Transcription
[Music] In the Bible, the Prophet Daniel gives many detailed prophecies about a conquering King who will oppress the holy people. Daniel tells us this King will defeat three other kings, invade Israel, and also change the times and the laws. Many prophecy experts believe this king is in the future.
But when you understand much Bible prophecy is a warning about the false doctrine of Islam, it is easier to understand many prophecies. Umar was the Islamic King Daniel saw in his vision. Umar was the second Islamic Caliph, ruling after Muhammad's death. Daniel gives a total of 31 detailed prophecies about this evil King. Umar fulfilled all 31 prophecies. No one else in history has done this.
The first Caliph to rise to power after the false prophet Muhammad died in 632 was Abu Bakr. Following Abu Bakr's death in 634, Umar became the second Islamic Caliph, and Umar ruled from 634 to 644. Since Daniel was written about 550 BC, God allowed Daniel to see Umar's actions some 1100 years before they occurred. Only the true God of the Bible can give prophecy because the true God is outside of time.
To see why this prophecy is about Umar, we must first understand the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Kaaba is the Islamic worship image and is also called the House of Allah. This is the image of the Beast to worship a false god that the true God warns us about eight times in the Book of Revelation. All Islamic prayer must be to the Kaaba. Prayer to a false god brings severe wrath from the true God.
"And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the Beast and its image or for anyone who receives the mark of its name." The Kaaba is the House of Allah. This is the wicked house that the prophet Zechariah saw in prophecy long before the Kaaba was built by Muhammad.
In Babylon, after the house was built, a basket of wickedness was placed in it. I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "It is a basket." And he added, "This is the sin of the people throughout the land." "Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, "To the country of Babylon, to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place."
Before Muhammad, the Kaaba was a shrine where people worshiped many gods. This is called polytheism. Umar was a polytheist, as was his tribe, father, and grandfather before him. Umar was very upset when in 610, Muhammad found a new fortress God called Allah, and Muhammad spoke against polytheism. In 616, Umar traveled to Ethiopia to kill Muhammad in order to defend Umar's tribe. But instead of killing Muhammad, Umar converted to Islam and began to worship the new God, Allah.
Umar's sudden changing from the multiple gods of his ancestors to the new fortress God of Muhammad lets us understand the first part of Daniel's prophecy: "He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any God but will exalt himself above them all. Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses, a god unknown to his ancestors. He will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts."
This King cannot have ancestors that were Jews, Muslims, or Christians, since all three of these groups worship a single God. Only Umar suddenly changing from multiple gods to a new single God fits this prophecy. Umar honored Allah.
Umar's commander was named Khalid. It was under Khalid's military leadership that Arabia, for the first time in history, was united under a single political entity, the Caliphate. But in 638, after the conquest of Syria, Umar dismissed Khalid because of his ever-growing fame and influence. Umar was quoted as doing this because he wanted the people to know that victory came from Allah, not the general. Thus, Umar made sure Allah was honored in the military victories and not a general. "You have achieved what no man did ever before, but verily it was only through Allah's help."
Daniel also tells us this King will say unheard-of things against the true God. "He will exalt and magnify himself above every God and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods." Umar said Jesus is a slave of Allah. "He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign God and will greatly honor those who acknowledge Him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price."
Umar greatly honored those who acknowledged him. In order to minimize the chances of corruption, Umar made it a point to pay very high salaries to his staff. Provincial governors and army commanders received salaries many times higher than normal. This was unheard of at the time. Umar distributed the land for a price, unlike those before him. Umar decided the conquered lands would be the property of the Islamic State and not that of the conquering army. The conquered people would have the land distributed to them and would not be refugees. The lands were left in the possession of their former occupants and charged prices by the Islamic State according to the type of crops.
"He will extend his power over many countries. Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver in all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites or people from the upper Nile region in submission." Umar defeated many countries and defeated Egypt. Umar brought Islam to Egypt and oppressed the Coptic Christians there. Umar took booty and taxed Egypt. Umar conquered North Africa.
"At the time of the end, the King of the South will engage him in battle, and the King of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood." To the north of Umar was Byzantium, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, with Heraclius as its emperor in Constantinople. To the south of Umar was Egypt. Heraclius controlled all of Egypt, making him also the King of the South. Umar defeated Heraclius in both Upper and Lower Egypt. Umar also defeated the northern army of Heraclius.
"But reports from the East and the North will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many." To the east of Umar was the Sasanian Empire in Persia. Umar's fast defeat of Persia in a series of well-coordinated, multi-pronged attacks became his greatest triumph, contributing to his reputation as a great military and political strategist.
"The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones. He will subdue three kings." Umar indeed subdued three kings. Umar's conquests included Heraclius of the Byzantine Eastern Roman Empire, Yazdegerd III of the Sasanian and Persian Empire, and the Shahi king of what today is Afghanistan.
"He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time." Umar recognized the need for a new calendar to govern the affairs of Muslims. In 639, Umar invented the Muslim calendar, counting it from the date in 622 of Muhammad's migration to Medina. Umar was the founder of Islamic jurisprudence, also called Sharia law. Umar is regarded by Sunni Muslims to be the greatest Islamic law jurist, even today.
The Pact of Umar, also known as the Covenant of Umar, Treaty of Umar, or Laws of Umar, was a surrender treaty between the Muslims and the Christians of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Jerusalem. It had many restrictions, for example: no new churches could be built, no repairs to a damaged church, no visible cross on a church, prohibition of Christians and Jews against raising their voices at prayer times, Christians were forbidden to be seen with Christian books in public, Palm Sunday and Easter parades were banned, all churches must be lower in elevation than the lowest mosque.
"He will also invade the beautiful land." Umar entered Jerusalem and camped by the Temple Mount, the site of the beautiful Holy Mountain. Later, as Umar toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the patriarch of Jerusalem said, "Surely this is the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy Place spoken of by Daniel the Prophet." "And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." Umar set up the Abominable Temple on the wing of the Temple Mount, the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
"He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful Holy Mountain. Yet he will come to his end and no one will help him." The final prophecy about Umar was just as dramatic and accurate. In 644, Umar was at the height of his power, having conquered most of the Middle East. He had a very large army along with many bodyguards and traveled to Medina. Umar led the prayers at the front of the mosque in Medina. Everyone was watching Umar while praying to Allah. Umar was attacked by his Persian slave, and not a single person rose to help and stop the attack. Umar was stabbed six times, and yet no one stopped the attacker. Islamic tradition says the worshippers were too horrified to do anything; all they could do was watch. Umar died two days later, just as Daniel foretold.
Umar fulfilled all 31 prophecies of Daniel. No one else in history has done this.
To learn more about Bible prophecy and Islam, see our website at www.revelationnow.org.
[Music]