MIDDLE EAST AWAITS THE ANTICHRIST!
A WEAK CLAY HORNED TOE IS SUBDUED
AS A STRONG IRON HORNED TOE ARISES
AS THE PROPHESIED BEAST OF THE EAST
BEGINS TO DOMINATE THE MIDDLE EAST,
PREPARING A WAY FOR THE ISLAM MAHDI
TO EVENTUALLY APPEAR AS A MAN OF SIN!
February 16, 2010
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
SEE ARCHIVE PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBERS 233B, 234A, 235A, 236A, AND 236B
THE ISLAMIC ANTICHRIST IS NOT TOO FAR AWAY!
Iran’s current President is a “died in the wool” religious Islamic fanatic from the top of his head to the tip of his toes. The Apostle Paul was a “Hebrew of the Hebrews,” and President Ahmadinejad is truly a “Shiite of the Shiites.” He is locked in combat with the old conservative heads. They have run Iran since the revolution that overthrew the Shah of Iran.
He has slipped new leaders and departments into his new government. He is try ing
to get younger key members of the extremeists from his Revolutionary Guard into top positions of power, putting out the old leaders who have held power for so long over all governmental decisions. It appears he has another revolution in mind, one in which he has absolute power to form a very radical Islamic Republic to replace the cur-rent conservative one. I truly believe the religious extremism in the fanatical Shiite beliefs among their literal interpreters is going to unveil the antichrist among them.
Both the Sunni and Shiite sects of the Muslim faith believe in a coming Al-Mahdi, which we would relate to by our looking forward to the return of our Messiah Jesus Christ. The major difference between the two sects of Sunni and Shiite, concerning the coming of their Messiah, the Al-Mahdi, it that the Sunni believe he is yet to be born, while the Shiites believe he has been hiding in a cave for some 1,100 years, but will soon come out to rule all Islam as the 12th Imam. Many of the local Imams across Iran and Iraq are preaching his coming is very soon, and a fever for his arrival is growing.
The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is a Shiite religious literalist, who believes in the imminent return of the 12th Imam.
His segment of the Shiite faith believes the 12th Imam went into hiding in the 9th century.
The Sunni sect of Islam believes the Al-Mahdi, who is to arise and lead Islam to rule the world and establish a one-world Islamic religion, will be an ordinary man, born to an ordinary woman, and will live an ordinary life with the people of his time. But the Shiites under the same persuasion of their current President, believe that soon the 12th Imam, who disappeared mysteriously in the 9th century, will suddenly appear to lead the Shiites to victory over all enemies starting with the hypocrite mullahs and ending with the Jews. In the Shiite theology, believing in the Imams is the cornerstone of their faith. They believe the 12th Imam has been living in a cave for more than ten centuries, and that he will suddenly surface from his hiding place as their Mahdi, their Messiah, and will meet Jesus, the Son of Mary. They believe Jesus, the Prophet of Allah, will be second in command in that he will pray behind Al-Mahdi. They believe Allah will give Al-Mahdi the ability to rule the Muslim nations with righteousness in the span of a night.
In the Shiite theology of the religious followers of the current President of Iran, the 12th Imam is still the sole source of legitimate power on the earth. I suspect a man will suddenly arise in Islam claiming to be the 12th Imam. He will declare himself to have returned with the power of Allah but in reality, he
will be the antichrist. Islamic writers indicate the signs in the next paragraph will precede the 12th Imam.
There are many signs that will precede him, a very important sign is that he will come at a time when there is great confutation, intense disputing, and violent deaths – when people are experiencing great fear. Calamities will fall upon people, so much that a man shall not find a shelter to shelter him self from oppression. There will be battles and conflicts before his appearance. The people will be troubled to such an extent that they will long for death. It is then that Imam will arise. The messenger of Allah said he will be sent at a time of intense disputes and differences among people amidst widespread earthquakes.
It may well be that Paul’s man of sin, the antichrist, is the coming Islamic Al Mahdi.
A WEAK CLAY HORNED TOE IS SUBDUED
Begin Excerpt 1from Lebanese Daily Star via World News
Hariri calls for new era in relations with Syria
March 14 leaders take aim at Hizbullah’s weapons
Daily Star Staff
Monday, February 15, 2010
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri called Sunday for a new page in Lebanese-Syria ties away from power struggles between regional axes in order to guarantee Lebanon’s stability as thousands of Lebanese gathered in Beirut to mark the fifth anni versar
y of former Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination. While the premier refrained from tackling Hizbullah’s weapons, Future Movement bloc head MP Fouad Siniora called along with Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel for restricting the possession of arms and decisions of war and peace to the state’s authority.
But Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, once a leading figure of the March 14 alliance, left the rally before the speeches began after he and his son Taymour, who remained till the end of the event, said a prayer in Rafik Hariri’s memory.
Earlier Sunday, Jumblatt held a meeting with Saad Hariri at the latter’s residence in Downtown Beirut after which he accompanied the premier to the Martyrs Square.
The assassination of Hariri in 2005 led to the rise of the March 14 alliance whose leaders accused Syria of being involved in the murder and pressed for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1559, ending 25 years of military presence.
Jumblatt withdrew from the coalition following the June 2009 elections.
He then moved closer to Syria’s allies in Lebanon in an attempt to bridge the gap with President Bashar Assad after he had called in 2005 for the removal of the Syrian regime.
“My visit to Syria was part of a big window that Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz opened … and I am keen on keeping this window open, and establishing a new era in Lebanese-Syrian relations, from one sovereign, free and independent state to another,” Hariri said.
Hariri also stressed that no compromise would take place at the expense of the Taif Accord or the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
“There will be no room for compromise when it comes to national dignity, democratic principles
, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the Taif Accord or parity between Christians and Muslims and Lebanon First will remain our slogan,” he said.
The premier also underlined the importance of national unity and cooperation among the Lebanese to preserve national stability and enforce the state’s authority, adding that his visit to Syria was part of larger Arab reconciliations.
“Lebanese benefit from Arab solidarity is a strategic interest since Lebanon is majorly harmed if involved in axes games, and Arab reconciliation is an opportunity not to be missed,” Hariri added.
Hariri also reiterated support for the “Lebanon First” slogan and called for solidarity against Israeli threats.
“Stability is in the interest of Lebanon First, Arab reconciliation is in the interest of Lebanon First, Solidarity against Israeli threats is in the interest of Lebanon First, rejecting causes of civil strife is in the interest of Lebanon First,” Hariri added.
Meanwhile, former President Gemayel called for restricting possession of weapons to the state’s institutions.
Gemayel also expressed support for Hariri’s openness toward Syria but demanded from Damascus a specific timeline to settle disputed issues between both countries.
“We want the best possible ties with Syria but we want at the same time Syria to be convinced of Lebanon as a sovereign state and independent country with a special political regime in the region,” Gemayel said.
“We appreciate Premier Saad Hariri’s courage as he overcame his personal wounds to the benefit of Lebanon and we ask Syria to take practical steps in return,” Gemayel added.
Gemayel also called for grabbing the opportunity during national dialogue sessions to undertake true reconciliations among the Lebanese rather than circumstantial compromises, which he said only lead to more obstruction and paralysis in the state’s institutions.
“I suggest that the national dialogue table under the sponsorship of the president and in cooperation with the premier and all national leaders be an opportunity not to only discuss the national strategy but to undertake practical reconciliation which tackles the Lebanese problem in depth,” Gemayel said.
The Phalange Party head added that Lebanon’s stability and security were those of Syria and vice versa.
Echoing Gemayel, Former Premier Siniora stressed that the March 14 alliance rejected that any side enforced its opinion through the use of force or weapons, while voicing hope that Hariri’s visit to Damascus would open a new page of understanding and cooperation in respect with both countries sovereignty.
“We are committed to promoting reforms and development based on democratic and peaceful principles and we will not accept that any side imposes its opinion upon us by force or weapons,” Siniora said, a reference to Hizbullah’s arms.
Siniora also stressed that the only resolution to Lebanon’s problems would be to spread the state’s authority over all its territories, as he rejected “control by militias and status quo powers.”
“We instigated and participated in resisting the Israeli enemy and we will remain ready to resist it united if we are aggressed but we will do our best in order to deny the Israelis an opportunity or pretext to destroy our country,” Siniora said.
Meanwhile, Geagea said weapons outside the state’s authority were a burden on the Lebanese state since arms drew foreign aggression. He also urged Lebanese leaders to refrain from dragging Lebanon “into fire in defense of regional interests or nuclear ones,” a reference to Iran’ s nuclear program.
“Leaders of the other side are called to take a courageous national stance and hand their military capabilities to the Lebanese state since war and peace decisions should be taken by the Cabinet only,” Geagea said.
Geagea also stressed the alliance’s commitment to international resolutions 425, 1559, 1680 and 1701 while underlining that no compromise would take place concerning the tribunal.
He urged Sleiman and Hariri to prevent certain parties from turning the national unity Cabinet into a paralyzed government.
Commenting on Hariri’s speech later Sunday, Jumblatt said the premier’s statements were acceptable and objective but he added that he disagreed with the “Lebanon First” slogan since it contradicted his principle.
Jumblatt said he agreed with Hariri to establish special ties with Syria after its withdrawal from Lebanon, adding that he would visit Syria for the benefit of national interests and that of the Druze community, similarly to a visit he undertook following his father Kamal Jumblatt’s assassination.
Conversely, Deputy head of the Shiite Higher Council Abdel Amir Qabalan condemned turning the February 14 anniversary into an occasion to instigate civil strife among the Lebanese, while stressing that Hizbullah’s weapons would remain as long as the Zionist entity continued to exist.
Separately, US President Barack Obama expressed to Hariri his strong support and that of the American people to the Lebanese premier and people as both leaders emphasized the need to support the tribunal’s work to bring those responsible for the assassination to justice.
The tribunal was established in 2007 by the UN Security Council under Resolution 1557, which endorsed a prior agreement between Lebanon and the UN in 2006 based on Resolution 1664.
A statement issued by the white house press office stressed Obama’s continued support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence as the US president expressed his keenness to cooperate with Hariri to push the Mideast peace process forward.
President Obama and Premier Hariri discussed Lebanese-American bilateral ties including American support to Lebanese Armed Forces,” the statement said.
The statement added that the US was committed to the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, 1680 and 1701, adding that the US looked forward to cooperating with Lebanon as partner in
UN Security Council in the upcoming two years.
A STRONG IRON HORNED TOE ARISES
Begin Excerpt 2 from Khaleej Times via World News
Iran moves towards military dictatorship: Clinton
(Reuters)
15 February 2010, 6:06 PM
RIYADH – New U.N. sanctions on Iran would target enterprises controlled by the Revolutionary Guards which is driving the Islamic Republic toward a military dictatorship, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday.
Speaking in Qatar before flying to Riyadh, Clinton denied the United States planned to attack Iran and said Washington wanted dialogue with Tehran but could not “stand idly by” while Iran pursued a suspected nuclear weapons programme.
Asked if Washington planned to attack Iran, she replied: “No, we are planning to try to bring the world community together in applying pressure to Iran through sanctions adopted by the United Nations that will be particularly aimed at those enterprises controlled by the Revolutionary Guard, which we believe is, in effect, supplanting the government of Iran.”
“That is how we see it. We see that the government of Iran, the supreme leader, the president, the parliament, is being supplanted and that Iran is moving toward a military dictatorship. That is our view,” she said, speaking to students in a televised session.
The United States is leading a push for the U.N. Security Council to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Iran, which says its nuclear program is to generate electricity so it can export more of its valuable oil and gas.
Clinton’s remarks were the most open assessment by a senior U.S. official about what they regard as the growing influence of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, an elite force whose influence has grown in recent years through a network of banks, shipping firms and other companies under its control.
Powerful Unit
The IRGC, set up after Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution to protect the ruling system against internal and external threats, has about 125,000 fighters with army, navy and air units. It operates separately from the 350,000-strong regular army and answers to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s top authority.
“I think the civilian leadership is either preoccupied with its internal domestic political situation or ceding ground to the Revolutionary Guard and that’s a deeply concerning development,” Clinton told reporters aboard her plane.
“It’s a far cry from the Islamic republic that had elections and different points of view within the leadership circle.
That is part of the reason why … we are so concerned with what we see going on (there).”
The West and many Arab states believe Iran is using its civil nuclear programme as a cover to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has said that the programme is simply to generate power so it can export more of its valuable oil and gas.
Clinton has acknowledged that U.S. President Barack Obama’s approach to Iran had not borne fruit, blaming Iran for refusing to engage and suggesting that a fourth U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution was the only option.
“What we are trying to do is to send a message to Iran, a very clear message, that we still would be open to engagement, we still believe that there is a different path for Iran to take,” she said.
“But we want the world united in sending an unequivocal message to Iran that we will not stand idly by while you pursue a nuclear programme that can be used to threaten your neighbours and even beyond,” she added.
Enlist more pressure
While Arab states fear the possibility of Iran getting the bomb, and warn that it could spark a regional arms race, they are also uneasy about the possibility that military action by Israel against Iran could profoundly destabilise the region.
“We’re still hoping that Iran will decide to forego any … ambitions for a nuclear weapon,” Clinton said. “But we cannot just keep hoping for that. We have to work to take action to try to convince the Iranian government not to pursue nuclear weapons.”
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last week that Iran was able to enrich uranium to more than 80 percent purity, close to levels experts say would be needed for a nuclear bomb, but denied Iran had any intention of building one.
Clinton, expected to seek to enlist more diplomatic pressure on Iran, met on Monday with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, and was due to meet King Abdullah at his desert retreat outside the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
U.S. officials hinted that one way Saudi Arabia could help diplomatically would be to offer China guarantees it would meet Chinese oil requirements, a step that might ease Beijing’s reluctance to impose further sanctions on Iran.
China, which wields a veto on the Security Council, has lucrative commercial relationships with Iran and, along with Russia, has worked to dilute previous sanctions resolutions.
Other U.S. officials said they believed Saudi Arabia, which has recently increased its diplomatic and commercial contacts with China, had made some gestures toward Beijing on fuel assurances but gave no details. (Ed)
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