In a world where celebrities and athletes have become heroes, it is easy to overlook real heroes: men and women who are willing to sacrifice all for the safety and well-being of others. The best recent example of this is a lone police officer, whose name we do not even know, but was willing to take a bullet for a total stranger in the aftermath of the San Bernardino shootings. It should be noted that no one on that fateful day thought of calling a Black Lives Matter protester to come to their aid. No, it was the maligned police department that got the call and rushed to their rescue. As usual, these unsung heroes rushed toward the danger that others were running from. On September 11, 2001, there were also numberless heroes who ran to the aid of the victims of other Muslim Extremists. Some of them paid with their lives.

Who calls heroes, villains?

The heroism of those valiant men and women should be well-appreciated by all. However, there are many that hold them in derision. This point of view tells us more about the view holder than the person most of us would regard as a hero. It tells us that they do not hold to the same ideologies or philosophies as the rest of us. To them, these heroes are villains. They are villains because they take action to support causes that others view with disdain.

The dichotomy is rooted in one’s worldview. When absolute truths are reduced to subjective interpretation it becomes easy to call good evil and evil good and consequently to confuse heroes with villains. To make matters worse, heroism today is frequently overshadowed by the glitz and glamour provided by the fantasy world of entertainment and politics. In this fantasy world, men like Barack Obama can take advantage of the gullible who saw him as a role model promising to usher in a new age where racism and historic victimization would become a thing of the past. But as it turned out, BO is a real person with real hang-ups of his own, and not the virtuous invention of wishful minds. His worldview has been exposed by those he considers to be villains, such as anyone who believes in the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In his eyes real heroes are villains and real villains are sympathetic victims. This topsy-turvy mindset extends beyond the blue shields of sacrificial heroes. It sits squarely in the center of the Muslim/Judeo-Christian battle for our souls and our lives that began with the anti-Christian anti-Jehovah Movement known as Islam.

Heroes then and now: the Crusades

While there have been many indications that the man now occupying our White House is a closet Muslim, his reference to ISIS as ISIL and his remarks concerning the Crusades have not drawn the scrutiny they deserve. In the case of calling ISIS “ISIL”, his use of the “L” in ISIL is a reference to the historic Levant that includes Israel as an Arab state. But there is even more that should be realized from this nomenclature. It tells us that he is thoroughly familiar with the history of the Crusades that resulted in the Levant. Worse: his apparent knowledge of what the “L” represents is most disturbing, since it represents a hidden nod to the Muslim Jihadists that are too ignorant to understand the message he is trying to send them: that he is on their side – especially when it comes to Israel.

BO’s disdain for the Crusades, if nothing else, is an indicator of where his loyalties lie. While it is widely believed that the Popes during the 300 years of this conflict were the villains, most medieval scholars, such as Thomas F. Madden, who writes for Christianity Today believes otherwise. It is his educated opinion that the Crusades were based on two objectives: 1. to rescue Christians of the East that were being conquered and abused by Muslim invaders; and 2. to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim occupation. For the most part, the Muslims won more battles than the Crusaders and as a result, the Levant was formed. Although the conflict eventually ended in 1291, apparently it never died. It has morphed into a terrorists movement in modern times – with the same players fighting over the same land that now includes the United States. The most remarkable thing is that it is unrecognized – except by Mr. Obama who has made which side he supports very clear with his disdaining remarks against a conflict waged on behalf of religious freedom. Yes, it is undeniable that some involved in this conflict had ulterior motives that were not noble or altruistic. Their actions gave great weight to the truism that “to the victor goes the spoils”, as they benefited financially from the battles they won. However, these were isolated incidents among the many that pledged all they had – including their lives and fortunes – to free the Holy Land from Muslim oppression. It is also undeniable that the enemy the Christians and the Jews fought back then are the same enemies that the Christians and Jews are fighting today. It is even more remarkable that this enemy of Jehovah is indirectly mentioned in the Bible, which has also gone unrecognized. And let me be clear – Allah is an enemy of Jehovah and Jehovah’s people: the Christians and the Jews.

Whatever your opinion may be about the Crusades, if your research is based on the writings I’ve read, then your opinion will indicate whether you value the Judeo Christian doctrines or the Muslim doctrines. However, the Crusades do not stand alone in identifying the enemies of the Judeo-Christian God, Jehovah. In the Old Testament, Ezekiel and Daniel both reference an occupation on the Temple Mount that is hostile to God. Ezekiel 8:3-5 speaks about an image of jealousy that occupies the northern section of the Temple Mount – exactly where the Dome of the Rock has rested since 688 AD. In this passage Ezekiel is being told that this image of jealousy keeps God away from His sanctuary. Verse 7 goes as far as to describe a hole in the wall of this structure. Then in verse 16, Ezekiel is told that the worshippers in this structure pray facing the east. In verse 17 this is referred to as an “abomination” which is a significant label when studying the Book of Daniel. Can all these clues be a coincidence and the Muslim religion is not an abomination in the eyes of God? I guess it all depends on who is your God. If it is Allah and you are a Muslim, then you will believe that the Crusades were a disgrace. If it is Jehovah and you are a Christian or a Jew, then you will think that the Crusades were noble and justified.

What was the abomination that makes desolate?

The prophet Daniel also refers to the abomination of desolation and gives us an exact date of when it shall be built in Daniel 12:11. This states: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.” Now I admit that some of my conclusions are based on interpretations, and interpretations – no matter how well-founded – can sometimes be wrong. Therefore, consider what I am about to say critically.

The Dome of the Rock. This is now the third holiest site in Islam, but only since the Six-Day War. Photo: CNAV.

We know from historical records that the time that the daily sacrifice that Daniel spoke about was taken away was 583 BC. If we apply Daniel’s day for Daniel’s year, we must calculate 1290 days based on a solar year of 360 days, not 365. 1290 solar years based on 360 days per year from 583 brings us to the year 688 AD. What happened in 688 AD? You guessed it. The Dome of the Rock was built on the Temple Mount. And this structure has prohibited the Jews from rebuilding the Temple where it should be and worshipping God on the spot He designated. And yes, those that worship there do face east. And yes, there is a hole in the wall in the Dome of the Rock. Let’s take this a bit further. There are many Arabic inscriptions written on top of the Dome of the Rock facing heaven. Most of them – in one way or another – say that God has no son. If this isn’t anti-Christ, then I don’t know what it.

I believe we are living when Bible prophecies are being fulfilled nearly on a daily basis but people are too politically correct to be prophetically correct. Plus they are intimidated by bullies and traitors to keep silent when they should be shouting from the roof tops. So, if you want to know who your real enemies are and what the real battle is about, don’t turn to The New York Times or the Daily News. Try studying the Book that was written by the one Person who actually knows what’s happening. Perhaps then you will be able to identify the real heroes among us from the real enemies among us. And perhaps then you will not fall for the lies and the intimidation of the enemies of our God and our nation. And perhaps then we will go from being the Church of Laodicea to the Church of Philadelphia – a fitting and hopeful transformation – don’t you think!

Reprinted from The Daily Rant, copyright 2015 Mychal Massie. Used by permission.