A Tale Of Two Siblings

Am I the Shepherd's Shepherd?

Cain killed Abel. God marked Cain and drove him away. But before God pronounced sentence on Cain, He asked him, "Where is your brother Abel?" I have to think God knew the answer, but wanted to see what Cain would say. The response was "Am I my brother's keeper?" I read many years ago that Cain really said "Am I the shepherd's shepherd?" I thought that "shepherd's shepherd" was more clever than "brother's keeper". Well, I began to study Hebrew not quite as many years ago, and while I'm not fluent, I can read it a little. What I learned is what the verse really says is, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Just like all the translations said.

The translation "Am I the shepherd's shepherd" is out there. I found it in books and articles, some say it confidently, some explain the reasoning. I'll include more in the references, but here's a couple.

Cain’s response to God is an insolent witticism. Abel’s occupation is of course a keeper of flocks. Cain responds, literally, ‘Am I a shepherd to the shepherd?’ The implication that Genesis wants to convey is ‘yes! – you are responsible for your brother.’ - Crookedshore [1]

In the domain of shepherding, the shomer (the Hebrew word used for "keeper") is the keeper of the seedlot, the one who tends the sheep when they are not out grazing. Using this sense of the term. Cain is asking contemptuously, "Am I the shepherd's shepherd?" - The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis By Leon Kass [2]

I'll agree it may have been implied, but the Hebrew says "Am I my brother's shomer (keeper)?"

But that's not what I came here to say.

Twins??

I want to share something about Cain and Abel's birth. It's been the source of discussion since ancient times. The reason is that it's worded oddly in the Hebrew. In all the standard translations into English, it just appears that the boys are brothers, but here's how it reads in the J.P. Green literal translation.

And she continued to bear his brother, Abel. And Abel became a shepherd of flocks. And Cain became a tiller of the ground. - studylight.org [3]

Note Eve "continued to bear". Some rabbis suggest that means Cain and Abel were twins -  Genesis in Advance of Present Science [4]. Some say that all of Adam and Eve's children were born as twins, one boy and one girl - The Book of Genesis in Late Antiquity [5]. I favor the interpretation that Cain and Abel were twins. Supporting evidence below.

But that's not what I came here to say.

What's In A Name?

What's in a name? Maybe not so much in our names today, but Biblical names, especially in Genesis have meaning. Consider our cast of characters.

Adam - red clay, mankind, a man. The first several times "adam" is used in Genesis, it is "ha adam" or "the man". I assume God named Adam, but the name Adam is not used until Gen 2:20, after "the man" has named all the animals, as in "but for Adam there was not found a a helper suitable for him".

Eve - mother of all living. Adam definitely named Eve, in Hebrew her name is "Chavvah". If I may bend the translation of Gen 3:20 a little, "And the man called his wife's name Chavvah; because she was the mother of all chayyah (living)". It really says chay, but my version rhymes...

Cain - gotten, gained. It appears Eve named the boys. "There is some reason to believe from the expression, "I have gotten (qaniti) a man from the Lord" Genesis 4:1, that Eve herself had caught a glimpse of this meaning (Gen 3:15), though she applied it to the wrong party." - Barnes' Notes on the Bible [6]. Gen 3:15 reads "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise their heel." We view it as a prophecy of the Messiah, in fact "Genesis 3:15 is known by the term Protevangelium, or 'first gospel'—a prophetic picture of the time when Satan would be defeated by the woman’s triumphant 'Seed.'" - Answers In Genesis [7].

Seth's Line Is The Gospel

Abel - breath that vanishes, worthless. When Eve named Seth (Appointed) , the replacement for Abel, it appears she understood that Cain wasn't the seed to crush the serpent's head - Don Stewart [8]. But when she named Abel (Hevel), it reads like he is an afterthought because she already acquired Cain. Some say Hevel means worthless - Trivial Contemplations [9].

But that's not what I came here to say.

Connection To The Tabernacle

This is what I came here to say.

High Priest only allowed to
enter Holy of Holies
on Yom Kippur

The story of Cain and Abel foreshadows a ceremony at the Tabernacle thousands of years later. Consider this, the righteous one was killed, the guilty one was sent away. This is exactly what happens during Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement in English. Two goats were selected, one goat sacrificed for the Lord (who was treated more "humanely" than Abel), and one goat to be removed, Azazel in Hebrew often translated scapegoat in English. The Azazel goat bore the guilt of the nation of Israel.

Lev 16:5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two he-goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering.
6 And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house.
7 And he shall take the two goats, and set them before Jehovah at the door of the tent of meeting.
8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel.
9 And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering.
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness.

20 And when he hath made an end of atoning for the holy place, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat:
21 and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a man that is in readiness into the wilderness:
22 and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a solitary land: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. 

According to Jewish sources, the two goats were to look identical, preferably twins - Double Portion Inheritance [10]. Humanly, there was no way to tell them apart. Without God's inspiration, we could not tell right from wrong. After the High Priest cast lots, he would tie a red cord on a horn of the Azazel. The crimson red dye in the cord came from a grubworm - Gospel In A Grub [11]. Twin goats - twin brothers. Makes sense, evidence, not proof.


It's easy to see that Jesus the Messiah fulfilled the role of the first goat, sacrificed for the Lord. There are different interpretations of the Azazel goat. Some say it pictures Jesus, some say it pictures Satan. Based on Rev 20 and the book of Jude where stars picture angels, I personally believe that the Azazel pictures Satan, not Jesus. Cain was evil and guilty, and was sent away into the land of Nod (Wandering). Satan is evil and guilty, and will be sent away to the abyss and then to black darkness. Jesus is righteous and does not fit the symbolism associated with Cain or Azazel. You can read more about The Day of Atonement at United Church of God God's Holy Day Plan - Atonement [12]

Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut it , and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time.

Jude 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.

---

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy A Tale Of Two Sighs [13] or The Gospel In Six [14].

References

1. http://www.crookedshore.com/beginnings-in-genesis-the-shepherds-shepherd
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=H9RxCpsBPPsC&pg=PA142
3. https://www.studylight.org/bible/lit/genesis/4-2.html
4. https://books.google.com/books?id=xikpAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176
5. https://books.google.com/books?id=7YRFizhgCokC&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104
6. http://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/genesis/3.htm
7. https://answersingenesis.org/sin/original-sin/lessons-from-the-fall/
8. https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_756.cfm
9. https://trivialcontemplations.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/cain-and-abel-the-story-of-accomplish-and-worthless/
10. http://doubleportioninheritance.blogspot.com/2011/05/twin-goats-on-yom-kippur-fulfilled-in_25.html
11. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2016/04/i-am-worm-gospel-in-grub.html
12. https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind/atonement-removal
13. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2015/06/a-tale-of-two-sighs.html
14. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-gospel-in-six.html
See also
"Am I My Brother's Keeper?: Christian Citizenship in a Globalized Society" by Mark W. Scarlata
"On Stone and Scroll: Essays in Honour of Graham Ivor Davies" edited by James K. Aitken, Katharine J. Dell, Brian A. Mastin

A Tale Of Two Seas

And Four Rivers

And Seven Oceans

And Water, Lots of Water

Jordan River

Let's get to the bottom of it...

The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are both fed by the Jordan River, separated  by only 63 miles, yet these two "seas" couldn't be more different (technically, they're lakes). Galilee, also called Kinneret, Chinnereth, Gennesaret, or Tiberias,  is full of life, including 35 species of fish - Sacred Places In the World [1]. The Dead Sea is just that, dead. In Hebrew, it is known as the Salt Sea. It is so salty (35%) that nothing plant or animal lives in it.

One analogy likens water to the Holy Spirit - Bill Hogan [2], Rabbi Dov Greenberg [3]. When the Spirit flows through us like the Jordan flows through the Sea of Galilee, life is produced in abundance. In other words, Jesus must flow through us, producing fruit like love, joy peace, etc. When one keeps the Spirit for themselves, perhaps through selfishness, greed, or fear, it becomes stagnant, not producing fruit. The Dead Sea would be the extreme example of this. This works equally well if you substitute the word Blessings for Holy Spirit. "Freely you have received, freely give".

Endorheic Watersheds

Guelta de Tikoubaouine

But there is more to the story. The Jordan is an atypical river. The vast majority of rivers or watersheds flow to an ocean or an actual sea, like the Mediterranean. The Amazon and the Nile rivers are each more than 4000 miles long, vying for the title of longest river on Earth, but they both eventually reach the sea - Wikipedia [4]. But the Jordan is an Endorheic watershed, meaning it doesn't reach the ocean - UNEP [5]. The Dead Sea in this case is called a terminal lake. Some Endorheic watersheds are blocked from the ocean by mountain ranges, the Caspian Sea for example. In the US, Great Salt Lake, Utah, and Pyramid Lake, Nevada are terminal lakes, not as salty and not lifeless like the Dead Sea. Endorheic rivers can also flow into the desert and simply evaporate, rivers like Oued Iherir and Oued Imirhou that flow out of Tassili n'Ajjer (Plateau of rivers) mountains in Algeria - AGRIS [6]. These rivers dry up rather than flowing into a terminal lake. They do leave small lakes called Gueltas [7] in their paths, which may or may not persist through the dry season. Intermittent rivers are called wadis [8] in the Middle East and washes or arroyos [9] in English. National Geographic [10] highlights eight rivers like the Colorado River in the US that have gone from normal (reaching the ocean) to Endorheic because mankind has overused the rivers for irrigation and drinking water. One could liken the Tassili n'Ajjer rivers to a person like a caregiver who gives themselves up completely for others.

Undersea Rivers

Cenote Angelita

More unusual rivers exist. Under the sea. These are not simple ocean currents, but flowing water (often fresh) at the bottom of the oceans. One such river, complete with trees, in the Sea of Mexico is called Cenote Angelita - The Watchers [11]. Another is formed in the Black Sea as it empties into the Mediterranean. "Mediterranean water flows into the Black Sea as part of a two-way hydrological exchange. The Black Sea outflow is cooler and less saline, and floats over the warm, more saline Mediterranean inflow." - Black Sea [12]

Not-So-Dead Sea

Dead Sea Works

However, the Jordan is different in that the Dead Sea is below sea level so there can be no path to the ocean. Despite the spiritual analogy above, the Dead Sea is actually an interesting place, unique on Earth. It is the lowest elevation on the globe, its water is ten times saltier than the oceans. And the Dead Sea is now the site of big business. The Dead Sea Works extracts and exports 3.3 million tons of potash per year from the Dead Sea - the potash is used for fertilizer - Evolution [13]. Tourism to the Dead Sea draws more visitors than Tel Aviv beach resorts - Bloomberg [14]. The Dead Sea is not so dead, it generates billions of dollars every year.

Dead Sea Sinkhole

It is not quite dead biologically either. Divers have discovered large craters at the bottom with fresh water pouring out and microorganisms thriving - Breaking Israel News [15]. Not only that, in recent years, due to the Dead Sea level dropping, sinkholes are appearing near the shore of the sea. Some of these sinkholes are filling with fresh water and support fish - Youtube [16]. Samantha Siegel [17] sees this as a fulfillment of the prophecy in Ez 47:1-10. It may be a foreshadowing of fulfillment, but verse 8 says that a river will flow from the Temple in Jerusalem and heal the Sea. Taken literally, it hasn't happened yet.

Rivers Of Living Waters

So how well does the analogy hold?  Are people in general or Christians in particular like the Jordan River producing a Sea of Galilee or a Dead Sea? Are these the only two choices? Remember most rivers empty into an ocean, but the Jordan is an Endorheic river, and a unique one at that. Remember there are other kinds of rivers, even in the oceans. One other possible interpretation that occurs to me is the power of living water. Christians normally associate the phrase living water with Jesus words in John 7.

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

But the term Living Water was in use long before.

Literally, the mikveh is identified as a collection of water which has gathered by God’s design.

Literally, the mikveh is identified as a collection of water, a pool of sorts, which has gathered by God’s design. That is to say, there was no human intervention, no one dug a hole, no one collected water in jars to fill the pool. This collection of waters might be a river or a sea. The water source came about as part of the Almighty’s plan, which gives it the nomenclature: Living Water.

The Mayim Chayim (Living Water) has some important spiritual qualities. According to the Torah, a source of Living Waters cannot be defiled. Mayim Chayim overcomes defilement, but defilement can never overcome Mayim Chayim. When something becomes defiled, or ritually unclean as defined by the Biblical standard, whether a person or an object, it must be immersed in Living Water to be declared “clean.” - Pneuma Review [18]

Living Water can not be defiled. Does that mean the water from the Jordan River that flows into the Dead Sea is still Living Water? Thousands of people depend on the Dead Sea for their living. Ironic, huh?

From a certain point of view, the spiritual analogy of the two seas makes sense. But it isn't the whole story. I don't know what analogies there might be for other types of rivers, I invite you to share your thoughts.

References

1. http://www.sacredplacesintheworld.com/sea-of-galilee-facts

2. https://billhogan77.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/the-difference-between-life-and-death-a-tale-of-two-seas/

3. https://www.facebook.com/rabbidovgreenberg/videos/1744842279094724/

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rivers_by_length

5. http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/Publications/Short_Series/LakeReservoirs-2/10.asp

6. http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?request_locale=en&recordID=AV20120123469

7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelta

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadi

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arroyo_(creek)

10. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/rivers-run-dry

11. http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2012/07/11/is-river-sea/

12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea

13. http://evolution.skf.com/dead-sea-alive-with-mining-activity/

14. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-10-22/dead-sea-s-record-loss-grows-with-potash-makers-demand

15. http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/72711/fulfillment-dead-sea-prophecy-begun/

16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5A3GkuRaMI

17. http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/72816/story-behind-viral-dead-sea-prophecy-coming-life

18. http://pneumareview.com/mayim-chayim-the-living-waters/

Form Follows Function, Function Follows Form

Bethel Lutheran Church

Do you ever wonder why churches look the way they do? Ever think about the elements they have in common? Here's a picture of the church of my youth, I was the organist there for a time in my teen years. It's got the steeple out front. Steeples are supposed to point us to God, heavenward as it were. This church doesn't have any stained glass windows like many churches do. Being in Minnesota, this church had a large basement for potlucks, I don't know if this is a standard architectural feature for churches... Inside is a large room known as the nave [1] where the dreaded pews are, separated from a stage area known as a chancel [2]. All my life I didn't know what the words nave and chancel meant. The chancel has a sacred place known as a sanctuary [3] and an altar [4]. The altar in Christian churches is basically a table, whereas the altar in the Old Testament Tabernacle was basically a grill for cooking sacrifices. The sacred place can be simply a place consecrated for that purpose; or if your church is special, built on holy ground (maybe a miracle happened there), or contain the bones of a holy person.

A church wouldn't be a church without a pulpit, would it? It's located on the chancel. You may have bristled at me calling the chancel a stage, but in fact the word pulpit means stage or platform (Latin pulpitum). Here's the key thing - the chancel and especially the pulpit are reserved for the clergy. The choir and the organist also have their assigned places on the chancel. In many churches there is a dividing screen between nave and chancel. See picture.

A Rood Screen

By medieval times, worship roles for clergy and laity differed so much as to give rise to sharp architectural distinctions and even barriers between the two. Worshipers observed priests celebrate the Mass, through a lattice-work screen. The Latin for lattice, cancellus, led to the clergy side of the screen being called the chancel. The screen, when it supported a cross, was known as a rood screen.  Into the Chancel [5]

Model of Tabernacle

The modern architecture movement insists that form follows function [6], so these elements of a church must exist for a functional reason, as well as historical reasons. Christian church architecture should come from the Bible, right? Especially for denominations that assert they live by every Word of it. But no, naves and chancels are not in the Bible. How about the Temple or Tabernacle from the Old Testament? Did they form the pattern for churches to come? There are a few similarities like the altar I mentioned above, and an elevated Holy Place which only the priests can enter, but people went there for sacrifices, not weekly instruction. That was the job of the local synagogue. There was only one Temple, and it was in Jerusalem. So no, the Temple is not really a pattern for Christian churches.

Bimah - reading table before the Ark

How about the Jewish synagogues? Are they the model for Christian churches? No again. According to Wikipedia, "There is no set blueprint for synagogues and the architectural shapes and interior designs of synagogues vary greatly." - Synagogue architecture [7]. The only constant feature of synagogues is the Ark, a chest to hold the Torah scrolls. Frank Viola asserts "It can be rightly said that Christianity was the first non-temple-based religion ever to emerge." Pagan Christianity? [8]



So where did the design come from? Actually, from Greek pagan temples called basilicas.

The nave of Saint Peter’s Basilica

The church edifices built under Constantine were patterned exactly after the model of the basilica. These were the common government buildings, designed after Greek pagan temples. Basilicas served the same function as high school auditoriums do today. They were wonderful for seating passive and docile crowds to watch a performance. This was one of the reasons why Constantine chose the basilica model.  Pagan Christianity? [8]



Wikipedia confirms this.

By extension the name (Basilica) was applied to Christian churches which adopted the same basic plan and it continues to be used as an architectural term to describe such buildings, which form the majority of church buildings in Western Christianity. Basilica [9]

Until the time of Constantine 325 AD, Christians met in small groups in each others homes, face to face, family style if you will. “The first churches consistently met in homes. Until the year 300 we know of no buildings first built as churches.”  Ante Pacem [10]

A lot of things changed under Constantine, especially in the church. Church (ekklesia) went from meaning an assembly (of believers) to meaning a building. The church went from meeting in homes to meeting in basilicas. The church split into a lay class and a clergy class.

Worship became more professional, dramatic, and ceremonial. All of these features were borrowed from the Greco-Roman culture and carried straight into the Christian church. Fourth-century Christianity was being profoundly shaped by Greek paganism and Roman imperialism. The upshot of it all was that there was a loss of intimacy and open participation. The professional clergy performed the acts of worship while the laity looked on as spectators. Pagan Christianity? [8] 

God had gone from dwelling in each of His people to being "accessible" only by the clergy class. Naves, chancels, steeples, stained glass are designed to inspire awe, but actually work to distance the laity from God.

Pulpit of  Eglise Saint Sulpice

The Protestant reformers made one important change to church architecture - the pulpit became the center of the building instead of the altar. In other words, the sermon was the star of the show. Preaching replaced rituals. With the pulpit the dominant feature, the clergy is elevated to a position of prominence, separating him and elevating him above God's people. And the congregation assumes a passive spectator role of pew potato, while the clergy, choir, and other musicians become performers.

Function Follows Form

After 1700 years of Constantine's influence on church architecture, it is very hard for us to think of church buildings any other way. It seems obvious that the clergy or "worship team" would be elevated, the sermon the centerpiece of the service, and the laity as spectators, doesn't it? So the layout of the church building makes perfect sense, right?  Or in the words of Winston Churchill "First we shape our buildings. Thereafter, they shape us."

But the church (the people) wasn't always so. For 300 years before Constantine, the church met in small groups, and interacted with each other so that "every joint supplieth". This is supported by the Bible, history and archeology.

My problem is that I don't know what to do with this information.  I left my childhood church in my late teens, and came back to "religion" ten prodigal years later, as a member of the Church of God, of which I am still a member, United Church of God to be specific. Church of God members strive to live by every word of the Bible.  For years, I would realize bits of Lutheran teaching followed me into the Church of God, like baggage if you will, and I had to correct my thinking.  At first obvious things like giving up unclean meats, and exchanging church holidays for Biblical holydays.  Later it would be more subtle things like bias against Jews and the Old Testament.

But could it be that some of my beliefs still don't come from the Bible? Some of my thinking about church may come from a lifelong familiarity with Christian church buildings, not from the Bible at all.

Gotta have a pulpit because there's a sermon.

Gotta have a sermon because there's a pulpit.

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nave
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancel
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanctuary
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altar
5. http://www.shadysidelantern.com/into_the_chancel.htm
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_follows_function
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagogue_architecture
8. http://christianbook.com/pagan-christianity-exploring-roots-church-practices/frank-viola/9781414314853/pd/314853
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica
10. https://www.amazon.com/Ante-Pacem-Archaeological-Evidence-Constantine/dp/0865548951

A Harvest Of Muslims

When I look at the situation in the Middle East, I see chaos and warfare. But it seems that when God looks at the Middle East, He sees "the fields are ripe for harvest" - John 4:35. What kind of harvest? A harvest of souls as it were. Tens of millions of Muslims are leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, often at great risk to themselves. And they're doing this in the middle of a war zone.

First the numbers.

It seems hard to believe that millions of Muslims would be turning from Muhammed to Jesus. After all, most people don't change the religion they're born into. And Islam prescribes death for any Muslim who would convert to Christianity. So they don't do it lightly. But millions? Yes, according to researchers Duane Alexander Miller and Patrick Johnstone who published "Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census" [1] in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. Here is a graph from the article, and note this is only up to 2010.

  

Crosswalk.com [2] gives a more conservative number of converts in the range of 2 to 7 million, based on the work of missionary David Garrison, author of "A Wind In the House Of Islam" [3].

 Since this appears to be a large number of converts, I want to explain more of Drs. Garrison, Miller, and Johnstone's methods. They all acknowledge that exact numbers are impossible, that numbers are both overreported and underreported, and even estimates are very difficult. But how do we get any estimates at all? If you wish to skip the data collection section, go to the section "How Is It Happening?".

Estimate Estimate

In 1960, Dr Johnstone began compiling data on the size and nature of Christian communities worldwide. He published six volumes of Operation World [4], also see Wikipedia [5].

The purpose of the Operation World books has been to provide a profile of each country in the world, including information on the ethnic and religious breakdown, with the hope of aiding Christians and Christian ministries that focus on world missions, evangelism, and prayer. Religious and denominational information was gleaned from national surveys and censuses, solicited from missionaries and indigenous workers, and culled from official records of groups such as the Lutheran World Federation and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. IJRR [1] 

The end result is a reference book of  geography, demographics, population, literacy, economy, religions, Christian denominations, and missions groups for every country in the world. Here is their summary of Muslim converts to Christianity.

   

Continent/Region	Muslim Converts
Asia	6,968,500
Africa	2,161,000
North America	493,000
Arab world	483,500
Europe	147,800
Pacific	21,600
Latin America	8,800

 Garrison's approach focused solely on Muslims converting to Christianity. He conducted interviews with over 1000 converts in 14 countries using a questionnaire he developed. The house of Islam can be divided into nine geo-cultural rooms; three in Africa, the Arab world, the Persian world, Turkestan, West India, East India, and Indonesia. He went to all nine travelling 250,000 miles. He only counted movements with more than 1000 converts or more than 100 churches. The questionnaire itself can be found in his book "A Wind In the House Of Islam" [3]. His questionnaire and interviews went beyond estimating numbers of converts, to an attempt to answer the questions of how and why the conversions were taking place, and why they are accelerating.

How Is It Happening?

During the first 13 centuries of Islam, the only conversions either way, Muslim to Christian or Christian to Muslim appear to have been forced. Christian missionaries had little to no success in proselytizing Muslims. In fact, missionaries were often forbidden from preaching to Muslims. The first breakthrough came from a local Javanese evangelist Radin Abas Sadrach Surapranata (1840 - 1924) remembered as "Sadrach, The Apostle of Java". His success was the product of at least two new factors - he was a local, and the recent publication of the Bible in Javanese, that is Muslims distrust Westerners, and now they could read the Bible in their native language.

Native language  Bible translations were partly responsible for the success of William Carey [6] (1761 - 1834), aka father of modern missions, who translated parts or all of the Bible into 44 Bengali languages. Bengali is the sixth most common language spoken today. Again, people could see for themselves.

Native language Korans are also making a huge difference. Muslims can read the Koran and the Bible and decide for themselves.

Sheikh Bilal added, “The translation of the Qur’an is changing everything. Before, it was only in Arabic, which no one understood. -  "A Wind In the House Of Islam" [3]

Not only can the House of Islam now compare doctrines and ideologies, they can also compare the actions of Muslims and Christians. Not only is the gospel reaching the House of Islam through media outlets like radio, TV, and Internet, but local news and world news is reaching them as well. There are certainly people who give Christianity a bad name, but the overwhelming number of terrorists are Muslims. It seems hard to believe there have been over 28,000 Islamic terror attacks since 9/11/2001 - TheReligionOfPeace [7]. But the Muslim to Christian converts experienced Islam up close and personal like none of us in the West, that is to say they have seen or felt the hate and cruelty themselves, indeed they have lived it. Here are some quotes from A Wind In the House Of Islam.

As we will see in many subsequent Rooms in the House of Islam, one of the greatest recurring motivations for Muslims coming to Christ is a rejection of the militant expression of Islam itself. 

God is using dissatisfaction within the Muslim community itself to draw Muslims to faith in Christ. 

[Berbers] saw in the way of Jesus a stark contrast to that of Muhammad. 

Often enough, it is injustice within the Muslim community itself that leads Muslims to turn to Christ. 

In these and similar testimonies, one observes a pattern. When the Muslim community mistreats one of their own, that person is more inclined to find an alternative sanctuary in the person of Christ and the Christian faith.

But Wait, There's More 

This will be harder for those of us in the Western world to accept. Story after story is emerging that Jesus is calling Muslims through dreams, visions, healings, and answered prayers. Tom Doyle, author of   "DREAMS AND VISIONS: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World" - [8], "has encountered a staggering number of Muslims who were first introduced to Jesus through a vision or dream so powerful that they eventually turned from their lifelong religion of Islam and embraced Christ as their Savior". He also wrote "Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It's Not Safe to Believe" - [9], which recounts the journey of several people coming to Jesus through dreams. Here is one exchange between a Muslim and a Christian.

I’ve been hearing a lot about Muslims having dreams about Jesus. And they’re not the kind of dreams someone has after a bad plate of baba ghanoush or something like that. These are high-definition dreams— visions!— of Jesus, and good-hearted Muslims who have them end up asking Jesus followers what they mean. Isn’t that cool?”

Family members often have the same dream. But it doesn't end with dreams. They are driven to know more about the Jesus who appeared to them, and seek out Bibles. You can't base your faith on dreams and visions and ignore the written Word of God. As best I can tell, the dreams decrease in frequency when a person matures in their faith. They also find a group to worship with, maybe an established Western church, but often small home groups where they can meet in safety. And within weeks or months, these same people are out evangelizing in a war zone or refugee camp.

I personally have never had a dream or vision of Jesus. I have to wonder why He chooses such a direct method of calling Muslims. Then again, I've had access to the Bible in English all my life, and the peace and safety to attend any church I want. And visions aren't the goal, they are only an introduction, then a Bible (in their native language), then a church. Muslims turned Christian can be called to martyrdom, and they are willing to suffer death for Jesus. You might say Jesus gives them a lot because He's going to ask a lot of them.

But what about [insert your pet doctrine here]? No church has perfect doctrine. The Muslims turned Christians are showing their faith by their works. As one woman said "They're turning away from Islam!!!! God can fix the rest!" None of the dreams retold by Garrison or Doyle contradicted scripture. Not much is said about specific teachings other than who is Jesus, baptism as a sign of conversion, receiving the Holy Spirit, and evangelizing. What is clear is that lives are changing for the better. Muslim lives. Millions of them. The fields are truly ripe for harvest, pray that He sends laborers.

References

1. http://www.religjournal.com/pdf/ijrr11010.pdf

2. http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/christian-trends/millions-of-muslims-converting-to-christ.html

3. https://www.amazon.com/Wind-House-Islam-Drawing-Muslims/dp/1939124034

4. http://www.operationworld.org/
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_World

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Carey_(missionary)
7. http://www.thereligionofpeace.com
8. https://www.amazon.com/DREAMS-VISIONS-Jesus-Awakening-Muslim-ebook/dp/B0078FAA3M
9. https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Christians-Living-Faith-Believe/dp/0718030680

The More I Learn About Islam, the More I Hate It

Refugees heading to Europe

Islam has been in the news a lot lately, with Syrian refugees pouring into Europe, the vast majority of these refugees being Muslim males. Many Europeans are uncomfortable with the influx, for several reasons: financial, crime, integration, terrorist Trojan horses. Rapes and other violence from the refugees has skyrocketed, so some cities and countries want to ship them back.  Those who welcome them in argue that "Islam is a religion of peace", and cite humanitarian grounds.

What is the truth about Islam?

  

I've been collecting articles about Islam for a while intending to write a blog. As part of my research, I read "It IS About Islam" by Glenn Beck [1], and I found he already wrote what I wanted to say and more. So this blog is more of a book report. He makes his arguments from Islamic sources and Islamic authors, not posing as an expert himself, not trying to interpret the Koran for the reader, but taking statements from Islamic leaders and scholars. All quotes are from "It IS About Islam" unless otherwise noted.

In Part One of "It IS About Islam", Beck covers the agenda of Islam, which is to bring about a confrontation with the West, also known as Armageddon or the End Times. Again, this is in the words of Muslims, not Glenn Beck. He also covers the history of Islam, starting with its prophet Muhammed. He explains the major sects of Islam (Wahhabism and Salafism), Sharia law, and Islam's sacred texts. Most everyone has heard of the Koran, also spelled Quran, but less well known to Westerners is the Hadith "the collected deeds and sayings of Allah’s prophet Muhammad, which form one of the primary bases of Islamic law."

In Part Two, Beck discusses thirteen lies about Islam. Many of these lies we hear routinely from Islamic apologists like the ACLU or media outlets. I will summarize two lies so you get the point.

Lie #1: Islam Is A Religion Of Peace

Muslim/Islam/Salam. It seems logical if salam (peace) is in the name, it's a religion of peace, right? President Obama, among countless others, have asserted that Islam preaches peace - page 92. Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes explains,

The word Islam more accurately translates to “submission.” “There is no connection in meaning between salām and islām, peace and submission,” These are two distinct words with unrelated [meanings]. In brief, ‘Islam = submission.’ - page 93

ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said bluntly:

O Muslims, Islam was never for a day the religion of peace. Islam is the religion of war.

Where do modern Islamic leaders get these notions from? Here is a quote from Sura 9:29:

Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e., Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. - page 96

What about those who say the terrorists don't represent Islam? That they are extremists and don't speak for all Muslims? Take it from the Koran directly:

And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war to strike terror into the enemies of Allah and your enemy - Quran 8:60

Or take it from the Hadith:

 Allah’s Apostle said, “I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings, and I have been made victorious with terror. . . .” Sahih al-Bukhari 4:52: 220

The Koran and other sacred Islamic writings repeatedly command Muslims to fight, and to inflict terror, especially on Christians and Jews. It is not some modern interpretation by extremists that came up with this, it is in Islam's founding documents. Today's Muslim leaders DO know what they're talking about, they DO represent Islam, and command a large following among Muslims.

It is important to look at the facts, that is the behavior of Muslims, not argue philosophy or who wrote what. I was shocked to learn the extent of Islamic terrorism.








According to TheReligionOfPeace [2], since September 11, 2001, there have been over 28,000 Muslim terror attacks. 28,000!! That's over 1800 per year for fifteen years. The Religion Of Peace "monitors acts of Muslim violence from a range of news sources that are reliable, when it can be reasonably inferred that the perpetrator was motivated to some degree by their Islamic faith." - WND [3].

No way does Islam qualify as a religion of peace.

Lie #4: Muslims don’t actually seek to live under Sharia

Here is the lie in different terms from an Islamic apologist.

“There are so many varying interpretations of what sharia actually means that in some places, it can be incorporated into political systems relatively easily.” —Steven A. Cook, Council on Foreign Relations

But what do Muslim scholars say?

“Islam, it is generally acknowledged, is a complete way of life, and at the core of the code, is the law of Islam. . . . No other sovereign or authority is acceptable to the Muslim, unless it guarantees the application of the laws (shariah) in their entirety. - Imran Ahsan Kahn Nyazee 

By Bill Warner, PHD

The fact is that Sharia law has overwhelming support among Muslims. Beck gives the results of a Pew poll in Muslim nations asking who favors Sharia as the official law of the country, some countries polling as high as 99% - page 122. Get the truth straight from Osama Bin Laden himself:

Muslims, and especially the learned among them, should spread Shari’a law to the world— that and nothing else. Not laws under the “umbrella of justice, morality, and rights” as understood by the masses. No, the Shari’a of Islam is the foundation. . . . In fact, Muslims are obligated to raid the lands of the infidels, occupy them, and exchange their system of governance for an Islamic system, barring any practice that contradicts Shari’a from being publicly voiced among the people, as was the case in the dawn of Islam. . . . They say that our Shari’a does not impose our particular beliefs upon others; this is a false assertion. For it is, in fact, part of our religion to impose our particular beliefs upon others. . . . Thus whoever refuses the principle of terror against the enemy also refuses the commandment of Allah the Exalted, the Most High, and His Shari’a. - Osama bin Laden

Why do Muslims feel free to commit rape and other violence in Europe? They don't respect the laws of the lands they live in, they follow Sharia.

The Quran, Hadith, and a consensus of Islamic scholars suggest that Muslims should respect sharia law over the laws of whatever nation they happen to live in. - page 130 

Muslim immigrants are pressing for Sharia law in the US, the UK, and other European countries. Sharia law is incompatible with the constitution of the US and probably all Western nations.

There ARE decent Muslims in the world who don't approve of terrorism, violence, and Sharia law. The problem is there are large numbers who do, and they find justification in their founding documents.

Below are the thirteen lies Beck covers in "It IS About Islam". There are more. See The Myths Of Islam [4] for more. I did not go into Islam vs Christianity, or Koran vs Bible, or Allah vs God - maybe in a future post. The information is out there, the truth is out there. Islam is not a misunderstood religion. Muslims view their mission as a religious war. We would be foolish to ignore that.

1. Islam is a religion of peace, and Islamic terrorists aren’t really Muslims.
2. Islam is not much different than christianity or judaism.
3. Jihad is a peaceful, internal struggle, not a war against infidels.
4. Muslims don’t actually seek to live under Sharia, let alone impose it on others, there are so many different interpretations of it anyway.
5. America is safe from Sharia law.
6. The caliphate is a fanciful dream.
7. Islam is tolerant toward non-Muslims.
8. Addressing frustration, poverty, joblessness in the Muslim world— maybe even climate change— will end terrorism.
9. Critics of Islam are bigots.
10. Islam respects the rights of women.
11. Iran can be trusted with a nuclear weapon.
12. The Muslim brotherhood is a moderate, mainstream Islamic group.
13. Islam respects freedom of speech.

References

1. http://www.amazon.com/About-Islam-Exposing-Caliphate-Control/dp/1501126121

1. http://www.glennbeck.com/islambook

2. http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/

3. http://www.wnd.com/2012/12/guess-how-many-islamic-terror-attacks-since-911/print/

4. http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/myths/index.aspx

Is Leaven Sin?

Many churches who observe the Days of Unleavened Bread teach that leaven symbolizes sin. They base this on Jesus' words "beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" in Matthew 16:6. The message was initially lost on the audience (the 12 disciples) because they thought He was talking about bread.

Even Jewish rabbis view leaven as symbolizing sin - Jews For Jesus [1]. Let's see how Jesus Himself interpreted leaven. In verse 12 of Matthew 16, Matthew says they (the disciples) understood Jesus was talking about the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Well, which is it? Does leaven represent sin or does it represent doctrine? As Grant Luton of Beth Tikkun [2] says, "If a scripture can be taken two ways, do it". That doesn't mean that an interpretation can contradict other verses however. But in this case, it seems reasonable to interpret leaven as sin or doctrine depending on the context.

Doctrine of Pharisees and Sadducees

Pharisees and Sadducees

On its own, doctrine is a neutral word meaning teaching. However, improper doctrine can give people license to sin. For example, the Pharisees and Sadducees had many traditions that set aside the word of God - Mark 7:13. The New Testament authors spent time refuting Gnosticism, a belief system that crept into the first century church, teaching that salvation was a matter of secret knowledge or gnosis. Gnosticism also teaches the spirit is good and the body is evil, therefore "one must defile the body through immoral activity" - Wiki [3], again giving people the license to sin. Not that it takes much to convince people to do what they wanted to do anyway.

A person who teaches a false doctrine, aka heresy, knowingly or unknowingly, puts themselves above God and His word, the Bible.

• Does your church teach that the Sabbath has been changed to Sunday? 
• Does your church teach that the Ten Commandments are done away?
• Does your church teach that their prophet's writings supersede the Bible? 
• Does your church teach Christmas and Easter instead of God's holy days revealed in the Bible? 
• Does your church put a priest between you and God?
• Does your religion reject Jesus as Messiah?
• Does your religion teach that it's OK to kill infidels?
• Does your religion teach that it's OK to lie to unbelievers?

Leaven of Hypocrisy

Luke records the same event with different wording, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" - Luke 12:1. This puts a different twist on it. I doubt anyone would argue that the teaching of the Pharisees was hypocrisy, it just came out that way in their actions. A hypocrite is someone who is pretending, someone who has taken God's name but doesn't live a godly life, that is, someone who takes God's name in vain. Taking His name in vain means more than speaking His name casually or using His name in an idle curse. Consider how the example of the Pharisees (hypocrites) affected the people observing them.

Jesus likened the conduct of the Pharisees to actors–men pretending, playing a role. The Pharisees of Christ’s day were a powerful leadership body who claimed to be more zealous and more righteous than the rest of Jewish society. They set themselves up as models of what was right and godly, yet in Christ’s eyes their example was actually destructive. In Christ’s estimation the conduct of these men had a corrupting effect upon those who followed their example–a leavening effect, if you will. -  Howard Marchbanks [4]

Leaven of Herod

Mark records an interesting additional detail to Jesus statement, "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod" - Mark 8:15. This takes it out of the church, sort of. Herod represents politics. One simple meaning of the leaven of Herod is to avoid politics in the church. The dirty little secret is that in Jesus' time, Herod appointed the high priest, and he was always a Sadducee, obtaining the position by bribery - High Priest Corruption [5]. Today, some Christians believe if they get their candidate elected, they can establish the kingdom of God on earth, then Jesus can return and take over, this is called Dominion Theology. In other words, create utopia by political machinations - Gayle Erwin [6].  "You can't solve spiritual problems with political means" - Fred Coulter  [7]. Getting involved politically goes beyond church politics, goes beyond making a deal with the government for your own benefit, it goes to becoming the government. It seems that church leaders get obsessed with establishing the perfect government (with them at the top of course), then everything will be OK. But God already had a perfect government long ago, and Satan still rebelled.

It's Not About the Bread

Over and over in John chapter 6, Jesus described Himself as the true bread from heaven. Some were offended when He said "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." Once again, we can take that two ways. He was certainly talking about the Passover service where we take the unleavened bread and wine as symbols of His body and blood. But He could have also meant to refer back to "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" - Matthew 4:4. And Jesus, being the Word of God, was referring to Himself, but also the written word of God - in other words, His teaching, His doctrine. It's not really about the bread.

Which is it then? Does leaven represent sin or does it represent heresy/hypocrisy/politics? I'm comfortable with "all of the above", because heresy/hypocrisy/politics lead to sin. Let us not focus solely on "putting sin out" because of a narrow interpretation of what leavened bread pictures. Let us focus on taking in the bread from heaven every day, pictured by eating unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

References

1. http://jewsforjesus.org/publications/newsletter/march-2007/02

2. http://bethtikkun.com/

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism

4. http://www.ucg.org/sermons/the-spirit-of-leavened-hypocrisy-how-jesus-christ-used-the-symbolism-of-leaven

5. http://jewishroots.net/library/miscellaneous/high_priest_corruption.html

6. http://www.servant.org/writings/articles/p_loh.php

7. http://www.cbcg.org/

I Am A Worm - Gospel In A Grub

"I am a worm, and not a man

A reproach of men and despised by the people.

All who see me sneer at me;"

Psalm 22:6

When I read that, I always pictured an earthworm, the kind we use for fishing around here. And it struck me as a statement of utter humility, after all, what could be lower than an earthworm? We also know that Psalm 22 was on Jesus' mind while He was on the cross. He spoke only seven times (at least that's how many are recorded), and the fourth thing He said was "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" which is Psalm 22:1. Some speculate that Jesus recited the entire Psalm 22 to leave no doubt it referred to Him.

Coccus Ilicis

But, Jesus was not thinking of earthworms in Psalm 22. Digging deeper we learn that there are two words for worm in Hebrew, one meaning maggot (rimmah), and the other meaning crimson worm (tola'at shani) - Lori Pagel [1]. Apparently no earthworms. The word in Psalm 22:6 is tola'at shani. Shani is another word for red, tola'at is the actual worm, a grub that is red in color, even used for dye. Its Latin name is coccus ilicis. People used to think it was part of the plant - Chris W. Clark [2]. What is so special about a red grub worm that Jesus would liken Himself to it?

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If you like this (or not), check out my other articles at the
Between The Ears BLOG INDEX, with titles and summaries.

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The Gospel In A Grub Worm

Let's look at how this grub worm has parallels with the life and death of Jesus. We can start with what I mentioned above, that for centuries, people did not realize the  tola'at was a worm. And for centuries, many people have not realized that Jesus is the Messiah, especially in His time here on earth.

Feed On Me

When the female tola'at is ready to lay eggs, she climbs an oak tree, a fencepost, or a stick, and attaches herself so permanently that removing her would kill her. She makes a crimson shell at this time that stains the wood and her eventual young - Discover Creation [3]. On the cross (wood), Jesus spilled His blood, no doubt staining the wood. We, His spiritual children, symbolically wear His blood inside and out which protects us.

The tola'at lays her eggs under her protective shell, and the larvae are nourished by eating the living flesh of their mother Discover Creation [3]. Referring to Passover,  Jesus said we are to eat His flesh and drink His blood - John 6:53. During His final Passover, He made the connection that the wine (always red wine) served represented His blood of the New covenant.

Passover Wine and Matzo

John 6:53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him."

But "consuming Jesus" is not a one time event, it's a daily thing. He is the Bread of life, He is the Word. Man is to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. He is our daily bread. He is our manna from heaven. You might say the Bible is Jesus in print.

From Crimson To White

When the larvae can fend for themselves, the mother tola'at dies. After three days, her body turns into white wax and falls to the ground like snow - Chris W. Clark [2]. After Jesus' death, He was three days in the tomb. And then what happens?

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” 

Be Healed 

The tola'at historically had medicinal value too - Omega Mann [4]. In the Old Testament, we read of God as YHVH Rapha, Yehovah our Healer. We recognize that healing takes place because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.

Be Cleansed

Slaying the Red Heifer

Most people don't eat worms. I, like a lot of people, would consider them Biblically unclean. Yet the tola'at worm is an ingredient in the cleansing ashes made from the red heifer. These ashes were used to cleanse a person who was defiled by a corpse. Where it reads "scarlet material" in Numbers 19:6, the Hebrew actually says tola'at shani, the scarlet grub. I have not uncovered an explanation of why an unclean worm should be part of this particular sacrifice. [A friend sent me a link to an article by chabad [5] which says we can't understand this command. Obey even if you don't understand. Apr 25, 2016]

Numbers 19:6 The priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet material and cast it into the midst of the burning heifer.

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All of nature points to God in some way, but this little grub worm is called out specifically as pointing to Jesus our Messiah, from the blood color to the life saving properties to the way it nourishes its young. Yet another wonder hidden in the Torah.

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References

1. http://www.thecrimsonworm.com/
2. https://www.facebook.com/notes/chris-w-clark/messiah-and-the-crimson-worm/10151783788218935
3. http://www.discovercreation.org/blog/2011/11/20/the-crimson-or-scarlet-worm/
4. http://www.omegazine.com/spiritual/worthystudy/worm.html
5. http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/387975/jewish/A-Strange-Commandment.htm