Unleashing the Beast

R EVELATIONS IN THE A RABIAN D ESERT / 83

from heaven and creating an image (icon) that will speak and live, will add to the deception (Revelation 13:11-16). 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 (v. 15). If Muslims believe that both the Mahdi and Jesus will appear together in Jerusalem, kill the swine (the Jews), destroy the Cross (Christianity), and convert the world to Islam, then one can understand the meaning of John's vision in Revelation 13. The beast rising out of the sea is the Antichrist, the coming Islamic "savior," and the false prophet will proclaim himself as Jesus by performing (Satanic) miracles to convince an already deceived humanity that He (Christ) has returned to earth to announce the truth! This is why Paul warned about the Antichrist (the man of sin) and of the great deception through satanic miracles. "Strong delusion" will cause people to "believe a lie" and be condemned (2 Thessalonians 2:11, 12). The amazing miracles of the false prophet will mesmerize the masses into following the Beast and joining his kingdom. Since Muslims do not believe Christ was crucified, the false prophet has no need of producing scars in his hands or his side the way Christ did after His resurrection (John 20:27). Muslims did not get their traditions of the Mahdi or the return of Jesus from the Biblical prophets. In fact, when I