First, I am not a Dispensationalist, nor a pre-tribulationalist (Google for the definitions of these terms). That being said, I have always had (and still have) an interest in biblical prophecy. When I was a JW, I once wrote a term paper on the 70 weeks (found in the book of Daniel) prophecy that seriously departed from the WT orthodoxy.
So based on this hobby, I do follow the prophecy buffs. Joel Richardson is a disciple of Chuck Missler, and Chuck Missler is a disciple of Hal Lindsey. Lindsey & Missler held that the Anti-Christ would come out of the former Soviet Union. When it, and the entire Communist Bloc of nations collapsed, they focused in on the European Union as the spawning ground of the Anti-Christ. In the aftermath of 9/11, however, a young group of prophecy buffs, Richardson, Walid Shoebat & Avi Lipkin, all of which have direct or indirect ties to Missler and Lindsey, have come to noteriety by pointing to Islam as the spawning ground for the Anti-Christ.
The view that Islam would be the spawning ground for the Anti-Christ is based on a number of Islamic echatological statements about The 12th Imam, or Muhammad al-Mahdi, found in the various non-Qur'anic writings of Islam. The Shi'a and the Sunni sects of Islam have differing views on the exact identity of this Imam, but they are united in the belief that he will bring peace and justice to the earth. It is interesting to note, that the Sunni Muslims believe that Jesus will return with this 12th Imam.
I find all this speculation interesting, and in some cases very compelling. I believe, however, that there is a flaw in many of these prophecy buffs thinking. They are Christians running to the writings of another religion in order to get insight into something that Jesus himself said has not even for his closest associates the disciples (Acts 1:7). My emphasis on the word not is in harmony with the fact that the Greek word translated "not" was taken out of its proper syntax in order to emphasize its importance.
Eschatology is an area in which there is "in-house" disagreement, particularly in the details. What there is agreement in, however, is that Jesus is coming back visibly and in power to judge the peoples of the earth.
