THE ROAD TO ARMAGEDDON
Why the ancient war between Islam
and the rest of the world is coming to a head

To the outside world, the terror army called ISIS is a metastasizing cancer, a maniacal barbarian horde, a brutal Nazi-like militia that revels in beheading and crucifying Christians, raping women, murdering children and threatening to take over the Middle East – and later the world.

Its rapid recruitment of fighters, including many from America, and urgent calls for terror attacks on "infidels" everywhere make this an exceedingly dangerous time.

And yet the Obama administration, despite limited and belated efforts to "degrade" the threat militarily, hasn't even begun to come to grips with this enemy.

In reality, for many in the Muslim world, the message and mission of ISIS resonates deeply with them. In fact, it appears to herald the "End of Days," the fulfillment of Islamic divine prophecy. That's right, a recent Pew survey shows a high percentage of Muslims in the Middle East – almost 3 out of 4 in some nations – believe they will personally witness, in their lifetime, events leading to the Day of Judgment and the appearance of the Mahdi, whom they regard as an Islamic messiah who will restore Islam to greatness and perfection. Meanwhile, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghadi – whom the West regards as an uncouth barbarian warlord – holds a doctorate degree in Islamic studies and has been declared the supreme leader of the newly formed Islamic caliphate.

There is much more going on here than meets the eye. Yet, without understanding the powerful, apocalyptic – and historically Islamic – appeal of ISIS, this enemy cannot be defeated.