I’m not really into End Times and I can’t tell you what eschatoloy I necessarily subscribe to. So when I went to Mens Breakfast this past Saturday and saw a stack of papers on the table with these questions, I silently groaned to myself.

1. Why has God allowed the rise of Islamic fundamentalism?
2. What did the Iraqi invasion and subsequent occupation have to do with biblical and Islamic prophecy?
3. What does the price of oil have to do with the End Times?

Muslims worldwide are waiting for a messiah named Al-Mahdi, “the Anointed One”, who will unite them and lead them to unprecedented global triumph…

From 9/11 to 666 offers the thesis that this Islamic superman
will be the world ruler who will reign just before Christ’s return.

Dr. Ralph W. Stice is an average looking man with a slight build, who gives an incredibly powerful and captivating testimony. Ever since his days in college he has found himself put in situations where he has become deeply connected with Muslims. Not being one to stand on the side lines he’s learned the language, culture and religion of the Muslims that he’s been in contact with. He’s immersed himself into their lives becoming an integral part of their community. This has given him an extraordinary perspective in writing his book.

While his ideas of the end times are just that, ideas (and he’s the first to point that out) they are at the same time engrossing and all too real given the current world climate. He has done a great deal of research in supporting this position.

Even if you’re not religious or don’t really ‘get into’ eschatology, Stice’s insights into the Muslim culture and the reasons behind their hatred of the West are a must read.

THE CRISIS OVER CARTOONS
Whether or not we believe that newspapers have the right to print cartoons that make fun of religion and religious figures, we cannot deny that the recent printing of several cartoons depicting Muhammad has given Muslims one more reason to unite against the West.
One angle that has not been talked about enough is the huge difference between Western and Third World peoples. Having lived among non-Westerners for many years, I can tell you that they are far more spiritual than are we. They have to be–they rely on God for daily sustenance and are often battered by life events beyond their control. For these reasons, they do pray constantly and they take their religion very seriously because the spiritual world is of great importance.
By contrast, we Westerners talk a lot about our faiths but we deep down do not truly believe in the importance of the spiritual world. Need proof? How much time have you spent in Bible reading and prayer this week? Too busy? Join the club. Our use of time reflects our priorities, which are dictated by our culture and context. Quite frankly, many of us are doing well without a lot of contact with God. If we lived in more dire circumstances, we would call out to Him more often, trust me.
Thus, the more spiritually minded Muslims abroad take terrific offense at the caricature of Muhammad and the cartoons that make fun of him. Sometimes I think we in the West have a list of how many ways we can offend Muslims: draw Muhammad, flush the Koran down the toilet, bomb and kill civilians, urinate on the Koran, etc. We say, “This shouldn’t bother them too much. It wouldn’t bother us.” The point is: THEY ARE NOT US. The sooner we realize this, the better off we will be.
The continued provocation of the Muslim world will lead to non-stop conflict with the West and increased polarization. It will also unite the Islamic community as never before, preparing the way for Mahdi’s rule.
On another note under THEY ARE NOT US, I read recently that Condi Rice was “surprised” by the Hamas victory. Why? We must face the fact that Muslims are angry and want change and will continue to elect fundamentalists when give the chance. How many more times can we be surprised?

Check out this site for his book and you can read the first chapter online for free.