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It is written:
2 Corinthians 10:3-6-For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Christians have always been taught by Jesus and His Word that our warfare is not carnal: it is a spiritual warfare that we are involved in, utilizing spiritual weapons in our battle against Satan and his forces in this world.
This is in sharp contrast to the religion which is known as Islam, which commands its’ followers to utilize physical weapons of warfare in order to cause individuals and nations to “submit” (which is what the word Islam itself means) and become “Muslims” (literally, “the submitted ones”). The most obvious and well known example of this kind of jihad is seen in the devastation that was wrought upon America on September 11, 2001.
However, many are not aware that the very first wars that America fought as a nation involved Muslim jihadists.
“Nor was the United States of America spared; its very first wars as a nation—the Barbary Wars (1801–1805; 1815)—were against Muslim slavers. Years earlier, when Thomas Jefferson and John Adams met with and asked one of Barbary’s ambassadors why his coreligionists were raiding U.S. vessels and enslaving American sailors, the Muslim relied on the same exact logic that the Muslims who had savaged Europe for over a millennium had always relied on: “The ambassador answered us,” the Framers of the Constitution wrote to Congress in a letter dated March 28, 1786, “that it was founded on the laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that… it was their right and duty to make war upon them [all non-Muslims] wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners….” 7 This, of course, is a near perfect paraphrase of that one Koran verse most associated with jihad, 9: 5: “Kill the idolaters [non-Muslims] wherever you find them—capture them, besiege them, and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush.”” (Raymond Ibrahim, Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam, 16-17 (Kindle Edition): New York, NY: Post Hill Press)
Americans need to consider that there is a religious reason why the adherents of Islam want to exterminate the Jewish people. It goes back to the Muslim messiah, known as the Mahdi. It is said in Islamic writings that the Mahdi will come into the world when a great holocaust of the Jews takes place, focusing especially on the need for Muslims to behead the infidels.
Years ago (long before the current Middle Eastern battle between Israel and the Arab nations), one former Muslim pointed out:
“But beheading in Islam by any means is not a new phenomenon, neither is it new to the so-called “hijacked Islam,” as President Bush puts it, “the wholesome and wonderful religion of peace.” And neither was it as apologists for Islam claim, “not an officially sanctioned Islamic practice,” especially when beheading was carried out by its founder and chief—Mohammed: “Abdullah cut off Abba Hakam’s head and carried it to his master. ‘The head of the enemy of Allah!’ exclaimed Mohammed joyously;—’ Allah! There is no other god but He!’–’ Yeah! There is no other!’ responded Abdullah, as he cast the severed head at the Prophet’s feet. ‘It is more acceptable to me;’ cried Mohammed, hardly able to contain his joy, ‘than the choicest camel in all Arabia.’” 147 Sadly the blood lust of Mohammed did not stop here. In 627 A.D. while laying a siege around the Jewish village of Qurayzah, the village surrendered and witnessed Allah at work, whose name is recited by every Muslim as the compassionate, the most merciful—ordered Mohammed to dig the infamous trenches. Ibn Ishaq, Islam’s earliest biographer of Mohammed recounts, “Then they (Qurayza) surrendered… then he sent for them and struck off their heads in those trenches as they were brought out to him in batches… They were 600 or 700 in all, though some put the figures as high as 800 or 900… This went on until the apostle made an end to them.” 148 Those were not enough, soon after this incident, Mohammed had 400 more Jews beheaded, then, another campaign of beheading festivals took place as he re-entered the city of Mecca, “Do you see the soldiers from Quraysh (from Mecca)?” He asked. “Go and pluck their heads.” Would any Muslim scholar say that Mohammed slipped? Was there a confession like that of King David after killing Uriah the Hittite? If only that been the case. Even the most ‘moderate’ of Muslims when asked of this ghastly deed, they must justify these actions, for condemning these would deny Mohammed’s prophetic career. This exemplary prophet, the model for all humanity, and whose words and deeds considered authoritative and inspired by Allah Himself: “If you love Allah, then follow me [Mohammed]” (Sura 3: 31). “Ye have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern of conduct for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day” (Sura 33: 21). So was beheading ordained and even commanded for all the faithful till Mahdi’s kingdom come. Even the trees will obey him and snitch on the last Jew alive. As the prominent Muslim Sheikh Qaradawi stated Mohammed’s will on that final Judgment-Day: “Ya Muslim (O Muslim), Ya Abd-Allah” (O slave of Allah) Hatha Yahudi” (Here is a Jew) “Ta’ala waqta’ ra’sah” (come and chop off his head). All of Mohammed’s disciples beheaded, hundreds of examples can be sited—Hadith, Muslim poetry, both ancient and modern, Muslim history, current events, and even graffiti “We knock on the gates of heaven with the skulls of Jews,” written on walls throughout Sharia dominated cultures.” (Walid Shoebat with Joel Richardson, God’s War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy and the Bible, 3041-3063 (Kindle Edition): Top Executive Media)
Indeed, it is worth noting along these lines something that the Prophet Daniel said in his prophecies.
Daniel 11:38-But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things.
From Daniel 11:34-12:13, the Prophet describes events that will take place during “the time of the end.” This Hebrew phrase was translated in the Greek Old Testament with the word sunteleia.
“And if we look back into the Septuagint, which is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible done by Jewish scholars in the few centuries before Jesus, we see that this word sunteleia (the end) occurs frequently in the prophetic passages in Daniel, with several of them referring to this same time of the end, the time of the Antichrist. See especially Daniel 11: 35–36, and then note Daniel 12, where sunteleia occurs repeatedly: 8 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. Daniel 12: 4 ESV, emphasis added And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” Daniel 12: 6 ESV, emphasis added And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. Daniel 12: 7 ESV, emphasis added But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days. Daniel 12: 13 ESV, emphasis added”. (Michael L. Brown, Craig S. Keener, Not Afraid of the Antichrist: Why We Don’t Believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, 121-122 (Kindle Edition): Bloomington, Minnesota: Chosen Books).
Every time that Jesus used this word, He points out that it has reference to the time before the Second Coming.
Matthew 13:39-40-The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age (sunteleia), and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age (sunteleia).
Matthew 13:49-So it will be at the end of the age (sunteleia). The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,
Matthew 24:3-Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age (sunteleia)?”
Matthew 28:20-teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (sunteleia).” Amen.
So Daniel 11:34-12:13 discusses the end of the Christian Age.
In this passage, Daniel discusses a wicked ruler who will arise in the world who will honor “the god of fortresses.” The phrase translated “god of fortresses” is from the Hebrew word “maozim.” What is truly shocking is that when this word is translated into Arabic, it is Al-Mu’izz, which is one of the “99 beautiful names” of Allah (the god of Islam).
As one former Muslim points out:
“While it was pure prejudice that caused such blasphemies, to someone like myself, who came out of Islam into the light of Christianity, and one who holds no such prejudices, when we read this text, anyone with the knowledge of semitic languages can see the obvious, Maozim is both a literal name and as in all semitic names, also has meaning (which the other translations state) also applies: “defense,” “fortress,” “fortresses,” “helmet,” “protection,” “refuge,” “safety,” “strength,” “strong,” “stronghold,” and “strongholds” (see Strong’s Concordance). Any doubting Thomas can plug in any search engine “Allah Al-Mu’izz” can examine, not just that this is one of the names of Allah, but is also the same meaning which exactly matches the hebrew Maozim. Indeed, he is Maozim (Al-Mu’izz), for the Antichrist “honors a God of fortresses,” who is a God of war and the sword while his name, literally in Hebrew, Moazim, a semitic name, is also in the Arabic Al-Mu’izz (Allah Al-Mu’izz الله المعز) is one of the ninety nine official names of Allah in Islam and Maozim also has the exact meaning in the Arabic: “to be mighty, potent, strong, powerful …”. (https://shoebat.com/2015/05/16/new-discovery-reveals-the-god-of-the-antichrist-is-directly-named-in-the-bible-and-his-name-is-allah/)
As Christians, let us remember the many fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity, even as we point our Muslim friends and neighbors to Jesus, the Son of God.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
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