I spoke to some Christians over one weekend and it was interesting that their eschatology was not well developed nor had any knowledge of the potential plan of Satan to perform a possible role reversal which of course God is aware. Derek Prince in the 1980’s warned that Islam was going to be involved in the end times and that the Antichrist would probably be a Muslim. He had great insight as he and his wife Lydia were in Israel when the state was born in 1948 and they saw an experienced the hatred of the Jews and Christians firsthand.
Christians need to be aware of how the enemy has turned the biblical narrative on its head as you will see below. In Islam they believe that Ishmael was sacrificed and not Isaac. This whole narrative reversal continues all the way to who the Antichrist and the Messiah will be.
With our Messiah becoming the Antichrist and the Antichrist becoming the Messiah of Islam.
Joel Richardson does a great job explaining this in his video on Islamic Eschatology. It is very compelling and Joel quotes their own sources and has on the ground experience in the Middle East.
Now onto the reversal story of Isaac and Ishmael
One For Israel writes:-
Eid al-Adha literally means “The Feast of the Sacrifice” in Arabic.
The story in which God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son is known as the “Akeda” in Hebrew, which means “the binding” in English, but did you know that Muslims believe it was not Isaac who Abraham was asked to sacrifice, but Ishmael? The story is found in Genesis 22 in the Bible.
Here’s how the scene is set:
Sometime later, God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” (Genesis 22:1-2)
For Muslims, Eid al-Adha is all about Ishmael, not Isaac. However, unlike the Bible, the text of the Quran (written two thousand years later) does not specifically say which son was sacrificed.
Here’s how the story is told in the Quran: “Then, when he was old enough to accompany him, he said, “O My son, I see in a dream that I am sacrificing you; see what you think.” He said, “O my Father, do as you are commanded; you will find me, God willing, one of the steadfast.” Then, when they had submitted, and he put his forehead down. We called out to him, “O Abraham! You have fulfilled the vision.” Thus We reward the doers of good. This was certainly an evident test. And We redeemed him with a great sacrifice. And We left with him for later generations. Peace be upon Abraham.” (Quran chapter 37:102-109)
Muhammed believed he was descended from Ishmael, and so this story, penned 150 years after Muhammed died in 632 AD, is reimagined to have Ishmael as the son that Abraham was asked to sacrifice. Note, too, that, unlike the biblical text, Abraham’s son is consulted and willing to surrender his life—even offering himself by getting into position with his forehead down. The Quran typically paints its heroes as perfect saints with none of the complications in the more brutally honest Bible. The Hebrew Scriptures represent characters like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with all their flaws and failures, as well as their faith and moments of victory. The dysfunctional family of Abraham and the obvious estrangement of father and son in the wake of such a traumatic event aren’t so obvious in the Quran.
In the Bible, the Akeda, the binding of Isaac, was a test of Abraham, not Isaac. And he passed with flying colors. The Quran also recounts the story as a test of Abraham, but the show’s star seems to be the son who willingly sacrificed his life. In contrast, you get the distinct impression in the Bible that Abraham’s beloved son was not aware of the plan until it was all too late. It records that while Abraham went back to Beersheva, Isaac then left for Beer Lahai Roi where he then lived separately for several years (Genesis 24:62). It’s a powerful but hard story.
Living as a Christian in this World 