This is a
response the claims set forth in the following article found here: http://www.answering-falsehood.com/failedProphecy.html
The unnamed author of this article
begins his criticism of fulfilled prophecy as an evidence for the inspiration of
the Holy Bible with:
Many of us have come across this
argument put forth by the Christian missionaries, the argument of fulfilled
prophecies in the bible show the Divine authority of the bible. However, we must
accept that what happens if a prophecy is shown to have failed?? Will our
friends then submit to the fact that it is not from God, or for that part of the
bible on where it fails on a prophecy, that this is not from God? Where a
prophecy is fulfilled we can attribute that to God, but where it fails, it is
not logical to attribute this to God. So with that in mind we can begin. First,
a clarification, as Muslims we accept that Jesus (pbuh) spoke the truth, we do
not attribute this failed Prophecy to Jesus neither would any Christian in their
right mind do that. This would be due to an error on behalf of the scribes and
the lack of preservation of the words of Jesus. This is one reason the Muslims
do not accept the biblical scriptures as Authority, it sometimes or in many
instances portrays the messengers of God in acts, which do not befit the every
day human being let alone a man chosen by God, with the best of characteristics.
For example in the bible it narrates that the Prophets were involved in
Adultery, Idolatry, Incest etc. As Muslims we object to such thing attributed to
the Prophets of God, and thus Allah reveals through the holy Quran the truth
about the messengers and protects them from such absurd narrations reported
about them.
RESPONSE:
The author sounds very much like Shabir
Ally. Be that as it may, we agree with the author that if one can conclusively
point to a false prophecy within the Holy Bible, then at least that portion
cannot be attributed to God. Yet what the author is about to present only
demonstrates his own inability to understand the Holy Bible. His article only
demonstrates that the author is unable to do sound exegesis, failing to look at
the entire context of scripture in order to derive the accurate meaning of a
specific text.
Second, although the author might claim
that Muslims reject the Holy Bible as being authoritative, his own prophet and
his companions did not. They rather affirmed and accepted the Holy Bible of
their day as the divinely revealed and well-preserved word of God. For proof of
this fact we recommend that our readers examine the following articles:
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/aboutbible.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/aboutbible2.htm
Third, Lord Jesus willing, we will be
addressing the alleged sinlessness of the Prophets in a future article and see
if the Muslim accusations against the Holy Bible contain any substance. For now
we will focus our attention upon the author’s claim that the Holy Bible
contains false prophecies.
The article quotes the following NT
citations:
I tell you the truth, some who are
standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his
kingdom." Matthew 16:28 (NIV)
When you are persecuted
in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going
through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. Matthew 10:23(NIV)
So be on your guard; I have told you
everything ahead of time. "But in those days, following that distress,
"`the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars
will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' [1]
"At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power
and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. "Now learn this
lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come
out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening,
you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this
generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Mark
13:23 –30 (NIV)
It is very clear from these statements
that are attributed to Jesus, that he is telling his disciples that he will
return within their own lifetime,
RESPONSE:
The following response is taken and
adapted from our rebuttal to Shabir Ally:
Shabir on Matthew's Prophecies
Shabir presumes that Matthew 10:23,
16:28 and 24:34 all speak about Christ returning within the lifetime of his
disciples. This clearly has not happened.
There are no false predictions, but a
misunderstanding of Jesus’ words. Not every usage of the term “coming”
refers to Christ's visible return to earth. To be sure, Christ will return
visibly. Yet, the Holy Bible clearly demonstrates that the phrase “coming”
can either mean a visible coming or it can refer to God invisibly manifesting
his power, wrath or blessing in some form or another.
“What misery is mine! I am like one
who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster
of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. The godly have been
swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed
blood; each hunts his brother with a net. Both hands are skilled in doing
evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate
what they desire - they all conspire together. The best of them is like a
brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen
has come, the day God VISITS you. Now is the time of their
confusion.” Micah 7:1-4
“They were all filled with awe and
praised God. ‘A great prophet has appeared among us,’ they said. ‘God
has COME to help his people’. Luke 7:16
These passages illustrate that God’s
coming was not something physical or visible, but something invisible. God
manifested himself through human agents such as Christ and his preaching
ministry, or through calamities that he brought upon Jerusalem as the
consequence for their sins.
The term “coming” refers to Christ
appearing to his disciples after his resurrection and to his coming to dwell
with believers by the Holy Spirit:
This either refers to Christ's
post-resurrection appearance to his disciples or to the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit.
“Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves
me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will COME to
him and make our home with him.’” John 14:23
This was fulfilled when Christ sent
forth his Spirit to dwell within believers:
“Don't you know that you yourselves
are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?” 1 Corinthians
3:16
To have God's Spirit living in
believers is the same as having Christ living in believers since God's Spirit is
the Spirit of Christ:
“You, however, are controlled not
by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIVES IN YOU.
And if anyone does not have THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, he does not belong to
Christ. But if CHRIST IS IN YOU, your body is dead because of sin, yet
your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if THE SPIRIT OF HIM
who raised Jesus from the dead IS LIVING IN YOU, he who raised Christ
from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through HIS SPIRIT,
WHO LIVES IN YOU.” Romans 8:9-11
“Examine yourselves to see whether
you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus
is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5
The term can also refer to Christ
returning invisibly to bring judgment against the Churches that were either
abandoning the faith or were compromising with the world:
“Remember the height from which you
have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I
will COME to YOU and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation
2:5
“Repent therefore! Otherwise, I
will soon COME to YOU and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
Revelation 2:16
“Remember, therefore, what you have
received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will
COME like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will COME to YOU.”
Revelation 3:3
In light of these verses, we can now
examine the passages Shabir and other Muslims use to prove that Christ made
false predictions. In relation to Matthew 10:23 Jesus’ saying “before the
Son of Man comes” is not necessarily a reference to his Second Coming. It may
refer to his being reunited with his disciples after their evangelistic
outreach. This becomes evident from Matthew 11:1 where it states that, “after
Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to
teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.”
After departing to Galilee, Jesus then
met up with the disciples where “they reported to him all they had done and
taught.” (Mark 6:30)
As far as Matthew 16:28 is concerned,
Jesus may have been referring to a visible manifestation of his glory and power.
Jesus would therefore be promising his disciples that some of them would get a
foretaste of what Christ coming in his kingdom would be like. For instance the
scriptures teach that two witnesses would herald Christ’s coming before he
returned in glorious splendor. (Cf. Malachi 4:5; Rev. 11:1-12, 19:11-16)
Mark indicates that this is precisely
what Christ meant:
“And he said to them, ‘I tell you
the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the
kingdom of God come with power.’” Mark 9:1
The fulfillment of this promise took
place shortly afterwards:
“After six days Jesus took with him
Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain
by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like
the sun, and his clothes became as white light. Just then there appeared
before them Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.” Matthew 17:1-3
The Apostle Peter indicates that this
event was the fulfillment of Christ’s promise to his followers:
“We did not follow cleverly invented
stories when we told you about the POWER and COMING of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we were EYEWITNESSES of his MAJESTY. For he received HONOR and GLORY
from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory,
saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ We
ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the
sacred mountain.” 2 Peter 1:16-18
Secondly, Jesus’ statement could also
be referring to Christ manifesting his kingly rule and glory at Pentecost.
There, the Holy Spirit was poured out miraculously upon believers. This marked
the birth of the Church where Christ reigns as King in the heart of believers.
(Cf.. Acts 2; 22:16-18)
In relation to Matthew 24:34, there are
three possible responses. First, the term “generation” is the Greek geneous,
a synonym of genes which can mean race. Hence, the race of Jews whom
Jesus was addressing would not pass away until the culmination of the age.
Furthermore, Jesus may not have even
been referring to his generation per se, but to the generation that would
witness the signs that Christ predicted would occur before his Second Coming.
(Cf. Mat. 24:15-33)
Finally, Christ may not have even been
referring to his Second Coming. Rather, Christ could have been referring to his
coming in judgment against Jerusalem. Christ had predicted that the temple and
the people living in Jerusalem would be destroyed. This bears out in light of
what is said elsewhere in Scripture:
“They produced false witnesses, who
testified, ‘This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and
against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will
destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.’ All
who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw
that his face was like the face of an angel.” Acts 6:13-15
Although these men were trying to
falsely accuse Stephen there was some truth to what they were saying since Jesus
had in fact predicted the destruction of the Temple:
“Jesus left the temple and was
walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its
buildings. 'Do you see all these things?' he asked. 'I tell you the truth,
not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'"
Matthew 24:1-2
“As he approached Jerusalem and saw
the city, he wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this
day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The
days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you
and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the
ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone
on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to
you.'" Luke 19:40-44
Hence, there are no false predictions
but only Shabir’s misinterpretation of the Holy Bible. (source: http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Shabir-Ally/anomalies.htm#mt_proph)
Let us now turn the tables and see if
Muhammad passes the author’s own test. Muhammad used similar language when
speaking of Christ’s return. Seeing that the Quran has little to say about the
manner in which Christ will return, we turn to the Muslim traditions for the
details:
“Abu Huraira reported that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: By Him in Whose hand is my
life, the son of Mary (may peace be upon him) WILL SOON DESCEND AMONG YOU
AS A JUST JUDGE. He will break crosses, kill swine and abolish Jizya and
the wealth will pour forth to such an extent that no one will accept it.” (Sahih
Muslim, Book 001, Number 0287)
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said:
There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Jesus (peace_be_upon_him). He
will descent (to the earth). When YOU see him, recognise him: a man of
medium height, reddish fair, wearing two light yellow garments, looking as if
drops were falling down from his head though it will not be wet. He will fight
the people for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill swine, and
abolish jizyah. Allah will perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy
the Antichrist and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will
die. The Muslims will pray over him. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 37, Number 4310)
Using the logic of the author, Muhammad
must be a false prophet since Muhammad claimed that Jesus would descend during
the lifetime of his companions and they would be able to recognize him. Nearly
14 centuries has transpired since then and the companions have died and Christ
still has not returned.
The author continues:
…this is exactly what Paul understood
from Jesus too (even thou he never met Jesus, he allegedly saw a vision of him),
so it cannot be said that this is our own interpretation of the said events.
Read 1 Thess 4:15…it says “According to the Lords OWN Words…”, and that,
they who are still alive will meet up with the Lord in the ‘Air’ assuming
whilst he is ascending. And not only this, in Revelations 1:7, it makes mention
that the very same people who allegedly ‘PIERCED’ him, will too see him in
his second coming.
Look, he is coming with the clouds, and
every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of
the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. Revelation 1:7
RESPONSE:
The author continues to expose his
ignorance of biblical teaching. The Holy Bible teaches what is commonly referred
to as Corporate Solidarity. This concept teaches that an individual act will
have consequences for other members of the group. Therefore the acts of one
individual are viewed as if the entire group committed the acts. Depending on
the kind of act committed, the group will either prosper or suffer as a result
of it.
Examples of this include:
“… But God has combined the members
of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that
there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have
equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with
it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the
body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:24b-27
But the Israelites acted
unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi,
the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of
them. So the LORD’s anger burned against Israel. Now Joshua sent
men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and
told them, ‘Go up and spy out the region.’ So the men went up and spied
out Ai. When they returned to Joshua, they said, ‘Not all the people will
have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not
weary all the people, for only a few men are there.’ So about three thousand
men went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, who killed about
thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far
as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts
of the people melted and became like water. Then Joshua tore his clothes and
fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the LORD, remaining there till
evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.
And Joshua said, ‘Ah, Sovereign LORD, why did you ever bring this people
across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?
If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord,
what can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? The Canaanites
and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will
surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for
your own great name?’ The LORD said to Joshua, ‘Stand up! What are you
doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant,
which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things;
they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own
possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their
enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to
destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among
you is devoted to destruction. Go, consecrate the people. Tell them,
“Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the
LORD, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel.
You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it. In the morning,
present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD takes shall come
forward clan by clan; the clan that the LORD takes shall come forward family
by family; and the family that the LORD takes shall come forward man by man. He
who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with
all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the LORD and has done
a disgraceful thing in Israel!”’… Then Joshua said to Achan, ‘My
son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell
me what you have done; do not hide it from me.’ Achan replied, ‘It is
true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I
have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two
hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I
coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with
the silver underneath’… Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan
son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters,
his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of
Achor. Joshua said, ‘Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD
will bring trouble on you today.’ Then all Israel stoned him, and after
they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large
pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce
anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever
since.’” Joshua 7:1-15, 19-21, 24-26
God blames Israel for Achan’s sin and
they suffer as a result of it.
Again:
“So the LORD said to Solomon,
‘Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my
decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away
from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the
sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I
will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole
kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my
servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.’” 1 Kings
11:11-13
Solomon is spared his kingdom due to
his father David’s standing before God. Yet Solomon’s son will experience
the consequence of his father’s sin, losing the kingdom to another. Yet for
the sake of David and of Jerusalem God will not take away the kingdom from
Solomon’s son completely, but grant him a small portion.
One final example:
“Because of this, God in his wisdom
said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill
and others they will persecute.’ Therefore THIS GENERATION will be held
responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the
beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah,
who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this
generation will be held responsible for it all.” Luke 11:49-51
The Jews that reject Jesus will be
responsible for what their ancestors did to the prophets since they are part of
that same community.
Lest the Muslim author objects to this
concept we only need to remind him/her that Muhammad also believed this concept
as the following examples demonstrate:
The Prophet said, “Adam and Moses
argued with each other. Moses said to Adam. ‘O Adam! You are our father
WHO DISAPPONITED US AND TURNED US OUT OF PARADISE.’ Then Adam said to
him, ‘O Moses! Allah favored you with His talk (talked to you directly) and
He wrote (the Torah) for you with His Own Hand. Do you blame me for action
which Allah had written in my fate forty years before my creation?’ So
Adam confuted Moses, Adam confuted Moses,” the Prophet added, repeating the
Statement three times. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 77, Number
611)
Moses blames Adam for mankind’s
expulsion from Paradise, with Adam putting the blame on Allah’s decree. Cain
also gets blamed for all the murders that occur since his time:
The Prophet said, “None is killed
unjustly, but the first son of Adam will have a part of its burden.”
Sufyan said, “… a part of its blood because he was the first to
establish the tradition of murdering.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book
92, Number 423)
In fact, both Eve and the nation of
Israel are the reason why the following things happen:
The Prophet said, “Were it not for
Bani Israel, meat would not decay; and were it not FOR EVE, no woman
would ever betray her husband.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55,
Number 611)
Hammam b. Munabbih said: These are
some of the ahadith which Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrated to
us from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and one of these (this
one): Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Had it not been for
Bani Isra'il, food would not have become stale, and meal would not have gone
bad; and had it not been FOR Eve, a woman would never have acted
unfaithfully toward her husband. (Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3472)
In light of the preceding citations,
Revelation 1:7 does not mean that Christ was going to return in the lifetime of
those who actually pierced him. Rather, the phrase refers to the Jewish nation
as a whole since it was they who instigated Christ’s crucifixion. The
unbelieving Jews share in the guilt of their ancestors since they are part of
the same corporate structure. The passage is therefore actually referring to
Israel as a whole, that Christ will descend in great power and glory upon the
very same nation that refused to accept him as their Messiah. This event will
then fulfill the following OT prediction:
“‘The LORD will save the
dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of
Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day
the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among
them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the
Angel of the LORD going before them. On that day I will set out to destroy all
the nations that attack Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They
will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as
one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a
firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the
weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each
clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David
and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of
the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all
the rest of the clans and their wives. On that day a fountain will be
opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them
from sin and impurity. On that day, I will banish the names of the
idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,’ declares the
LORD Almighty. ‘I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity
from the land.’” Zechariah 12:7-13:2
Second, to reject the Lord Jesus is
equivalent to crucifying Christ:
“It is impossible for those who
have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared
in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the
powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance,
because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again
and subjecting him to public disgrace.” Hebrews 6:4-6
This means that Revelation 1:7 applies
to anyone who rejects the Lord Jesus Christ.
Finally, let us again apply the
author’s own criteria against the Quran and see what happens:
O Children of Israel! call to mind
the (special) favor which I bestowed upon YOU, and that I preferred you
to all others (for My Message). Then guard yourselves against a day when one
soul shall not avail another nor shall intercession be accepted for her, nor
shall compensation be taken from her, nor shall anyone be helped (from
outside). And remember, We delivered YOU from the people of Pharaoh: They set YOU
hard tasks and punishments, slaughtered YOUR sons and let YOUR
women-folk live; therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord. And remember
We divided the sea for YOU and saved YOU and drowned Pharaoh’s
people WITHIN YOUR VERY SIGHT. And remember We appointed forty nights
for Moses, and in his absence YE took the calf (for worship), and YE
did grievous wrong. EVEN THEN WE DID FORGIVE YOU; there was a chance
for YOU to be grateful. And remember We gave Moses the Scripture and
the Criterion (Between right and wrong): There was a chance for YOU to
be guided aright. And remember Moses said to his people: “O my people! Ye
have indeed wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf: So turn (in
repentance) to your Maker, and slay yourselves (the wrong-doers); that will be
better for you in the sight of your Maker.” Then He turned towards YOU
(in forgiveness): For He is Oft- Returning, Most Merciful. AND REMEMBER
YE SAID: “O Moses! We shall never believe in thee until we see
Allah manifestly,” Thereupon YE were dazed with thunderbolt even as YE
looked on. THEN WE RAISED YOU UP AFTER YOUR DEATH; YE had the
chance to be grateful. AND WE GAVE YOU THE SHADE OF CLOUDS AND SENT DOWN TO
YOU MANNA AND QUAILS, saying: “Eat of the good things We have provided
for you:” (But they rebelled); to Us they did no harm, but they harmed their
own souls. S. 2:47-57
And remember Moses prayed for water
for his people; We said: “Strike the rock with thy staff.” Then gushed
forth therefrom twelve springs. Each group knew its own place for water. So
eat and drink of the sustenance provided by Allah, and do no evil nor mischief
on the (face of the) earth. And remember YE SAID: “O Moses! we cannot
endure one kind of food (always); so beseech thy Lord for us to produce for us
of what the earth groweth, -its pot-herbs, and cucumbers, Its garlic, lentils,
and onions.” He said: “Will ye exchange the better for the worse? Go ye
down to any town, and ye shall find what ye want!” They were covered with
humiliation and misery; they drew on themselves the wrath of Allah. This
because they went on rejecting the Signs of Allah and slaying His Messengers
without just cause. This because they rebelled and went on transgressing. S.
2:60-61
And remember We took your covenant and
We raised above YOU the Mount (Sinai): (Saying): “Hold firmly to what We
have given you and bring (ever) to remembrance what is therein: Perchance ye
may fear Allah.” But YE turned back thereafter: Had it not been for
the Grace and Mercy of Allah to YOU, YE had surely been among the lost.
And well YE knew those AMONGST YOU who transgressed in the
matter of the Sabbath: We said to them: “Be ye apes, despised and
rejected.” So We made it an example TO THEIR OWN TIME AND TO THEIR
POSTERITY, and a lesson to those who fear Allah. S. 2:63-66
Remember YE slew a man and
fell into a dispute AMONG YOURSELVES as to the crime: But Allah was to
bring forth what YE did hide. So We said: “Strike the (body) with a
piece of the (heifer).” Thus Allah bringeth the dead to life and showeth you
His Signs: Perchance ye may understand. Thenceforth were YOUR hearts
hardened: They became like a rock and even worse in hardness. For among rocks
there are some from which rivers gush forth; others there are which when split
asunder send forth water; and others which sink for fear of Allah. And Allah
is not unmindful of what YE do. Can ye (O ye men of Faith) entertain
the hope that they will believe in you?- Seeing that a party of them heard the
Word of Allah, and perverted it knowingly after they understood it. S. 2:72-75
There came to YOU Moses with
clear (Signs); YET YE WORSHIPED THE CALF (even) after that, and YE
did behave wrongfully. And remember We took your covenant and We raised
above YOU Mount (Sinai): (Saying): “Hold firmly to what We have given
you, and hearken (to the Law)”: They said: “We hear, and we disobey:”
And their hearts were filled (with the love) of the calf because of their
Faithlessness. Say: “Vile indeed are the behests of your Faith if ye have
any faith!” Say: “If the last Home, with Allah, be for you specially, and
not for anyone else, then seek ye for death, if ye are sincere.” But they
will never seek for death, on account of the (sins) which their hands have
sent on before them. And Allah is well-acquainted with the wrong-doers. Thou
wilt indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life,-even more than the
idolaters: Each one of them wishes he could be given a life of a thousand
years: But the grant of such life will not save him from (due) punishment. For
Allah sees well all that they do. S. 2:92-96
These passages address the Jews of
Muhammad’s time as being contemporaneous with events of the Exodus. The Quran
also blames the Jews and some others that lived at the time of Muhammad for
slaying the prophets:
When it is said to them, “Believe
in what Allah Hath sent down,” they say, “We believe in what was sent down
to us:” yet they reject all besides, even if it be Truth confirming what is
with them. Say: “Why then have YE slain the prophets of Allah in times
gone by, if ye did indeed believe?” S. 2:91
As to those who deny the Signs of
Allah and in defiance of right, slay the prophets, and slay those who
teach just dealing with mankind, announce to them a grievous penalty. S. 3:21
Shame is pitched over them (like a
tent) wherever they are found, except when under a covenant (of protection)
from Allah and from men; they draw on themselves wrath from Allah, and pitched
over them is (the tent of) destitution. This because they rejected the Signs
of Allah, and slew the prophets in defiance of right; this because they
rebelled and transgressed beyond bounds. S. 3:112
Allah hath heard the taunt of those
who say: “Truly, Allah is indigent and we are rich!”- We shall certainly
record their word and (their act) of slaying the prophets in defiance of
right, and We shall say: “Taste ye the penalty of the Scorching Fire!”
S. 3:181
Seeing that Islam teaches that Jesus
was the last Israelite prophet, how could Muhammad’s contemporaries be blamed
for an act which they could not have possibly committed? Again,
The (Qurán) is indeed a reminder,
for thee and for thy people; and soon shall ye (all) be brought to account. AND
QUESTION THOU OUR MESSENGERS WHOM WE SENT BEFORE THEE; did We appoint any
deities other than the Most Gracious, to be worshipped? S. 43:44-45
How could the people during
Muhammad’s time ask God’s Messengers when they were all dead as the Quran
itself testifies?:
And Muhammad is no more than a
messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then
he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns
back upon his heels!, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and
Allah will reward the grateful. S. 3:144 Shakir
The Messiah, son of Marium is but a
messenger; messengers before him have indeed passed away; and his
mother was a truthful woman; they both used to eat food. See how We make the
communications clear to them, then behold, how they are turned away. S. 5:75
Shakir
If the author’s logic against the
Holy Bible were correct this would mean that the author of the Quran couldn’t
tell time very well. The Quran compresses historical events together, events
that occurred centuries apart from each other.
The author concludes with the following
citation:
According to the Lord's own word,
we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the
Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ
will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the
Lord forever. 1 Thess 4:15:18
RESPONSE:
The author again shows his ignorance of
biblical language. His citation of Paul only shows that the author is not
familiar with Pauline thought and writing. Paul often uses “we” in a
corporate sense, choosing to identify himself with the people he is writing to.
Note the following example:
“For God did not appoint us to
suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died
for us so that, whether WE ARE AWAKE OR ASLEEP, we may live together with
him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
Other examples include:
“By his power God raised the Lord
from the dead, and he will raise US also.” 1 Corinthians 6:14
“It is written: ‘I believed;
therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith WE also
believe and therefore speak, because WE know that the one who raised the Lord
Jesus from the dead will also raise US with Jesus and present US with YOU
in his presence.” 2 Corinthians 4:13-14
These passages clearly show that Paul
wasn’t necessarily expecting Christ to descend during his lifetime since he
speaks of his being raised from the dead to be with the Lord Jesus.
Further confirmation that Paul wasn’t
necessarily expecting Christ to descend before his death can be found in the
Apostle’s second epistle to Timothy:
For I am already being poured out
like a drink offering, and the time has come FOR MY DEPARTURE. I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to
all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8
Finally, even if it were true that Paul
did in fact believe that Christ was going to return during the Apostle’s
lifetime this still would pose no problem. The Lord Jesus had already warned his
followers that his return would be like a thief in the night:
“Be dressed ready for service and
keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a
wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open
the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them
watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve,
will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be
good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in
the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner
of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not
have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son
of Man will come at an hour WHEN YOU DO NOT EXPECT HIM.” Luke 12:35-40
And:
Now, brothers, about times and dates
we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the
Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying,
‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains
on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in
darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 1 Thessalonians
5:1-4
The Lord Jesus also made it clear that
only God knows the day or hour of Christ’s return:
“No one knows about that day or
hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”
Mark 13:32-33
“So when they met together, they
asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to
Israel?’ He said to them: ‘It is not FOR YOU TO KNOW the times or
dates the Father has set by his own authority.’” Acts 1:6-7
These passages clearly affirm that from
the Apostles’ perspective Christ could return at any moment. This is why they
spoke as if Christ’s return was imminent, since they were obeying their
Master’s instruction to be prepared and expect that their Master could appear
at any time.
In conclusion we would like to say that
nothing presented by the author in this article even comes close in undermining
the authority and accuracy of the Holy Bible. If anything, the author only
demonstrates that he/she does not understand the Holy Bible, its langue,
expressions or the context in which it is written. In fact, as we have seen
above, the author’s own methodology can be used more forcefully against the
Quran and Muhammad. If the author is to remain consistent he/she then needs to
reject both the Holy Bible and the Quran.
Forever we will remain by God’s
sovereign grace in the service of our great God and Savior, the risen Lord of
eternal glory, Jesus Christ. Amen. Come Lord Jesus. We will always love you.
