‘Bethany Beyond the Jordan’ baptismal site
(Photo from Producer via Wikipedia)
A reader sent me a link to the following:
Muslim kingdom prepares to celebrate baptism of Jesus
18 August 2026
Jordan wants to attract more Christian pilgrims for the 2,000-year anniversary in 2030Jordan is preparing to mark the 2,000-year anniversary of Jesus Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River, with the Muslim nation investing more than $100 million to draw Christian pilgrims to one of the world’s holiest sites.
Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan met with Christian leaders this month and signed agreements to develop the baptism site by building a village for Christian pilgrims and visitors, a museum dedicated to the baptism, a green corridor, and infrastructure upgrades leading to the site. The project is expected to cost $120 million, Vatican media reported.
The year 2030 is widely accepted as the two millennium anniversary of Christ’s baptism by John the Baptist, a moment that marked the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. The ceremony took place at Bethany Beyond the Jordan on the east bank of the Jordan River, which today separates Jordan from the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
At the time of Jesus’ baptism, Bethany Beyond the Jordan was a part of Perea, a Jewish client state of Rome. …
Although Jordan is a Muslim country, with Islam enshrined as its state religion, it is home to around 350,000 Christians. Speaking at the meeting with Christian leaders, Hassan said that honoring the anniversary of the baptism “reflects Jordan’s historical and religious standing and its role as a global destination for Christian pilgrimage, while highlighting the Kingdom’s message of coexistence.” https://www.rt.com/news/644369-jordan-jesus-christ-baptism/
Here is more related to this:
Updated August 19, 2026
Did you know that 2030, just 4 years from now, will mark 2,000 years since the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist at the present-day Al-Maghtas in Jordan?
On Aug. 10, 2026, Jordan’s Prime Minister Jafar Hassan August hosted the first National Committee for the Preparation of the “Second Millennium of the Baptism of Jesus Christ.” Together with pastors, community leaders, and representatives of religious organizations, the members discussed the need for preparations and extensive future planning. … plans were discussed to implement several projects: a village for visitors, a museum, a green corridor, and infrastructure upgrades. Collectively, these projects are estimated to cost $120 million.
According to Premier Christian News, “Work on the museum and pilgrim village is expected to begin in 2027, with the projects scheduled for completion in early 2029.” Kurdistan News adds that the developments are planned to increase the number of annual visitors from around 200,000 to 1 million. https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/guest-commentary/jordan-to-mark-2000-years-since-the-baptism-of-jesus-christ.html
Although 27, not 30 A.D., is more often considered the year of Jesus’ baptism, it looks like we will see more reports suggesting 30 A.D.
While Jordan is a Muslim country, it does benefit some from tourism related to Jesus.
Furthermore, Muslims do consider that Jesus was a prophet.
Here is some information in our free eBook Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century:
Muslims generally refer to Jesus and Muhammad as prophets with Jesus also considered to be ‘the Messiah’ (e.g. Sura 3:45), but Muhammed considered as ‘the Prophet.’ …
- Jesus (Isa) is the Messiah and Will Return
Muslims accept that God sent Jesus, but not view Him as Christians do.
Perhaps it should be mentioned that the Quran tends to call Jesus the “son of Miriam” or Isa.
Why Isa?
Well, the actual Greek word for the Messiah’s name in the New Testament is Ίησοû or Ίησοûς. Transliterated into English, it would be something like Ieesoú or Ieesoús. There was no “J” sound associated with it until the English language changed a few centuries ago. Hence, the Islamic “Isa” is probably a closer approximation than Jesus as far as the Greek is concerned.
Many people do not realize that most Muslims, whether they are Shia or Sunni, expect Jesus to return at the time of judgment. Notice what the Quran) teaches:
043.057
YUSUFALI: When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold, thy people raise a clamour threat (in ridicule)!043.061
YUSUFALI: And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way.[i]My hope and prayer related to the above is that when Muslims do see Jesus return, they hopefully will accept the truth of His coming after He explains who He is.
Muslims teach that they will follow Jesus when He returns. Some basically also teach that the “People of the Book” will only follow Jesus if they accepted the Imam.[ii] Scripture does point to a coming “King of the South,” and while true Christians will not accept him as their religious leader, he could be considered in an Imam role.
Jesus is the Messiah
Do Muslims believe Jesus was the Messiah?
Yes, but not the same way Christians do.
As originally written, the Quran itself uses the term al-Masih, the Arabic term for Messiah (Christ):
When the angels said, “Mary, God gives thee good tidings of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; high honoured shall he be in this world and the next, near stationed to God. He shall speak to men in the cradle, and of age, and righteous he shall be.” (Sura 3:41)
Muslims also believe in Jesus’ virgin birth, but do not consider that He was the Son of God.
Consider:
The Quran refers to Jesus 35 times as “Isa ibn Maryam” (Jesus, son of Mary), a phrase occurring only once in the New Testament (Mark 6:3). The fact that he is not called the son of Joseph underscores Islamic agreement with Christians that Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus.[iii]
Here is one example:
That is Jesus, son of Mary, in word of truth, concerning which they are doubting. It is not for God to take a son unto Him. Glory be to Him! (Sura 19:35, as shown in The Koran Interpreted: A Translation by A. J. Arberry. Touchstone, NY, 1955)
Jesus is also considered to have been one of the prophets by Muslims:
And We sent Noah, and Abraham, and We appointed the Prophecy and the Book to be among their seed; and some of them are guided, and many of them are ungodly.
Then We sent, following in their footsteps, Our Messengers; and We sent, following, Jesus son of Mary, and gave unto him the Gospel.
And We set in the hearts of those who followed him tenderness and mercy. (Sura 57:27-28)
Related to the virgin birth, the following are also from The Koran Interpreted a translation by A. J. Arberry (Sura chapters are correct, but verses are estimates as they were not completely delineated in the text used):
And mention in the Book Mary when she withdrew from her people to an eastern place, and she took a veil apart from them; then We sent unto her Our Spirit that presented himself to her a man without fault. She said, “I take refuge in the All-merciful from thee!
If thou fearest God. . . He said, “I am but a messenger come from thy Lord, to give thee a boy most pure.
She said, “How shall I have a son whom no mortal has touched, neither have I been unchaste?” He said, “Even so thy Lord has said: “Easy is that for Me; and that We may appoint him a sign unto men and a mercy from Us; it is a thing decreed.’“
So she conceived him, and withdrew with him to a distant place. And the birthpangs surprised her by the trunk of the palm-tree. (Sura 19:18-21)
And she who guarded her virginity, so We breathed into her of Our spirit and appointed her and her son to be a sign unto all beings. (Sura 21:91)
The context (which I have read) makes it clear that this was a reference to Mary and Jesus. Islam accepts the virgin birth as well as the fact that Jesus performed miracles.
Islam Claims Jesus Did Not Die
Although the New Testament is repeatedly clear that Jesus would and did die (cf. Mark 14:44; Luke 24:46; John 2:22, 18:32, 20:9, 21:19; Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:2, 4:10, 5:36, 10:41, 13:30, 13:34, 17:3, 26:23; Romans 1:4, 4:24, 5:6, 5:10, 6:3, 6:4, 6:5, 6:9, 6:10, 8:11, 8:34, 10:7, 10:9, 10:39, 14:9, 14:15; 1 Corinthians 8:11, 15:3, 15:12, 15:21; 2 Corinthians 15:3, 15:14, 15:15; Galatians 1:1, 2:21; Ephesians 1:20; Philippians 2:8; Colossians 1:22, 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 2:15, 4:14, 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 2:9, 2:14, 13:20; 1 Peter 1:3, 1:21; Revelation 1:5, 1:18, 2:8, 5:9), Islam does not accept those accounts as accurate.
Islam apparently considers passages in the Gospels of Jesus taking His last breath and/or giving up His Spirit (cf. Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30) to support the Quran’s view that God took Him from the earth.
While Muslims believe that Jesus was the Messiah, they reject His divinity, execution, and resurrection.
The Quran teaches:
“We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” But they neither killed nor crucified him—it was only made to appear so.1 Even those who argue for this ˹crucifixion˺ are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him.
Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
Every one of the People of the Book will definitely believe in him before his death. And on the Day of Judgment Jesus will be a witness against them. (Sura 4:157-159)
So, Muslims tend to believe that Jesus will deny He was raised from the dead to be back on the Earth. They believe Jesus did not die, but that He is alive awaiting the time Allah will send Him back to the earth to kill the Dajjal.
The Bible teaches Jesus was raised from the dead (e.g. Acts 13:28-30) and will return will have the Beast and False Prophet (the final Antichrist) tossed into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:11-20).
Similar to the Talmud to Judaism, but perhaps more authoritatively, Muslims have hadiths which are interpretative explanations of the Koran. Notice one of them:
“They will go to “Isa and say, “O “Isa! You are the Messenger of Allah and His Word which He cast to Maryam and a spirit from Him. You spoke to people while in the cradle. Intercede with your Lord on our behalf. Do you not see what we are suffering?” (Bukhari, Book of Tafsir, 4435)
So, Muslim believe that Jesus was God’s messenger and His Word—that is consistent with what the New Testament teaches (John 1:1-2). They also teach that Jesus was the LAST one anointed by God.[iv] However, the New Testament teaches that true Christians have anointing from God in 1 John 2:20.
Getting back to the Quran, it teaches:
They are unbelievers who say, “God is the Messiah, Mary’s son.” For the Messiah said, “Children of Israel, serve God, my Lord and your Lord. Verily whoso associates with God anything, God shall prohibit him entrance to Paradise, and his refuge shall be the Fire; and wrongdoers shall have no helpers.”
They are unbelievers who say, “God is the Third of Three. No god is there but One God. If they refrain not from what they say, there shall afflict those of them that disbelieve a painful chastisement.
Will they not turn to God and pray His forgiveness? God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.
The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a Messenger; Messengers before him passed away; his mother was a just woman; they both ate food. Behold, how We make clear the signs to them; then behold, how they perverted are! (Sura 5:76-79)
Muslims believe that Jesus was the “servant of God,” not the Son of God.[v] Essentially, many believe (similar to secular skeptics) that parts of the New Testament were altered and hence reject parts related to Jesus’ divinity.
Yes, Jesus Will Return
That being said, Sunni Muslims do believe that Jesus will return and usher in a glorious era:
The Sunni believe that after the al-Mahdi comes, Jesus will return to earth to fight the forces of evil led by al-Dajjal, the Great Charlatan or Antichrist. The forces of good will prevail, and Jesus will rule the world for an undisclosed period of time, after which he will die and be buried alongside Muhammad in Medina.[vi]
The Bible tells of a leader from the predominantly Islamic lands, called the King of the South (Daniel 11:40) in North Africa and the Middle East rising up. After what looks to be the start (Daniel 11:39) of the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21), this King of the South will fight against the “King of the North” (Daniel 11:40-43) called the “Beast” in Revelation 13. The King of the North will win, but this Beast will be destroyed when Jesus returns (Revelation 19:16-20). Jesus will then return to establish the millennial kingdom and reign for 1000 years (Revelation 20:6).
Islam agrees with most of this (though the time period is not as defined, though with Jesus only reigning 40 years per Sunan Abi Dawud 4324: Book 39, Hadith 34), but believes that Islam will then reign supreme.
Christians believe that Islam will essentially be gone by then (1 Corinthians 15:25; cf. Philippians 3:18).
Muslims believe that Jesus will return and kill the Antichrist which they call the ad-dajjal. Notice the following:
He will break the cross, kill swine, and abolish jizyah. Allah will perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy the Antichrist and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. (Sunan Abi Dawud 4324: Book 39, Hadith 34)
Surely, Jesus the son of Mary will soon descend among you and will judge mankind justly; he will break the cross and kill the pigs and there will be no Jizya. (Sahih al-Bukhari 4.55.657)
The Jizya is a tax that non-Muslims can be forced to pay in Muslim territories. Some Muslims believe by killing pigs that is symbolic and serves as a practical way to forbid people from eating and trading pork[vii]—which early Christians did not do.
That said, why do Muslims generally NOT accept the deity of Jesus, etc.?
Muslims believe that Christians and Jews distorted the divine message given to Moses and Jesus and that today’s Hebrew scriptures and Christian Bible are flawed, unlike the Quran (Morgan, p. xvi)
However, hopefully those Muslims willing to look at the evidence will realize that the scriptures were not so corrupted (admittedly there were parts of two verses added to the New Testament, around 1000 A.D. that most scholars, and those in the Continuing Church of God, do not accept as genuine) that they cannot be relied on to accept Jesus’ divinity.
Binding of Satan and the Millennium
The Bible shows that after being bound for a thousand years, Satan will be released before judgment day and that there will be an attack from Gog and Magog (Revelation 20:7-12).
Islam teaches that Ya’juj and Ma’juj’ (which Muslims tie in with Gog and Magog) are to be released just before judgment day. [viii] Islam teaches that a forty year era of peace for Jesus to rule comes after Ya’juj and Ma’juj’ (Sunan Abi Dawud 4324, Book 39, Hadith 34) which biblically sounds like a short view of the millennium in Revelation 20:1-4 and Isaiah 11:5-10.
Islam also has multiple 100 year periods (cf. Sunan Abi Dawud 4291, Book 39, Hadith 1) and one could possibly point to the one of Isaiah 65:20.
Islam teaches that Jesus will die, but that is partially-based on what is considered by some to be from a “not authentic” hadith.[ix] The Bible shows that Jesus has immortality (1 Timothy 6:16) and is to reign forever (Revelation 11:15), hence He will not experience physical death.
The Bible shows that Jesus and His faithful will reign on the earth for 1000 years:
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)
That one-thousand year period of time is called the millennium. That is part of the good news of the kingdom of God.
[i] The Qur’an. From chapter 43 http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/
quran/043.qmt.html 03/22/09[ii] Yaseen, The Signs, pp. 102-103
[iii] Morgan D. Essential Islam: A Comprehensive Guide to Belief and Practice. ABC-CLIO, 2010, p. 43
[iv] Yaseen, The Signs, pp. 108-109
[v] Morgan, p. 46
[vi] Morgan, p. 48
[vii] Clarification for Sahih al Bukhari 2476 about killing pigs.
https://islam.stackexchange.com/questions/75933/clarification-for-sahih-al-bukhari-2476-about-killing-pigs Accessed 03/22/24
[viii] Yaseen, The Signs, p. 223
[ix] Yaseen, The Signs, p. 261
That being said, could there be any prophetic ramifications related to Jesus’ baptism?
Perhaps.
Consider that:
- If Jesus was baptized in 30 (though many point to 27 A.D.),
- If His ministry lasted 3 1/2 years as commonly understood ending at Passover,
- Then that points to a 34 A.D. resurrection,
- And if the last days the Apostles spoke of are literal one thousand year days that began prior to Jesus’ resurrection,
- And if these are days 5 and 6,
- Then we would expect Jesus to return by 2034.
- And the end known as the start of the Great Tribulation would be in 2030.
We will see.
As far as the end goes, when is the end? Which end?
The Bible tells about many ends.
And there are several possible ways that the end could be calculated.
Related to these matters, the Continuing Church of God produced the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:
Nearly every generation has had people who believed they were living near the end of the age. All who have had it prior to now were wrong. Yet Jesus Christ did not tell His followers to ignore world events. He commanded them to watch (e.g. Mark 13:37).
Today we see wars and rumors of wars, increasing international tensions, economic instability, moral decline, and technological changes that would have been unimaginable only a few decades ago.
The question is not whether the end will come. The Bible is clear that it will.
But which end? Our personal end, the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14, the appointed time of the end, the end of the age, the end of the USA and its British-descended allies, the end of the 3 1/2 years/forty-two months, the end of the millennium, the end of the 100 year period, the burning of the surface of the earth, the end of death and pain? How do any of these possibly tie to the deal between the Kings of the North & South, Great Tribulation, the 1260/1290/1335 days of Daniel, persecution, 6000/7000 year plan, the reign of the European Beast, the Day of the Lord, the first/second/third resurrections, the return of Jesus, the start of the millennial kingdom of God, the second death, New Jerusalem, the beginning of eternity? Can Jesus return before 2033? Did you know that three different Greek words are translated as “end” in Matthew 24? Are Philadelphians subject to persecutions before the surviving Philadelphians flee to a place of safety? Is what is called the ‘rapture’ to happen after the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord? Why does the Hebrew support that the end, pointing to the Great Tribulation, points to Daniel 11:39 and not 11:40 and various Church of God groups teach and believe? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and discusses many “ends” that the Bible prophesies about.
Here is a link to our sermon video: How Near is the End? Which End?
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
When is the End? Which End? Like Jesus’ disciples, many want to know when the end will be. But which end? The Bible tells of end of this age, the return of Jesus, the end of the millennium, the end of a 100 year period, the end of suffering, and the end of death. What about your end? Here is a link to a related sermon video: How Near is the End? Which End?
Could God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? Why is the Jews’ claimed year off by two centuries? When will Jesus return? 2033, 2035, or 2036 or? There is also a video titled: When Does the 6000 Years End? 2031? 2035? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2026, 2027, or 2028? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? A short video is available titled: Countdown to the Great Tribulation.
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book. We also have the book translated in the Spanish PRUEBA de que JESÚS es el MESÍAS and French PREUVES QUE JÉSUS EST LE MESSIE languages. We also have the following video in Spanish: ¿Por qué los Judíos no aceptan a Jesús?
Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century This is a free online book which helps show where biblical and Islamic prophecies converge and diverge. Here are links to related sermons: Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes, Imam Mahdi, women, and prophecy, and Terrorism, Iran, and Fatima, Dajjal, Antichrist, Gold, & Mark of the Beast?, and Jesus and God’s Plan for Muslims. Here is a link to a sermon in the Spanish language: El Imám Mahdi las mujeres y la profecía bíblica. Here is a link to the book in Spanish: Profecías islámicas y bíblicas para el Siglo 21°.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? Three related sermons are available Let’s Talk About the Earthly Millennium, Millennial Utopia, and The Millennium.