Right in own eyes.

 “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

‭‭Judges‬ ‭17‬:‭6‬ ‭

Sadly in our day it is still happening…doing what is right in own eyes instead of God’s eyes!!! 

Obey God not self!

Tom

On our faces!

 “So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on— it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar—the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. When the Angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the Lord.”

Judges 13:19-21 

Ever notice how many people who have an encounter with Lord end up on their faces in worship?

When we see Jesus for the first time where do you think we will end up? On our faces in worship!!!

Tom

Do!

 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬ ‭

Pretty simple…don’t just listen to or read the word! Follow it up with obedience! Do it!!!

Tom

Why?

 “And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.”

‭‭Judges‬ ‭2‬:‭19‬ ‭

Israel was do hard headed! God showed them over and over again love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness but they continued to disobey? Why oh why? Why do we seem to do the same thing? It is a costly thing to do!

Tom

Not a Word failed!

 “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”

Joshua 21:45 

The Word of God never fails!!! Read it, know it, love it, and obey it!!!

Tom

Music Friday-Won’t start now-Seph Schlueter

Turn it up, sing, and praise the Lord! This one will stick in your head!

 https://youtu.be/tS_H-xQq1hQ?si=tM1iBTetc86b3L23

Success!

 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Joshua 1:8 

The key to success…knowing and following the Bible. The success God has for us is not necessarily money but doing His will in our life by being obedient and loving Him above all!

Tom

Ascribe greatness!

 “For I proclaim the name of the Lord: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”

Deuteronomy 32:3-4

This was in the song of Moses right before he died. What an awesome description of God. Just dwell on how the great man of God Moses described God. Above all in all ways!

Tom

Special and Chosen!

 These verses to Israel from Moses:

“Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.””

Deuteronomy 26:18-19 

Remind me of these verses written to today’s believers:

1 Peter 2:9

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

We are God’s! Praise the Lord!

Tom

Nothing we have done.

 “then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 

We like Israel need to be reminded….nothing we have is our own doing it is all from the blessed hand of God in love, mercy, and grace!

Tom

Holy Week 7

 

Holy Week 7

 

 Resurrection Sunday

The stone was rolled away. He is Risen! (Matthew 28)

My Savior is alive and coming back soon!

Tom

Holy Week 6

 

Holy Week 6

 

 Saturday

The world grew quiet. Jesus laid in the tomb as it was guarded and sealed with a stone. (Matthew 27:62-

66)

Think…..He is in the grave because of my sin. Thank you Lord for taking my place. 

Tom

Holy Week 5

 

Holy Week 5

 

 Good Friday

Jesus carried His cross, was crucified and placed in a tomb. (Matthew 27)

All for you. Read chapter and just let it sink in….all for you!

Tom

Holy Week 4

 

Holy Week 4

 

 Maundy Thursday

The last supper with the disciples giving new meaning to Passover celebration. Jesus is taken by Roman soldiers. (Matthew 26:17-29)

Maundy means “washing of the feet”. Jesus was forever setting the example of putting others first by serving them even on the day before his death! Think on that today! Are we serving others to show them the love of God?

Tom

Holy Week 3

 

Holy Week 3

 

 Wednesday

Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:1-16

For the price of a slave Judas turns his back on the Lord. Sadly many do it for much less. 

Tom

Holy Week 2

 

Holy Week2

Jesus' authority was questioned by chief priests. He taught at the temple. (Matthew 21:18-25)

This is what took place on Tuesday of Holy Week. They were always trying to trap Jesus but Jesus was always a step ahead of them in their questions!

Tom

Holy Week 1

 

Holy Week 1

 Holy Week started yesterday. Going to give us a walk through it. Take time to read and think about the most important week in our faith! Praise Jesus our Lord for what He did for us!

Sunday-palm Sunday

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Crowds welcomed Him with "Hosana!" as they laid palm branches at His feet. (Matthew 21:1-9)

Monday

Jesus cleansed the temple, overthrew the tables of the money changers (Matthew 21:12-17)

Tom

Do you sing?

 “But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭59‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭

Don’t matter if you sound good or not! We all have much to sing about in response to God’s power, mercy, defense, refuge, strength, and a million other blessings especially His love!

So wake each day singing to the Lord!!!

Tom

Stone them!

 “But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.”

Numbers 14:6-10 

Some know the truth and have firm faith in God and some don’t! Those that don’t then want to do away with the faithful in one way or another. 

Chew on that!

Tom

Don’t be unthankful!

 “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.”

Numbers 11:1 

Complaining when God is meeting your needs but not your wants is unthankful and as we see very displeasing to God. May we learn from this and never do that!

Tom

Shine Lord!

 ““The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭

The above word’s the priest was told to say over Israel. May we receive the same! We already know God has been gracious to us and blessed us. May we live lives that bring His glory to shine upon us as well!

Tom

Echo King David!

 “Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”

‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭22‬ ‭

May we echo the words of David here! God has blessed us beyond measure. He is God, the only God! 

Tom

Pure

 “The words of the Lord are pure words”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬a

Nothing more pure than God’s Word which also is known to be Jesus! Look here:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭

Chew on that today!

Tom

Who were willing

 “The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭35‬:‭29‬ ‭

Israel gave to the Lords work at least those who were willing did! Do you think God noticed who did and who did not? You bet He did as it is recorded in His Word! So are you willing to give for the work of the Lord? If God looks at your bank account does He find you willing or not?

Chew on that today!

Tom

Name of the Lord

 “And whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall be put to death.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭24‬:‭16‬ ‭

Just think on that. How many would be dead for doing this if penalty was still done!?? God takes His name very seriously. So should we. 

Tom

Power!!

 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭

If you are a true follower of Jesus, then the Holy Spirit lives inside you. You then have power from God to do God’s will in your life like tell others about Jesus. Are we using that power as God has told us to do?

We have no excuses! Get busy!

Tom 

Cut off from his people.

 “Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.’ ””

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭7‬:‭27‬ ‭

God set up laws for Israel to follow. Some of them if not followed resulted in being cut off from the people of Israel. We too have commands from God to follow with the most serious one being to follow Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Failure to follow so will result in you being cut off from God and His children for eternity. Obey God!

Tom

Why has the Lord not come yet?

 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

‭‭II Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ‭

One of the reasons the Lord has not come yet is because of this verse. God is patient and giving all the opportunity to repent and come to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior. But do not be fooled the clock is ticking and at some point time will be up! Jesus will come! Be ready!

Tom

Too much!

 “So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭36‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭

It is safe to say most churches don’t have the problem Moses had…giving too much! May we be givers to the Lord’s work as well where the Pastor has say “your giving too much”!

Tom

Interceder

“So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.””

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭

 May we all have a friend like Moses who intercedes for us unto the Lord. Yes Jesus is our main interceder but I am talking about godly friends!

Tom

Beware, lest you forget!

 “then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭

God here was telling Israel when they enter the promise land and are enjoying the blessings God provided don’t forget the Lord.

May it be a warning to us as well. When things are going well and we are enjoying the blessings of God do not forget Him. We have a tendency to only want Him when we have problems!

Tom

Be ready!

 “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭

We are not to ever separate ourselves from Jesus and His love message. At work, on vacation, at home, and at play our life and speech should tell of Jesus! 

Is your life speaking Jesus at all times?

Tom

Complaints

 “Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.””

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16‬:‭8‬ ‭

May we never complain about the Lord for He has blessed us more than we deserve! In every way! Thank you Lord for all you have done and stop me in my tracks if I ever complain of what you have done!

Tom

Refreshed!

 “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ ‭

God tells us time and time again in His word to bless others with what He has blessed us with. It lifts our souls when we help others. When we obey God continues to bless us generously!!! Refresh yourself and help others!!!

Tom

When I see the blood!

 “Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭

“When I see the blood”…is a beautiful thing for the follower of Jesus. The same thing is what sets us free from our sins only it’s the blood of Jesus!

Tom

Weapon

 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬ ‭

God has given us one weapon to use…His Word. Are you using it to fend off the devil by knowing the Word as Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness!!! We also use the weapon to try and protect others and bring them into the Kingdom of God by showing them how to obtain salvation from the Word of God! 

Use your weapon as designed by God!

Tom

I will be with your mouth.

 “Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.””

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭

As God told Moses to go and speak to Pharaoh to let His people go, Jesus tells us to go and share the gospel. As Moses made excuses about speaking, we make excuses about what we can’t share the gospel. God tells Moses He will be with Him. God is with us as well through the Holy Spirit!

As Moses ended up obeying may we obey as well. Tell folks about Jesus so they have the opportunity to repent of their sins and put their faith in Christ!

Tom

Inquire!

 “So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.””

‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭30‬:‭8‬ ‭

In

Many of David’s decisions he inquired of the Lord to see what he should do. We would be wise to do the same in our decision making. Then do what God reveals to us!

Tom

God gives!

 “So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭41‬:‭16‬ 

May we remember as Joesph did in interpreting his dreams that every ability we have comes from the Lord! Give him praise!

Tom

The Lord was with…

 “The Lord was with Joseph.

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39‬:‭2‬a

Joesph had an up and down life…sold into slavery by brothers, made top servant, accused of rape and put in prison, and made second in command of Egypt but the Lord was with him because he was faithful to God. 

May we also be able to claim the Lord was with me!!! Be faithful to the Lord.

Tom

The Benefits of Worship

 Taken from “Our Daily Bread”. 

The Benefits of Worship

The Westminster Shorter Catechism of Faith states, "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." To glorify God—that's worship! To enjoy Him forever-that's the all-encompassing reward that includes these specific benefits:

FORGIVENESS. True worshipers recognize God's holiness and accept His forgiveness (ROMANS 5:1; 1 JOHN 1:9). Through worship they're purified.

GUIDANCE. Those who honor God will be given wisdom and will receive His guidance day by day (PSALM 25:4-12; PROVERBS 1:7; 3:5-6).

PROVISION. Jesus said that God will meet our material needs if we give Him first place in our lives (MATTHEW 6:33; SEE ALSO PSALM 23; 37:3-6).

LOVE. The love of God is experienced in the hearts of all those who are true worshipers (PSALM 63:3; JOHN 14:21, 23; ROMANS 5:5).

POWER. To all who give God the glory He deserves, He gives the enablement to do the things He requires of them

(2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10; EPHESIANS 3:14-21; PHILIPPIANS 4:13).

PROTECTION. God faithfully watches over all who acknowledge Him, and He keeps them in all of life's changing circumstances (PSALM 5:11~12; 1 PETER 1:5).

GLORY. All true worshipers of God will one day be glorified.

They'll inherit a new heaven and a new earth and join a company of believers and angels in perfect, uninterrupted worship (2 PETER 3:13; 1 JOHN 3:2; REVELATION 19:1-10).

Good stuff!

Tom

Music Friday-Will the Lord Remember me?-Red Clay Stays

 https://youtu.be/w7jdhDkP9jA?si=9pUyP9V0sWftWnOo

Blessings

 “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭

Slowly read this. Add your own blessings to it. Then give praise to the Lord! He is good!

Tom

Imitators!

 “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬ ‭

How do we imitate God? Learn about Jesus and how He lived and treated people and then do the same!!! It is our duty as followers of Him!

Tom

You have not listened.

 “Yet you have not listened to Me,” says the Lord, “that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭25‬:‭7‬ ‭

Judah did not listen to God and turn from their evil ways thus God would judge them and send them into Babylon captivity for 70 years! May we be warned as well! If we don’t listen to God His judgement will come upon us as well!

Tom

Uttered!

 “Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭

Sometimes we say things or think things about God that are not true like Job did. We need to repents of those things! God will forgive us. Let us be very careful about our dealings with God!

Tom

Music Friday-Terrian-Testimony

 Praise the Lord! Don’t skip this one!

https://youtu.be/ijm46OEP0zQ?si=Ki9MEj2W7eGOCw8l

Who keeps you?

 “My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭

For those who truly follow Jesus always remember who keeps you!!! He does!!! He never rests and will not allow you to be moved from your salvation!

Praise the Lord!

Tom

Stay humble!

 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ 

We are wise to stay humble. We are nothing! God is everything! The only thing we have to brag on is Jesus!!! So if we are to talk then talk about what Jesus has done!

Tom

Remembering

 “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭

As followers of Jesus we have work to do for the Lord. Loving others and sharing the gospel. We also have. Another work to do…praying for missionaries around the world who are doing the work of the Lord. I hope we remember them as it says above “without ceasing “!!! Many have forsaken all the comforts of home to give others the opportunity for salvation in Christ!

Pray church pray!!!

Tom

In His time!

 “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time.

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬a

Remember we are on God’s time not ours. He is in control. For His followers everything will be perfect and beautiful in His time!!!  

Thank you Lord and help us continue on no matter what we are going through!

Tom

Oh the JOY!

 “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”

‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭

For the disciples here it was first time seeing Jesus after resurrection. Can you imagine the joy we will experience when seeing Jesus our Lord for the very first time? Hallelujah!!!!

Tom

Ever asked God this?

 ““What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him,”

‭‭Job‬ ‭7‬:‭17‬ ‭

Have you ever asked God something similar to this? The answer is Gods loves you. He has exulted you above all other things He created. You are the only thing created in His image. 

Chew on that today!

Tom

Solomon’s Conclusions

 ““The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.”

‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ 

When the follower of God sits down and thinks about things He will come to this same conclusion that Solomon did:

1. God is my portion! The most important portion of my life!

2. God is my Hope! I have no other Hope than Jesus.

3. Wait on God! He has the answers to all things.

4. Seek God. Continue to pursue Him and worship Him.

Tom

Bless and Praise!

 Short and to the point today!

“Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145‬:‭2‬ ‭

1. Do you bless the Lord by the way you live your life?

2. Do you praise the Lord everyday forever?

Tom

What you need to know about Islam #15 (last one)

 

What you need to know about Islam #15

Well I hope you have leaned more about Islam and the dangers of what they believe. I am not an expert in the field but have leaned much myself. What the Quran teaches and other material on Islam does not add up to the peaceful message it proclaims. So let’s close out with what they believe about the end. This article sums it up pretty well. The end for Islam is difficult to put together as varying opinions are many. I thought this article does as well as any:

What are the end-time prophecies of Islam?

By Dr. David R. Reagan

Islamic Eschatology

The holiest book of Islam is the Qu’ran, often spelled Koran in English. It supposedly contains statements of the Islamic god, Allah, which were given to his prophet, Mohammad, by the Angel Gabriel.

Mohammad was illiterate, so scribes wrote down what he said over a 23 year period of time, until his death in 632 AD. Much of the content of the Qu’ran was delivered by Mohammad while he was experiencing seizures that even his first wife considered to be demonic in nature. The scribes began compiling the Qu’ran shortly before Mohammad’s death. The Qu’ran is about the length of the New Testament. (Copies of the Qu’ran can be purchased at any general bookstore. An interactive copy can be found on the Internet at http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/koran.)

The second most sacred book of Islam is called the Hadith. It is mainly a collection of Mohammad’s sayings that were not considered to be revelations directly from Allah. The Hadith also contains stories about things Mohammad did.

The Hadith was compiled in the 9th Century, about two hundred years after the death of Mohammad. There were several compilations made during that time, but the most authoritative is considered to be the one by al-Bukhari. He collected a total of 600,000 sayings of Mohammad and stories about him (examples). These came from the writings of both friends and family members. Many came from Mohammad’s 15 wives. Al-Bukhari verified 7,000 as “genuine.” These became the Hadith. (For an interactive copy of the Hadith on the Internet, go to the University of Southern California website at http://www.usc.edu.)

Strangely, the Qu’ran contains very little prophecy about the end times. It mainly affirms that history will consummate with “the Hour” when the resurrection and judgment will take place. So, the Hadith is the major source of Islamic eschatology.

An Islamic Puzzle

It is extremely difficult to piece together the Islamic concept of the end times. The information is greatly disjointed, being spread throughout the Hadith. Also, unlike Christian prophecy scholars, Islamic students of prophecy have not attempted to systematize their concepts into charts and diagrams which show how all the events are related to each other.

I have done my best to piece together all the events of Islamic eschatology, and I believe that what follows is a fair representation. But keep in mind that Islamic scholars disagree on the nature and order of some events, just as Christian experts do regarding the end-time sequence of Bible prophecy.

The most helpful source I was able to discover was a book by Dr. Samuel Shahid called The Last Trumpet. He attempts to show that the major concepts of Islamic eschatology were borrowed from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian New Testament, and the concepts of Zoroastrianism. Dr. Shahid is the director of Islamic studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. (See a complete bibliography at the end of this article).

Dr. Shahid proves conclusively that Mohammad secured many of his ideas orally from Christians, Jews, and followers of Zoroastrianism. In the process he got many of the stories and principles confused. For example, the Hadith states that the mother of Jesus was Mary, the sister of Moses!

Dr. Shahid also points out that the Hadith was compiled at a time when Islamic authorities knew much more about the Bible and Christian traditions and literature. Thus, many Hadith passages were manufactured and embellished and were heavily influenced by Christian sources.

Hadith passages concerning the end times are highly contradictory, and thus it is difficult to nail down a lot of specifics. Only a general outline of end time events can be compiled.

The Islamic Signs of the Times

There are both minor and major signs that point to the climactic event in Islamic eschatology — namely, “the Hour,” which is the time of resurrection and judgment. There is a Second Coming of Jesus in Islamic end time events, but it is not considered to be the decisive event. Rather, it is viewed as a sign pointing toward “the Hour.” The beginning of the end times is marked by the appearance of the Antichrist, who is called the Dajjal.

As with the Christian Scriptures, the order of the major end time events is not always clear in the Qu’ran and Hadith, and therefore, in Islamic tradition they are placed in various chronological order.

Also — as is the case with Christianity — Islam teaches that only God knows the timing of the end time events. But there are signs to watch for that will indicate the season. There are both major and minor signs.

Many of the minor signs have to do with general trends in society. Others relate to specific events that will occur before the appearance of the Antichrist. The major signs relate to specific prophesied events that will occur between the time of the appearance of the Antichrist and “the Hour” of resurrection and judgment. The listings of both the minor and major signs vary greatly.

The Minor Signs

The minor signs which speak of general trends are a mirror of Christian end time signs.

An increase in ignorance concerning the fundamentals of the faith.
Increasing instability of the faith (Muslims becoming Christians overnight).
An increase in false prophets.
An increase in apostasy (as evidenced by Muslims following false christs).
An increase in religious pretentiousness (as in the building of luxurious mosques).
An acceptance of astrology.
An increase in alcohol use and illicit sexual relations.
An increase in natural calamities.
An increase in political corruption.
People longing for death (due to the increase in calamities and wickedness).
Increasing paganism. (Muslims will increasingly follow the life-styles of non-Muslims.)
An increase in war and civil wars (even wars among Muslims).
There are a number of minor signs that are peculiar to Islam. They are as follows:

Women will outnumber men by 50 to 1. (No reason is given, but it is likely due to the expectation of many jihad martyrs in the end times.)

The caliphate (the seat of Islamic authority) will be established in the Holy Land. (This prophecy is a problem. What was meant by “Holy Land?” If it refers to Palestine, it is unfulfilled. If it refers to Saudi Arabia, it was fulfilled 1400 years ago.)

The Arabs will be destroyed. (This is another troublesome prophecy. What does “destroyed” mean? The Ottoman Empire, controlled by Turkish non-Arabs, conquered all the Middle East in the 1500’s. Some argue this was a fulfillment of the prophecy. But it did not lead to “the Hour.” And now the Arab nations have reasserted themselves.)

The habitations of Medina must be greatly extended.

The Muslims must fight the Turks and “the people whose shoes are made of hair.” (This has been applied to past battles with the Turks and the Tartars. Yet, “the Hour” has not come.)

The Arabs must conquer Constantinople. (The city, now called Istanbul, was conquered by Muslims in the 15th Century, but not by Arabs.)

Mecca will be reduced to ruins.

A people will emerge who eat with their tongues as cows do.

Time will contract, with a year being like a month and a month like a week.

Wild beasts will speak to men.

The Euphrates River will uncover a mountain of gold.

The Major Signs

The major signs pointing to “the Hour” are all critical events that are part of the end time sequence of events, beginning with the appearance of the Antichrist. Muslim scholars generally do not try to present a strict chronological order of what is going to ultimately transpire, but the order presented below is representative:

The Appearance of the Antichrist, called the Dajjal. Despite the importance of this individual, he is never mentioned in the Qu’ran, only in the Hadith. He will be a Jew born in Iran to parents who have been childless for 30 years. He will have only one eye. He will claim to be a prophet, and then he will claim to be divine. He will deceive many by his godliness and his miracles. He will go forth with an army of 70,000 Jews and 70,000 Tartars, and he will conquer all the world except Mecca and Medina. His reign will last for 40 days during a time when one day will be like a year. Some passages of the Hadith indicate that he will have the word “Infidel” written on his forehead. His reign is characterized by cruelty and deceit. He has a militaristic mentality. His purpose is to be deified, worshiped, and to reign. There are many parallels between the Islamic Dajjal and the Antichrist revealed in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.

The Return of Jesus will put an end to the reign of the Antichrist. (Keep in mind that the Qu’ran teaches that Jesus was not crucified or resurrected. Rather, he was simply lifted up to Heaven before His enemies could kill Him. One of the reasons He must return is so that He can experience death, like all other men.) Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives and then head to Damascus to confront the Antichrist. He will pursue the Antichrist south into Israel and will kill him “at the gate of Ludd.” That is modern day Lod, located near Tel Aviv. It is the site of Israel’s international airport. The defeat of the Antichrist will result in the eradication of the Jewish people.

The Invasion of Gog & Magog will occur at this point. This is mentioned in the Qu’ran (18:83-99 and 21:96). It is developed in many Hadith passages. Gog and Magog are presented as two nations with an army so large that when its soldiers finish drinking from the Sea of Galilee, no water will be left in the sea! They will invade Palestine from the north, and they will besiege Jesus and His companions. Jesus will cry out to Allah to save them, and Allah will respond by sending deadly insects (similar to the locusts of Revelation 9) who will destroy the invading armies. (All this imagery is based on Ezekiel 38 and 39.)

The Reign of Jesus will follow the defeat of Gog & Magog. Jesus will proclaim Islam to be the true religion and all Christians will convert. All other religions will be eliminated. All crosses will be broken, and all pigs will be exterminated. Jesus will be the sole ruler on earth, heading up an Islamic theocracy. He will be a just ruler. Every harmful beast will be domesticated. There will be abundant rain and plentiful harvests. All weapons of war will be converted into tools of agriculture, and there will be world wide peace. (All of this imagery is taken from the book of Isaiah.) The reign of Jesus will last for 40 years. He will go to Mecca regularly to perform rituals of pilgrimage. Twenty-one years into His reign, He will marry and begat children. Nineteen years later He will die. He will be buried in Medina next to Mohammad where He will await the Day of Resurrection like all other humans who have died. When Jesus dies, all believers will also die peacefully and gracefully. (This is the Islamic equivalent of the Rapture — that is, the removal of all the righteous from the world.) Unbelievers will be left behind to indulge their passions.

The Appearance of the Beast — At this point a good “Beast” will be “produced from the earth.” The Beast will call the world to acknowledge Allah. He will wear the ring of Solomon and carry the rod of Moses. Those who reject his message will have the word “Infidel” written on their foreheads. What ultimately happens to the Beast is never revealed.

The Smoke — According to the Qu’ran, a cloud of smoke will suddenly arise and engulf the world. This phenomenon will cause severe suffering.

Three Land Slides — Additional suffering will be caused by three great landslides which will occur in three different parts of the earth, one in the East, one in the West, and one in Arabia.

A Miracle of Nature — One of the last signs before “the Hour” will be an incredible miracle. The sun will rise in the West!
A Great Fire will break out “south of Eden” (in the area known today as Yemen). The conflagration will become worldwide and will be so intense that it will drive Mankind to the place of final assembly before the Day of Resurrection. That place will be in Syria (which includes modern day Palestine).

We are now almost ready for “the Hour,” the Day of Resurrection. But first, some comments about the Islamic concept of the intermediate state between death and resurrection. Muslims believe in the immortality of the soul. Upon death, the grave is visited by two angels named Munkar and Nakir. These angels question the person and assess his deeds. They then make a preliminary determination as to the person’s ultimate fate. If that is Paradise, the grave is loosened for relaxation and the person is in a state of bliss until the Day of Resurrection. If the angels decide the person deserves to go to Hell, the grave will be tightened and the person will remain in a state of torture until the Day of Resurrection. So, all people are subjected to two judgments, a preliminary one at death, and a final one at the time of the resurrection.

The Three Trumpets — After the worldwide gathering of people to Syria, the first of three trumpets will be blown. The first is called “the trumpet of terror.” It is a wake-up call that will strike terror in the hearts of all people. After an unspecified period of time, a second trumpet will be blown. It is called “the trumpet of the swoon.” It will result in every living thing in Heaven and on earth dying except God Himself, any He desires to spare, and the martyrs who are alive in Paradise. Even the angel of death will experience death! When the universe becomes void of all life, Allah will proclaim His sovereignty. Three times He will shout, “I am the Mighty One!” Then He will shout three times: “To whom does the kingdom belong today?” When no one answers, He will say, “It belongs to the only One God, the Conqueror.” The time period between the second and third trumpets is not specified, but during that time, Allah creates new heavens and a new earth. Upon their completion, the third trumpet will be blown. It is “the trumpet of resurrection.”

“The Hour” or the Day of Resurrection — The inhabitants of Heaven will be the first to be resurrected. While this is occurring, Allah will cause the bodies of the dead on earth to start regrowing underground. When these bodies are ready, He will order the blowing of the third trumpet and the spirits of the dead will enter their bodies and the bodies will come forth from their graves. There is only one resurrection. The saved and the unsaved are resurrected at the same time. Mohammad will be the first human being to be resurrected. All those resurrected will be naked, barefooted, and uncircumcised. Abraham will be the first person to be clothed by Allah. He will be seated facing Allah’s throne. Mohammad will then be clothed and will be seated at the right hand of Allah.
The Day of Reckoning — There will be an interval after the resurrection before judgment is conducted. This “Day of Reckoning” will be a time of unbearable toil and agony due to both physical and psychological suffering. Great fear will grip the hearts of people. No one will be exempted from this anguish except the prophets and those devout Muslims whom Allah decides to spare. No reason is given for this period of suffering. For pagans, it is a continuation of their suffering in the grave. For believers, it seems to serve some purgatorial purpose. How long this time of suffering will last is unspecified.

The Day of Judgment — At this point Allah descends from Heaven to judge all humanity and the jinns. The jinns are genies created from smoke. These are supernatural spirits that play a prominent role in Islamic literature. The Qu’ran indicates that the jinns are subject to condemnation because they heard the message about Allah and His Prophet, and they rejected it because they were allured by the pleasures of the world. People will be judged as to their reception of Mohammad’s message and their ethical conduct. Allah will validate the preliminary judgment at the grave by weighing the good and bad deeds of each person. This is called the concept of “the Scale.” The deeds of all people will be weighed in Allah’s scales to determine their eternal destiny.
Crossing the Bridge — Following judgment, every person must cross a bridge that spans the gulf of Hell. Mohammad will be the first to cross. Those who are condemned will fall from the bridge into Hell. The faithful will be able to cross to the other side. But because Allah is an arbitrary god, even the faithful will cross in fear, hoping He does not change His mind.
The Gathering at the Pool — Once the faithful cross the bridge safely, they will gather at the Pool of the Prophet. They will be allowed to drink from the pool, and the intense thirst that afflicted them on the Day of Reckoning will finally be satisfied.

The Intercession — At the pool, Mohammad will begin to intercede with Allah to allow the faithful to enter Paradise. How long this intercession will last is not stated, but Allah will finally give in to it and allow the faithful to enter Paradise. Simultaneously, a second form of intercession will take place. The angels, the prophets, the martyrs, and the faithful will intercede in behalf of those who have been condemned to Hell, asking that if they have “an atom of faith” in their hearts Allah will show mercy toward them by delivering them from Hell. To prove He is merciful, Allah will dip His hand into Hell and bring out a formidable number of people. Dr. Samuel Shahid observes: “In this case, the mercy of God annuls His justice and the laws of God become dysfunctional or inapplicable” (p. 218). Only the polytheists will be eternally consigned to Hell where there will be no end to their suffering.
Paradise — The Eternal Abode is divided into several parts. Heaven itself is the eternal abiding place of God, with His prophet Mohammad at His right hand. There are seven heavens beneath God’s Heaven. The first, of pure virgin silver, is Adam’s residence. The second, of pure gold, is where Jesus and John the Baptist will reside. The third, made of pearls, is for Joseph; the fourth, of white gold, is for Enoch; and the fifth, of silver, is for Aaron. The sixth and seventh are reserved for Moses and Abraham. The rest of humanity will live in what is referred to as “the Garden.” It is a perfect environment where all desires are granted and fulfilled. People are richly adorned and live in mansions. They are involved in never-ending feasts. Perpetual virgins are awarded to the faithful. Ordinary Muslims receive 40 each. Martyrs who died in jihad receive 72 each. No matter how many times one of these women engage in sex, they become a virgin once again. The sexual desires that were strictly limited on earth are unleashed in Paradise. This prospect serves as an incentive for young men to give themselves as suicide martyrs in the cause of jihad. Much of the Islamic imagery about Paradise is borrowed from Zoroastrianism.

Hell — Like the Islamic Heaven, the Muslim Hell is made up of seven levels. The first level is the purgatorial area that some Muslims will have to pass through. Christians are confined to the second level. The third level is for Jews. A people called the Sabeans are relegated to the fourth level. The fifth level is for Zoroastrians, the sixth is for idolaters, and the seventh is for hypocrites. Humans will be punished in Hell by demons. The tortures will continue eternally. One Hadith passage says that Mohammad claimed that most of the occupants of Hell would be women.

Sunni vs Shiite

The prophetic outline produced above is the one that is held by Sunni Muslims. The majority of Muslims in the world are Sunnis. They trace their heritage back to Mohammad. About ten per cent, located mainly in Iraq, Iran and Lebanon, are Shiites. Iran is the only nation with a Shiite majority. The split occurred in the 10th Century over the nature of the theocratic leadership of Islam. Shiites believe Islam’s leader should be a descendant of the Prophet Mohammad. Sunnis say leaders should be chosen by consensus. Shiites believe in free will whereas Sunnis adhere to the concept of predestination. Shiites exalt their Imams (spiritual leaders) as inspired teachers who have the authority to interpret Islamic law. For Sunnis, the interpretation of Islamic law has been theoretically closed since the 10th Century.

With regard to eschatology, the major difference between the two groups centers around a Messianic individual called the Mahdi. This individual is the embodiment of the earnest longing and hope of the Shiites who have been oppressed and persecuted throughout the course of Islamic history. There is no direct reference to the Mahdi in the Qu’ran. However, Shiites argue that he is inferred. In the Shiite scheme of end time events, the Mahdi takes the place of Jesus as the one who will defeat the Antichrist and create a kingdom that will fill the earth with goodness and justice. He is the one who has been destined from eternity to save the world from the forces of wickedness. In Shiite eschatology, Jesus is limited to assisting the Mahdi. Jesus’ specific mission is to propagate Islam among Christians and Jews.

Regarding the Hadith

The Hadith is a record of Mohammad’s words and deeds according to his wives, relatives, and companions. Next to the Qu’ran, it is the most important part of Islamic law. Its teachings are considered as binding as those contained in the Qu’ran.

The most recognized compilation of these sayings is the one by Sahih Al Bukhari. Some examples of the bizarre sayings of Muhammad which are contained in Bukhari’s nine volumes are reproduced below:

Women are deficient in mind (2:541 and 3:826).
The majority of people in Hell are women (1:28, 301; 2:161; 7:124).
Women are a bad omen (7:30).
Drinking camel urine will make you healthy (7:590).
A fly in your drink can cure you of disease (4:537).
Fever comes from the heat of Hell (7:619).
“Though I am an apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me” (2:375).
If you speak badly about a deceased person, that person will go to Hell (2:448).

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