As someone who has walked many paths in life—Islam, socialism, veganism, and even paganism—it has been a long and often arduous journey to find the truth of Jesus Christ, the God incarnate. My ancestral lineage connects me to the Safavid Dynasty, a royal house that once ruled Persia, and my personal story connects me to the heart of America as a conservative Iranian-American Christian LDS Priest. Along this road, I have learned much about the contrasts between Christianity and Islam, particularly regarding eschatology and the figure of the Mahdi, whom Muslims hail as their savior but whom I now see as the embodiment of the Antichrist.
The Islamic Mahdi: Savior or Deceiver?
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is described as a messianic figure who will appear at the end of times to establish a global Islamic caliphate, unite the ummah (Muslim community), and bring justice to the world. Sunni and Shia Muslims have differing interpretations of the Mahdi, but both traditions anticipate his arrival. According to Shia belief, the Mahdi is the twelfth Imam, hidden since childhood and awaiting divine command to emerge. Sunni traditions describe him as a descendant of Muhammad who will appear when the world descends into chaos.
Muslims believe that the Mahdi will arrive alongside Jesus Christ, who, according to Islamic tradition, will act as a subordinate to the Mahdi, breaking crosses, killing pigs, and converting Christians to Islam. This narrative, as I now recognize, directly contradicts the true teachings of the Bible and diminishes the divinity and role of Jesus Christ.
The Rider on a Pale Horse
The Book of Revelation warns of a rider on a pale horse, a harbinger of death and destruction (Revelation 6:8). In my studies, I have come to see the Islamic Mahdi as a reflection of this prophetic figure—a false messiah who will bring calamity under the guise of peace and unity. Revelation describes the Antichrist as a deceiver who will perform great signs and wonders to mislead the nations (Revelation 13:13–14). The Mahdi’s promises of establishing a perfect Islamic world order eerily parallel these warnings.
It is no coincidence that Muslims view the Mahdi as someone who will enforce Sharia law globally, leading a world bereft of freedom, diversity of faith, or the sanctity of individual conscience. Islam’s emphasis on submission—its very name means submission—aligns chillingly with the prophecy of a global figure demanding worship and absolute authority, akin to the Antichrist.
Jesus Christ: The True King
In contrast to the Islamic narrative, the Bible proclaims Jesus Christ as the one true King who will return to defeat evil, judge the nations, and establish His eternal kingdom. The depiction of Jesus as a subordinate to the Mahdi in Islamic tradition is not just an insult; it is a calculated distortion designed to replace the Gospel with a counterfeit narrative.
Isaiah 9:6 declares, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder.” This is the Jesus I now serve—fully divine, fully human, the Alpha and the Omega. He does not return as a lackey to a self-proclaimed Islamic savior. Instead, Revelation 19:11–16 describes Him as the Faithful and True Rider on a white horse, who comes to vanquish evil, not as a subservient figure but as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Gospel of Barnabas: A Fraudulent Tool of Deception
When I was a Muslim, the so-called Gospel of Barnabas was touted as a legitimate account of Jesus Christ’s life. This apocryphal text, widely circulated in Iran and other Muslim countries, claims that Jesus foretold the coming of Muhammad and denied His own divinity. Yet, the Gospel of Barnabas is a glaring forgery, written centuries after Christ by someone who lacked even a basic understanding of the historical or theological context of the Gospels.
The Qur’an itself acknowledges the authenticity of the Gospel given to Jesus (Surah 3:3), yet no Muslim I encountered in my years as an Imam could explain why they preferred fabricated texts like the Gospel of Barnabas over the New Testament. Instead, the Islamic establishment promotes these lies to keep their followers from encountering the liberating truth of the Bible.
Conclusion: Rejecting Deception, Embracing Truth
The Islamic Mahdi, far from being a savior, represents a deception foretold in Scripture. As I reflect on my journey from Islam to Christianity, I see the Mahdi’s role as the Antichrist more clearly than ever. Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, will not return to serve a false messiah but to defeat him and establish His eternal reign.
For those still caught in the web of Islamic eschatology, I urge you to read the Bible with an open heart. Seek the truth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not the lies perpetuated by false texts like the Gospel of Barnabas. The rider on the pale horse brings death, but the Rider on the white horse brings eternal life.
Citations
- The Holy Bible, King James Version.
- Revelation 6:8, 19:11–16.
- Qur’an, Surah 3:3.
- Barnstone, W., & Meyer, M. (2009). The Gnostic Bible. Shambhala Publications.
- Cook, M. A. (2000). Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong in Islamic Thought. Cambridge University Press.
- Gibb, H. A. R., & Kramers, J. H. (1965). Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam. Brill.
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