Jerusalem as an Apocalyptic

Trigger for Radical Islam

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran established in the most dramatic fashion a direct connection between radical Islam’s apocalyptic outlook and the future of Jerusalem. Facing a UN Security Council deadline for answering the demands of the international community that Iran freeze the production of enriched uranium, Ahmadinejad’s government stated that it would give its answer on August 22, 2006. That day corresponded to the twenty seventh of the month of Rajab, according to the Muslim calendar. In Islamic tradition, that was the date when Muhammad flew on a winged horse-like-beast, al-Buraq, from Mecca to Jerusalem and ascended to heaven.

Ahmadinejad has been associated with a radical apocalyptic movement known as Iranian Shiism known as the Hojjatieh Mahdavieh Society. Mainstream Shiites believe in the eventual return of the Twelfth Imam, who is a direct descendant of Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali, and whose family is viewed by Shiites as the only appropriated successors to Muhammad. The Twelfth Imam went into what the Shiites call the “lesser occulation” in the year 874 by which he became invisible and communicated with the outside world through special agents until 940, when the “greater occulation” began and his communication with his followers ended; the Twelfth Imam is expected to return as the Mahdi (“the rightly guided one”). This event is expected to usher in a new messianic-like era of global order and justice for Shiites in which Islam will be victorious. The Shiite Mahdi is also supposed to “take vengeance on the enemies of God,” although his arrival is an end of time concept for the distant future.[1]

The Hojjatieh, which started out in 1953 as a movement against the Bahai faith, believe that the timing of this historical process is not pre-determined; it can be hastened through apocalyptic chaos and violence. And Ahmadinejad has openly stated, “Our revolution’s main mission is to pave the way for the reappearance of the Twelfth Imam, the Mahdi.” One Western reporter conveyed that Ahmadinejad may have told his cabinet that the Mahdi will arrive within the next two years. From his statements it is clear that the Iranian president sees that it within man’s power to facilitate this process of the end of days. But how exactly is the Mahdi’s arrival to be accelerated?

For Ahmadinejad, the destruction of Israel is one of the key global developments that will trigger the appearance of the Mahdi. It was on Iran’s annual “Jerusalem Day” on October 26, 2005, that Ahmadinejad made his famous reference to the need to “wipe Israel off the map.” What did not receive the same attention was another part of his speech in which he said, “We are now in the process of an historical war between the World of Arrogance {i.e. the West} and the Islamic world.” He then added that a world without America and Zionism is attainable.” Thus Ahmadinejad was talking about war against the U.S. and its Western allies.

A month earlier, in his first UN General Assembly address, Ahmadinejad closed with a prayer that the Mahdi’s arrival be quickened, “Oh mighty Lord, I pray to you to hasten the emergence of your last repository, the promised one.” He was recorded saying that a member of his delegation noticed that he was surrounded by an aura of light during the twenty seven to twenty eight minutes that he spoke, which he admitted to have felt himself. Ahmadinejad shows all the signs of not only using apocalyptic language, but also believing that he has a personal role in bringing the end times about.

But what was the connection between Jerusalem and Ahmadinejad’s planned final battle? Dr. Bilal Na’im served as an assistant to the head of the Executive Council of Hezbollah, the Iranian-controlled Lebanese Shiite terrorist organization. In an essay discussing the details of how the Mahdi is supposed to appear before the world, according to Shiite doctrine, he states that initially the Mahdi reveals himself in Mecca “and he will lean on the Ka’abah and view the arrival of his supporters from around the world.”

From Mecca the Mahdi next moves to Karbala in Iraq. But his most important destination, in Na’im’s description, is clearly Jerusalem. It is in Jerusalem from where the launching of the Mahdi’s world conquest is declared. He explains, “The liberation of Jerusalem is the preface for liberating the world and establishing the state of justice and values on earth.”[2] In short, Jerusalem serves as the launching pad for the Mahdi’s global jihad at the end of days.

The above article is taken from Dore Gold’s book, “The Fight for Jerusalem,” cp. 8, pp. 231-233.

The Twelfth Imam or Mahdi will be the Antichrist, and the “Jesus” of Islam (not of the Bible) will be the false prophet as revealed in the Book of the Revelation (Revelation 13). The devil has done a good job of deception by raising up radical Islam to try and keep Jesus Christ from returning to Jerusalem, “the city of the great King,” (Matthew 5:35), and so fulfilling Matthew 23:39 “For I tell you, you will not see me again until you (Jewish leadership) say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Why does Satan not want Jesus to be welcomed back to Jerusalem by the Jewish leadership? Because when Jesus returns victoriously to Jerusalem at the end of the age, the devil will be bound for one thousand years (Revelation 20), and he doesn’t want to be bound! In short, Islam’s desire for Jerusalem is none other than the devil’s attempt to try and not be bound. But He will be bound nonetheless when Jesus destroys his army and then casts the Antichrist and false prophet into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:11-21).

In the coming weeks at Warrior Assembly of God, I will be preaching and teaching on God’s heart and plan for Jerusalem. Also, I will be posting some of these messages on my blog: warriorprophet.blogspot.com. My desire is to help as many people as possible to understand the end times and the importance of Jerusalem to those plans. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may those who love you be secure” (Psalm 122:6). Shalom

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[1] “Hidden Imam” in Cyril Glasse, The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam (London: Stacey International, 1991), 155

[2] http://albehari.tripod.com/quds4.htm (simply translate into English or other languages from your computer)