For those of you (Christians) who follow eschatology teachings and Revelation as well as end times prophecy the following is something you might want to consider. Islamic scriptures/teachings also teach of the End Times and their teachings/beliefs parallel those of Christianity and revelation very closely only that they differ greatly in who is who.
For instance Islamic teachings is that in their End Times their messiah, a direct descendant of Mohammad, they call the Mahdi, will come back to earth along with Islamic Jesus (same person that Christians call Jesus Christ) only Islamic Jesus isn't co-deity with God, Allah is Islamic God, and Islamic Jesus will return to earth to show Christians the error of their ways. The Ark of the Covenant will be found and new scriptures will show or be there to demonstrate to Jews and Christians that Allah is the only God and Islam is the only true Religion and that the whole world is to convert to Islam (or be killed).
The attributes and description of Mahdi (Islamic messiah) mirrors the description and attributes of the Antichrist that is foretold in the Christian Bible to the letter even including the 7-Year agreement that is to be signed with Israel that will bring about a false Peace. Jerusalem, the Temple location is also to be the location that the Mahdi (Islamic messiah) will Rule from as well which mirrors the description of the abomination of desolation that is to come upon Israel in the middle of the 7 year period.
The reason that I inject this is that many Christians (protestant Christians) believe that the antichrist will come from out of the Roman Catholic church and the position of the Pope. I do not agree with this belief nor believe that scriptures teach such. I do though believe that the Islamic messiah mirrors the description of the Antichrist and IF that is the case then the world's future is one of Islamic rule. What I mean by this is Christian Scriptures dealing with the End Times forecast or prophecy that in the end times will be exceedingly hard for Christians and Jews. That Christians and Jews will suffer intense persecution and attacks mainly concentrated in the last 3 1/2 years of the 70th week of Daniel or what is called by many Christians as the Tribulation period or the period of approximately 7 years that many believe will begin with the signing of the agreement between the antichrist and Israel.
There are many different beliefs about this period but most beliefs reference a 7 year period of time, indicate that it will be a time that it will not be good to be a Christian or a Jew. I fully believe that the mold, pattern, plan is there now indicated by how Islamic Nations treat Christians and Jews or non-Islamic believers and that times will only get worse from here on out. I'm not one that says we definitely are in the end days, end times, but I do believe that scriptures tell a Christian that we (Christians) should expect times to be very tough for Christians and Jews and that the false religion will increase (the religion of the Antichrist) throughout the world. For Muslims it will appear that their Religion is the only one and it will grow and have unrestricted growth into all parts of the world seeming as if Allah is God and is prevailing over all other religions.
Again for Christians, students of Eschatology much of this will make sense and seem familiar. Among other areas of disagreement, among Christians, is the teachings of a Rapture or the rapture. Naturally this word is not in the Bible, Christian Scriptures mainly because there was no such word in the Greek and Hebrew from which the Scriptures are translated from. I believe though that the "catching away" or "transformation" spoken of in the Scriptures found in 1Corinthians 15:50-53, 1Thessalonians 4:13-18, 2Thessalonians 2:1, Revelation 7:9-14 & Matthew 24:30-31. I do believe that there is teaching that Christians, that are alive and living, when the end times come upon the world, will be miraculously removed from this earth, BEFORE God's Wrath/Judgment comes upon the world. Most call this the Rapture so I believe for Christians it is encouragement that the very worst, future, times will be reserved for after believers are removed, I do believe that Christians, alive during these last days, will encounter extremely hard and tough times both economically, politically, and just everyday living as well as enduring great and intense persecution account of their Christian, and Jewish, beliefs.
It may sound like any other conspiracy or like Chicken little but I am not saying that it's imminent or happening now. I am just saying that I believe that the antichrist is a real person that will come at some future time. I believe that this antichrist will be a Muslim and come from the Islamic religion and that there will be an extremely intense effort on Muslims to convert Christians and non-Islamic believers to the religion of Islam under threat of death if they don't comply.
I believe all Christians, Roman Catholic and Protestants will suffer the same intense persecution for their beliefs and that this Islamic revolution, Jihad will be world wide and not just confined to Europe and the Middle East. I do though believe that America, if we still exist as a nation, will have it better than those in Europe, Africa and the middle East but that intense times will be everywhere including America. What many Christians, specifically American Christians, fail to realize is that Scriptures and Prophecies are targeted for and specifically address Israel and the areas and lands around Israel. People have said they don't see America contained within Scriptures or mentioned in Scriptures, and that is true. I believe the main reason for this is that the whole of the Scriptures are for Israel and the areas around Israel. Christians and believers are located everywhere and thus much of Scripture relates to living of our lives and doesn't have to be specific with terms of geography but where geography is referenced it is done so in the area of Israel and the middle east as that is the area where Israel, God's Chosen people, dwell and that all referenced events originate and happen.
The Bible and scriptures may be global in their reach but in as much so as to address the lives of people no matter where they live.