I do not know enough about Islam to tell you anything about
their vision of this kingdom. But I do have something to say about the Jewish
and Christian visions of what it will be.
Years ago I used to listen to a radio program called
Politics and Religion. (Imagine that, me listening to politics and religion!) You
can learn about it @ http://www.endtime.com/
On one of the programs the host was speaking to the head of a
group called The Temple Mount Faithful, a man named Gershon Salomon. His group
is one of the most fervent promoters of a rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on
the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. You can read more about them @ http://www.templemountfaithful.org/
After listening to Mr. Salomon and the host talk for 30
minutes about the interaction between Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem, I called
in to the show and asked Mr. Salomon the following question: “What will be the
role of Christians in your vision of the Kingdom of God?”
Silence, no answer.
Eventually the host of the show said something like, “We’ll
have to wait and see what happens.”
I thought that was a strange response from a Christian minister
whose chief calling is interpreting the Book of Revelation and speaking and
writing about the End Time. Didn’t Jesus tell us what is going to happen and
Who will eventually be victorious?
Jesus preached a Gospel describing a God who lives with us and within us.
Leo Tolstoy eloquently confirmed this in his well-known work The Kingdom of
God is Within You. The God Jesus knows is accessible to everyone; we are
all God’s creation and none is greater is His eyes than any other. All except
the wicked will be able to freely enter the New Jerusalem:
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the
light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into
it.
And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for
there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations
into it.
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that
defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they
which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation 21:24-27 KJV
Contrast this with the Jerusalem being built by the
Israelis, and the Temple contemplated by Mr. Salomon. It will be surrounded by a
nation-size, impenetrable wall topped with gun emplacements and surveillance cameras. No one will be
able to enter without being searched and abused by the IDF. Jews will be able
to enter freely, but anyone else, if able to enter at all, will have to pass
through a gauntlet. According to a recent article in The Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9762745/Christianity-close-to-extinction-in-Middle-East.html),
Christianity is dying out in the Middle East. With the exception of the guests of
Israel (such as John Hagee), it’s unlikely that any Christian will ever get
close to the Temple Mount (and to the God of Israel) after the Third Temple is
built. Does that sound like the Kingdom of God and the New Jerusalem preached
by Jesus? It doesn’t to me.
Keep one thing in mind: neither Judaism nor Islam can EVER admit
to the divinity of Jesus. They could not during His life and they cannot now:
to call oneself God is blasphemy in both faiths. To them, Christianity was a
dangerous cult then, and it’s still a dangerous cult. That’s not going to
change, at least not until God intervenes directly.
So, although people like John Hagee preach that there is a
Covenant for the Jews and a New Covenant for Christians (something in which I
happen to believe), the Israeli view of the New Covenant is totally different
from ours. We’re “the Gentiles” … and that’s about it.
Should there be any objective evidence proving me wrong, I’d
like to hear about it.
Merry Christmas! And even though Jesus was not born on
December 25, I am glad that He did come into the world. He’s our salvation and our only hope.
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