Scholar Ron Rhodes has spent much of his life researching end-times events. On this edition of Bible Answers, he fields a question from a listener regarding the twelfth imam, the Islamic end-times figure who resembles the biblical Antichrist.
Are these two men the same person?
Ron lays out the similarities.
Both are portrayed as an end-times political military and religious leader.
Both men subdue the earth by a powerful army and establish a new world order.
Both are portrayed as establishing new laws for the earth – in the case of Islam, it would be Sharia law.
Both figures institute a world religion.
Both are portrayed as executing those who don’t submit.
Both seek to kill the Jewish people.
Both seize and conquer Jerusalem.
It sounds like they may be the same. But Ron urges caution as he points to Proverbs 18:17.
“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” Proverbs 18:17
There are a number of reasons Ron doesn’t believe these are describing the same man.
Islamic eschatology is very contradictory.
Muslims disagree among themselves on the nature of the coming imam.
Mohammed derived most of his prophetic ideas from discussions that he had with Christians and Jews, so the similarities between the two religions are not surprising.
Ron goes further.
“The Antichrist will sign a covenant with Israel. Why would a Muslim leader sign a covenant with Israel, guaranteeing protection of Israel? Most Muslims hate the Jewish people today and they want the land of Israel back.”
Ron’s final point seems to solidify the case.
“The Antichrist claims to be God. Daniel 11:36 tells us the Antichrist will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god. This would be an absolute trashing of the Muslim creed, because no Muslim would ever claim to be Allah. That would be just the ultimate anathema to a Muslim. In fact, that person would be considered an infidel by mainstream Muslims, worthy of beheading.”
Given all of these factors, Ron is firm in his conviction that these are not one and the same. He encourages us to dig into the Word and stay connected to world events to steer our thoughts and ideas about end-times events instead of speculating.
“What I like to do is keep my ear to the ground in terms of what’s going on in the world, and I try to keep myself up on some of the issues.”
Key Scriptures: 1 John 2:1; Revelation 12:10-11; 1 Corinthians 12:13; John 8:1-11; Philippians 1:21-23; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Matthew 27:51-53; John 1:1-5; Judges 11; John 8:58; Acts 18:8; James 5:16; 1 Corinthians 14
Featured Songs: The River by Jordan Feliz; Psalm 139 by Shane & Shane; Living Word by Jeremy Camp; Good, Good Father by Chris Tomlin; Forever by Kari Jobe; Through All of It by Colton Dixon
Highlight : Are the Antichrist and the twelfth imam the same person?
