The Unresolved Problems with Joel Richardson’s Theory
by J. Jacob Prasch
Note: This review is based on the electronic version of Joel Richardson’s book published on his website “Joel’s Trumpet”.
The Internet has been abuzz with varying views and reviews of Joel Richardson’s book promoted by World Net Daily titled, The Islamic Antichrist. The book offers interesting comment and some insightful observations but seeks to challenge and reverse the popular teaching of Babylon the Great being related to either Roman Catholicism or a revived Roman Empire, but instead belonging to the Islamic world.
In Joel Richardson’s thesis, Gog and Magog are neither nations nor individuals arriving from Russia but represent the Antichrist (Gog) and the Islamic world following him. The author identifies him with the Mahdi, the Islamic messiah cum Antichrist (not to be confused with the Islamic doctrine of the Dajjal, the one-eyed Antichrist whom they associate with the ancient Egyptian sun god and with Jesus), and not as Islam understands Him (which is that Jesus was a mere prophet inferior to Mohammed and not God).
Joel Richardson’s arguments are that Rome never conquered Babylon, that Russia is not specifically identified as the “uttermost parts of the North”, that the Gog and Magog conflict and the battle of Armageddon are one and the same, and that Israel will turn to their God and the Lord’s Name will no longer be profaned with the destruction of Gog. Hence, since the Antichrist will cause the Name of God to be profaned and Gog’s destruction ends this, Gog must be the Antichrist cum Mahdi.
Let us be clear that biblically Islam is certainly an Antichrist religion and Mohammed was a type of Antichrist/ false prophet. By the scriptural definition of 1 John, Islam denies the Father and Son relationship and is categorically Antichrist. Moreover, Islamic decapitation and Shari’a law plainly meet the descriptions of the ordeal many will experience when the Antichrist will brutalize those refusing to take his mark and so forth.
Islam has demonstrated a capacity to deceive on two fronts – a political and economic front and a religious front. And it has been able to mobilize global forces and governments against Israel and the Jews. And both have been aimed, no less, at deceiving saved Christians. This deception however has spread from the political realm and into the church with pseudo-Evangelical figures such as Rick Warren, Tony Campolo, Robert Schuller, and above all Emergent church guru Brian McLaren (who celebrates Ramadan). There is no doubt these trends are of prophetic significance and are helping pave the way for the Antichrist and false prophet. Even in an age of apostasy and spiritual degeneration within the church, it is still a fairly distant stretch however to believe that a purely Islamic figure can mislead Christians into accepting him as a returned Christ.
The problem with Joel Richardson’s approach is that he is playing baseball instead of billiards. His eye is one ball and he is ignoring all of the other balls which are no less important.
…. continues at source: Moriel Ministries
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