Others have determined that the important verse in the above passage is the reference to "a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads." They have concluded that the mark is:
A national ID card,
Social Security Number
An implantable microchip,
Related to the abandonment of cash and adoption of "smart cards." etc. 1
One visitor to this essay supplied an interpretation as to why a mark would be made to a hand or forehead. She suggested that the hand represents action -- the the object that a person acts with; the forehead is associated with a person's thinking process or attitude.
"666" refers to beasts elsewhere in Revelation:
Phillips Stevens Jr., an anthropologist at the University at Buffalo, suggests that the association of "666" with disasters, evil, doomsday scenarios, and the devil are based on a "widespread misinterpretation" of Revelation 13.
Professor Stevens said:
"Like most superstitions, the avoidance of the numbers 13 and 666 are examples of magical thinking. People everywhere believe that things associated with other things, through actual contact or just some similarity, have causal relationships even over space and time. Things associated with good events or great people can bring good fortune; things associated with failure, disastrous events or evil people carry some of that negativity with them."
He suggests that the "number of the beast" in Revelation 13 does not refer to Satan, but to one of many beasts mentioned in that passage. He said:
" 'Revelation' is a complex and confusing book, and is rarely read closely by lay people. Biblical scholars have pointed out that there are several 'beasts' in Chapter 13 and elsewhere, and they all refer variously to Rome, Roman emperors and Roman cults of god- and emperor-worship....many of the strange elements in 'Revelation' signify events, people or institutions familiar to first-century Christians.
"The mark of the beast, 666, signifies those in thrall to the emperor and thus opposed to Christianity, and is most probably the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew letters for Nero."
Stevens notes that the first and second Letters of John use the term "Antichrist" to denote lapsed Christians. Over subsequent centuries, the legend developed that the "end times" would be foreshadowed by the arrival of The Antichrist, a profoundly evil figure commissioned by Satan to prepare the world for his coming.
He continues:
"Many perceived enemies of Christianity have been labeled the Antichrist, and Nero was one of the first...[followed by] a long string of mostly historical figures -- Saladin was on the list, as was Hitler and Saddam Hussein. The list varies according to who compiles it. Early Reformation-era Protestants had some popes on their list."
"So, although 'the beast' is not Satan, in Christian tradition 'the mark of the beast' was authorized by Satan. And so, like that other Christian superstition, Friday the 13th from the Last Supper, where there were 13 people at the table, and the crucifixion occurred the next day, 666 has become a strong taboo, avoided because of its negative association." 2
"666" refers to Roman Emperors:
According to Wikipedia, many:
"... scholars who believe that the Book of Revelation refers to historical people and events argue that the number represents [the Roman Emperor] Nero. In Hebrew gematria, every letter has a corresponding number. Summing these numbers gives a numeric value to a word or name. In Hebrew, "Nero Caesar" is spelled "נרון קסר", pronounced "Neron Qe[i]sar". Adding the corresponding values yields 666, as shown:
Resh Samekh Qoph Nun Vav Resh Nun
200 60 100 50 6 200 50
Removing the terminal נ (written as ן) makes the name "Nero" rather than "Neron", and makes the numeric value 616, which may explain that variation. The hypothesis that 666 is a code for a Roman emperor seems to have historical support. The emperors were noted for their oppression of both Jews and Christians. Both communities were known to use numerology, codes and symbols (such as the Ichthys) when living under Roman rule to avoid persecution.
The German protestant theologian Ethelbert Stauffer, arguing that gematria had been the most popular form of numerology among Jews but also in the rest of the Graeco-Roman world. He developed a Greek gematrical procedure to explain the number 666. Judging from the precise information that the Book of Revelation gives about the person behind the number 666, Stauffer concluded that the "beast" can only refer to a Roman emperor. Stauffer argued that this Emperor must be Domitian, because he had reigned during the proposed time of the writing of the Apocalypse and supposedly was called "The Beast" as a "secret derisive nickname" by Romans, Greek, Christians and Jews. Stauffer computed the Number of the Beast using the short form of Domitian's five titles and names -- A KAI ΔOMET ΣEB ΓE -- as derived from the abbreviations on coins and inscriptions. 3
end quote.
One thing I will note again from Tim Callahan’s wonderful 1997 book “Bible Prophecy Failure of Fulfillment?” is the following, showing how the classical historical understanding of the “666” mentioned in the Book of Revelation has always been that it meant the Roman Emperor Nero Caesar and that the “mark” was the Roman citizenship needed to do business within the Roman lands which oppressed the Christians. It would’ve been only natural in this historic situation for oppressed Christians living in the Roman Empire in this period, just after the time of Prophet Jesus, to have wanted to break from the Roman regime that again so badly oppressed them. Yet if any Christian living in the Roman Empire’s vast lands wanted to do any business, i.e. the “buying and selling”, they need to follow Roman laws and submit to the Roman authority which is what is meant by the “mark of the beast” the mark of the Roman Emperor oppressors of the Christians. Tim Callahan writes on this issue of “666” in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament: “The letters of the Greek and Hebrew alphabets had numerical equivalents. If the name Neron Caesar is written in Hebrew letters, their sum is 666. If the name is written as Nero, rather than Neron, the sum is 616, which appears in place of 666 in some ancient manuscripts. (Tim Callahan, “Bible Prophecy: Failure of Fulfillment?”, page 200).
Now finally on Muslim beliefs regarding a “beast” or “creature”, this is yet another extremely weak claim made by Joel Richardson and Glenn Beck against the Islamic religion and I will easily refute Richardson and Beck’s lies. The only mention of a “beast” or “creature” in the entire Holy Qur’an (the holy book of the religion of Islam) is the following from Holy Qur’an Surah an-Naml (The Ant, The Ants) 27:82. First Holy Qur’an Surah 27:82 in the original Arabic:
وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ {82}
Now from the respected English translation of the Arabic Holy Qur’an done by Saheeh International.
Holy Qur’an Surah 27:82 (Sahih International translation): And when the word befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith].
end quote.
This “creature” called “dabbah” in Arabic which literally translates into English as: “slowly moving, crawling animal; beast of burden” is again mentioned only in Holy Qur’an Surah 27:82 which clearly says this frightful creature will be sent by Allah to chastise the disbelievers. This is a form of punishment and meant to scare these disbelievers for their disbelief and enmity towards the true religion of Islam.
Sunni Muslim sources state the following about the creature or “beast” mentioned in Holy Qur’an Surah 27:82 http://islam-qa.com/...81/naml%20beast
Quote- …
The appearance of the Beast
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "And when the Word (of torment) is fulfilled against them, We shall bring out from the earth a beast to them, which will speak to them because mankind believed not with certainty in our aayaat." [al-Naml 27:82]
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'There are three things which, once they happen, it will do a person no good to believe, if he believed not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his faith: the rising of the sun from the West, the Dajjaal, and the Beast of the earth.'" (Reported by Muslim, 2/195).
Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The Beast will emerge, and it will mark all the people on their noses, and this mark will last, so that if a man buys a camel, and is asked who he bought it from, he will say, 'From the man with the mark on his nose.'" (Reported by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 322).
end quote.
Also a Sunni Muslim source notes: “Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi recorded from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said...
A beast will emerge from the earth, and with it will be the staff of Musa and the ring of Sulayman, peace be upon them both. It will strike the nose of the disbelievers with the staff, and it will make the face of the believer bright with the ring, until when people gather to eat, they will be able to recognize the believers from the disbelievers.”
Also this same link gives something it says is a possibility in Islamic theology: http://islam-qa.com/...81/naml%20beast
Quote- …
According to some reports, when the Beast appears, it will mark the believers and the kaafirs. As for the believer, it will make his face shine brightly, as a sign of his faith, and as for the kaafir, it will mark his nose with a sign of his disbelief.
end quote.
Also some Twelver Shi’ite Muslim sources state this creature (again dabbah in Arabic) that is mentioned in Holy Qur’an Surah 27:82, will not only chastise the disbelievers but also differentiate the righteous Muslim believers from the disbelieving kuffar (Arabic word meaning non-believers). The following from a Twelver Shi’a Muslim tafsir (or interpretation) of the Holy Qur’an Surah 27:82-
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 27:82]
The literal meaning of dabbah is slowly moving, crawling animal; beast of burden. Generally all commentators have chosen the word "beast" and interpreted the phrase dabbatan minal ard as the beast coming forth as the first sign of the day of judgment, touching the believers with the staff of Musa and marking the faces of the disbelievers with the seal of Sulayman. The last portion of this verse says that "he" who shall be brought forth from the earth will speak to the unjust that they did not believe with sure conviction in the signs of Allah, so it should be translated as an alive created being.
end quote.
Now I can see how the wicked trickster Joel Richardson sought to misuse Islamic traditions (from both Sunni and Twelver Sh’ite Muslims) in his deceitful Dispensationalist books and on Glenn Beck’s moronic Fox News program.
Richardson is attempting to claim the “mark of the beast” mentioned in the Christian New Testament in Revelation 13:17-18 that was shown to be a code for Nero Caesar is somehow the same or even just somehow similar to the Islamic hadith traditions of a “creature” sent by God in the end of time related in Holy Qur’an Surah 27:82. Qur’an Surah 27:82 again is a Qur’anic verse which just states a creature (called “dabbah” in Arabic, which some English translators translate into English as “beast” but is more correctly translated as “creature” or even a “beast of burden” like an oxen, etc.) will be sent by Allah in the end times to chastise and let the disbelievers know that they were wrong to not follow Allah’s religion of Islam and then it will be too late for the disbelievers to try repenting to Allah as the end of times would’ve been kicked off. The fact it is a creature being sent by Allah is likely just to be for the uniqueness as it will be coming near the end of time or maybe the it is a creature so that will intimidate the disbelievers? As Muslims we say only Allah (God) truly knows for sure why he will send this creature near the end of time.
Putting aside the fact I’ve already shown that scholars say the “beast” given the number “666” in the New Testament is Nero Caesar and the Book of Revelation was meant to refer only to what was happening around the anonymous author of the book in the 1st century CE). Why again according to the Christian’s New Testament Bible would someone needs this “mark” from the Biblical “beast” (Nero Caesar)? We read on this in Revelation 13:15-17: 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. (NIV Bible)
So according to the ambiguous Book of Revelation (and thus Christian theology) people would be given “marks” on their right hands or on their forehead and they would need these if they wanted to do any buying or selling (i.e. carry out any form of commerce). This is completely contrary to what the Islamic hadith literature tells us about the creature sent by God that is again mentioned clearly in Holy Qur’an Surah 27:82! We are told in Islamic hadith (again from both Sunni and Twelver Shi’ite Muslims) that this creature sent by Allah to chastise the disbelievers in Holy Qur’an Surah 27:82 will differentiate between the pious Muslim believers and the kuffar disbelivers. Sunni Muslim hadith sources state again: “A beast (more correct translation being simply creature) will emerge from the earth, and with it will be the staff of Musa and the ring of Sulayman, peace be upon them both. It will strike the nose of the disbelievers with the staff, and it will make the face of the believer bright with the ring, until when people gather to eat, they will be able to recognize the believers from the disbelievers.” Also we again read from another Sunni Muslim hadith that said the following: “Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The Beast will emerge, and it will mark all the people on their noses, and this mark will last, so that if a man buys a camel, and is asked who he bought it from, he will say, 'From the man with the mark on his nose.' ” (Reported by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 322).
So from these two Sunni narrations (ahadith, again plural of hadith) we see that the “beast” (aka “dabbah” in Arabic better translated again into English as just “creature” or at most “beast of burden”) will allegedly strike the nose of the disbelievers with the staff of Prophet Moses and this creature or “beast” will also kindly make the Muslim believers faces bright and beautiful with the ring of Prophet Solomon. The narration tells us this will be clearly seen so that: “when people gather to eat, they will be able to recognize the believers from the disbelievers.” So from this Sunni Muslim narration by the Prophet Muhammad’s companion Abu Hurayrah, we are told the creature or beast will strike (not even mark) the noses of the disbelievers which will hurt them and that the creature will also again make the faces of the Muslim believers bright with what is called the ring of Solomon which the creature (aka “beast”) sent by Allah will apparently have in its possession by Allah’s will and command. Then the second Sunni Muslim tradition or narration reported this time by Ahmad (meaning Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal) and was classified as “Saheeh” or authentic by Sunni scholar Sheikh Albani: simply says the beast will emerge from the earth in this period close to the end times and mark all of the people on their noses and this mark will last or remain so long people will point each other out by mentioning the mark they all have (i.e. a rhetorical device for everyone having the mark and it standing out and remaining on their nose). These Sunni narrations that Richardson was trying to misuse actually completely contradicts the New Testament Book of Revelation account of a “mark of the beast” (in Christian tradition again meant Nero Caesar) that allegedly will forced on the Christians by the Christian Antichrist! Again the two relevant Sunni Muslim hadith narrations state that the non-harmful beast sent by God in Islam will strike the noses of the kuffar or non-Muslim disbelievers with what is called the staff of Moses as a punishment for their disbelief and the beast will brighten the faces of the Muslim believers who follow Islam with what is entitled the ring of Solomon; and the other Sunni hadith says the beast will mark everyone with a mark on their noses which will remain on their noses: and that is it! This is completely unlike the Book of Revelation in Christianity which has an Antichrist creature or beast not sent by God, going around forcing a mark on all people’s right hands or foreheads that all people allegedly need to have in order to be allowed to continue conducting business and commerce (i.e. “buying and selling”). This again contradicts the Muslim narrations which state the good creature or beast sent by God (Allah) will according to the first Islamic narration in question: hit the nose of the disbelievers with a staff called the staff of Moses and then brighten the face of the Muslim believers with what is entitled the ring of Solomon so that the Muslim believers face shines bright! Then in the other Sunni Muslim narration it simply says the good creature or beast sent by God will mark everyone’s nose and this mark on people’s noses will remain: this is not like the “mark” in the Book of Revelation at all! In the Book of Revelation the “mark” of the oppressive creature or beast is made on the right hand or on the forehead of people not on their noses or general faces (face includes more than just forehead, so forehead doesn’t work)! And unlike the Christian Book of Revelation which says without the “mark” of the oppressive beast (i.e. Nero Caesar) one would not be allowed to buy or trade, the Islamic tradition I quote from a narrator named Abu Umaamah simply says everyone will get a mark on their nose by the good creature or beast mentioned in the end times era by Islamic literature and there are no negative effects or negative outcomes stated from this permanent mark on the noses of people (so it could very well be a good thing unlike the Christian traditions that are different).
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In concluded refuting Joel Richardson and Glenn Beck, Prophet Jesus(as) will return as a Muslim to assist the Muslims and fight under the command of the blessed Imam al-Mahdi(as) against the evildoers and their evil leaders the Dajjal and Sufyani.
Here is a working link to a website selling and showing the book "Bible Prophecy: Failure of Fulfillment?" by author Tim Callahan this is a very good book: http://shop.skeptic.com/merchant.mvc?&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SS&Product_Code=b048HB
Also I need to say that Zuhdi Jasser guy is a complete Uncle Tom and only an alleged "Muslim", he is a servant of the Amerikkkan imperialists and clearly a murtad (apostate) if he ever was really a Muslim to begin with!
Since Glenn Beck is a Mormon I thought I would also include this funny, yet fully real video, that details the absurd beliefs of the Mormon cult (that should not be considered even "Christian" to start with)!
Quote- ... Richardson Presents Himself As A Prophet
Richardson: "Prophetess" Told My Wife She Will Marry Someone With "Significant Insight Into The End Times" And Who Will "Release New Prophetic Understanding." From an interview on the program It's Supernatural!:
... Richardson: "While Muslims Believe That Jesus Will Return As A Muslim To Destroy Christianity, I Believe That He Will Return As A Jew To Destroy Islam."
On Joel Richardson's absurd claim that he believes Prophet Jesus will allegedly return "as a Jew to destroy Islam", nauzubillah, apparently Richardson hasn't read the New Testament of the Bible himself!
1 Thessalonians 2:14-15: 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone (NIV Bible)
2 John 1:7- I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. (NIV Bible)
Matthew 23:37- “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you... (NIV Bible)
Matthew 21:43- “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. (NIV Bible)
Hebrews 8:13- By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear. (NIV Bible)
Richardson must believe Jews are going to hell as the New Testament he claims to follow says, John 14:6- Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (NIV Bible) Jews reject Prophet Jesus yet Richardson attacks us Muslims but leaves the wicked Jews alone!
As for John 14:6 as Muslims we know the current Bible(s) are corrupt, in many different versions, and just translations full of errors! Yet and still John 14:6 can be seen as a Muslim as saying Prophet Jesus(as) was the Prophet in his time for the children of Israel. Jesus(as) says in the NT Matthew 15:24- He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” (NIV Bible). Jesus(as) was a Prophet to Bani Israel and after Jesus(as) came the Prophet Muhammad who is the only Prophet who was made universal and sent as a "warner to all mankind" and thus a universal Prophet with only Islam as the acceptable religion now.
Even today's corrupted New Testament has Jesus(as) predicting something like this; John 14:16- And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever (NIV Bible)
On the issue of the word "Father" it is just a name used for God not a literal thing. For example see John 20:17- Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (NIV Bible)
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One point I wanted to make is that our Shi'a Muslim scholars give one of the same hadiths mentioned by the Sunni scholars on the creature or "beast" (aka "dabbah" in Arabic) mentioned in Holy Qur'an Surah 27:82 that will be sent by Allah(SWT) at the end times. Only our Shi'a Muslim scholars and the Sunni Muslim scholars seem to just disagree on what the creature (or "beast") who had chastised the disbelievers on Allah(SWT)'s commands in Holy Qur'an Surah 27:82, will use as his instrument of giving blessings to the believers and punishment from Allah(SWT) to the disbelievers.
The Sunni Muslim hadith narrations I quoted again say the creature ("dabbah" or so-called "beast") of Qur'an 27:82 will strike the disbelievers on the nose with the staff of Prophet Moses and that the creature ("beast") will then use the ring of Solomon to brighten the face of the believers a great reward for the righteous believing Muslims via Allah(SWT)'s command. The other Sunni Muslim hadith narration I quoted just says this creature ("beast") of Qur'an 27:82 sent by Allah(SWT) on this mission at the end of times will mark all people on their noses and everyone will see this remaining on each other. No explanation of this is given in the hadith other than saying people will get so use to it they won't seem to be able to differentiate between people as this Sunni hadith narrated by Abu Umaamah states: " 'The Beast will emerge, and it will mark all the people on their noses, and this mark will last, so that if a man buys a camel, and is asked who he bought it from, he will say, 'From the man with the mark on his nose.' " (Reported by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 322).
So this Sunni hadith reported by Sunni scholar Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal (and declared Sahih by the Salafi Sheikh al-Albani) seems to be just implying that this creature will make it so people no longer tell the difference in each other as everyone will just be that "man with the mark on his nose" despite the fact that the creature ("dabbah" in Arabic, or the "beast") has given that same mark on everyone's nose believer or disbeliever (also further contradicting the "mark" story in the corrupted Bible).
Or Shi'a Muslim scholars state it the opposite way from the Tafsir I read at this source: http://quran.al-islam.org/
Quote- [Pooya/Ali Commentary 27:82]
The literal meaning of dabbah is slowly moving, crawling animal; beast of burden. Generally all commentators have chosen the word "beast" and interpreted the phrase dabbatan minal ard as the beast coming forth as the first sign of the day of judgement, touching the believers with the staff of Musa and marking the faces of the disbelievers with the seal of Sulayman. The last portion of this verse says that "he" who shall be brought forth from the earth will speak to the unjust that they did not believe with sure conviction in the signs of Allah, so it should be translated as an alive created being. The following note of Aqa Mahdi Puya correctly interprets the true meaning of this verse.
end quote.
If this Shi'a Muslim scholarly work is written correctly (and not a typo, etc.) it just means or Twelver Shi'a Muslim scholars believe the creature ("dabbah" in Arabic, "beast") mentioned in Holy Qur'an 27:82 is going to actually use the seal of Solomon to mark the faces of the disbelievers; while he (the creature, "beast") will use the staff of Moses to touch the believers.
Either way remember!
This is completely unlike the Book of Revelation in Christianity which has an Antichrist creature or beast not sent by God, going around forcing a mark on all people’s right hands or foreheads that all people allegedly need to have in order to be allowed to continue conducting business and commerce (i.e. “buying and selling”). This again contradicts the Muslim narrations which state the good creature or beast sent by God (Allah) will according to the first Islamic narration in question: hit the nose of the disbelievers with a staff called the staff of Moses and then brighten the face of the Muslim believers with what is entitled the ring of Solomon so that the Muslim believers face shines bright! Then in the other Sunni Muslim narration it simply says the good creature or beast sent by God will mark everyone’s nose and this mark on people’s noses will remain: this is not like the “mark” in the Book of Revelation at all! In the Book of Revelation the “mark” of the oppressive creature or beast is made on the right hand or on the forehead of people not on their noses or general faces (face includes more than just forehead, so forehead doesn’t work)! And unlike the Christian Book of Revelation which says without the “mark” of the oppressive beast (i.e. Nero Caesar) one would not be allowed to buy or trade, the Islamic tradition I quote from a narrator named Abu Umaamah simply says everyone will get a mark on their nose by the good creature or beast mentioned in the end times era by Islamic literature and there are no negative effects or negative outcomes stated from this permanent mark on the noses of people (so it could very well be a good thing unlike the Christian traditions that are different).