Contrasting Sources: From Above - From Below (Parte Cinco)
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From a distance, all things seem typical...
It is when we zoom in that we see...
what has been 'hidden' there the entire time... waiting to bring you into the continuation of life after death.
Will you resist capture by He who holds Life in His hand?
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We are going to study the believed-to-be inspired sources of the so-called Abrahamic religions, focusing mainly on Christianity and Islam.
As stated in earlier parts of this article series, Judaism graduated into Christ, becoming Christianity (the Example of being Perfect: Christ).
It was also mentioned that ancient Jews were under the law of retribution (eye for an eye).
Those who adhere to that ideal today likely have justifications for war and self defense based on Old Covenant manners.
The spiritual Jew that believes in Christ has adopted the ministry of reconciliation, not of retribution.
The spiritual Jew (whether they are Gentile or from Jewish heritage) has realized that love and peace and submission to God and mankind is the Way.
These spiritual Jews live out their religion in ways beyond external efforts.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.
- Romans 12: 1-2
The patterns of this world is pride, arrogance, lying, revenge, strife, fighting, warring and death.
Previous parts of this article series showed how Christianity was a faith that later resembled a religion when the political state passed certain laws.
Political ideology, as religious ideology, are concepts that influence people's manners.
Yet the Truth one holds within their heart navigates their decision-making, being honest when political influence or religious justification demands lies be told.
One ideology usually influences the other (politics influencing religion and religion influencing politics), and the two are usually a conflation producing a single ideology.
Since the earth would have to be harvested completely in order to remove sin and the wicked, until then, the righteous live among the wicked... and the human eye cannot clearly tell one from the other.
This is what Christ established.
Religious zealots attempt to 'make' everyone religious by rules, hostility, and even death, yet it is God who chooses those destined for life while extinguishing those destined for death, the human / religious / political attempt is futile.
Even some who claim to be Christians (throughout history and even Today) do not understand the hidden things.
Thus politics and religion are almost inseparable as world history shows us.
However, Yeshua taught a distinction between the two; that one was not to be confused as the other.
One (righteousness rather than religiosity) was to be the focus of the believer, while the other was to be seen for what it really is (religions and politics being efforts of man).
Where righteousness is not gifted to the individual you find religion and things less than perfect.
One meaning of righteousness is: focusing on loving God, loving your neighbor (even your enemy) and serving others.
Loving God means to be aware and conscience of all things you think and do, knowing that nothing is hidden before God although other people may not know your thoughts or secret actions.
This is the righteous life, and being mindful one's ambitions not being detrimental or harmful to others and the earth.
The righteous are called to properly manage things on this earth, people, animals and resources.
Where ambition for power, rule, wealth, influence and such is evidenced, there one can find political and religious justification for almost anything, even killing others...and righteousness is lost, religion taking over...even a religion that denies a loving God, or makes man or created things 'god'.
This is why for almost four centuries the church was subject to the political intrigues of the political state, yet continued to grow and provide people with eternal solutions to their temporary problems.
The church prospered despite being an enemy of whichever political entity it permeated.
Life is eternal, this world and its desires are temporary.
Righteousness is an ideal that some think they can acquire by performing certain rituals, or following a serious set of rules.
Such activity only makes robots and clones, while wisdom and sensitivity to the Spirit is absent.
Messiah taught that real religious ritual is internal (righteousness), not an external process or effort.
This is why He was the Example of peaceful submission to God and man, submitting even to those who attempted to extinguish Him forever.
They only succeeded in killing the body, the Temple which housed His Spirit and His Word.
The wicked were used as tools in releasing the Spirit of God and codifying the Word of God onto the hearts of those who were destined to believe and be saved, even some of you reading this now.
And when He raised His body back to life, as He proclaimed He would, the greatest achievement witnessed by mankind was realized.
Hope for life after death was made forever real...and the fear of death (or of what others may do to you) became a none-issue for the believer.
Trials and death became temporary discomforts that would usher in eternity with Yeshua and the family of God in heaven; Paradise.
The manner Yeshua's message has changed the entire world has been a slow and steady process, as a seed turns into a plant that begins to not only feed others but produce more seeds and turn into a forest.
Faith in Christ is not about conquest, nor forcing governments to 'change' and accommodate the faith.
It is being humble in the face of pride, and serve wherever the force of others would take you.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
- 1 Peter 2: 13-17
This is evident in early church history, secular world history, and the manner the faith would eventually influence politics and government.
Did (or has) every person who professed to be a Christian (Christ-like) act perfectly?
Did (or has) every person who claimed to be Christian actually talk and act like Christ?
Did (or has) every person who said they were Christian really desire to love God and love others and lay down their lives for others?
No, no and no.
Those who were / are 'Christian' only by title and label were most likely the goats.
We can only guess at their ultimate destination, yet their historical activity is there for us to learn how 'not' to be like...again distinguishing the light from the darkness, contrasting what is right from wrong.
The church allowed itself to continue to be subject secular exploits, since Yeshua's kingdom is not of this world...while there are certain kingdom citizens occupying certain positions in the secular world, and as ancient testimony shows, God can move the heart of even the most pagan of kings.
And why did Christians do this?
To follow the teaching of patience, peace, love and humility:
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into My barn.
- Matthew 13: 30
The parable is explained:
As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
- Matthew 13: 40-43
There is a greater purpose and means to which God conducts His will...thus why the man / woman of God (the righteous) do not take matters into their own hands.
Yet, God has provided a means for the faithful to be protected in a carnal sense by those who may / may not walk in the light... yet are commissioned to enforce law (recalling 2 Peter 2 quoted earlier).
The law of Moses is continued to be enforced for the wicked, while the law of Christ advocates for the righteous.
When men attempted to marry together the church and the state as other religious ideologies had (and continuously have) done, the forceful attempts showed a falling away from the inspiration of Christ.
They acted in ungodly ways...and God allowed their pride to be brought low.
Yet the meek, the common man, was allowed to enjoy the exacerbated efforts of the confused
God continued to protect the sheep, punish the goats, and the meek (the church) continue(d) to inherit the earth.
The church cannot be measured like one counts a mass of people.
The church (the body of Christ / the kingdom of God) is invisible, not 'seen' by the human eye.
The church cannot be identified by one's dress, or by one's language, or even the ideas one may hold in their mind (their religion and politics).
In light of Romans 2: 9-16 and the reality that mankind will be judged by Christ according to their lives, whether never knowing or never understanding Christ, then we understand the church is well beyond even the Christian's perception of the earthly kingdom of God.
The goats are among the sheep, and the earth is God's field of harvest.
Yet, the activity of a goat does not defeat the love of a sheep, nor what the Shepherd has established in using them both for mysterious purposes.
To explore what, by definition of the Word of God and in the light of the Gospel's message, may be identified as ideas being more goat-like than sheep-like:
Now when you meet those who are bent on denying the truth, smite their necks until you overcome them fully, and then tighten their bonds; but thereafter either by an act of grace or against ransom, so that the burden of war may be lifted: thus. And had God so willed, He could indeed punish them; but so as to test you by means of one another. And as for those who are slain in God’s cause, never will He let their deeds go to waste.
- Muhammad (47) 4Notice the teaching of violence, of taking slaves (what traditionally happened after battles), of demanding a ransom for acquired slaves / prisoners of war, the reasoning that God is 'testing' the believer regarding the violence activity, and also the reasoning regarding the Muslim who dies while fighting and how their efforts are deemed not to have been wasted.
To be fair, allow for a short contextual mention:
Muhammad and the Muslim community had moved to Medina due to hostilities in Mecca.
This verse and chapter was recited first in Medina.
From their stronghold in Medina, Muhammad (and/or the Muslims) would ambush merchant routes for resources.
These continual efforts eventually gained regional influence due to a growing Muslim show of force.
This was nothing new regarding tribal power dynamics and alliances between tribal families for economic reasons in 7th century Arabia.
The centralizing magnet was the poetic recitations that promised paradise while now demanding adherents fight for what was perceived to be right (faith in one God and Muhammad being the representative, and Muhammad's poetry - the Quran - being the guide).
I used 'now' to mention that the poetry recited in Mecca before the exodus to Medina was largely about getting along with others, working out differences, and not so much about fighting.
To be fair, the Meccan verses and chapters were more 'peaceful' and leaned on humble approaches to differences.
The tone of the poetry changed when Muhammad gained influence in Medina and surrounding areas.
The historical writings from Muslim scholars and Muslim historians about the subsequent battles and wars are well documented regarding certain Muslim communities and those outside of them.
The poetry's tone changed when people were not convinced that Muhammad was a prophet, and thus we read the 'change' in manners against those who reject the message and the man.
This is why the rest of the fourth chapter (entitled Muhammad) explains why and how war was justified.
We read the manner in which those who desired not to fight were threatened:
Now those who have attained to faith say, “Would that a revelation was bestowed from on high!” But now that a revelation clear in and by itself, mentioning war has been bestowed from on high, thou canst see those in whose hearts is disease looking at thee, with the look of one who is about to faint for fear of death! And yet, far better for them would be obedience and a word that could win approval: for, since the matter has been resolved, it would be but for their own good to remain true to God.
“Would you, perchance, after having turned away spread corruption on earth, and cut asunder your ties of kinship?” It is such as these whom God rejects, and whom He makes deaf, and whose eyes He blinds! Will they not, then, ponder over this Qur’an? - or are there locks upon their hearts? Verily, those who turn their backs after guidance has been vouchsafed to them, Satan has embellished their fancies and filled them with false hopes...
- Muhammad (47) 20-25Notice how the thought of turning away from a 'revelation' that demands the believer to now fight (different from before) is likened to allowing corruption to fill the earth.
A religious police force, which according to carnal logic would make sense.
Fighting justified to enact religious ideas; the outward being pushed in.
To contrast, is there any such teaching from Yeshua or the Apostles about forcing others into believing the Gospel?
No.
Is there any historical evidence, especially from secular sources, about Christians fighting in the early centuries against those who did not believe (1st to the 4th century)?
None.
Another textual mention from Muhammad's poetry:
Lo! Thy Sustainer inspired the angels: "I am with you !" "And, give firmness unto those who have attained to faith: `I shall cast terror into the hearts of those who are bent on denying the truth; strike, then, their necks, and strike off every one of their finger-tips!"
- al Anfal (8) 12We read in the Muhammad chapter a bit about angels punishing those who left the religion and refused to participate in fighting.
Here in the al-Anfal chapter angels are again mentioned and the teaching that the Muslim is to inflict punishment upon those who do not believe Muslim ideas.
Let us take a look at one of the hearsay accounts (from the Hadith - testimonies claimed to have been witnessed and recorded a century later) about events and other teachings.
Not every Hadith is considered accurate or reliable, but these two sources are widely agreed to be authentic by the various Muslim communities and their religious teachers:
Allah's Messenger (pointing to his broken canine tooth) said, "Allah's Wrath has become severe on the people who harmed His Prophet. Allah's Wrath has become severe on the man who is killed by the Apostle of Allah in Allah's Cause."
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4073, Book 64, Hadith 118, Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 400In context, the 'Apostle of Allah' is none other than Muhammad.
The justifying clause phrase is 'in Allah's cause', perhaps the carnal effort to prevent corruption.
To contrast, let us read the teaching regarding violence done to a believer:
You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
- Matthew 5: 39
Notice even the mention of a tooth by the Messiah and the teaching to be at peace; the contrast with killing as confessed by Muhammad.
Islam claims Muhammad is a prophet following Yeshua (as a prior prophet), yet the teachings are like day and night / light and dark.
Also from the Hadith:
Allah's Messenger said, "Who is willing to kill Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle?" Thereupon Muhammad bin Maslama got up saying, "O Allah's Messenger! Would you like that I kill him?" The Prophet said, "Yes," Muhammad bin Maslama said, "Then allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e. to deceive Ka`b). "The Prophet said, "You may say it."...
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4037, Book 64, Hadith 8, Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 369Here we read that both God and Muhammad had been 'hurt' by someone named Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf.
We read that Muhammad asks who is willing to assassinate this man.
We also read that Muhammad allows the assassin to lie, likely in order to carry out the killing.
Notice that the violence is understood to be 'for God' and as a service for God.
Such a carnal attitude was predicted and warned by the Messiah to His followers centuries before:
... in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.
- John 16: 2bAll this is understandable in a place where the law of retribution (eye for an eye) and ransom was (and continues to be) prevalent...and where the preaching of the Gospel of peace and reconciliation is currently outlawed.
The treaties mentioned in the Quran speak about the historical reality of Arabia in the 7th century.
No central government, no courts of law, no police force.
The only government was the force of whatever weapon you had in your hand and in the hands of those who are today aligned with you... which may become your enemy tomorrow for any reason.
The presence and influence the Christian faith had in its surrounding secular society took nearly four centuries to triumph over the state in the west (Roman Catholicism specifically).
With the demand on every able-bodied man to fight for the legitimacy of the religion, it is understandable how quickly the conquests reached their destinations in the centuries since.
The Arabian peninsula was centralized and came under political and economic and military influence during Muhammad's poetic career (just over 20 years).
Within a century the regime went through north Africa and into Spain (west), through the fertile crescent into the Caucuses - Byzantium empire (north), and through Persia (Sassanid empire) reaching India (east).
Read here for these details.
One positive thing worth mentioning that came from this religious effort was centralization and times of political unity.
Considering the Arabian peninsula, a semblance of unity among historically indifferent and divided tribes was a historical feat.
It was through this centralized government that learning began through institutionalized education, the translation of Greek systems of thinking, and literature sprouting throughout the new Islamic empire(s).
Reading these few sources (there are many more), we can see a picture that is sharply contrasted with Messiah's manners and the Gospel teachings.
According to the sources and the history we can understand why still today there is religiously justified retribution in places Islam has come to dominate and influence.
Unfortunately, where the Gospel of peace and reconciliation had reached into Arabia in the 1st century, this message of love and peace was somehow not transmitted into Muhammad's poetry.
Where the poetry speaks of peace in one place, we also read allowance for violence (in order to make peace, it seems) in other places.
Thus there is contrast within this source, bringing further challenge to resolving disparity.
The arrival of Messiah was the graduation from a hostile peoples (under law, Jew and Gentile alike) to a people following love and peace as realized in early Christian communities:
Now when Yeshua saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them.
He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is Perfect.
- Matthew 5It is very clear there sprouted in Arabian an effort to revert to the death spiral of 'eye for an eye' retribution.
Muhammad's poetry claims to believe in Messiah, yet the understanding of Messiah is not clearly stated and not continued as defined in the Old Testament and concluded in the New Testament.
Where Christianity was not desiring to establish its faith as a religion including political agreement, we see this being the effort continued still today in certain Muslim minds and institutions and governments.
What is evident is the continuation of the law of Moses and its hostile remedy for sin and things considered unlawful in the Islamic jurisprudence derived from Muhammad's poetry and Hadith.
Love, grace and peace seems conditional in the poetry, a major contrast from the Gospel.
Absent in the poetry is this reality:
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Yeshua Christ.
- John 1: 17Islamic theology claims to follow in-step with Yeshua and that no change has occurred.
However, we can see that although the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Messiah.
What is this grace, and what is that truth?
It has to do with how one treats others, among many other things.
If your teaching allows you to hurt others for any religious reason, you may not be at peace...and not understand God's grace.
If your religion teaches you to fight, you may not be in full submission to God...and not understand God's truth.
And if such religious ideas claim that God says yes to fighting, then such ideas did not continue to follow the Messiah's teachings...but came from somewhere else; contrasting contradiction.
If Muhammad is claimed to be a prophet that followed the Messiah, why would God have changed His mind?
Why would God have established a peaceful community throughout the known world through Messiah only to send another people to smite their necks and cut off their fingertips?
The fact is that God did not (and does not) change His mind.
After God began reconciling the world through the message of love and peace, to think that God now will effort love and peace through fighting is preposterous, contradictory and hypocritical.
This manner is a cause for confusion.
This is likely what those mentioned in the Muhammad chapter - who were commanded to fight - reflected on in their hearts when peaceful dialogue turned into warring parties in the Arabian desert.
To clarify the contrasting contradiction, it says this regarding the physical:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
- Ephesians 6: 12The rest of that chapter expresses how the "sword" is not a physical tool of war, but something very different... a spiritual definition and spiritual reality.
That chapter also expresses things that the carnal mind cannot conceive, and neither the faithless can usually expect, since their ideas are based on and in this physical world.
Next is a portion from the letter to the church in Rome.
It continues the message of love and peace revealed through Messiah; never an allowance to fight:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
- Romans 12: 9-21In Parte Tres we read how Elisha asked for God's protection and God blinded an army sent to harm him.
Elisha prayed for the eyes of his servant, who was fearful, to be opened.
What was revealed to the servant was a greater army of angels who had been protecting them the entire time.
Elisha also foreshadowed the grace and truth of Christ; not slaying the enemy army, but instead feeding them and sending them back in peace.
I am certain those warriors had a change of heart after being blinded, being spared the sword, being fed, and sent home in peace.
They likely considered fighting against Israel (and the God of Israel) as a most foolish death wish.
Muhammad's poetry mentioned the angels would punish those who desired not to fight, those men who asked for a revelation that demanded they fight, the same men who doubted that Muhammad was actually a prophet of God.
Another contrast is that the peaceful believer is the one whom the angels of God protect... while it is the hostile and warring people who the angels fight.
To clarify any possible contention, let us read 'who' the angels are...and their job:
In speaking of the angels He says,
“He makes His angels spirits,
and His servants flames of fire.”...
... Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
- Hebrews 1: 7, 14And who is it that fights on behalf of the righteous and leads the angels into battle against the flesh and against the dark spirits who inspire such darkness?
Let us read 'who' is doing the fighting:
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose Rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a Name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His Name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has this Name written:
King of kings and Lord of lords.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the Rider on the horse and His army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the Rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
- Revelation 19: 11-21Since the faithful have angels of fire protecting them, where is the justification in becoming violent?
Since the children of God have such a wall of spiritual protection, why would the believer doubt God's promise of Salvation when tempted to fight over the flesh and the things of this world?
It is a matter of faith, and only the children of God are gifted such faith from Above.
Praise His Holy Name Yeshua, those of you who know Him and have received such grace, such faith, such love, such an eternal inheritance.
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