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I had an epiphany the other day when hearing a hadith about one of the gifts that the inhabitants of Paradise will receive upon entering Paradise. The hadith states that Allah will uncover his face and all of the people who had earned Paradise will fall down in prostration. Then Allah will tell the worshipers that there is no longer worship. Only honor. Allah will honor them for their good deeds. This is where the epiphany comes along. Many times we question why God would put us here in the first place and every time I have asked this I don't get much of an answer and I have even had people tell me not to question things as this might put me into disbelief. Now I do agree that there are some silly questions that don't have much point behind them and to complex yourself over such things could be useless but to question why we are here is a rather cosmic question and to search for an answer within Islamic text is not something ludicrous. In fact, when I have these sort of question marks floating around in my head it is usually only because I have so much belief in what I am asking about that I want to know more. I have the type of mind that if I am not asking questions than there is a problem and as a Muslim I trust the Quran when it says that within the text of the Quran is an example (in some form or another) for everything. I studied the Quran for myself and came across a couple verses stating that we are only made to worship and that Allah put us on earth to judge which of us are best in deed. As a former Christian I read the Bible several times and what I noticed most is that the prophets emphasized humility and kindness to others. In Islam these actions are part of worship. Our daily prayers are one on one worship with Allah but our good actions toward mankind (contrary to modern belief that Muslims are taught to harm others) are also a form of worship because if we truly worship Allah in prayer from a genuine and grateful heart then our love for Allah will overflow and manifest in our treatment toward others which is indeed much of our worship and exaltation of God. This was enough of an answer for me to calm the cosmic question of why we are here until I heard the hadith that refers to Allah showing himself to us and then telling us there is no longer worship, only honor. It sounds simple but to me it sealed up all the loose ends to my questioning of why we are here. With our sentence being only to worship and for Allah to judge which of us are good in actions comes something distinct that most other creation has not been appointed. That is free choice. The angels were created to do only what they are commanded. Most other creation only does what it was made to do while humans have free choice. Free choice is often confused with free will. However, I could will myself to grow wings and fly but it would never happen. This lack of free will is what SHOULD make mankind grateful and humble to their Creator but instead we find the evil amongst mankind trying to take on the role of free will. That is to be all powerful. The difference is that God never uses His free will for evil (only justice). Some of mankind however will take as much power as they can get their hands on regardless of the price others pay. Take for example Hitler, the man took the lives of many innocent people in very gruesome ways and for what? For power and domination. He took his free CHOICE and confused it with free will forfeiting the fact that he will face the One and only being who does have free will. When I read the Quran it refers to the inhabitants of the hellfire as the like. People who relentlessly choose evil over good and refuse to humble themselves in repentance. Those who associate partners with him forgetting that He alone is the all powerful and yet most merciful. They associate sons, statues, daughters, wives, other gods, etc. with Him. There is a hadith that states that on the day of judgment people will be faced with the things that they associated with God (Jesus, trees, etc.) and Allah will ask them if these attributed 'gods' can help them more than Himself. There is even a Quranic verse that says Allah asks Jesus (peace be upon him) if he ever asked people to put him equal with Allah. "And behold! God will say [i.e. on the Day of Judgment]: 'Oh Jesus, the son of Mary! Did you say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God?' He will say: 'Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would indeed have known it. You know what is in my heart, though I know not what is in Yours. For You know in full all that is hidden. Never did I say to them anything except what You commanded me to say: 'Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.' And I was a witness over them while I lived among them. When You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a witness to all things'" (5:116-117)."
So in this I can find it plausible and even logical when Allah says we are made to worship and do good deeds. Part of those good deeds include turning to Him for forgiveness because that is admitting that you have transgressed bounds and it is also admitting that you are under God's governance not your own. "O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind... O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness as great as it."
If we use our free choice for good rather than evil Allah will reward us so much as to tell us we don't even need to worship Him anymore (of course naturally I believe we still will worship Him) and even further He will give US honor. Honor for our humility and self restraint. Honor for not using our distinct free choice and trying to compete with our Creator in making it free will. Honor for laying aside arrogance for gratefulness. Honor for using our money for charity instead of building our social credibility. (If we only obeyed Allah and all gave in charity and resisted the urge to overpower each other there would be no hunger or cruelty in the world).
Our Creator gave us something as unique and responsible as free choice so let's be careful to not turn this gift into a right and let us also be careful to use it for good rather than evil.
I testify that there is only One God and I testify that Muhommad, Jesus, Abraham, Moses, Noah, Adam, etc. were God's prophets. Peace be with you. Ameen.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Big Bang theory in the Quran?
The Big Bang theory in a nutshell states that the universe began when a quick expansion of gases occurred creating stars and planets and everything within our universe. Many Creationists refute this idea by saying that the Bible states that the earth was created in six days. What the Bible says is that God formed what is ON earth in seven days. Genesis 1:1-2 states "In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth, Now the Earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep..." It goes on to say that God then took the six days to form what is on the earth. This doesn't refer to how the "heavens and earth" came into being. When the Bible and Quran state "heavens and earth" it isn't referring to the promised paradise after this life. The term "heavens" is referring to the skies and stars, etc. Interestingly the Quran talks about how the universe became what we see today in a way that has many scientists considering the validity of the Quran. The first verse that I find in reference to this is in the Quran chapter 21 verse 30 which states "Have not the people who have disbelieved ever considered this?: The heavens and the earth were one mass, then we parted them and created every living thing from water." In this verse the Arabic term for "parted" means "expansion". Modern scientists (with the help of technology) have found that the universe continues to expand slowly but steadily and assume based on this expansion as well as other factors (materials that form the universe) that all of the matter that we see in the universe was at one point one giant mass that began to expand. Now many people assume that the big bang theory is about a sudden explosion of gases and dust, however the genuine Big Bang theory is about a steady expansion of these materials. Now the problem here is that water was necessary for life to "occur". The above verse describes that how after this expansion of materials occurred Allah CREATED every living thing from water. This would imply that after Allah willed the universal expansion He then Created living things from water. Scientists have been searching planets and even the moon for water in hopes that such a discovery would prove life could exist on these planets. Every living thing could not exist with out water and most living things are at least 98% water. Even our blood is made from water while we are in the womb. Now Muslims are also informed that we are made up of dust as well which is obvious to anybody who has seen a decayed corpse. A human body dies and upon death there are two main factors that cause decomposition which includes lack of oxygen and lack of water. After we lose oxygen our heart stops and after our heart stops all of our water retention leaves the body leaving only dust and bones. Bones will eventually become dust as well.
The next Quranic verse that refers to the formation of the universe is found in chapter 41 verse 11- "Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been as smoke; He said to it (the skies aka universe) and to the Earth "Come ye together willingly or unwillingly" They said "We do come together in willing obedience." This is referring to after the expansion of the universe. After the expansion there was "formless" smoke which was then set together in layers. In Arabic the terms have much more exact meanings which are hard to translate, however since there may not be exact words some Quranic translations have good description to detail the words more correctly. The most interesting part about this verse is the word "smoke". Smoke is made up of gases and water vapors. The particles and vapors found in smoke are also found throughout the universe. Take our sun for example; The sun (and other stars) is made up of mostly hydrogen and helium and the nebula's are also made up of these particles. These particles are more compact in the sun and less condensed throughout different nebula's which is perhaps why nebula's look so much like colorful smoke. The point is that the universe and everything in it was at some point (according to scientists) smoke which eventually "came together" forming planets and stars. AMAZING. Take also the saying "come ye together"; Science implies that some force holds the formed universal bodies together and they have called this force gravity. Of course gravity doesn't have a visual or physical form and is a theory to explain the force that is holding these bodies "together" and is also the force used to explain the expansion and movement of the universe. Take for example black holes, these are giant gravity machines which, according to theory, were former stars which had exploded from a burst of energy and the center of the star which consisted of gravity, remains leaving a black hole. If all celestial bodies have this center of gravity which holds the body together then the Quran gives a clearer explanation of the source than any scientific theory because every theory about gravity has yet to have a cut and dry explanation for the source. The so called greatest mind on earth, Stephen Hawkings, recently presented the claim that God doesn't have to exist due to the existence of gravity, yet even he can't explain this phenomenon that we label "gravity". With out this "gravity" the gases and particles could not have become planets and stars and in fact universal expansion would be impossible. In the Quran God details for us that this force was at His command which at least gives us an explanation for the source of this bonding agent that we have labeled gravity which is more of an explanation than any scientist has presented about the source of this phenomenon and hundreds of years before gravity was even a theory. The next Quranic verse which refers to universe formation is in chapter 51 verse 47 "And it is we who built the universe with creative power, and verily it is we who are steadily expanding it." (Note: The "we" in this verse is a plural of respect and it refers to God alone.) This verse is quite clear in reference to the continuing expansion of the universe (by God's will) which I previously stated. The Hubble telescope has managed to take incredible photographs of different nebula's over the past 20 years and scientists find that when comparing the pictures from 1990 to the pictures taken in 2010 there is with out a doubt universal expansion. Many scientists believe that this continuous movement defeats the monotheistic God because of the Creation story which has no description of universal expansion and that since this expansion appears "spontaneous" there is no Creative force behind it. The Quran informed us of this expansion and the forces behind it 1400 years ago. An overview of these verses indicates that there was a mass of material which expanded then particles and "smoke" came together forming planets, stars, etc. By water life was formed and the universe continues to expand. Many scientists use this "Big Bang" theory to disprove God, however here we can see God sending them clear evidence 1400 years ago about what they are just now proving this century.
"Have not the people who have disbelieved ever considered this?: The heavens and the earth were one mass, then we parted them and created every living thing from water."
The next Quranic verse that refers to the formation of the universe is found in chapter 41 verse 11- "Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been as smoke; He said to it (the skies aka universe) and to the Earth "Come ye together willingly or unwillingly" They said "We do come together in willing obedience." This is referring to after the expansion of the universe. After the expansion there was "formless" smoke which was then set together in layers. In Arabic the terms have much more exact meanings which are hard to translate, however since there may not be exact words some Quranic translations have good description to detail the words more correctly. The most interesting part about this verse is the word "smoke". Smoke is made up of gases and water vapors. The particles and vapors found in smoke are also found throughout the universe. Take our sun for example; The sun (and other stars) is made up of mostly hydrogen and helium and the nebula's are also made up of these particles. These particles are more compact in the sun and less condensed throughout different nebula's which is perhaps why nebula's look so much like colorful smoke. The point is that the universe and everything in it was at some point (according to scientists) smoke which eventually "came together" forming planets and stars. AMAZING. Take also the saying "come ye together"; Science implies that some force holds the formed universal bodies together and they have called this force gravity. Of course gravity doesn't have a visual or physical form and is a theory to explain the force that is holding these bodies "together" and is also the force used to explain the expansion and movement of the universe. Take for example black holes, these are giant gravity machines which, according to theory, were former stars which had exploded from a burst of energy and the center of the star which consisted of gravity, remains leaving a black hole. If all celestial bodies have this center of gravity which holds the body together then the Quran gives a clearer explanation of the source than any scientific theory because every theory about gravity has yet to have a cut and dry explanation for the source. The so called greatest mind on earth, Stephen Hawkings, recently presented the claim that God doesn't have to exist due to the existence of gravity, yet even he can't explain this phenomenon that we label "gravity". With out this "gravity" the gases and particles could not have become planets and stars and in fact universal expansion would be impossible. In the Quran God details for us that this force was at His command which at least gives us an explanation for the source of this bonding agent that we have labeled gravity which is more of an explanation than any scientist has presented about the source of this phenomenon and hundreds of years before gravity was even a theory. The next Quranic verse which refers to universe formation is in chapter 51 verse 47 "And it is we who built the universe with creative power, and verily it is we who are steadily expanding it." (Note: The "we" in this verse is a plural of respect and it refers to God alone.) This verse is quite clear in reference to the continuing expansion of the universe (by God's will) which I previously stated. The Hubble telescope has managed to take incredible photographs of different nebula's over the past 20 years and scientists find that when comparing the pictures from 1990 to the pictures taken in 2010 there is with out a doubt universal expansion. Many scientists believe that this continuous movement defeats the monotheistic God because of the Creation story which has no description of universal expansion and that since this expansion appears "spontaneous" there is no Creative force behind it. The Quran informed us of this expansion and the forces behind it 1400 years ago. An overview of these verses indicates that there was a mass of material which expanded then particles and "smoke" came together forming planets, stars, etc. By water life was formed and the universe continues to expand. Many scientists use this "Big Bang" theory to disprove God, however here we can see God sending them clear evidence 1400 years ago about what they are just now proving this century.
"Have not the people who have disbelieved ever considered this?: The heavens and the earth were one mass, then we parted them and created every living thing from water."
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
They Had Miracles..We Have Signs
For the next two months I plan to post a series of mini-blogs based on signs and proofs from our Creator. Many people assume that Islam is based solely on faith, however something particularly unique about Islam is an emphasis on logic and proof. Scientific proofs and foretold signs have been proven and continue to be proven as will be seen in the future blog series called "They Had Miracles...We Have Signs". I gave the series this name after a friend of mine asked me how we can be sure that Islam (or any religion for that matter) is true since Islam's final Prophet died so many years ago. I explained to my friend that the Prophets were given miracles so that the people of their time couldn't deny their assigned prophet-hood and the prophets foretold of signs and proofs so people in the future would have proof from their Creator. Any questions about Islam or the content of my blog can be sent to singlecreed@hotmail.com
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Prophet...
In the Biblical book of John (injeel إنجيل) chapter 1 verses 19-25 the Jewish scribes and Pharisees ask John the Baptist (Yahya ibn Zacharriya) if he is the former prophet Elijah come back to life, then they ask him if he is the Messiah, then they ask him if he is "the Prophet". To each he replies "no". Who is this mysterious Prophet? In English we capitalize names and often use capitalization as a form of distinction. An example could be "god" meaning a false or stone god and "God" meaning the one true God. When this verse is read in the English Bible this distinct capitalization is found in reference to the Prophet. This verse also indicates that The Messiah (Jesus) and this Prophet were two separate entities. If we look into the history of the Hebrews we will find that they had three prophetic expectations including the return of the Prophet Elijah (book of Malachi chapter 4 verses 1-5), the Messiah (Jesus) and a final prophet who would serve as the seal of God's prophets. This verse indicates dually that the Messiah and the final prophet were two separate beings expected to come. The Pharisees again finish by asking "Why then do you not baptize if you are not Elijah, nor the Christ, nor the Prophet?" If Jesus were the finalization of sin and the only way between us and God then why would there be a final prophet to come? Why would there need to be a "seal of the prophets"? This seal of the prophets was expected to speak the literal words of God and these words were expected to not be changed at the hands of man by a single letter. Could this prophet possibly be the beloved Muhommed? By taking an unbiased look into the red letters (claimed Biblical words of Jesus) Jesus himself foretells of this prophet to come.
In the book of John chapters 15-16 Jesus speaks about one to come after him. John 15: 26-27 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." And again in chapter 16: 5-16 "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
"In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."
Here we find Jesus speaking about how he will leave (not die I might add) for a while and then return and in the meantime he will ask God to send this "counselor" who will "guide you into all truth". In Aramaic and Hebrew translations of this verse the word counselor is actually the name of "Ahmed". Christian leaders have tried to claim that this "counselor" is the holy spirit however as I said the oldest Biblical transcripts contain the name "Ahmed" (which is a variant and in fact the true name of Muhommed). Since many people don't know Hebrew or Aramaic we can turn to the movie "Passion of the Christ" which took exact Aramaic wording from the Bible including this verse and makes it possible for us to hear the name of Muhommed and even the name of Allah as found in the above verse. I will attach the segment of that movie at the end of this blog. Further evidence can be found in that Jesus states that this "Counselor" will not come until Jesus goes back to God. If "the Counselor" won't come until Jesus leaves then it can not be the "Holy Spirit" since several verses in the Gospels (injeel) state that the holy spirit was with Jesus (which is also stated in the Quran) while he was on earth. This verse also states that "this counselor" will not speak on his own but will speak only what he hears and will speak of things to come. The way the Quran was "produced" was by the angel Gabriel speaking God's exact words to Muhommed. Muhommed could not read or write and only repeated what he was told. The verse doesn't say that this counselor would write down what he was told (The way Moses did) but instead says he will speak what he hears. When Muhommed told his loved ones that he had been told the first revelation he thought he was possessed. His wife told him that he was known around Mecca for being an honest and good man and that he could not possibly be possessed. Eventually so many people were accepting the message that he was saying (Quran) but they couldn't make it public out of fear of the leaders of Mecca so they would have private meetings memorizing the words given to Muhommed word for word. This miraculous memorization by so many people has made it possible for the Quran not to be changed. Many times in history when something is written it either gets lost or changed over time and often times Holy scrolls were kept only to religious and political leaders. Reversely, with the Quran many people memorized it and therefore it became impossible for anybody to change it even by a single word. Could this seal of the prophets mentioned in the first chapter of John foretold to bring an unchangeable word from God be Muhommed and the unchanged Quran?
Holy Quran Surah 21:45 "Say, "I do but warn you according to revelation": But the deaf will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned!"
In the book of John chapters 15-16 Jesus speaks about one to come after him. John 15: 26-27 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." And again in chapter 16: 5-16 "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
"In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."
Here we find Jesus speaking about how he will leave (not die I might add) for a while and then return and in the meantime he will ask God to send this "counselor" who will "guide you into all truth". In Aramaic and Hebrew translations of this verse the word counselor is actually the name of "Ahmed". Christian leaders have tried to claim that this "counselor" is the holy spirit however as I said the oldest Biblical transcripts contain the name "Ahmed" (which is a variant and in fact the true name of Muhommed). Since many people don't know Hebrew or Aramaic we can turn to the movie "Passion of the Christ" which took exact Aramaic wording from the Bible including this verse and makes it possible for us to hear the name of Muhommed and even the name of Allah as found in the above verse. I will attach the segment of that movie at the end of this blog. Further evidence can be found in that Jesus states that this "Counselor" will not come until Jesus goes back to God. If "the Counselor" won't come until Jesus leaves then it can not be the "Holy Spirit" since several verses in the Gospels (injeel) state that the holy spirit was with Jesus (which is also stated in the Quran) while he was on earth. This verse also states that "this counselor" will not speak on his own but will speak only what he hears and will speak of things to come. The way the Quran was "produced" was by the angel Gabriel speaking God's exact words to Muhommed. Muhommed could not read or write and only repeated what he was told. The verse doesn't say that this counselor would write down what he was told (The way Moses did) but instead says he will speak what he hears. When Muhommed told his loved ones that he had been told the first revelation he thought he was possessed. His wife told him that he was known around Mecca for being an honest and good man and that he could not possibly be possessed. Eventually so many people were accepting the message that he was saying (Quran) but they couldn't make it public out of fear of the leaders of Mecca so they would have private meetings memorizing the words given to Muhommed word for word. This miraculous memorization by so many people has made it possible for the Quran not to be changed. Many times in history when something is written it either gets lost or changed over time and often times Holy scrolls were kept only to religious and political leaders. Reversely, with the Quran many people memorized it and therefore it became impossible for anybody to change it even by a single word. Could this seal of the prophets mentioned in the first chapter of John foretold to bring an unchangeable word from God be Muhommed and the unchanged Quran?
Holy Quran Surah 21:45 "Say, "I do but warn you according to revelation": But the deaf will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned!"
Monday, January 11, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The parables of Jesus
People say to me "if you think you can inherit heaven through good works then good luck." Well any reasonable person would question it at some point. The only way for me to be sanctified for committing a murder is through the death of another man? Him shedding his blood makes right all my wrongs? And when I do a wrong I merely ask forgiveness in the name of Jesus? If a person is truly sorry for their trespasses, why is so much harder to believe that our Creator alone could just accept their repentance then to believe that the only way is through the death of another person? I know my lord is a forgiving God and Jesus states this in Luke chapter 18. Ill get to that later. Ive come with ample verses from the four Gospels of Jesus because when I first examined Islam I thought, "so the only main difference between this and what I believe is the death of Jesus." I thought how could I be sure which one is the truth, so I turned to my scriptures and noticed that the red letters are Jesus words. Everything else is other people's words and opinions. So I read strictly what Jesus taught. At this I suppose I should clarify the basis of Islam. We have 5 pillars that we adhere to which include acceptance of faith (there is one God and Adam, Noah, Moses, Lot, John, Jesus, Muhommed and all prophets before Muhommed are His messengers.) Prayer, fasting during the month of Ramadhan, charity, and making pilgrimage to Hajj if we have the means. If I do these (the ones that I can afford to do) for the sake of God alone then not only will I sin less because trust me 5 prayers a day at specific times keeps your mind focused on not lying, stealing, cheating whatever. And when I do make a mistake I turn to prayer and repentance. Adhering to these acts make me love and fear to do the things that our Creator hates and keeps me straight, its only when I slack on prayers etc. that I start to fall into things of this world. God is surely the most forgiving and merciful. It was in the red letters that I found Jesus stressing exactly this. Not only does Jesus say to do these things but he stresses that you will be judged for your own actions (John 5 28-29 which Jesus also states that well be in our graves and will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment which every Muslim believes while most Christians believe we either go straight to heaven or hell). It was Paul's words etc that I found to declare Jesus as the sacrifice for sin, while Jesus continuously said to do good in order to inherit paradise. I mean that's what the majority of his parables were about.
Luke chapter 18:
18A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?"
19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'[b]"
21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
28Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."
Jesus told the man to do certain actions and to give charity in order to receive paradise.
Also in Luke 18:
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
The man looked to Heaven (not to Jesus) and asked his creator to have mercy on him and for his repentance he is justified before God.
Also in Luke 18:
15People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
What makes children innocent? They don't have the intentions of harming others, they know they have a Creator and they do good. He says people who are like children (not immature, simply having good intentions in all things.) INHERIT PARADISE.
Also in Luke:
35As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
38He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
39Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
40Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41"What do you want me to do for you?"
"Lord, I want to see," he replied.
42Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
Notice all this man had to do was have faith and love God, also note that it says even though Jesus healed him, the healed man and the others praised God because Jesus would always say it was not him but the power given to him by God. It would be blasphemy to worship Jesus instead of God and that's why Jesus would say I am not good, worship God alone, etc. etc.
Luke 19:
A tax collector that Jesus visited,
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Jesus said he received salvation because the man gave up his ways, gave to charity, of course had fear and faith in God, and was willing to go the extra mile and pay back four times the amount he had taken from others. (Because tax is forbidden in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) In all of these examples, Jesus isn't just saying we should do these, he said these were the way for people to gain paradise. Interesting.
Luke 19:
11While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a]'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
14"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'
15"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
16"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'
17" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
18"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'
19"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
20"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'
22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
24"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
25" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'
26"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me."
Well Muslims also believe Jesus will come back. In fact we believe that he didn't die on the cross but Jesus returned to God until time for his return. And we believe he s the Messiah. Messiah means to wipe or anoint because the Jews were asking for a king sent directly from God. And the way to anoint a king was to wipe oil across his forehead so Messiah (meaning to wipe or anoint) had nothing to do with being a quintessential savior, but instead the fulfillment of a promise that God had granted the Jews. That's why Jesus said he had ONLY come for the lost sheep of Israel. Anyway, the above parable is Jesus clearly referring to himself as that king who would go to a distant place and return.(back to God until he returns to earth) The people were expected to spread the message he had given and when he returns the people who haven't spread his message or had faith in the message (not paul's message) will have nothing and what they do have will be taken away. He even goes so far as to say "those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them-bring them here and kill them in front of me." Muslims believe that when Christ returns he will kill the antiChirst and all his followers because they will be killing the believers. At this point there wont be any atheists etc. because they will all believe because they'll see the evidence so they will either be followers of Jesus or followers of the antiChrist it will be split between the two with no question that one of them is supreme. So the ones who decide to follow the antiChrist and massacre the ones who believe Jesus will be slain by Jesus himself as the above verse implies.
Anyway, I could go on and on with the red letters but I wont for now. I hope the people who read this at the very least take it into consideration. Knock and the door shall be opened.
Look at the words of Christ, look at the facts, and use logic and surely that will guide us correctly. Is it logical to think that God, who said in 1 Samuel that it is better to obey than to sacrifice, would need to send his son to be killed in order to accept a sincere heart? Do good to others follow Jesus words and actions, turn from harming others and repent for your wrongdoings and you will surely succeed here and in the afterlife. Just ask Jesus.
Luke chapter 18:
18A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?"
19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'[b]"
21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
28Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."
Jesus told the man to do certain actions and to give charity in order to receive paradise.
Also in Luke 18:
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
The man looked to Heaven (not to Jesus) and asked his creator to have mercy on him and for his repentance he is justified before God.
Also in Luke 18:
15People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
What makes children innocent? They don't have the intentions of harming others, they know they have a Creator and they do good. He says people who are like children (not immature, simply having good intentions in all things.) INHERIT PARADISE.
Also in Luke:
35As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
38He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
39Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
40Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41"What do you want me to do for you?"
"Lord, I want to see," he replied.
42Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
Notice all this man had to do was have faith and love God, also note that it says even though Jesus healed him, the healed man and the others praised God because Jesus would always say it was not him but the power given to him by God. It would be blasphemy to worship Jesus instead of God and that's why Jesus would say I am not good, worship God alone, etc. etc.
Luke 19:
A tax collector that Jesus visited,
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Jesus said he received salvation because the man gave up his ways, gave to charity, of course had fear and faith in God, and was willing to go the extra mile and pay back four times the amount he had taken from others. (Because tax is forbidden in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) In all of these examples, Jesus isn't just saying we should do these, he said these were the way for people to gain paradise. Interesting.
Luke 19:
11While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a]'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
14"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'
15"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
16"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'
17" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
18"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'
19"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
20"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'
22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
24"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
25" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'
26"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me."
Well Muslims also believe Jesus will come back. In fact we believe that he didn't die on the cross but Jesus returned to God until time for his return. And we believe he s the Messiah. Messiah means to wipe or anoint because the Jews were asking for a king sent directly from God. And the way to anoint a king was to wipe oil across his forehead so Messiah (meaning to wipe or anoint) had nothing to do with being a quintessential savior, but instead the fulfillment of a promise that God had granted the Jews. That's why Jesus said he had ONLY come for the lost sheep of Israel. Anyway, the above parable is Jesus clearly referring to himself as that king who would go to a distant place and return.(back to God until he returns to earth) The people were expected to spread the message he had given and when he returns the people who haven't spread his message or had faith in the message (not paul's message) will have nothing and what they do have will be taken away. He even goes so far as to say "those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them-bring them here and kill them in front of me." Muslims believe that when Christ returns he will kill the antiChirst and all his followers because they will be killing the believers. At this point there wont be any atheists etc. because they will all believe because they'll see the evidence so they will either be followers of Jesus or followers of the antiChrist it will be split between the two with no question that one of them is supreme. So the ones who decide to follow the antiChrist and massacre the ones who believe Jesus will be slain by Jesus himself as the above verse implies.
Anyway, I could go on and on with the red letters but I wont for now. I hope the people who read this at the very least take it into consideration. Knock and the door shall be opened.
Look at the words of Christ, look at the facts, and use logic and surely that will guide us correctly. Is it logical to think that God, who said in 1 Samuel that it is better to obey than to sacrifice, would need to send his son to be killed in order to accept a sincere heart? Do good to others follow Jesus words and actions, turn from harming others and repent for your wrongdoings and you will surely succeed here and in the afterlife. Just ask Jesus.
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