As you look around the world today, and consider the last 1400 years of imperialistic conquest and subjugation of the false prophet Muhammad's Islamic kingdom "beast", did it ever strike you as peculiar that futurism necessarily precludes you from even considering, that Muhammad could be THE false prophet of the book of Revelation?
For the longest time I thought Muhammad WAS the false prophet. He most certainly is a false prophet and originator of the false religion of Islam, i.e. Babylon the Great," but I've reconsidered and THINK he may not be the end-time false prophet who I think is someone who will 'rise' and exist in the last days.
I also thought bin Laden could be the false prophet too since he called for holy war in 1998. I still believe bin Laden is the rider of the white horse of the first seal which represents, 'holy war.' However, Muhammad STILL could be the false prophet....but I tend to think it's a man living at the time the events of Revelation take place. Baghdaddi would be a good candidate.
As a futurist, what do you make of this prophecy of Jesus:
Matthew 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Mark 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
That passage is what fuels preterism and historicism. But then again, to accept it as such, in my view, contradicts a host of other verses.
I have a different view of Mathew 16:28 and I know what most futurist and preterist believe about it as well. First, in every instance, the passage is followed by the transfiguration.
Doug Bachelder said,
If you go to Mark chapter 9 it's the same story. I like Mark's version a little better because it gets right to the point. In Mark 9 verse 1, Jesus said, 'Assuredly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste of death till they see the Kingdom of God present with power.' Now the way that's translated from the Greek I understand, He's saying you are going to see a presentation of the Kingdom coming....
Now follow this: Jesus was glorified. Moses was there, who represents those who died and are resurrected. Elijah was there, representing those who are translated without seeing death. God the Father comes in a cloud and says, 'This is my Beloved Son.' What they had was a miniature microcosm, a picture of the Second Coming. Jesus said I'm going to give you a snapshot, before you die, of my Kingdom coming. And that's what happened on that mountain right after He made that statement.
http://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/media/e/1073/t/explain-matthew-1628-about-some-not-dying-until-they-see-the-kingdom_________________________________________________________
To accept this verse as the preterist do actually contradicts Mathew 24. The Lord cannot return
to his kingdom until he establishes it.
So in my view, there are too many contradictions to accept this in a historical or preterist context. The word 'coming' also means 'to go.'
I'm not sure but I tend to believe the Lord IS referring to either the transfiguration (likely) or the ascencion. (another possibility)
This passage doesn't imply as most preterist do that the Lord returned in 70 AD.
An old woman once told me that, "prophecy was written to fool us."
I say she's right! But more so that we fool ourselves.