Leaders of the "emergent church" movement within evangelical Christianity are "observing" the Muslim month of Ramadan, writes the author of the bestselling new book, "The Islamic Antichrist," which contends that the Beast of Revelation is most likely to emerge from within the Muslim world.

"This year, a group of "Emergent Christians," led by one of the United States' most influential pastors, Brian McLaren have announced they will actually be 'observing' the Muslim holy month, along with a Muslim 'partner,'" writes Joel Richardson in a WND commentary today. "Ramadan is the month that Muslims thank Allah, their god, for revealing the Quran to Muhammad, their prophet. On McLaren's personal blog, he recently announced his intentions: 'We, as Christians, humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness.'"

Richardson questions whether such an "observance" is actually tantamount to an endorsement of Islam.

He points out: "Every year, during the ninth month on the Islamic calendar, the Muslim world celebrates a month long fast known as Ramadan. The timing of the fast in the month of Sha’aban is specifically intended to commemorate the month in which the Quran was 'sent down' or 'revealed' to Muhammad. During Ramadan, Muslims will abstain from smoking or drinking, from sex or sexual thoughts and eating during the daylight hours. Muslims also believe that good deeds done during Ramadan will be doubly credited before Allah."

Richardson adds that McLaren is not fasting for the salvation of his Muslim friends.

"Instead he is seeking through the practice of this Islamic ritual to promote 'the common good, together with people of other faith traditions,'" he writes.

"The Islamic Antichrist" is the No. 1 e-book in America at Scribd.com and No. 1 at Amazon in two religion categories. It's also the No. 1 bestseller at the WND Superstore, where it is exclusively offered autographed at no extra charge.

"The Bible abounds with proofs that the Antichrist's empire will consist only of nations that are, today, Islamic," says Richardson. "Despite the numerous prevailing arguments for the emergence of a revived European Roman empire as the Antichrist's power base, the specific nations the Bible identifies as comprising his empire are today all Muslim."

Richardson believes the key error of many previous prophecy scholars involves the misinterpretation of a prediction by Daniel to Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel describes the rise and fall of empires of the future, leading to the end times. Western Christians have viewed one of those empires as Rome, when, claims Richardson, Rome never actually conquered Babylon and was thus disqualified as a possibility.

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It had to be another empire that rose and fell and rose again that would lead to rule of this "man of sin," described in the Bible. That empire, he says, is the Islamic Empire, which did conquer Babylon and, in fact, rules over it even today.

Many evangelical Christians believe the Bible predicts a charismatic ruler, the Antichrist, will arise in the last days, before the return of Jesus. The Quran also predicts that a man, called the Mahdi, will rise up to lead the nations, pledging to usher in an era of peace. Richardson makes the case these two men are, in fact, one and the same.

In "The Islamic Antichrist," Richardson, a student of Islam, exposes Western Christians to the Muslim traditions. He says most Christians have no idea of the stunning similarities between biblical Antichrist and the "Islamic Jesus."

Richardson is the co-author with Walid Shoebat of "God's War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy and the Bible" and co-editor of "Why We Left Islam: Former Muslims Speak Out." "The Islamic Antichrist" is published by WND Books and is available autographed in the WND Superstore.

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