So, a black flag was raised above the dome at the biggest mosque in Iran and many people, it seems, believe the end is literally coming tomorrow.
Muslims have written on social media things like the Mahdi is here, and Christians are saying things like the apocalyptic war against Israel is here.
But in reality, this whole event is only noise.
The Black Flag
So what is this all about? On October 18, 2023, a black flag was raised over the golden dome of the Imam Reza Holy Shrine in Mashhad, Iran.
Imam Reza Shrine dome with black flag.
The flag was raised both as a sign of mourning over the hundreds killed at the hospital in Gaza the day before on October 17, and as a sign of solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinian people.
This article brings to light the truth of the matter, and has many links to sources including that of the Reza Shrine organization itself.
The Imam Reza Shrine and Twelver Shiism
The Imam Reza Shrine is located in Mashhad, Iran, in the province of Khorasan (see map). Mashhad is the second-largest city in Iran.
The greater Khorasan region. Mashhad is just east of Nishapur, adjacent to Tus.
The Imam Reza Shrine is a complex of schools, a mosque, and museums that are central to the Twelver Shia Islam religion.
Twelver Shias, the majority of Muslims in Iran, revere eleven imams that either led Islam or should have led Islam during the first two centuries of the Islamic Age. Twelver Shias are waiting for the twelfth imam. The twelfth imam is the Mahdi, who is the Christians’ Antichrist.
Of all eleven imam burial places holy to Shia, the only one in Iran is this one, the Imam Reza Shrine where the tomb of the eighth imam (Imam Reza) is located.
The Imam Reza Shrine organization is a leading voice for much of the Twelver Shia religion.
Raising a Black Flag
Once per year, the shrine has a black flag hoisted above the dome to commemorate Imam Reza’s death.
On October 18, 2023, the Shrine raised a black flag for the first time on that date. Again, as mentioned at the start, it was to be in solidarity with those who mourn the deaths in Gaza. The flag being raised for the first time on that date would have the same significance as the US flag lowered to half staff for the first time on September 12 after 9/11.
This article shows many of the social media statements that were made about the black flag being raised. One Muslim wrote, “This Is a Sign Of Fierce Revenge And War, God Willing This We’ll Be The Last Battle Of Al Aqsa Nasr From Allah And Victory In Near.”
Why write this?
The “Prophecy” of the Black Flags
It comes from a prophecy attributed to Mohammad, Islam’s founder. The prophecy says, “When the black flags come from Khurasan, go to them, for among them is the khalifah of Allah, the Mahdi.”
The Mahdi, our Antichrist, is the Islam’s “Messiah.” With this “prophecy” in mind, it is easy to see why some Muslims could see a black flag hoisted in the Khorasan province (in the city of Mashhad), and say Mahdi is coming. We see this kind of thing among Christians. Christians will see something and blow it out of proportion also.
And with this black flag being raised, we did see many Christians say the raising of the black flag is, “a call for war or vengeance,” as shown in this article.
Flags of Islam, Colors of the Horses
Black is not the color of war or vengeance. Red is. Remember in January 2020, the red flag was raised above the Jamkaran mosque in Qom by the IRGC. That is the center of the cult of the supreme leader and followed by the IRGC.
Red is the color of war and of blood. The Jamkaran mosque had the flag of war raised over it, as if to say the IRGC was declaring war on the USA for killing General Soleimani. (I wrote about the event possibly being the turning point for the coming out of the second horseman.)
Red is also the color of the second horse in Revelation 6:4. The rider expresses the condition of the Second Signpost, which is war. The war is to be started by Iran. The red horse is all about war.
Black is the color of mourning and loss. After the Sunni Confederacy, to be led by Turkey, takes over the Middle East and ends the regime in Iran it will be a time of healing from war, of getting the oil turned back on, and a time of mourning as famine ravages, and even more people die in the Middle East. This is the Third Signpost. This is the time of the third horse, the black horse. The third horseman expresses the condition of famine and death during the Third Signpost.
Back to Mohammad’s Prophecy and the Fourth Signpost
We saw earlier here that statement attributed to Mohammad was, “When the black flags come from Khorasan, go to them, for among them is the khalifah of Allah, the Mahdi.”
This is very interesting. During the Third Signpost, with famine, death, and mourning, the black flags may very well be flying during that time. And if flying in Khorasan that very well would be the harbinger of the coming of Mahdi, for the Fourth Signpost would be next.
That is what the Fourth Signpost is all about: the emergence of the Muslim Mahdi, the Antichrist to Christians.
(It is shown in Chapters 1 and 2 of Daniel Revisited that Daniel and past history conspire to tell us that the Antichrist can only be a Syrian-Arab Muslim, not a Roman or even European.)
The Fourth Signpost will see the Mahdi, whose color is green, reflected by the fourth horse, which is green (not “pale”—look it up in the Greek).
Conclusion
If one doesn’t know the Four Signposts, and one has not done their homework learning about Islam, then one will have difficulty making sense connecting Middle East events to Bible prophecy.
Many put too little importance on truly big events, and tend to put too much importance on minor events.
So it is with the black flag raised over the Imam Reza Holy Shrine in Mashhad. It is not the time of the Mahdi (not yet), and it is not a call for war and vengeance.
However, it is Twelver Shia Iran showing solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinians, confirming that Iran is there to support Hamas.
It may also be an additional sign that the Psalm 83 war is indeed hitched to the Second Signpost.
Categories: In The News, Signpost #2: Iran, Signpost #3: Four Nations
THE FOUR SIGNPOSTS 
Mark, I anticipate that because of Biden’s long term standing over the years toward favoring Israel is not being liked by many of his fellow Democrats currently. I guarantee they are looking for opportunity to getting rid of Biden and finding a way to make the GOP look bad in the process. With Kamala taking over military objectives will be affected, devotion to Israel affected, and this will provide Iran an even greater opportunity.