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The 12th Imam
by Henry Morris III, D.Min.

". . . if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, He is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" (Mark 13:21-22).

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran closed his address to the United Nations in October 2005 with a prayer imploring Allah to hasten the return of the 12th Imam. Since then, he has become openly vitriolic toward the "infidels" (Christians and Jews), threatening to destroy the people of Israel and the power of America.

A raving madman or a glimpse at a demonic plan to attack Judeo-Christian peoples? Serious Bible students will be cautious about jumping to conclusions, but the enemy has not been stirring the Islamic pot for amusement!

An Islamic Messiah?

Islam has its own "end times" that interestingly parallel certain Biblical teachings about our Messiah. Some titles of the 12th Imam include: Sahib az Zaman (Master of the Age), Sahib al Amr (Master of Command), and al Qa'im (the One to Arise).

Satan, the great deceiver of "the whole world" (Revelation 12:9), often mimics truth (II Corinthians 11:14) in order to take "captive" (II Timothy 2:26) the nations of the world (II Thessalonians 2:9).

The Power of a Creationist Witness

ICR is driven in its research and educational efforts because foundational to every Biblical "answer" (I Peter 3:15) and all spiritual battles against the "strongholds" (II Corinthians 10:4), is the clear witness of who the Messiah really is (Colossians 2:9) -- and that requires the "everlasting gospel" (Revelation 14:6-7) of the great Creator-Redeemer (Romans 1:20).

False christs and false prophets will rise until the Lord returns. There is little one can do individually to prevent the "many" from swarming down the "broad way" that leads to destruction. Yet our witness can and must be bold and clear as the Holy Spirit enables us to proclaim "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).