Unleashing the Beast

126 / U NLEASHING THE B EAST

world. The Antichrist will set himself up as God in a future rebuilt Jewish Temple. Paul wrote, "He as God will sit in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4). When the radical Islamic leader takes over Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia, he will then invade Jerusalem to "liberate" the Temple Mount from the hands of Jews. Any Muslim who could "liberate" Jerusalem from Jewish control would be a hero to Muslims across the world. T HE G REATEST C LUE TO THE M YSTERY After studying the connection between the Islamic traditions of the Mahdi and the strange link to the Biblical end-time prophecy, I realized the greatest clue that ties the links together is John's description and definition of the Antichrist. John says that the Antichrist will deny Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 2:22). One of the major rifts between Islam and true Christianity is over who Jesus was and is. Islam teaches that Jesus was born of Mary and was a great prophet but that He is not the Son of God. The Koran teaches that God is not begotten and neither does He beget. True Christianity, on the other hand, declares Jesus is the Son of the living God! John said the person (or spirit) that denies the relationship of Jesus and the Father is antichrist! While most Muslims consider Christians heretics for believing Jesus is the Son of God, the Bible states it is the