Something which might challenge even the atheists among us?

I'm Iranian Shi'a Muslim, and I can tell you that these stuff is just wrong, and based upon false premises. Some of them are:

1) Imam Ali doesn't have such a hadith about a "tall black man" (even if you call Obama tall!) and "army of death". The most silly part of your claim talks about "governments in the West", while there were no actuall governments in the West at that time (except for Rome)

2) Barack Obama's name may seem like "the blessing of Hussein" in Arabic (not Persian). So what? Saddam's name was also "Hossein", and you can read a little contemporary history to see how many Shi'its and Iranians were killed by him!

3) In Persian "oo ba: ma:" mean "he with us" literally, but it is never said like that. Also 'Saddam' in Persian means "a hundred traps", do you have any justifications for that too?

4) We also had many other traditions about the end of the world on the first day of 2000, also some others who prophesise the end of the world on 9/9/1999! Which one happened?

5) I don't believe in superstitious beliefs only based on names, and false sources.

The Bible is full of prophecies, some that have happened, some that are happening and some that are soon to come. Most people have a hard time w/prophesy because they don't know history and one must be a thorough student of history to understand what has already been fulfilled. I weary of the many Christians who want to speak of Bible prophesies when they don't understand the history of Israel and try to put their own interpretations on everything.

The most amazing thing is that the Bible in various books talks about the scattering and persecution of Israel because they broke covenant w/God and then prophesies the regathering of Israel in the end times. I don't have time to go into all the references for this on Yahoo Answers but just consider this, what other people have been separated and scattered across the world, lost a lot of their culture, nearly been annilated COUNTLESS times, their language dead and AFTER 2,000 YEARS, come back to their native homeland, become a people united, revive a DEAD language, WHOA! Isaiah prophesied this nation being reborn again in a day and it happened. The modern state of Israel is truly a miracle in many ways and a prophecy fulfilled. When I see the preservation of the people of Israel and the Torah, I KNOW there is a God and He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

It seems most atheists I have run across are bitter ex Christians, (sometimes bitter ex Jews, too) who feel God disappointed them, didn't answer a prayer, they didn't win the lottery, they found out that the religious leadership was just after their money, etc...anyway, they end up on a personal vendetta against God because they are angry and disappointed....

Some atheists though, are actually deep thinkers who sincerely want truth and have legitimate questions and are calling things as they see them, they see through religious hypocrites...DarkAl, from all your posts, you seem to fit this category.

Anyway, the Bible is an honest book, it tells the good, the bad and the ugly... no one is promised a bed of roses in this life...it also promises that those that seek God, WILL find Him.

Barack Obama? " the promised warrior"? Or as Christians would say, " the anti-christ"? I don't know about that, I have been made aware of the current King of Syria and biblical prophesies, he comes closer than anyone to meeting the criteria ...He definitely has made alliances w/the world against Israel and is widely respected. He has the potential and influence to command the largest army( due to his allies) in the world against Israel, should he chose. He also stands a head taller than his country men although he is not black. Too many people are under estimating his influence and power.

I don't see the U.S. or any leader of the U.S. as being involved in any biblical prophesies, but Syria has always been there in the conflict and the prophesies.

It sounds like the prophesies have got your attention... something else though that tells me life as we know it can not go on much longer is just looking at this physical earth... it is like an old clock winding down...the necessary magnetic force is dwindling and may not be sufficient for life 500 hundred years from now... and the air and water pollution... the land is stripped....in just the last 100 years man has turned this beautiful planet into a trash can...if the end of the world is not the beginning, then we are in trouble.

Anyway, another interesting question by DarkAl and yes you get a gold star today!

There is no mention of Babylon gaining independence. "When seventy years are completed" is pretty vague. Also, Babylon existed in the past and is an abandoned site now. It was an ancient city. Iraq on the other hand, is a country with multiple cities. The attack on Iraq started with George Bush senior in the 1980s, not 2003. This is because Sadam Husein turned against the American administration. NATO was not involved. The 2001 attack (not 2003) on Iraq didn't have all NATO members but it did include some non-NATO members. Other than that, the most important fact to mention is that this war was about getting petrol. Overall, it is important to see a prophecy for what it is : a very vague description that lacks important details. Let's not forget the prophecies that don't come true at all. Ask a jew why they don't accept Jesus as their messiah.

I don't think you have actually read Jeremiah, if you think that passage has anything to do with "the end of days."

It is a statement to the Jews that were taken into exile in Babylon. It promised them that after 70 years in exile, Yahweh would return them to their homes in Judah. That happened in 537 BC, not AD 2003. The "alliance of the nations of the north" was the Medo-Persian empire under Cyrus the Great.

Tell me, even if your 70 years referred to the founding of Iraq, how did the invasion in 2003 have anything to do with Israel "returning" anywhere?

And no, Amir Taheri is not a reliable source. No matter which magazine published his commentary.

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"skeptik - This talks about the predictions regarding the end of days just as the end of days in the new testament refers often to the fall of Rome, but infact adherets to the future.

Furthermore, as Babylon didn't fall after its 70th year, this prophecy was found not to be refering to the fall of Babylon in 537 BCE."

So, because the return from exile didn't happen at the exact time it was prophesied, the preophecy is actually referring to the end of the world? You sure you're really an atheist? 'Cause that sounds suspiciously like a Christian Fundamentalist.

Besides which, that passage makes no reference whatsoever to Babylon's "destruction," just to a return home for Israel.

So, what about my question to you? How did Israel "return home" in 2003?

Here's one for you.

Well you know how 40 is a big number in the Bible and times of trial and tribulation usually happen in 40 days or 40 years... In the Old Testament, (Isaiah or Daniel, I don't remember which) there is a prophecy that the Second Temple would be destroyed after the coming of the Messiah. Well most scholars date Jesus' crucifixion to be 30 AD. The Second Temple was definitely destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. What are the odds those would be 40 years apart... There is also a prophecy that states that God's own people (the Jews) would reject the Messiah and the Gentiles would spread the word (exactly what happened).

a "tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West." Commanding "the strongest army on earth," the new ruler in the West will carry "a clear sign" from the third imam, whose name was Hussein Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: "Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us."

Where is this written ?

First thing is that scripture has to be understood in context or you'll miss the point. You can copy and paste those passages into http://bible.cc/ hit commentary and figure it out from there.

People have been waiting for the end 'o' time since ancient days.

Listed are dates that have been prophesied

http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm

You also have a bit of pseudo-science in there, which is superficial science, read for yourself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience

I believe your understanding of Babylon and Persia is aberrant and falters under scrutiny.

Forbes magazine is not in the business of predicting the end of the world, if they decided to make an editorial shift in that direction, they

would not be taken seriously, would lose their customer base and fold.

I think your long-term plan should be a lesson in learning how to critically think.

Your NATO reference is a stretch. And your "reliable source" is not Forbes, it's a commentary piece that Forbes printed. Are you familiar with the disclaimer that just because they print it doesn't mean they support it?

You've done what so many people do. You take bits and pieces of a lot of writing, and then scare yourself to death. Believe in god or don't, but make an informed decision, not one based on scary, easily debunked stories.

Prophets have been predicting the end of the world since the world began. Get some sleep.

"There's plenty more interesting bits, like this one, from Jeremiah 50:9 - "For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions aginst her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed."

"Alliance of great nation from the north" - This says "NATO" all over it. Also, the part talking about how the arrows won't miss their targets(do not return empty-handed) gives an interesting relation to the smart bombs used in Iraq."

During the build-up to the invasion of Iraq, one of the men who had close access to GWB was John Ashcroft, then U.S. Attorney General and pentacostal preacher, someone who reputedly anointed himself with cooking oil (as in the manner of Biblical kings :-) before each of his terms as governor.

That's the kind of White House we had.

So you probably need to discount those events on your list. They weren't coincidences, more like people with a seriously warped conflict of interest having way too much power. :-)