The Resurrection of Palestine

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The Columbia Encyclopedia tells us that the word, “Palestine,” comes from the word “Philistine.” When the Philistines moved to the land of Canaan, they settled along the Mediterranean coast, in the area we now call the “Gaza Strip.” The Philistines were an exceptionally united people. They built five major cities, including Gaza, and created a powerful federation. As testimony to their strength, the whole region became known as “Palestine.”

More than 3,000 years ago, a people known as “Hebrew Israelites” conquered Canaan/Palestine, and renamed the land “Israel.” As a tiny nation that worshiped One invisible God, the Hebrew society's values and customs differed from its neighbor nations that worshiped more than 2,000 visible gods. Still, for all its uniquness,Israel survived for over 1,000 years.

Through the Hebrews, the world received the Ten Commandments, which tell men to love God and to “...love your neighbor as yourself...” (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18). If, tomorrow, every human being suddenly began to “love” his neighbors the world over — and, therefore, refrain from doing to anyone what he would not want done to himself —the world as we have made it would instantly change. Yet, it’s hard for us to even imagine that loving world, much less imagine it materializing tomorrow! Nevertheless, if you are among the persons who say, “People will never change” or “The world will always be the same,” you’re forgetting that we can now wreak the prophesied “utter destruction” (Mal. 3:24/4:6) on our world! You’re also totally dismissing the Messiah who, we’re promised, will reign over a world thoroughly cleansed of man’s hateful doings.

Before the Hebrews had even entered Canaan/Palestine, Moses spoke of a time when God would grow weary of their continual disobedience, and they would be “...driven out [of the land] to the farthest parts under heaven...” (Deut. 30:4). Then, they would become “…an oath and an astonishment and a curse and a reproach” (Jer. 44:12), a prophecy we’ve definitely seen fulfilled! But Moses also assured the Hebrews that eventually God “...will have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you” (Deut. 30:3). After that, they will become “…a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth” (Zeph. 3:20) — a prophecy we have yet to witness!

Atheists who, with arrogant certainty, dismiss the Prophets as liars or dupes can deeply offend believers. But people who call themselves “believers,” while arrogantly annulling God’s unwelcome messages about Israel's restoration, could be even more offensive to God. For, as Muhammad told us, “...who is more wicked than he who gives no heed to the revelations of his Lord when reminded of them?” (Adoration 32:22).

The Prophet, Isaiah, warned, “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isa. 5:21). Muhammad explained, “They draw a line between God and His apostles, saying, ‘We believe in some but deny others.’” And Jesus cut to the quick of our problem in one sentence: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25).

The Hebrew Scriptures foretold ancient Israel’s eviction, and the same Scriptures promised that someday Israel would be resurrected. No where on earth does a single line of any religion’s Scripture foretell the resurrection of a nation called Palestine!

A “Catch Up” Session

Today, to help new visitors quickly understand what I’m “getting at,” I’ll summarize some previous posts, beginning with my first entry:

“Let’s Hear It From the Koran”
When Islam emerged as the third monotheistic religion, Muslims, obeying Muhammad, became dedicated to reducing the number of “unbelievers” in the world, by peacefully introducing Islam to idolaters — or by killing them if they broke their peace treaties. Today, “extremist” Muslims devoutly believe it is time to cleanse the earth of all unbelievers. And they now identify “unbelievers,” or “infidels,” as everyone who does not strictly adhere to their particular “version” of Islam, an identification that includes all Jews, Christians, heathens, skeptics and even some of their fellow Muslims.
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To Begin With, We Must Choose our Weapons
During the war in Afghanistan, some Muslim extremists left a message for everyone, everywhere, on a blackboard in a school where they had trained. They warned us: “We will continue our jihad until the end of the world.”

Because the extremists sincerely believe that God is “with them” in their jihad,their "struggle", to convert or destroy all infidels, they will use whatever weapons they must to accomplish their goal. Therefore, they WILL use nuclear weapons, if needed and when they are able, even if those weapons will ultimately destroy the world as we have known it. After all, they perceive the destruction of today’s “degenerate” world to be their “holy duty,” which they must accomplish one way or another. So, the rest of the world’s population must now “choose their weapons.”

We could try to eradicate an ever-growing coalition of religious fanatics, scattered anonymously throughout the world, by using the conventional tactics and weapons of war. But, to succeed, we’d have to identify and destroy all of them before some of them acquire the nuclear weapons they are willing to use! That method doesn’t look promising.

Or, we can use nuclear weapons against nations that support the extremists, while desperately hoping we won’t destroy the world in our frantic effort to keep them from doing it!

OR, in this time of unprecedented danger, the world can answer the religious fanatics with an unprecedented understanding of religious teachings!
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What Am I Doing?
In effect, I am telling the clerics of Judaism, Christianity and Islam that their divisive interpretations of their own Holy Scriptures have incited every Religious War throughout monotheism’s history, including today’s “Holy War.” All the while, the teachings of the Prophets, themselves, provide a unified knowledge.

The Prophets of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, whose messages are preserved in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Bible and the Koran, provided knowledge of the Lord God of Abraham and the Messiah He promised to send us. The combined teachings of all three Books could greatly enlarge our understanding of our omnisicient, omnipotent, omnipresent Creator. But the clerics of each religion have never combined those teachings. Instead, they’ve each interpreted their own Prophets’ messages and declared their interpretations, alone, to be “the truth, as best man can know it.” The “truth,” however, as the clerics see it, has only managed to persuade Jews, who traditionally believe in a coming Messiah, to reject Jesus as the Messiah, which makes Christians hate Jews, which convinces Muslims that Islam has supplanted both religions, which incites Jews and Christians to hate Muslims!
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The Coming War, Part II
Ironically, the essence of monotheism’s never-ending argument is concisely expressed in two of Muhammad’s teachings. First, Muhammad denounced the Jews for denying “the Messiah, Jesus.” Second, Muhammad severely warned the Christians: “Do not say three…God is but one God…The Messiah Jesus does not disdain to be a servant of God” (Women 4:171-172).

Jews and Christians have not only argued over the Messiah’s identity, they have despised each other because of their opposing beliefs about the “One God” or a “Trinity.” But both “families” became enraged by an “illiterate camel driver” who dared to correct their beliefs about Jesus. Forever after, both the Jews and the Christians, each for their own reasons, have imperiously dismissed Muhammad and his religion as “frauds.” And forever after, the Muslims have hated Jews and Christians.
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Of Course I’m Dreaming
The Prophets described a world bathed in “...blood and fire and pillars of smoke...” (Joel 2:30); a time when “...the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light...” (Matt. 24:29); when “...darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the peoples...” (Isa. 60:2). In other words, a time we can now recognize as the “nuclear winter” that scientists tell us would follow a nuclear war.

But the Prophet Malachi offered a “way out.” He told us that if “the fathers” and “the children” turn their hearts to each other, God will not “…smite the land with utter destruction” (Mal. 3:23-24/4:5-6.) The “fathers” of monotheism are the Hebrews and their descendants, the Jews. The “children” of monotheism are the Christians and Muslims.

Yet, deliverance from a nuclear holocaust does not have to depend solely on the proud, self-satisfied “fathers” and “children” of monotheism. If enough skeptics and heathens would acknowledge the looming fulfillment of monotheism’s most horrifying prophecies, they would reconsider their total rejection of the Prophets. If, then, they embraced the God Who precisely foretold what could now befall us, their “conversion” would severely shake the self-satisfaction of the “know-it-all” believers of all three religions — including the “fanatic” Muslims!

Muslim extremists are not ignorant, unthinking people! They sincerely believe it is time for the world, as we have made it, to end. And they could be right.

The Prophets spoke of an “end of days,” but we have no reason to believe the world will physically end, since there are also glorious prophecies of God’s “kingdom” on earth. So, we can reasonably anticipate the end of the hate-filled “days” we have known throughout human history. And it now appears it could be the “hateful Muslim fanatics” attacking the “hateful Christians and Jews” who will bring on “the end!” Yet, we’re also told we can end these days without horrific destruction — and I dream of that happening, though my common sense tells me it won’t! Still, I’d rather dream of awakening us than sit idly and watch it happen.

To the 12 Students Who Are “Willing”:

A commentator on my last post, speaking for “12 students” of Christianity, didn’t leave a name. But I’m hoping those students epitomize many students of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in their willingness to listen to what all the Prophets tell us about God!

To be sure, I realize that those “12” are probably more unique than typical of “believers.” But I’m sort of hoping the students are young! Lately, I find myself “wishing” for youth to hear me, because, too often when I speak of a nuclear war and its winter aftermath to “older people,” especially my fellow “seniors,” they don’t want to even think of the war that could be coming. Youth must be more realistic — and even the “middle-aged,” since they know it could really happen to them. We “seniors” like to believe we won’t be here to endure it!

In truth, every single one of us urgently needs an understanding of the Muslim “fanatics” and the “Holy War” they believe they must wage against we “infidels,” as the extremists describe everyone who does not embrace their faith. But the word, "Islam," means “submission to God,” and in one way or another, billions of people try to lovingly ”submit” to Him, regardless of the Name they use for Him and their particular religion. So, I’ll keep on dreaming that the young, the “in between,” and even the old will not be afraid to learn about God from all the Prophets. We have nothing to lose by trying to improve our understanding, except a little of our time, which, after all, isn’t ours to keep anyway!

Of Course I’m Dreaming!

In a comment on my last post, a fellow blogger, Daniel Morgan, (see my Links) said that if I really think I can make people “…be more inclusive in their religious views…you're dreaming.”

Yes, for years I’ve “dreamed” that enough people will enlarge their understanding of God and His messages, by believing all the Prophets of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. By so doing, we could avoid the fulfillment of the most dreaded prophecies.

For example, the Prophets foretold a world bathed in “...blood and fire and pillars of smoke...” (Joel 2:30); of a time when “...the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light...” (Matt. 24:29); when “...darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the peoples...” (Isa. 60:2). In other words, the time of the “nuclear winter” that scientists tell us would follow a nuclear war.

But the Prophet Malachi offered us a “way out.” He told us that if “the fathers” and “the children” turn their hearts to each other, God will not “…smite the land with utter destruction” (Mal.3:23-24/4:5-6.) The “fathers” of monotheism are the Hebrews and their descendants, the Jews. The “children” of monotheism are the Christians and Muslims.

Although some clerical interpretations of the Hebrew, Christian and Muslim Scriptures have divided believers and driven them to kill each other, the Prophets’ combined messages can inspire our urgently needed “change of heart.” Some Prophets, however, each in his own way, appear to say that the world will definitely suffer a “...great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21). That ominous prophecy implies that too many believers will ignore Malachi’s advice and refuse to turn their hearts to the persons they “know” should be hated!

But it isn’t only current “believers” that could help. If enough skeptics and heathens would acknowledge the pending fulfillment of monotheism’s most horrifying prophecies, they could reconsider their total rejection of the Prophets. If, then, they embraced the God Who precisely foretold what could now befall us, their “conversion” would shake the self-satisfaction of the “know-it-all” believers of all three religions — including the “fanatic” Muslims!

Muslim extremists are not ignorant, unthinking people, blindly obeying their clerics! They sincerely believe it is time for them to cleanse the earth of “unbelievers,” and thereby end the world as we have made it. Therefore, they consider it their God-given duty to do whatever is needed to make the world “Islamic,” which includes the use of nuclear weapons. And, in a sense, they could be right!

Certainly, the Prophets spoke of an “end of days,” (Dan. 10:14; Isa.2:2), which does not mean the world will end, but we will be done with the hate-filled “days” we have known throughout human history. It now appears that it could be the Muslim fanatics who will bring it on! But we can end these days without horrific destruction — and I dream of that happening, though my common sense tells me it won’t. Still, I’d rather “dream” of awakening us than sit idly and watch it happen.

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I'm taking a moment to digress from my "theme," to suggest that visitors to this site take a peek at the sites I've listed as Links. The Links represent a very diverse group of "bloggers," presenting all manner of opinions very opposite mine! I believe if you'll thoughtfully read them, you could find that I am approaching our very real and urgent world crisis with ideas that are extremely unique--which is what we must have in this unique time in human history!

Never before have humans been threatened by a worldwide "nuclear war," and all the chaos it will produce. We need to "get smarter" about the God Who explicitly warned us of this time, through the Hebrew Prophets, who also told us how to avoid the destruction. You have nothing to lose by contemplating the subject except a little of your time--which, after all, isn't yours to keep anyway! And which, after all, may not last much longer if we won't learn enough to persuade the "Muslim fanatics" to rethink their own beliefs.

Monotheism in a Small Nutshell

To counter the extremist beliefs of today’s “religious terrorists,” we need the wisdom and courage to improve our own religious understanding. To accomplish that, we first need to recall some elementary historical facts.

The Hebrew Prophets delivered messages to their tribesmen, which they tell us came from the One and Only unseen but omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent “Lord God,” introduced by a man named Abraham. But the Hebrews were never instructed to seek converts to their faith among their heathen neighbors, who avidly worshipped more than 2,000 “visible” gods. So, Abraham’s unseen God was scarcely noticed by anyone outside the tiny Hebrew nation of Israel.

Around 1400 years after Moses delivered the laws that still govern the Hebrews, the Christians emerged from among Israel’s small population. Unlike the Hebrews, the Christians were distinctly told to “spread the word,” and, ever since, they have never ceased to reveal God to an attentive worldwide audience. The early Christians not only succeeded in converting uncountable heathens to a belief in One God, they also introduced mankind’s Messiah, a “visible Being,” to whom the heathens, accustomed to worshiping visible gods, could readily relate.

About six hundred years later, Muhammad did for his tribesmen in Arabia, what the Christian missionaries could not accomplish there. He persuaded numberless heathens, who had completely rejected Christianity’s messages, to believe in Abraham’s “Lord God.” But, while delivering the messages that became the Koran, Muhammad chastised both the Jews and the Christians for their erroneous interpretations of their own Sacred Writings. In short, he unequivocally refuted the divisive teachings that still incite Jews and Christians to scorn and hate each other.

Specifically, Muhammad’s messages established the absolute validity of the “Messiah Jesus.” And he clearly rebuked Judaism’s clergy for rejecting Jesus as the fulfillment of the Hebrew’s traditional belief in a coming Messiah. But, Muhammad also rebuked Christianity’s clergy, which, by Muhammad’s time, had long since officially identified Jesus as the Second Member of a Holy Trinity,“God, the Son.” That “title” still disgusts Jews and Muslims, who remain solely dedicated to the One and Only, invisible “Lord God” of Abraham. In reality, throughout Christianity’s history onto today, some people who identify themselves as “Christians” reject the concept of Jesus as “God Incarnate” and acknowledge him solely as the world’s promised Messiah, recognized by the first Christians, before their clergy “enlarged” his identity, centuries later.

In those few paragraphs, we have the most essential messages of the three religions. So, everyone who believes in Abraham’s Lord God, and believes that Jesus is mankind’s Messiah, and believes that “the Messiah does not disdain to be a servant of God” (Women 4:172), as Muhammad described Jesus, is essentially a Jew, Christian and Muslim, though they might not acknowledge it! But, their religions “practices” can differentiate them from their fellow believers, if that’s important to them! We’ll discuss some of those religious practices next time.


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To Begin With, We Must Choose our Weapons

In the beginning, there was the World Trade Center horror. Then came the war in Afghanistan. During that war, some Muslim “fanatics” left a message for everyone, everywhere, on a blackboard in a school where they had trained. They warned us: “We will continue our jihad until the end of the world.”

If you are wise, you will believe they mean what they said! Phrases in the Koran tell us that someday everyone in the world will be a “Muslim.” The word “Muslim” means “one who submits” to God’s Will. Therefore, Muhammad’s words in the Koran can simply mean that someday everyone in the world will believe in and submit to the Lord God of Abraham. But, to the “fanatical” sect of Muslims, it means that everyone in the world will worship God exactly as they do. Today, that rapidly growing sect honestly believes it is their God-given duty to establish an “Islamic world.” To do so, they must cleanse the earth of infidels. They define “infidels” as everyone who does not worship God as they do, which includes Jews, Christians, and even some of their fellow Muslims.

Because the fanatics sincerely believe that God is “with them” in their “Holy War” to convert or destroy His “enemies,” they will use whatever weapons are needed to accomplish their goal. Therefore, they WILL use nuclear weapons, when they are ready and able, even if those weapons would ultimately destroy the world as we have known it. After all, destruction of today’s world, one way or another, is their “sacred goal.”

So, the rest of the world’s population now has to “choose their weapons!” We can try to kill an ever-increasing horde of religious fanatics, scattered throughout the world, by using the conventional tactics and weapons of war, in the hope we can destroy enough of them to end their threat BEFORE they acquire the nuclear weapons they are willing to use. But, killing fanatics who are sincerely eager to die in “God’s cause” will definitely breed more fanatics seeking to become martyrs.

Or, we can fight them with nuclear weapons, wherever we can find them, before they can retaliate in kind, while hoping we don’t destroy the world in our frantic effort to keep them from doing it.

OR, the world can answer their thinking with new, improved ideas!
In my next post, we’ll begin to examine the “new, improved” thinking that could actually persuade the fanatics to rethink their own beliefs!

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