Islam

Muslims look back to Abraham

Islam teaches regard for ancient Biblical prophets and it has many views and practices in common with Judaism and some with Christians...

These include their dietary code. They abstain from pork as taught in the book of Leviticus. They do not smoke--"You shall not commit murder" (of yourself) nor do they drink alcohol--"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whoever is deceived thereby is not wise," Proverbs 20:1. Islam also regards homo-sexuality as wrong. They believe in the sanctity of marriage, in not lying or stealing, nor murdering  innocent people.

They also share the common belief that Abraham was tested by God and asked to sacrifice his son who was spared by a ram that was caught in a bush and sacrificed instead of his son.

Islam celebrates this in the feast of Al-Adha and it has a similarity to a Jewish and Christian practice. Islam teaches that it was Ishmael that Abraham was asked to sacrifice. The Bible says it was Isaac.

Because the Bible has a depth of meaning, perhaps we can find additional insights that would help us to see which is true, for much depends on truth or facts.

Islam reveres Daniel as a prophet. His book has a vision for "the time of the end," Daniel 8:17.

The vision is about a ram pushing west, north and south. This angers a goat that flies from the west and subdues this militant ram, breaking both its horns.

Gabriel (highest angel in heaven) tells Daniel the two horns on the ram represent the kings of Media and Persia, but since this is about "the time of the end," we would say it's about Iraq and Iran. Daniel 8:20.

Looking back, we can see that this (Muslim) ram got its horns caught in a Bush. One horn (Saddam) is already broken. The imagery suggests sacrificing a Muslim ram spares Isaac's descendents (Israel) in the time of the end.

In the vision, Islam is represented by a ram--a more noble creature than a goat in the Bible. And those who adhere to the non-militant teachings of Islam may be better than Christians or Jews who do not live up to biblical teachings that should unify us. 

Another great unifying principle is found in the Al-Adha in the Injeel-- http://www.injil.org/Books/adha.htm

Judaism

Jews look back to Abraham

Like Islam, Judaism teaches one God and Jews look back to Moses, the central figure on the entrance to the US Supreme Court who wrote the first comprehensive code of law, Mal 4:4

When men in World War II were getting sick eating eel and other things, the Navy did a study and found that if the creature had scales and fins as the law in Leviticus says, it was safe. Levitical law also precluded eating the fat and blood of meat, now known to raise cholesterol and a possibly risk for cancer, Leviticus 3:17. Other health practices based on "You shall not commit murder" (of one's self) result in health and longevity.

Jewish dress code was modest and "the woman shall not wear that which pertains unto a man," Deuteronomy 22:5.

The law forbids false witness, stealing, murder and even wanting what is not ours, and it commands no other gods to be held than the Creator who brought them out of Egypt.

"The LORD our God is one LORD," Deuteronomy 6:4. But the word for God is elohim, the plural form of el. It reminds us of Genesis, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness."

Furthermore, the word for "one" is echad, and it is used to convey the combined unity of two dissimilar entities as we see in Genesis 1--"the evening and the morning were day one (echad). Also, man should cleave to his wife and they would become one (echad). Yes, God (plural) is also one--one in purpose, one in wisdom, power and positive attributes like love, justice, mercy, patience.

Rabbis recognize the shekinah as a feminine presence over the ark. Rabbi Shaul referred to the "whole family in heaven" and said, "Jerusalem which is above is the mother of us all." Ephesians 3:15; Galatians 4:26.

This also allows for Abraham's test to sacrifice his son as a reflection of God's willingness to give His son, typified by the Passover lamb (Messiah died at Passover). "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4.

He died at the end of the 69 weeks of years (Daniel 9:24-27 and is referred to as "Son" in Psalm 2:12 and Proverbs 30:4. He says, "They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him..." Zechariah 12:10.

"He shall cause sacrifice...to cease." Daniel 9:27 He taught that when the wedding invitation was mistreated, the King sent armies and burned their city, Matthew 22:7. Since Messiah was the fulfillment of animal sacrifices, we no longer need to kill lambs and we can rejoice that His blood covers all who come to God by Him as Moses teaching implied.

We can't help what our ancestors did, but we can avoid making their mistakes as we open our hearts to the truth of God's love and provision for our sins. We know God loves Israel as the Scriptures show, but they also warn of danger-- http://www.israeljerusalembibleprophecy.netfirms.com/

Christianity

Christians look back to Abraham

Christians have beliefs rooted in biblical truths from the Old Testament. Messiah said, "Search the Scriptures, they testify of Me" and the only Scriptures then were the Old Testament. So our faith should harmonize with it.

He taught, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matt 5:18. He fulfilled the sacrificial part of the law, but on other aspects, we may need a refreshing because He also said before He comes again, Elijah "truly shall first come, and restore all things." Matt 17:11.

We might wonder what Elijah will restore, but the last part of the Old Testament says, "Remember the law of Moses with the statutes and judgments. Behold I send you Elijah" Malachi 4:4,5.

Some of those laws by Moses are in conflict with customs and laws we have today. America began as a godly nation
but we find that abortion or gay "rights" would be in conflict with the laws of the Bible.

"In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom." Daniel 2:44. Kingdom is the dominion of a king by his laws, and in the toes of time of Daniel's image, we may expect God to act in the setting up of a kingdom.

This is said in different ways throughout Scripture. Messiah gave wedding parables and we see the King wants all to get an invitation. Those who are shut out, may be excluded by their own unfitness in the imagery of Matthew 22:10,11.

"In the latter days" we are to consider God's plan to take
all who wish to be part of His kingdom as suggested in Jeremiah 31:1,8,10,17,31-33, where He will write His laws in our hearts*. The same imagery as in Ezekiel 36:24-28.

In the next chapter, there is a "great shaking" as bones come together and life comes into them. Ezekiel is asked to take two sticks; one for Israel and one for Judah. They become one stick.

This information suggests that God will take Christians who accept the law (torah) as the basis of His kingdom, and Jews who accept Messiah, and put them together. But this is not exclusive. It can include Muslims or any who will live by those principles of wise government (Deuteronomy 4:8) at a time when the kingdoms of this world are falling apart.

The prophets foretold a time of New World Order when the image in Daniel 3 will be meaningful when "no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark" (of conformity to a system of false worship, Revelation 13:17.

The strongest warning in all the Bible is against our being a part of that system. To come out of nations everywhere to be a part of God's kingdom will be the only escape from being forced into false worship when we can't buy or sell without conforming. Yet God, who sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) foresaw it and has provided for Abraham's seed by the covenant which offers that land. Hence the New Covenant Promise in its context (* four paragraphs above).

For more information, please visit www.Exodus2.info  and www.TheBridegroomComes.com