“…then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).The depth of spiritual darkness that has arisen on the earth today no one with the inner light of God has ever seen before (not since the darkness of the Middle Ages). There is little doubt the world has fallen into chaos and through advanced technology evil has increased rapidly. It seems satan has captured the hearts and minds of multitudes and now holds them hostage. Unless extreme Islamic militants such as ISIS and ISIL see the light of Jesus Christ, through the mercy of One True God of Israel, the blood-thirsty spirit of death, with its obsession to kill anyone who challenges it, will continue to stalk the earth. The rallying cry, always shrill, and always shouted in chorus has decreed all Christians and Jews must die unless they bow to Allah.
The beheading of Jews and Christians by Islamic terrorists is a form of punishment for all who do not convert to Islam and will likely be the form of execution of all who stay faithful to God and the Lord Jesus (Yeshua) in these latter times.
Sanctification of God’s Name
In Revelation the Apostle John saw those who gave up their lives by being beheaded for their faith. Those who did not worship the beast reigned with Yeshua for 1000 years on the earth. They paid the ultimate price—but they proved their allegiance to Yeshua (Jesus) when confronted with the choice of either bowing to a false god or remaining true to the One True God and Messiah. They constitute the “martyrs” in this prophetic book. I saw thrones…and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the Word of God” (Revelation 20:4).
In Greek, the word “martus” means to “bear witness” – even if it leads to death in order to follow the truth. In Hebrew, the word for martyr is associated with “Kiddush Hashem” meaning “sanctification of God’s Name.” Judaism has itself been a religion of “martyrdom” and it was this Jewish characteristic that inspired Christian martyrdom. Both are saying “If we have to die for the truth, then we will die for the truth!
Those who follow Islam, sadly, despise the authority of Israel’s God at the highest level. Each time Islamic terrorists kill, they satisfy their god by bowing to his demands of bloodshed. Today, the universal Jihadist rallying cry is “We love death”. It carries an explicitly sacred love of death. I can tell you that Israelis love life! One kingdom loves death and the other kingdom loves life!
“Somewhat like war, Islamic terrorism is founded upon assorted fantasies of redemption through sacrifice…”Jerusalem needs sacrifices and blood”…the promised reward for those who would sacrifice everything for jihad is salvation…says Sura 2:154 “Do not think that those who are killed in the way of Allah are dead, for indeed they are alive, even though you are not aware”…for the dar al-Islam (world of Islam) and the dar al-harb (world of war), acts of terror against unbelievers have long been taken as an exemplary expression of sacredness…they say the dead shall not rise, unti the Palestinians shall kill all the Jews…the planned Islamic war against Israel is conceived as a distinctly “final solutioin” for “the Jews”…suicide against Jews represents…a divinely mandated road to salvation that reward doubly…killing Jews offers the optimal immunization against personal death…for Hamas, Fatah, and other Jihadist fighters, the terror-based struggle…has been about God and about immortality…for Jihadists, the ethos of redemption through sacrifice remains an immutably core pillar of both individual and collective Islamic existence…”. (Professor Louis Rene Beres, Unity Coalition for Israel, 12/5/2014). The only problem: they are slaves to a god of death and do not know it.
As barbaric as it may be, decapitation began under the prophet Muhammad as he entered Mecca with his army. He called to his warriors: “Do you see the soldiers?…Go and slaughter them.” The Arabic word for slaughter is “thabih” and presents the picture of a farmer harvesting his crop with a scythe. In other words, Muhammad gave the directive, ‘Cut their heads from their bodies as you would cut fruit from the branch of a tree.’ The Lord Jesus said, “… all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).We must stand up to evil, but do so wisely, resisting in such a way that we do not become evil in the process.
What Is An Islamic Caliphate?
Christians are asking the above question. The world Caliphate comes from the Arabic word “Khalifut”...which means something has been exchanged or replaced. An Islamic kingdom is ruled by a Caliph, a supreme religious leader. In this case, the newly formed Islamic Caliphate has one driving desire: to attempt to replace the true Universal Kingdom of the one True God – to do that they must get rid of the Jews! This kingdom of darkness has been revived from the slumber of centuries, and is presently galloping across the earth at an accelerated pace. A kingdom has arisen against God’s Coming Kingdom—another sign of the end times.
We watch as nations sharpen their swords to use against one another while ethnic upheavels stir up the spirit of lawlessness, but when kingdoms (Hebrew: mamlakah) clash in violent confrontation it’s a dominion issue…kingdom usurpers who are thirsty for power through shedding blood.
It could put fear in one’s heart. As a child, one night I saw a bright light outside my bedroom window. I was full of fear and didn’t know what to do but I dropped to my knees and prayed to God. I know now it must have been the Aurora Borealis with its colored lights seen in the skies in the north but I did not know what this great light was at the time. We can follow end time developments with fearful hearts or we can fall to our knees in prayer and ask God to protect us from the evil that has been unleashed. Jesus said “Lo, I am with you even until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He will be with us.
The coming not-so-distant battles will be over the Land of Israel and Jerusalem. This tiny nation sticks like a “bone in the throat” of Islam. Its existence simply makes fanatic Moslems “choke.” Their plan is to conquer the entire Middle East for the sake of Allah and then rule the whole world. “…radical Islam is a threat to our common civilization…it worships tyranny and terror. They seek to impose a new dark age on humanity.” Benjamin Netanyahu. One can’t help but wonder how it is that thousands of deceived young men and women from civilized nations join movements such as ISIS, ISIL and Hamas (the Hebrew word for violence). They appear to be “drawn” by an enticing spirit which lures them. Jesus said, “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:11).
A Breakthrough in the Darkness
In the midst of the recent conflict in Gaza, a force of IDF soldiers went into a mosque looking for weapons, explosives and rockets, and encountered a female suicide bomber who was about to detonate the belt she wore. One of the Israeli soldiers instinctively recited the opening words of the holiest Jewish prayer “Shema Yisrael!” The female suicide bomber hesitated and began trembling, giving the soldiers a chance to grab her and disable the device.An investigation uncovered that the female suicide bomber was a Jew who had married a Palestinian in Israel and, after the wedding, was smuggled against her will into Gaza. There she lived a life filled with abuse and humiliation and was basically a captive. An Israeli armored force went in to Gaza and rescued her two small children.” (8/14, Breitbart News, www.breitbart.com). What a testimony to the God of Israel and His ability to break through the darkness of the life of this female suicide bomber.
The followers of Mohammed claim Islam is greater than Judaism and Christianity and that it has replaced both communities of faith. The symbol on the Islamic flag is a crescent moon and the cry of Islam while waving it proudly is: “Allah hu Akbar” meaning “Allah is Great”…it is literally a war cry of frenzied spirits in hot pursuit of a kingdom! The seizing of that which belongs to Almighty God is the supreme goal which drives them.
It is important to note, that Lucifer (“satan” in Hebrew) means chief adversary of God who rules much of mankind, holds many captive in his grip. Let us never forget he desires to sit in the Supreme Seat of Authority (Hebrew “Kisseh”) the seat of royal honor which belongs to God Almighty alone. Once cast out of Heaven because of rebellion, his goal has always been to set up his kingdom on earth among men. “How are you fallen from heaven, o Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground…which did weaken the nations…for you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14).This is the same Lucifer who today fills the earth with terror, and shakes kingdoms. The good news is that this darkest of angels will, in the end, be destroyed by God (Revelation 20:7-10).
At the time of this writing, ISIS and ISIL continue on a destructive path. However, as we turn to the Book of Psalms, we find God chuckling. Perhaps we think God is breaking His own code of behavior by laughing at His enemies who come against His People but the Word clearly states: “He Who dwells in Heaven laughs; the Lord mocks them”…the Lord treats them with contempt and scorn...” (Psalm 2:1-4). It is almost as if He is amused at the plans these barbarians are making. God knows He is the All Powerful and Almighty One and He knows the schemes and plans of the darkest of kingdoms. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He knows their ultimate goal is to conquer His People, Land and City, Jerusalem, but He has put His Name there forever. Even if the words inscribed on the ISIS flag translate into “There is no god but Allah, Mohammad is the messenger of Allah”—it does not change the fact that it is the God of Israel who ultimately will rule from Jerusalem!
What is ISIS?
The prophet Jeremiah talks about a wicked and evil people coming against Israel in the latter days: “And I will make you (Israel) to this people (these evil ones) a fortified bronze wall; and they (perhaps ISIS or ISIL) will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you,” says the Lord. I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible” (Jeremiah 15:20-21).
According to a former Moslem, who became a Christian, Shariah law is the worldwide aim of ISIS. Shariah law, a 1000-year-old-doctrine, is not a political ideology. It is based upon a false spiritual trinity…a counterfeit of the real one. ISIL means the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The Levant includes Lebanon to Israel’s north plus Israel and all lands in the eastern Mediterranean area. Both ISIS and ISIL stand for violence and barbarianism. Yes, the prophet Daniel saw in his vision that a people of fierce countenances, who spoke in dark sentences, would arise! (The Hebrew word for fierce is akzar which means cruel and barbarous). A report during the Gaza Conflict stated that some people in Gaza could not recognize what the terrorists around them were saying…they spoke in “dark sentences.” We may be literally witnessing the very movements that will form the kingdom of the anti-christ, a leader who will pledge to usher in an era of peace.
Lance Lambert once said, “If”the antichrist is standing in the offing…the stage is set to receive a false messiah. This way of thinking is already in the world. He also said “If” Obama’s name really means “the blessing of Hussein” and in Persian “obama” translates, “He is with us”…(we know we have a counterfeit)…” Lance also spoke about a 7th-century figure central to Shiite Islam, the sect that rules Iran, which predicted what the world would be like in the last days. A tall black man commanding a strong army will take power in the west. He would carry a clear sign for the 3rd Imam—Hussein. I am not saying Obama is that man (and neither is Lance Lambert) but it gives us food to chew on.
Let’s look at the word Hamas. Theoriginal Hebrew word is pronounced “chamas” with a “kh” sound at the beginning. Today…according to the Hebrew Lexicon, the Arabic cognate means “warlike…and violent.” One day Isaiah says “Violence (hamas) shall no more be heard in thy Land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but you shall call your walls salvation, and your gates Praise” (Isaiah 60:18). Israeli armed forces are preparing now for another fierce onslaught of rockets from the north especially since the bombing of terror targets in Syria and with the discovery of more tunnel systems than in Gaza, much prayer is going to be needed. The sounds of a far greater war than the conflict in Gaza may be just over the horizon.
As much as the enemies of Israel are driven by evil and darkness, we need to pray that souls will be freed from chains of satanic strongholds. For any of us to say that a man or woman is too far gone to be brought to repentance is to judge wrongly. God is still stronger than any evil grip. Eyes can be opened to truth and chains of bondage broken. Some of the testimonies I’ve heard of on the Internet and read in books written by former Muslims, testify to the power of God to break deception over the hardest of men who had become monsters. Replacement Theology, another more subtle deception, says that God has abandoned Israel and replaced it with the Church. Islam says both Israel and the Church are to be replaced. We have a lot of praying to do for end time miracles and the saving of captive souls.
The Final Battle will be when Israel’s enemies come thundering toward Israel in the latter days —kingdom against kingdom— we need to cling to the Rock that never moves – the Rock of Ages, the cornerstone of the Coming Kingdom…but beware of deception!
To an alarming degree, deceptive teachings, such as Chrislam, have entered many churches in the west. Darkness has been invited into places of light. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, has recently spoken loudly against those who are opening their doors to Chrislam mixing a false religion that worships another god with Jesus Christ, the True Way. When Chrislam was formed, the alliance of Church and Islam polluted our holy places. From the Church’s point of view it is under the guise of “reaching out,” but a lack of understanding the Islamic mind creates a very naïve Christian understanding of Islam.
Recently, in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., a Moslem prayer service took place in a Church! The sanctuary was filled with followers of a kingdom of darkness bowing the opposite direction of the Kingdom of the Cross. The “Church” had welcomed the Islamic worshippers through “outreach”. As a distraught Christian woman called out, “Jesus Christ is Lord” she was ushered out and the service continued. This is pure spiritual deception. Is anyone questioning “What fellowship does light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). “Let no man deceive you…for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Yes, kingdom against kingdom are on a collision course, but “keep the faith.” We know who wins!
By Sharon Sanders