Unleashing the Beast

W HEN I SLAM R ULES THE W ORLD / 207

will his throne of rule be during the first 42 months? After all, he will be the leader of a nation with an army. Islamic expectation may shed light on this question. According to Islamic tradition, the Mahdi may be in hiding in the desert, in Iraq. Therefore Iraq is an important nation in the eyes of all Islam. Each year the Shiites celebrate the death of Ali and his 70 followers who were murdered in Iraq over 1,300 years ago. The nation of Iran would love to possess and annex Iraq, while expanding the Shiite Version of Islam toward Syria, Lebanon and Israel. I believe there is evidence that Iraq will be the area of main activity during the first 42 months of the Tribulation. Therefore, the Beast of the Bible will be the Beast from the same territory of ancient Babylon!