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Dear Christians: Do you think that the Mahdi of Islam will be the christian Antichrist?

Vouthon

Dominus Deus tuus ignis consumens est
Staff member
Premium Member
No, I think that they are simply concepts from two different religions that share a common Abrahamic-derived apocalyptic worldview. The most obvious parallel in Islamic eschatology to the Anti-Christ would be...you guessed it...Al-Masih ad-Dajjal (the Islamic antichrist!) :D

If any Christian were to claim that the holy, anticipated eschatological figure of another faith was the antichrist then I would ignore that one, since he/she would appear to be letting his or her own prejudice cloud their reading of biblical texts that arose in a different cultural, linguistic, socio-political and historical time period from that of Islamic apocalyptic thought.

Christians do not even agree among ourselves, dispersed throughout the enormity of our vast denominations, on how to reach an understanding of very nature of an "Anti-Christ". Some, myself included, are sceptical that it even refers to a specific person in the distant future at all, opting for a more immanent, eternally applicable interpretation. I think it is quite obvious that the original antichrist referred to in the Book of Revelation was the Roman Emperor, then Domitian and just prior to that time Nero, both of whom ferociously oppressed the liberty and livelihood of the early Christian Church.

There have been many "Anti-Christ's" in human history since then, people who have preached a pseudo-philosophy that is explicitly in opposition to the spirit of Jesus and with which they have beguiled the masses and lead to great outpourings of destruction, inhumanity, barbarity. Every era has its "Anti-Christ", someone who represents the foul side of human nature more than most others and presents a challenge to human consciences that must be resisted.

Whether a specific "man" will ever be "the" anti-Christ in any singular sense, is up for debate, given the greatly symbolic nature of Revelation.

Did not Jesus warn us against becoming fixated with apocalyptic "speculations"? All that matters is this present time. It is all that man is given to work with.
 
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BSM1

What? Me worry?
I think the better question would be if, by definition, the Muslims consider the Mahdi the anti-christ?
 

Shia Islam

Quran and Ahlul-Bayt a.s.
Premium Member
I think the better question would be if, by definition, the Muslims consider the Mahdi the anti-christ?

Muslims believe that both the Mahdi the Christ are of God, how then will they consider the Mahdi the anti-christ?!
 

BSM1

What? Me worry?
Not trying to be contentious but wouldn't the return of the Mahdi require a 'world in flames'.
 

Pegg

Jehovah our God is One
As stated above?

according to the bible, there is only one messiah and that is Jesus Christ.


Jesus said that he will return. He never mentioned anyone else coming in his name or anyone else God had commissioned.

So my guess is that the Islam Madhi wont be coming at all.
 

BlandOatmeal

Active Member
Muslims believe that both the Mahdi the Christ are of God, how then will they consider the Mahdi the anti-christ?!
Hi, Shia

I don't believe "antichrist" is a person. The Bible describes him as a SPIRIT, which has lived in many people, and has been in the earth for nearly 2000 years.

1 John 2
[18] Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
[19] They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
[20] But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
[21] I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
[22] Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

1 John 4
[3] And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

2 John 1
[7] For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

There is a character mentioned in the Book of Revelation, called the "False Prophet". I believe "he" is not a human, but a celestial entity like the devil, who has a spirit that inhabits many. He is connected with great technological achievements, such as moving pictures and television, and is credited with bringing about a new way of buying and selling that requires a "mark" -- which may be interpreted as the Internet and biometrics. In our day and age, many people have stopped seeking God for their answers, and turned to technology, thinking that in this they will find the answers to life's persistent questions. I believe this worship of technology is the "False Prophet".

Rev 13
[14] And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
[15] And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
[17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

images

"Big Brother" of Orwell, George, "1984" (1949)

Rev 16
[13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
[14] For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

The Messiah of Judaism and Christianity must be a Jew, a descendant of David.
 
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TheMusicTheory

Lord of Diminished 5ths
Antichrist is really a *category* of person. Not a person in and of itself.

This is a long-misunderstood concept among the vast majority of people, including believers.
 

BlandOatmeal

Active Member
Mahdi has no doubt already come, in Syria:

"But still, the phenomenon which curses the SNC goes back at least to 1958, when Shukri al-Quwatli handed leadership of Syria over to the president of the United Arab Republic. “You will find Syria difficult to govern,” al-Quwatli told Jamal Abdul Nasser. “Fifty percent of Syrians consider themselves leaders, twenty-five percent think they are prophets, and ten percent imagine they are gods.”" :)

-- Syria Planet
 

InformedIgnorance

Do you 'know' or believe?
If a person were to assert it is possible to be the Mahdi, then it is unlikely that the same person would assert it is possible to be the Antichrist given that the two terms relate to theological concepts from significantly different (and indeed on this particular point largely incompatible) theological traditions.

However that said, it is possible that an individual presumed by some to be the Mahdi could be presumed by others to be the Antichrist; indeed it is likely that were one considered he Mahdi at least some portion of the christian community would consider them the Antichrist given the diversity of christian perception of the concept (which could include people such as Paul, Mohammed, the Pope, any reformist etc); however at the same time it is possible for other segments of Christianity to welcome someone whom some claim to be the Mahdi as being an individual who might engender some positive change (whether cultural or religious) within Islamic communities.
 
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Sully

Member
Well...yes...
There are too many parallels with the Mahdi and the Anti-Christ.

Islamic eschatology and Christian eschatology are almost perfectly opposite.

My understanding of Islamic eschatology is the Mahdi will be a great spiritual, economic and military leader. Shortly after the Mahdi's arrival Jesus (Isa) will return to earth and show deference to the Mahdi and thereby revealing that he was not the Son of God. He will break crosses, kill swine and eliminate the Jizyah tax and establish Sharia Law. Jesus (Isa) will then battle the Dajjahl (who will also claim to be Jesus). Islamic Jesus will kill the Dajjahl. The Madhi will destroy Israel and establish the leadership of the Islamic Caliphate from the Rock Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

As a Christian I see the Mahdi and the Islamic Jesus (Isa) as the Anti-Christ and false prophet and the Islamic Dajjahl as the true Jesus. In Biblical eschatology the Anti-Christ will be a great military, spiritual and economic leader. He will establish a peace treaty with Israel and then break it and attempt to kill all the Jews and Christians that oppose him. He will work with the false prophet who will claim to be Jesus. Also the Anti-Christ will change the dates and times (Islamic calendar and Friday prayer week). The Anti-Christ will lead a great army and destroy Israel and establish his rule from the Temple Mount before Jesus and the remaining Jews and Christians will destroy the armies of the Anti-Christ and False Prophet at the battle of Armageddon.

Islam will be the largest religion in the world in about ten years or less at which time I am confident we will see many bandwagon conversions. Islam will dominate or be very powerful interest in many European and Western political systems. I believe this is what Paul the Apostle termed the "Great Apostasy" and will be the precursor of the Anti Christ arrival and Great Tribulations. There are many other parallels that I believe reveal the Mahdi will be the Anti-Christ but I just highlighted some of the most notable here for this discussion

Both Muslim and Christian believers must admit Satan (the Great Deceiver) has been busy choreographing Armageddon ensuring that millions (perhaps billions) will be doomed.
 
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