For those who are “pro-choice,” please examine some Bible Passages that might change your mind

Diving right in, let’s see what the BIBLE says about humans:

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth." 27 So God created humankind in his own image; in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them: God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it." (CJB)

NOTE that YHWH "created humankind in his own image" (not necessarily in appearance; but rather, to reflect His Essence, "who" He is; His Divine Holiness....)

Eggs and sperm reside inside LIVING beings. They are living organisms that DO something: when activated via the sex act, they come together to create a living, breathing human being that does what? - it reflects YHWH's IMAGE!

Now, let’s check out some verses which prove that pre-born babies ARE considered human beings by the Almighty Himself:

Exodus 21:22 “If people are fighting with each other and happen to hurt a pregnant woman so badly that her unborn child dies, then, even if no other harm follows, he must be fined. He must pay the amount set by the woman’s husband and confirmed by judges. 23 But if any harm follows, then you are to give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound and bruise for bruise. (CJB)

The passage above reveals that if the child lives and is unharmed, the one who made the mother go into labor must still be punished for the couple's pain and suffering.

Isaiah 49:5 So now Adonai says — he formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Ya‘akov back to him, (CJB)

Genesis 25:22 The children fought with each other inside her so much that she said, “If it’s going to be like this, why go on living?” So she went to inquire of Adonai, 23 who answered her, “There are two nations in your womb. From birth they will be two rival peoples. One of these peoples will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” (CJB)

Psalm 139:13 For you fashioned my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I thank you because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; your works are wonders — I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes could see me as an embryo, but in your book all my days were already written; my days had been shaped before any of them existed. (CJB)

Could it be any clearer?

Luke 1:39 Without delay, Miryam set out and hurried to the town in the hill country of Y’hudah 40 where Z’kharyah lived, entered his house and greeted Elisheva.  41 When Elisheva heard Miryam’s greeting, the baby in her womb stirred. Elisheva was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh 42 and spoke up in a loud voice, “How blessed are you among women! And how blessed is the child in your womb! (CJB)

The above passage upholds the personhood and value of the unborn in several ways:

• Elisheva (Elizabeth) calls Miryam (Mary) a mother, despite Miryam being in the very early stages of her pregnancy.
• Upon hearing Miryam’s voice, the unborn Yochanan (John) the Baptizer leaps for joy in Elisheva’s womb, meaning he is a person capable of emotion.
• Yochanan’s reaction also means he was capable of recognizing Miryam’s voice and acknowledging the unborn Messiah even in the womb! And lastly, this encounter represents a partial fulfilment of Yochanan’s life purpose: to announce the arrival of Mashyiach Yeshua. Even before he was born, Yochanan had begun to fulfill his life’s calling!

Please read on:

Jeremiah 1:4 Here is the word of Adonai that came to me: 5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I separated you for myself. I have appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.” (CJB)

The Holy One consecrated Jeremiah and appointed him to be a prophet while he was still in his mother’s womb. Before he was even born, ADONAI already had a plan for his life - and God even SAID He personally formed Jeremiah and knew him in the womb!

Psalm 51:5-6: True, I was born guilty, was a sinner from the moment my mother conceived me. Still, you want truth in the inner person; so make me know wisdom in my inmost heart. (CJB)

In the above passage, David’s words reveal he was not simply an “impersonal entity”; rather a person with the ability to be a sinner from conception on — and one desired by God.

Judges 13:3 The angel of Adonai appeared to the woman and said to her, “Listen! You are barren, you haven’t had a child, but you will conceive and bear a son. 4 Now, therefore, be careful not to drink any wine or other intoxicating liquor, and don’t eat anything unclean. 5 For indeed you will conceive and bear a son. No razor is to touch his head, because the child will be a nazir for God from the womb. Moreover, he will begin to rescue Isra’el from the power of the P’lishtim.” (CJB)

In the above passage, an angel tells Manoach’s wife that she will conceive and give birth to Shimshon (Samson), who will be a Nazarite “from the womb,” meaning ADONAI had a plan for him prior to and from the moment of his conception! (Nazarites were Israelites whose lives were consecrated to the service of God - See Numbers 6.)

Please notice, Shimshon’s mother is even instructed to follow the same restrictions a Nazarite must follow while she is pregnant! Notice the angel’s use of the personal pronouns “his” and “he” when talking about the boy’s Nazarite status, providing both personhood and agency to a preborn child.

For those still insisting a fetus is just a “blog of tissue” that isn’t human – I urge you to read the Bible, from cover to cover, so you can get a grasp of just how very important God’s entire Creation is to Him … especially the humans who, we are told, are MADE IN HIS IMAGE.

Please take a moment to read Genesis 9:5-6, and notice that, when coupled with Genesis 1:26-27, we can see that abortion (a contemporary issue about which there are endless pro and con debates and arguments) IS MURDER! The "abortion rights" advocates keep insisting that "it's not a baby until it's born."

Here is what the CREATOR says to those who destroy HIS Image:

Genesis 9:5 I will certainly demand an accounting for the blood of your lives: I will demand it from every animal and from every human being. I will demand from every human being an accounting for the life of his fellow human being. 6 Whoever sheds human blood, by a human being will his own blood be shed; for God made human beings in his image. (CJB)

An embryo is nourished by human blood. It GROWS inside its mother, which means it is ALIVE! (Dead organisms don't grow.) So, no matter what the "Pro-Choice" types insist: snuffing out an embryo's life is MURDER in YHWH's eyes!

Thank You, YHWH, for these awesome revelations!

Prevailing with God — The True Meaning Behind the Name Israel

WISDOM FROM MY FACEBOOK FRIEND, RICH OKA:

The man said, “Let me go, because it’s daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked, “What is your name?” and he answered, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “From now on, you will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; because you have shown your strength to both God and men and have prevailed.-Genesis 32:27–29

Up until now, Jacob had always prevailed over men through his own craftiness and strength.

However, during his wrestling match with God, Jacob realized he was dealing with something more than mere flesh and blood.

His normal ways of doing things weren’t gonna work this time.

He knew he had no choice but to give up.

Not only did he have to surrender all of his fleshly pride, he had to release all of his fears and anxieties to God.

However, this wasn’t going to be easy.

We are told that Jacob fought God all night until daybreak.

However, just before finally throwing in the towel, he asked to be blessed.

As a result of yielding to God, Jacob was given a new name.

From being called “Jacob”, which means “cunning deceiver”…

He would now be called “Israel”, meaning “one who prevails with God”.

No more would he depend on himself.

He would now rest fully in the power of God.

This is the true meaning of ISRAEL.

This story is also symbolic for all believers.

I don’t care who you are, all of us, without exception, must go through a time when we will fight God tooth and nail over the right to control our lives.

But once we surrender, the blessings that result will have made the struggle more than worth it.

Keep in mind, though, that we will have to pay a price to leave behind our rebellious past and move forward to the new life that God has called us to.

Until his last days, Jacob would walk with a limp as he crossed over into the promised land.

Victory with God is achieved only by the defeat of ourselves.

That is exactly what Jacob went through.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah,
he is a new creation — the old has passed;
look, what has come is fresh and new!
-2 Corinthians 5:17

Then Yeshua called the crowd and his disciples to him and said,
“If anyone wants to come after me,
let him say ‘No’ to himself,
take up his execution-stake, and keep following me.
For whoever wants to save his own life will destroy it,
but whoever destroys his life for my sake
and for the sake of the Good News will save it.
-Mark 8:34–35

You can find this articles and many more on Rich Oka’s blog: https://medium.com/@richoka7/32-4-prevailing-with-god-the-true-meaning-behind-the-name-israel-c8b136a343ad

Behold our amazing Messiah!

John 12: 27. Behold my soul is now disturbed, and what will I say? "My Father deliver me from this hour?" Rather because of this I have come for this hour! 28. Father glorify your Name. And a voice was heard from Heaven, I have glorified and I will glorify again. 29. And the crowd, which was standing there, heard it and said, "It was thunder." But others said a Messenger spoke with him. 30. Y'shua answered and said to them, This voice did not occur for me, but it is for you. 31. Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world is cast outside. 32. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to me. 33. And this he said to show by what death he would die.

34. The crowd said to him, "We have heard from Torah that the Mashiyach remains forever. How do you say that about the Son of man to be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?" 35. Y'shua said to them, A little time longer the light is among you. Walk while you have light or else the darkness overcomes you and he who walks in the darkness does not know to where he goes. 36. Believe in the light while you have the light, that you may become the sons of light. Y'shua spoke these things and departed and hid from them. 37. And though he did all these miracles before them, they did not believe in him! 38. That would be fulfilled the word of Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) the prophet who said, "My Master who will believe our report and to whom has been revealed the arm of the Master?"

39. Because of this they were not able to believe, because again Yesha'yahu said, 40. That "They have blinded their eyes and have darkened their heart that they might not see with their eyes and understand with their heart and repent and I heal them." 41. These things Yesha'yahu said when he saw his glory and spoke concerning him. 42. And also many from the leaders believed in him but they would not confess because of the Pharisees, or else they would be thrown out of the assembly. 43. For they loved the praise of men more than the glory of Elohim. 44. But Y'shua cried out and said, He who believes in me, it is not in me he does believe, but in Him who sent me.[1] 45. And he who sees me sees Him who sent me! 46. I have come as the light into this world that all who believe in me might not remain in the darkness!

47. And he who hears my words, yet does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I have not come to judge the world but to give life to the world.[2] 48. He who rejects me and does not receive my words, there is something that judges him. The word that I have spoken, it will judge him on the last day. 49. For I have not spoken from my soul, but the Father who sent me. He gave a Commandment to me what I should say and what I should speak. 50. And I know that His commands are eternal life[3]. Therefore, these things that I speak just as my Father told me, thus I speak.[4]  (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Y'shua does not bring a new Faith, but reveals the original Faith of YHWH the Father.

[2]Y'shua proclaims that he came to give life, then he declares that His father's Commands are eternal life! The Father's "Commands" are instruction in righteousness; this is Torah which contains Commandments, Judgments, Testimony and Witness regarding the Kingdom of Elohim. Those who enter into Covenant with Mashiyach are entering into Covenant with his Father YHWH; therefore, it is evil - an outright lie - to teach that Torah is done away with and replaced by a new theology!

[3]The Commands of YHWH bring eternal life. YHWH's "Commands" refers to all of His Commandments; these are one and the same as every Word that proceeds out of the Mouth of Elohim. These are not Commands only between Y'shua and His Father but they are universal for all souls who will enter into the Malchut Elohim (Kingdom of God).

[4]Y'shua speaks the Word of YHWH, not his own words; therefore, he conveys the revelation of YHWH according to the Ruach haKodesh without the baggage of man's religious tradition. Religion has a propensity to reinvent or interpret the Word of YHWH to make it "acceptable" to man's standards; whereas Mashiyach came not to please men, but to honor and bring Glory to his Father.

A quick outline of the Ten Times ADONAI-ELOHIM was provoked to the point of anger by His people

Have you ever wondered what those “ten times” were, in which the Israelites “tested” ADONAI-ELOHIM to the point of anger? He mentioned them in Numbers 14.

Numbers 14: ²⁰ Adonai answered, “I have forgiven, as you have asked. ²¹ But as sure as I live, and that the whole earth is filled with the glory of Adonai, ²² none of the people who saw my glory and the signs I did in Egypt and in the desert, yet tested me these ten times and did not listen to my voice, ²³ will see the land I swore to their ancestors!  None of those who treated me with contempt will see it. ²⁴ But my servant Kalev, because he had a different Spirit with him and has fully followed me — him I will bring into the land he entered, and it will belong to his descendants. (CJB)

So what, exactly, were those "ten times" that provoked the Holy One to anger? Let’s take a look:

(All references below are from Stern’s Complete Jewish Bible.)

1. Lacking trust when at the Red Sea.

Exodus 14: 10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Isra'el looked up and saw the Egyptians right there, coming after them. In great fear the people of Isra'el cried out to ADONAI 11 and said to Moshe, "Was it because there weren't enough graves in Egypt that you brought us out to die in the desert? Why have you done this to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we tell you in Egypt to let us alone, we'll just go on being slaves for the Egyptians? It would be better for us to be the Egyptians' slaves than to die in the desert!" 13 Moshe answered the people, "Stop being so fearful! Remain steady, and you will see how ADONAI is going to save you. He will do it today - today you have seen the Egyptians, but you will never see them again!

2. Complaining about the bitter water at Marah.

Exodus 15: 23 They arrived at Marah but couldn't drink the water there, because it was bitter. This is why they called it Marah [bitterness]. 24 The people grumbled against Moshe and asked, "What are we to drink?"

3. Complaining of the lack of food in the Desert of Seen.

Exodus 16: 1 They traveled on from Eilim, and the whole community of the people of Isra'el arrived at the Seen Desert, between Eilim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after leaving the land of Egypt. 2 There in the desert the whole community of the people of Isra'el grumbled against Moshe and Aharon. 3 The people of Isra'el said to them, "We wish ADONAI had used his own hand to kill us off in Egypt! There we used to sit around the pots with the meat boiling, and we had as much food as we wanted. But you have taken us out into this desert to let this whole assembly starve to death!"

4. Failing to trust that the next-day's manna would be there and keeping leftovers overnight.

Exodus 16: 19 Moshe told them, "No one is to leave any of it till morning." 20 But they didn't pay attention to Moshe, and some kept the leftovers until morning. It bred worms and rotted, which made Moshe angry at them. 21 So they gathered it morning after morning, each person according to his appetite; but as the sun grew hot, it melted.

5. Collecting Manna on the Sabbath.

Exodus 16: 26 Gather it six days, but the seventh day is the Shabbat - on that day there won't be any." 27 However, on the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather and found none. 28 ADONAI said to Moshe, "How long will you refuse to observe my mitzvot and teachings?

6. Complaining over lack of water at Rephidim.

Exodus 17: 1 The whole community of the people of Isra'el left the Seen Desert, traveling in stages, as ADONAI had ordered, and camped at Refidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moshe, demanding, "Give us water to drink!" But Moshe replied, "Why pick a fight with me? Why are you testing ADONAI?" 3 However, the people were thirsty for water there and grumbled against Moshe, "For what did you bring us up from Egypt? To kill us, our children and our livestock with thirst?"

7. Building the Golden Calf to worship.

Exodus 32: 7 ADONAI said to Moshe, "Go down! Hurry! Your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have become corrupt! 8 So quickly they have turned aside from the way I ordered them to follow! They have cast a metal statue of a calf, worshipped it, sacrificed to it and said, 'Isra'el! Here is your god, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'" 9 ADONAI continued speaking to Moshe: "I have been watching these people; and you can see how stiffnecked they are. 10 Now leave me alone, so that my anger can blaze against them, and I can put an end to them! I will make a great nation out of you instead."

8. Complaining at Tav'erah.

Numbers 11: 1 But the people began complaining about their hardships to ADONAI. When ADONAI heard it, his anger flared up, so that fire from ADONAI broke out against them and consumed the outskirts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried to Moshe, Moshe prayed to ADONAI, and the fire abated. 3 That place was called Tav'erah [burning] because ADONAI's fire broke out against them.

9. Complaining of no meat.

Numbers 11: 4 Next, the mixed crowd that was with them grew greedy for an easier life; while the people of Isra'el, for their part, also renewed their weeping and said, "If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt - it cost us nothing! -and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, the garlic! 6 But now we're withering away, we have nothing to look at but this man."

10. Failing to trust YHWH's promise to enter the promised land after the bad report from the spies.

Numbers 14: 1 At this all the people of Isra'el cried out in dismay and wept all night long. 2 Moreover, all the people of Isra'el began grumbling against Moshe and Aharon; the whole community told them, "We wish we had died in the land of Egypt! or that we had died here in the desert! 3 Why is ADONAI bringing us to this land, where we will die by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be taken as booty! Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?" 4 And they said to each other, "Let's appoint a leader and return to Egypt!"

The above makes one wonder how many times YHWH has looked at us, asking Himself: "How much longer will they refuse to observe My mitzvot and teachings?

A word about the Prophetess Deborah, Judge over all Israel...

  

I LIKE THIS MEME, IN PART, BECAUSE IT REVEALS THAT ADONAI ALSO USES WOMEN FOR MAJOR ROLES. I can't tell you how often I've been verbally accosted by men (and also some women) who basically told me I was going to Hell for "teaching men" via my website! My response has always been: "I got one word for ya: DEBORAH!"

Judges 4: 4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading [a] Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. (CJB)

Whenever they attempted to engage in further argument, I would challenge them to explain and/or rebut EACH of the following, using Scripture instead of personal opinions:

Miriam who was Prophetess and sister to Moshe (Genesis 24:15, 19), the Daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27:1-11); Ruth (Ruth 1:1-4:22); Huldah (2 Kings 22:3-20); Esther (saved the Jewish nation, Esther 4:1); Anna (Luke 2:36-38); the woman at the well; Phoebe (Romans 16:1); and Philip's daughters (Acts 21:9). YHWH uses whoever is on His path to get HIS TRUTH out to the world! He even included Moshe's and Aharon's sister, Miryam in his list of "leaders":

Micah 6: 1 So listen now to what ADONAI says: "Stand up and state your case to the mountains, let the hills hear what you have to say." 2 Listen, mountains, to ADONAI's case; also you enduring rocks that support the earth! ADONAI has a case against his people; he wants to argue it out with Isra'el: 3 "My people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! 4 I brought you up from the land of Egypt. I redeemed you from a life of slavery. I sent Moshe, Aharon and Miryam to lead you. (CJB)

AND HERE'S SOMETHING INTERESTING: Moshe gave the daughters of a dead tribe leader the land that was to be inherited in Israel:

Numbers 27:7 "The daughters of Tselophhad speak what is right. You should certainly give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8 "And speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, 'When a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 9 'And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.' (CJB)

I could go on, but will leave you with this "grand finale"...

Acts 2:17 Elohim said, In later days it will be (that) I will pour out my Ruach upon all flesh, and your sons will prophesy and your daughters and your young men will see visions, and your elders will dream dreams. And upon my servants and upon handmaids I will pour out my Ruach in those days. And they will prophesy. (AENT)

(For a more, indepth teaching on this issue, I invite you to read this article on ourwebsite.)  

 

A mini-study of 1 John 2:15 from the Hebraic viewpoint

1 John 2:15. Love not the world nor anything in it; for whoever loves the world has not the love of the Father in him. 16. For all that is in the world is the lust of the body and the lust of the eyes and the pride of the world, which are not from the Father but from the world[1] itself. 17. And the world is passing away, (both) it and the lust thereof; but he that does the pleasure of Elohim abides for ever.[2] (AENT)

FOONOTES:

[1] “The world” refers to pagan, Torahless, humanistic, evolutionary, relativistic, materialistic, sensual, unrighteous lifestyles that haSatan used to seduce mankind away from YHWH. This certainly does not refer to the earth which YHWH made according to His good pleasure.

[2] And the world passes away, and the lust thereof, but he who does the will of Elohim abides forever. 1 John 2:17. In Aramaic the words for world (alma) and forever (alam) are nearly identically spelled and pronounced.

Notice here also that the first apparent letter of alam – the “ l “ – does not count and is not highlighted because it is simply the L proclitic. In this case the literal construction comes out awkwardly in English as “living of forever.”

The pun is also multi-tiered in this case because ancient Jewish thought has always centered on the idea of olam haba, which is literally rendered as “world to come” but figuratively means “world of eternity” or “heaven.”

When confronted with these facts, some theologians suggest that “from the beginning” can mean “from the time of Mashiyach’s ministry”; however, such thinking is easily refuted: “For this is the commandment that you have heard from the beginning, that you must love one another. Not do as Cain did, who belonged to the wicked one and slew his brother.” 1 John 3:11-12.

If Cain knew this commandment, it must also then go back to Adam. That being the case, the old commandment is very old indeed, and it is rooted firmly in the first book of Torah, known as Genesis!

A few more insights about the jealousy and resentment between Ishmael and Isaac…

Those who know Scripture KNOW that the war between the Jews and Muslims (which has actually echoed down through the ages) began with the jealousy and resentment between Ishmael and Isaac …AND man's failure (in this case, Abraham’s wife, Sarah’s) to trust in YHWH (Yahweh)!

Take a look at how things unfolded:

In Genesis 15 we see our first Patriarch Abraham complaining to YHWH that he had no heirs to pass an inheritance on to. (Please read Genesis 15:1-5)  Some time passed and in Genesis 16 we see Abraham and his wife Sarah panicking about not having an heir yet, and so they decided (at the urging of Sarah) to take matters into their own hands and have Abraham sleep with his wife's pagan/Egyptian servant Hagar. The result of that union was a son they named Ishmael.

Now, take note of this:

In Genesis 16:13-16 the Angel of the YHWH told Hagar (who resented the fact she had conceived) that her son Ishmael would live and end up being "...a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him; and he will live to the east of all his brothers."

(Who does that sound like in today’s world? Sounds like the behavior of the terrorists deeply rooted in that so-called “Religion of Peace” who like to start wars and behead anyone they considers “infidels”…)

Ishmael - the son of the Egyptian slave woman - is the father of the Arab nations, most of whom today are Muslim!

When Abraham (then still known as Avram before God changed His Name) was 99 years old, YHWH appeared and made a covenant with him, promising to make Avraham the father of many nations - which meant at some point he would have another heir and that that other heir, and NOT Ishmael, would be the one with whom YHWH would make his next covenant. (Read Genesis 17, verses 1- 8 and 15-25.)

In Genesis 17:1- 8 we see YHWH making a covenant with Avram: "I am establishing my covenant between me and you, along with your descendants after you, generation after generation, as an everlasting covenant, to be God for you and for your descendants after you. 8 I will give you and your descendants after you the land in which you are now foreigners, all the land of Kena'an, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God."

(While reading the verses above, please NOTE that Isaac was born AFTER the covenant of circumcision...which was never, ever negated. ALL men who belong to ADONAI, Jew and Gentile, must be circumcised!)

Conflict between the two sons of Abraham began from the very start. Genesis 21:9 says the conflict began just after Isaac was weaned: "Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking."

Galatians 4 tells us that Ishmael had been "born according to the flesh" while Isaac had been "born according to the promise". Isaac replaced Ishmael as the favored son and heir. This, of course, made Ishmael jealous and bitter. As a result, he mocked and disdained his half-brother. Eventually the situation became so intolerable that Abraham's wife Sarah demanded that Ishmael and his Egyptian concubine mother, Hagar, be expelled permanently from Abraham's family.

But YHWH loved Hagar and her son, and had mercy upon them. He promised Hagar that her son would beget twelve princes who would become a great nation. Ishmael then went to live in the wilderness region of Hejaz in what became known as the Arabian Peninsula. He indeed had twelve patriarchal sons who became associated with the peoples known as Midianites, Edomites, Egyptians and Assyrians. The Bible and Islamic tradition both agree that Ishmael became the leader of all the great desert peoples of the Middle East.

This jealousy and resentment between Sarah and Hagar and their sons Isaac and Ishmael created an unparalleled hate which has set off wars and atrocities for four thousand years. It was the title deed to the land of Israel, which God promised to Abraham's lineage, that has been the source of the friction between the Jews and the Arabs right up to the present day.

Muslims believe the Jews changed and distorted the Bible in order to establish themselves as the heirs of Abraham's Covenant blessings. However, they fail to explain how the “New Testament” (which I prefer to refer to as “Renewed Covenant”) clearly teaches that the Covenant was made with Isaac and his descendants.

According to Islamic tradition, Abraham had eight sons rather than two who were reared in Mecca, not Hebron. They insist it was Ishmael, not Isaac, whom Abraham was about to sacrifice on Mount Moriah when an angel stopped him. According to the Koran, the Abrahamic covenant, with its promises - including the title deed to the land of Israel - was passed down to the Arabs through Ishmael, rather than to the Jews through Isaac.

If one believes that the Old and the Renewed Covenant were written under the inspiration of the Spirit of YHWH, then there is no question that Israel is the Promised Land of the Jews. God's words to Abraham in Genesis are some 2,500 years older than the creation of Islam (whose "prophet" Mohammed was a murdering, thieving pedophile who "married" a seven year old child - but that's another story).

The bottom line is, YHWH fulfilled His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael. And He is about to use the consequential warfare between the two brothers in order to bring about His "end time" scenario....