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2/1/06 See "Printable" button below for "easy to print" format. The Fuse of Armageddon, part 3 by Hal Lindsey (2003 article)
Islam's
Claim To Jerusalem By
far the most volatile and dangerous situation in the world today is the
Moslem belief that Jerusalem is their 3rd Holiest Site. It is this
fierce, passionate religious belief that sets up an explosive impasse
that is impossible to resolve. In
part two of this study, I set forth the Jewish claims to Jerusalem. They
are rooted in 3000 years of history, most of which is recorded in of the
Bible. Jewish passion for Jerusalem is at least equal to, if not greater
than, the Moslem passion for the Holy City. It
is therefore important to understand the exact basis and origin of the
Moslem claim to Jerusalem. It
is also important to bear in mind that in the Arab world of the Middle
East, myths are as important as facts. Millions have died fighting over
myths. Historically,
the Arab mind has been especially gifted at creating the most wonderful
legends and myths. “Flying Carpets”, “1001 Arabian nights”,
“Genies in bottles that grant your wishes” – are just a few of the
amazing legends that came from the Arabian culture. These
‘gifts’ were not lost in the establishing of the Moslem claim to
Jerusalem. The
rest of this report is based on a scholarly article written by Dr. M.
Kedar of the Arabic Department of the University of Bar-Ilan in
Ramat-Gan, Israel. I
quote him virtually verbatim, except for a few minor changes to make the
article more understandable to American readers. [The following is quoted from Dr. M. Kedar’s article] When
the Prophet Mohammad established Islam, he introduced a minimum of
innovations. He
employed the hallowed personages, historic legends and sacred sites of
Judaism, Christianity and even paganism, by Islamizing them. Thus,
according to Islam, Abraham was the first Moslem and Jesus and John (who
he deems both sons of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron) were
prophets and guardians of the second heaven. Many
Biblical legends (Arabic: “astir al-awwalim”), which were familiar
to the pagan Arabs before the dawn of Islam, underwent an Islamic
conversion. Both the Koran and the Hadith (the Islamic oral traditions)
are replete with them. Islamization
was practiced on places as well as persons. For instance, Mecca and the
holy stone known as the “al-Ka’bah” were holy sites of the
pre-Islamic pagan Arabs. The
Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and the Great Mosque of Istanbul were erected
on the sites of Christian-Byzantine Churches. These are just two of the
better-known examples of how Islam treats sanctuaries of other faiths. [Very
important to the main point of this series,] Jerusalem also underwent
the process of Islamization. At first Mohammad attempted to convince the
Jews near Medina to join his young community. In
an effort to persuade the Jews to accept him as a prophet, Mohammad
established the direction of prayer (Arabic: kiblah) to be northward
towards Jerusalem, in keeping with the Jewish practice. But
when the Jews continued to reject him and call him a false prophet, he
killed many of them and re-directed the kiblah southward towards Mecca. Mohammad’s
abandonment of Jerusalem explains the fact that this city is not
mentioned even once in the Koran. When the Moslems first occupied
Palestine, they established its capital in Ramlah, which was 30 miles to
the west of Jerusalem. This
clearly signified that Jerusalem had no special meaning to them at that
time. [I
add this comment. Jerusalem was first conquered by Walid, who was called
“The Sword of Allah”, in August of AD635. He was one of Islam’s
best warriors and served under Caliph Omar. Caliph Omar himself did not
come to Jerusalem until February of AD638. He made the Christians clean
the squalor off of the Temple Mount and then built a wooden Mosque over
the great rock there. HL] Jerusalem’s
special ‘holiness’, however, was not discovered until about 50 years
after Mohammad’s death. In 682 CE, ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr rebelled
against the Islamic rulers in Damascus, conquered Mecca and prevented
pilgrims from reaching Mecca for the Hajj. ‘Abd
al-Malik, the Umayyad Caliph, needed an alternative site for the
pilgrimage and settled on Jerusalem, which was then under his control. In
order to justify this choice, a verse from the Koran was chosen. Surah
17, verse 1, as translated by Majid Fakhn, says, “Glory to Him who
caused His servant to travel by night from the Sacred Mosque to the
Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We have blessed, in order to show him
some of Our Signs. He is indeed the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” The
meaning ascribed to this verse (see commentary in al-Jallalayn) is that
the “furthest mosque” (Arabic: al-Masjid al-Aqsa) is in Jerusalem
and that Mohammad was conveyed there one night (although at that time
the journey took three days by camel) on the back of al-Buraq, a magical
horse with the head of a woman, wings of an eagle, the tale of a peacock
and hoofs reaching to the horizon. According
to recent legend, he tethered the horse to the Western Wall of the
Temple Mount and from there ascended to the seventh heaven together with
the angel Gabriel. On his way he met the prophets of other religions who
are guardians of heaven. Among
these were Adam, Jesus, St. John, Joseph, Idris (Seth?), Aaron, Moses
and Abraham who accompanied him on his way to Allah and who accepted him
as their master. Thus
Islam tries to gain legitimacy over other, older religions, by creating
a scene in which the former prophets agree to Mohammad’s mastery, thus
making him “the Seal of the Prophets” (Arabic: Khatam al Anbiya’
). Not
surprisingly, this miraculous account contradicts a number of the tenets
of Islam: How can a living man of flesh and blood ascend to heaven? How
can a mythical creature carry a mortal to a real destination? Questions
such as these have caused orthodox Moslem thinkers to conclude that the
nocturnal journey was a dream of Mohammad’s. The Journey and the
ascent serves Islam to “go one better” than the Bible: Moses
“only” went up to Mt Sinai, I the middle of nowhere and drew close
to heaven, whereas Mohammad went al the way up to Allah, and from
Jerusalem itself. What
are the difficulties with the belief that the al-Aqsa mosque described
in Islamic tradition is located in Jerusalem? For
one, the people of Mecca, who knew Mohammad well, did not believe this
story. Only Abu Bakr, (later the first Caliph), believed him and thus
was called “the believer” (Arabic: al-Siddiq). The
second difficulty is that Islamic tradition specifically says that al
Aqsa mosque was near Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula. This was
unequivocally stated in “Kitab al-Maghazi” (see Oxford UP, 1966,
vol. 3, page 958-9), which is a book by the Moslem historian and
geographer al-Waqidi. According
to al-Waqidi, there were two places of prayer (Arabic: masjeds) in al-Gi’ranah,
which was a village between Mecca and Ta’if. One was “the closer
Mosque” (al-masjid al-adana). The other was “the further mosque (al-masjid
al-aqsa). It was at the al-masjid al-aqsa mosque that Mohammad prayed
when he went out of town. This
description by al-Waqidi, which is supported by a chain of authorities,
was not “convenient” for the Islamic propaganda of the 7th century. In
order to establish a basis for the awareness of the ‘holiness’ of
Jerusalem in Islam, the Caliphs of the Ummayad dynasty invented many
‘traditions’ upholding the value of Jerusalem for the faithful
Moslems. This
is the al-Masjid al-Aqsa was ‘transported’ from al-Gi’ranah in
Arabia to Jerusalem. It
should be noted that Saladin also adopted the myth of al-Aqsa and those
‘traditions’ in order to recruit and inflame the Moslem warriors
against the Crusaders in the 12th century. Another
aim of the Islamization of Jerusalem was to undermine the legitimacy of
the older religions, Judaism and Christianity, which consider Jerusalem
to be a holy city. Islam
is presented as the only legitimate religion destined to totally replace
these two, as well as all other religions. The
Koran teaches that Jews and Christians changed and distorted the
original Word of Allah, each in its turn. [An
excellent source of the alleged forgeries of the Scriptures (Arabic:
ghyyarouwa-baddalou) made by Jews and Christians is in the third chapter
of M. J. Kister, “haddithu ‘an bani israil wa-la haraha”, IOS 2
(1972), pp 215-239. Kister quotes dozens of Islamic source.] Though
Judaism and Christianity can exist side by side in Jerusalem, Islam
regards both of them as betrayals of Allah and his teachings, and has
always done, and will continue to do, all in its power to expel both of
them from Jerusalem. It
is interesting to note that his expulsion is retroactive: The Islamic
broadcasts to the Palestinian radio constantly make it a point to claim
that the Jews never had a temple on the Temple Mount and certainly not
two temples. (Where, then according to them did Jesus preach?) Arafat,
himself a secular person (just ask the Hamas), is doing today exactly
what the Caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty did 1300 years ago. He is
marshalling the holiness of Jerusalem to serve his political ends. He
must never give control of Jerusalem over to the Jews. According to
Islam, the wrath of Allah would fall upon them (Arabic: al-maghdhoub
‘alayhim. Surah 1:7) because Jews are impure unbelievers under
Allah’s curse. According
to the Koran, Jews are “sons of monkeys and pigs” (Surah 5:60).
Modern Moslems commonly appeal to this verse as the basis of their
favorite description of Jews. They
are forever the inheritors of hell (3:1, 12). Since true Muslims believe
these things, how can Arafat or any other Muslim abandon the 3rd Holiest
place in Islam to the Jews? [This is the end of the quote from Dr. M.
Kedar] When
Myths Intoxicate According
to the Hebrew prophet Zechariah (chapter 12, verses 2 & 3), this
Moslem mythology about Jerusalem is going to become the fuse that lights
off Armageddon. All of the nations of the region are going to become
intoxicated over Jerusalem. Because
of this religiously inspired ‘intoxication’, Jerusalem is to become
a burdensome stone to the whole world, ending with all nations going to
war over it. In
the world of AD2002, this predicted situation is already here. It is
only a matter of God’s timing before all of this explodes into an all
enveloping war that will drag the planet into a holocaust so horrific
that only the Coming of the Messiah Jesus can stop it. Ezekiel’s
Warning To Islam Ezekiel
makes a very unusual prophecy about the descendents of “all Edom”
and also the former inhabitants of Mount Seir, who were the children of
Esau that co-mingled with the descendents of Ishmael. (Ezek. 35:15) The
term ‘all Edom’ is frequently used by the prophets to refer to all
Arabs in the last days. The
time to which this prophecy applies is given as, “…
at the time of the punishment OF THE END.” (Ezek. 35:5) This
means the Tribulation period that immediately precedes the Messiah’s
coming. The
first reason God is going to judge these people is this, “Because
you have had EVERLASTING ENMITY and have delivered the sons of Israel to
the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, AT THE TIME OF THE
PUNISHMENT OF THE END, therefore, ‘as I live’, declares the Lord
God, ‘I will give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue
you; since you have not hated bloodshed, therefore bloodshed will pursue
you. And I will make Mount Seir a waste and desolation, and I will cut
off from it the one who passes through and returns. And I will fill its
mountains with its slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all
your ravines those slain by the sword will fall. I will make you an
everlasting desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you
will know that I am the Lord’” (Ezek. 35:5-9) It
is about this ‘EVERLASTING ENMITY OR HATRED’ that I wrote in my new
book. The hatred that began in the hearts of Ishmael and Esau became
institutionalized in Islam. This hatred will become a roaring,
all-consuming flame in the conflict over Jerusalem. The
second reason for judging them is, “Because
you [Arabs] have said, ‘These two nations and these two lands [i.e.,
Israel and Judah] will be mine, and WE WILL
POSSESS THEM,’ ALTHOUGH THE LORD WAS THERE, ‘therefore, as I
live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘I will deal with you according to
YOUR ANGER and according to YOUR ENVY which you showed because of YOUR
HATRED against them; so I will make Myself known among them when I judge
you [Arabs]. (Ezekiel 35:10-11) Note
that Ezekiel, speaking from the perspective of ‘the end times’, says
they are doubly guilty for taking over the land of Israel, because they
know “THE LORD WAS THERE.” This
could only be referring to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. The Koran
acknowledges that Jesus, the Lord, was in the Holy Land. It also
acknowledges He was a prophet and the Messiah. But it blatantly denies
His claim of being the Son of God. It makes Jesus subordinate to
Mohammad. Therefore they are held especially guilty before the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The
final basis of Ezekiel’s warning to Islam is, “You
have spoken arrogantly against Me and have multiplied your words against
Me; I have heard it.” (Ezek. 35:13) The
Allah of the Koran is not the God of the Bible. All of the claims of
Allah’s superiority over the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and over
Jesus, who is set forth in the Word of God as co-equal and co-eternal
with God the Father, are blasphemy – and the LORD has heard them all. Because
of this, Ezekiel warns, “Thus says the Lord
God, ‘As all the earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation. As you
rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was
desolate, so I will do to you. You will be a desolation, O Mount Seir,
and ALL EDOM, ALL OF IT. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
(Ezek. 35:14-15) The
true GOD and LORD of heaven and earth is soon coming back to earth. The
Apostle John saw a preview of His return, “And
I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is
called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war
… He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood and His name is called the
Word of God … and on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written,
‘KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORD’S.’” (Revelation 19:11, 13, 16)
When this happens, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that
Jesus is LORD. Hope
For These Last Days Jesus,
the Messiah, anticipated these days. He promised, “Let
not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My
Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have
told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where
I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.
Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do
we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth,
and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.’” (John
14:1-6) The
Lord Jesus purchased a pardon for all mankind. He died for the Moslems,
Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Gentiles, agnostics, atheists, et.al. All
one needs to do is confess that you have broken God’s laws and
acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord who died for you sins. Then receive
the gift of pardon for sin that He purchased for you. Immediately, He
will give you forgiveness, eternal life and a new spirit that can
understand and know him. The choice is yours. Don’t blow it. Eternity
is a long time to regret it.
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