Judgment Day

I was watching a video yesterday that inspired me to write a blog about judgment day. In the video a woman was traveling into Jerusalem and she recorded an area where Jews, Christians and Muslims believe Judgment Day will start. Over 150,000 Jews, Christians and Muslims are buried in this spot. This spot is also important to Christians and Muslims because they believe this vicinity is where Isa (Jesus) will return. Jews also believe that this is where the Messiah will return. However they rejected him the first time he was here and don't believe Jesus is that Messiah.(At the end of this blog I will write a little on what Messiah means and what he means to the Jews.) People wanted to be buried here because the Anti-Christ can't enter Mecca, Medina or Jerusalem. It is believed that the Anti-Christ will raise people from the dead and if they don't claim him as God he will torture them, so this is a reason why people prefer to be buried in those cities. (Isa will slay the Anti-Christ near the border of Israel in Syria. A place which is currently an Israeli military base.) I think I should start with the return of Isa. Muslims and Christians both believe he is in Paradise and will return to earth near the day of judgment. The Muslim perspective is that when he returns the Anti-Christ will all ready have spread mischief and the true believers will turn from him because they will see the word "kafir" written across his forehead. Kafir means disbeliever. When he approaches a believer he will tell them to worship him. To this the believer will reply "You are not my Lord." Then the Anti-Christ will cut them in half and bring them back together and request that they worship him. At this the believer will say "now I know you aren't my Lord." He will gain many followers through his "miracles". Him and his followers will persecute the true believers. This is when Isa will return to defend them. (Many of the Christians will be with the Muslims due to the fact that they also believe in the Anti-Christ and the return of Isa.) When Isa returns he will tell the Christians that they must not worship him or contribute him to God's deity. He will then slay the Anti-Christ and his followers (since they will be killing the believers). Muslims believe he will break the cross and slay the pig (because Christians have claimed that he died for their sins on the cross and have claimed that he allowed the pig to be eaten.) After this the Gog and Magog will fill the earth and ruin everything in their sight. Isa will hide with the believers and God will send a sort of worm that will kill the Gog and Magog. After this Isa will establish temporary peace on earth (the rest of his time on earth will be peaceful). Food will be in abundance so much so that the milk of a sheep will be able to feed an entire group and the peel of a pomegranate will be large enough to shade people from the sun. He will make tax forbidden and will re-establish the daily prayer that so many Christians have abandoned. He will live on earth for 40 years making him something of 73 when he passes since he was taken to Paradise when he was 33 years old. The Janazah prayer and burial will be done for him which is the custom of current Muslims and the same burial that Christians used to perform. After he passes some people will slowly turn again from the truth and at some point all of the believers will have their souls taken, leaving only disbelievers on the earth. With all believers gone corruption will spread quickly and some time after this (no exact time is set and only God knows) everybody will die and judgment day will start. It is believed by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike that the mountains and everything on earth will become flat. The skies will be rolled back like scrolls so we will be able to see paradise and the hellfire. (These skies are often referred to as the seven heavens in the Bible. Muslims believe there are 7 layers of skies the first layer of skies is everything within our realm stars, planets, etc. and that the first layer of sky is like a ring in a desert compared to the next layer of sky and so on.) These skies will be rolled back and the earth will be made flat and all people will rise from their graves even those who were cremated, eaten by animals, etc. They will be resurrected and judgment day will begin. People will be so focused on what they did in their lifetime that a father will abandon their son etc. When a person stands in front of God, their book will be opened and every action they did will be brought forth (God does forgive those who repent with a genuine heart and turn from what they were doing if they repent while they were living on earth. He is the most merciful but also the strictest in justice against those who refuse Him and cause harm and corruption.) While awaiting judgment people will stand with what they worshiped. If they worshiped Jesus and put him equal with God they will be confronted and Jesus will say "I didn't tell you to worship me, go away from me." If they worshiped nature they will be confronted by what they worshiped. Which reminds me, any injustice done against an animal or living thing (such as a tree) God will bring that thing forward on judgment day and that animal or plant will speak about what was done to it. Some people purposely harm plants with out making use of it or torture animals. If a person worships a tree or plant that plant will be given the ability to speak on judgment day. A person's own body parts will speak against or for them on the day of judgment. If you walked to help somebody in distress your feet will tell about that good deed, if your feet walked to a strip club your feet (and eyes for that matter) will speak about that bad deed. If your hands reached out to help somebody your hands will speak for you. Nothing will go unnoticed. Those who continuously chose to do evil or selfish things will rack up a lot of bad deeds while those who were courteous to others and followed the commandments of their Creator will rack up a lot of good deeds. People will also be judged by whether they believed in their creator or rejected Him or put others equal with Him. The following are some Biblical verses on judgment day.

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at His right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” ... “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
Then He will say to those at His left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” ... “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matthew 25:31-36, 40-43, 45-46 NRSV)

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Rev 20:11-12)

Matthew 3:10-12:
Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ (Many scholars believe this refers to the Prophet Muhommed because the word "Ahmed" which is a form of the name Muhommed is found here. Also because the only prophet that came after Jesus was Muhommed according to Islamic belief.)

Matthew 13:40-43:
Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

Luke 12:4-5,49:
‘I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! ... ‘I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

John 5:28-
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

Now for the meaning of Messiah. We often hear the term Jesus the Christ. The word Christ comes from the Greek word Christos which is a translation of the word Messah (so Messiah and Christ mean the same thing). Messah in Hebrew is a word which means the action of "wiping". The way a king would be anointed was to "wipe" his forehead with oil. The Jews were foretold of a Messiah that would come (so basically a king that would come)."Matthew 15:24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." When this Messiah came he was expected to set the path straight for the Jews, however when Jesus came he was very critical of the actions of the Jews at the time and told them to repent, spread the message, turn from evil and not be hypocritical etc. It's quite evident in the red letters that Isa was critical toward the Jews telling them to change their ways and repent. Perhaps this is why they tried so hard to persecute him (the pharisees and teachers of Moses law plotted against him according to the Bible) and why they ultimately refused to accept him as the promised messiah.


May our Creator lead us all to the straightest of paths, ameen.