An Important World Religion

The more than 1.6 billion adherents of Islam constitute 23% of the world’s total population, making it the second largest religion in the world.¹ It is “the second-largest religion in Europe and the third-largest in the U.S.”² Islam is the fastest growing world religion and is actually growing faster than Christianity.³ Its growth rate is 1.9% while Christianity is only 1.3%.⁴ In the Asian continent, where 60% of the world’s population lives, Muslims represent 26.4% or 1.1 billion people with a growth rate of 1.8%.⁵ In the territory of the Southern Asia Pacific Division, where I am from, 85% of all language groups are unreached—majority of these are Muslim.⁶ It is “the second most widespread of the world’s religions” with its adherents constituting the majority in more than 48 countries (25% of the 195 countries of the world)7 and “a significant minority in many others.”⁸ Islam is indeed a very important segment of the global demography. Yet it is also one of the least penetrated, least reached socio-religious groups in the world by Christians.⁹

A Bible-believing, eschatologically-informed Christian, when confronted with the early history and teachings of Islam, as well as its remarkable early expansion, may ask the question: Is Islam in the Bible? In other words, Do we find Islam in Bible prophecy? From an Adventist perspective, it would be a natural and logical question to ask. If Roman Catholicism is in the Bible (which only has 1.2 billion members)¹⁰, should Islam (with 1.6 billion adherents in 2010)¹¹ not be there as well?

Islam in Bible Prophecy

Arabs in the Bible

There are many biblical references to Arabs in the Bible but almost nothing on Islam or Muslims. This statement may sound strange to many people because Arabs are always associated with Islam. The truth is, while majority of Arabs are Muslims, many Arabs are Christians. In fact, Arab Muslims constitute only 21.4% of the total Muslim population.¹² Furthermore, institutional Islam (with its six fundamental beliefs and five obligatory practices) did not arrive at the scene except between 610 A.D. (when Muhammad, felt compelled to preach faith in One God) and 632 A.D. (when just months before Muhammad’s death, the complete Hajj was made obligatory). Revelation, “the youngest book in the New Testament” was written around 45 A.D.¹³ or 525 years before Muhammad was born. Let me say that I find a lot of references to Arabs in the Bible (mostly in the Old Testament, and some in the New Testament).

Muhammad claims to be “an Arab of Arabs,”¹⁴ but who are the Arabs?

The term ‘Arab’ referred in pre-Islamic times to the people who inhabited the Arabian Peninsula and the Syrian Desert.”¹⁵ The first mention of the term “Arab” is found in Assyrian record in 854 B.C. The record referred to an Arab named Gindibu who, together with his camel troops numbering one thousand from the Aribi territory, joined forces with “Bir-‘idri of Damascus (who is none other than the biblical Benhadad II) against Shalmanassar III in the Battle of Qarqar. ¹⁶

The Old Testament knows something about the Arabs. We find the first reference to the word “Arab” in Joshua 15:52 (written around 1446 B.C.)¹⁷ where the term is used to refer to a place in Palestine. Later, in 2 Samuel 23:24 (written before 722 B.C.), the term “Arab” resurfaces and is used in the same way.¹⁸

In his prophecy regarding the destruction and desolation of Babylon, Isaiah mentions that Arabs will never pitch a tent there (Isaiah 13:20). This chapter referring “to the Arab pitching his tent…presupposes a nomadic, desert-dwelling existence.”¹⁹ We also find a prophecy against Arabia in Isaiah 21:13 written around 701 B.C.²⁰ In fact, Jeremiah, writing a little bit later than Isaiah (around 687-582 B.C.) uses the simile “Like an Arab in the desert” (Jeremiah 3:2)²¹ in the tone in which one refers to a well-known fact”.²²

Nehemiah (around 400 B.C.) referred to Geshem the Arab (2:19; 6:1) as being opposed to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.²³ In Jeremiah 25:24, we find that among those who will receive the cup of God’s wrath include “all the kings of Arabia”. Between 971-931 BC, 2 Chronicles 9:14 records that “all the kings of Arabia” paid tribute to Solomon.²⁴ Ezekiel 27:21 mentions Arabia as among those who would lament the fall of the king of Tyre because they could no longer do business with him. In Ezekiel 30:5, “all of Arabia” “will fall by the sword along with Egypt.”

Paul mentions going and staying in Arabia for three years prior to his fulltime ministry (Gal. 1:17). He also locates Mount Sinai in the general region of Arabia (Gal. 4:25). However, these are not the only thing we can find in the Bible about “the people who inhabited the Arabian Peninsula and the Syrian Desert.”²⁵

Arab or Muslim Countries in the Bible

There are so many references in the Bible about Arab or Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa. In fact, the more I looked, the more passages I find. There seems to be no end to references on Arabs and Muslim countries in the Bible! The list includes the following:²⁶

Islam in Revelation. From a traditional Adventist perspective, the clearest prophetic reference to Islam in the Bible is found in Revelation 9. For the rest of this paper, I would like to focus the attention to the challenges of interpreting and explaining Revelation 9, otherwise known as the vision of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets, to a Muslim audience.

Adventist Interpretation of Revelation 9

In 1972 Ministry article, Olavi Rouhe asked the question “Do we have a crisis in our prophetic interpretation?”²⁷ On the one hand, his answer was, No because, according to him “as a denomination we are unanimously proclaiming the three angels’ messages according to the basic lines of prophetic interpretation that we can most clearly see in the pages of The Great Controversy” and “to a large extent we are also unanimous in details of interpretation even though our Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary may present two or three differing interpretations on some prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.” He concludes that he “cannot see any reason to speak of a crisis.” Yet, he also speaks of his fear “that we live in the midst of a crisis in prophetic interpretation in another sense” in that “we are not proclaiming our prophetic message with that power and certainty that we should, because of neglected study of prophecies.”²⁸ I understand him to mean that there is a crisis of Adventist prophetic interpretation if we are not largely “unanimous in details of interpretation”, and if we are not “proclaiming our prophetic message with … certainty.”²⁹

However, a survey of books and articles written by Seventh-day Adventists shows that Adventist scholars are far from being unanimous about their interpretation of the prophecies in Revelation. That is particularly true for interpreting the Seven Trumpets of Revelation. As Rodriguez points out Revelation 8-11, otherwise known as “the seven trumpets” is “a visionary cycle of Revelation that has proven to be one of the most difficult to interpret.”³⁰ Its complex language and imagery as well as “its application to specific historical events has resulted in a variety of views” with the resulting “interpretational uncertainty” that “could be confusing to church members and those interested in finding in this apocalyptic prophecy one clear and final interpretation.”³¹ In fact, according to Rodriguez, “At the present time such a final interpretation is not available.”³² In other words, there is no interpretational certainty—no consensus among Adventist scholars—about the proper interpretation of Revelation 8-11.

With that on the background, I would like look at Revelation 9 and the traditional Adventist interpretation of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets—the passage that is traditionally seen as prophetically describing the rise, expansion and decline of Islam as a political power.

An Overview of the Fifth Trumpet (Revelation 9:1-12)³³

¹And the fifth angel trumpeted, and I saw a star out of heaven that had fallen on earth, and to which was given the key of the shaft of the abyss. ²And he opened the shaft of the abyss; and smoke went up out of the shaft like a smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the shaft. ³And out of the smoke came forth locusts to the earth, and they were given authority as scorpions have authority of the earth. ⁴And it was said to them that they should not harm the grass of the earth or any greenstuff or any tree, except the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but only to torment them for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion whenever it stings a man. ⁶And in those days men will seek death and not find it, and they will long to die and death will flee from them. ⁷And the locusts look like horses that have been prepared for war; and on their heads were crowns that look like gold; and their faces look like faces of men, ⁸and they had hairs like women’s hairs, and their teeth were like those of lions, ⁹and they had iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the sound chariots of many horses running to war. ¹⁰And they have tails and stings like scorpions, and with their tails they had the authority to harm men for five months. ¹¹They have a king over them —the angel of the abyss—whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and whose name in Greek is Apollyon. ¹²The first woe has passed; behold, two more woes comes after these things.

Revelation 9 is a continuation of vision of the seven trumpets in Revelation 8. In vv. 1-12, John describes the fifth trumpet, which is also called the first woe (v. 12). The importance of the fifth trumpet may be deduced from the fact that John devotes more space to the description of this trumpet than to the previous four combined.

In verses 1-12, John describes what he saw when the fifth angel blew his trumpet. He saw a star from heaven that had fallen on earth. To this fallen star was “given the key to the shaft of the abyss” (v.1). After receiving the key, he “opened the shaft of the abyss” and huge volume of smoke came out. The smoke was so thick that the sky was darkened and none could see the sun nor breath freely (v.2). Then locusts came out of the smoke and landed on the earth (v. 3).

John now focuses on the action of the locusts that came out of the darkening smoke. The locusts were “given power” to sting like scorpions (v. 3). Unlike normal locusts, these locusts do not eat the grass or the leaves of trees. In fact, they were not allowed to hurt the vegetation. They were only allowed to hurt people who do not have “the seal of God in their foreheads” (v. 4). Even then, the locusts were permitted not allow to kill them but only to “torment” “those men who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads” (v. 4, 5). John describes the pain these locusts inflicts on their victims as similar to that of being stung by a scorpion. The people thus tormented by the scorpion-like locusts suffered terribly that they wished to die.

John also described what the scorpion-like locusts look like. The locusts: a) looked like war horses, b) had a man’s face, c) wore gold-plated crown or helmet, d) sported long hair, e) had strong lion-like teeth, f) wore iron vests or armors, g) had wings that sound like many chariots, and h) had scorpion-looking tails that stings people. John tells us that these locusts had the power to “hurt men” for five months.

John then zooms in on the leader of these strange but powerful locusts. The Bible says that locusts do not have a king (Prov 30:27), yet this swarm had one (Rev 9:11). They had a king that ruled over them whom John identifies as the “angel of the shaft of the abyss”—otherwise known as Abaddon (“destruction” or “ruin”) in Hebrew or Apollyon (“exterminator” or “destroyer”) in Greek.³⁴

Thus, we see the sequence of events: 1) the fifth angel trumpeted, 2) a star that had already fallen on earth received a key to the shaft of the abyss, 3) the fallen star opened the shaft of the abyss, 4) thick smoke came out and darkened the sky, 5) locusts came out of the smoke and landed on the earth, 6) the locusts attack and torment people who were without the seal of God for five months.

Overview of the Sixth Trumpet (Revelation 9:13-21)³⁵

¹³And the sixth angel trumpeted; and I heard a voice out of the four horns of the golden altar that is before God, ¹⁴saying to the sixth angel that has the trumpet: Loose the four angels that have been bound at the great river Euphrates. ¹⁵And the four angels were loosed – having been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, in order that they should kill one third of mankind. ¹⁶And the number of the cavalry soldiers was two hundred million—I heard their number. ¹⁷And I saw the horses and their riders in the vision—they have fire-coloured, dusky red and sulphorous breastplates—and the heads of the horses are like heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceeds fire and smoke and sulphur. ¹⁸The third of mankind was killed by these three plagues: by the fire, the smoke and the sulphur proceeding out of their mouths. ¹⁹For the authority of the horses is in their mouths and tails; for their tails are like serpents with heads with which they do harm. ²⁰And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not even repent of the works of their hands, in order that they will no longer worship demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—which can not see, hear, or walk, ²¹nor did they repent of their murders, their sorceries, their fornication or of their thefts.

In Revelation 9:13-21 John describes the second Woe. When the sixth angel blew his trumpet, John heard a voice from inside the heavenly sanctuary’s most holy place—right from among the “horns of the golden altar in front of God” (v. 13). The voice commanded the sixth trumpeting angel to release the four angels that were previously restricted in their activity around the Euphrates River (v. 14). These four angels were allowed to kill one third of mankind during a period of one year, one month, one day and one hour—or 391 days and an hour.

John abruptly turns his attention to the army that would be sent to kill one third of mankind. They were a huge “army of horsemen”—two hundred million strong (v. 16, NIV). They wore shiny red, sulphorous body armors. Their horses had three remarkable features: a) they had lion-like heads, b) their mouths spew out a deadly mixture of fire, smoke and sulfur, and c) they had snake-like tails with poisonous heads. These horses have two sources of power: their mouth and their tails.

One third of mankind were killed by this assaulting army. Yet, in spite of the devastating destruction and carnage brought on by these horsemen, the remaining two-thirds of mankind did not repent of their acts of idolatry, demon-worship, murder, witchcraft, fornication or stealing.

Traditional Adventist Interpretation

Having put in modern language what the passage seems to be saying, we come to the very difficult task of interpreting this chapter. How is Revelation 9 interpreted by Seventh-day Adventists? Referring to Revelation’s trumpets, Erwin Gane observes that “there was so little consensus among scholars on this section of Scriptures” –in fact, “much of what has been written is confusing, even contradictory.”³⁶

Reflecting largely the traditional interpretation of Uriah Smith’s Daniel and Revelation, we find the following interpretation of key symbols for the fifth trumpet in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary:

The fallen star refers to Satan. In 628 AD, he was allowed by God to open the “bottomless pit” which represents “the vast wastes of the Arabian deserts” where the followers of Muhammad came from “to spread their conquests over vast areas.”³⁷ The “darkening of the sun” refers to “the obscuration of the sun of Christianity” as a result of the spread of Islam. The scorpion-like locusts symbolize the Arab Muslims, also known as Saracens, who were ordered by the first Caliph (Abu Bakr) not to “destroy property wantonly or to kill Christians and Jews” as long as they paid the jizyah “a tax levied on non-Muslims as a form of tribute.”³⁸ They were, however, commanded to “cleave” the skulls of “people that belong to the synagogue of Satan.”³⁹ The people “who do not observe the true Sabbath” were the subject of attack and harrassment by the Muslim hordes for 150 years.⁴⁰ The king that rules over the symbolical swarm of locusts was Othman I (1299-1326)—“the traditional founder of the Ottoman Empire.”⁴¹

The main symbols in the sixth trumpet are interpreted in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary as follows: The “four angels” either refers to the four sultanates of the Ottoman Empire (i.e., Aleppo, Iconium, Damascus, and Baghdad) or to “destructive forces that moved against the Western world.”⁴² The ferocious cavalry refers to the Turkish army. The “fire, smoke and sulphur” refers to “the use of gunpowder and firearms, introduced about this time.”⁴³ The 391 years and 15 day period that was given to these four angels to kill one third of mankind is July 27, 1299 to July 27, 1449.⁴⁴

Diversity of Adventist Interpretation

The editors of the Wycliffe Bible Commentary suggest that “it is probable that, apart from the exact identification of Babylon in chapters 17 and 18, the meaning of the two judgments in this chapter presents the most difficult major problem in Revelation.”⁴⁵ For Adventist scholars—and evangelists— the identification of Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18 may not be a big problem—except when presenting to a Roman Catholic audience! There is, more or less, “unanimous” agreement “in details of interpretation”⁴⁶ regarding Babylon in Revelation. However, interpretation of the trumpets (not just the fifth and sixth trumpets) remains problematic. Several Adventist scholars, as we can see in the table below, contributed to a diversity of views regarding the fifth and the sixth trumpets.

Looking at the table below, we get the idea that most Adventist Bible commentators (at least those that are in the list below) agree that the fifth and sixth trumpets of Revelation 9 predict the rise and expansion of Islam. However, there is diversity in interpretation regarding the identity of the “star that had fallen” as well as the “angel of the Abyss” who is said to be the king over the swarm of locusts (Rev. 9:1,11, NIV). Some identify the “star” as Satan,⁴⁷ others identify it with Muhammad.⁴⁸ Still, some identify this as an angel whom God commissioned to let Muhammad start Islam.⁴⁹ Interestingly, this interpretation would land well with Muslims who believe that an “archangel” named Gabriel (Jibril) began a series of revelation to Muhammad from 610 AD until his death in 632 AD.⁵⁰

Regarding the identity of the “angel of the Abyss”, there are also varied interpretations. Some identify it with Satan⁵¹ while others identify it with Muhammad and/or the Ottoman Sultans.

Interpretation of the 5th and 6th trumpets among Adventist Expositors⁵²

Difficulties of Traditional Interpretation for Muslim Audience

In 1899, Ellen White wrote:

Especially should the book Daniel and the Revelation be brought before the people as the very book for this time. This book contains the message which all need to read and understand. . . . Let our canvassers urge this book upon the attention of all.⁵³

The above statement seems to suggest that Ellen White is endorsing the traditional interpretation. In fact, a statement in the devotional book Maranatha seem to show her support for Josiah Litch’s interpretation⁵⁴ on which both Uriah Smith and the SDA Bible Commentary seem to be based:

In the year 1840, another remarkable fulfilment of prophecy excited widespread interest. Two years before, Josiah Litch, one of the leading ministers preaching the second advent, published an exposition of Revelation 9, predicting the fall of the Ottoman empire. According to his calculations, this power was to be overthrown “in A.D. 1840, sometime in the month of August;” and only a few days previous to its accomplishment he wrote: “Allowing the first period, 150 years, to have been exactly fulfilled before Deacozes ascended the throne by permission of the Turks, and that the 391 years, fifteen days, commenced at the close of the first period, it will end on the 11th of August, 1840, when the Ottoman power in Constantinople may be expected to be broken. And this, I believe, will be found to be the case.”--Josiah Litch, in Signs of the Times, and Expositor of Prophecy, Aug. 1, 1840.⁵⁵

She continued

At the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambassadors, accepted the protection of the allied powers of Europe, and thus placed herself under the control of Christian nations. The event exactly fulfilled the prediction A wonderful impetus was given to the advent movement.⁵⁶

From the point of view of one who wants to reach Muslims, however, the use of the traditional Adventist interpretation as represented by Uriah Smith’s Daniel and Revelation as well as The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (and other Adventist expositors who follow them) in relation to Revelation 9 is filled with potential misunderstanding if not violent repercussions. Instead of being enlightened regarding “the truth for this time”⁵⁷, Muslims who read or hear the explanations of key symbols in that passage will either become fearful of becoming an unbeliever (kafir) or indignant for the sake of their religion or Prophet. Either way, a barrier to understanding is created.

While most of statements explaining the meaning of symbols in the fifth and sixth trumpets are probably acceptable to Muslims, I cringe at some of the statements I read in Daniel and Revelation. For instance:

1) “…the Saracens and the Turks were the instruments by which a false religion became the scourge of an apostate church…”⁵⁸ 2) “And before a sword was put into the hands of the false prophet….”⁵⁹ 3) “These robbers [referring to the Saracens] were the apostles of Mahomet.”⁶⁰ 4) “…the followers of Mohammed… propagate their delusive doctrines with fire and sword until they had spread their darkness over all the Eastern Empire.”⁶¹ 5) “A false religion was set up, which…filled the world with darkness and delusion ”⁶²

The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary has less of the “dangerous” words and phrases, except for the line describing “Satan as a star fallen from heaven.”⁶³ The logical conclusion is that “the fallen star” that opened the way for the rise and expansion of Islam is Satan—something a staunch Muslim will never accept.

I bring out these things not because I do not subscribe to the traditional understanding that the fifth and the sixth trumpet describes the nature and activity of Islam, but because when one ministers to Muslims, one ventures in volatile territory. In South Philippines a number of years back, the evangelical floating bookstore Doulos docked for a few days hoping to sell Christian literature. Some Muslims went aboard and found a book that speaks disparagingly of Muhammad. Threats were made which resulted in the MV Doulos leaving the pier prematurely. In my lectures on how to relate to Muslims, I warn people to avoid three things: 1) saying something bad about Islam, 2) saying something bad about the Quran, and 3) saying something bad about Muhammad.

Interpreting Revelation 9 for Muslims

Are there ways to interpret and explain Revelation 9 that incorporates the best in our traditional interpretation without being offensive to Muslims? Below are some suggestions on how to “repackage” a traditional historicist interpretation of Revelation 9 for Muslims:

Use Arabic words and names

Use the Arabic for words like prophet (nabi), messenger (rasul), angel (malak), abyss (hawia), locust (jarad), revelation (wahy), vision (ruya), etc. Use Daniyal (Daniel) and Yahya (John). Also, try to use the correct or more common Arabic names such as Muhammad (not Mohamet/Mahomet or Mohammed), Muslim or Islam (not Mohammedan or Mahometanism), Abu Bakr (not Abubeker).

Use Islamic sources

Look for Islamic historical as well as traditional sources instead of just Christian sources in showing the fulfilment of the prophecy. Such sources may include the hadith and the Qur’an. The point is to have enough supporting literature from an “insider” viewpoint.

Share privately, not in public

Do not present the traditional interpretation in public—unless you have contextualized and toned down the statements I listed as “dangerous”. Small groups is a more appropriate place to share this sensitive topic. Person-to-person is even better.

Let the Bible Interpret

The book of Revelation draws heavily on the Old Testament for much of its “theology, vocabulary, and symbolism.”⁶⁴ In fact, book of Revelation is “a veritable mosaic of Old Testament allusions.”⁶⁵ For a person to more fully grasp its meaning, he or she must trace the symbols, words and concepts beginning from the Old Testament and then to New Testaments.⁶⁶

Show the Big Picture

Do not get bogged down with details such as proving the accuracy of the year-day calculation that you miss showing the big picture. Do not teach only Revelation 9 without going through the preceding chapters. Remember: “the series of seals, trumpets and bowls all build on each other” to “express more adequately the complexity of the church age”—each cycle revealing “its own emphasis on apostasy, judgment, and deliverance.”⁶⁷

Avoid a Crusading Spirit

Jesus must be the focus—not your biblical or historical knowledge. Avoid making your time with your Muslim acquaintance or friend into a “Crusade” to prove that his religion is inferior or false. Lift Jesus up, not your religion or denomination. Remember the principle that if He is lifted up, He will draw people to Him (John 12:32). Your Muslim friend will be convinced of the truth not by your words but by your courtesy, kindness, and sympathy. For as Ellen White correctly puts it: “The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian.”⁶⁸

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