Unleashing the Beast

R EVELATIONS IN THE A RABIAN D ESERT / 65

M OUNT S INAI IN A RABIA One of the first revelations Paul received while in Arabia I believe, is included in the first letter he wrote to the church at Thessalonica. The Book of 1 Thessalonians, the first of Paul's 14 letters in the New Testament, mentions the coming of the Lord five times. It specifically reveals an event called the "gathering together," or the “rapture” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). In the book, The Gold of Exodus , the author tells a fascinating story of a trip to Saudi Arabia in search of the real Mount Sinai. After they experienced a series of hindrances, they secretly visited this area and took exclusive pictures of the mountain. They noticed that the top of the mountain was burned, indicating the place where they believe the Lord came down with fire (see Exodus 19:18). On the edge of the rocky slope was a large single stone split down the middle. Closer examination indicated evidence of a dried water bed that once flowed through the large rock. The researchers were inclined to believe this was the rock Moses smote where the water flowed, making provision in the wilderness for the children of Israel (Numbers 20:8). The importance of the mountains of Arabia is also known in the founding of one of the largest and fastest growing religions in earth, the Islamic religion. A N EW R EVELATION FROM A RABIA Mohammed, the founder of the Islamic religion, was