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By Jimmy Swaggart
By Jimmy SwaggartRevelation 17:1-2 – “And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto you the judgment of the great whore who sits upon many waters: with whom the kings of the Earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
(The following information respecting Islam was given in “THE EVANGELIST” several years ago; however, due to the times in which we live, I think it necessary that it be given again.)
Islam
The last great conflict to grip the world, which will bring about the deaths of possibly several billions of people, will be that of the Antichrist. The Antichrist thinks he finally has solved the “Jewish problem.” In his evil mind, the solution to that “problem” will be the same solution that Adolf Hitler desired, namely, the annihilation of every Jew on the planet. The Antichrist’s efforts will reach their highest point at the Battle of Armageddon, and he will come close to completing his goal. He would succeed, were it not for the Second Coming of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ will come back to Earth at that very time.
The way the world is being prepared for the advent of the Antichrist involves the rise of Islam. A great part of the Muslim world is situated in the Middle East and controls some 60 percent of the world’s oil reserves. Despite the fact that hundreds of billions of dollars go into their coffers every year, the Muslim nations of the Middle East are notoriously poor. There are approximately three hundred million Muslims in Middle East countries. Despite the billions of oil dollars flowing into their economies, those countries are steadily getting poorer. Only a tiny few profit from the oil billions, and these few are obscenely rich.
The powers that be in the Muslim world desire that the masses of Muslims remain poor — dirt poor, even agonizingly poor. They then claim, and they constantly are claiming, that it is the United States that is the cause of this poverty, using these claims as recruiting tools for human bombers who are willing to give up their pitiful lives in order to kill the “infidels.”
One can hardly fail to notice that the two enemies of the Muslim world are the United States and Israel. The Muslims hate the Jews for many and varied reasons, but perhaps the greatest reason is their claim that Ishmael is the true son of Abraham, not Isaac. As a result, they want every Jew dead, and they want to possess every square inch of the tiny land of Israel.
Consider the following fact: The land area of Israel comprises about 1/10 of 1 percent of the entirety of the land area of the Middle East. All the rest of the Middle East (99.9%) is controlled by Arabs and Muslims, but yet they still want that tiny spit of land called “Israel.”
Why?
The truth is, they don’t really know why themselves.
The following is the true reason: Israel, according to the Bible, claims to be the chosen people of God, while the Muslims, who refer to their god as “Allah,” claim the same thing through Ishmael. Incidentally, the name “Allah” comes from one of the ancient Babylonian idols, and was selected somewhat at random by Muhammad. So the goal of most Muslims is to annihilate every Jew and confiscate the tiny land of Israel for their own.
It is a blatantly false idea that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is caused by Israel refusing to give the Palestinians their own particular homeland within the borders of the State of Israel. The true cause of the conflict is that the Palestinians want, as stated, every Jew dead and the entirety of the Land of Israel in their possession.
The United states
The United States is the next great culprit. In fact, the Muslim world refers to the United States and Israel as “big Satan” and “little Satan,” respectively. They hate this country because of the Lord Jesus Christ. They may mouth some platitudes about respecting the Lord Jesus as a great Prophet, but they actually hate Him, and with a passion! They see Him as the rival of Muhammad, which alone fuels the hatred.
The Reader absolutely must understand the following:
If the Muslims had their way, the Land of Israel and the United States both would literally cease to exist. They would murder or make slaves of every Jew and every American who would not instantly convert to Islam. They do not lack the will, only the way. We should consider that in our thinking regarding the world of Islam.
Unfortunately, President Bush has referred to the Koran as a book of love and peace. Nothing could be further from the truth! Sadly, we are attempting to fight this war against terrorism without admitting the true cause of terrorism, which is the religion of Islam. It is essential to understand that the religion of Islam is not just a part of the cause, but the entirety of the cause.
It is a most ridiculous idea, to say the least, that Islam is a great religion that has only a few “fanatics.” The claim is that only about 10 percent of Muslims fall into this category of “fanaticism.” Considering that there are approximately one billion Muslims in the world, when you do the math, there would be 100 million Muslim fanatics, and that surely constitutes a lot of fanatics — all bent on destroying this nation and Israel.
So what am I saying?
We can hide our heads in the sand, and formulate our policy on the basis of a lie, and the lie of which I speak is that Islam is a great religion, which is not really to blame at all, or we can wake up and smell the proverbial coffee.
Let me say it again:
The religion of Islam, which includes the Koran, is the cause of all the terrorism in the world today.
Now think about that for a moment!
To think that we are going to stamp out terrorism without dealing with the true cause of terrorism is ludicrous, to put it mildly! But yet that seems to be our policy. It seems we are “Uncle Sap” instead of “Uncle Sam”!
I applaud President Bush’s attempts to take the initiative in trying to bring democracy to the world of Islam; however, the problems of the Muslim world, which are ignorance, poverty, and superstition, all fueled by despotic dictators, cannot be properly addressed without addressing the cause of those problems, which is the religion of Islam.
How do we properly address the religion of islam?
As a democratic nation, which is what we should be, we should try to encourage democracy among these particular countries; however, at the same time, we must not deceive ourselves into thinking that the cause of the problem is something else other than the religion of Islam. Ignorance and stupidity cannot come out to a plus.
As Christians, however, even though we know the Truth about Islam, still, Jesus died for the Muslims, just the same as He died for all others. We as Believers should love the Muslims just as we love everyone else, but not forget what their religion actually is.
We should not expect the President of the United States, or any of our leaders, to rail out against Islam. That wouldn’t be sensible, and neither would it solve anything. But at the same time, we should not expect our leaders to praise something that vows our destruction. We repeat: They do not lack the will, only the way.
In the final analysis, the only solution for that problem, as it is for any other problem, is the Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, we know that virtually the entirety of the Muslim world, even if they had the opportunity to hear of Christ, would reject Him.
How does the world of Islam fit in with bible Prophecy concerning the last days?
It fits in graphically so! In fact, other than Israel, Islam will be, at least in some ways, the principal player.
How will that be?
Babylon, as we are here addressing, according to the Bible, will be rebuilt, whether as a system or a city, or both (Rev., Chpts. 17-18). I personally believe it will be both. As is obvious, ancient Babylon was in Iraq, approximately 75 miles south of modern Baghdad.
What the United States is presently doing in Iraq could very well bring about a tremendous change in that country, with commerce becoming its greatest activity instead of religion. In other words, even though our leaders realize it not at all, what they are doing could very well pave the way for the rebuilding of Babylon as a great commercial center in the world, which the Bible predicts for this region (Rev., Chpt. 19).
When the Antichrist comes to power, his first headquarters will be Babylon. At some point, the religion of Islam will have to give way to Antichrist worship, because he will tolerate no opposition or rival worship. He will demand all worship and allegiance to himself, not to any religion otherwise (Dan. 11:36-39). So, what we are seeing now is the prelude to the end. In other words, whether we realize it or not, we are seeing Bible Prophecy fulfilled before our very eyes — incidentally, Prophecy which leads directly to the Second Coming.
The bible and iraq
It is little known by most Believers that “Iraq” is mentioned in the Bible more than any other place with the exception of Israel. However, it goes under several names: Babylon, Shinar, Mesopotamia, and the Chaldees. Of course, the name “Iraq” is not mentioned, that being of recent origin.
It is believed that the Garden of Eden was in modern Iraq, actually on the sight of ancient Babylon. That being the case, Iraq was the place of the creation of our first parents, Adam and Eve. It was also the site of the first temptation, and the location of the Fall.
Furthermore, it was the site where the first Sacrificial System was presented by the Lord to the First Family (Gen., Chpt. 4). It is believed that Noah lived in Iraq and built the Ark in that country. It was Babylon which destroyed the Southern Kingdom of Judah and took the people captive. It was Babylon which destroyed, under Nebuchadnezzar, Solomon’s Temple. It was in Iraq that the Book of Daniel was written. Iraq was also the site of the Tower of Babel, close to ancient Babylon, which was the first organized rebellion against God.
It was in Iraq (Babylon) that Nebuchadnezzar had his great dream, interpreted by Daniel, which outlined the nations and empires of the world which would persecute Israel and play a part in Endtime events. The Three Wise Men came from Iraq to worship Baby Jesus.
As stated, as the Tower of Babel was the site of the first organized rebellion against God, which was near ancient Babylon, this will also be the site of the last organized rebellion, namely the rebuilding of Babylon, with it being utterly destroyed by the Lord at the very conclusion of the Great Tribulation (Rev., Chpt. 18).
The origin of islam
Even though the following information is given in another one of our Commentaries, due to the great significance of the subject matter, it is advisable, I think, to include it here, as well.
The religion of Islam made its debut in A.D. 622. At this time, a man emerged whose message changed the face of the Middle East and affected the history of Judaism and Christianity in a most significant manner. Muhammad, of the tribe of Quraysh in Mecca, claimed to have received a revelation that God (Allah) was “one” and that he (Muhammad) was to be Allah’s messenger of that truth. After gathering his first converts from among his family members and close friends, Muhammad encountered severe opposition, so much so that he had to flee to the town of Medina. This flight, or “Hejira” in Arabic, is now viewed as year one in the Islamic calendar (which, as stated, was A.D. 622).
In Medina, Muhammad encountered a large and influential Jewish community. The influence of Judaism on his teaching must have been significant. For example, during this period Muhammad taught that the faithful should pray facing Jerusalem, as Jewish prayers were always directed there. Only later, after the Jews had rejected his message, did he alter the direction for prayer to Mecca.
Muhammad
Muhammad also taught his followers to fast on the tenth day of Tishri, the same day as the Jewish fast of Yom Kippur. Later, this fast was expanded to include the entire month of Ramadan. As well, Muhammad’s followers abstained from pork and circumcised their sons, standard Jewish practices since Biblical days.
Muhammad also accepted the Jewish Prophets Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, as well as the “Prophet” Jesus, although he strongly rejected His Deity. Muhammad added that he himself was the “seal of Prophecy” — God’s final messenger. While accepting some of the Scriptures of Jews and Christians, Muhammad’s “revelations,” embodied in the Koran, became the authoritative “scriptures” for his faithful followers. These followers were called Muslims, from the Arabic word “Islam,” meaning “submission” to the one God.
Apparently, Muhammad thought that Jews would accept his message of a pure monotheism, but the Rabbis ridiculed his illiteracy and his confusion of Biblical traditions. Furthermore, the Jewish people simply could not accept a non-Israelite as God’s “seal of Prophecy.”
When the Jews of Medina rejected him and his message, Muhammad turned on them with a vengeance. Then followed the expulsion and exile of two Jewish Tribes from Medina, as well as the extermination of a third.
Finally, Muhammad and his fanatical adherents massacred most of the remaining Jews of Northern Arabia and forcibly evicted the rest. The only Jewish community that remained was in Yemen, which continued to 1950, when nearly all the Yemenite Jews were air-lifted to Israel in “Operation Magic Carpet.”
The attitude of islam toward the jewish people
There is an important contemporary lesson to be learned from this brief historic overview. We cannot fully comprehend the Arab-Israeli conflict unless we understand the attitude of Islam toward the Jewish people. The Land of Israel, or Palestine, as it was called by the Romans and Byzantines, was conquered and ruled by Muslims from the Seventh Century to the Twentieth Century.
The only interruption came when the “Christian” crusaders ruled the land for less than a hundred years. Islam finds it unacceptable that this land, originally conquered for Allah by his followers, is now ruled by Jews — a people who are supposed to be inferior and subservient, according to the Koran.
The Muslims find it impossible to acknowledge the historic reality that the Land of Israel, according to the Bible, belongs to the Jews. This is the real key to understanding the impasse that exists in Israel today. The Arab countries, predominantly Muslim, refuse to accept a foreign, Jewish presence in a land that is supposed to be, according to them, a part of the “world of Islam.”
The modern rise of a more fanatical Islam only heightens the tension for this impasse — an impasse that ultimately can be repaired only by the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour of both Isaac’s and Ishmael’s sons.
Jehovah or allah?
Respecting what has been said, the impetus behind the Arab determination to destroy Israel cannot be narrowly defined as a family affair, even though both entities are direct descendants of Abraham, or so it is believed by some (Isaac and Ishmael).
Yes, there was the matter of engendered jealousy over Ishmael being passed over as the recipient of the Abrahamic Covenant. That Blessing and the Promise of perpetual ownership of the Land of Israel fell to Isaac and his heirs, which are the Jews.
“And God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed; and you shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish My Covenant with him for an Everlasting Covenant, and with his seed after him” (Gen. 17:19).
But Ishmael was also given the Promise of becoming “a great nation” (Gen. 21:18) — a nation so great “that it shall not be numbered for multitude” (Gen. 16:10). That Promise has been faithfully fulfilled by God. Tiny Israel floats in the middle of a sea of Arab nations scattered across a large portion of the globe, but with the greatest concentration in the Middle East.
There are basically two differences between God’s Covenant with the Jews and His Covenant with the Ishmaelites. Israel was specifically given the land called Palestine or Israel (Gen. 13:14-17; 17:6-8, 19-21; 28:3-4). The paramount difference, however, is discovered in these words, as stated:
“And I will bless them who bless you, and curse him who curses you: and in you shall all families of the Earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).
The Promise is further defined in Genesis 22:18: “And in your seed shall all the nations of the Earth be blessed.” That “Seed” of blessing delivered to the Gentile nations through the Jewish people — including Arabs — was the Messiah.
“Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made. He said not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of One, And to your Seed, which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16).
Jewry’s presence and assigned mission were, therefore, uniquely set apart in marked contrast to those described as characteristic of Ishmael’s seed and national legacy. The “Seed” component in God’s program for humanity surpasses every other aspect of history. In addition to being a Saviour of men, Messiah is to be a King. When His Kingdom finally arrives, He will establish and enforce stability. Delivery of the One Who could so bless mankind was the exclusive province of Abraham’s Seed through Isaac. The Promise is specific. The Abrahamic Covenant provided:
1. A King for the Throne: “And kings shall come out of you” (Gen. 17:6).
2. A land for the King: “And I will give unto you, and unto your seed after you, the land wherein you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan” (Gen. 17:8).
3. A people for the King: “And I will be their God” (Gen. 17:8).
The blessing
Unfortunately, it was the “Blessing” aspect of the Covenant that developed the animosity in Esau’s posterity, because the Blessing fell to Jacob rather than to Esau, who fathered their people. Had the Arabs embraced obediently the Saviour and kingly aspects of the Blessing of the Messiah, history would have taken another course.
These residual resentments became deeply ingrained in the attitudes of the Arabs toward Israel, and those resentments spun off in manifold and discernible ways as the centuries passed. Scripture is replete with accounts of the heirs of Ishmael who warred against Israel while growling their determination to “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
“For they consulted together with one consent” (Ps. 83:4-5). Their “one consent” was the extermination of the nation of Israel.
Since the days of the Psalmist, Arab determination has not wavered; however, the entrance of the new religion, Islam (Seventh Century A.D.) refined and sanctified the rationale. It then became incumbent to subjugate or exterminate Jews “in God’s Name.”
A man named Sheikh As’ad Tamimi, who claims leadership of “Islamic Jihad Beit Al-Maqudis,” focused the issue in a recent statement lauding (then) Iraqi President Hussein’s tirade in favor of unleashing chemical weapons against Israel. “I hope he is as good as his word,” Tamimi said. “The killing of Jews will continue — killing, killing in God’s Name, until they vanish.”
Thus the Allah discovered by Muhammad was a very different god from the God found in the Bible. Muhammad’s religion, which, in his view, was to replace Judaism and Christianity, would have a new book (the Koran), a new look, and a new center of worship (Mecca).
Jihad
The word “Jihad” is enshrined in the ecstatic vocabulary of the Muslim believer. To kill in the name of Allah in Jihad (holy war) is a privilege. To die in Jihad is to be assured a place in Heaven. Consequently, military conquest became a theological pursuit, and conquered people became subjects of Allah.
The religiously fired law of conquest swept Islamic armies into Syria, Israel, Mesopotamia, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain. The advance was finally stopped by Charles Martel, grandfather of Charlemagne, outside Paris in A.D. 732. Later Muslim hordes encompassed Europe, moving as far west as Austria before being defeated in the late Seventeenth Century.
Subsequently, many of these areas, through erosion or military options, were delivered from Muslim domination. The ultimate affront to Islamic ambitions was the deliverance of Jerusalem from the Muslim Ottoman Turks by the “Christian” British expeditionary force in 1917, and the return of Jewry to the land after 1948.
Symbolically, the modern State of Israel stands as a constant reminder to rabid fundamentalist Muslims of their humiliation before infidels — a condition that can only be remedied through conquests.
Religious dominance
This is a fact of life often misunderstood by those restrained by Western beliefs and standards, for the issue of land in the Middle East is not primarily a territorial matter. It is a question of religious dominance — the lack of which is intolerable to the Muslim who is taught that Allah is all and is to possess all. This is precisely why the lies of militant Muslim fundamentalists in Iran were viewed with such deep concern — a concern borne out more vividly with every passing day (at that time) by the sight of captive American hostages on the nightly television news broadcasts.
An abiding tenet of Islam is that all lands are to be subject to Allah. Therefore, once a territory is taken, it must remain under Muslim domination. If land is lost, Jihad becomes necessary. Any concessions or treaties made with enemies under conditions making it impossible to restore dominion by force are observed only until means are available to remedy the situation.
A negotiated peace?
For this reason, as Arab spokesmen have repeatedly avowed, any negotiated peace agreement with Israel will only provide a staging area from which to pursue total elimination of the Jewish presence from land claimed to be sacred to Allah. Hence, the negotiations and peace treaties with the Palestinians regarding the Gaza Strip, Jericho, and the West Bank should be looked at accordingly. In such a perpetual state of conflict, Israelis know all too well what the Western world must learn or live to regret — survival against the Muslim onslaught means having a superior strength and the will to use it.
Muslim evangelism
Make no mistake about it, Muslims are bent on possessing this planet for Allah, either by coercion or persuasion. And while, in the first wave, the swords of Islam were wet with the blood of vanquished “infidels,” a great second wave is now moving across the Western world in the form of Muslim missionary crusaders.
In 1974, at a meeting of the World Muslim League, an “Islamic World Missions Board” was formed. Successes have mounted, and today Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. The Islamic population worldwide now approaches one billion — not too much short of one out of every six people on Earth.
In France, Islam ranks second only to Catholicism. England has received a massive influx of Muslims, so many that the face of the landscape has literally changed. In 1945, there was one Mosque in England; in 1989, there were over 1,000. London is the site of the largest Mosque in Western Europe. The story is the same in North America.
The first Mosque in the United States was built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1934. In 1989, there were approximately 700 Mosques in the United States. Presently (2005) there are over 2,000. Muslims lay claim to some seven million adherents to Islam in North America, drawn mostly from the black population. Actually, these converts to Islam in America call Christianity “the white man’s religion,” while Islam is called “the black man’s religion.” In 1989, the Muslims boasted that they would soon surpass the Jewish population in this country of seven million. They have reached their goal.
The largest group of international students
Dr. Ishmael Faruqui, not too long ago, challenged Muslims to pursue a goal of fifty million (50,000,000) to seventy-five million (75,000,000) new American converts to Islam. “Only from massive conversion,” Faruqui said, “can we hope to elect Muslim politicians, appoint Muslim judges, and incorporate the ‘shar’iah’ into the judicial system of America. We must transcend our minority status to make Islam a dominant force in America and the West.”
In this regard, a point to ponder is the fact that students from Islam countries now form the largest group of international students in North American universities and colleges. For the most part, complacent Christians in North America have taken little or no interest in Islam’s advances. Many, in fact, see the strange looking buildings that are popping up everywhere, with their curious little crescents, as just another religious denomination — just neighbors who take a strong stand for morality against some of the things that we too are against.
Such is not the case! Islam is not just another religion in town. Islam is not pluralistic.
(The population numbers above claimed by the Muslims regarding the United States do not match the census numbers, which are approximately 3 million. The U.S. census is probably far closer to being correct, inasmuch as Muslim claims are greatly suspect.)
Muslim fanaticism
While Christians or Jews may lament the loss of one of their own to another religion, conversion to another religion is, for Muslims, a capital offense. Witness Solomon Rushdie, a Muslim author, who did not convert but merely questioned Islam, and who, for years, lived under a perpetual death sentence from his brothers, so-called, in the faith. As is being graphically demonstrated in the Middle East, when Muslims perceive that they have sufficient strength to take control, Islam will, in one way or another, attempt to seize it.
Louis farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan, of the Nation of Islam, is a case in point. In meetings that sometimes draw up to 20,000 mesmerized followers, Farrakhan rails against Jews in general and Christianity in concept. As stated, he calls Christianity “the white man’s religion.” Although he is not taken seriously in many quarters, Farrakhan and his ilk should sound a warning of potential danger, and cause people, particularly Christians, to awaken.
Time Magazine warns, “For them (Farrakhan’s Muslims), mainstream American values are inherently oppressive and racist, to be rejected at the root. That leadership has tended to be fringe. It is fringe no longer. Farrakhan’s audience and appeal are growing. This year he will, for the first time, run candidates for Congress” (Time Magazine, July 23, 1990).
Is this the raving of a fringe lunatic?
No! It is the rationale of Jihad.
The ultimate struggle
The Word of God has forewarned us of the human heart’s capabilities and Satan’s bellicose attempts to thwart the Gospel and also to destroy the Jewish people. Therefore, Muslim intentions — military or missionary — should not surprise, discourage, or distract us.
The point must be made — and reconfirmed — that in the abiding conflict among the world’s three major religions, there is only one transforming option. The Jewish people, in concert with Biblical Judaism’s declared directive, saw the Messiah enter the world. Sadly, Jewry missed their Messiah, while Islam has missed completely the point of what God accomplished in Him.
The ultimate struggle is not territory, nor is it the satisfaction derived from destroying or subjecting people deemed weaker or inferior. It is instead the liberation that comes through Faith in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Alone! Muhammad sought an alternative to Judaism and Christianity. He succeeded only in leading millions deeper into spiritual darkness. The knowledge that fresh millions are being led along the same path should awaken Christians to the need for increased world missions and intensified Evangelistic efforts.
If one ever chances to look at a picture of the thousands of Muslims on their faces around the sacred Kaba in Mecca, so-called, surely he will be moved with a deep sense of sadness. They are kneeling in the wrong place, before an inanimate object that can bring neither light, nor life, nor peace. Their only hope of Salvation is that they would bow at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ — King of kings and Lord of lords (Jn. 3:3; 14:6; Rom. 10:8-9, 13).
“And being found in fashion as a Man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.
“Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name:
“That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in Earth, and things under the Earth;
“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:8-11).
Some particulars regarding islam
• Jerusalem is the third holiest place in Islam, after Mecca and Medina — both in Saudi Arabia. Tradition has it that the Prophet Muhammad journeyed at night from Mecca to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, and from there ascended to Heaven on a winged horse.
• About 90 percent of all Muslims are Sunnis — considered the Orthodox Sect. Of the dissident sects of Islam, the largest and most important are Shiites — fundamentalists, as in Iran. A split came in A.D. 680 over the dreadful manner in which Sunnis tortured and killed Shiite leader Caliph Yazid.
• Some seventy sects and offshoots of Islam have arisen because of doctrinal differences, which, in some cases, are irreconcilable.
• Muslims recognize the Torah (first five Books of the Old Testament), the Psalms, and the Gospels of the New Testament; however, they believe that only the Koran preserves the truth as it was given by God. It is, therefore, the only true book.
• The Koran speaks of a line of Prophets, beginning with Adam and ending with Muhammad. Both Jesus and Moses, according to the Muslims, are part of this line, although they vehemently deny the Deity of Christ.
• Muslims vehemently reject the Christian Doctrine of the Trinity as sinful and blasphemous.
• In Islam, there is no separation between the religious and the secular. All Islamic nations ostensibly declare their adherence to that concept.
• The concept of Islamic Law is all-inclusive. It embraces all aspects of human life and endeavor, both private and public, devotional and secular, civil and criminal.
• Jihad, meaning striving or struggle, is a term that has acquired the Islamic connotation of religious or holy war. Today, however, Jihad has developed into a broader context of striving for the common well-being of Islam and Muslims, and not necessarily exclusively by military terms.
• The birth rate in Islam countries is 42 per 1,000, while in the Western world it is only 13 per 1,000.
(Much of the information respecting Islam was derived from articles written by Elwood McQuaid, Editor of “Israel My Glory” Magazine, who is with the organization, “Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry”, and also Will Varner, formerly Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies, who is with “Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.”)
(The above article was derived from the Jimmy Swaggart Bible Commentary, “Isaiah”, Chapter 13.)
