— RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT —
MISTAKEN IDENTITY:
THE CASE AGAINST THE ISLAMIC ANTICHRIST

During the past ten years, the most significant variant to emerge within futurism[1] is the theory the Antichrist will be Muslim. However, Islamic Antichrist theorists assert much more than merely identifying that Islam comprises the religious background of the son of perdition – also known as the “Beast”, the “little horn”, the “king of fierce countenance”, and “the willful king” of Daniel 11. Islamic Antichrist Theory challenges most aspects of what a majority of Bible prophecy students believe about “end times”. And many aren’t aware of this fact.  That is why Mistaken Identity: The Case Against the Islamic Antichrist was written.

The Islamic Antichrist Theory (IAT) constitutes a full-fledged reset on almost all elements of Futurism. IAT deconstructs who the Antichrist is, where his powerbase will be, what city he will establish as his capital, his relationship to “Mystery Babylon”, and whether or not he is one and the same as the Mahdi or the Dajjāl (the “Dark Messiah” of Muslim eschatology – Al-Masīḥ ad- Dajjāl). IAT conflates the wars of the last days and the key personages of Gog and Antichrist. It also reduces the scope of Last Days’ events to just the Middle East.

Two principal authors and lecturers have popularized this dramatically revamped prophetic scenario. One is Joel Richardson, the author of the best-selling book The Islamic Antichrist (2009).[2] The other is his former colleague, co-author and self-proclaimed (one-time) Palestinian terrorist Walid Shoebat (before the alliance with Richardson, Shoebat was the author of Why We Want to Kill You – 2006).

Richardson and Shoebat have written other books separately and one together in 2008 (God’s War on Terror: Islam Prophecy and the Bible). They speak frequently at conferences, are active bloggers and publish numerous articles. World Net Daily’s Joe Farah published The Islamic Antichrist and has been a strong advocate of Richardson. Likewise, Shoebat has also had important benefactors having spoken at many conferences produced by others, in particular those hosted by the venerable Chuck Missler.

Both Shoebat and Richardson have made appearances on popular TV programs like Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural.

Because he is so highly regarded, Missler’s endorsement has carried considerable weight with eschatology students. And he has taken up the subject himself, reckoning someone from Middle Eastern descent may in fact fulfill prophecies concerning the Antichrist. (See Chuck Missler’s DVD, Antichrist: The Alternate Ending, 2006). Additionally, Missler’s endorsement adorns the cover of one of Richardson’s most recent books, Mideast Beast (2012). Exactly how much of the Islamic Antichrist Theory Missler supports is not clear, but given it contradicts many points he has asserted in the past, it’s likely he does not agree with every aspect of the position.

While it is doubtful that they see eye-to-eye on all topics, Shoebat and Richardson hold to the same essential assertions about the Muslim Antichrist.   In this book I will address IAT as a single theory propounded by multiple spokespersons. On occasion, however, I will clarify if only one person appears to hold to a specific element of the Theory.

I also have written on several facets of the Islamic Antichrist Theory (IAT) in my previous full-size book, The Next Great War in the Middle East: Russia Prepares to Fulfill the Prophecy of Gog and Magog (January 2016, 272 pages). This Quick Study Book™ “stands on its own”; nevertheless, it supplements the aforementioned prequel by focusing on several deeper elements of IAT.

Why did I do this? After interacting with many eschatology enthusiasts on social media over the last few months, I grew convinced it was necessary to dive deep into the subject matter and present additional analyses since so many have been persuaded by Islamic Antichrist Theory, which (from my viewpoint) errs on a number of crucial issues as hinted at above (and to be discussed in detail later). But to elaborate as introduction here, IAT contends there is:

(1) No distinction exists between the Antichrist and the infamous person we know as Gog identified in Ezekiel 38-39, leader of a massive confederation attacking Israel.

(2) No distinction exists between the War of Gog and Magog and the War (or campaign) of Armageddon. Richardson and Shoebat argue only one “last days” lies war ahead conflating Gog/Magog with Armageddon. No Psalm 83 war will occur.

(3) A limited geographical scope in which end times’ prophecy occurs. Since I assert God judges the United States prior to end of the Tribulation, possibly when the War of Gog/Magog begins, reducing the scope of end times’ prophecy to regional wars amounts to no small thing.[3]

Therefore, this book and its prequel were written to take issue with this widespread but incongruent view, that misinterprets the nature of Antichrist, his religious “affiliation”, and the events occurring in the last days leading up to the return of Jesus Christ and the Millennium that follows.

Why this matters: students of Bible prophecy should care a great deal about this subject because so many truths about eschatology to which believers have held for so long have been forsaken by many and especially those that are new to the study of Bible prophecy. What you have believed has been rejected and replaced by new ideas.

Additionally, because Islamic Antichrist Theory sees Islam as the final world religion and the religion of the Antichrist, Christians may come to an erroneous fear and loathing of Islam. Make no mistake: fanatical Islam is dangerous. And any religion that denies the Father and the Son is a religion whose spirit is Antichrist. (1 John 2:22) However, this is not the same as saying that Antichrist is Islamic – or that all Muslims are of Antichrist. This distinction must be made lest as Christians we wrongly accuse good people of evil, when in many cases their fault lies only in not yet understanding and professing faith in the true God and who He actually is – as made known to us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

NOTES

[1] Futurism constitutes a popular belief among most evangelical Bible prophecy scholars and students. Futurism contends that almost half of the Bible’s prophecies await future fulfillment. These “yet to be fulfilled” prophecies are almost entirely connected to the Second Advent of Christ aka the Apocalypse (and popularly known as “Armageddon”).

[2] I presume this book published by WND Books is a reworked version of Joel’s earlier 2006 book, Antichrist: Islam’s Awaited Messiah.

[3] Shoebat denies that he has reduced the scope of end time’s prophecy to a regional matter. I believe the particulars of his argument as well as the effective impact of his teaching, testifies otherwise.