27 February 2010: New Info in Comments Section
21 February 2010: The proponents of the spiritually bankrupt teaching that the Biblical Antichrist will be one and the same person as the Islamic al-Mahdi insist that the first sentence in the two-sentence verse found in Revelation 20:4 provides compelling evidence for this association:
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.
Thus is the above offered as one of the principle, no pun intended, "pillars" of the Islamic Antichrist speculation founded upon a single word used a single time in the Word of God Almighty. In the interests of economy, this rebuttal lumps all of the Islamic Antichrist proponents into one basket because they all basically propagate the identical speculation on this subject. Thus with one stone shall this rebuttal strike many birds.
It totally escapes the attention of the Islamic Antichrist proponents that a historical template of early apostate "Christian" origin might be inferred as a precursor in the prophecy of Revelation 20:4; it is a historical fact which reflects a template for both a completely European Antichrist and a completely European False Prophet: Charlemagne and Pope Leo III.
Charlemagne (Karolus Magnus a/k/a Charles the Great, a grandson of the famous Karolus Martellus), is universally acknowledged as the greatest of all the medieval European kings. A warrior king, Charlemagne was the protector of the medieval European Church, and the defender of a United Europe against neighboring pagan barbarians of various ethnicities as well as invading Islamic armies. He was crowned "Imperator Augustus" as the Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III on December 25, 800 AD, and became the first unifying crown in Europe since the breakup of the Roman Empire. It was the right of the Pope to preside over the coronation of European kings, and the duty of those kings to protect and defend the Roman Catholic Church. Charlemagne was so highly esteemed through his unifying of Europe and its successful defense against barbarians and invading Islamic armies that he was given the appellation "Father of Europe."
All non-Christian rebellious subjects, all pagan enemies and all captured Islamic soldiers were offered a chance to spare their own lives by conversion and baptism into Christianity. Those who rejected the offer were summarily beheaded. Some historical accounts say Charlemagne oversaw the opportunity afforded pagan Saxons to convert by being baptised as Christians. A total of 4,500 refused and all lost their heads on that single day.
Clearly, in the post-Harpazo (Rapture) world, a template is existent within the European apostate Christian historical record for the beheading of any person who in the future who refuses to acknowledge the Antichrist, worship him or his image or accept his mark in their hand or forehead by steadfastly witnessing commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God. To speculate that such decapitations are a uniquely Islamic trait are completely unfounded and take on the appearance of garden variety newspaper exegesis.
Furthermore, beheading was the method of execution during the French Revolution, and, in fact, its use during that bloody uprising is what etched it upon the Western world as a particularly savage method of death.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fitting European Antichrist False prophet prototype to me.
ReplyDeleteal-Mahdi prophets...off with your head!
Dr. Reagan, Don -
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the beheading of individuals under the authority of Rome for their faith, and then later for the lack thereof, dates back 600 years prior to Mohammed's encounter with the demonic impostor spirit in the cave at Hira.
The first was that of John the Baptist by Herod Antipas in 36 AD.
The second instance of such is when Herod Agrippa I beheaded James the brother of John during Passover, 14-20 Nisan 44 AD.
I'm cataloging these beheadings under the authority of Rome.
didnt nero behead the apostle paul and other christians? also under Rome?
ReplyDeleteNot according to the Bible, but according to tradition both Peter and Paul were martyred as part of a general crackdown on Christianity circa 66-67 AD (during Nero's reign). According to this tradition Paul was beheaded on the Ostian Road in Rome.
ReplyDeleteThis is a note on the composition of the Roman Legion at the time of King Herod's death.
ReplyDeleteThis note is made with respect to Daniel 9:26b "And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary and the preposterous contention by Isamic Antichrist proponents that the legions which accomplished the above were Syrian Arabs.
Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVII, Chapter 8
"After this was over, they prepared for his funeral, it being Archelaus's care that the procession to his father's sepulcher should be very sumptuous. Accordingly, he brought out all his ornaments to adorn the pomp of the funeral. The body was carried upon a golden bier, embroidered with very precious stones of great variety, and it was covered over with purple, as well as the body itself; he had a diadem upon his head, and above it a crown of gold: he also had a scepter in his right hand. About the bier were his sons and his numerous relations; next to these was the soldiery, distinguished according to their several countries and denominations; and they were put into the following order: First of all went his guards, then the band of Thracians, and after them the Germans; and next the band of Galatians, every one in their habiliments of war; and behind these marched the whole army in the same manner as they used to go out to war, and as they used to be put in array by their muster-masters and centurions; these were followed by five hundred of his domestics carrying spices. So they went eight furlongs (12) to Herodium; for there by his own command he was to be buried. And thus did Herod end his life."
The official funeral procession under the care of Herod's son Archelaus contained Roman Legionaires from Thrace, Germany, Galatia. Europeans in orther words.
No Syrians, no Seleucids, no Arabs. What a pity. Just another nail in the coffin of the so-called Islamic Antichrist.
where was thrace? and wasnt galatia turkey? (i dont know my history as i should)
ReplyDeleteThrace was in the region of southeastern Europe where present day Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey are.
ReplyDeleteAncient Galatia in modern-day Turkey was populated by ethnic relatives of the Thracians - the eastern Gauls, or as the Romans called the the Galli. They were an ancient European tribe of Celtic origin.
o.k thanks. celtics also include irish and scottish (of which i`m part)
ReplyDeletei have actually heard supporters of the islamic anti-christ use the 3rd seal "do not hurt the oil and the wine" be like aha! there it is. the reference to oil indicates anti-christ comes from an oil rich nation so he must be islamic. i`m not kidding. i actually heard that. can you believe it?
ReplyDeleteHartdawg, it's funny how some will consider the vaguest notions to be plausible if they support their pet theory, but will apply the most stringent requirements on opposing theories.
ReplyDeleterg
that`s true.
ReplyDeleteKevin,
ReplyDeleteDr. Reagan has his own blog at Lamb&Lion.
Please consider creating your own blog for such lengthy posts so folks can read your views.
This blog rejects anything that even smells of the Islamic Antichrist.