From Islamic traditions and Muslim scholars, the Mahdi (12th Imam), like the Antichrist is prophesied to be a political and military world leader unparalleled throughout world history. The Mahdi is said to “fight against the forces of evil, lead a world revolution and set up a new world order based on righteousness, justice and virtue”. At this time, according to Islamic tradition, the Mahdi is said to preside over the entire earth as the final Islamic Caliph. Clearly then, we see that the Antichrist and the Mahdi are both described as being political and military leaders the likes of which the world has never before seen. They are both viewed as being supreme religious leaders as well. Muslims believe the appearance of the Mahdi is imminent and many Bible prophesy teachers are watching expectantly for the Antichrist to emerge. Could they be one and the same person.

After examining the Antichrist’s role as a universal religious leader, many Bible prophesy teachers have talked about the coming of the “One World Religion” or the false church which the Antichrist will both create and enforce upon the entire earth.

Are we now seeing the beginnings of this “One World Religion”. Here we see Imam Sali Salem recite a verse from the Koran in Rome’s Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, on July 31, 2016. (Image source: La Stampa video screenshot)

A priest in the south of Italy enraged parishioners by dressing the Virgin Mary in a Muslim burqa for his church’s Christmas Nativity scene. These interfaith initiatives are based on the gradual elimination of the Western-Christian heritage in favour of Islam.

The Catholic clergy is probably disoriented by Pope Francis himself; he was the first to allow the reading of Islamic prayers and Koran readings from the Vatican. The Pope has embraced religious relativism when it comes to Islam. He repeated that Islamist violence is the work of “a small group of fundamentalists” who, according to him, have nothing to do with Islam.

For the first time in more than 700 years, Islamic songs resonated in Florence’s Cathedral, the Church Santa Maria del Fiore. Under the famous Dome of Brunelleschi, Islamic melodies accompanied Christian ones. The “interfaith initiative” was promoted a week after the barbaric massacre by Islamist terrorists in Paris at the magazine Charlie Hebdo, and included “Koran is Justice” and other such “hymns”.

Church of England Bishop Harries suggested that Prince Charles’s coronation service should be opened with a Koran reading.

In the US, more than 50 churches, including the Washington National Cathedral, hold Koran readings. Can you imagine Imams allowing the reading of the Christian liturgy in mosques?

Surely, this is clear evidence we are in the “last days” and the prophesied falling away in the church is already happening. We are living in the days of the Great Apostasy spoken of in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.