The theory that the Antichrist will be a Muslim has become increasingly popular in the years following 9/11. The rise of extremist groups like ISIL/ISIS and Al-Qaeda have also contributed to many Christians asking themselves or their pastors if it’s possible that the great enemy of last days, the Antichrist, might in fact be a Muslim.
I myself used to hold to the Islamic Antichrist theory, and I, therefore understand and sympathize with many of the arguments that people make for it. However, I have since come to believe that the Islamic Antichrist theory, when examined closely, does not line up with the Bible and that many of the arguments made in its defense can be shown to be false with certainty.
This book is intended to be a comprehensive refutation of all the major arguments that are used to support the Islamic Antichrist theory. Though many great scholars and teachers have written articles against this theory, there has not to date been a resource that attempts to systematically refute all the points that are raised in defense of the view.
Since it is my sincere hope that this book will be useful to as many people as possible, I have tried to keep my own personal views about the origin and nature of the Antichrist to an absolute minimum, choosing instead to argue against the Islamic Antichrist theory without presupposing an alternative origin for the Antichrist. In other words I wrote this book in a way that the reader can agree with, no matter what his views on the Antichrist are.
The first and longest part of this book will describe and refute the primary arguments that Islamic Antichrist proponents make in support of their theory, whether those arguments are from Scripture or are based on circumstantial evidence. Examples of the types of arguments in this section include the Islamic Empire being in view in Daniel 2 and 7, the Assyrian in Isaiah and Micah 5 referring to the Antichrist, and the Mark of the Beast being an Arabic word and not a number, among many others.
The second part of this book will examine the claims of Islamic Antichrist proponents regarding Islamic eschatological figures such as the Mahdi, Isa, and the Dajjal. The Islamic Antichrist theory relies greatly upon comparisons of these figures with Christian counterparts such as The Antichrist, The False Prophet, and Jesus. I will spend quite a lot of time discussing the origin of Islamic eschatology, and then take the claims of Islamic Antichrist theorists about these Islamic eschatological figures one by one in an effort to refute their arguments.
In the third section of this book I will look at some of the logical inconsistencies with the claims of the Islamic Antichrist theorist using the doctrines that what we know to be true about the Antichrist from Scripture.
In the fourth and final section, I will discuss why I believe the Islamic Antichrist theory is not just wrong but extremely dangerous. In this section I will break my self- imposed limitations on discussing my own personal views about the nature and origin of the Antichrist, and though I will not argue for my personal position, I will ask the reader to consider the potentially disastrous results that the Islamic Antichrist theory could cause if my view is correct.
In this book I will be quoting extensively from Joel Richardson, who I believe is the most intelligent and articulate advocate for the Islamic Antichrist theory. I respect Mr. Richardson greatly, both as a fellow brother in Christ and as a researcher. On occasion I will also reference Walid Shoebat’s views, particularly on issues that Richardson has not published, like the Mark of the Beast, and Mystery Babylon. These two men are the most responsible for the promotion of the Islamic Antichrist theory, and it is often their work that is referenced when pastors teach this view. Therefore, I have intentionally limited the authors I will be directly referencing to these two men. I want to say at the outset that I appreciate Shoebat and Richardson greatly, especially because through their efforts a large number of Christians are considering end times matters seriously for the first time. Though I may disagree with them on certain issues, as Christians we agree on what matters the most.