Final Battle Between Ishmael & Isaac
By Dr. Stephen R. Phinney Yes, it’s true! The Muslim people have a Jesus (Isa) and a forerunner returning prophet (Mahdi). The Islamic nation has a future seven year reign. Just like the Christians and Jews, the Sunni and Shia Muslim denominations have their own eschatology (prophetic studies connecting the past to the future). Mahdi is Arabic and is translated in the English as “Guided One.” But in the Muslim world, it means so much more! Mehdi (with an e) is Early Arabic for “One of the Moon” or “stands alone by the moon.” The early Islamic believers developed the lone star by the crescent (or dawning) moon for their flag and icon from this word. Both spellings reveal the same message: the “prophesied redeemer of Islam” who will “rule on earth for seven years” before the “Day of Judgment” (what they call “yawm alqiyamah” or “Day of Resurrection”). The Islamic people believe that Mahdi is a “powerful and central” figure in their past, present, and future. Other names given to this figure are “Muslim Forerunning Prophet of Jesus,” Twelfth Imam,” and “Muhammad al-Mahdi.” They have firm and immovable beliefs that this al-Mahdi will be returning from his place of “occultation.” Occultation, in the Arabic,(Ghaybat) means “hidden spirit clergy.” In the English, it means “the place of hiding for those who practice witchcraft by means of an occulted dark spirit/demon.” They are of the belief that this al-Mahdi is a “messianic infallible male” descendant of the founder of the First Testament Islam, Muhammad. They go on to tell me that this “descendant” was born of Muhammad, but disappeared into the occult. He will one day return and fill the world with justice, purity, and peace. The basic mutuality of their beliefs state that this Mahdi is none other than the Muhammad al-Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam. He was said to be born in AD 869 and was hidden by “god” at the age of five. Believe it or not, both denominations believe this figure is still alive, but has been placed in “occultation” until their “god” releases him to have global control and rule the earth for seven years. According to their doc-