THE COMING OF THE MAHDI
Have you ever looked down the barrel of a cocked gun ? It is not a good feeling. We here in Israel are currently looking down the 'barrels' of some 23,000 missile launchers, according to IDF sources. This is not a comfortable feeling. This coming week the IDF and the Home Front Command will be carrying out a massive, nation-wide exercise designed to prepare the nation for an anticipated simultaneous attack by Hezbollah, from Lebanon and Syria, by Iran, and by Hamas in Gaza. Sirens will sound twice during the day, once during working hours and once in the evening, so that citizens can identify safe places, both at work and at home, to take cover in the event of a missile attack. The Home Front Command will practice dealing with an anticipated 300-400 casualties in the first attack, and the IDF combat units will prepare for an expected attempt by Hezbollah to infiltrate and capture an Israeli town or kibbutz near the northern border.. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4855393,00.htmlThe Home Front Command is telling us to prepare for war, but the question arises, "How?" Yes, we can stockpile food and water, clear out our safe rooms (if we have one) but is that going to be enough? Practicalities apart, how does one prepare oneself emotionally for all-out war? I have been through around 5 wars since I moved to Israel but all indications are that the next war is expected to be far worse, especially on the home front, than any we have experienced so far.
In my experience, people seem to fall into two categories. One group takes the threat seriously and makes preparation, but a subgroup fo these become crippled by fear. The other group ignores the threat, makes no preparations, and lives in denial. I can remember the day before the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1991. I was working at a major hospital in the Galilee and was totally shocked that it appeared no preparations had been made to protect the hospital. At the last minute people were sent out to frantically scout the towns around to buy masking tape and plastic for sealing up the rooms from possible gas attack. With the whole country racing about trying to buy plastic sheeting and tape it was almost impossible to find any, and prices had skyrocketed too. And all this was in spite of the fact that we had had around 3 months to prepare. There were many people who didn't believe the war would happen until the missiles actually began to hit the ground.
The question then, how best should one prepare for war. Of course we should stockpile food, water and medicines if we can, but much more importantly it is a time for drawing close to God. That is the best preparation I know. It calls for a calm mind, faith and trust that our Shepherd is still watching his flock and will once again protect us.
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 121: 1-4
Though we may suffer great losses in the next war, I have total faith that God will not allow Israel to be destroyed, even though that is the goal of our many enemies. How many times lately have we heard the call of the Ayatollah in Iran and the 'Caliph' of the Islamic State not to mention others, boldly calling for the total destruction of first the little Satan (Israel) and then the big Satan (the USA)? We have heard it so many times that we are in danger of falling prey to the 'boy who cried wolf' syndrome. However because it hasn't happened yet, it doesn't mean it will not happen. We, both here in Israel and the whole world, need to take these threats seriously. They are not just empty rhetoric.
While many Christians are busy interpreting the multitude of wars, earthquakes, famines, societal breakdown, and widespread violence as the prophesied events leading up to the return of our Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), it might come as a surprise to many to know that many Muslims are interpreting these same events as the precursor to the coming of their 'Messiah', the Mahdi.
Who is the Mahdi?
Mahdi is a title not a personal name, and it is an Arabic word meaning 'the Guided'. It is rendered Mehdi in Farsi (Persian), Turkish and Urdu. Both Sunni and Shia Muslims expect the coming of the Mahdi. They agree that the Mahdi will be a descendant of Mohammed, but they do not agree on his identity and role. In Sunni Islam the Mahdi is a normal person, who will be born in Medina, and he will act as a messenger or forerunner of Allah. In Shia Islam the Mahdi is the supernatural reappearance of the 12th Imam who was born in 869AD, became an Imam at the age of 5, and then mysteriously disappeared at the age of 73. He is believed to be currently in 'occultation' (hidden) awaiting his return at the end of the age. This is a central tenant of Shia faith and indeed their whole faith system is based on it. They believe that at the end of the age, the Mahdi will return accompanied by Isa (Jesus) to conquer the world and cleanse it of all non-Muslims.
 |
| The distribution of Sunni and Shia Muslims in the Middle East and Northern Africa http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/red-lines-and-deadlines/map-sunni-and-shia-the-worlds-of-islam/?p=2539 |
Although Iran is predominantly Shia and ISIS is Sunni, they have this in common, that they both believe the end times for the non-Muslims are imminent, and they have a calling from Allah to prepare the ground for the coming of the Mahdi, and the final conquest of the non-Muslim world. They will both do whatever it takes to achieve that.
They also believe there are three important signs that the coming of the Mahdi is imminent:
- Civil war in the lands of Sham (Syria)
- Iraq will be engulfed in domestic militia wars
- The non-Muslim world will become vulnerable to Muslims and Islamic rulers.
The first two have clearly been fulfilled and the Muslim world as a whole believes the third is well on its way to fulfillment. Muslims see the Western world as weak and floundering in moral and social decay. Our desire to talk, make peace and sign treaties is interpreted as a sign of weakness and vulnerability.
The Western nations believe that all conflict can be resolved by talks and treaties, but this presumes there is an overriding desire for peace. This is simply not so in the Muslim world. There can be no negotiating with the false god of Allah. He is hell-bent on world conquest and has no interest in peace. For Christian or Messianic believers there can be no sitting on the fence in these days. Many misguided Christians confuse Jesus' unconditional love of the individual with a tolerance of their various faiths. It cannot be. Jesus hated these lies and the bondage they bring to individuals. He was not afraid to speak out against false religious systems. It is therefore disturbing that between the 4-11 of September a temporary house of prayer for all believers, Jewish, Muslim and Christian, was opened here in Jerusalem. This prayer center is called "Amen - A House of Prayer for All Believers" and is part of the Mekudeshet Festival of the month-long Season of Culture in Jerusalem. There can however be no fellowship between lies and Truth, between darkness and Light.
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?
2 Corinthians 6:14-16.
 |
| Jews, Arabs and Christians pray together in the Amen - A House of Prayer for All Believers http://www.tabletmag.com/wp-content/files_mf/amencur.png |
Perhaps it is significant that this interfaith prayer gathering took place in the Hinnom Valley. This valley which is a deep ravine on the southern side of the ancient city of Jerusalem, is called Gai Hinnom in Hebrew and it is from this that we get our English word Gehenom, which is synonymous with Hell. This valley is where terrible pagan gods were worshipped during Israel's rebellion against God. Here stood the statute of the bull god, Moloch, and the Israelites burned their infants alive in the arms of this horrible god. This place is also known as Tophet, which comes from the Hebrew word for drums. It is said that the Israelites sounded drums to drown out the cries of the children being cooked alive on the idol.
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.
Jeremiah 7:31
 |
| http://nationalvanguard.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Moloch-and-His-Minions.jpg |
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the city shall be built for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath. And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever.”
Jeremiah 31: 38-41
It is no wonder that the Enemy is trying to maintain his hold on this ancient Satanic stronghold.
The timing of this interfaith prayer initiative is also significant as it took place at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul, an important time for Jews of repentance and introspection leading up to the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShana), the Days of Awe, Yom Kippur and the Feast of Tabernacles. This is a holy time when God is calling his people to return to Him and repent. The Enemy fights against this in any way he can. Deception is one of his most successful weapons.
In contrast to this interfaith event, the Messianic Body here in Israel will be holding its own prayer meeting with the goal of reconciliation between Arab and Jew on the first of October here in Jerusalem. Although this is not the first joint Arab and Jewish prayer meeting, it is the first which is being jointly organized by all the leaders of both the Jewish and Arab evangelical congregations in the land. We see this as a very significant event spiritually, so please join us in prayer for its success.
With the approach of the High Holy Days it is no mere coincidence that over the last few days we have seen an upsurge in terror in and around the city once more, after several weeks of relative calm. In the last 48 hours there have been 6 terror attacks resulting in the wounding of two soldiers and three Israeli civilians. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4855901,00.html Security measures are being augmented in the city and surrounding areas.
In the last two weeks ten missiles have also been fired into northern Israel apparently as 'spillover' from the fighting in Syria. Yesterday two were shot down by the Iron Dome antimissile batteries and no damage was done.
 |
| An Iron Dome battery (Photo AP) http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4855806,00.html |
We have to wake up to that reality. We are in the throes of an intense spiritual war between the true God and his Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). and the false messiahs of the false god, Allah. The Western world insists in believing that the Muslim world wants peace (just as much as we do) and is open to negotiation. While this may be true of many Muslims as individuals it is not true of their religious leaders, and since Islam is a religion of submission to authority, that is what matters. If their leaders call them to war, good Muslims will go, and will fight to the death for Jihad, world domination.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/261559/end-world-muhammad-mahdi-coming-dr-majid-rafizadeh
