God's War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy and the Bible

by Walid Shoebat

  Now we come to the second part of this riddle. Because the prince must be the Antichrist, then who are his people? When did they destroy the Temple? Once you begin to put this puzzle together, the picture is quite amazing.

  The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Who were the “people” that destroyed it?

  Remember, there is a reason why the text says “the people of the prince.” God wants you to find out who these people are, for they will be “the people” of the Antichrist. Also, there is a reason why the text says, “who is to come”—it speaks of the future. These people will destroy the temple, shortly. They are of the same lineage of the Antichrist, the prince—they are the “people of the prince.” His lineage, and his predecessors. So who were these people that destroyed the Temple in 70 AD?

  Yes, they were Roman legions and Roman citizens. Therefore, many scholars erroneously conclude they are of European descent and heritage, as well.

  But there is more to this picture than is immediately apparent. If we look deeper, we quickly find that while the people who made up the Roman legions that destroyed Jerusalem were mostly Eastern Roman Citizens, they were not Europeans. In fact, they were primarily from the Middle East—Arabs, Syrians, and Turks.

  It is crucial to note that Titus led the Eastern Legions of the Roman Empire, not the Western. After Vespasian emerged as the head of the Eastern Legions to challenge Vitellius, Julius Alexander, the Prefect of Egypt, then proclaimed Vespasian to be Emperor. He and Titus became consuls in 70 A.D.

  So, lets read the passage in context, “the people (ancestors) of the Prince (Antichrist) who is to come (during the Tribulation), will sack Jerusalem and the Temple.” In other words, the people are the ancestors of the prince who will bring a seven-year peace treaty.

  In 70 AD, Titus, the Roman General who led the armies that attacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple, surrounded the city with three legions on the western side and a fourth on the Mount of Olives to the east.43 Titus put pressure on the food and water supplies by allowing thousands of pilgrims to enter the city to celebrate Passover, and then refusing to allow them to leave. Many of the citizens fought hard, and at one point, Titus was nearly captured. But in the end, much of the population was killed, dispersed or enslaved. The city was significantly broken down and the Temple was destroyed. The four specific legions under Titus were: Legion XV Apollinaris, Legion V Macedonica, Legion XII Fulminata, and Legion X Fretensis.

  For some reason, possibly due to the fact that the capital of the Roman Empire was in Rome—and thus in Europe—many seem to forget that the Roman Empire also included a vast portion of the Middle East. Because most of the Roman soldiers were recruited from the provinces where their garrisons were located, the legions that were stationed in the Middle East were also primarily Arab and, most specifically, Syrian and Turkic.

  Commenting on the predominant Syrian makeup of the Roman garrisons in the region, the Jewish historian Josephus stated, “The greatest part of the Roman garrison was raised out of Syria; and being thus related to the Syrian part, they were ready to assist it.”44 “So Vespasian sent his son Titus from Achaia, where he had been with Nero, to Alexandria, to bring back with him from thence the fifth and. the tenth legions, while he himself, when he had passed over the Hellespont, came by land into Syria, where he gathered together the Roman forces, with a considerable number of auxiliaries from the kings in that neighborhood.”45

  The historian Tacitus recounts the destruction of the Temple: “early in this year Titus Caesar, who had been selected by his father to complete the subjugation of Judaea…He found in Judaea three legions, the 5th, the 10th, and the 15th, all old troops of Vespasian’s. To these he added the 12th from Syria, and some men belonging to the 18th and 3rd, whom he had withdrawn from Alexandria (Egypt). This force was accompanied by twenty cohorts of allied troops and eight squadrons of cavalry, by the two kings Agrippa and Sohemus, by the auxiliary forces of king Antiochus, by a strong contingent of Arabs, who hated the Jews with the usual hatred of neighbors, and, lastly, by many persons brought from the capital and from Italy by private hopes of securing the yet unengaged affections of the Prince. With this force Titus entered the enemy’s territory, preserving strict order on his march, reconnoitering every spot, and always ready to give battle. At last he encamped near Jerusalem.”46

  Josephus recounts how the armies were collected: “But as to Titus, he sailed over from Achaia to Alexandria, and that sooner than the winter season did usually permit; so he took with him those forces he was sent for, and marching with great expedition, he came suddenly to Ptolemais, and there finding his father, together with the two legions, the fifth and the tenth, which were the most eminent legions of all, he joined them to that fifteenth legion which was with his father; eighteen cohorts followed these legions; there came also five cohorts from Cesarea (Cappadocia Turkey), with one troop of horsemen, and five other troops of horsemen from Syria. Now these ten cohorts had severally a thousand footmen, but the other thirteen cohorts had no more than six hundred footmen apiece, with a hundred and twenty horsemen. There were also a considerable number of auxiliaries got together, which came from the kings Antiochus, and Agrippa, and Sohemus, each of them contributing one thousand footmen that were archers, and a thousand horsemen. Malchus also, the king of Arabia, sent a thousand horsemen, besides five thousand footmen, the greatest part of which were archers; so that the whole army, including the auxiliaries sent by the kings, as well horsemen as footmen, when all were united together, amounted to sixty thousand, besides the servants, who, as they followed in vast numbers, so because they had been trained up in war with the rest, ought not to be distinguished from the fighting men; for as they were in their masters’ service in times of peace, so did they undergo the like dangers with them in times of war, insomuch that they were inferior to none, either in skill or in strength, only they were subject to their masters.”47

  Again, speaking of the great enmity the Syrians had for the Jews of Jerusalem, Josephus recounts that the Syrians and the Arabs who were camped outside of the city of Jerusalem actually disemboweled more than two thousand Jews who had escaped, in order to search for gold that they might have swallowed. “The multitude of the Arabians, with the Syrians, cut up those that came as supplicants, and searched their bellies. Nor does it seem to me that any misery befell the Jews that was more terrible than this, since in one night’s time about two thousand of these deserters were thus dissected.”48

  Indeed, the majority of the “Roman” soldiers that destroyed Jerusalem were Arabs, Syrians, and Turks. When we look at the four Roman legions that were under Titus during the siege against Jerusalem, we see that they were from the Eastern portion of the Empire and were primarily from Syria or eastern Turkey. Below are the four legions that were under Titus during the Jewish Roman war and the locations that history records for their garrisons:

  Legion 10 Fretensis:

  Turkey, Syria

  Legion 15 Apollinaris:

  Syria

  Legion 12 Fulminata:

  Melitene: Eastern Turkey, Syria

  Legion 5 Macedonica:

  Moesia: Serbia, Bulgaria

  These four legions were all involved in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The legion, in particular, that went through the wall breach and set fire to the Temple was known as X Fretensis or the Tenth Legion. It was this particular legion that actually pulled down the entire Temple and made the Temple Mount its new base. The map below reveals where the tenth legion was garrisoned and where the soldiers were from.4

  Legion X Fretensis: Garrisoned near Antioch

  It should also be pointed out that each Legion was composed of several smaller “cohorts.” Below is a list of the actual cohorts that comprised the tenth legion and where they originally came from:

  A. Thracum: Syria (Syrians)

  B. IV Cohort Thracia: Bulgaria and Turkey (Turks)

  C. Syria Ulpia Petraeorum: Petra in Edom (Nabatean Arabs)

  D.
IV Cohort Arabia (Arabs)

  Again, these were a mixture of Syrians, Turks and Arabs. While the people who destroyed the temple were indeed Roman citizens, they were not primarily Europeans or Italians, but rather the peoples that lived in Syria and Eastern Turkey during the first century. This verse is concerned with the heritage and lineage of the people as restricted by the text “people of the Prince” and not their allegiance to Rome. This is why the text is written in this way. It insists on this connection. Once again, the Bible has led us to the same region. In context, the “people of the prince” are simply the people of the Antichrist; the Hebrew “Am” for people is persons, members of one’s people, compatriots, countrymen, kinsman and kindred. (Strong’s 5971)

  Even if we take the meaning of “Am” as “nation”, how will the construct of this verse with such meaning be logical? “The nation of the Antichrist” That is entirely futuristic. How can someone conclude that the Antichrist is Roman with this interpretation? It proves nothing, since the nation of the Antichrist would not be known from such a construct. The only logical construction for the context of “Am” is “the kindred” of Antichrist—his ancestors, his kinsman.

  The Antichrist will be from among the people who still live in the Middle East—those who destroyed the city and sanctuary in Titus’ time. This is the natural way to read the text, especially since connecting the people with the prince is widely accepted.

  DANIEL WAS SPEAKING OF THE END

  The reason that I am able to take such a non-traditional position with confidence is most certainly not because of any particular superior intelligence or mystical giftedness at interpreting the Bible, of course not. Nor do I think lightly of the cumulative wisdom of western Christians currently or the interpreters of old. Neither am I correcting a huge volume on Bible Prophecy, for I too believe in the Rapture, Tribulation, Millennium, recreation of Israel, 144,000 witnessing Jews in Israel, the Falling Away, the coming of the Antichrist, the coming two witnesses, their death on the streets of Jerusalem, and so much more.

  In fact, western interpreters agree that Islam is involved. The question I am presenting, though, is: “Does Islam play the main roll?” Or a major roll. At least we all agree on the latter.

  The reason that such confidence can be expressed regarding the interpretations offered here is quite simple: today we have a greater advantage than those in the past because God has specifically promised, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase,” (Daniel 12:4).

  The prophecy of Daniel is sealed and is regarding the “time of the end.” He will unlock the Book of Daniel to the Church. Isaac Newton, Matthew Henry and many of those before us understood that the book of Daniel, and by extension Revelation, would not be fully understood until the “time of the end.”

  Do I claim to unlock it? No. Sealed means sealed. The closer we get, the more we will all understand Daniel, whose focus is on the end: “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever,” (Daniel 12:1-3).

  Some claim that the angel here is merely speaking of the period surrounding and following Jesus’ ministry at the inauguration of the Kingdom of God. But that is not specifically what this passage is speaking about. The passage says that, “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” This is not speaking of the “End-Times” in a broader, general sense, but rather in the ultimate “Last-Days” when the resurrection of the dead takes place. The angel continues, “But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge…I (Daniel) heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, ‘My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?’ He replied, ‘Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand… As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance,’” (Daniel 12:5-13).

  And so the question needs to be asked: God has made it clear that this book would be locked up and sealed until the time of the end. Why, then, do so many cling to the most commonly accepted, most popular interpretations of this book? If the book has truly been sealed until the time of the end, then it also stands to reason that the most popular, the most common interpretation, (The Roman Empire Theory) is also the most unlikely meaning of the prophecy.

  It is actually the most traditional historical interpretations of the various prophecies that are the least likely to offer a complete and accurate interpretation. Just as the Messianic fulfillments were understood by only a few, so it is with the prophecies of his return. But if the interpretation offered in this book, namely that the Islamic and not the Roman Empire is the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecies, then it also stands to reason that the book is now beginning to be unsealed and the “Last-Days” that have forever been on the horizon are in fact now upon us.

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  Unlocking Revelation 12 And 13

  ISLAMIC SEVEN HEADED BEAST

  The next significant snapshot of the final beast empire is found in the Book of Revelation, chapters 12 and 13. This passage ties into several of the previous prophetic snapshots using familiar symbolism. In Revelation 12, we are first introduced to a woman who is about to give birth. This woman is understood to represent the Jewish people, who corporately brought the Messiah into the world. But immediately after being introduced to the woman, we see that even as she is about to give birth, a dreadful and murderous red dragon stalks her. The dragon, of course, represents Satan. “Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne,” (Revelation 12:3-5).

  The child being snatched up to God and to His throne is obviously a reference to the ascension of Jesus after the cross.

  After this, we are told that there was a war in heaven, whereby

  “the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him,” (Revelation 12:9). This fits the Grecian Antichrist: “Out of one of them came another horn, which started out small but grew in power to the south and to the east, and toward the beautiful land. It grew until it reached the hosts of the heavens, and it threw the starry hosts down to the earth and trampled it.” (Daniel 8:10)

  After this, Satan the dragon pursued the Jewish people as well as “her offspring”—the gentile followers of the Messiah, who came to be known as Christians. “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus,” (Revelation 12:17).

  As we turn to chapter 13, we see that the dragon is shown standing on the shore of the sea. Then, as if he were some dark sorcerer, he summons a gruesome beast from the depths of the ocean. “And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I
saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority,” (Revelation 13:2-3).

  The first interesting observation that may be made about this beast is that it has body parts from each of the previous four beasts we examined in Daniel 7. The beast has the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. As such, we may assume that the final beast empire will to some degree be a conglomerate of the Lion, Babylonian Empire (Iraq), the Bear, Medo-Persia Empire (Iran), and the Leopard, Macedonian Greek Empire (Turkey).

  This is significant. Does this sound like a European Beast? Or is it a Middle Eastern/Islamic Beast? Again, we see a perfect fit with the rest of our analysis of Scripture.

  We also see that the beast shares some very similar features with the dragon. Like the dragon, the beast also has seven heads and ten horns. Here, we have a perfect example of how understanding a previous passage helps us to understand a later passage. The ten horns represent ten rulers that will arise from the final beast empire; the number of horns from each empire. We know this because the angel made it very clear in Daniel 7, and just as Daniel was a roadmap for the ancients to recognize Antiochus, Revelation is a roadmap for us to recognize the Antichrist. Everything will be fulfilled to the jot and tittle. The seven heads, on the other hand, represent authority or government, (as in: head of state). The seven heads represent the seven beast empires that persecuted the nation of Israel, and in its re-created state will persecute her offspring—the Christians. So just to recap, the seven heads are the following:

  The Egyptian Empire

  The Assyrian Empire

  The Babylonian Empire

  The Medo-Persian Empire

  The Macedonian Greek Empire

  The Roman Empire