MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, “The coming of the [lawless one] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

So much for the Qur’an being a “timeless” and “eternal” miracle from “Allah.” If this miraculous “fire from heaven” were truly divine in origin then there would have been no need for later verses to cancel out earlier verses. They would all have been true from the very beginning. Bear witness yet again to even further evidence that Islam is nothing more than a false religion …

Qur’an Sura 2:256a, “Let there be no compulsion in religion …”

Qur’an: Sura 4:89, “Have no unbelieving friends. Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them.”

• Recommended: Numerous Verses Of Violence And Hate In The Qur’an
• Recommended: How Can Any Rational, Normal Person Believe In Islam?
• Recommended: Exposing The Qur’an: Islam’s ‘Holy Book’ Teaches A Flat Earth
• Recommended: Muslim Archaeologists Admit Many Old Qur’anic Texts Were Altered
• Recommended: Allah’s Teachings Are The Fire With Which We Harvest The Skulls Of Jews
• Recommended: How Seriously Should You Take A Book That Isn’t Even Arranged Chronologically, Yet Says To Ignore Earlier Verses?

By Raymond Ibrahim, FrontPage Mag – “While other scriptures contain contradictions, the Koran is the only holy book whose commentators have evolved a doctrine to account for the very visible shifts which occur from one injunction to another. No careful reader will remain unaware of the many contradictory verses in the Koran, most specifically the way in which peaceful and tolerant verses lie almost side by side with violent and intolerant ones. The ulema were initially baffled as to which verses to codify into the Shari’a worldview — the one that states there is no coercion in religion (2:256), or the ones that command believers to fight all non-Muslims till they either convert, or at least submit, to Islam (8:39, 9:5, 9:29). To get out of this quandary, the commentators developed the doctrine of abrogation, which essentially maintains that verses revealed later in Muhammad’s career take precedence over earlier ones whenever there is a discrepancy. In order to document which verses abrogated which, a religious science devoted to the chronology of the Koran’s verses evolved (known as an-Nasikh wa’l Mansukh, the abrogater and the abrogated).

But why the contradiction in the first place? The standard view is that in the early years of Islam, since Muhammad and his community were far outnumbered by their infidel competitors while living next to them in Mecca, a message of peace and coexistence was in order. However, after the Muslims migrated to Medina in 622 and grew in military strength, verses inciting them to go on the offensive were slowly ‘revealed’ — in principle, sent down from God — always commensurate with Islam’s growing capabilities. In juridical texts, these are categorized in stages: passivity vis-á-vis aggression; permission to fight back against aggressors; commands to fight aggressors; commands to fight all non-Muslims, whether the latter begin aggressions or not.[1] Growing Muslim might is the only variable that explains this progressive change in policy.

Other scholars put a gloss on this by arguing that over a twenty-two year period, the Koran was revealed piecemeal, from passive and spiritual verses to legal prescriptions and injunctions to spread the faith through jihad and conquest, simply to acclimate early Muslim converts to the duties of Islam, lest they be discouraged at the outset by the dramatic obligations that would appear in later verses.[2] Verses revealed towards the end of Muhammad’s career — such as, ‘Warfare is prescribed for you though you hate it'[3] — would have been out of place when warfare was actually out of the question.

However interpreted, the standard view on Koranic abrogation concerning war and peace verses is that when Muslims are weak and in a minority position, they should preach and behave according to the ethos of the Meccan verses (peace and tolerance); when strong, however, they should go on the offensive on the basis of what is commanded in the Medinan verses (war and conquest). The vicissitudes of Islamic history are a testimony to this dichotomy, best captured by the popular Muslim notion, based on a hadith, that, if possible, jihad should be Read more…

Qur’an Sura 46:8-9, “Or do they say, ‘He has forged it’? Say: ‘If I have forged it, you have no power to help me against Allah. He knows very well what you are pressing upon; He suffices as a witness between me and you; He is the All-forgiving, the All-compassionate.’ Say: ‘I am not an innovation among the Messengers, and I know not what shall be done with me or with you. I only follow what is revealed to me; I am only a clear warner.'”

“By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me.” – The “Prophet” Mohammed, Hadith, Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 266.

Unless you’re killed while killing others through violent Jihad in the cause of “Allah” and the prophet of death, of course. More signs that Islam is nothing but a false religion. As I ask at the end of “A Few Simple Questions For Muslim Visitors“, in light of the fact that even Mohammed himself did not know for certain what would happen to him in the afterlife, why should I — or any other Christian who knows beyond a doubt that they are guaranteed eternal life through faith in the Jesus of the Bible — give up the Christian faith of Jesus for the Islamic faith of Mohammed which we know will guarantee us nothing? …

By David Wood, Answering Muslims – “Muslims regularly pray for Allah to bless Muhammad with peace. But why would Muhammad be affected by the prayers of Muslims? The reason is that, according to Islam, even Muhammad didn’t know what Allah would do to him after he died (Quran 46:9). But if Muhammad himself had no assurance of salvation, what hope is there for his followers?” Source – Answering Muslims.

For more on Muhammad’s lack of assurance, see the following articles by Sam Shamoun:

See: “Was Muhammad Certain of His Salvation?”
See: “Praying for Muhammad’s Peace and Security: More Islamic Evidence That Muhammad Is not Saved”

Sometimes Muslims don’t really take the time to analyze the logical (and theological) implications of their own “holy” texts …

• Recommended: Numerous Verses Of Violence And Hate In The Qur’an
• Recommended: How Can Any Rational, Normal Person Believe In Islam?
• Recommended: How Peaceful Is ‘The Most Peaceful’ Verse In The Qur’an?
• Recommended: Exposing The Qur’an: Islam’s ‘Holy Book’ Teaches A Flat Earth
• Recommended: ‘Unchanged’ And ‘Divine’? Muslim Archaeologists Acknowledge Many Old Qur’anic Texts Were Altered

By David Wood, Answering Muslims – “One of the most common Muslim objections to the deity of Christ is the question ‘If Jesus is God, why did he pray?’ This question makes sense on a surface level, since Christians claim that Jesus is God and we also claim that he prays. But this is one of the many reasons we are Trinitarians, not unitarians. As one of the three persons of the Trinity, the Son was in eternal communion with the Father, because they shared the same essence. When the Son entered creation as Jesus of Nazareth, he continued that communion with the Father through prayer. Hence, while Jesus praying would be a problem for a unitarian who claims that Jesus is God, it makes perfect sense in light of Trinitarian theology.

But Muslims are unitarians, which means that they would have a huge problem if their god prays. And we find this problem in the Qur’an:

Qur’an 33:56—Verily, Allah and His angels pray for the prophet. O ye who believe! pray for him and salute him with a salutation!

Muslim translators are so horrified by the implications of this verse that they often mistranslate the relevant portion as ‘Allah and his angels send blessings on the prophet.’ The problem is that there are perfectly good Arabic words for ‘send blessings,’ but those words aren’t used here. The Arabic word used of whatever Allah and his angels are doing is yusalloona, which is a verbal form of the word salah (prayer and worship). Thus, the most obvious translation involves Allah praying for Muhammad.

While this is clear to anyone who reads the verse and understands what yusalloona means, it’s always nice to see an Arabic-speaking Muslim admit that Allah prays. This is precisely what happened today on Facebook.

A Muslim named Faruque Ikramul started a post mocking Christians for believing that Jesus is God when the Bible declares that Jesus prayed. Instead of answering the objection, I decided to turn the tables …” Read more.

A Few Simple Questions for Muslim Visitors – “Because of Mohammed’s misunderstanding of what Christians believed and practiced, Islam teaches that the Christian belief of the Trinity is a polytheistic teaching of  ‘three gods’, characterized as the ‘Father’, and the ‘Son’ and the ‘Virgin Mary’.  Not only does the ‘Virgin Mary’ have nothing to do with the Trinity (it is the Holy Spirit, not Mary), we believe in One God only and One God that is Triune.  Not three gods.  To use an analogy to illustrate this, consider fire.  When we observe the fire of a candle, for example, we observe three distinct things: light, heat, and a flame. Yet, the light is fire. The heat is fire. The flame is fire. Although these three are fire, are there three fires, or only one?  Likewise, the Father is called God in Scripture (Phil 2:1), and so is the Son (John 1:1,14; Col 2:9), and so is the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4).  Even though there is a clear distinction, there is only One God.  As Deuteronomy 6:4 declares, ‘Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.’ Literally translated, ‘Hear, O Israel: Yahweh and our Elohim are a united one.’  The Old Testament demonstrates a plurality in the Godhead that is a united One, and this distinction is reaffirmed in the New Testament: ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him’ (John 14:23).” Read more.

But is this fulfillment of Bible prophecy? Many Christians today believe that a physical 3rd temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem according to 2 Thessalonians 2:4. In light of the unfolding panoply of the New Testament texts, however, the “third temple” is already built, not as one built by human hands, but rather as one built by Christ Himself. Every time the Apostle Paul wrote about the temple of God (or an equivalent expression) and used the Greek word “naos” he always referred to Christian believers both individually and collectively — the Church. We see this in 1 Corinthians 3:16, 3:17, 6:16, 6:19, Ephesians 2:19-22 — a teaching that is even affirmed by Peter himself in 1 Peter 2:4-5. But those who advocate the idea of a physical 3rd temple suddenly (and perhaps unknowingly) change the consistent and explicit meaning of the “naos” of God in Paul’s previous epistles. In his letter to the Thessalonians, 3rd temple proponents now claim that Paul was suddenly referring to a physical temple instead. Doing so, however, has no textual justification and interprets 2 Thessalonians 2:4 in light of a preconceived doctrine, not in light of Scripture, and forces Scripture to conform to our understanding when what we need to be doing is forcing our understanding to conform to Scripture. For more in-depth reading on this subject, see the links below. We could be much closer to the return of Christ than many had expected …

Acts 17:24, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.”

• Recommended: 2 Thessalonians 2:4 — A Rebuilt Jewish Temple, or Something Else?
• Recommended: Daniel 9:27 Redux: Will Antichrist Make A False 7-Year Peace Treaty With Israel?

World Bulletin – “The Israel Minister of Housing and Construction Uri Ariel on Friday expressed his wish to see the construction of a ‘Third Temple’ in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Al-Quds (East Jerusalem).

According to the Alray Palestinian News Agency, Uri Ariel said ‘The first Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE, the second Temple in 70 CE, and ever since the Jews have been mourning its loss.’

He then went on to say ‘Al-Aqsa Mosque is currently in place of the temple, despite the temple being much holier than it. Al-Aqsa Mosque is only the third most holy mosque in Islam.’

‘Now that Israel has once again become a Jewish sovereign state, there have been occasional calls to rebuild the Temple,’ he added.

Palestinians who have stated their desire to see Israeli occupying forces retreat out of East Jerusalem back to their 1967 borders are suspicious of so called archeological excavations taking place under the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. They believe the works are destabilizing the foundations of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and have already reported damage to the building.

In recent months, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound has been subject to numerous raids by far-right Jewish settlers under the protection of Israeli security forces, who have performed Jewish rituals on the site. On a number of occasions last year, the Israeli authorities banned Muslim congregational Friday prayers at the mosque.” Source – World Bulletin.

Daniel 12:8-10, “Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.’”

2 Thessalonians 2:4 — A Rebuilt Jewish Temple, or Something Else? – “Even though Daniel was not always granted full understanding, he was faithful in recording the prophecies he was given. Not knowing that the temple of God would one day be the people of God, however, would have conceivably been somewhat bewildering to Daniel if he had himself assumed that it was a physical temple that would be defiled during the time of the end. This could very well have been one of the reasons why Daniel did not understand all that he was receiving. According to the words of the Apostle Paul in Acts 17:24, a physical temple today would be little more than an empty building, void of the presence of God. I am sure that Christ would have known this, suggesting that Jesus would in no way have been referring to a physical temple as the ‘holy place’ in Matthew 24:15 when referring to the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel. A building absent of God is just another building. But the ‘holy temple’ that is the Church in which God dwells, however, is another matter. This may have been why Jesus said ‘let the reader understand’ in Matthew 24:15 — because Daniel did not …” Read more.

1 John 2:22-23, 28, “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also… abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”

Do you believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? Do you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh? One of the reasons why Islamists hate Christianity is because this belief associates Jesus with God, making Jesus a co-equal partner with the Almighty. According to Islam, this is called “shirk” and is an unpardonable sin that “Allah” will never forgive. The truth of the matter, however, is that Islam itself also associates the “prophet” Mohammed — whom Muslims claim to be the most “perfect man” to ever walk the face of the earth — with “Allah” himself. On one hand, Islam teaches that “Allah” has no partners, but then contradicts itself by teaching that someone cannot become a Muslim unless they acknowledge that “There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger” per the Shahada. Unless one acknowledges Mohammed they cannot become a Muslim. In Islam, a Muslim’s “salvation” is therefore entirely determined by their obedience and devotion to Mohammed, effectively elevating the “prophet” of Islam to the same co-equal status of Islam’s own deity. To acknowledge “Allah” is not enough. You MUST acknowledge the “perfect man” Mohammed, too …

Qur’an Sura 4:136a, “O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger [Mohammed] and the Book that He sent down …”

Hadith Bukhari 2996, “… [Mohammed] said, ‘Become Muslim and you will be safe. Know that the earth belongs to Allah and His Messenger. I want to expel you from this land. Whoever of you has some property should sell it. However, the earth belongs to Allah and His Messenger.’” (Source).

Qur’an Sura 3:31, “… If you should love Allah, then follow me [Mohammed], so Allah will love you and forgive you your sins …”

Qur’an Sura 33:36, “It is not fitting for a [Muslim], man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.”

Qur’an Sura 48:10, “Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you, [O Muhammad] – they are actually pledging allegiance to Allah …”

Qur’an Sura 4:80, “He who obeys the Messenger [Mohammed] has obeyed Allah …”

Israel Today – “As Christians of every stripe in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth begin to again take a real stand for their faith, local Muslims are warning them not to overstep the boundaries of their traditional place in the Middle East (hint: they must remain dhimmis, or second-class). A large billboard hanging at a central point in Nazareth features a picture of an Israeli stop sign, along with the English translation of a verse from the Koran cautioning Christians (and Jews) to speak only the ‘truth’ regarding Allah. The poster (and Koran 4:171) reads:

“O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits of your religion. Say nothing but the truth about Allah (The One True God). The Christ Jesus, Son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God and His word conveyed to Mary and a spirit created by Him. So believe in God and His messengers and do not say: ‘Three gods (trinity)’. Cease! It will be better for you. Indeed, Allah is the One and the Only God. His Holiness is far above having a son.”

Evangelical Christians from Nazareth have become a growing and integral part of the overall Messianic body in the land, while traditional Christians (Catholics, Greek Orthodox, etc) have been waking up to their historical and religious connection to the Jews and are joining the Israeli army in ever greater numbers.” Source – Israel Today. Hat tip to Jihad Watch. Flashback: Australia: Muslim Billboard Campaign Declares Jesus Only A ‘Prophet of Islam’ – “A provocative billboard advertising campaign launched by an Australian Muslim group claiming that Jesus was a prophet of Islam has outraged Christians in Sydney. The group, Mypeace, says its aim is to inform, not to offend, with Islamic awareness campaign, featuring four different slogans. But one Catholic bishop said the assertions – made on roadside hoardings – are ‘a direct assault on Christian beliefs’.” Read more. A Few Simple Questions for Muslim Visitors – “The Qur’an teaches that, according to Christianity, God acquired a son through procreation with Mary. In the eyes of Muslims, the term ‘son of God’ is believed to be, and is therefore understood, in a literal sense.  But this misrepresentation is so far from the basic tenets of Christianity that any serious student of the Qur’an should begin questioning the veracity of some of the teachings of Islam on this error alone.  The term ‘son of God’ in the Bible is an anthropomorphism and is intended to be understood in a figurative sense, not in a wooden literal sense. It is a metaphor to describe a relational identity. In John 3:16, Jesus is called the only ‘begotten’ son of God (the Greek word monogenēs) which means ‘unique’ or ‘one of a kind’ or ‘one and only’.  As Christians, we are all called God’s children (Matthew 5:9; Romans 8:16; Galatians 3:6; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5, etc.).  But this term is an analogy to describe our relationship to our Heavenly Father.  We are not literal ‘sons’ and ‘daughters’.  Even the angels are called ‘sons of God’ in the Bible (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7).  Adam is also called the son of God as well (Luke 3:38). But Jesus is called the only ‘unique’ son of God in Scripture for a very good reason…” Read more.