War can be stopped, even a nuclear war. While there are a number of different factors that fuel wars, it is commonly known that religion is one of the single biggest contributors. The world is rapidly approaching a crucial phase of instability and the likelihood of nuclear war has been growing greater with each passing day.

This article, which is being freely distributed over the internet, is designed specifically to awaken over a billion Christians and another billion Muslims, plus non-religious people from all over the world to the fact that neither of these religions advocate that a physical Armageddon is coming. Nor does either of these religions state that the end times are coming or that they are a necessary ingredient in order to bring about a return of their Master or the establishment of the inner Kingdom of God on earth. Both the Master, and the Kingdom, are already present and awaiting a global awakening of all peoples of the human race.

Currently, billions of people are all holding the thought that both the Muslim scripture, and the Bible, have teachings stating that an outer world-wide destructive event must occur before their scriptures will be fulfilled. However, such interpretations do not reflect what is written in the scriptures. These destructive prophetic expectations almost accelerate peoples contribution and participation in using violence to accomplish religious ends.

If billions of people are focusing their concentrated thought upon one fixed idea that a world-wide conflagration is almost a necessity before scripture can be fulfilled it is obvious that nuclear War becomes far more likely to happen. At the very least, this attitude tacitly condones the large-scale use of weapons of mass destruction which will help facilitate the arrival of heaven on earth.

This article is not meant to be an in-depth presentation. It merely offers to correct a few of the mistaken religious ideas that are helping to fuel an outbreak of global nuclear war on this planet.

REMOVING THE UNDERLYING RELIGIOUS CAUSES OF NUCLEAR WAR

What are the religious beliefs that are fueling a nuclear war right now?

That the end times and Armageddon have not yet occurred.

That when the kingdom of God comes it will exist physically on earth AND it will not be a kingdom within as is stated in the scripture. Instead the belief is that it will be a literal outward kingdom which people who dwell in physical bodies will easily experience in a completely natural physical literal way. The belief that Jesus has not already returned physically. Therefore, his physical literal return is still expected by the great majority of Christians world-wide.

That the Islamic Master trapped in the well cannot be freed until a world-wide catastrophe is started.

That the battle against evil is a battle against other humans rather than an inner battle. Therefore physical killing can be a service for God. That killing others who seem to be evil and sacrificing your life in outer battle will bring you into good standing with God.

That God created chosen religions and chosen people these special religions believe that they have little evil within them. However, Satan is believed to be in the other religions, and therefore destroying them is a great service for God.

This world-wide catastrophe is believed by many Christians and some Muslims to be a literal outer necessary event (versus a complete destruction of all the old evil parts that are within each person and the race at large).

That Jihad should only be defined as an outer battle against people who are perceived by you to be evil and deserving of the judgment of death. However, evil and Satan are within yourself, therefore what is required by scripture is an Inner Jihad.

That the Muslim or Christian religion will prosper world-wide after the great world-wide destruction occurs. The Muslim heaven is set up by their returning Master who is freed from the well and Jesus sets up a kingdom after breathing on two great warring armies that are engaged at the time in the great battle called Armageddon.

That the rapture is going to occur before, during, or even after the end times.

Some believe that the rapture is a meeting with the returned physical Jesus and he will take people away from the earth to meet in the air, and supposedly their physical bodies will disappear. Then the physical Jesus will come down to earth and the raptured people will come back down to earth with him. Then Jesus will setup a literal physical outer kingdom of heaven on earth.

SATAN EVIL

The philosophical and religious debates surrounding the origin and nature of Satan have been around for thousands of years. Regardless of your personal beliefs on this subject at least you might acknowledge that evil is also something that can exist within people rather than be only some external destructive force that comes upon you. If evil is only external and you are free of it inwardly then you are the savior of the world. But if you have any flaws in you thinking, your character, your mind, your body, your habits, your behaviors or even your beliefs then perhaps you too carry some evil around with you. The evil within is the same as Satan within Everyone has some evil within them. That is why they are here on this school of learning called Earth.

Your neighbor has some evil in them. Perhaps they cant see it but you might. And maybe it is harder for you to notice the evil within yourself than it is to notice it in your neighbor. Remember though, your neighbor also has goodness within them. No doubt it is true that some people contain more evil than others. Keep in mind though that there is a Spark of Light that God has placed in everybody. If God is everywhere then that spark has to be in the worst person on the planet. Therefore, it is impossible to totally destroy evil by killing people. If you do then you have killed some good as well. This kind of physical killing will produce a scar upon your soul. It violates ethics, morality and it violates your scriptures as well.

THE END TIMES AND ARMAGEDDON

Have you ever heard the hopeless question, If the Bible is correct, and I believe it is, then how can Armageddon be stopped The author also believes the Bible and Muslim scripture are correct about the great battle that needs to be undertaken with evil, Satan and destructive influences. But this battle is not about a physical world-wide destruction it is about destroying Satan within. The intent of this article is to uncover that fact that many of the end times prophesies have already been fulfilled. Its other goal is to demonstrate to you that the return of the Master can happen without any outer violence or the taking of human life. Neither the Islamic Master, nor the Christ, require a world-wide Armageddon in order to awaken in the hearts of people. Lets take a short look at the end times issue. The word Armageddon is mentioned only once in the Bible. It is in the Book of Revelations 16:16. It is also called the great day of God in Rev 16:14. While the term end times is not specifically mentioned in Revelations it is certainly very likely that Armageddon and the end times both refer to the same event. No doubt the majority of readers will be startled to hear the assertion that the Biblical end times have already occurred.

The country of Israel was completely brought to an end in 70 AD when the Roman army invaded and destroyed the country. It happened SOON just as Jesus repeatedly stated in his messages. If your country was totally destroyed, the army demolished and the survivors scattered throughout the world, would you consider it important enough to be called the end times? Never once did he allude that the end times were some far off event. When the Old Testament prophets spoke of the end time they DID speak of it as being a far off event. But not Jesus, every time he spoke of it, he said that the end of Israel was coming soon, or quickly. He also spoke of it coming unexpectedly.

Keep in mind that unexpectedly is different than soon or quickly. He said it would occur unexpectedly and soon, within the very generation he was addressing. John and other disciples spoke of the Antichrist ALREADY with them and that the end was near. Jesus in Revelations states that the end times would bring a recompense to repay those for what they had done to him, (Rev 22:12 revised standard edition). Again that meant it was coming to those who were physically involved in his death and the rejection of his message and who refused to believe that he was the messiah whom the Jews were expecting and failed to recognize.

THE PHYSICAL RETURN OF JESUS

What is equally surprising to many Christians is not only that the end times have already occurred, but that Jesus has already returned physically in the flesh as well. Paradoxically, while the Jews missed the coming of their messiah, the Christians recognized him, but then they missed recognizing his expected physical return.

The Jews still await their physical messiah, and ironically, after almost 2,000 years, Christians are still awaiting the bodily return of Jesus. Jesus has already returned physically to his disciples exactly as he promised he would.

After the crucifixion he startled them all as he came to them in his very physical body. They did not believe he was flesh and blood when they first saw him again. They asserted to him that he must be a spirit. But he corrected their mis-interpretation and let them know that he was physical and not a spirit.

However, they were skeptical so he showed them his physical wounds. Still they did not believe him, so he challenged them to touch him physically. He further had to prove to them that he physically returned by asking them if they had any food because he was hungry and they all sat down and ate fish and drank wine together.

However, his physical return was not some special physical vision that only his disciples and those close to him were able to witness. The Bible states that hundreds of people also witnessed that Jesus returned physically in the flesh after the crucifixion and his death on the cross. The Bible is very clear on these accounts. Jesus returned early to his disciples as he promised.

He did not make them wait thousands of years. The accounts of Mary hugging him and others seeing him are clear. He has already physically returned. He even said those who pierced his side would witness his physical return. He kept his word. Jesus also promised to his disciples that when he returned he would transfer the kingdom of God and the Holy Spirit to them. His promise is in the Bible. And when he returned physically, the Bible confirms that he did indeed transfer both of these to his disciples. However, some of them were skeptical after he did this for them. Nevertheless, whether they were able to fully appreciate his gift or not, he gave them the Kingdom and the Holy Spirit as he promised he would upon his return. They could receive it in their current life at that moment he gave it, or later if need be, in the life to come. Further he told them they all had the skill of passing on the realities of both the Kingdom and the Holy Spirit to others who were open and willing to receive it.

Again, he kept his word. Perhaps you may wonder, why so strong a belief exists in the mind of so many Christians that Jesus never physically returned, or all the accounts in the Bible of his physical return somehow don't count. Most Christians don't believe Jesus returned because there are a number of literal beliefs held that Jesus specifically mentioned should not be expected to occur. These beliefs can be distilled into one idea. Many Christians mistakenly believe in a literal outer kingdom. This belief exists is despite that such a kingdom is not what was promised to anyone. It is because of this expectation they can easily point to anywhere on the earth and see that OUTWARDLY there is no kingdom of God. But, to repeat, he never made that promise. The kingdom is inward and Jesus set up a spiritual condition than can be experienced when we inwardly join with him.

So the mistaken expectation that heaven is going to be outwardly present on earth is causing millions of Christians to deny the Biblical accounts that his physical return to his disciples was the fulfillment of his promises. This fulfillment seems so impossible to many people because the natural side of their human condition (the natural man) cannot meet with Jesus. While he taught that you can meet with him in the spiritual realm (in the air), but that rapture cannot be with your flesh body or your flesh senses. Instead, he said it will require you to be raised up into your spiritual body. But being raised up does not make your physical body disappear.

THE SPIRITUAL RAPTURE

What is also confusing to many Christians is the idea of being taken. Many Christians want to be taken in a rapture and not left behind. Those taken will supposedly disappear in the middle of their daily activities. This is the attempt to make literal and physical the spiritual rapture that actually happens within yourself. It has no relationship to your physical body. This is the exact opposite of what Jesus taught. He explained that in the days of Noah people were eating and drinking and did not care. When the end times came, they were taken and they perished in the great flood. Noah and his family were LEFT BEHIND. The idea of being taken is not what you want and it is not related to the rapture. There is a rapture, and it is related to the Christos, but Jesus did not discuss it in Matthew 24. A world-wide wave of awakening the INNER Christos is coming. It will sweep upon all religions and all peoples. This rapture is an inner meeting with the Christos embedded within all receptive people.

THE CHRISTIAN RETURN AND THE SPIRITUAL CLEANSING OF EARTH

How does the Christian concept of Christ returning after a great world-wide Armageddon differ from the Islamic idea of their Master being liberated from His prison after a world-wide destruction? Actually, the awakening of the Inner Christos relates very closely to an INNER awakening of the trapped Islamic Master. Keep in mind that neither the Christos or the Islamic Master require an Armageddon or a world-wide destruction in order to be liberated from its current dormant state within humanity. The mistaken belief that underlies the radical Islamic and Christian ideal of an outer Jihad or an outer Armageddon in order to liberate heaven on earth and the Master that is trapped (in a well), is what is fueling the religious contribution towards making a global nuclear war a reality.

To repeat, THERE IS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN THE END TIMES, ARMAGEDDON, OR A WORLD-WIDE NUCLEAR WAR, AND THE IDEA OF ESTABLISHING HEAVEN ON EARTH, OR THE LIBERATION OF THE INNER MASTER OR THE CHRISTOS. The Bible relates that when the CHRISTOS returns the goats will be separated from the sheep. Essentially, this is a process that separates out the good from the bad. It is at this point that literal Christians make the same literal mistake that they criticize literal Muslims of making. The process of separating the goats from the sheep is usually mistakenly understood to mean that all evil people, (the goats), are marked to be physically killed and the sheep, (the good people), are marked to be saved. This literal belief reduces people to a black and white judgment of being either all good or all bad.

The original intended meaning is that the evil and good within people are to be separated. Then the evil within is what will be destroyed. The awakening of the Christos within people does happen through an inner positive violence that destroys all the illusions and the evil within, rather than an OUTER Satan that is in other people. Therefore, the awakening of the dormant Christ Within, or the Islamic Master Within, is not about a mass slaughter of humanity to cleanse the earth. The reality of your false personal world must be destroyed before it can be replaced by a new connection to your awakened inner Christos reality. The Bible states this principle by saying that the Old Man (old natural mind) must die and then you can be born again as a new spiritual creature in The Christos Within.

The kingdom is within and it does require an inner battle to seize it, but that does not require that billions die in order for that inner relationship to become activated within your inner reality or to liberate heaven within you.

THE PHYSICAL LIBERATION OF THE ISLAMIC MESSIAH

Who is the Master that is trapped in the well? Was it a literal physical well that he refused to crawl out of until a mass destruction of humanity occurred? No, such a Master would not ask you to destroy life in order to create happiness. He is within you. He is a part of your dormant inner Divine self that seeks your concerted efforts to strip away your evil parts of yourself that bind you and imprison Him. The Islamic Messiah is within every Muslim.

Every Muslin when the Master Within is freed is a savior to others. There is no external physical Master. You are blessed with the gifts that this Master offers you. This is the same idea that exists in Christianity. There is the Christos that exists in all people but is dormant and asks to be awakened. It comes from within to all who are willing to remove the physical attachments that bind them to the destructive attractions of human nature.

It asks only that you overcome your own human nature. To he who overcomes, it shall be given. Suicide does not awaken that master. It does not help you overcome your faults or your inner weaknesses. Your love of God will help inspire you to awaken your inner Master and let him express through you to those around you.

RE-FRAMING JIHAD AND ARMAGEDDON TO AVERT A NUCLEAR WAR

So liberation and the long-awaited return of the Islamic Master from the well needs to be reframed to understand that the Islamic master meant that the evil in the world needs to be destroyed in an inner battle. This is not a literal war! The mis-interpretation of this statement by making it literal amounts using the negative destructive principle of outer violence to bring about a positive creative principle. That is not possible. Instead, a positive inner violence is needed that cleanses and washes away sin and illusions.

This is possible. In Hinduism Shiva is called the Great Destroyer. But such destruction makes use of the positive destructive principle. It is the removal of sin and illusion! Correction of this mistaken and reframing it to mean an Inner Jihad against the evil within, would radically change the current misguided world-wide motivation, (Which desires to literally create an Armageddon nuclear war in order to the Islamic master from the well that he entered hundreds of years ago). This literal idea is a deviation from the inner original intended symbolical meaning of freeing the master within from the mistaken identification with evil, (the Well and an Inner Prison are synonymous concepts).

Creating an outer Apocalypse as the means to bring heaven to earth is a mistaken literalizing of a spiritual truth. This inner Islamic master, (synonymous with Christ within trapped within our own inner evil), can be freed from the evil within. The Islamic Kingdom of God on earth can be reestablished in a spiritual way that awakens, the inner Islamic Master, without an outward Jihad. This is the true liberation of the Master Within. Nuclear war can be averted if a new understanding of this principle awakens outer warriors that the REAL war is within.

Copyright 2006 by Anthony Crisalli
Permission is given to distribute this article, but it must be given freely and without charge. The author requests that his name and web address be included at the end of this article.