[ If you have already read the short article "Road Map to Peace in Jerusalem" you may wish to skip the introduction
and continue directly with the section "Messiah: The Powerful Peacemaker" to avoid unnecessary repetition. ]
Road Map to Peace in Jerusalem
With the dust barely settling after the Iraq war, pressure is mounting to resolve the dispute over the Holy Land – a designation accepted by half the world, i.e. Muslims, Jews and Christians. The world’s attention is riveted on this conflict. It is the critical issue that divides the pan-Muslim world from the West. This issue demands a response from Bush at a time when he is feeling vulnerable - his reputation of being a ‘warmonger’ needs to be repaired and intense anti-American feelings around the world need to be pacified. No doubt America will take seriously this opportunity to be a peacemaker in the Middle East and try to redeem her reputation in the world’s eyes.
Israel will come under great pressure to accept the road map to peace as drawn up by the ‘Quartet’ – USA, the EU, the UN and Russia. Israel has taken the brunt of criticism in the UN leaving her isolated and vulnerable so much so that the Quartet could tempted to impose a solution on her – like putting a bandage over a festering wound. Of course, both sides contribute their share of hindrances to peace, as we shall see.
Deceitful Politicians Undermine Peace
Since 1948 most Arab nations have tried to destroy Israel in an ongoing "war of elimination and massive massacre" – the words of Azzam Pasha, then Secretary General of the Arab League. Arafat finally realised that the Palestinians were not winning the world’s sympathy with their bloody rhetoric of ‘destroying Israel’ so, in 1993, he cleverly accepted a ‘peace’ strategy for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
But it was not easy for Arafat to convince his fellow freedom fighters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad to join him in this new peacemaking venture with the ‘Zionist enemy’. He had to show his comrades in arms that this approach was actually a stepping-stone to achieving their goal of recapturing all of Palestine.
When Arafat was in the spotlight of world media he spoke of peace and acknowledged Israel’s right to exist but when speaking to Muslims it was a different story; "after this agreement," he said, "you have to understand our main battle is Jerusalem – ... it is not their capital. It is our capital ... This agreement, I am not considering it more than the agreement which had been signed between our prophet Mohammed and Quraish. But Muhammad accepted it and we are accepting now this peace offer ... Peace for us means the destruction of Israel. We are preparing for an all out war." (from a lecture by Arafat in a Johannesburg mosque, 10 May 1994).
How can Arafat speak of making a peace treaty and then promptly talk of ‘preparing for all out war’? You must realize that Muhammad took advantage of the treaty of Hudaybiyya to reopen hostilities at a more opportune time and ultimately gain victory over the Meccans. Using Muhammd's example as a precedent, the mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdel Aziz Bin-Baz, explained that "peace with Israel is permissible only on condition that it is a temporary truce, until the Muslims build up the strength needed to expel the Jews." (IMRA, March 2002) The mufti speaks of ‘expelling the Jews’ but Arafat bluntly calls for "the destruction of Israel".
Shortly after Oslo, he explained how he would accomplish this, "Since we cannot defeat Israel in war, we do this in stages. We take any and every territory we can of Palestine ... and use it as a springboard to take more. When the time comes, we can get the Arab nations to join us for the final blow against Israel." (from an interview on Jordanian Television, as quoted in "The Threat Inherent in a Palestinian State" by Don Feder, Insight Magazine, 13 May 2003)
Arafat used similar words to encourage radical Muslim groups to cooperate with him. Arafat wrote to them in a letter dated 18 November 1994, "In order to obtain the goal of returning to Palestine, all of us sometimes have to grit our teeth but it is forbidden that this harm the continued struggle against the Zionist enemy. Cooperation between the PLO and the rejectionist organizations is what will lead to the ... establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem. Only a state like that, can continue the struggle to remove the enemy from all Palestinian lands." (quoted in "Unholy War: America, Israel and Radical Islam" by Randall Price)
Fifteen months later Arafat had not changed. Speaking in Stockholm to a group of Arab ambassadors he said, "We plan to eliminate the state of Israel ... We Palestinians will take over everything, including all of Jerusalem." (as reported to the Norwegian daily ‘Dagen’, 6 Feb. 1996).
Has Arafat changed since then? Since the latest intifada started organizations like Al Aqsa Brigade and Tanzim, under Arafat’s authority, have repeatedly claimed responsibility for killing Israeli civilians. Also, documents captured in Arafat’s head-quarters show his signature authorizing payment for arms and explosives for a variety of terrorist groups.
Arafat’s bloody intentions are seen in his repeated calls for "a million martyrs to march on Jerusalem". A Palestinian comrade responded to this call by blowing himself up along with 24 Israeli teenagers at the Dolphinarium disco in 2001. European leaders pressed Arafat to make a statement condemning the attack. Shortly afterwards Arafat wrote a letter to the bomber’s family praising him as a "martyr" and "a model of sacrifice".
With Jerusalem as his rallying cry, Arafat recently signed into ‘law’ a document claiming all Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Perhaps this was a way of countering Ariel Sharon’s declaration, "Jerusalem is the indivisible capital of Israel for all eternity." Opposing claims like these are fueling the conflict and hope for peace is virtually dead.
Deceitful Clerics Undermine Peace
As we move from the political arena to religion, the plot thickens. Mufti Ikrama Sabri, the leading religious figure in Palestine, sanctioned Arafat’s claim to Jerusalem, saying, "There is not the smallest indication of the evidence of a Jewish temple on this place in the past. In the whole city there is not even a single stone indicating Jewish history." (in an interview in Jan. 2000 with the German paper Die Welt). Such blatant denials and lies have not gone unnoticed by other Muslim clerics.
Abdul Palazzi, Secretary General of the Italian Muslim Association (PhD. Al-Azhar University) noted, "The Palestinian Arabs deny that the Holy Temple ever stood on the Temple Mount. I was part of an international delegation that visited Israel in 2000. The Wakf took us to visit Al Aqsa. Right outside of the Dome of the Rock is a small chapel on the eastern side.
‘What is this place?’ I asked.
‘It is the place where Solomon stood to dedicate the Temple,’ was the reply.
‘Then why do you deny this?’ I asked.
With a smile I was told, ‘For political reasons.’"
Palazzi rejects these lies saying, "Imam Tabari wrote, ‘Lives of Prophets and Kings’. He described the life of King Solomon and the Temple he built. Anyone who denies this not only denies history, but denies Islamic sources." Such denials contradict a statement by the Supreme Muslim Council of Jerusalem (1930), The sanctity of the Temple Mount "dates from the earliest times. Its identity with the site of Solomon’s temple is beyond dispute."
Such blatant lies seem to evoke no shame. But there is something else just as detestable that many Muslim clerics are guilty of – poisoning the minds of Palestinians with teaching that implies genocide, "The Last Hour would not come til the Muslims fight against the Jews and the Muslims kill them until the Jews hide themselves, and the stones and trees would speak up saying, ... There is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him." (Sahih Muslim, Book 40, #6985)
If we do not understand the religious roots of Muslim hatred against Jews and Arafat’s deceitful schemes we will have unrealistic expectations about new peace initiatives. Generations of Palestinians have been fed on propaganda denying the legitimacy of the state of Israel and glorifying martyrdom. It is not surprising, therefore, that a clear majority of Palestinians continue to support suicide bombers and about 50% believe the goal should be the "total liberation of Palestine", i.e. the elimination of Israel. For nearly 10 years P.A. leaders have falsely promised to prohibit schools and the media from allowing inciting statements to be made against Jews. As a result a deep rooted bitterness has infected many Palestinians. Arafat’s heart has not changed and, unfortunately, neither have the attitudes of his people.
As for Abu Mazen, the new Palestinian Prime Minister, recently said, "the intifada must continue ... It is the right of the Palestinian people to rise and use all the means at their disposal." Also, it does not bode well, that Abu Mazen offered two cabinet positions in his government to the terrorist group Hamas. The fact that he made this offer calls into serious question his commitment to root out terrorism. In spite of all the faults with the Palestinians, they are not the only ones hindering peace – the Jews also share responsibility.
Israelis Undermine Peace
God-fearing Jews do not pretend their country is without fault. The prophet Malachi rebuked Israel for depriving non-Israelites of justice but it is important to see that this message was part of a prophecy about the coming of Messiah in the future. God-fearing Jews, like devout Muslims, see in current events, signs indicating the Messiah will come soon. It is precisely in this context of end-times events that the Israelites are rebuked for "depriving the foreigners living among you of justice" (Malachi. 3:1-5).
Israelis are treating Arabs unfairly not only in Israel but also in Palestinian areas. Oppressive curfews, for example, have had devastating effects on Palestinians as a whole. Israelis have sometimes used excessive force and killed civilians with no legitimate reason. They have harassed and arbitrarily arrested many Palestinian young people, holding them without trial or consultation with a lawyer, for several days, sometimes up to 18 days. There is another oppressive structure being built at great expense to the Israeli’s – the security barrier. This fence raises another barrier to peace. Its builders hope to make life safer but according to one of their greatest wise men, King Solomon, "he who builds a high gate invites destruction" (Proverbs 17:19). Other factors undermining peace will be examined later.
Peace and True Spirituality
Regardless which side of the dispute one is inclined to sympathize with, it is not hard to recognize that the only hope of peace is Divine intervention. Whether one is Jewish, Christian and Muslim, we all share much in common – not only our past heritage but also a future hope. All three faiths acknowledge peace to be one of God’s attributes and we know God’s plan includes sending the Messiah in the end times to usher in an era of world-wide peace. This utopian vision may seem incredible, even impossible, but with God, all things are possible. Let us hold steadfastly to this hope. Let us also "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" as the Psalmist instructed. Is it asking too much to suggest that these points of agreement be a meaningful starting point for exploring the Messiah and his role in the peace process?
According to the prophets the Messiah is a spiritual man thus qualifying him to bring genuine peace. In the Qur’an and the Bible, ‘Spirit of God’ and ‘Holy Spirit’ are terms used to describe Jesus Christ. The Messiah is, filled with or, empowered by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4; Surah 2.87, 253). The Qur’an even gives him the title, ‘Spirit of God’. Being such a spiritually endowed person, the Messiah perceives things deeper than just appearances and therefore can judge the real truth, as we see in this prophecy of Isaiah, "the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord ... He will never judge by appearance, false evidence or hearsay ... he will be clothed with fairness and truth." (Isaiah 11).
Messiah: The Powerful Peacemaker
The Spirit-empowered Messiah will wield unprecedented power such that weapons of war will be totally destroyed. As it is written, "[He] will settle international disputes All the nations will beat their swords into ploughshares. All wars will stop ... Your king will bring peace to the nations." (Isaiah 2:4; Zechariah 9:10). It is not surprising, therefore, to read of the peace that prevails under the Messiah’s reign in these words, "the wolf and the lamb will live together ... Babies will crawl safely among snakes". (Isaiah 11:6-8) These last two details are echoed in authoritative Muslim Ahadith (Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah as quoted by Mufti Mohammad Shafi in ‘Signs of Qiyamah and the Arrival of the Maseeh’, p. 38, p. 78, Hadith #13)
Islamic sources confirm that the Messiah’s coming will abolish Jihad; "Sayyidina Salamah bin Nufayl has said that the messenger of Allah said, ‘The (command of) Jihad will not be abolished until the descent of Isa Ibn Maryam.’ (Seerat al-Mughlata', Musnad Ahmad)" (Ibid., p. 109) Christians and Muslims share another belief in common. During Messiah’s reign, peace will fill the earth. Tragically, however, the Hadith says this peace will only last 7 years – in stark contrast to the scripture, which says, that Messiah’s "ever expanding, peaceful kingdom will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the Lord Almighty will guarantee this." (Isaiah 9:7)
The Messianic King
Messiah’s worldwide impact suggests that his authority is not just spiritual, as though he were only a teacher of religion. He will be a king. The Hadith speak of him as one who will rule. The Qur’an also gives a clue confirming what the prophets said about Messiah being a king. We read in Surah 3.45, "Behold, the angels said: O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from him: his name will be Christ Jesus".
Muslims know that Mary’s baby received a name from God himself, as revealed through the angel. Unfortunately the Qur’an does not spell out the significance of the name, Messiah, but commentator Yusuf Ali acknowledges it means ‘to anoint’. He explains in a footnote that it comes from the Old Testament practice of anointing "kings and priests to symbolize consecration to their office."
The Peaceable Servant-King
The Jewish prophets foretold the Messiah would be king (Isaiah 9:6,7; Zechariah 9:9,10; Jeremiah 23:5). Wise men from the east came at the time of Jesus’ birth to pay homage to him as new-born king (Matthew 2). When Jesus reached manhood he clearly affirmed his royalty saying to Pilate, "You are right in saying I am a King." (John 18:37)
The earlier prophets described Messiah as the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 49 & 52). It is no wonder, then, that Christ’s nobility was hidden by the humble way he served the downtrodden and needy. However, when he returns to earth in the future, as he prophesied, no one will doubt his kingly power. He foretold that "when the Son of Man comes in his glory ... he will sit upon his glorious throne ... All the nations will be gathered in his presence ... Then the King will say to those on the right ..." (Matt. 25:31ff)
All three faiths who regard Abraham as a ‘father’ figure believe the Messiah will come in the end times as a mighty king. Before that day comes, we should ponder what it will be like standing before this awesome judge. Each of the three groups claim they honour the Messiah but all of them have widely divergent views about who he is. Will he tolerate people paying him false homage, tainted by disgraceful beliefs that arouse heated debate and even persecution?
On that day some will be ashamed to learn that they have underestimated who he really is because they viewed him only as a prophet. On the other hand, if he really is only a messenger, as Muslims insist, Christians will be shocked to find that they have overestimated him. But, if the Jews are correct, Christians and Muslims will be humiliated. Either way, the stakes on that day will be high – those who wrongly believed in him will face the consequences. Some indication of the consequences can be seen in a warning Christ gave to those who rejected him.
How Not to Welcome the King
When Messiah came the first time "the world didn’t recognise him ... even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted." (John 1:10,11) After the Jewish leaders rejected him, he felt sad, knowing the terrible judgement that was coming, Jesus saw the city and began to cry, ‘I wish that even today you would find the way of peace. But now it is too late and peace is hidden from you. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you. They will crush you to the ground, and your children with you ... because you have rejected the opportunity God offered you." (Luke 19:41,42)
Some readers might feel inclined to think the Jews deserved this. Others might argue that this confirms the grim picture painted in the Hadith of a massive massacre of the Jews in the last days. But this is not exactly what the prophets foretold. Yes, God’s plan does involve a time of "great trouble" for Israel but then the Messiah will intervene and rescue them. Later on we will see that Messiah’s peacemaking work is not permanently hidden from the Jews. They will eventually experience peace in the last days. More on this later.
Messiah Will Have A Unique Relationship With God
The scriptures, which Christians and Jews alike believe, and which the Qur'an also acknowledges as God’s Word, states, "‘For the time is coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will place a righteous Branch on King David’s throne. ... He will do what is just and right throughout the land.’" (Jeremiah 23:5)
These words of Jeremiah reflect the original promise of God through Samuel to King David, "I will raise up one of your descendants ... and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he will be my son." (2 Samuel 7:12-14) Notice how God has a ‘father-son’ relationship with David’s offspring.
This relationship is a spiritual one, similar to the description in the Qur’an where Satan has human ‘progeny’. We read in Surah 18.50, "Iblis broke the command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors." Yusuf Ali explains in a footnote, "Satan’s progeny: we need not take the epithet literally." (compare the Injil – John 8:44 where Jesus speaks of certain people as being children of the devil).
Like the word ‘progeny’ in Surah 18, Jesus used the term ‘son’ in a non-literal sense when he urged his followers to "love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven for he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust, too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much." (Matthew 5:44-47)
It is clear that Jesus used the term ‘son’ in a non-literal sense. From these scriptures we can see that Muslims and Christians should have no problem with God being a spiritual Father to humans. The problem comes when Jesus is claimed to be a unique prophet sharing a special place of honor with God – above everyone else. The Muslim scripture affirms the Messiah’s virgin birth and says he is ‘among those closest to God’ but it does not go so far as to recognize the total uniqueness of Jesus.
Let’s consider the uniqueness of Jesus – starting with his goodness. Jesus taught his followers in Matthew 5 to imitate their Father God by being good to those who are not good to us. No one, however, is perfectly righteous and good, no one, that is, except the Messiah. Jesus asked the Jews, "Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin?" (John 8:46) As much as they tried to find fault and trip him in his words they couldn’t prove him wrong in any way. Indeed the Qur’an itself leaves no room to even hint that Jesus Christ was a sinner, although it candidly admits the sins of other prophets. So Jesus is unique. He is the only human to live a morally perfect life.1 In this respect Jesus was perfectly like his Father.
The second characteristic which shows Jesus to be unique is the worldwide scope of his kingdom. He will rule as king over "all nations" and judge them, even as we read earlier in Matthew 25 and Isaiah 9:7. Has anyone else made such a claim?2
Others also prophesied that the Messiah would exercise worldwide dominion. The prophet Micah foretold this, saying, "But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Then Micah describes Messiah’s global reign, saying, "He will stand ... in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God ... for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace." (NIV, Micah 5:2,4,5)
This introduces a third quality which shows Jesus Christ to be unique: he was pre-existent. When the prophet speaks of the Messiah having ‘ancient origins’ we should not assume he had a specific starting point. The Hebrew word for ‘origins’ simply means ‘goings out’. Jesus clarified the meaning of this puzzling phrase when he said, "I came from the Father into the world, and I will leave the world and return to the Father." We see a further clue to this unique attribute of Jesus when he prayed to God, "And now Father bring me into the glory we shared before the world began." (John 16:28; 17:5) Did anyone else make such a claim – implying that he existed before the world began?
This prophecy of Micah reminds us of the peace that Messiah will bring. We recall that one of his names is, ‘Prince of Peace’. However, peace is not just a matter of how we relate to one another as humans. We also need peace on another dimension, i.e. with God. This raises the question, "Could the Messiah have a peace-making role between man and God?"
Messiah: Making Peace Between Man and God
The Bible recounts two instances where Jesus met individuals who were notorious sinners, one was a man and the other a woman. Both of them experienced peace with God through Christ’s influence. These stories are worth reading in their entirety, but for now will you please pay special attention to his concluding words to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven ... your faith has saved you, go in peace." (Luke 7:48-50) To the man he said, "Salvation has come to this home today ... And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and to save those like him who are lost." (Luke 19:10)
Can we doubt that in this situation reconciliation with God was in view? The onlookers in Luke 7 responded to Christ’s remarkable words, saying to themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" In Luke 5:21 (NIV) the Jewish leaders reacted in a similar way, saying, "who can forgive sins but God alone?" The Qur’an also affirms this, saying, "who can forgive sins, except God?" (Surah 3.135)
Earlier we considered the Messiah’s claim to have a unique link with God by virtue of his sinlessness. Now we see another astonishing credential. Jesus exercised the Divine prerogative of forgiving people’s sins. Doing this, Jesus showed another similarity between himself and God – in keeping with the proverb, "like father like son". Jesus placed great importance on the fact that he did what his Father did.
This is evident in an encounter with the Jewish leaders. Jesus said, "I and the Father are one." Upon hearing this the Jews wanted to stone him because, they said, "You, a mere man, claim to be God". Jesus answered them, "Why do you accuse me of blasphemy, because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does." (NIV, John 10:30-37)
When Jesus forgave people their sin he reflected one of God’s traits. Saving people from sin is a prerogative that belongs only to God, as it is written, "I am the Lord, and there is no other Saviour ... I – yes I alone – am the one who blots out your sins for my own sake." (Isaiah 43:11,25) Ponder whether any other man claimed to have the authority to forgive people’s sins. Having this kind of authority shows us yet another attribute (the 4th one) giving evidence that Jesus is, indeed, unique.
God alone is Saviour, but the scripture says he planned to save the world through his Servant the Messiah, "I will make you a light to the Gentiles and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6) Notice the special way God fulfilled this prophecy at the Messiah’s birth.
Shortly after Jesus’ birth, he was taken to be circumcised. A godly old man named Simeon took him in his arms saying, "Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Saviour you have given to all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations." (Luke 2:30ff) These words correspond with Isaiah’s prophecy but there is another clue, which shows that God’s promised salvation came to earth through this unusual baby. This child was given a special name by God, as revealed through the angel (Matthew 1:21; Surah 3.45).
Obviously God did not choose this name randomly, but purposely, in keeping with what he planned to accomplish through his Servant the Messiah. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that the name Jesus means ‘God is salvation’ or ‘salvation of God’. A prominent Mufti named Muhammad Imraan Ashraf Usmani acknowledges that, indeed, this is the meaning of Jesus name (p. 77, Islamic Names [revised and enlarged edition]). In this connection, it is also significant to see what the Messiah, himself, said about his mission. When he grew to be a man he declared that he came "to save the world" (John 12:47). Is there any clearer way Jesus could have indicated that he was fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy to "bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth"? Once again we see Jesus as unique among all the other servants and prophets of God. Did anyone else claim to ‘save the world’? This is the 5th attribute we’ve seen showing Jesus Christ to be the unique Son of God.
Earthquake in the City of Peace
Jerusalem is being shaken by human conflict but a day is coming when Jerusalem will be shaken by a great earthquake. "Therefore, the Lord says, ‘In my jealousy and blazing anger I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel ... All living things and people will quake in terror at my presence." (Ezekiel 38:19,20)
We might ask, "What provokes God’s wrath?" Is it moral decline, for example, Israel has legalized homosexual marriages and abortion? Could God be angry at the way the Jews have been mistreating the Palestinians and other gentiles living in Israel? Or, is there something else that angers the Lord – perhaps in the world at large? If we look carefully at these prophecies we will see that God’s wrath will be unleashed not only against Israel but also the world (see Zechariah 12 & 13).
The earthquake Ezekiel spoke about is described in more detail, by the prophet Zechariah, where he tells how all the nations will be gathered to fight against Jerusalem, "Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations ... the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west ... for half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south." (Zechariah 14:3-5; Revelation 16:18)
This prophecy has not gone unnoticed by geologist, Dr. Amos Nur, a Stanford University professor, who has studied earthquakes in Palestine. Nur notes that the direction of the predicted earthquake follows the natural fault line, "The most remarkable thing about this quotation from Zechariah is the clear description of a strike slip fault in which the part to the east moved to the north and the part to the west ... moved to the south. This is exactly the kind of motion that we know happens on the Dead Sea transform during earthquakes" (Amos Nur & Chris MacAskill, The Walls Came Tumbling Down – Earthquakes in the Holy Land, Stanford, CA: ESI Productions, 1991).
Neither should this prophecy go unnoticed by us. God has left this fault line as a sign to remind us of the truthfulness of his word. Although there will be a massive multinational attack against Jerusalem in the last days, God will come to her rescue and "make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. ... never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure." (NIV, Zechariah 12:3; 14:11)
God assures us he will rescue the remnant of his people but we should remember that this deliverance will come on a large scale only when the Israelites repent of their sin and trust in God's Messiah, as the scripture says, "They will look on me, whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a first-born son who has died ... All Israel will weep in profound sorrow" (Zechariah 12:10-12) When they "look on [the one] they have pierced" then the peace that Jesus said was "hidden" because of spiritual blindness will be clearly seen.
It is amazing that in Israel, today, there are already about 6,000 Jews who believe in Jesus as their Messiah. Doubtless this is a foretaste of Zechariah’s prediction. In the coming days we can expect many more Jews will repent at their longstanding rejection of the predicted Messiah-Savior.
In the meantime we expect that many Israelites will continue to reject the Messiah and consequently be disciplined by God. Scripture warns that Israel will experience "In all history there has never been such a time of terror. It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet in the end they will be saved. ... I will not destroy you. But I must discipline you; I cannot let you go unpunished." (Jeremiah 30:7-11)
We can be certain that any unfairness the Israelis have shown toward the Palestinians will be set right by Al Masihu Isa, the long awaited Messiah.
Postscript
Prospect for peace under Abbas’ leadership
This article was written shortly after Abbas had resigned from being Prime Minister under Arafat. When Abbas became President – after Arafat’s death – many hoped he would finally introduce democratic changes to Palestine, including rooting out militants and the genocidal intentions of rejectionist groups like Hamas. But this has not happened. Abbas failed to curb the agenda of the radicals making the prospect for peace more bleak than ever.
Under Arafat, the PA collaboration with Hamas and Islamic Jihad was somewhat hidden, but under Abbas all these groups were proudly ‘holding each others hands’. From the beginning of his rule, Abbas consistently refused to disarm the rejectionist factions who advocate Israel’s destruction. Indeed, he began co-opting them into his security services and offering them leadership positions in his government – before his PLO party was defeated at the polls by Hamas.
Furthermore, PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei endorsed Hamas ideology as seen in the following remarks (August 2005). Qurei praised "the children of Yasser Arafat the martyr and the children of Ahmad Yassin the martyr and the children of all the martyrs. Jerusalem is closer than ever ... We will continue until victory. None of us will give up until we are on Jerusalem’s soil." (quoted by Steven Stalinsky in ‘The morning after Gaza’ published by Jewish World Review, August 17, 2005)
Stalinsky underscored the bleak prospects for peace saying, "The armed wing of the Fatah movement, (a part of the PLO) issued a statement on August 15 2005: ‘We support our brothers in Hamas and affirm that no Palestinian armed wing will be dissolved because Palestine is not Gaza only, but rather, Palestine is Palestine from the River (Jordan River) to the Sea (Mediterranean Sea) and it is our land and we have the right to defend it.’"
Prospect for peace under Hamas’ leadership
A few months ago Hamas was swept into power with an overwhelming electoral majority. Hamas remains as determined as ever to eradicate Israel, if need be, progressively in stages. Another development which does not bode well for peace is the genocidal intentions of Iran’s president. Mahmud Ahmadinejab has repeatedly and unashamedly proclaimed that Israel should be wiped off the map. He also convened a conference in Teheran advancing his agenda to eliminate Israel.
Considering how anti-Jewish feelings are continuing to mount among Muslims around the world, it is not hard to foresee Zechariah’s end-time prophecy being fulfilled. The momentum toward polarization in the Middle East is steadily growing. The nations surrounding Israel are becoming more pent up and exasperated at seeing an endless series of failed peace negotiations. The so-called ‘city of peace’, Jerusalem, is the most volatile trouble spot on earth and yet, ironically, it is recognized as indispensable and pivotal to establishing peace internationally.
Frankly speaking, the prospects for peace in the Middle East are horribly bleak. However, we who believe in a God of miracles remain unshakably confident that he will fulfil his promises to bring peace through his Messiah. It appeared to the Jews of Esther’s day that they were doomed to be exterminated by evil enemies but at the very last minute, they were providentially saved. So also, in the last days, history will repeat itself when the Jewish nation will be saved from the genocidal intentions of overwhelming numbers of enemy armies – at a time when everything will seem to be utterly hopeless.
Footnotes
1 We said, earlier, that all men have sinned – with the exception of Jesus Christ. The Bible and the Qur’an contain many examples of how people – prophets included – accepted blame for doing wrong and asked God to forgive them. One notable example is Jonah, whose disobedience provoked God’s wrath in a violent storm that almost killed Jonah and his shipmates (Jonah 2, compare Surah 21.87,88).
The Bible records how King David asked God, "listen to my cry for mercy ... Do not bring your servant into judgement for no one living is righteous before you." (NIV, Psalm 143:2) Similarly the Qur’an states, "If God were to punish men for their wrongdoing, He would not leave on the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite ..." (Surah 16.61)
Anyone who has sinned needs to be forgiven and be reconciled with God. The Messiah was sinless so he did not need to seek peace for himself. He was therefore able to make peace with God on behalf of others. Bringing this kind of peace was Christ’s supreme achievement. It is, therefore, most fitting that he should be called ‘Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6).
2 The Bible calls the Messiah "King of Kings" (Revelation 17:14). This is consistent with what the prophets taught about the worldwide rule of Messiah (as well as various sayings from the hadith). However, another tradition in the Ahadith says the opposite, "Allah's Apostle said, "The most awful name in Allah's sight on the Day of Resurrection, will be (that of) a man calling himself Malik Al-Amlak (the king of kings)." (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 8: number 224) This issue of Messiah being King, typifies the contradictions underlying some of the outward similarities shared by Muslims, Jews and Christians. More importantly it shows a fork presenting two radically different roads to the truth and underscores the need for readers to make a choice.
Note: All Biblical quotations (unless specified otherwise) are taken from the New
Living Translation. All Qur’anic quotations are from Yusuf Ali’s translation.
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Articles by Roland Clarke
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