Worldwide Catastrophes, Part 1

Worldwide catastrophes will be plentiful in the end times. The “Big Bang” is a term secular scientists use to describe the beginning of the world, yet according to the Bible, the phrase more aptly describes the end of it.



Earthquakes
The Bible foretells that in the end times earthquakes will increase. Jesus himself is among those who taught this forthcoming reality, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,” said Jesus. “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places” (Matt. 24:7; cf. Mark 13:8, Luke 21:11).

The prophecy regarding an increase of earthquakes is often uttered in the church today. The statements are, in fact, so plentiful that the Unites States Geological Survey addresses the the topic in its Frequently Asked Questions portion of its website. The information it reports is contrary to the teaching of some popular Christian teachers,

“Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records, have actually seemed to decrease in recent years.”

Typically, this is where a Christian with passable researching skills offers a retort or two. Not this time.

The evidence suggests the USGA is right. While the number of earthquakes being detected as increased due to technological advances in seismography, and the reporting on earthquakes has increased due to the internet and twenty-four hour news channels, and the number of death have increased due to population growth, there is no reliable data that suggests earthquakes themselves are increasing.

This is the conclusion non-Christian scientists have reached, as well as Christians who have done more study on the topic than to just restate an over-uttered and under-sourced teaching.

A Reputable Study
Two evangelical Christian scholars, Steven Austin, Chairman of the Geology Department at the Institute for Creation Research, and Mark Strauss, Associate Professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary, decided to research the often restated "fact" that earthquakes are increasing.

Austin and Strauss discovered that the claims some popular Christian teachers make regarding the increase of earthquakes were unsubstantiated, or in their words, the statements had "slipshod documentation". The claims were either without citation, or the source they cited did not suggest their conclusion.

They summarize,

“We believe the public perception and media characterization promotes the self-sustaining ‘urban legend’ even among the Christian Church.”

It is not being suggested these well-respected Christian teachers are intentionally misleading people, nevertheless they are guilty of, to coin a phrase, geological gossip. Biblical teaching, and the research that serves it, must be held to the highest standard with no exceptions. God's Word deserves our best, as do those who have not responded to the gospel message.

Conclusions
It is important that Christians - particularly those interested in prophecy - not manipulate data to created a desired conclusion. While an increase of earthquakes would generate much excitement, it would be detrimental to our credibility to maintain invalidated conclusions.

There is a saying among preachers that our messages must be evangelistic, not evangelastic. That means it is not appropriate to "stretch" stories and data to make them more exciting and powerful. What God is doing in the world is sufficient; He does not need our imagination to help His message. A tempered approach is best as that will help others be persuaded of our message when the people and events in our world fulfill the Bible's teaching about the future.

Integrity comes first.

The reality that earthquakes are not increasing is not reason for alarm. It also does not mean that the end is further away than once thought. It means that while other signs are occurring right now, this one is not yet. There is no requirement that all signs begin at the same time or accelerate at the same rate.

When the people and events of our world testify to what the Bible foretold long ago, it's thrilling to witness. Yet, it must be remembered that human excitement is not the objective. Jesus told his followers to keep watch (Matt. 24:42) and be ready (Matt. 24:44). Implicit in those instructions is that while signs will be observable, the component of waiting is inescapable.

Ecclesiastes 7:8, “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”


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The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Part 4

The judgment conveyed through the fourth horseman of the apocalypse is staggering. This rider combines the worst of the previous three, and then exceeds them.

John writes, “When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:7-8).

The word “pale” can also be translated “ashen” (e.g. NAU) and “pale green” (e.g. NLT). English derives the word “chlorophyll,” a green plant pigment, from the Greek word John uses. The description is intended to reflect the pasty appearance of a corpse.

The pale rider is allowed to kill via the sword, like the second horseman, and through famine, like the third horseman. Plagues will accompany him as well, a reality that coincides with a prophecy Jesus spoke about the last days, “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences [or plagues] in various places” (Luke 21:11).

Furthermore, human deaths attributable to animal attacks (i.e. “wild beasts) will be plentiful. In imagery similar to John’s, Moses also teaches that death from animals is a method of divine judgment,

“I will send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and deadly plague; I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts, the venom of vipers that glide in the dust” (Deuteronomy 32:24).

This manner of judgment may appear unusual, but God using His creation to punish wickedness is a Bible-wide theme. Examples of major instance of this method include the global flood in Noah’s day and the ten plagues against the Egyptian Pharaoh in Moses' day.

The aftermath of the pale rider is astounding: 25% of the world’s population will be killed. In today’s world, that would amount to over 1.5 billion casualties. Hence, it’s fitting that the rider’s name is Death. In addition, John reports that his follower is called “Hades,” a word meaning “the place of the dead.”

This twosome, therefore, takes lives from the earth and sends them to their eternal dwelling place.

The Pale Rider Is Coming
Because the individuals and events for which the four horseman stands arrive consecutively on the earth, and the last rider contains within it the judgments of the previous three, the signs that point to his coming are included in those discussions (i.e. Parts 1-3 of this series).

(Special Note: The worldwide catastrophes included in John’s description of the fourth rider, famine and plague, along with other natural disasters, will be the subject of the next series on The Omega Observer. Check back next week for the first installment.)

The pale rider informs that the world is going to get worse before it gets better. The idealist who imagines that the world is slowly evolving toward a utopian existence stands in contrast with the Bible’s prophecies.

Those who question, “Why will God let this happen?” must remember that He has provided a way out of all judgment: the cross of Christ.

Consider that with Bible prophecy, God has pulled back the curtain on the future, in part, to deter people from choosing the Christ-less, life-less road that leads to desctruction.

Billy Graham summarizes,

“The fourth horseman, Death and Hades, rides across our horizons even while you read this page. How will you respond? Will you hear the hoofbeats in time? Will you vote for life or will you give in to death? The pale horse and its riders are God’s warning to you, to give your life to Christ – and then to give your life to help others spiritually and physically.” (Approaching Hoofbeats, p. 206)

Sin will be judged. The degree to which it will be judged demonstrates that God is not indifferent to it. He hates sin and will one day purge the earth of it. Death is the consequence of sin for all (cf. Rom. 6:23). Life is the invitation of Christ for all (cf. John 10:10).

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The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Part 3

In the third installment of a four-part series on the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the black rider will be discussed. The events for which the black horse stands follow the person of the first rider, the Antichrist (see Part 1), and the events of the second rider, warfare (see Part 2).

John writes, “When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come!’ I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!’” (Revelation 6:5-6)

In apocalyptic literature, black insinuates famine, perhaps with the subtext of mourning (cf. Jer. 4:28). Like the red horseman, the object the black horseman possesses is telling. He is holding scales (more precisely a “yoke”), a measuring device used to weigh food allotments.

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This imagery indicates a time of global rationing.

The cause and affect relationship of the riders is important. The first horseman champions a false peace that consolidates economic and commercial power into his custody. The second horseman deepens the world’s dependence upon the first rider through extraordinary violence. The third horseman reveals the outcome of it all: survivors will be subjected to the Evil Pseudo-Sovereign resulting in an unprecedented world-wide food crisis.

Unlike the first and second riders, a voice from heaven accompanies the arrival of the third, supplying the reader with important information. In three descriptions, the gravity of the forthcoming food shortage is revealed.

(1) “A quart of wheat for a day's wages”

The word rendered “a day’s wages,” is the Greek word denarius, which is a Roman silver coin. Traditionally, the word is translated “penny” (e.g. KJV) or “shilling” (e.g. ASV). A denarius was the average daily pay for soldiers and field workers.

In the first century, a quart of wheat amounts to one day’s food supply. Converted into modern-day figures, the implied inflation is exceptional. To illustrate, the average salary in the United States is approximately $47,000 a year, making $187 an average day’s wage, which is what John reports one day’s supply of food will cost.

In the U.S. in 2008, the average cost of essentials such as a carton of eggs is $2.17 (Washington Post), and of a gallon on milk is $3.72 (CNN). But John is not saying one day’s wage is what a carton of eggs or a gallon of milk will cost, but one day’s serving of each.

Therefore, it would be more accurate to consider the price per egg, which is 18 cents, and the cost of milk per cup, which is about 23 cents. These are the quantities that will cost a day’s wage, which is in modern-day figures amounts to more than $62 a “meal” assuming there will be three rations of essential foods per day.

(2) “Three quarts of barley for a day's wages”

This phrase explains that the famine will lower consumption standards. In ancient times, barley, being low in nutrition, was fed to horses (cf. 1 Kings 4:8). It was also the food eaten in poor districts (cf. Ruth 2:17). Used figuratively in the Bible, eating barley reflects a poor life (cf. Judg. 7:13).

The voice from heaven informs that survival will be the objective during the time of the third rider, not flavor or taste.

(3) “Do not damage the oil and the wine!”

Oil and wine were fundamental to the first-century diet. That they will be adamantly protected suggests that basics will become luxuries.

The Black Rider Today
To be more precise, in economic terms, the black rider brings hyperinflation, which is characterized by rapidly accelerating price increases. History reveals that hyperinflation has three primary causes: social upheaval, economic depression, and the aftermath of warfare. (Hyperinflation occurred in parts of the U.S. during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.)

Present-day calamities are no less than forerunners of the black horse. They surely offer a peek of what is to come on a grander scale. Moreover, it’s probable that food crises today, which have intensified in the last five years, may be, in part, preparing the global environment for the third rider of the apocalypse.

Rising fuel prices, natural disasters, and warfare are largely responsible for the increasing cost of food today. Since 2004, the price of a bushel of wheat in the U.S. has jumped 212%, and a bushel of corn 109% (World Magazine). The challenge, though, is not confined to the U.S.

In recent months, food shortages have been the reason behind riots in countries such as Somalia, Mongolia, Haiti, and Egypt. Protests have occurred in Mexico, Argentina, and Afghanistan. Some march to capitol buildings to voice complaints; others block major roadways to draw attention to their cause.

No continent is immune from the challenge. Australia’s rice crop has been reduced by 98% in the last six years. Fearing shortages, countries such as India and Vietnam have stopped exporting rice. Myanmar, the world’s leading exporter of rice, has tripled the price in the last four months (Newsweek).

China’s middle class is expected to grow by 600 million people in the next decade. India’s growth rate is close behind. Other nations around the world will deal with over-population in the next quarter century as well.

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With increased demand and decreased supply, prices will continue to accelerate. If food shortages are a part of our world today, what will happen in the next few decades when the world’s population grows by a billion people?

The black horse of the apocalypse may help to answer that question.

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The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Part 2

In the second of a four-part series on the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the meaning and significance of the red horse will be discussed.

As was explained in Part 1, two points must be noted about the apocalyptic literary genre as it relates to the passage. (1) John intends readers to identify the horsemen as metaphors of future individuals and events, and (2) the symbolic use of the number four, which is likely an allusion to the four points of a compass, often conveys a global scope.

In Revelation 6:3-4 John writes, “When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, ‘Come!’ 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.”

What Is the Red Horse?
In the apocalyptic genre, red indicates bloodshed. The word is literally “flame-colored,” as there is a pointed intensity to the hue. The KJV’s “bright red” is a satisfactory translation; the NIV’s “fiery red” is better.

Whereas the rider of the white horse is responsible for world-wide peace (albeit a short-lived and counterfeit one), the red horse is responsible for stealing it away. Despite the opposite outcomes, the riders are not in opposition to each other; rather, each is performing a different act in their master’s drama.

John reports that people will “slay each other.” This conveys that all kinds of warfare will be plentiful in the end such as civil wars, those between nations, those between civilizations, and those between religions. Jesus similarly prophesied about the last days,

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matt. 24:6-7a).”

The word John uses for the rider’s sword describes a small-bladed weapon that was often sheathed at the soldier’s waist. Soldiers used these swords because they were easy to maneuver as it weighed less than its longer, broader alternative.

At first it may seem contradictory for John to speak of a “large” (the Greek word is “mega”) weapon that is light-weight and short-bladed. However, John is not saying the blade itself is large, but its destructive results are. That he chose the smaller weapon in the imagery may reveal the warfare will be swift and characterized by chaos as opposed to measured combat. Whatever it’s tactical execution, the results of the warfare will be colossal.

The Red Horse Today
When discussing the second rider of the apocalypse in relation to current events, the discourse centers upon nuclear weapons because they are the most powerful arms in existence. It has been suggested that the prophecy could not be fulfilled prior to the 20th century’s invention and proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Strengthening this assertion is that much of the development of nuclear weapons has taken place in recent history. Uranium, the main fuel used in nuclear reactors, was only discovered in 1789 and its radioactive properties were first demonstrated in 1896. Then, in the 1930’s, German scientists realized that the fission of uranium could be used to develop an extremely powerful and explosive weapon.

The United States commissioned the Manhattan Project in the 1940’s, which was the first to develop and test nuclear weapons. And the first was used in warfare in 1945 when the United States dropped one on an enemy position in Hiroshima, Japan.

Modern nukes contain several million tons of TNT and are 8 to 40 times more explosive than those the United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Their enhanced capabilities have not, though, slowed build up. Nations around the world are at various stages of nuclear weapon development.

According to the Associated Press, the list of countries with confirmed nuclear weapons programs include: the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China, Pakistan, India, and North Korea. The countries with alleged nuclear weapons programs are Iran and Syria.

There are also a number of countries who have previously had nuclear weapons including Iraq, South Korea, and Libya. Also, three former Soviet nations inherited nuclear weapons, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, but do not have them anymore. South Africa is the only country known to have built, and then given up, nuclear weapons.

The one country whose nuclear weapons capability is undeclared is Israel, though, when Jimmy Carter returned from his Teatime with the Terrorists in the spring of 2008, he made known that Israel had 150 nuclear weapons. It is not known how accurate his count is.

(Special Note: What is known is that it’s bad foreign policy for rogue peanut farmers to meet with sworn enemies of their nation and its allies, and then let slip confidential figures concerning nation security. That kind of instinct cannot be taught. What it can do is guarantee one term in the White House.)

Regrettably, it’s not just peace-loving democracies that are stockpiling nuclear weapons. A story emerged last month that suggests parts for nuclear weapons may be in dangerous hands,

“An international smuggling ring that sold bomb-related parts to Libya, Iran and North Korea also managed to acquire blueprints for an advanced nuclear weapon, according to a draft report by a former top U.N. arms inspector that suggests the plans could have been shared secretly with any number of countries or rogue groups.

The drawings, discovered in 2006 on computers owned by Swiss businessmen, included essential details for building a compact nuclear device that could be fitted on a type of ballistic missile used by Iran and more than a dozen developing countries, the report states.” (Washington Post, June 15, 2008)

Also pertinent to this prophecy is the time it takes to make a nuclear weapon. Because the events for which the red horse stands happen at the beginning of the tribulation, the weapons would already have to be in existence to be used at the beginning of that time period.

The Red Horse Tomorrow
The disturbing capability of modern weapons is proportional to the magnitude of end times’ disasters foretold in the Bible. Furthermore, some leaders of countries that oppose the Christian faith have developed nuclear weapons; others, may have purchased parts for them on the black market.

Another one of the Bible’s prophecies is ripening. Whereas earlier in history, Bible readers could not understand the warfare generated by the red horse as anything other than figurative hyperbole, the means have been invented to fulfill John’s prophecy with precision.



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The 4 Horseman of the Apocalypse, Part 1

The four horsemen of the apocalypse, which John writes about in the sixth chapter of Revelation, generate great interest and great confusion. For instance, the front-page headline of a tabloid newspaper reported, “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Stop and Ask for Directions in Paris!”

To understand that the End Times’ Equestrians are trotting mapless around France, which of course is to misunderstand them, is to be in the dark about important prophecies concerning the last days.

In the first of a four-part series on Revelation’s Riders and current events, the meaning and significance of the white horse will be discussed.

Two points must be noted about the apocalyptic literary genre as it relates to the passage. (1) John intends readers to identify the horsemen as metaphors of future individuals and events, and (2) the symbolic use of the number four, which is likely an allusion to the four points of a compass, conveys that the prophecy is global in scope.

In Revelation 6:1-2, John writes, “I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals,” John writes, “Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’ I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.”

Who Is It?
The first horseman is not to be confused with a similar figure found in Revelation 19. There, the rider on the white horse is Jesus, and the event is his Second Coming. Here, the rider on the white horse is none other than the Antichrist, and the event is the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period.

Their resemblance reveals the character of the later. The Greek prefix “anti” not only means “opposed to,” but also “in place of.” The Antichrist desires to contest and replace Jesus. His strategy is to counterfeit Christ and present himself to the world as the real Messiah.

John writes that the rider of the white horse holds a bow, which is a common image used in apocalyptic literature to convey conquest. But what John does not mention – an arrow – is equally important when deciphering the significance of the imagery. The presence of a bow and the absence of an arrow convey the rider will bring peace to the world through non-violent means. (This peace will be short-lived, cf. Dan. 9:24-27).

The crown the rider is given describes a head wreath given to victorious athletes. This is not, though, the crown of sovereignty described elsewhere in the New Testament. This detail informs that the Antichrist will have early success, but it won’t be long-lasting, as his sovereignty, and by extension his rule, is contrived in essence and is not an attribute of his nature.

The rider's determination as “a conqueror bent on conquest” signals that the temporary peace he births will soon turn into unprecedented levels of carnage. In the passage, this leads John insto describing the red horse, warfare (the subject of next week's post). The amount of world-wide fatalities for which he’ll be responsible will be too numerous to count.

The White Horse Today

It is difficult to assess the current state of the individual atop the white horse without undertaking a larger biographical study of the Antichrist, a subject that will be saved for a future study. That does not, however, mean there is nothing to watch for in present events in relation to first rider of the apocalypse.

The prophecies concerning the Antichrist not only speak of the person, but also the environment into which he is born. Approaching the prophecy from that viewpoint begets the question: Is society at a place to tolerate and even welcome those who share characteristics the Antichrist will possess?

Consider this example from the June 23, 2004 Washington Post,

“More than a dozen lawmakers attended a congressional reception this year honoring Rev. Sun Myung Moon in which Moon declared himself the Messiah and said his teachings have helped Hitler and Stalin be ‘reborn as new person.’

At the March 23 ceremony in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) wore white gloves and carried a pillow holding an ornate crown that was placed on Moon’s head.

The Korean-born businessman and religious leader then delivered a long speech saying he was “sent to Earth…to save the world’s six billion people. Emperors, kings, presidents…have declared [to] all [the] heavens and earth that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is none other than humanity’s Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent.”

Granted this is one example. However, it must be agreed that a society that fails to vet any worldview, theistic or otherwise, for fear of being called exclusivistic, narrow-minded, or non-progressive, is one susceptible of being duped by the Antichrist, or for that matter, one of his forerunners such as Loony-Moony.

“Peace” detached from Jesus Christ is a false one, akin to lounging in the comfort provided by a first-class plane ticket, even though the airliner is smoking and spiraling to the ground.

There is one giver of true peace; the rider whose victory is not short-lived and his white horse not a costume. He is the Prince of Peace, Jesus of Nazareth (Is. 9:6; Luke 1:79).

Next week: The Red Horse

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Why Study the End Times, Part 2

Ben Patterson tells the story of an S-4 submarine that was rammed by a ship off the coast of Massachusetts. It sank immediately. The entire crew was trapped inside. Efforts were made to rescue the crew, but all failed. Near the end of the ordeal, a deep-sea diver thought he heard tapping on the walls of the submarine.

He placed his helmet against the side of the vessel. He recognized the tapping as Morse Code. He attached himself to the side of the vessel and spelled out in his mind the message being communicated from within. It was the same repeating question. “Is…there…any…hope?”

In this world, one does not have to be trapped inside a sunken submarine to share his question.

Despair in a world gone off course due to sin is commonplace. In the Old Testament, King Solomon pursued satisfaction in this world’s offerings and it plunged him into the depths of misery. He observes,

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11).

Solomon had power, wealth, and fame, and still he tapped a message of despondency, because ultimate fulfillment cannot be had in this world. To scan the horizon for the signs of which Jesus and other Bible writers foretold, is to be reminded that there’s more than this world has to offer.

Followers of Jesus study the end times to have hope.

John reminds that a time is coming when there will be no death, or mourning, or crying, or pain (Rev. 21:4). When Christians look beyond this world and bring to mind what God has ordained for the next, gloom dissipates, and is replaced by an expectancy of greater realities.

Hope is banking on the promises of God; that He will come through; that He will be true to His word; that our story – despite all appearances – ends well. Believers study the End Times because a Christian’s hope is attached to the finale.

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Heb. 6:19).

Beheadings and Bible Prophecy

In recent years, due in part to conflicts in the Middle East, beheadings have been brought into the American awareness.

On January 23, 2002, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped in Pakistan.

Amateur terrorists erroneously suspected the writer of being an operative of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. Because the U.S. failed to meet the group’s emailed demands, which included releasing all U.S.-held Pakistani prisoners, Pearl was beheaded.

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed later confessed to the killing.

The Iraq war has showcased beheadings as well. Although foreign military personnel have been among the executed, it’s civilian contractors, missionaries, and journalists that have been targeted.

To Bible readers, these killings begets the question, "What can be gleaned about these and similiar executions from the one prophetic passage in the Bible that speaks of a future time of beheadings?"

The Slain
In the book of Revelation, John writes that a time is approaching when Christ will reign on the earth for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1-6). This millennial period follows a riotous seven-year tribulation where Christians are martyred because of their refusal to engage in idolatrous worship (cf. Rev. 6:9).
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In Revelation 20:4 John reveals one manner in which they die,
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"I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
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John reports that believers are beheaded during the tribulation for not worshipping the beast (i.e. the Antichrist) or his image (perhaps idols in his likeness).
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But what insight can be gained since (a) John is reporting on the tribulation period, (b) any civilization, nation, army, or militia could easily adopt beheading as a means of execution in the future?

Because it is next to impossible to identify the culprit(s) with certainty doesn't mean the search for answers is empty. On the contrary, noting patterns and behaviors can assist the believer to keep watch and be ready.

Islamic Rule
Sharia is the sacred law of Islam. It dictates public affairs such as politics, economics, and business, as well as private matters such as family, sexuality, and hygiene. The Quran-based law commands Muslims to behead offenders.

Some “experts” chose to deny this.

While trying to defend Islam as a peaceful religion in the aftermath of television and internet images suggesting otherwise, a professor at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, told New York Newsday in July 2004, “There is absolutely nothing in Islam that justifies cutting off a person's head.”

You mean besides the Quran, professor?

Surah 8:12, “God revealed His will to the angels, saying: ‘I shall be with you. Give courage to the believers. I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels [i.e. Christians and Jews]. Strike off their heads, strike off the very tips of their fingers.’”

Surah 47:4, “When you meet the unbelievers [i.e. Christians and Jews] in the battlefield strike off their heads.”

Applying the Quran
Beheading as a form of capitol punishment is legal today in three Islamic nations: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Qatar. Only Saudi Arabia, whose entire judicial system is based on Sharia Law, performs the execution.

Creating headlines worldwide were two recent incidents. In April 2005, six Somalians were beheaded for stealing cars. In February 2007, four Sri Lankans were beheaded for armed robbery. Beheadings are done in a mosque after Friday prayer. They are open to the public.

Other Islamic groups, although not state-sponsored, are also obedient to the Quran’s instructions.

• During the Bosnian civil war in the 1990’s, Islamic militants beheaded Serbian captives.
• In the Philippines, Islamic militants, lead by Abu Sayyaf, are known to practice beheading.
• In October 2005, Islamic militants beheaded three Christian schoolgirls in Indonesia.
• Also in 2005, Islamic militants beheaded Buddhists on 15 occasions in southern Thailand.
• In April 2007, an Associated Press video shows a pre-teen boy beheading a man accused of betraying the Taliban. Onlookers shout, “Allah is great!” as the torso fell into the sand.

Of industrialized democracies, only Japan and the U.S. retain the death sentence (European countries have abolished capitol punishment altogether). However, neither goverment practices beheading.

China is the only other civilization to perform the execution. Yet unlike Islam religious zealotry does not drive them as it seems to motivate those who slay Christians during the tribulation. This decreases the likelihood of Chinese miltancy fulfilling John’s prophecy, but does not eliminate it completely.

Alternatively, Islam is highly suspect for five reasons:
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1. Islam is the largest and fastest growing religion in the world. O

2. Islam is the only world religion whose founder, Muhammad, championed and performed beheadings of both soldiers and innocents.
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3. Islam's history is saturated with conversion-or-death evangelism where beheading is the penalty for refusal.
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4. Events central to the seven-year tribulation will unfold in regions that are fixed Islamic strongholds.
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5. Islam's sacred writing, the Quran, is the only text of the major world religions that commands beheading those who resist its message.
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Trends at the beginning of the 21st century hint that John’s foretelling of beheaded martyrs may be a reference to forthcoming persecution by Islamic militants.
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