The ministry of God's News Behind the News hosts one of the best prophecy conferences each year, which always includes notable prophecy teachers as speakers. One of the speakers is usually Joe Vankoevering, of that ministry.
A friend sent me an audio tape of an intriguing speech by Vankoevering at one of those recent conferences. It was a lengthy and detailed presentation on the possible identity of the "Man of Sin" to whom Paul referred in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
After an hour or more of detailed evidence, Vankoevering boldly concluded that there is only one man in the world who meets all the criteria: He is "His Royal Highness" Prince EL- Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, who is the 42nd generation direct descendant of the prophet Mohammad.
Hassan is also the brother of the late King Hussein of Jordan and the uncle of its present King Abdullah. He was the rightful heir of the throne but at the last minute his brother gave the kingdom to his son. In a final letter, the late king wrote to his brother and said, "The world at large will be your world." (Prophetic?)
I have lengthy notes and I cannot include them all here, but Vankoevering gave several criteria for the man of sin that Hassan meets:
1. He must be a Gentile Muslim (various reasons). Hassan is.
2. He must be of Assyrian ancestry (Isaiah 10). Hassan is.
3. He must be a "prince" (Daniel 9). Hassan is.
4. He must be the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14). Hassan may become. Vankoevering says that Hassan is the invisible hand behind all the electoral and constitutional processes in Iraq and has definite designs and desires of eventually becoming the president of Iraq.
5. He must be a man of peace. Hassan is. He is a world-recognized and tireless worker for peace amongst Muslims, Jews, and Christians.
6. He must be a peacemaker with Israel. Hassan is. He was the one who wrote and coordinated the Oslo accords, and is in the photo with Clinton and Arafat. Vankoevering says that Hassan will confirm this covenant. In a recent interview, Hassan was asked how long it would take for the Oslo peace to be realized. His answer was, "more than 5-6 years." (Could that mean 7 years, Vankoevering asks?)
7. He must bring the religions together, an activity he is actively involved in. He is honored by Christian and Jewish organizations.
8. He must claim Jerusalem. He believes his destiny is tied to Jerusalem and wrote a book about the city in 1979.
9. He must be of the Hashimite kingdom, which he is.
Vankoevering explains why the A/C does not have to come from Europe, and that the Middle East lands of Hassan's ancestry were part of the old Roman Empire. Get this: Among many other things, Hassan is the President of the Club of Rome! He is also a CFR board member, a UNESCO board member, and he speaks seven languages.
Hassan also meets the several requirements of the coming Mahdi (Muslim messiah). One is that the Mahdi will be a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammad. Another is that he will have a broad forehead and a prominent, pointed nose. (See photo at http://www.rss.gov.jo/phassan.html.)
This short message does not do justice to Vankoevering's outstanding presentation. He says he has volumes of documentation to prove every point and is putting it all in a book, but as far as I know the book is not out yet.
(I know this is a controversial subject so please do not argue these points with me. Save them until the book comes out then argue with Vankoevering.)
Maybe this is enough to prick your interest. Keep your prophetic eyes on His Royal Highness Prince EL- Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. One way or another, you will no doubt hear more of him. (As long as you are here, of course.)
Jim