THIS IS REALITY: ISLAM SENDS YOU TO HELL
“And there is NOT ONE OF YOU BUT SHALL COME TO IT [HELL]. THIS IS AN UNAVOIDABLE DECREE OF YOUR LORD.” (Surah 19:71 Shakir)
On another thread Kilunda Sylvester asked Mark Okwonkwo , “why does Allah command you to sin?”
The true answer to this question which he and no Muslim will ever admit, is that Allah is only in the business of condemning people and sending them to hell. That’s his sole raison d’etre. He has no interest in saving anyone.
The Quran does not even attempt to disguise why this wannabe god wants to make people sin. It sends them to hell where he wants them to be. Where he is going to be himself and for whom hell was prepared, hence how we find:
“Whomsoever Allah guides, he is the one who follows the right way; and whomsoever HE CAUSES TO ERR, THESE ARE THE LOSERS.” (Surah 7:178)
“Whomsoever he causes to err” – this is absolute proof positive of a demon speaking. It’s only Satan who makes and causes sin.
“And certainly, WE HAVE CREATED FOR HELL MANY OF THE JINN AND THE MEN; they have hearts, with which they do not understand, and they have eyes, with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear; they are as cattle, nay, they are in worse errors; these are the heedless ones.” (Surah 7:179)
“And it is not for a soul to believe except by Allah’s permission; and HE CASTS UNCLEANNESS ON THOSE WHO WILL NOT UNDERSTAND.” (Surah 10:100)
“If We had so willed, We could certainly have brought every soul its true guidance: but the Word from Me will come true, “I WILL FILL HELL WITH JINNS AND MEN ALL TOGETHER.” (Surah 32:13)
The god of Islam is capricious and sadistic; appearing to derive pleasure in causing humanity to stray, purposefully filling Hell with those Jinns and men he predestined to perish. Moreover he gives people no clue and no certainty as to their destiny. When in fact if we barely scratch the surface of this evil doctrine, its painfully obvious their certain destiny is hell as Surah 19:68 – 71 affirm:
“So by your Lord! We will most certainly gather them together and the Shaitans, then shall We certainly cause them to be present round hell on their knees.[69] Then We will most certainly draw forth from every sect of them him who is most exorbitantly rebellious against the Beneficent God.[70] Again We do certainly know best those who deserve most to be burned therein. [71] AND THERE IS NOT ONE OF YOU BUT SHALL COME TO IT; THIS IS AN UNAVOIDABLE DECREE OF YOUR LORD.” (Shakir)
Muslims your book shows you what your god is about. Everyone who is evil is going to hell. And we are all evil in God’s sight (Matthew 7:11). If you want to avoid hell then please come to Jesus, He is the ONLY WAY.
Our one only and true God has ONE will and purpose – that NONE SHOULD PERISH, has provided the means that ALL should be saved, and Hell is reserved only for the devil and his fallen angels and those who fully deserve to be there.
The contrast is stark. There is only one God who respects free will and takes no pleasure in anyone perishing. Above all the Christian God is uniquely able to show mercy AND preserve justice because of atonement.
“Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” This is the declaration of the Lord God . “Instead, don’t I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives?” (Ezekiel 18:23 HCSB)
“Tell them: As I live” — the declaration of the Lord God — “I TAKE NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11 HCSB)
“For the Son of Man has come to save the lost. What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? …
IT IS NOT THE WILL OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN THAT ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES PERISH.” (Matthew 18:11-12, 14 HCSB)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 KJV)
“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.” (Romans 10:12-13 KJV)
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV)
God cannot be accused or mocked. No one who finds themselves in hell will have anyone else to blame, and those headed there in anticipation who squeal ‘it’s not fair and God cannot be all loving if He permits people to spend eternity in hell’, have no right of veto over those who make the wise choice and respond in love, to our God of love. The Muslim loss, as a result of their being prisoners blinded to the consequences of exercising free will, cannot deny or be allowed to deny the rest of us who did the right thing. The only blackmail is with them not with God.
God cannot compromise His nature and He cannot act contrary to His nature. Remember God is perfect love, holiness, justice and wrath (against sin and all that dishonours Him). Whether we escape His wrath is entirely up to us individually .
God’s wrath is the reverse side of his love. Wrath is but love spurned. As Brunner puts it, “the wrath of God under which the idolatrous, sinfully perverted man stands is simply the divine love, which has become a force opposed to him who has turned against God. The wrath of God is the love of God, in the form in which the man who has turned away from God and turned against God, experiences it, as indeed, thanks to the holiness of God, he must and ought to experience it.”
Judgment is according to one’s response to the love of God in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-21, 36). But why is this? It might appear that God’s judgment is no more than the macabre revenge of a jilted suitor. If wrath is nothing more than rejected love, God is open to the following charge: “Why does He get so angry, then, when we just want to be left alone?” But there is more to the story than simply jilted love. We are God’s creatures and owe Him our love and obedience. We are sinful people who have been “bought at a price” (l Corinthians 6:20). We are not autonomous beings receiving overtures of love from a neo-Marcionite God who has no more claims upon us than the romantic affections of a stranger.
The love that is being spurned is the love of Creator for creature, of the One who has redeemed us at great cost. To reject such love is to turn one’s back upon one’s only hope and to consign oneself to wrath and judgment. As provided for by the doctrine of hell by the demon god Satan for whom hell was created, which is perfectly portrayed by Islam.
The bottom line is that God loves righteousness because holy righteousness is the very essence and core of His being. Nothing that can taint pollute or mock that absolute, can enter His presence. He demands PERFECTION AS HE IS PERFECT. We can NEVER attain that for ourselves. If we redefine sin as “imperfections” then we must realise that we have no hope of ever reaching heaven. Since God sent His Son to recast us in His perfection likeness, and remove our imperfections, then we have no excuses, no one else to blame that God’s wrathful judgement is heading for us.
Muslims, you have a clear choice to make.
You can choose:
1). To remain on a straight broad road of Islam, a doctrine of demons in a perishing world, which is a one way ticket to hell, based on a lie, because no amount of good deeds can ever erase your imperfections, only the blood of Jesus can;
Or
2). A narrower and harder road (only because of opposition and persecution in the world), of taking up your cross daily and following Jesus who is the only way to heaven. “No one comes to the Father except through Me”. This is what Jesus means by ‘His peace’, its our knowing where we are going. That in spite of trouble in the world Jesus has our backs covered. Indeed it is He who carries us.
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All posts by Alastair Tucker
God as a Shepherd
GOD AS OUR SHEPHERD IN THE BIBLE: WHO IS NOWHERE FOUND IN ISLAM
1). INTRODUCTION
The motif of the shepherd is found throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament God has words of strong rebuke and warning for bad shepherds, and prophecies of a good shepherd that is to come. In the New Testament, Jesus identifies himself as the Good Shepherd and we find in the epistles the notion of good shepherding extended to those who would lead in the church.
But remarkably the shepherd motif is completely absent from Islamic writings. This is a red flag which Muslims should take notice of, and is another indication that the Bible and Quran cannot describe the same God.
This post will address the following questions:
□ Why might have God chosen to use this particular image?
□ What are the characteristics of a good shepherd?
□ Why Jesus is the Good Shepherd
□ Why in Islam the idea of God as a shepherd is absent.
2). WHY THE IMAGE OF A SHEPHERD?
The idea of God acting as the Shepherd of His people, is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, from beginning to end. In Genesis 48:24, as Jacob, on his deathbed summarized his life, he declared that God had been his “shepherd all of his life to this day.” In Revelation 7:17, when the saints who come out of the tribulation are brought before God, John brings together two of the most striking images of the scripture by stating:
“For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne will shepherd them; He will guide them to springs of living waters, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
The theme of the shepherd is highly significant. It appears at critical times in the narrative of the history of God’s people, and hardly another metaphor is as evocative or rich in content.
Why did God choose to include this description as part of His revelation to man? Scripture itself does not give a direct explanation, so the answer cannot be definitive. However, there would appear to be several good reasons.
■ Shepherding was, and still is to a certain extent, a very common occupation for those in the Middle East.
■ The Patriarchs were all shepherds, as was Moses and of course David.
■ It was to shepherds in the field that the news of the birth of Christ was first revealed!
■ The terrain and geography of the area lend itself to the raising of both sheep and goats, but in particular sheep. There is scarcity of grass and less than abundant sources of water.
■ Sheep are moved from one area to another with relative ease and require less water than other domestic animals. But they are vulnerable. Both as prey to attack but in being easily misled and lost.
■ The shepherd and his sheep describes a relationship. Sheep literally do recognise the shepherd’s voice and will respond to it to the exclusion of others. And once they’ve learned to recognise it they trust it and answer to it. The attached video gives proof:
https://youtu.be/e45dVgWgV64
The idea of shepherding leaders was not an exclusive feature of the Bible or for the nation of Israel. King Hammurabi of Babylon called himself a shepherd, and Homer regularly styles the Greek chiefs as shepherds of their people. In fact, history has shown, “from ancient antiquity rulers were described as demonstrating their legitimacy to rule by their ability to ‘pasture’ their people.” This makes sense then of verses like those found in Jeremiah 49:19 and 50:44, where God asks, “who is the shepherd who can stand against me?”
In this connection, the royal staff, or scepter, a common accessory for kings in the Ancient Near East, was itself a form of shepherd’s rod. Shepherds commonly used long poles such as these to poke around crevices in caves to scare out scorpions and snakes. It came to be a symbol of protection, power and authority. Even in Egypt, a divine symbol of kingship was the shepherd’s crook.
Thus it is true that the idea of shepherd as leader is not exclusive to the Bible. However, what we will find is that God as the ultimate shepherd of His people takes this concept to a level found in no other culture or faith.
As we look at the characteristics of a good shepherd it will become clear that God chose this motif at least in part because His people are so apt to act like sheep. Verses like Isaiah 53:6 remind us over and over again that God’s people and sheep are very much alike and the connection is mostly negative. Sheep are not only dependent creatures; singularly unintelligent, prone to wandering and unable to find their way to a shepherd even when he is in sight. The analogy is fitting. It is clear, because of our helplessness and our tendency to wander and get lost we are in need of a Good Shepherd. A sheep that gets snowbound or falls on its back is helpless until rescued. Without the shepherd it would perish.
3). THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SHEPHERD
The Bible gives in great detail what a good shepherd would look like both in the Psalms and in the words of Christ himself. However, before turning to these descriptions it will be beneficial to consider in the broadest terms what the focus of a leader of God’s people should be, and in specific how the poor leaders of Israel failed in this regard.
The focus of a good shepherd was to be on his flock – their provision, guidance and safety. The epitome of the bad shepherds, in Ezekiel’s expose of Israel’s leaders of his day (34:1-6), sketches out in vivid terms, what it looked like when leaders failed to provide this care. These leaders were slaughtering their sheep for their own gain rather than feeding them. (This calls to mind the hireling of John 10:10, who comes only to steal, kill and destroy and also of Jesus’s scathing rebuke of the Pharisees in Matthew 23).
Rather than caring for the flock, they treated them with “force and severity.” (vs.4) Perhaps Ezekiel’s greatest rebuke was for their lack of guidance. Three times he mentions that the sheep are scattered. They were lost, became prey for every beast and had no one to search or seek them. (vs.6) Jeremiah, in his judgment of the leaders of Israel took this notion one step further, connecting a lack of spirituality on the leaders part with the scattering of the sheep. In Jeremiah 10:21 he states, no doubt in reference to the captivity of Judah, “For the shepherds have become stupid, and have not sought the Lord; Therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.”
Knowing that the bad shepherd fails to provide for the sheep, protect the sheep and guide the sheep, the picture of the good shepherd laid out in scripture comes into clearer view. The most famous description of the good shepherd, and perhaps one of the most well known passages in the whole Bible, is Psalm 23. These lines were penned by David, not a theoretician when it came to sheep and their welfare, but the rendition of a true shepherd. David’s ability as a shepherd was clearly connected with God using him to masterfully lead Israel. In Psalm 78:70-72 we read:
“He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; He brought him from tending ewes to be shepherd over His people Jacob — over Israel, His inheritance. He shepherded them with a pure heart and guided them with his skillful hands.” (Psalms 78:70-72)
Entire books have been written detailing the work and nature of the shepherd in Psalm 23.
This Post has only room to sketch brief highlights of the shepherd’s provision for his flock.
□ The good shepherd provides nourishment and refreshment for his sheep. In verse 2 we are told he causes the sheep to lie down in green pastures. This indicates a place to rest but also a supply of food on hand. Also present is water that is welcoming in addition to refreshing. This met a critical need due to the shortage of water in the region as already pointed out.
□ Later in the Psalm David conveys the idea of abundant provision in a different way. He speaks of a table being set, his cup overflowing, and his head being anointed with oil. Bedouin hospitality often called for just such a lavish response to a guest, and the anointing with oil was a symbol of lavish generosity and goodness on behalf of a hostess for their guest. (Ecclesiastes 9:8) David points out that the skilled shepherd
■ MAKES them lie down (vs.2),
■ LEADS them (vs.2) and
■ GUIDES them (vs.3).
He provides guidance which is so critical for sheep that are by their nature apt to stray or wander into danger because they are so helpless. This was a critical aspect of leadership and the very reason given for Joshua being appointed to carry on for Moses in Numbers 27:15 –17. It is interesting to note that David is aware that the shepherd provides in this way not because of the inherent worthiness of the sheep, but because of the reputation of the shepherd. Also, the picture here is of the shepherd leading the way. Sheep in the Middle East are not driven like in the West due to differences in the terrain. For the most part, in the Middle East the shepherd goes ahead of the sheep, choosing the way to go.
Not only did the shepherd provide nourishment and direction, but David goes out of his way in Psalm 23 to convey the idea of the shepherd providing safety and protection. Sheep are extremely skittish and fearful, but the shepherd was equipped to protect them, with his rod able to ward off wild animals and thieves.
Isaiah understood this about the good shepherd as well. In Isaiah 40:11 he pictures the Shepherd’s protection by pointing out his care for the most helpless of the flock. The newborn and the nursing mothers with young are the members most vulnerable to attack. “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”
4). JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD
In Jesus’ description of Himself in John 10, He takes our understanding of what makes for a good shepherd to a new level. The good shepherd is self sacrificial. He is willing to ignore his own needs in order to meet the needs of the sheep. Over and over in this chapter He states the good shepherd gives His own life for His sheep.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired man and doesn’t care about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:11-16)
Jesus’ audience understood the analogy and sacrificial nature of the shepherd in His discussion of the sheepfold. When sheep were penned in at night outside the city, the shepherd himself would often construct a makeshift fold. He would take brush and bushes and construct them in a “u” shape or some other formation depending on what was already at hand. He would then place thorny branches on top of the brush to both inhibit the sheep from jumping out and from wild animals and thieves jumping into the enclosure to hurt or kill the sheep. (Robbers would accomplish their goal by climbing over the enclosure, slitting the throat of the sheep and heaving the body/bodies over the wall. This helps explain John 10:1). The only way in and out of the fold was through a space he would leave open. The shepherd himself would actually lie across the opening, becoming the door in and out of the sheepfold. The shepherd’s own comfort and sleep were secondary to the comfort and safety of the sheep. Additionally, we know too from the story told in Luke 15 that a worthy shepherd indeed does go and search for a lost sheep. He is willing to make this effort unlike the worthless shepherds already mentioned who allow the sheep to wander and be preyed upon. Jesus finalizes the notion of the sheeps’ security by stating in John 10:28-29 that with Him they are eternally secure.
The other characteristic of the good shepherd Jesus makes crystal clear in his discussion of the topic in John 10, is that the good shepherd is personally, if not intimately involved with all His sheep. His closeness with the individual sheep is clear in vs. 3 when it says He calls them by name. From Nathan’s story in 2 Samuel 12, we know that sheep were sometimes given the status of pet. In fact, so close were the shepherds with their flock that one shepherd is reported to be able to tell which lamb went with which nursing mother in the dark by merely feeling it’s head! The shepherd is also involved enough with His flock that they know His voice. In those days multiple flocks would sometimes be brought into the sheepfold for the night. The next day each shepherd in turn would stand in the middle of the fold and call his own out. It was not a matter of the exact call or words used, but the sheep responded primarily to the distinct tone of the shepherd’s voice.
In summary, the good shepherd showed great concern for his sheep. He provided for them in terms of nourishment and rest. He guided them, leading the way. He was intimately involved with the flock and concerned for the safety of each individual. He was willing to sacrifice his own comfort, even his own life, for the sake of his sheep.
This is the kind of love and care with which God wanted His rulers to lead Israel in the Old Testament, and the writers of the New Testament have much of this in mind when it comes to leadership and pastoral care in the church. It was in this context that Jesus challenged Peter to prove his love after his betrayal. After each admission of love on Peter’s part Jesus said, “Feed My lambs” John 21:15, “Feed my sheep” vs.16, and again in vs.17. Peter charges the elders at the churches in present day Asia Minor to:
“Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will; not for the money but eagerly; not Lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1 Peter 5:2-4)
Understanding the level of love, commitment and sacrifice expended by the shepherd on behalf of the sheep raises the bar for those who seek to lead in the church.
5). WHY GOD IS NO SHEPHERD IN ISLAM
Several points stand out which should act like a stone in the shoe for all Muslims.
Firstly, there is zero allusion to God as a shepherd in the Quran. Even when the Quran could have employed the motif it prefers “goat-herd” in a disparaging condemnatory tone as here:
“The parable of those who reject Faith is as if one were to shout like a goat-herd, to things that listen to nothing but calls and cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom.” (Surah 2.171 Yusuf Ali)
Islam has no idea of God having any sort of relationship with people, still less the leading guiding, protective or pastoral role of a shepherd who cares for his sheep. The imagery of shepherding of the flock, and the shepherd metaphor are completely alien to and lost in Islam’s rewriting of history. The second red flag is the absence of sacrifice in Islam.
“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22), and that’s why the symbolism of the scarlet thread in the Bible is significant. The scarlet thread is the theme of atonement found throughout the pages of Scripture.
But its no surprise to discover there is no atonement in Islam.
The purpose of Abraham sacrificing his son is left unexplained. Tabari II:84 “When Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac, Satan said, ‘By Allah, if I cannot deceive the people with this, I shall never be able to do it.’” Satan not only swears by Allah, he says that the bogus connection between Abraham and Islam is his best way to fool mankind. He was right! It’s also interesting that the deception would be over sacrifice. Judaism, Christianity, and all rational civilizations use sacrifice as the means to promote justice and maintain spiritual or societal order. Commit a crime and you will be required to sacrifice your money, your freedom, or your life. If crime is without cost, anarchy reigns.
In Judaism, the sacrificial rite for the forgiveness of sin was rich in symbolism. It was based upon the “Mercy Seat” of the Arc of the Covenant. And it was connected prophetically to the blood of an unblemished lamb or dove. It’s all explained in the Torah. In Christianity, Christ became the perfect lamb and sacrificed himself on our behalf. But in Islam, there is no shepherd, no protection, and above all no atoning sacrifice. While the Sunnah perpetuates Qusayy‘s senseless slaughter, it’s for appeasement, not atonement. There is no symbolism, no prophetic implication, no retribution, no justice and no moral reason, as forgiveness is capricious in Islam. And that’s why totalitarian governments use draconian measures to maintain order. Muhammad was an amoral thief empowered by situational scriptures, so he failed to appreciate the necessity of sacrifice and he never understood the Biblical concept of sacrificial atonement. It’s why the “ransom of great sacrifice” mentioned in the Quran is left unexplained. It’s also why the shepherd motif is avoided. Expressions like “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29), “the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11), “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15) are conveniently ignored.
Make no mistake: Islam offers no model for pastoral care. It has no relationship with its god other than blind subservience. There is no leadership other than the battle cry call to arms. Of the many names for Allah “good shepherd” is not amongst them.
6). CONCLUSIONS
There is nothing in the Quran like the End Time prophecy of the returning shepherd king in Matthew 25:31-34. “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. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; And He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” In this passage the shepherd goes on to direct the sheep (the righteous – vs.37, 46) to the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world, and the goats, to eternal punishment. The metaphor here relates to the fact that often a shepherd tended a mixed flock of both sheep and goats. There were times when the two groups needed to be separated. This was a common part of the shepherding job, clearly understood by Jesus’ audience. These passages teach that the Good Shepherd will come to judge between nations and individuals at the end of the age. For those who are His, these were meant to be words of comfort. For those who were not, words of great trouble.
Thus, the Old Testament looks forward to the coming of the Good Shepherd, and in Matthew we still see His future return to complete that role. Make no mistake He will complete it in His second coming, for this is when He will come in judgment to sort and separate the righteous from those who did not know Him, and to finally care for and lead those that are His own.
Muslims need to ask themselves why the character of God in the Quran is in such contrast and so alien to that of the Bible. Where is the responsibility of Allah for his creatures? There is none. He predestines them and prescribes even how much they will sin. But never the remotest suggestion of protecting them from danger or knowing each other by name or voice recognition or searching for the lost. He does not take an active role in leading guiding feeding or nurturing those that are his. For those qualities you need the all loving God of the Bible and you need to know Him and be known by Him as a shepherd and a father. Above all as your savior who lay down His life for you. Come to the good shepherd Jesus and answer His call to His sheep. He did not come only for the lost sheep of Israel, He came for us all. Amen.
Further reading: Ezekiel 34
Worship of Jesus
WORSHIP OF JESUS: TO THE HONOUR AND GLORY OF THE FATHER
1). INTRODUCTION
The Bible says that we worship Christ to the glory of the Father (Phillippians 2:10-11). In other words neither the Father nor the Son equate such worship as “usurping” the glory of the other because they are not different, they are not even similar, but they are of identical essence. Identical and inseparable, in power, in glory, in goodness, in authority and mind and will. And thus are equally worthy to be worshipped. This is the meaning of John 5:23: “so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”
2). ONLY GOD DESERVES SPIRITUAL WORSHIP OF MEN
Only God deserves to receive spiritual worship from men. Indeed if we don’t give to God the honour He deserves we cannot honour or worship Him at all.
In conversation with the woman at the well (John 4:6-30), Jesus gave two criteria for true worship: (i) in spirit (ii) and in truth. Worship was now to became a matter of the heart, not external actions, and directed by truth rather than ceremony, temple confines or geographical location. And truth demands that we know who we worship. Ignorance is no longer any excuse: “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
The New Testament word for worship (proskuneo) means to do obeisance, reverence, or acts of homage (see Thayer, Vine, and Arndt & Gingrich). This word is often used to describe men worshipping God: in John 4:20-24; Revelation 4:10; 7:11; 11:16; 14:7; 19:4; 15:4; 1 Corinthians 14:25.
Many verses forbid worshiping men, angels, or any created thing.
Acts 10:25 – 26: Cornelius fell down to worship Peter. Peter forbade it saying that he himself was just a man. God deserves worship, but men do not. (Cf. Acts 12:20-23; 14:8-18.)
Paul and Barnabus refused worship when the crowds tried to make them gods:
“When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the form of men!” And they started to call Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the main speaker.”
“The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting: “Men! Why are you doing these things? We are men also, with the same nature as you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them” (Acts 14:11-15) c.f. Acts 12:21-23.
Revelation 22:8 – 9; 19:10: John tried to worship the angel, but the angel forbade it because he was a “fellow servant.” The angel commanded “Worship God.”
People who worship and serve created things, rather than the Creator, have left the truth of God. Romans 1:25: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.”
To worship any created thing – whether man, angel, heavenly body, or some other object in nature (mountain, ocean, etc.) – constitutes idolatry. Muslims knowingly or unwittingly bow down and worship creation. The kaaba is a monument to celestial worship as are all its associated worship rituals and rites. Allah is a mute impotent idol, a rebranding of Hubal the moon god of pre Islam and derived in turn from the Baal worship of Babylon.
□ Only the true God deserves to be worshipped. The wannabe god Satan does not.
In Matthew 4:10, Jesus gave Satan this rebuke which He never gave to anyone else: “Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.”
Revelation 9:20 – Idolatry is forbidden because it constitutes worship of someone other than God (Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 6:13-15; Revelation 14:9-11). [See also Exodus 34:14] Note: proskunew is forbidden when used for obeisance to men from a spiritual or religious motivation or purpose. The word is sometimes (but rarely) used in the New Testament non-religiously to refer to bowing in obeisance to a king, master, or other person in authority (see Matthew 18:26 – this usage is more common in the Old Testament).
When used for religious honor, however, worship is forbidden toward any except God. In this sense, “worship” is like “lord,” “father,” “master,” etc. The words may be acceptably used for earthly, physical relationships (Ephesians 6:1-9; Colossians 3:21,22), but we are forbidden to use such as religious honor to men or created things (Matthew 23:8-12). [On Revelation 3:9, cf. to 1 Corinthians 14:25]
The concept of Deity distinguishes the Creator from the creature. Things which are created do not have the unique characteristics of God, do not do the unique works of God, and therefore should not be addressed by the unique names of God nor should they be worshipped.
□ But Jesus received the unique worship God deserves.
Jesus was often worshipped while He appeared on earth before His resurrection.
Matthew 8:2 – A leper came and worshipped Jesus. [9:18; 15:25; Mark 5:6]
Matthew 14:33 – After Jesus had calmed the storm, the disciples worshipped Him saying He was the Son of God.
John 9:38 – After Jesus had healed the blind man, He revealed Himself to be the Son of God (v35). The man said he believed, and he worshipped Jesus.
Note that such religious worship would have been blasphemy and should have been forbidden as it was in the case of Peter, the angel, etc., if Jesus had been just a man on earth.
□ Created beings also worship Him after His resurrection.
Matthew 28:9,17 – After His resurrection, His disciples worshipped Him. [Cf. John 20:28,29]
Luke 24:52 – Even after He had ascended back to heaven, they worshipped Him.
Note that men were rebuked for worshipping men, angels, or created beings, but they were never rebuked for worshipping Jesus.
□ Angels worship the Son
Angels are even instructed by the Father to worship Jesus.
Hebrews 1:6 – Angels are instructed by God to worship Jesus.
“When He again brings His firstborn into the world, He says, And all God’s angels must worship Him.” c.f. Luke 2:13.
The context of the above passages cannot fit the idea of obeisance to an earthly king or ruler. They refer to honoring Jesus as a religious authority – the very thing forbidden when offered to Peter, angels, etc.
Hence, Jesus accepted worship as an act of religious honor. The Scriptures, including Jesus’ own teachings, would absolutely forbid this unless He possesses true Deity.
3). GLORY AND HONOR BELONG TO GOD
“Glory” (doxa) means “…praise, honor … magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace … majesty” – Grimm-Wilke-Thayer.
“Honor” (timh) means “…honor which belongs or is shown to one; the honor of one who outranks others, pre-eminence … veneration … deference, reverence…” – Grimm-Wilke-Thayer.
Like the words “power” and “wisdom,” both these words can properly be used to refer to men in the physical realm (Matthew 6:29; 1 Peter 1:24). But they are also used to describe a special degree of glory which no one but God can possess.
□ God receives a special, unique glory and honor.
Psalm 24:7-10 – Yahweh is the “King of glory.”
Psalm 29:3 – He is the “God of glory.” [Acts 7:2; cf. Isaiah 60:19; Galatians 1:5; etc.]
Revelation 4:9-11 – God deserves this glory because He created all things. Note again the distinction between the creature and the Creator. [Revelation 5:13; Romans 11:36]
“By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.” (Isaiah 45:23)
c.f. Isaiah 42:8; 48:11 – This homage, this allegiance, this glory is unique to God in that He refuses to share it with anyone else. Idols and created things have no right to receive this glory.
It follows that it would be blasphemy for anyone but God to receive this unique kind of glory. If anyone does receive this glory with God’s approval, then that one must possess Deity.
□ But Jesus receives the unique homage, allegiance and glory of God.
John 5:23 – All men should honor the Son “just as” they honor the Father. To fail to give this honor to the Son is to fail to properly honor the Father.
“Just as” (kathos) is translated “even as” in KJV, ASV, NASB, RSV (cf. Thayer and Arndt & Gingrich). Other examples of its use in comparisons is found in Luke 6:31; 11:30; 17:26; John 3:14; 2 Corinthians 10:7; Colossians 3:13; etc.
The significance of the word, when used in comparisons, is that one item or action is just like the other regarding the aspect in which they are being compared. Hence Jesus rightly receives honor just like the honor the Father receives. And if we refuse to give such honor to the Son, then we are refusing to honor the Father!
John 17:5 – Jesus prayed to the Father to “glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” Jesus asks to be glorified together with the Father with the glory He possessed “with” (para) the Father from eternity. And this shared glory must mean that Jesus is the same God Isaiah refers to: “I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols” (Isaiah 42:8), and “I will act for My own sake, indeed, My own, for how can I be defiled? I will not give My glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
“so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth — and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).
The clear implication of these verses is that Jesus and the Father both possessed the same glory before the world began and during the Old Testament era. And they will receive the same homage and allegiance in the resurrection. Jesus, in coming to earth as a servant, did not then appear to possess that glory but appeared as a man (this is part of what he gave up on coming to earth – Philippians 2:6-8). But having nearly completed His work on earth (John 17:4) and being ready to ascend to the Father, Jesus anticipated receiving this glory and homage again (Philippians 2:9-11).
We can make a simple syllogism thus:
1. No one but God can receive or share the glory homage and allegiance that God has and is due to Him alone.
2. Jesus did receive and share that glory with the approval of the Father and will share in the same homage and allegiance at His return in glory.
3. Therefore, Jesus possesses the same Deity as the Father.
Revelation 5:12-14 – Both the Father and the Lamb (Jesus) were praised by the created things, who attributed to them “blessing and honor and glory and power.” Note that the same glory and honor belongs to both Father and Son.
Hebrews 1:3 – Jesus is the brightness of the Father’s glory (or the effulgence or radiance of His glory). That glory which shines from the Father also shines from Jesus because He is the creator (v2), upholds all things (v3), and is the express image of God (v3).
1 Corinthians 2:8; James 2:1 – Jesus is called the “Lord of glory,” just as God in the Old Testament is called the “King of glory” (Psalm 24:7-10).
Note that the glory Jesus possesses is not just the glory possessed by men or angels. His glory is above that of angels (Hebrews 1:6,13). He is above all principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named (Ephesians 1:21; Philippians 2:9-11).
No created being possesses the glory and honor Jesus does.
We have seen, however, that Jesus deserves the glory, honor, and worship of Deity even as the Father does. God forbids this to be given to any but Deity, but Jesus does receive it. This would be blasphemy if Jesus were not God.
□ Son and Father are inseperable
They are INSEPARABLE. This appears from the following considerations:
• The Father wills that the Son should be honoured. He that refuses to do it disobeys the Father.
• They are equal. He that denies the one denies also the other.
• The same feeling that leads us to honour the Father will also lead us to honour the Son, for he is “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,” (Hebrews 1:3)
• The evidence of the existence of the Son is the same as that of the Father. He has the same wisdom, goodness, omnipresence, truth, power.
And from these verses we may also learn:
• That those who do not render proper homage to Jesus Christ do not worship the true God.
• There is no such God as the infidel, which includes all Muslims, professes to believe in. There can be but one God; and if the God of the Bible be the true God, then all other gods are false gods.
• Those who withhold proper homage from Jesus Christ, who do not honour him EVEN AS they honour the Father, cannot be Christians.
• One evidence of piety is when we are willing to render proper praise and homage to Jesus Christ – to love him, and serve and obey him, with all our hearts.
• As a matter of fact, it may be added that they who do not honour the Son do not worship God at all. This means the infidel has no form of worship; he has no place of secret prayer, no temple of worship, no family altar. Who ever yet heard of an infidel that prayed? Where do such men build houses of worship? Where do they meet to praise God? Nowhere.
Islam was spawned from astral worship and retains all the pagan idolatrous practices of the pre-Islamic era of moon god worship. Every mosque is oriented towards the centre of astral worship that what was and still is Mecca, or its predecessor Petra.
As certainly as we hear the name infidel, we are certain at once that we hear the name of a man who has no form of religion in his family, who never prays in secret, and who will do nothing to maintain the public worship of God.
Account for it as men may, it is a fact that no one can dispute; that it is only they who do honour to the Lord Jesus that have any form of the worship of God, or that honour and glorify Him; and their veneration for God is in direct proportion to their love for the Kinsman Redeemer. Only as such do they or can they honour God at all.
4). CONCLUSIONS
If Jesus is not Deity, then who is He? To understand God we must realize that God is not part of the created things. God is the Creator, distinct from and far above His creatures. This distinction is made again and again in the passages referred to. Jesus must be classed on one side or the other. Either He is a created being or else He is Deity. To say He is not Deity is to say He is a created being. To say He is not a created being is to say He is Deity. Its a binary choice. There are no other alternatives.
Men are creatures; angels are also creatures that are above men. But Jesus is above the angels, is due to receive their worship also, and is not classed with them (Hebrews chap. 1 – see especially verses 5 – 6,13). We have seen that He is not an angel nor an exalted man, but the Bible attributes to Him that which can only be said of God.
We have learned from the foregoing that:
* Jesus is expressly stated to be God or to possess Deity.
* Jesus is called by names that may only be used for God.
* Jesus possesses characteristics that only God can possess.
* Jesus does work and holds authority, eg to exercise all judgement, that only God can do.
* Jesus shares the same glory, deserves worship and honor and will receive the same homage and allegiance that only God deserves.
In all these areas Jesus is described as the Creator, not a created being. He is eternal, timelessly sans creation, as “the Word” has the power, and did the work of creation. He deserves honor as the Creator. Clearly He is not to be classed with the created things but with Deity.
But we have also proved that there is only one true God who made the universe. If Jesus is “God,” He is not an idol nor a false god. Since He possesses Deity and there is only one true God, then He must possess true Deity, not some lesser form of deity. Just as He shares the same glory, He must be included as the one true God, or Godhead, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Finally, if Jesus is God then He always has been God and always will be God, since God’s unique nature cannot change (Hebrews 13:8). God cannot cease to be God nor can God lose the characteristics or personality of God. He can take on non-Divine characteristics as Jesus added the characteristics of a man when He came to earth, and He can electively limit the use of His powers in order to accomplish His Divine purposes, as Jesus did on earth. But He cannot cease to be God and He cannot lose the power and characteristics of God.
MAKE NO MISTAKE: Jesus possesses Deity.
He along with the Father and the Holy Spirit are our one true God. Amen.
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4 Ways Jesus Said He is God
FOUR WAYS JESUS SAID HE IS GOD IN ONE SENTENCE
Before the high priest at His mock trial Jesus repeatedly remains silent before His accusers. Eventually placed under oath He responds as Mark and Matthew record below:
[61] But He kept silent and did not answer anything. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? ”
[62] “I am,” said Jesus, “and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
[63] Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?
[64] You have heard the blasphemy! What is your decision?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.” (Mark 14:61-64)
Note the parallel verses from Matthew:
“But Jesus kept silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “By the living God I place You under oath: tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God! ” “You have said it,” Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:63-4)
Now detailed examination of the text reveals a four-fold claim to deity. This Post will consider each expression in turn:
□ Jesus confirms he is the “Son of God.” (Mark 14:61 “Son of the Blessed One”)
□ Jesus says he is “The Son of Man” from Daniel 7 which is a Messianic title of God.
□ Jesus says he will be sitting in the “right hand of power” making himself equal with the Father.
□ “Coming with the clouds of heaven” is a clear reference to His Second Coming in power.
When Jesus was questioned by the high priest about being the Son of God, He answered in Matthew 26:63-65 by joining two Scriptures together. He joined Daniel 7:13 and Psalm 110:1. He applied Daniel 7:13 to Himself which had a direct reference to His Second Coming. The high priest fully understood what the Lord Jesus was saying and used this statement to condemn Him to death for blasphemy.
1). SON OF GOD (SON OF THE BLESSED ONE)
The Jewish leaders responded to Jesus answer to the high priest by accusing Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65-66). Later, before Pontius Pilate, “The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God’” (John 19:7). Why would His claiming to be the Son of God be considered blasphemy and be worthy of a death sentence? The Jewish leaders understood exactly what Jesus meant by the phrase “Son of God.” To be the Son of God is to be of the same nature as God. The Son of God is “of God.” The claim to be of the same nature as God—to in fact be God—was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders; therefore, they demanded Jesus’ death, in keeping with Leviticus 24:15. Hebrews 1:3 expresses this very clearly, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”
Muslims often claim that Jesus never used the term “Son of God” of Himself, but although He used it sparingly, there are several examples in addition to the above verses:
“I assure you: An hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25 HCSB) (c.f. 1 Peter 3:19)
“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.” (John 9:35-37)
“Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your scripture, I said, you are gods? If He called those whom the word of God came to ‘gods’ — and the Scripture cannot be broken — do you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God?” (John 10:34-36)
“When Jesus heard it, He said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4)
“Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You,” (John 17:1)
In all these examples the term is uniquely relational. John’s references employ the Greek ‘monogenes’ as in “pertaining to being the only one of its kind or class, unique in kind.”
This is the meaning that is implied in John 3:16 (see also John 1:14, 18; 3:18; 1 John 4:9). John was primarily concerned with demonstrating that Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31), and he uses monogenes to highlight Jesus as uniquely God’s Son—sharing the same divine nature as God—as opposed to believers who are God’s sons and daughters by adoption (Ephesians 1:5).
Jesus is God’s “one and only” Son. Strong’s concordance says that it is a combination of the word “monos” meaning “only”, and “ginomai” meaning to “to cause to be, generate, become, or come into being”.
Word: monogenhj Pronounce: mon-og-en-ace’ Strongs Number: G3439 Orig: from 3441 and 1096; only-born, i.e. sole:–only (begotten, child). G3441 Use: TDNT-4:737,606 Adjective Heb Strong: H3173 1) single of its kind, only 1a) used of only sons or daughters (viewed in relation to their parents) 1b) used of Christ, denotes the only begotten son of God.
This word is also used in referring to a boy in Luke 7:12: “As he (Jesus) approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out – the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.”
The Greek word ‘monogenes’ is used here and translated as ‘only’.
It is used likewise in Luke 9:38: “A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.”
“Monogenes” is applied to Jesus in:
John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the “One and Only”, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
2). SON OF MAN
Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament. A first meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” is as a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
The description “Son of Man” was a Messianic title. Jesus is the One who was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. When Jesus used this phrase, He was assigning the Son of Man prophecy to Himself. The Jews of that era would have been intimately familiar with the phrase and to whom it referred. Jesus was proclaiming Himself as the Messiah.
The following verses from Daniel 7 show the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus returning with this cloud of believers. It appears the Bibles uses the term “Clouds of heaven” because the huge throng of believers from a distance would look like a massive cloud. From other Scriptures, the Bible reveals the believers will be dressed in pure white. The Lord’s coming with all the believers dressed in pure white will look like a massive cloud in the distance. They will return with Him and be there as He establishes His kingdom on earth. The following verses refer:
Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. (14) And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
3). SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE POWER
Firstly, from Psalm 110:1 “seated at the right hand of the Power” firmly places Jesus alongside the throne of God. No ifs no buts no maybes.
“This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” (Psalms 110:1)
Scripture has several words translated “right” and the usage of the term, “right hand” ranges from a direction, to the opposite of wrong, what is just or what conforms to an established standard, and to a place of honor or authority. In the case of division or appointment in the Bible, the right hand or right side came first, as when Israel (Jacob) divided the blessings to Joseph’s sons before he died (Genesis 48:13-14).
In addition, a person of high rank who put someone on his right hand gave him equal honor with himself and recognized him as possessing equal dignity and authority. And this is what the Apostle Paul writes of Jesus Christ in Ephesians.
“And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us, the ones believing according to the working of His mighty strength which He worked in Christ in raising Him from the dead, and He seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all principality and authority and power and dominion, and every name being named, not only in this world, but also in the coming age” (Ephesians 1:19-21).
Here we see God exalting Jesus above all others by seating Him at the right hand of the Father.
The term “God’s right hand” in prophecy refers to the Messiah to whom is given the power and authority to subdue His enemies (Psalm 110:1; Psalm 118:16). We find a quote in Matthew 22:44 from Psalm 110:1, which is a Messianic Psalm. “The Son of David” is claimed by the LORD Jesus Christ as He is the “greater son of David” or the Messiah. In this passage of Matthew 22, Jesus questions the Pharisees about who they think the “Christ” or the Messiah is. “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make Thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call Him Lord, how is He his son?” (Matthew 22:41-45). The position of the Messiah is at God’s right hand.
The fact that Jesus Christ is at the “right hand of God” was a sign to the disciples that Jesus had indeed gone to heaven. In John 16:7-15, Jesus told the disciples that He had to go away and He would send the Holy Spirit. So the coming of the Holy Spirit in the upper room on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) was proof positive that Jesus was indeed in heaven seated at the right hand of God. This is confirmed in Romans 8:34 where the Apostle Paul writes that Christ is sitting at God’s right hand making intercession for us.
Therefore, what we can say is that “God’s right hand” refers to the Messiah, the LORD Jesus Christ and He is of equal position, honor, power and authority with God (John 1:1-5). The fact that Christ is “sitting” refers to the fact that His work of redemption is done and when the fullness of the gentiles is brought in (Romans 11:25), Christ’s enemies will be made His footstool as the end of the age comes, all prophecy is completed, and time is no more.
4). COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN
Daniel 7 is a very important chapter as it shows the Messiah coming to establish His kingdom over all the earth. This will occur at the glorious Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. When studying this chapter, it is very clear that at the Lord’s Second Coming He does not return by Himself. He returns with whom the Bible refers to as the “Clouds of heaven.” This verse follows:
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” (Daniel 7:13)
The “Clouds of heaven” is a very important and symbolic term because Daniel used it, and Jesus quoted it to the high priest. The high priest understood what the Lord Jesus was saying. He understood because the use of this phrase was in part what caused him to charge the Lord with blasphemy and then crucified. John, in the book of Revelation, also applied this term to the Lord Jesus’ Second Coming.
“Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him. And all the families of the earth will mourn over Him. This is certain. Amen.” (Revelation 1:7 HCSB)
The Bible leaves no doubt what are the “Clouds of heaven.” This phrase was first used by the prophet Daniel. When he first mentions this term, he also tells what are the “Clouds of heaven.” The “Clouds of heaven” are the innumerable number of believers who are in heaven with the Lord Jesus and return with Him. They are returning with Him as He sets up His kingdom over all the earth.
Daniel, in chapter 7, gives a rare glimpse of heaven in the Old Testament. He actually sees events taking place before the very throne of God. He refers to the holy God of Israel as the Ancient of Days. He sees God on His throne. Everything about God is like fire. His throne and the area surrounding Him appeared on fire.
Daniel saw something else around the throne and that was a countless number of believers. The believers were recorded as thousand times thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand around the throne. This is a huge number that is beyond description. These are the are the redeemed believers that are in heaven with the Lord Jesus. This huge numbers of believers before the throne of God are the “Clouds of heaven” which return with the Lord Jesus.
Thus, the “Clouds of heaven” are the enormous number of believers who are in heaven at the time of the awesome Second Coming of Jesus Christ. They then accompany Him at His return. The verses to show God’s throne and this huge number of believers follow:
Daniel 7:9 “…the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (10) A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”
The single most important question to answer is how was Jesus answer of Mark 14:60 blasphemy?
Confessing to being the Messiah alone was not blasphemous. Threatening the temple was not in itself blasphemy.
The answer lies in the secondary questions of how was using the Title “Son of Man” of Himself so provocative and how did it establish His divinity?
According to Psalm 110 the Messiah is to share YHWH’s throne, sitting at His right hand. By referring to Daniel 7, Jesus isn’t predicting an imminent descent on a cloud for Caiaphas to see Him sitting on a physical throne, He is predicting End Time events using references loaded with meaning. These show beyond doubt that Israel’s God had exalted Jesus to share His throne.
This was the real reason for the blasphemy charge. What Jesus had done was juxtapose the very two texts – Psalm 110 and Daniel 7 – that within the Jewish world of His day, could be used to indicate His enthronement alongside YHWH.
MAKE NO MISTAKE: #JESUS_is_GOD
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SURAH 4:157-158 Theme: The Crucifixion
ISLAM’S NEMESIS: THE HERESY OF SURAH 4:157
1). INTRODUCTION
We don’t have to look very far to find the raison d’etre for Islam. Surah 4:157-8 is actually the sole reason for Islam’s existence, it is Satan’s crude and unsubtle way of denying his defeat at Calvary. Although judging by the way it has succeeded in blinding 1.2 billion people to the truth, it might seem like a masterstroke, we don’t have to scratch the surface very far to see, it is also the main reason why Islam self destructs.
This Post is going to do an in depth expose of these two, the most controversial verses of the Quran, that attempt to challenge and rewrite what up to that time, had been 6 centuries of Gospel narrative based upon eyewitness testimony from 4 corroborating accounts, two of them authored by the Apostles of Jesus, Matthew and John, one Mark who was the scribe for a third Apostle Peter, and Luke, a physician with an eye for precise detail who also wrote Acts and became the Apostle Paul’s travelling companion. Then we have the remaining 23 books of the New Testament, all of them written within 60 years of the Ascension, upon the foundation of the same Gospel, not to mention dozens of writings of the Antenicean Church fathers, through all of which the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Chrust are established facts, at the heart of and the cornerstone for the Gospel. Arising from which the Church of Jesus Christ became the fastest growing and largest faith in the world, started in a place which was thoroughly hostile to it from the outset. And all of this had the ring of truth because of the severe persecution which followed in its wake. Not to mention because of often hostile historical sources which corroborate the central facts about the crucifixion, which are beyond the scope of one Post.
But here comes the Quran leftfield out the blue Arabian pagan skies more than half a millennium later, dismissing the entire narrative and sequence of events in just two sentences. Yes you read that right. Two sentences is supposed to do justice to defeat and overturn the entire weight of centuries of settled Middle Eastern history. Does that sound plausible? Is it reasonable? Is it in the least bit credible? Well the fact is that’s how Islam dismisses and brushes aside the foundation of the Christian faith and culmination of centuries of Old Testament prophecy which preceded and forshadowed it.
The paucity, the chaff of the Quran’s bland dismissal tells us something even before we start to examine what it says. The lack of substance, the absence of evidence is damning. Absence of evidence confirmed by absence of witness testimony, a narrator or explanation. No details. No names, nothing verifiable. A load of speculative conjecture. A dozen questions begged. Total lack of fit with the historical facts.
But it is what it is. Its not the critics fault that the Quran is so lacking in substance or credibility. Since that’s how feeble and flimsy and threadbare the Islamic case is we shall have to deal with it accordingly.
2). WHAT THE QURAN SAYS HAPPENED (OR DIDN’T HAPPEN)
Here to remind us are what it says. I am using the Shakir translation because its honest enough to admit that it’s speaking about ‘Isa’, the mistaken name the Quran gives the Messiah, who for the record is NOT the historical Jesus of the Bible, but a figure of gnosticism and myth. (No English translation of the Quran should EVER adopt and abuse the name of Jesus, but that is what the other main English translations, Khalifa, Pickthall, Sherali and Yusuf Ali do, they all insert Jesus name here, to their shame).
“And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the apostle of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure” (4:157 Shakir).
“Nay! Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Mighty, Wise” (4:158 Shakir).
3). SOME QUESTIONS ARISING
Here are just a few questions begged by this fictional alternative narration:
1. Islam doesn’t believe in substitutional sacrifice … yet it appears that Allah substituted someone else for Isa in that verse.
2. Allah claimed “they were in doubt” is factually false, its a strawman fallacy. For more than two thousand years, both before and after the Quranic version of events, Christians, Jews and Romans have been in agreement over the issue of Jesus Christ being crucified. It was never, and has never been in doubt. There is not a shred of historical evidence for an uncrucified Messiah, not from Scripture or any other source outside of gnostic heresy. The facts are overwhelming, there is sure knowledge and there is no conjecture. On all counts those words in Surah 4:157 “those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture,” are palpably wrong. Purely from the historical point of view, that descriptive is unrecognisable. At first glance it appears nothing more than a deceitful twisting and rewriting of history.
3. It is the case that its Muslims who are actually the ones in doubt of what happened. The only “doubts” are what the Quran seeks to spread. Who was substituted? For what purpose? Since when has Allah EVER intervened to save anyone from death? There was no moral imperative or precedent for his going to such lengths to rescue “his messenger”. Subsequent events also give the lie to this fabrication. Why would Allah have rescued the Messiah and not repeated the same trick with his last and greatest Messenger Muhammad? His failure to enable Muhammad to identify that a Jewish woman had served him a plate of poisoned food from which he died a lingering false prophet’s death by poison, destroys his and his “last” messenger’s credibility.
4. Who actually was used as Isa’s substitute? Some claim Judas Iscariot, (in spite of him having hung himself before the crucifixion), some say Simon of Cyrene, (in a twisting of Mark’s account and/or adopting the gnostic writings of the 2nd Century sect founder Basilides), some say ‘Jesus’ Barabbas. But look for any consensus amongst Muslims as to who it was and you will never find it.
5. Let’s skip over who it was and why it was necessary and assume for sake of argument that a substitute whether Judas or Simon of Cyrene, Barabbas or some other anonymous poor wretch, was made to resemble Jesus and crucified in His place. But none of these alternatives can account for the facts of the empty tomb and post mortem appearances. The substitution theory is not only implausible, it falls flat at the first hurdle and simply fails to explain or account for what happened.
6. Where does the claimed boast “we killed the Messiah, Isa son of Mariam” even come from? Who is on record of making this statement? This sentence is a vague paraphrasing at best, a factual error at worst. The Jews never acknowledged Jesus as their Messiah in the first place so it’s an expression the Jews would never have used.
7. “THEY did not kill him nor did THEY crucify him” is question begging. Notice what is left unsaid. It does not say that the Messiah did not die, it merely says that they (the Jews) were not responsible for killing or crucifying Him.
On a strict and narrow reading, this statement alone might appear consistent with the Gospel narrative for it was the Roman jurisdiction that bore direct responsibility for crucifying Jesus. Roman soldiers were the ones who crucified him – not the Jews. But note from the historical account in Acts, the accusation of the disciples to the Jewish leaders that:
“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. [14] But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you. [15] YOU KILLED THE SOURCE OF LIFE, WHOM GOD RAISED FROM THE DEAD; WE ARE WITNESSES OF THIS.” (Acts 3:13-15 HCSB)
Acts 3:15 alone destroys the Islamic claim. Here Peter states the facts; he has no qualms about accusing the Jews, because Pilate had been willing to release Him, so the Jews by preferring to have the criminal Barabbas released and condemning Jesus, made them culpable for His death. Surah 4:157 is thus a lie on all counts, firstly because there was a crucifixion, it was Jesus who was crucified and the Jews were primarily responsible. Moreover, everyone who ever lived is an accessory to murder, because our sins helped nail Jesus to the cross. Nobody is innocent of His shed blood and we are all accountable and will be held to account.
But above all this, we have the sovereign will of God. Nothing that happened was apart from God’s will. As we shall see, all the events were in perfect alignment with, and fulfilment of, what had been decreed in prophesy from centuries before.
Even the Quran has an echo of this. Again by noting that Surah 4:157 does not deny Jesus’ crucifixion, but simply denies that it was the Jews who were responsible for the crucifixion, the question remains hanging who was responsible for Jesus death? Elsewhere, the Quran gives an answer, as the following passage demonstrates:
“Ye (Muslims) slew them not, but Allah slew them. And thou (Muhammad) threwest not when thou didst throw, but Allah threw, that He might test the believers by a fair test from Him. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower.” (Surah 8:17 Pickthall)
Now we are getting closer to reality. So Allah slew Jesus? If so how, when and where? The very next verse 4:158 ambiguously says “Allah took him up to himself” it doesn’t say whether dead or alive – again that’s consistent with Allah being responsible for his death, or it might mean that Allah raised him alive! More confusion, ambiguity, lack of clarity, detail or explanation, leaving only unanswered questions, as always that’s what the Quran does best.
Nevertheless, pressing on, if it wasn’t the Jews who crucified Christ, but God’s set purpose which allowed Christ to be crucified, then this is precisely what the Bible teaches:
“Though He was delivered up according to GOD’S DETERMINED PLAN AND FOREKNOWLEDGE, you used lawless people to nail Him to a cross and kill Him. [24] God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. [25] For David says of Him: I saw the Lord ever before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. [26] Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope, [27] BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT LEAVE ME IN HADES OR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE DECAY.” (Acts 2:23-27 HCSB)
“BUT WHAT GOD PREDICTED THROUGH THE MOUTH OF ALL THE PROPHETS — that His Messiah would suffer — He has fulfilled in this way.” (Acts 3:18 HCSB)
“For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, [28] TO DO WHATEVER YOUR HAND AND YOUR PLAN HAD PREDESTINED TO TAKE PLACE.” (Acts 4:27-28 HCSB)
“but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. [20] HE WAS CHOSEN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD but was revealed at the end of the times for you [21] who through Him are believers in GOD, WHO RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:19-21 HCSB)
“All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.” (Revelation 13:8 HCSB)
4). OTHER ISLAMIC COMMENTARY
Since the Quran leaves so many questions unanswered let’s turn to the Tafsir to see what commentary we can find that might shed some light on the Islamic version of events. From Ibn-kathir:
“The Jews also said, (“We killed Al-Masih, `Isa, son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah,”) meaning, we killed the person who claimed to be the Messenger of Allah. The Jews only uttered these words in jest and mockery, just as the polytheists said, (O you to whom the Dhikr (the Qur’an) has been sent down! Verily, you are a mad man!) When Allah sent `Isa with proofs and guidance, the Jews, may Allah’s curses, anger, torment and punishment be upon them, envied him because of his prophethood and obvious miracles; curing the blind and leprous and bringing the dead back to life, by Allah’s leave. He also used to make the shape of a bird from clay and blow in it, and it became a bird by Allah’s leave and flew. `Isa performed other miracles that Allah honored him with, yet the Jews defied and belied him and tried their best to harm him. Allah’s Prophet `Isa could not live in any one city for long and he had to travel often with his mother, peace be upon them. Even so, the Jews were not satisfied, and they went to the king of Damascus at that time, a Greek polytheist who worshipped the stars. [Anyone heard of such a king in Damascus at that time, and why no mention of a name?] They told him that there was a man in Bayt Al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] misguiding and dividing the people in Jerusalem and stirring unrest among the king’s subjects. The king became angry and wrote to his deputy in Jerusalem to arrest the rebel leader, stop him from causing unrest, crucify him and make him wear a crown of thorns. When the king’s deputy in Jerusalem received these orders, he went with some Jews to the house that `Isa was residing in, and he was then with twelve, thirteen or seventeen of his companions. [If it’s already sounding like a bad alibi that’s because it is].That day was a Friday, in the evening. They surrounded `Isa in the house, and when he felt that they would soon enter the house or that he would sooner or later have to leave it, he said to his companions, “Who volunteers to be made to look like me, for which he will be my companion in Paradise” A young man volunteered, but `Isa thought that he was too young. He asked the question a second and third time, each time the young man volunteering, prompting `Isa to say, “Well then, you will be that man.” Allah made the young man look exactly like `Isa, while a hole opened in the roof of the house, and `Isa was made to sleep and ascended to heaven while asleep. Allah said, (And (remember) when Allah said: “O `Isa! I will take you and raise you to Myself.”) When `Isa ascended, those who were in the house came out. When those surrounding the house saw the man who looked like `Isa, they thought that he was `Isa. So they took him at night, crucified him and placed a crown of thorns on his head. The Jews then boasted that they killed `Isa and some Christians accepted their false claim, due to their ignorance and lack of reason. As for those who were in the house with `Isa, they witnessed his ascension to heaven, while the rest thought that the Jews killed `Isa by crucifixion. They even said that Maryam sat under the corpse of the crucified man and cried, and they say that the dead man spoke to her. All this was a test from Allah for His servants out of His wisdom. Allah explained this matter in the Glorious Qur’an which He sent to His honorable Messenger, whom He supported with miracles and clear, unequivocal evidence. Allah is the Most Truthful, and He is the Lord of the worlds Who knows the secrets, what the hearts conceal, the hidden matters in heaven and earth, what has occurred, what will occur, and what would occur if it was decreed. He said, (but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it appeared as that to them,) referring to the person whom the Jews thought was `Isa. This is why Allah said afterwards, (and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture.) referring to the Jews who claimed to kill `Isa and the ignorant Christians who believed them. Indeed they are all in confusion, misguidance and bewilderment. This is why Allah said, (For surely; they killed him not.) meaning they are not sure that `Isa was the one whom they killed. Rather, they are in doubt and confusion over this matter (But Allah raised him up unto Himself. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful,) meaning, He is the Almighty, and He is never weak, nor will those who seek refuge in Him ever be subjected to disgrace, (All-Wise.) in all that He decides and ordains for His creatures. Indeed, Allah’s is the clearest wisdom, unequivocal proof and the most glorious authority.”
Source: www.recitequran.com/tafsir/en.ibn-kathir/4:157
“Clear unequivocal evidence”? An unnamed Greek polytheist King of Damascus? Like where and who? It’s a fable long story lacking a narrator, with no named witnesses and with total absence of historically verifiable details that does nothing but add to the confusion. I have only included it to demonstrate the elaborate lengths that Islam has to go to in trying to explain their version of events. It is neither plausible nor credible and has no ring of truth to it whatsoever.
Even amongst the Muslims who believe that someone else was killed in Jesus’ place, not all unanimously agree that it was Judas, or indeed which Judas:
1. A Jew named Judas (not to be confused with Judas Iscariot) entered a house where Christ was, with the purpose of arresting Him, but did not find Him. God caused the likeness of Christ to be on him, and when he came out of the house people thought he was Jesus, and took him and crucified him.
2. The Jews, when they arrested Jesus, set over Him a watchman, but Jesus was taken up to God by a miracle and God caused Jesus’ likeness to rest on the watchman, whom they took and crucified, while he cried out “I am not Jesus.”
3. One of Jesus’ friends was promised Paradise, and volunteered to die instead of Him. God caused him to resemble Jesus and he was taken and crucified but Jesus was taken up to heaven.
4. One of Jesus’ followers betrayed Him, (that is, Judas), and came to the Jews to guide them to Him, and went with them to take Him. God caused him to appear like Jesus and he was taken and crucified. (Adapted from Iskander Jadeed’s The Cross in the Gospel and the Koran [The Good Way, P.O. Box 66 CH-8486 Rikon, Switzerland], pp. 12-13; online edition)
5. Titawus, a Jew, entered the house where Jesus was, trying to arrest Him. He could not find Him. Instead, God changed his likeness and made him resemble Jesus. Upon coming out, the Jews had him arrested and crucified, thinking that he was Jesus. (Jadeed, Victory Of The Truth [Good Way], p. 113)
6. Some Muslims try to twist Mark’s narrative to suggest that it was Simon of Cyrene who was crucified based on a faulty interpretation of Mark 15:21-24, where they make “him” refer to Simon rather than Jesus in verse 22.
Al-Tabari in his commentary lists more conflicting views:
• Some Muslims have stated that “When the Jews surrounded Jesus and His friends, all took on the likeness of Jesus. The Jews were confused and so killed one of the others.” (On the authority of Salma)
• “Jesus came with seventeen disciples. The Jews surrounded them. God made the disciples in the likeness of Jesus. The Jews said to the disciples, `You have bewitched us. You’d better tell us which one of you is Jesus, or we will kill you all.’ Then Jesus said to the disciples, `Who is willing to give his life today for paradise? One of the disciples volunteered and went outside saying to the Jews, `I am Jesus.’ They took him and crucified him.”
• “The Children of Israel surrounded Jesus and nineteen of His disciples in a house. Jesus said to the disciples, `Who is willing to take my image, die, and go to Paradise?’ One disciple offered himself, and was taken outside and crucified, while Jesus ascended up to heaven.”
• Finally, “David the King of Israel sent a man to kill Jesus. That man took men with him. Jesus was with thirteen of His disciples. When He knew they had arrived He made one of the disciples to look exactly like Him. When the Jews saw that disciple, they took him outside and crucified him.” (Adapted from Jadeed’s Victory Of The Truth, pp. 114-115).
So far no consensus and no answers. Let’s leave that blind alley and look at the next verse.
5) WHAT OF SURAH 4:158? DOES IT EXPLAIN WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ISA?
Turning to the next verse 4:158, we get no more clarity as to what is meant, even when we try to compare it with other related verses such as these:
“Behold! God said: `O Jesus! I will take thee (Arabic- inni mutawaffeeka) And raise thee to Myself And clear thee (of the falsehoods) Of those who blaspheme…” (Surah 3:55 Yusuf Ali)
“Never said did I to them Aught except what Thou Didst command me To say, to wit, `Worship God, my Lord and your Lord’; And I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt Amongst them; when thou Didst take me up (Arabic- tawaffaytani) Thou wast the Watcher Over them, and Thou art a witness to all things.” (Surah 5:117 Yusuf Ali)
The phrase “I will take thee” and “when Thou didst take me” are forms of the Arabic word ‘tawaffa’. The term is nearly always used in the Quran to imply one who is taken at death.
Some commentators say that Jesus died and remained dead for three hours; others say seven, and so on. But the word is used here to really show that the Jewish plans to cause Jesus’ death on the cross would be frustrated and that he would afterwards die a natural death … Pickthall’s translation is, “O Jesus, I am gathering thee”, and this is the Biblical idiom for causing to die. Yusuf Ali, in his first edition, translated the words as meaning I will cause thee to die, but in the second edition he changed it to I will take thee.” (Ali, Holy Quran, p.147, f. 436).
According to Tabari, Muslims such as Hasan al-Basri and Matar al-Warraq argued that Jesus did not die. In fact, according to Basri Muhammad had told the Jews, “Jesus did not die, and he will return to you before the Day of Resurrection.”
According to a tradition attributed to Ka’b al-Ahbar as reported by Mu’awiyah b. Salih, “God would not cause Jesus son of Mary to die.” Instead God told Jesus that he would send him “against the one-eyed deceiver (al-Dajjal), and you will slay him. You will then live for twenty-four years, after which I will cause you to die the death of the living.” (Ayoub, p. 170) Yet, according to Tabari, other Muslims asserted “that God received Jesus by causing him to die.”
Ayoub notes:
“This view (that God caused Jesus to die) is reported on the authority of Ibn Abbas and Wahb b. Munabbih who said, `God caused Jesus to die for three hours of the day, during which He raised him up to Him.’ Ibn Ishaq mistakenly reports that `Christians claim that God caused Jesus to die for seven hours, after which He brought him back to life.'” (Ibid.)
[Note the erroneous reporting of the Christian view in the last mentioned commentary – no Christian claims “God caused Jesus to die for seven hours”].
5). OTHER THEORIES
An alternative view is that Jesus was crucified but did not die. He swooned and on the third day was resuscitated by some of his disciples, namely Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. From there he went to India and died at an old age.
Muslims who adhere to this view include the Ahmadiyyas and the Nation of Islam (NOI). Orthodox Sunni Muslims consider these sects to be heretical.
Amazingly, the most famous swoon theory proponent is neither an Ahmadi or a member of the NOI. Rather it is South African Muslim Apologist Ahmad Deedat, considered by many to be Islam’s greatest defender.
In his writings and debates, Deedat attempted to prove that Jesus did not die on the cross but simply swooned. He also attempted to prove that Jesus did not rise from the dead. Jesus simply recovered and appeared alive to his followers, proving that he had not died on the cross.
This theory will also not work since it contradicts the Quranic witness that Jesus was neither crucified nor killed. And it also contradicts Muhammad’s statement that Jesus did not die.
6). CONCLUSIONS
Going full circle back to the problematic verse Surah 4:157:
“Surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure” … in the light of all the possible explanations, the only people these words describe accurately are those peddling Islamic heresy, those who cannot agree what happened or who was involved. As it does so often we find the Quran ends up describing what Islam itself and Muslims are guilty of.
Questions still unanswered:
□ Was Isa killed and by whom? Nobody can tell us, certainly the Quran doesn’t.
□ Who was substituted for Isa? Nobody knows and the Quran doesn’t tell us.
□ For what possible motive would anyone have taken Isa’s place? It certainly wasn’t fulfilling any prophecy, Biblical or Quranic. Indeed the Quran records this prophetic word of Isa’s death:
“And peace on me on the day I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised to life.” (Surah 19:33 Shakir)
□ Why would Allah act completely out of character just to thwart one death? Especially, since the Quran admits that all prophets were killed and Allah never lifted a finger to rescue any of them before or since? If Allah intervened on Isa’s behalf to save Him from a horrible death by crucifixion, then He acted contrary to his own nature of detached indifference. By contrast, he did nothing to warn, avert, prevent or rescue Muhammad from a lingering false prophet’s death by poison. Again we have only questions but no answers.
□ How does any Quranic explanation account for the facts of the empty tomb, the post mortem appearances, the transformation of the Apostles, the explosive rise of the early church, even in the face of vicious persecution, and above all the lack of any contemporary source to refute anything reported by the Gospels? It utterly fails to address a single one of these burning questions.
The tomb where the apparent body of Judas (looking like Jesus) was laid, was a short walk from the Temple where the disciples were proclaiming loudly to the crowds that the Messiah had risen from the dead. It should have been easy for the Jewish leaders to discredit their resurrection message simply by showing the body (looking like Jesus) in the tomb.
It is a fact that the message of the resurrection (which could easily have been disproven with a body still in the tomb) began near the tomb itself, where the evidence could be seen by everyone. Since the Jewish leaders did not refute their message by showing a body, we can only conclude that there was no body to show. The message of the empty tomb was irrefutable.
■ Thousands believed the resurrection message in Jerusalem
Thousands at one time were being converted to believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem at this time. If you had been one of those in the crowds listening to Peter, wondering if his message was true, would you not have at least taken a lunch break to go to the tomb and take a look for yourself to see if there was still a body there? If the body of Judas (resembling the Messiah) was still in the tomb no one would have believed the message of the Apostles.
But history records that they gained thousands of followers starting in Jerusalem. These are indisputable facts. That would have been impossible with a body that looked like that of the prophet still around in Jerusalem. Judas’ body remaining in the tomb leads to absurdities. It does not make sense. In any event there is the far more credible account of what actually happened to Judas. He was the one who committed suicide.
■ Judas as a substitute theory cannot explain the empty tomb.
The problem with this theory of Judas being transformed to look like Jesus and then being crucified and buried in his place, is that it fails to explain the facts. It presents us with a dead end and an occupied tomb (pun intended). But the empty tomb is the only explanation for the disciples being able to start, just weeks later at Pentecost, a movement based on the resurrection in the same city as the execution witnessed by hundreds of believers – which incidentally destroys another desperation theory of sceptics – the hallucination theory.
There were only two options, one with Judas’ body looking like the Messiah remaining in the tomb, and His resurrection with an empty tomb. Since the body remaining in the tomb leads to absurdities, then the only explanation which fits all the facts, is that the witness testimony compiled in 4 separate Gospel accounts, testimony which was sealed and written in the Apostles own blood, confirms that Jesus must have died at the hands of the Romans and risen from the tomb as clearly stated and recorded in the completed Canon of Scripture by the close of the 1st Century. This is centuries before the Quran or Islam existed.
There is only one credible viable explanation which fits all the facts. Those who saw and witnessed the events leading up to during and after the crucifixion, who were with Christ before and after His death, who were persecuted and died for their testimony, but could never be challenged, disproved, shamed or discredited with counter evidence, these must have been telling the truth.
All of which makes Surah 4:157 a fabrication and a lie from the pit of hell.
Covenants
DIVINE COVENANTS PROVE THE BIBLE AND EXPOSE THE QURAN
In this Post we are going to take a look at God’s covenants as recorded in the only place they are found which is His word.
Also for comparison we shall contrast how covenants are handled by the Quran. It’s giving no secrets away that the Quran, is found to be both morally deficient and factually wrong on the subject.
WHAT IS A COVENANT?
One important feature of Bible Covenants is that “Blood” and “covenant” go together in the Bible pretty much all the time. As we shall see, whenever God establishes a covenant with people, generally it is sealed with blood, one way or another. Spoiler alert – hence one reason why the Quran cannot handle them.
But to back up, firstly, we should start by explaining what this word “covenant” means, biblically speaking. In the Bible, a covenant is a relationship that God establishes with people. Covenants are initiated by God. This is one of many ways to distinguish God’s authentic word from copycat scripts such as the Quran. In the Bible, God takes the initiative. He makes the covenant promises. They are His doing, to reveal himself to man, to take a people unto himself, and to formally mark His faithfulness. “I shall be their God, and they shall be my people,” that’s how a familiar covenant refrain goes. In the Quran you only ever see Allah “taking a covenant” he is not their author, he is not bound by them and he has no obligations under them. Which pretty much makes them worthless.
It’s not hard to discern why under Islam, covenants have no meaning, when we understand what made covenants necessary. After the fall into sin, and ever since, man by nature is estranged from, and does not know God. Man fell out of relationship with God. On the outside, blinded, not knowing God as He really is, lost, and groping around in the dark. That is man’s natural state, by virtue of our sinful nature.
So if there is going to be a relationship between God and man, a right relationship, God is the one who is going to have to take the initiative. We would not know God otherwise. And God is the one who will have to take the action to deal with our sin, to atone for our sin, because surely there is nothing we could do to make up for it.
And so we have the inherent biblical connection between “blood” and “covenant.” “Covenant” is God reaching out to establish a relationship with man, and “blood” is how He does it. It’s how He seals the covenant. For “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.”
Here we need to digress slightly to understand why the shedding of blood was necessary. Two seminal texts:
“According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22 HCSB) is an echo of a foundational principle of Levitical law:
The whole of the Old Testament, every book, points toward the Great Sacrifice that was to come—that of Jesus’ sacrificial giving of His own life on our behalf. Leviticus 17:11 is the Old Testament’s central statement about the significance of blood in the sacrificial system. God, speaking to Moses, declares:
“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement” [for the soul – KJV] (Leviticus 17:11 HCSB).
A “sacrifice” is defined as the offering up of something precious for a cause or a reason. Making atonement is satisfying someone or something for an offense committed. The Leviticus verse can be read more clearly now: God said, “I have given it to you (the creature’s life, which is in its blood) to make atonement for yourselves (covering the offense you have committed against Me).” In other words, those who are covered by the blood sacrifice are set free from the consequences of sin.
Of course, the Israelites did not know of Jesus per se, or how He would die on their behalf and then rise again, but they did believe God would be sending them a Savior. All of the many, many blood sacrifices seen throughout the Old Testament were foreshadowing the true, once-for-all-time sacrifice to come so that the Israelites would never forget that, without the blood, there is no forgiveness. This shedding of blood is a substitutionary act. Therefore, the last clause of Leviticus 17:11 could be read either “the blood ‘makes atonement’ at the cost of the life” (i.e., the animal’s life) or “makes atonement in the place of the life” (i.e., the sinner’s life, with Jesus Christ being the One giving life through His shed blood).
Now returning to the beginning, it has always been this way ever since the fall of man. When Adam and Eve fell into sin and fell out of a right relationship with God, what did God do immediately to restore the relationship? We have ‘blood and covenant’. God established a covenant of promise with mankind, promising that a Savior would arise from the seed of the woman, who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). And that promise then was sealed with blood, as God clothed Adam and Eve with the skins of animals, which had to be killed for that purpose. Adam and Eve tried to cover their own shame with fig leaves, but that could not do it. Only God could cover their shame and guilt, and He did it through the shedding of blood, providing substitutes to die in the place of the sinners.
Centuries later, the Lord God revealed himself to Abram, and established a covenant of promise with him. The Lord would bless Abram and make of him a great nation, and all the families of the earth would be blessed through his offspring. Yes, that covenant too was sealed with blood, circumcision serving as the sign of the covenant.
Abraham’s descendants fell into slavery in Egypt, but the Lord remembered his covenant and brought them out with a mighty hand. The Passover was how the Lord brought them out, and the Passover involved blood. The blood of the lamb, spread on the doorposts, was the sign marking the homes to be passed over by the angel of death.
The people of Israel come to Mount Sinai. The Lord makes a covenant with the people, mediated through Moses. The Lord gives them a special way of life they are to follow in the Promised Land, the Ten Commandments and the Book of the Covenant. The people respond, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.” And the covenant was sealed with blood. Of course, the problem was, the Israelites didn’t do all that the Lord had spoken. They sinned, time and time again. They broke the covenant, the relationship the Lord had graciously established with them.
But God, in his grace and mercy, has provided for us a new covenant, and once again it is sealed with blood. Only it is not the blood of beasts. Our Passover is not the blood of a lamb spread on a doorpost. It is the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, shed on a cross. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Our forgiveness comes at a cost, the greatest cost, the most precious price indeed. It is the holy precious blood of God’s own Son, shed for us–shed for you–sealing this, the fulfillment of all covenants.
Christ sheds his blood on the cross of Calvary, winning our forgiveness. He distributes this very blood to us in the sacramental meal He establishes on this night. He blesses the bread and says, “Take; this is My body.” He gives them his cup and says, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” And so it is. Jesus’ words do what they say. “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation–a koinonia, a communion–in the blood of Christ?” Yes, it is. “The bread that we break, is it not a participation–a koinonia, a communion–in the body of Christ?” Yes, it is. Jesus says so.
So we turn to the next question: “What are the covenants in the Bible?”
THE BIBLE’S COVENANTS
The Bible speaks of seven different covenants as follows:
1). The Adamic Covenant
2). The Abrahamic Covenant
3). The Palestinian (also known as the Land Covenant)
4). The Mosaic Covenant
5). The Noahic Covenant
6). The Davidic Covenant
7). The New Covenant
□ Four of the above (Abrahamic, Palestinian or Land covenant, Mosaic, Davidic) God made with the nation of Israel. Of those four, three are unconditional in nature; that is, regardless of Israel’s obedience or disobedience, God still will fulfill these covenants with Israel. One of the covenants, the Mosaic Covenant, is conditional in nature. That is, this covenant will bring either blessings or curses depending on Israel’s obedience or disobedience.
□ Three of the covenants (Adamic, Noahic, New) are made between God and mankind in general, and are not limited to the nation of Israel.
□ The Adamic Covenant can be thought of in two parts: the Edenic Covenant (innocence) and the Adamic Covenant (grace) (Genesis 3:16-19). The Edenic Covenant is found in Genesis 1:26-30; 2:16-17. The Edenic Covenant outlined man’s responsibility toward creation and God’s directive regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Adamic Covenant included the curses pronounced against mankind for the sin of Adam and Eve, as well as God’s provision for that sin (Genesis 3:15).
The Adamic covenant is the covenant between God and Adam (and Eve) where Adam was to tend the garden (Genesis 1:27-28) and refrain from eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17). As long as he obeyed the covenant requirements, he would live. But if he were to disobey the covenant requirements, he would die.
Genesis 1:27–28, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. [28] God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””Genesis 2:16–17, “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; [17] but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.'”
The word “covenant” is not used until Genesis 6:18 when God establishes a covenant with Noah and the word first occurs. Nevertheless, a covenant is a pact or an agreement between two or more parties. Covenants have conditions and stipulations with consequences for breaking the stipulations. In the case of the Adamic covenant, eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the condition and breaking it would bring death. Keeping the covenant would mean living forever. Therefore, we can establish the Adamic covenant. Furthermore, covenants have signs in biblical theology. The covenant sign between God and Adam was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The Adamic covenant is sometimes called the covenant of nature, the covenant of creation, and the covenant of works because the blessings of the covenant depended, in part, upon the works of Adam and Eve in the Garden.
In the Adamic covenant, Adam represented all people. The phrase “in Adam” is a term of federal headship which designates that he was our representative. This is why the Bible says that sin entered the world through one man (Romans 5:12). Furthermore, the Bible tells us that “in Adam all die…” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Therefore, the Adamic covenant was not just with Adam, but is also representative of those who were in him, his descendants.
The Adamic Covenant was established between God and Adam that required obedience to the commandment of God, to result in eternal life (Genesis 2:16–17; Leviticus 18:5; Romans 5:12–20). The covenant signs were the trees of life and of knowledge.” (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms). Another evidence that the covenant relationship with God in the garden included a promise of eternal life if Adam and Eve had perfectly obeyed is the fact that even in the New Testament Paul speaks as though perfect obedience, if it were possible, would actually lead to life. He speaks of a “commandment which promised life” (Romans 7: 10; lit., “the commandment unto life”) and, in order to demonstrate that the law does not rest on faith, he quotes Leviticus 18: 5 to say, about the provisions of the law, “He who does them shall live by them” (Galatians 3: 12; cf. Romans 10:5).”
After Adam failed to keep the covenant, God instituted the covenant of grace which was the covenant of redemption found in Christ Jesus.
□ The Noahic Covenant was an unconditional covenant between God and Noah (specifically) and humanity (generally). After the Flood, God promised humanity that He would never again destroy all life on earth with a Flood (see Genesis chapter 9). God gave the rainbow as the sign of the covenant, a promise that the entire earth would never again flood and a reminder that God can and will judge sin (2 Peter 2:5).
□ The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3, 6-7; 13:14-17; 15; 17:1-14; 22:15-18). In this covenant, God promised many things to Abraham. He personally promised that He would make Abraham’s name great (Genesis 12:2), that Abraham would have numerous physical descendants (Genesis 13:16), and that he would be the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:4-5). God also made promises regarding a nation called Israel. In fact, the geographical boundaries of the Abrahamic Covenant are laid out on more than one occasion in the book of Genesis (12:7; 13:14-15; 15:18-21). Another provision in the Abrahamic Covenant is that the families of the world will be blessed through the physical line of Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 22:18). This is a reference to the Messiah, who would come from the line of Abraham.
□ Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:1-10). The Palestinian Covenant, or, as it is more accurately described, the Land Covenant, amplifies the land aspect that was detailed in the Abrahamic Covenant. According to the terms of this covenant, if the people disobeyed, God would cause them to be scattered around the world (Deuteronomy 30:3-4), but He would eventually restore the nation (verse 5). When the nation is restored, then they will obey Him perfectly (verse 8), and God will cause them to prosper (verse 9).
□ Mosaic Covenant (Deuteronomy 11; et al.). The Mosaic Covenant was a conditional covenant that either brought God’s direct blessing for obedience or God’s direct cursing for disobedience upon the nation of Israel. Part of the Mosaic Covenant was the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and the rest of the Law, which contained over 600 commands—roughly 300 positive and 300 negative. The history books of the Old Testament (Joshua–Esther) detail how Israel succeeded at obeying the Law or how Israel failed miserably at obeying the Law. Deuteronomy 11:26-28 details the blessing/cursing motif.
□ Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16). The Davidic Covenant amplifies the “seed” aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant. The promises to David in this passage are significant. God promised that David’s lineage would last forever and that his kingdom would never pass away permanently (verse 16). Obviously, the Davidic throne has not been in place at all times. There will be a time, however, when someone from the line of David will again sit on the throne and rule as king. This future king is Jesus (Luke 1:32-33).
□ New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The New Covenant is a covenant made first with the nation of Israel and, ultimately, with all mankind. In the New Covenant, God promises to forgive sin, and there will be a universal knowledge of the Lord. Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and create a new covenant between God and His people. Now that we are under the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28), both Jews and Gentiles can be free from the penalty and the curse of the Law. We are now given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9).
DISCUSSION
Within the discussion of the biblical covenants, there are a few issues that Christians are not agreed upon. First, some Christians think that all of the covenants are conditional in scope. If the covenants are conditional, then Israel failed miserably at fulfilling them. Others believe that the unconditional covenants have yet to be totally fulfilled and, regardless of Israel’s disobedience, will come to fruition sometime in the future. Second, how does the church of Jesus Christ relate to the covenants? Some believe that the church fulfills the covenants and God will never deal with Israel again. This is called replacement theology and has little scriptural evidence. Others believe that the church initially or partially will fulfill these covenants. While many of the promises towards Israel are still in the future, many believe that the church shares in the covenants in some way. Others believe that the covenants are for Israel and for Israel alone, and that the church has no part in these covenants. But for the purposes of this Post nothing turns on these differing interpretations.
□ The Quran’s Position
The Quran actually teaches that the Promised Land which Israel was to inherit was Egypt! Before presenting the evidence for this we need to first mention that the words ‘Canaan’, ‘Israel’ (the land, not the people), ‘Judea’ or ‘Jerusalem’ never appear in the Quran, which is truly bewildering and astonishing to say the least.
When the Quran does speak of Israel’s inheritance it simply refers to the land or city which God gave them. For instance:
“And (remember) when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Remember Allah’s favour unto you, how He placed among you prophets, and He made you kings, and gave you that (which) He gave not to any (other) of (His) creatures. O my people! Go into the holy land which Allah hath ordained for you. Turn not in flight, for surely ye turn back as losers: They said: O Moses! Lo! a giant people (dwell) therein and lo! we go not in till they go forth from thence. When they go forth from thence, then we will enter (not till then). Then out spake two of those who feared (their Lord, men) unto whom Allah had been gracious: Enter in upon them by the gate, for if ye enter by it, lo! ye will be victorious. So put your trust (in Allah) if ye are indeed believers. They said: O Moses! We will never enter (the land) while they are in it. So go thou and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here. He said: My Lord! I have control of none but myself and my brother, so distinguish between us and the wrong-doing folk. (Their Lord) said: For this the land will surely be forbidden them for forty years that they will wander in the earth, bewildered. So grieve not over the wrongdoing folk.” (Surah 5:20-26 Pickthall)
The text doesn’t identify exactly where this holy land was situated, who these giants were, or which two men feared their Lord. So much for an all sufficient book.The only way to know the answers is to go outside of the Quran and consult the Bible. (See Numbers 13:1-3 & 17-33)
As an aside the Quran in Surah 5:20 contains a schoolboy howler, gross error since it has Moses speaking of Israel’s kings when in fact Israel had no kings until centuries later during the time of Samuel.
Sticking strictly with the Quran itself and taking into consideration all the references to the Exodus of Israel then it becomes apparent that the author(s) thought that the land given to Israel wasn’t Jerusalem or Canaan but Egypt!
“And WE revealed to Moses, directing him, ‘Take away MY servants by night, you will surely be pursued.’ And Pharaoh sent summoners into the cities, announcing, ‘These are a small party, Yet they have offended us; And we are a multitude fully prepared and vigilant.’ So WE turned them out of gardens and springs, And treasures and an abode of honour. Thus it was; and WE gave them as heritage to the children of Israel.” (Surah 26:52-59 Sher Ali)
The foregoing verses indicate that the Israelites were made the inheritors of Egypt right after the destruction of Pharaoh and his armies in the sea. The Egyptians were “turned out” and their gardens were given to the children of Israel. The next citations support this position:
“They said: We have been persecuted before you came to us and since you have come to us. He said: It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you rulers in the land, then He will see how you act. And certainly We overtook Firon’s people with droughts and diminution of fruits that they may be mindful.” (Surah 7:129-130 Shakir)
“Therefore We inflicted retribution on them and drowned them in the sea because they rejected Our signs and were heedless of them. And We made the people who were deemed weak to inherit the eastern land and the western ones which We had blessed; and the good word of your Lord was fulfilled in the children of Israel because they bore up (sufferings) patiently; and We utterly destroyed what Firon and his people had wrought and what they built.” (Surah 7:136-137)
When taking these passages together as a unit (which we must seeing that they are all part of the same context) then the conclusion is that Israel was given the eastern and western parts of Egypt and became rulers of it.
Probably the most damning passage which links Egypt with the Promised Land is Surah 2:61: (caps for emphasis)
“And when you said, ‘Moses, we will not endure one sort of food; pray to thy Lord for us, that He may bring forth for us of that the earth produces-green herbs, cucumbers, corn, lentils, onions.’ He said, ‘Would you have in exchange what is meaner for what is better? Get you down to EGYPT (misra); you shall have there that you demanded.’ And abasement and poverty were pitched upon them, and they were laden with the burden of God’s anger; that, because they had disbelieved the signs of God and slain the Prophets unrightfully; that, because they disobeyed, and were transgressors.” (Surah 2:61 Arberry)
Other translations of 2.61 give a variety of alternatives for ‘misr’ (obscuring the plain fact that the Quranic term for Egypt is ‘misra’). Without rehearsing them all the Khalifa translation mentions Egypt, Pickthall mentions “settled country”, Shakir simply says “city”, Sherali “some town”, and vaguest of all Yusuf Ali “any town” (You really couldn’t make it up!)
□ The major Quran errors and contradictions — historical, logical, and theological
The promise: In the Bible God promised Abraham that his descendants will become a nation and that God will give them the land of Canaan as their possession (Genesis 12:7, 13:14-17, 15:7-21, 17:7-8). This promise is repeated to Isaac (Genesis 26:3), and to Jacob (Genesis 28:13, 35:12), and again confirmed by God through Moses (Exodus 3:8, 16-17, 13:5, 23:23, 33:2, 34:11, Deuteronomy 7:1, etc.), who also led Israel out of Egypt up to the borders of Canaan. The Quran contradicts this consistent and oft-repeated promise in the Torah by making Egypt the land promised to the Children of Israel. This the Quran contradicts the Bible by making the wrong promise.
□ The historical facts: All evidence of history and archeology shows that the Children of Israel / the Jews lived in the land of Israel (former Canaan). The Quran contradicts historical fact in claiming that God gave Israel the land of Egypt.
□ The logical contradiction: The Quran contradicts itself when it claims in some passages that Israel took over the land of the Egyptians immediately after the Egyptians were defeated and drowned, but in Surah 5:26 it says that the Israelites had to wander about in the wilderness for 40 years before they could enter the promised land.
□ The theological problem: If Allah promised Egypt to the Children of Israel (as the Quran claims), but in the end they got Canaan instead (which is historical fact), this means that Allah wasn’t able to fulfill his promise. Small wonder Allah only takes covenants and does not make them. He cannot be trusted to keep them.
It is apparent from all of these gross errors and major difficulties that the Quran simply collapses when it is compared to the solemn covenant promises in the Bible.
The Quran’s claim that the land promised to Israel was Egypt is without doubt a monumental error. However, whether it was simply the ignorance of Muhammad which led to this error, or was this false claim introduced intentionally is a question beyond the scope of this post. But there is worse still.
□ Allah does not make or give covenants, He TAKES them.
Even Surah 2:40 which is at best reciprocating, places no unconditional obligations on Allah:
“O Children of Israel, remember My favor, which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill your part of the covenant, that I fulfill My part of the covenant, and reverence Me.” (Surah 2:40)
“And remember the time when Allah TOOK A COVENANT from the people through the Prophets, saying, ‘Whatever I give you of the Book and Wisdom and then there comes to you a Messenger, fulfilling that which is with you, you shall believe in him and help him.’ And He said, ‘Do you agree, and do you accept the responsibility which I lay upon you in this matter?’ They said, ‘We agree.’ He said, ‘Then bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses.’ (Surah 3:82)
“And call to mind when We took from the Prophets their covenant, and from thee, and from Noah and Abraham, and Moses and Jesus, son of Mary, and We indeed, TOOK FROM THEM A SOLEMN COVENANT;” (Surah 33:8)
“Why is it that you believe not in Allah, while the Messenger calls you to believe in your Lord, and He has already TAKEN A COVENANT FROM YOU, if indeed you are believers?” (Surah 57:9)
Now bearing in mind that Allah not only has no problem with Muslims dishonouring their oaths, he has ordained it, (Surah 66:2) one has to wonder what value covenants have in event under Islam, especially when Allah is only a beneficiary and not a party to such unilateral covenants. Moreover there is nothing to “seal” a single covenant mentioned in the Quran, least of all the idea of a blood sacrifice, and no wonder, for “shedding of blood for forgiveness of sins” is a Biblical doctrine which taken to its logical conclusion in Christ’s atoning blood sacrifice, is totally absent in the Quran and destroys Islam’s reason to exist.
Unlike the Bible, the Quran contains not a single unilateral covenant promise from Allah to do anything! Basically he is not in the business of making promises that obligate him, he is only a beneficiary of covenant obligations made by other people.
This is just one of many proofs we have that prove the god of Islam is not the God of the Bible.
Contrast with the Bible covenants especially those with Israel and we have proof that the Bible is the word of God. His covenants with Israel remain intact and abiding. In Israel’s weak position as a small isolated nation surrounded by enemy states, God continues to show His strength and faithfulness. Amen.
Whenever a Christian partakes of the Lord’s Supper, the communion meal of bread and wine, this is a solemn occasion of remembrance looking back and being reminded of what it cost our Lord and Savior and how we depend upon the cleansing of His freely shed blood. But it is as well, a meal of promise. It is a foreshadowing of the heavenly banquet, the marriage feast of the Lamb, in His kingdom when at last we shall eat and drink, not in His physical absence, but in His presence. All of God’s good covenant promises point us towards that final glorious destination. There are no such promises in Islam. Islam’s god thought he had got himself off the hook by avoiding making promises, but then his mask slipped when he foolishly boasted of being the best of deceivers, which is a sure sign of his true identity.
Make no mistake: The only promise that Islam offers is a pact with the devil.
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Jesus is God by His Names and Titles
BY HIS NAMES AND TITLES ALONE WE KNOW JESUS IS GOD
1). INTRODUCTION
Muslims frequently ask for evidence from the Bible that Jesus is God or where He said He is God, because to them He is only a prophet, a messenger or a servant of God.
No Christian denies Jesus is a prophet but He is far more than that. His titles include at least 30 of the 99 names of Allah which according to Islam are supposedly unique to God. No other prophet has these; they are uniquely ascribed to Jesus.
Below we have a compilation of all the names and attributes that Jesus possesses, which match or find their equivalence in at least 30 of the 99 names of Allah. And since Jesus has carried these names since long before Muhammad took the then chief god of the Kaaba, Hubal and rebranded him as the abstract Allah, we can see where Islam borrowed the idea of 99 names from.
Bearing in mind that Allah’s 99 names also includes disparaging names which match with those of Satan in the Bible, we are not trying, and would never expect, to match all of Allah’s names with Jesus. The point is that the aggregation of names and titles establishes beyond doubt the deity of our Lord Jesus. Since Muslims respect and revere the 99 names of Allah as belonging to God alone it means they must also revere and respect those same names and divine titles for Jesus.
But first before examining this list of those matching the 99 names of Allah, we need to understand the significance of the title Messiah.
2). THE MESSIAH WOULD BE GOD
Messiah (Hebrew: מָשִׁיחַ, Modern: Mashiaẖ, Tiberian: Māšîăḥ; in modern Jewish texts in English spelled Mashiach; Aramaic: משיחא, Greek: Μεσσίας, Classical Syriac: ܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ, Məšîḥā, Arabic: المسيح, al-Masīḥ, Latin: Messias) literally means “anointed one”.
There are at least 10 key texts from the Old Testament that prophesy the Messiah to come would be God. Some will be more familiar than others.
1. Isaiah 9:6 ‘For a child is born unto us, a son is given unto us; and the government is upon his shoulder; and his name is called Pele-joez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom;’
This child which is born is called El-Gibbor, which as I’m sure you know is ‘Mighty God’ and is never used of a man. Avi-Ad is literally ‘Father of Eternity’ and could never describe a mere man.
The titles, “everlasting Father” and “The mighty God” of Isaiah 9:6, can only apply to Jesus.
A selection of rabbinic quotes confirm what 2nd Temple era understanding onwards made of this:
In the Targum of Isaiah we read: “His name has been called from old, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, He who lives forever, the Anointed One (Messiah), in whose days peace shall increase upon us.”
Midrash Mishle, S. Buber edition: The Messiah is called by eight names: Yinnon, Tzemah, Pele [“Miracle”], Yo’etz [“Counselor”], Mashiah [“Messiah”], El [“God”], Gibbor [“Hero”], andAvi ‘Ad Shalom [“Eternal Father of Peace”]
The great rabbi Ibn Ezra said: “There are some interpreters who say that ‘wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father’ are the names of God, and that only ‘prince of peace’ is the name of the child. But according to my view, the right interpretation is that they are all the names of the child.” (Walter Riggans, Yeshua Ben David [Wowborough, East Sussex; MARC, 1995], p. 370)
Clearly, even if Isaiah 9:6 this was the only verse, it shows that this child is called God. The Rabbis called the Messiah by the name ‘God’. But we have many more passages of affirmation.
2. Jeremiah 23:5-6 ‘The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.”
The Messiah is given the name of God alone. YHWH. The Midrash on Proverbs 19:21 says ‘Rabbi Hunah said ‘Eight names are given to the Messiah which are Yinnon, Shiloh, David, Menachem, Jehovah, Justi de Nostra, Tzemmach, Elias.’
The Midrash on Lamentations 1:16 says ‘What is the name of the Messiah? Rav Ava ben Kahanna said ‘Jehovah is his name and this is proved by, ‘this is his name… [quoting Jeremiah 23:6].’
So this passage and these Rabbinic quotes show that the Messiah was called Yahweh. No mere man would ever be called by God’s name.
3. Micah 5:2 “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from ancient days.”
The Targum Jonathan (2nd century AD) : ‘And You Bethlehem Ephrath, you who were too small to be numbered among the thousands of the house of Judah, From you shall come forth before Me The Messiah.’
In regards to the Messiah’s human origin He is said to have been born in Bethlehem, but regarding His divine origin He is said to be ‘from old, from ancient days.’ Arnold Fruchenbaum writes ‘The Hebrew for ‘from long ago, from the days of eternity’ are the strongest Hebrew words ever used for eternity past. They are used of God the Father in Psalm 90:2… Again we have a passage which shows that Messiah is to be human – being born at some specific point in time at some specific place – yet having existed since eternity past, and therefore divine.’
4. Psalm 2:7 “I will declare the Lord’s decree: He said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.”
Messiah would be the Son of God. Therefore He would be divine. And in case you think this isn’t about the Messiah, Rabbi Rashi says ‘Our Rabbis expound it as relating to King Messiah.’
5. Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.”
While Muslims don’t like it, the prophecy shows that a virgin would give birth to a child who is literally, ‘God with us’. The Hebrew word ‘Almah’ is used in this passage and speaks of a virgin. Arnold Fruchtenbaum writes ‘Since everyone agrees that ‘almah’ means an unmarried woman, if the woman in Isaiah 7:14 were a non-virgin, then God would be promising a sign involving fornication and illegitimacy. It is unthinkable that God would sanction sin, and in any case, what would be so unusual about an illegitimate baby that could possibly constitute a sign? As far as ancient Jewish writers were concerned, there are no arguments about Isaiah 7:14 predicting a virgin birth… The Jews who made this translation (Septuagint), living much closer to the times of Isaiah than we do today, translated Isaiah 7:14 using the Greek word ‘parthenos’ which very clearly and exclusively means a virgin.
6. Psalm 110 “This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord will extend Your mighty scepter from Zion. Rule over Your surrounding enemies. Your people will volunteer on Your day of battle. In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, the dew of Your youth belongs to You. The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back: “Forever, You are a priest like Melchizedek.” The Lord is at Your right hand; He will crush kings on the day of His anger. He will judge the nations, heaping up corpses; He will crush leaders over the entire world. He will drink from the brook by the road; therefore, He will lift up His head.”
We know from 1 Kings 2:19 that anyone who sits at the king’s right hand must be equal with the King. This Psalm of David’s speaks of someone other than Yahweh who is David’s lord. This Lord is both a priest and a king and sits at Yahweh’s right hand. It is a joke to say that this is David himself as David was from not a priest, but was from the tribe of Judah. Nor does he sit at the right hand of God. It is the Messiah who is spoken about in this passage and He is equal to God.
7. Proverbs 30:4 “Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son — if you know?”
Here is a riddle for you … It consists of 6 questions. The first 4 questions are obviously about God Himself as only God could accomplish these things. The fifth question asks what the name of God is. I’m sure you can answer this one. The sixth question reveals that God has a Son! And it asks what His name is! Cryptic questions demand a cryptic answer. The answer “Yeshua” is found pictorially embedded in the Hebrew text. (See memes below). Yes, the Messiah is the son of God and His name is Jesus!
8. Psalm 45:6-7 “Your throne, God, is forever and ever; the scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of justice. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy more than your companions.”
Elohim is applied to two divine personalities in the same verse! The second Elohim is called the God of the first Elohim! Only makes sense in terms of the Messiah being God, the son of God as other verses have shown!
9. Hosea 1:7 “But I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will deliver them by the Lord their God. I will not deliver them by bow, sword, or war, or by horses and cavalry.”
We see the same thing where the speaker (God – Elohim) will save them by Yahweh, their Elohim. Elohim is again spoken of as two distinct personalities. Another example of two Lords is found in Genesis 19:24.
10. Zechariah 2:10-11 “Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the LORD. “Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.’ The LORD is going to dwell amongst us and it is the LORD Almighty that sent Him! Can it get any clearer? This shows the YHWH sent YHWH and only makes sense when you know that the Messiah Jesus is God! He is the one who lived amongst us. He is ‘God with us!’ ”
That is why in the Shema, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!’, the ‘our God’ part is plural in the Hebrew (literally ‘our Gods’ and the word for ‘one’ is echad – a compound unity, not absolute unity as in the word ‘yachid’.) Arnold writes ‘If Moses had intended to teach God’s absolute oneness as opposed to His compound oneness, this would have been a far more appropriate word (yachid) to use.’ But he didn’t! He used echad which is used in such passages as Genesis 1:5 where evening and morning are called one (echad’) day. Genesis 2:24 where when man and woman come together in marriage and are called ‘one flesh’. Ezra 2:64 where the whole assembly was one, though ofcourse it comprised of many people. Or Ezekiel 37:17 where the two sticks are combined to become one. These are all uses of echad and show that it is a compound unity.
Even in the Old Testament there are three distinct personalities that are considered divine.
1. The Lord YHWH
2. The Angel of YHWH
3. The Spirit of God.
The Angel of the Lord is clearly seen to be divine in passages such as Genesis 16:7-14; 22:9-16; 31:11-13, 32:24-30, Exodus 3:1-5, Judges 6:11-24 amongst others. These passages show that ‘The Angel of the Lord’ is much more than just an angel and is a fulfillment of the Micah prophecy about the Messiah ‘whose goings forth have been from eternity.’
The Spirit of God is clearly divine in such passages as Genesis 1:2, Psalm 51:11, Isaiah 11:2, Isaiah 63:10, Isaiah 63:14 amongst others. Arnold writes ‘The Holy Spirit cannot be a mere emanation because, as can be seen in these quotations, He has all the characteristics of personality – intellect, emotion and will – and is considered divine.’
Arnold points out that all three personalities are used in the same passage such as Isaiah 48:12-16 where God the creator of the earth is speaking and says that He has been sent by another, Jehovah, together with a third person, the Spirit of Jehovah. This is nothing less than the Trinity! And it is clearly seen in the Tanach. The three are seen also in Isaiah 63:7-14.
Not only does the title Messiah mean God from the Bible. The equivalent title “al-Masih” (the Messiah) occurs in the Quran eleven times. There are nine different verses in which the term appears, attributed to the Quranic Isa: Surah 3:45; 4:157; 4:171-172; 5:17; 5:72; 5:75; 9:30-31. The title “al-Masih” is unique to Jesus in both the Bible and the Quran’s equivalent Issa. It is the closest the Quran gets to recognising the deity of Christ.
3). THE 99 NAMES OF GOD WHICH JESUS SHARES
□ “I am the Truth” (John 14:6) equates to “Al-Haq” (The Absolute Truth) one of the 99 names of Allah
□ “I am the Resurrection” (John 11:25) equates to “Al-Baeth” (The Resurrector) another divine name in Islam.
□ “The First and the Last” (Isaiah 41:4 of God and in Revelation 1:18 & 22:13 used by Jesus of Himself) equates to “Al-Awwal (The First) and Al-Aakhir” (The Last) in Islam for Allah.
□ “King of kings” (used of Jesus in Revelation 17:14 & 19:16) equates to “Al-Malik” and “Malik-ul-Mulk” in Islam for Allah as king and master of the kingdom respectively.
□ “I am the way” (John 14:6) and “I am the door” John 10:9) used of Jesus equate to “Al-Haadi” (The Guide) of Allah.
□ “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) equates to “An-Nur” (The Light) of Allah.
□ “The heir” (Matthew 21:38), where Jesus self identified as “Son and heir” in the parable of the wicked tenants, equates to “Al-Waarith” (The inheritor, The Heir) of Allah’s 99 names.
□ “Good teacher” (used of Jesus in Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18; John 3:2 & 13:13) equates to “Ar-Rasheed” (The guide/Infallible Teacher) of the 99 names of Allah.
□ Jesus is the “ever living water of eternal life” and “bread of life” (John 4:10-14; 6:35 & 7:37-39) equating to “Al-Qayyoom” (The Sustainer) of Allah.
□ Jesus is God “manifest in the flesh” (John 1:14, Philippians 2:7, 1 Timothy 3:16, 1 John 4:2 & 5:20) equates to “Az-Daahir” (The Manifest) of Allah.
□ Jesus is “ever living” (Matthew 16:16; Revelation 1:18) equates to “Al-Hayy” (The Ever Living) Allah’s name.
□ Jesus is “The Good Shepherd” of John 10:10 & 10:14, equates to “Al-Barr” (The Source of Goodness) of Allah’s names.
□ Jesus is the “One Shepherd” shepherding “one flock” of John 10:16 equates to “Al-Jaami” (The Gatherer, the Uniter) of Allah’s names.
□ Jesus guards those who are His “they will never perish and none shall pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28) equates to “Al-Muhaymin” (The Guardian/Overseer) and “Al-Wakeel” (The Trustee) of Allah’s names.
□ Jesus is the Creator (John 1:2-3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2) equates to “Al-Khaaliq” (the Creator) and “Al-Mubdi” (The originator) of Islam.
□ Jesus is the judge (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30; John 5:22 & 27; Acts 17:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:10) matches Allah’s names “Al-Faattah” (The Opener, The Judge) and “Al-Hakam” (The Judge, The Giver of Justice).
□ Jesus is the giver of life (Matthew 7:14; John 1:3-4; 3:16; 5:21; 10:27-28; 1 John 5:13-14) equals Allah’s name “Al-Muhyee” (The Giver of Life)
□ Jesus is “the mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 1:8-10; Titus 2:13) and omnipotent (John 14:13-14; 1 Timothy 6:15) which match with “Al-Muqtadir” (The Omnipotent), “Al-Azeez” (The All Mighty) and “Al-Qadeer” (The Powerful) of Allah’s names.
□ Jesus is the “sustainer of all things” (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17-18) equates to “Al-Qayyoom” (The Sustainer) of Allah’s names.
□ Jesus is gracious, compassionate and merciful (Matthew 8:2-3; 9:36; 14:14; 15:22; 15:32; 20:30-34; Mark 6:34; Luke 4:16-21; Philippians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 13-14; Ephesians 4:7; 1 Timothy 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:18) which equate to “Ar-Rahmaan” (Most Merciful) and “Ar-Raheem” (Bestower of Mercy) of Allah’s names.
□ Jesus is holy and sinless (Isaiah 53:9; Luke 1:35; John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 1:18-19 & 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21 match with “Al-Quddus” (The Absolutely Pure) and “As-Salaam” (The Perfection) of Islam’s deity.
□ In addition, although its an equivocal fallacy to directly compare the names of the Islamic Issa, with the historical Jesus, we can note in passing that in Islam He also possesses divine attributes such as “The Word of Allah” (Kalima Allah) and Spirit of God “Ruh Allah” (Surah 4:171).
For more on a selection of these comparisons see the following video:
4). MORE DIVINE TITLES SHARED BY JESUS
Check these references for yourself. In Matthew 22:42-45, Jesus claims to be the “Lord” of Psalm 110:1. He allows Thomas to address Him as “My Lord and my God” in John 20:28. Jesus describes Himself as Lord in numerous places, notably as “Lord of the Sabbath” found in Matthew 12:8, Mark 2:28, and Luke 6:5. In all three instances Jesus is referring to Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath or, as Mark records it, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). In these verses, Jesus is proclaiming that He is the One who exercises authority even over the rules and regulations that govern the Sabbath day.
Jesus said that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven we must first acknowledge and call him Lord (kurios, Romans 10:9; cf. Matthew 7:21). Just saying that Jesus is Lord does not get you into the Kingdom, but to enter the Kingdom you must confess Him as Lord. The entrance into God’s Kingdom, according to Jesus, is dependent upon a person’s knowledge of Him and His reciprocating knowledge of the person (Matthew 7:23).
Other examples where Jesus refers to Himself as Lord:
“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?” (Luke 6:46)
“You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:13-14)
The titles, “everlasting Father” and “The mighty God” of Isaiah 9:6, can only apply to Jesus.
According to His own words in John 10:11-14, He is the “shepherd” of Psalm 23:1, Psalm 80:1, and Ezekiel 34:12.
God is the “saviour” in Isaiah 43:3, 43:11, 45:15, 45:21, Hosea 13:4, Luke 1:47, and I Timothy 4:10, yet this same title is given to Jesus Christ in Luke 2:11, Philippians 3:20, 2 Timothy 1:10, and 2 Peter 2:20.
God is the “Rock” of Deuteronomy 32:4, 32:15, 32:18, 32:30-31, I Samuel 2:2, and Psalm 18:31, yet this title is given to the Lord Jesus Christ in I Corinthians 10:1-4, I Peter 2:7-8, and Romans 9:33.
God is “light” in Psalm 27:1 and Micah 7:8, and then Jesus is “light” in John 1:4-9 and in John 8:12.
In Isaiah 44:6 God says, “…I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” In Revelation 1:17 Jesus Christ says, “…Fear not; I am the first and the last.”
Jesus is the good shepherd: “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:11-16)
Many passages refer to God shepherding His people. Here in Isaiah 40 is one example:
“See, the Lord God comes with strength, and His power establishes His rule. His reward is with Him, and His gifts accompany Him.He protects His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in the fold of His garment. He gently leads those that are nursing.” (Isaiah 40:10-11)
See also Jeremiah 31:10-17, Ezekiel 34, Micah 5:2-5a and Zechariah 11:11-12.
God is our redeemer:
Isaiah 54:5: “Indeed, your husband is your Maker — His name is Yahweh of Hosts — and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.”
Jesus shares the title and role of redeemer:
Galatians 4:5 “to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
Hebrews 9:12-15 “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
1 Peter 1:18-19 “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
5). CONCLUSIONS
The Scriptures are clear: Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament and shares the same titles, such as Lord, and the first and the last. He also shares the same roles, such as shepherd and redeemer. Above all He is the promised Messiah which was always understood to be a divine title. Even the Quran acknowledges His Messianic status, but stops short of admitting the divine quality it carries.
Most embarrassing of all for Muslims Jesus has at least 30 of the names and titles claimed for Allah. Moreover He was the first (and will be the last to carry these names) not the wannabe god of Islam who is Satan who crudely attempted to steal them long after the canon of Scripture was closed.
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Islam Is Paganism
ITS ISLAM NOT CHRISTIANITY THAT IS PAGANISM
This Post is going to debunk a myth that goes around far too freely. Yes, the Muslim charge that the incarnation and/or doctrine of the Trinity is pagan, is nonsense and needs calling out. Moreover it needs pointing out that yet again Muslims try to tarnish Christians with what they in fact are guilty of.
Muslims bandy about terms without having a clue of their meaning or origin.
□ DEFINITION OF PAGAN
Pagan; Paganism: “a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions; who adheres specifically to a non-Christian or pre-Christian religion.”
Merriam-Webster has the following entries:
1): HEATHEN sense 1 especially : a follower of a polytheistic religion (as in ancient Rome)
2: one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods : an irreligious or hedonistic person
3: NEO-PAGAN witches, druids, goddess worshippers, and other pagans in America today— Alice Dowd
2). Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of pagans
//pagan customs/beliefs
// Reuse of Roman objects was not uncommon during the Middle Ages, although the discovery of ancient sculpture was usually a momentous event, and pagan images in particular provoked fearful responses — Peter Scott Brown
// In addition to moon-rituals, wiccans celebrate pagan seasonal holidays — Scott McMurray
According to Merriam-Webster, the term “Pagan” comes from the Latin word ‘paganus’, which was used at the end of the Roman Empire to identify those who practiced a religion other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. Early Christians often used the term to refer to non-Christians who worship multiple deities. In Latin, ‘paganus’ originally meant “country dweller” or “civilian;” it is believed that the word’s religious meaning developed either from the enduring non-Christian religious practices of those who lived far from the Roman cities where Christianity was more quickly adopted, or from the fact that early Christians referred to themselves as “soldiers of Christ,” making nonbelievers “civilians.”
Paganism is simultaneously a prehistoric and postmodern religion – it is as ancient as the fertility symbols associated with the veneration of gods and goddesses tens of thousands of years ago, while its newest forms have emerged as recently as the mid-20th century.
Broadly speaking, Paganism encompasses two key characteristics: 1) religious and spiritual practices concerning the worship of, or devotion to, the earth, the natural world, and/or the manifest physical universe; and/or 2) belief in spiritual beings: goddesses, gods, nature spirits (fairies, elves, power animals), and ancestral spirits.
□ ISLAM NOT AN ABRAHAMIC FAITH
And I will take issue with Islam being a mainstream Abrahamic faith and therefore not pagan. It fits far more readily the above dictionary definition characteristics of paganism, in respect of devotion to the Cosmos and is ruled by the lunar calendar. Celestial emblems adorn every mosque.
Be under no illusion, Allah the Islamic deity, is a pagan god of idolatrous roots and invention. Allah bears no relation to the Lord God of Judaism or Christianity, both of which faiths, recognise what the Bible teaches from the outset – the plurality of the Godhead. Whether etymologically, by personality, self revelation, commandments, purpose or moral attributes, the Islamic god is incompatible and woefully deficient in comparison to God as revealed in the Bible. He has nothing in common with Yahweh and everything in common with pagan pre-Islamic celestial worship, and Sabeanism.
If you Google “who was the chief god of the Quraysh” this is the first answer you will get:
“Hubal
Hubal (Arabic: هُبَل) was a god worshipped in pre-Islamic Arabia, notably by Quraysh at the Kaaba in Mecca. He was the patron the chief god of Muhammad’s tribe the Quraysh.”
Not to put any gloss on it, Muhammad was born into pagan Baal worship. If Allah is simply a generic name for God and not a proper name for God then we must ask which Allah did Muhammad’s tribe worship, the answer can only be Hubal. Hubal is the proper name of pre-Islam’s god.
The Cambridge companion to the Quran page 24:
“The sira literature presents Mecca’s cult as a pagan one to the god Hubal, and depicts the Arabian religious environment in which Muhammad grew up as overwlemingly pagan – the final vestiges of the ancient near eastern religious tradition.”
Hubal “chief god of the Kaaba, a marshal and auricular deity a moon god” (‘God goddesses and mythology’ vol. 11 page 137)
Hubal “an idol the god of the moon” (The New Encyclopedia of Islam page 209)
Hubal was an idol from Syria. He was the god of the Moabites.
There is a broad consensus that the high god of Mecca was Hubal:
“… The great god of Mecca was Hubal, an idol of carnelian.” (Maxime Rodinson, Muhammad [New Press, NY, May 2000 ISBN: 1565847520], p. 16)
“… The Kaaba which may have initially been a shrine of Hubal alone, housed several idols …” (Rodinson, p. 40)
“… The presiding deity was Hubal, a large carnelian kept inside the temple; 360 other idols were arranged outside …” (Malise Ruthven, Islam in the World [Oxford University Press, Second edition 2000], p. 15)
“… Although originally under the aegis of the pagan god Hubal, the Makkan haram which centered around the well of Zamzam, may have become associated with the ancestral figures of Ibrahim and Isma’il as the Arab traders, shedding their parochial backgrounds sought to locate themselves within the broader reference-frame of Judeo-Christianity.” (Ibid., p. 17)
“… the god of Makka, Hubal, represented by a statue of red carnelian, is thought to have been originally a totem of the Khuza’a, rulers of Makka before their displacement by the Quraysh …” (Ibid. p. 28)
“… At the time of Muhammad, the Kaaba was OFFICIALLY DEDICATED to the god Hubal, a deity who had been imported into Arabia from the Nabateans in what is now Jordan. But the pre-eminence of the shrine as well as the common belief in Mecca seems to suggest that it may have been dedicated originally to al-Llah, the High God of the Arabs …” (Karen Armstrong, Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet [Harper San Francisco; ISBN: 0062508865; Reprint edition, October 1993], pp. 61-62)
“… Legend had it that Qusayy had travelled in Syria and brought the three goddesses al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat to the Hijaz and enthroned the Nabatean god Hubal in the Kaaba …” (Armstrong, p. 66)
“Pre-Islamic Arabia also had its stone deities. They were stone statues of shapeless volcanic or meteoric stones found in the deserts and believed to have been sent by astral deities. The most prominent deities were Hubal, the male god of the Kaaba, and the three sister goddesses al-Lat, al-Manat, and al-Uzza; Muhammad’s tribe, the Quraysh, thought these three goddesses to be the daughters of Allah. Hubal was the chief god of the Kaaba among 360 other deities. He was a man-like statue whose body was made of red precious stone and whose arms were of solid gold.” (George W. Braswell, Jr., Islam Its Prophets, Peoples, Politics and Power [Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN; July, 1996], p. 44)
“Hubal. An idol, God of the moon. It was set up in the Kaaba and became the principal idol of the pagan Meccans.” (Cyril Glassé, The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam [Harper & Row: San Francisco, 1989], p. 160)
“… the principal gods at Mecca were Hubal (god of the moon) and the female goddesses.” (Ibid., p. 179)
Ibn Al-Kalbi in his “Book of Idols’ (see: answering-islam.org/Books/Al-Kalbi/index.htm) notes:
“The Quraysh were want to venerate her above all other idols. For this reason Zayd ibn-‘Amr ibn-Nufayl, who, during the Jahilyah days, had turned to the worship of God and renounced that of al-‘Uzza and of the other idols, said:
‘I have renounced both Allat and al-‘Uzza, For thus would the brave and the robust do. No more do I worship al-‘Uzza and her two daughters, Or visit the two idols of the banu-Ghanm; Nor do I journey to Hubal and adore it, ALTHOUGH IT WAS OUR LORD WHEN I WAS YOUNG.’
… The Quraysh had also several idols in and around the Kaaba. The greatest of these was Hubal. It was, as I was told, of red agate, in the form of a man with the right hand broken off. It came into the possession of the Quraysh in this condition, and they, therefore, made for it a hand of gold. The first to set it up [for worship] was Khuzaymah ibn-Mudrikah ibn-al-Ya’s’ ibn-Mudar. Consequently it used to be called Khuzaymah’s Hubal.
It stood inside the Kaaba. In front of it were seven divination arrows (sing. qidh, pl. qidah or aqduh). On one of these arrows was written “pure” (sarih), and on another “consociated alien” (mulsag). Whenever the lineage of a new-born was doubted, they would offer a sacrifice to it [Hubal] and then shuffle the arrows and throw them. If the arrows showed the word “pure,” the child would be declared legitimate and the tribe would accept him. If, however, the arrows showed the words “consociated alien” the child would be declared illegitimate and the tribe would reject him. The third arrow was for divination concerning the dead, while the fourth was for divination concerning marriage. The purpose of the three remaining arrows has not been explained. Whenever they disagreed concerning something, or purposed to embark upon a journey, or undertake some project, they would proceed to it [Hubal] and shuffle the divination arrows before it. Whatever result they obtained they would follow and do accordingly.
It was before [Hubal] that ‘Abd-al-Muttalib shuffled the divination arrows [in order to find out which of his ten children he should sacrifice in fulfilment of a vow he had sworn], and the arrows pointed to his son ‘Abdullah, the father of the Prophet. Hubal was also the same idol which abu-Sufyan ibn-Harb addressed when he emerged victorious after the battle of Uhud, saying:
“Hubal, be thou exalted” (i.e. may thy religion triumph);
To which the Prophet replied:
“Allah is more exalted and more majestic.”
(Source: answering-islam.org/Books/Al-Kalbi/uzza.htm)
Thus the association of Islam and its rites and rituals with celestial worship, places it full square within a pagan setting. The main influences in the main Islamic texts are gnostic sources, the heretical and occult Simon Magus, and Persian myths and legends.
It is no coincidence that Allah only ever “spoke” during one false self acclaimed “prophet’s” life and was never heard from before nor since. Its no coincidence that gods of pagan religions are remote and unknowable. In complete contrast to how God reveals Himself in the Bible.
I wouldn’t agree with atheist Matt Dillahunty about much but he is spot on here:
“If god does exist, it either interacts with the universe in some detectable way or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t, that god is indistinguishable from a non-existent god.”
This sums up the pagan moon god makeover that Muhammad gave Hubal to rebrand him as Allah. Islam’s god is anonymous, incognito, inscrutuble, non communicative, indescribable, and undetectable. Muhammad even admitted he only existed in his imagination!
Bottom line: Its impossible to relate to or worship a god who is unknowable. That’s why God came down to earth and took on the appearance of a man so we can see His exact likeness in Jesus.
This is why Muslims have to deify Muhammad and make him not Allah the subject of blasphemy laws and object of Durood Shareef because they know Allah doesn’t exist.
No wonder Muslims all over the world have continued in this figment of imagination syndrome they contracted from their so called prophet Muhammad.
SUMMARY
Muslims say the Incarnation is paganism but it is literally the opposite of paganism because Jesus Christ is not a man made god but rather God made man for our salvation. Similarly a triune God of co equal and co eternal persons has no parallel in paganism.
Saying the Trinity is “paganism” isn’t true just because you regurgitate this common misconception. Repeating a lie will never make it true however often repeated. There is not a single pagan religion comprised of a consubstantial and co-eternal Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
There is One Name, One Throne, One Ousia, One Mind, One Will and One purpose. Jesus is eternally begotten by the Father outside of time and space such that They have eternally co-existed from the beginning anterior to all creation.
The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father through the Son. Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. God did not have sex with the Virgin Mary to allow the incarnation. This is completely dissimilar to, and has no parallel in paganism. It is also completely at odds with the Islamic Issa who has more in common with the mythical Taurus than the historical Jewish Jesus of the Gospels.
Literally nothing about the Trinity is paganism. The only argument Muslims have is the strawman fallacy that Christians believe in a “Triad” of three gods. Yeah, well read the above points which are completely foreign to paganism. Seriously Muslims need to produce an actual argument against us, rather than the lame and feeble strawman attacks of 3 gods and a tag of paganism which does not fit Christianity in any shape or form, but absolutely applies rather to Islam.
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Jesus died on the cross to bring salvation to all men and women
Man, inspite of all his education, sophistication, finery, civilization and
technology, needs salvation. He was born in sin and cannot get communion or fellowship with God, nor go to Heaven when he dies. He has to gain salvation from the sin nature. Religion cannot save him from this sin. Organized religion is just a plethora of laws , rules and the sayings of prophets which have no power to save man from sin, for the very reason that no man can ever obey these rules and laws nor have these rules and laws made man a good person .“The imagination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth, (Genesis 8:21 instructs us . Man was born with the nature of sin in him and will only do evil perpetually. Yet this was not the case when God created man. According to the Bible, Adam , the first man, was created in the image of God ( Genesis 1 : 26).
Since he was created in the image of God, he was imbued with true knowledge, righteousness and holiness ( Genesis 1: 31; Ecclesiates 7: 29; Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 4: 24). By nature, Adam was good .The spiritual and ethical capacity was inside him to obey God. But Adam was told by God not to eat the forbidden fruit and if he did, he will surely die (Genesis 2 : 17). We all know the story. Adam disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit (Read the whole of Genesis 3 ).
The consequence of this disobedience was that the sin nature entered Adam and he fell from his position of righteousness and could no longer commune or fellowship with God . Adam ‘s nature from spirit to soul became defiled by sin. This sin nature was passed on to all men. According to Romans 5 :12, Sin entered the world through one man, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. And Romans 3: 23 tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The psalmist laments : “ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Ps. 51:5). He also gives a graphic description of man in his fallen state :“The wicked are estranged from the womb;
they go astray as soon as they are born speaking lies” (Ps. 58:3).
Also, there is a penalty for sin and Romans 6 : 23 tells us that the wages of sin is death -Man who could have lived forever would now die and not only that he is also now spiritually dead and can no longer commune with God or enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Man has dabbled in all kinds of spiritual exercises to purge himself from sin. He has engaged in transcendental meditation and tried all kinds of religious rites and pilgrimages to become good, but the result has always been a disaster. Man cannot become good or rid himself of sin by his own will or religious rites and pilgrimages . The Bible says that “…. there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin” (Eccl. 7:20). Man was lost and his only destiny was death and after that suffering in the Lake of Fire forever and ever.
But God is very good.His whole nature is goodness and he loves his creation. God loves man and is very merciful to him. Because of this, God found a way for man to gain salvation from Sin and his fallen nature and spiritual incapacity to commune with Him. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life ( John 3: 16 ) . He sent Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross so that by his death man would be saved. John 1 : 29 describes Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. And Jesus Christ himself declares in John 14: 6 ” I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Yes , indeed, Jesus Christ is the only way provided
by God for man to be saved from Sin, become the righteousness of God , be reconciled to God and enter the Kingdom of Heaven after death. People can argue and fight all they want but the Bible shows only one way for salvation and that is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Man has to be born again through Jesus Christ .
Jesus Christ himself tells us about man’s need for this new birth : “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born
again” (John 3:1-7).
Man is born again and saved by the grace of God. Man cannot buy salvation by money or a multiplicity of religious observances, rites and pilgrimages. Man is saved only by grace through Christ. Your own good works , your diligent and frenzied preoccupation with religious rites and education cannot save you and get you to Heaven. Only Jesus Christ can do it for you. Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches us that, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” This explains why it is so foolish for mortal man to boast about his own spirituality or godliness . There is no spirituality , goodness of man or godliness outside Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who saves us by the grace of God and infills us with the Holy Spirit through whom we can then obey God, commune with him and be fit to enter the Kingdom of God by faith.
Romans 10 : 9 instructs us about how to be saved : “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and believe in the redemptive work wrought on the Cross of Calvary . Pray and believe and the Holy Spirit shall come and reside in you and you will become the Child of God and will never be the same again.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR LISTENING TO THE WORD OF GOD AND MAKING IT BECOME REAL IN YOUR LIFE.
Deity Of Christ
TEN PROOFS WHY JESUS IS GOD
At a crucial point in his ministry, Jesus asked his disciples,“Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). The answer to this question is more important than anything else. Nevertheless, today, just as in Jesus’ day, when Christians ask people the question “who do you say Jesus is?” There are various answers given concerning his identity. But what does the New Testament tell us about who Jesus is?
Understanding the deity of Jesus is fundamental in defending the truth of the Christian faith.
All major religions and cults are united about one thing. They all reject the doctrine of the deity of Christ. That fact alone should tell us something. Some of these objections are a result of rationalism (“reason” is supreme, not God) over revelation or a misunderstanding of what the doctrine teaches. Another more common objection results from revisionist history, which claims that Christ’s deity was invented at the Council of Nicaea in the 4th century and not something believed by the early church. [1]
The reason Christians believe in the deity of Jesus is that we are forced to come to this conclusion by the clear teaching of Scripture. It is important to get Jesus’ identity because if we deny the deity of Jesus then we do not have the Father (1 John 2:23; cf. John 5:23). Worse than that we are dead in our sins.
Here are 10 Scriptural proofs for the deity of Jesus Christ.
1). THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE GOD
# JESUS’ DIVINITY DOES NOT MAKE HIM ANOTHER GOD. IT IS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.
This is vital to understand because many objectors to the deity of Jesus misunderstand and misrepresent what Christians believe about the Trinity. Christians believe what the Bible teaches — that there is only one true and living God (Deuteronomy 6:4; cf. Mark 12:29 & 1 Corinthians 8:6). However, we must not confuse monotheism (belief in one God) with Unitarianism (the belief that the being of God is shared by one person). Jesus’ divinity is part of the doctrine of the Trinity, which states that within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three co-equal and co-eternal persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each is a distinct person, yet each is identified as God: the Father (1 Corinthians 8:6), the Son (John 1:1–3; Romans 9:5), and the Spirit (Acts 5:3–4). We must also remember that it wasn’t the Father or the Spirit who became incarnate; it was the Son (John 1:14) and He was born under the Law (Galatians 4:4). This is why, in His humanity, Jesus prays to the Father (Matthew 26:39, 42).
The doctrine of the Trinity is revealed between the Old and New Testaments through the incarnation of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God did not change between the Old and New Testaments, being a Unitarian God in the Old and a Trinitarian God in the New. God has always been Triune, the only thing that changed was revelation became completed only with the New Testament; specifically revelation of the divinity of Jesus, while foreshadowed in the Old Testament, is only completed in the New Testament.
The Old Testament clearly teaches that there is a plurality in the Godhead. This fact which was accepted by the ancient Jewish church and early Rabbinic thought will be the subject of a new post in preparation. For the purposes of this one it is sufficient to state that the Hebrew Bible clearly teaches the Messiah would be God. (eg Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 2:10-11)
2). THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT JESUS PRE-EXISTED CREATION
The New Testament in several passages clearly teaches that Jesus existed in eternity past before his birth in Bethlehem.
Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In John 1:1 we read the same words, “In the beginning.”8 John informs us in John 1:1 that in the beginning was the Word (logos) and that the Word was not only with God but was God. This Word is the one who brought all things into being at creation (John 1:3). John 1:1 teaches that the Word is eternal, the Word has had an eternal relationship with the Father, and the Word as to His nature is deity. The clincher is John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus applied God’s title “I am” to Himself and identifies as God who appeared to Abraham in Genesis 18:
“Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced.” The Jews replied, “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:56-58)
In his prayer in John 17 Jesus both refers to his pre-existence and uses terminology that can only be used about deity:
“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:3-5)
“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
(John 17:24)
To have eternal life is to know two persons: both the Father and Jesus (see John 14:6-7; John 16:3). But notice, Jesus is distinguished from the Father because Jesus is the one speaking to the Father. The personal pronouns (me, your, you) clearly show that this is one person speaking to another, (elsewhere collectively as “we” and “our” when Jesus addressed the disciples, as in John 14:23). In John 17, the Son is speaking of the glory He has shared with the Father before the world was; the words “in your own presence” refer to their sharing of divine glory. John 17:3–5 is not an example of the “human side” praying to the “divine side” but of a divine, yet incarnate (John 1:14) person, the Son, communicating with a divine, but non-incarnate person, the Father in heaven.
Paul’s words in Philippians 2:5–8 teach not only the deity of Jesus but also the distinct personhood of the Son prior to His incarnation. In this passage, Paul exhorts the Philippians to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus who “existed in the form of God.” These words come before the verbs emptied, taking, and becoming and point to the pre-existence of the one “existing in the form of God.” Moreover, Jesus did not regard the equality He had with God the Father, in eternity past, something to be held on to. Instead He “made himself nothing” by doing two things: taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. Having entered into human existence He humbled himself to death on the Cross. Because of this, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord” (Philippians 2:10–11); it is only God who is to be worshipped as Lord (see Isaiah 45:23).
3). JESUS IS CREATOR NOT CREATURE
Jehovah’s Witnesses (and Muslims) hang on to Paul’s statement in Colossians 1:15 that the “firstborn of all creation” teaches that Jesus was a created being. However, this JW false teaching resembles the view of the ancient Colossian heresy that Paul had to combat. It’s another example of mistakenly trying to make a doctrine from a single verse, when no core doctrines are ever established in isolated verses, and it ignores a fundamental rule of interpretation that Scripture must harmonise.
The Colossian false teachers advocated the idea that Jesus was the first of many other created mediators between God and men. By using the specific Greek word prōtotokos, “firstborn,” Paul rules out the idea of Jesus as a created being. “Firstborn” does not mean “first created.” Rather, Paul uses a term that was based on the ancient designation of the authority, or pre-eminence, metaphorically given to the firstborn (Genesis 49:3–4; Exodus 4:22). In the same way, David, the youngest of Jesse, was named “firstborn” (Psalm 89:20–27) who ruled Israel. Manasseh was born to Joseph first, but Ephraim, his younger brother, was “firstborn” due to his position as given by Jacob/Israel (Genesis 48:13–20, Jeremiah 31:9).
# BY DESCRIBING JESUS AS THE “FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION,” PAUL IS SAYING THAT HE IS THE ABSOLUTE RULER OVER ALL CREATION.
Furthermore, if Paul had wanted to describe Jesus as a created being, he could have used the Greek word protoktistos, which means “first created.” So why didn’t he use it? Because Paul did not believe Jesus was created. By describing Jesus as the “firstborn over all creation,” Paul is saying that he is the absolute ruler over all creation.
The evidence that Jesus is supreme over all creation is found in Colossians 1:16. Here, Paul absolutely rules out the idea that Jesus is a created being because he presents Jesus as the Creator of the entire universe which exists by his creative power (John 1:1–3; Hebrews 1:2, 8–10). The reason Jesus can “create all things” is that “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). The Greek word for “Godhead,” theotēs, refers to “the state of being God.” It is only God who can create (Isaiah 42:5, 44:24, 45:18).
4). JESUS SELF IDENTIFIES AS GOD
At the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths in his encounter with the Pharisees (John 8:13), Jesus told them, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). The Jewish people reacted to Jesus’ statement by asking him, “Who are you?” (John 8:25).
Jesus told the Jews exactly who he is: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). This “I am” (ego eimi) statement was Jesus’ clearest example of His proclamation, “I am Yahweh,” from its background in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 41:4; 43:10–13, 25; 46:4; 48:12; cf. John 13:19).
These are the very words (ego eimi) ) that caused the Roman soldiers to fall to the ground after they came to arrest Jesus (John 18:6). Jesus’ explicit identification of himself with Yahweh of the Old Testament is why the Jewish leaders wanted to stone Him for blasphemy (see John 5:18; 10:33).
5). THE APOSTLES IDENTIFIED JESUS AS DIVINE (AND GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR WITNESS)
Both Jesus and His apostles identified Jesus as divine. The Apostle Peter described Jesus as “our God and Savior” (2 Peter 1:1; cf. Titus 2:13) and called on believers to “honor Christ the Lord as holy” (1 Peter 3:15). Jesus’ own half-brother James, who was an unbeliever at first (John 7:5), described him as “the Lord of glory” (James 2:1; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:8; Psalm 24:7–8). What mere man or prophet could or was ever described in this way?
The Apostle John also attributed titles to Jesus that were used only of God by describing him as the “Alpha and Omega” and the “First and the Last” (Revelation 22:13; 1:8, 17–18; cf. Isaiah 44:6).
The writer of Hebrews also gives insight into the identity of Jesus In Hebrews 1, Jesus (the Son) is identified as superior to any prophet (vv. 1–2), above the angels (v. 5), worthy of our worship (vv. 6–8; cf. Psalm 45:6–7), and the creator of all things who is unchangeable (vv. 2–3, 10; cf. Psalm 102:25). Hebrews further states that Jesus is “seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2; cf. Acts 2:30).
6). THE JEWS RECOGNISED JESUS CLAIM TO DIVINITY
The clearest evidence for the deity of Jesus is the Jewish leaders’ reaction to Jesus’ words and actions. (This is where Jews are at least more honest than Muslims with their blank denials). In Mark 2, Jesus not only heals a paralytic but also forgives his sins (Mark 2:5). This is the reason that the scribes cry blasphemy, for it is God alone who can forgive sins. (Mark 2:7)
Time and again, the charge of blasphemy is brought against Jesus:
“Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.” (John 10:32-33)
In his trial before the Sanhedrin Jesus is once again charged with blasphemy because of his response to the high priest’s question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” (Mark 14:61) Jesus responded, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). Then the high priest tore his clothes, charged Jesus with blasphemy, and condemned him to death (Mark 14:64). Why did the high priest respond that way? Because Jesus quoted from Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13–14 and applied the words to himself. In Daniel 7 the divine Son of Man comes before the Ancient of Days, and all peoples and nations serve him. The Pharisees recognize Jesus’ divine claim here and charge him with blasphemy, intending to put him to death.
For more on Mark 14;62 see Post: “FOUR WAYS JESUS SAID HE IS GOD IN ONE SENTENCE”
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7). THE EARLY CHURCH PRAYED TO JESUS
Prayer (a particular form of worship), is something that should be addressed to God alone, but Jesus calls his disciples to pray to him (John 14:13–14; 16:26). When Stephen is being stoned to death, he calls out to the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit. (Acts 7:59)
The term for “calling on” (epikaloumenon) recalls the appeal of Peter to the people in Acts 2:21 to “call on” (epikaleshtai – Strongs G1941) the Lord to be saved. Paul uses the same word to describe the Corinthians as those who “call upon [epikaleo] the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:2). In the Old Testament, people “called on” on the name of Yahweh (Joel 2:32). The Corinthians were people who addressed Jesus as Lord in prayer.
According to Paul, New Testament Christians were everywhere praying to Jesus.
“Paul. . . to the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.” (1 Corinthians 1:1–2).
It appears that Paul includes himself among those who called upon the name of Jesus. These prayers directed to Jesus were universal. And the present tense of “call” suggests that the prayers were on-going.
Again in Romans we find: “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). What is that name if not Jesus?
The very last prayer in the New Testament is addressed to Jesus by the Apostle John: “Even so come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). If it were wrong to petition Christ, John the inspired writer might have said, “Father, may the Son come.” But instead he gave us these words to also cry out to Jesus: “Even so, come!”
And in John 14:14 Jesus claims that He will answer our petitions. Jesus here says that He would answer prayer when we asked him anything in His name. So Jesus authorizes us to address Him in prayer when we come in His name—in His own authority, and in His will. And He promised that He would answer. Muslims who alone hears and answers prayers?
Prayers to Jesus are permitted and encouraged by Christ’s teaching in John 14:14, and by any passage in which Jesus says that we are to pray in His name. When Jesus told us to pray in His name, He wasn’t asking us to use a particular phrase at the end of each of our prayers, though the expression “in Jesus’ name, Amen” is certainly appropriate, and God-honoring. Jesus was actually asking us to come to God (any person of the Trinity) in His authority. We have the right to come to God and receive grace and help because of who Christ is, what He did for us, and what He promised. Indeed it is ONLY because of Christ that we have access to God at all.
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Those words apply just as much to our prayers as to our eternal destiny.
In John 10, Jesus claims that He knows His followers, His “sheep,” and that He calls them all by name. If our Shepherd calls us by our name (a most comforting thought), then why shouldn’t we also call upon Him by His name? At the very least, this passage indicates that real Christians have a personal, one-on-one, intimate relationship with Jesus. This enables us to talk to Jesus and listen for His voice.
Again, can we be at “at home” with Jesus and not be able to talk to Him directly?
“Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23)
And lest anyone suppose that praying to God as a man is a New Testament novelty, there is Old Testament precedent. Abraham did it when confronted by God who appeared to him as three men:
“My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant” (Genesis 18:3 KJV)
8). THE EARLY CHURCH WORSHIPPED JESUS
Jesus accepted and never refused worship from people (Matthew 2:2, 14:33, 28:9). One of the greatest examples of this comes from the lips of Thomas when he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). If Jesus was not divine, then Thomas made a serious error; but Jesus made no effort to correct Thomas in his worshipful accolade. On the contrary He marked it as a point of blessing to all who believe. Yet Peter (Acts 10:25–26), Paul and Barnabus (Acts 14:14–15), and the angel in Revelation (Revelation 22:8,9) all corrected others for trying to worship them, something Jesus never did.
The confession of deity here is unmistakable, clearly demonstrating that worship belongs only to God (Revelation 22:9) because Jesus accepted Thomas’s worship of him (John 20:29). Again Jesus accepts John’s worship in Revelation 1:17-18.
Also in Revelation, the elders and every creature in heaven and upon earth ascribe universal worship to “him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb” (Revelation 5:11–14; cf. John 1:29).
9). JESUS MADE CLAIMS THAT NO ORDINARY HUMAN BEING COULD EVER MAKE.
Jesus not only identified as God, but He also indicated His deity through His words and actions. Jesus said that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven we must first acknowledge and call him Lord (kurios, Romans 10:9; cf. Matthew 7:21). Just saying that Jesus is Lord does not get you into the Kingdom, but to enter the Kingdom you must confess Him as Lord. The entrance into God’s Kingdom, according to Jesus, is dependent upon a person’s knowledge of Him and His reciprocating knowledge of the person (Matthew 7:23).
Many times Jesus self identifies as our Lord and applies the title “Lord” to Himself. None more so than in the phrase “the Lord of the Sabbath” which is found in Matthew 12:8, Mark 2:28, and Luke 6:5. In all three instances Jesus is referring to Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath or, as Mark records it, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). In these verses, Jesus is proclaiming that He is the One who exercises authority even over the rules and regulations that govern the Sabbath day.
As such, Jesus was proclaiming to the world, especially to the legalistic Pharisees, that He was greater than the Law and above the laws of the Mosaic Covenant because, as God in flesh, He is the Author of those laws.
Jesus even promised rest to all those who come to Him (Matthew 11:28). Could Moses have ever made a claim like this? No! How could a human being give anyone rest from the Law? Jesus also claimed, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). God never gave any man or prophet all authority in heaven and on earth, but this same authority was given to the Son of Man in Daniel 7:13–14 (see also Matthew 26:64).
Other examples:
“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? (Luke 6:46)
“You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:13-14)
10). JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD
Muslims often point out that the words “Son of God” are not an exclusive title for Jesus. For example, in the Old Testament Israel was called God’s son (Exodus 4:22–23; Hosea 11:1), the king was called God’s son (Psalm 2:7), and the angels were called God’s sons (Job 38:7). Even in the New Testament, Adam and believers are referred to as son/s of God (Luke 3:38; Romans 8:14).
There is, however, a fundamental difference between an adopted son and the relational Son of God, the latter being a deity by nature. More than anyone else who has walked this earth, Jesus the Messiah is uniquely entitled to be called the Son of God (John 1:49, 11:27) – “the unique One, who is himself God” (monogenēs theos – see John 1:18 NLT). [2]
In the way He describes His Oneness with the Father, His exact likeness and His obedience in transmitting and doing only what His Father does, Jesus is reinforcing that unique father/son filial relationship.
The Father in like fashion also gives us a unique endorsement of His Son. Twice Matthew records at defining moments, God the Father in heaven saying of Jesus “This is My beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17 and 17:5).
Whatever Jesus said about Himself was so provocative that it led the Jewish leaders to call for his death for blasphemy.
In Jesus’ trial before Pilate, the Jewish leaders clearly understood that Jesus’ use of this term was not just generic, for they wanted him put to death: “We have a law, and according to that law He ought to die because He has made Himself the Son of God” (John 19:7; cf. John 10:36).
According to the Law, it was blasphemy to use God’s name (Leviticus 24:16). Therefore, by referring to himself as “the Son of God”, Jesus was claiming to share “the rights and authority of God himself (cf. [John] 1:34; 5:19–30).”
Muslims who say that Jesus never claimed to be God or the Son of God, must answer why He was crucified on the charge of blasphemy. Whatever Jesus said and the way He conducted Himself, must have been sufficiently provocative enough for the Jewish leaders to call for capital punishment on that charge of blasphemy.
Mark’s account is unambiguously clear and bears repeating:
“But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the BLASPHEMY! What do you think?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.” (Mark 14:61-64)
See Footnote [2] for comprehensive list of verses for Jesus as The Son of God.
CONCLUSIONS
The significance of all this is that failure to believe in Jesus as the Son of God brings judgement because we are already dead in our sins (see John 3:18, Ephesians 2:1), but believing in Jesus as the Son of God who died for sins, brings eternal life (see John 3:15–17, 6:40, 20:31).
Although there may be many questions and objections raised to Jesus’ deity, the New Testament, in particular the Gospel accounts clearly provides eye-witness testimony to the words, actions, and teachings of Jesus that prove His deity beyond doubt.
Make no mistake: “Another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4), a false Jesus based upon apocryphal gnostic sources, such as presented by Islam, cannot save you. Quite simply, if we do not get the identity of Jesus right, we will die in our sins (John 8:24).
Notice the substantive determining issue is NOT what Jesus taught, but who He is. Muslims your destiny is determined by how you will answer Jesus question which we must all answer,“Who do you say that I am?”
Footnotes:
[1] This claim is clearly contradicted not only by the Scripture but by the statements of the early Church. For example, the early church Father Ignatius Bishop of Antioch (AD 35–108, who was a disciple of John the Apostle) taught the divinity of Jesus: “There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and spirit; both made and not made; God existing in flesh; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first possible and then impossible, even Jesus Christ our Lord. . . . But our Physician is the only true God, the unbegotten and unapproachable, the Lord of all, the Father and Begetter of the only-begotten Son. We have also as a Physician the Lord our God, Jesus the Christ, the only-begotten Son and Word, before time began, but who afterwards became also man, of Mary the virgin.” The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians (Chapter VII “Beware of False Teachers,”
www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-ephesians-longer.html).
[2] Jesus as The Son of God references:
□ Firstly, the angel Gabriel in announcing the birth of Jesus to Mary:
“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)
□ Then Jesus specifically referred to Himself as ‘The Son of God’ on at least 2 occasions:
“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” (John 9:35-38)
Again in the next chapter of John:
“Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” (John 10:36)
And a third example where Martha the sister of Lazarus uses the title Son of God of Him and Jesus did not rebuke or correct her, on the contrary He affirmed it by declaring He had the power over life and death and is THE LIFE AND RESURRECTION which power belongs to God the giver of life alone:
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” (John 11:25-27)
□ Peter’s confession blessed by Jesus
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” And Jesus responded, “Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-17)
□ Psalm 2:7:
“I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”
□ Quoted by the writer of Hebrews in 1:5 (See also Hebrews 5:5 below)
“For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”?”
□ Matthew 3:17:
“and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
□ Matthew 17:5:
“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
□ “Son of God” references in the Gospel of Mark:
“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1)
“And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
“and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” (Mark 1:24)
“Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, “You are the Son of God!” (Mark 3:11)
“and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” (Mark 5:7)
“Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38)
“Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son,the Beloved; listen to him!” (Mark 9:7)
“He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ (Mark 12:6)
“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mark 13:32)
“He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” (Mark 14:36)
“But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61)
“Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” (Mark 15:39)
□ John 1:14:
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
□ 1 John 4:10:
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
□ John 14:13:
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
□ John 5:19:
“Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
□ John 5:22-23:
“The Father, in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”
□ John 5:26
“For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;”
□ Luke 8:28:
“Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.”
□ Acts 13:33:
“that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ “
□ Hebrews 5:5:
“So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.” “
□ Luke 3:22:
“and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
□ 2 Peter 1:17
“For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”-“
□ Luke 9:35:
“Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!””
□ Romans 1:4:
“who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,”
□ Matthew 2:15:
“He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.”
□ Luke 20:13 -14:
“The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so the inheritance will be ours!’ ” (See also Matthew 21:33-41)
□ Hebrews 1:8 (quoting Psalm 45:6-7):
“But of the Son He says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.”
□ 1 John 5:9:
“If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.”
22 Scriptures that Prove Jesus is God
1). The Father calls His Son (Jesus) God
Hebrews 1:8
“8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”
2). Revelation 1:7-8 says that Jesus is the Almighty.
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