Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
It seems some folks don't understand that the descendants of Abraham are of two types, earthly and heavenly, as the scripture says, "will number the sand of the seashore, and the stars of heaven." (Genesis 22.17) Abraham has both children in the flesh and children of faith. The Christian believers are the children of faith, and the Jews are children of the flesh.
These only the positive descendants of Abraham, spoken of in scripture. Abraham also has a multitude of offspring thru Ishmael, many of which are today's Muslims. And unfortunately many today who have Jewish blood from Abraham neither believe in God nor love Israel. In fact, many of the greatest enemies to the faith and to the Jews, and for that matter the entirety of Western Judean Christian civilization, have Jewish blood.
The statement occasionally arises concerning how someone with Jewish ancestry can be anti-semitic. But was not Hitler himself a quarter Jewish?
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Thanks, Ohio, for providing this perspective, and for opening the door on a major factor in end time prophecy: Ishmael.
"Islamic lore reports that Abraham took Hagar and Ishmael to Mecca, and
Ishmael is considered a patriarch of Islam. While it is not accurate to say that all Arabs are descended from Ishmael, many probably are. There is still a
great deal of strife between the descendants of Isaac and those who see Ishmael as their father. One wonders how things might have been different had Abraham simply trusted God to bring about His promise without any added “help” from Abraham and Sarah." gotquestions.com (Yeah. Really.)
Abraham loved his firstborn son, Ishmael, and prayed to God on his behalf. God heard Abraham’s prayers.
Genesis 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
Here is a character lesson on who God is. God's covenant was established with Isaac, but as a descendent of Abraham, God was bound toward Ishmael also.
As to the veracity of Islamic lore, we cannot say, but the "strife" between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael is undeniable.
That "great deal of strife" can be described, today, as Radical Islam. The Arab countries geographically surround Israel and politically deny that she has the right to exist. Radical Islam also hates those nations who bless the descendants of Isaac.
Jerusalem has been fought over by every major power in history.
• The Babylonians held it.
• Then the Medes and Persians.
• Alexander the Great took Palestine for the Greeks in 333 BC.
• Later the Egyptians and Syrians alternately had it until
• the Romans.
• Islamic invaders took control until replaced by
• the Crusaders.
• Later, Islamic Egypt.
• Then the Ottoman Turkish Empire ruled for about 400 years.
"It so happened that in the early twentieth century the British Empire was drawn into a war that would involve the Ottoman Turkish Empire, the power that, at the time, ruled over the land of Israel. During the war (World War I) the Ottoman Empire crumbled, and British forces led by General Edmund Allenby entered the Holy Land. The British would take the city of Jerusalem without a fight. " The Shemitah, Jonathan Cahn
This is one good reason for us to care about Israel.
Nell