Jerald Finney
Copyright © June 29, 2026

This article is a slightly modified version of
APPENDIX 1 to the short book The Truth About Israel

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Psm. 12:6-7).

“Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Dan. 12:10).

Points made in this article are:

1. God’s Word is truth.
2. God preserves His Word and will do so forever.
3. Various religions claim that Scripture was corrupted and lost but subsequently restored. They use this narrative to establish the divine authority of their own foundational texts and prophetic lineage. This dynamic appears in several major theological traditions.
4. Some enter into altered states of mind in seeking truth and thereby open themselves to the spirit of antichrist.
5. God warns against changing His words, yet many translators ignore His warning and use the underlying meaning, ideas, and thoughts of Scripture and express them in modern language.
6. Covenant Theologians allegorize much of Scripture, but Dispensationalists believe in a literal normative interpretation. The former are antisemitic and the latter are pro-Israel.
7. Jesus Christ authenticated the Old Testament from copies, not originals.
8. Jesus Christ pre-authenticated the New Testament.
9. The writers of the New Testament verified that both the Old and New Testaments were God’s Word.
10. Fulfilled prophecies are proof that the Bible is God’s Word.
11. God Instructs Political and Religious Leaders and all others to believe, read, study, obey, sing, and proclaim His Word.
12. Problems arise for all individuals, families, nations, and churches who turn from God. The Bible foretells the final results of this rebellion.

God’s Word is truth. God the Son, during His first advent, stated in prayer to His Father,

“Sanctify them [the men god the Father had given Him (v. 6)] through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (Jn. 17:16-20).

Jesus indicated that there would be no interruption in the existence of God’s Word on earth.

God warns against changing His words:

• “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you” (Deut. 4:1-2).
• “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Pro. 30:5-6).
• “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18-19).

Against all reason, many argue that only the originals were inspired. There have been no originals for thousands of years. When Christ read Scripture, he was not reading from originals. As was His custom (regular practice), He stood up in the synagogue and read words regarding His first advent from the book of Isaiah and stated that this prophecy was fulfilled that day (Lk. 4:16-17). He gave those words the same authority as the originals. As shown below, He verified Old Testament Scripture many times, even though there were no originals. God’s Word is settled forever in heaven (Psm. 119:89) and God’s Word promises that He will preserve it on earth forever:

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Psm. 12:6-7).

Preserving His Word “forever” is an easy task for the creator of the universe and all that is in it. God originally wrote the Ten Commandments on stone tablets. When Moses saw the Israelites worshiping a golden calf in his anger he smashed the tablets at the foot of Mount Sinai. Later, God commanded Moses to chisel out two new stone tablets and bring them back up the mountain. Moses did so, and God rewrote the exact same commandments on the new tablets (Exodus 34).

In Jeremiah 36, God instructed the prophet Jeremiah to dictate all the prophecies and warnings he had received over the previous 23 years. Jeremiah, who was banned from the temple, had his scribe, Baruch, write the words onto a scroll. When King Jehoiakim of Judah received the scroll, he defiantly read it and sliced it to pieces with a scribe’s knife, throwing the remnants into a fire. Afterward, God told Jeremiah to take another scroll and rewrite all the destroyed words, adding many similar words to them. God then pronounced severe judgment on Jehoiakim:

“Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not” (Jer. 36:30-31).

“Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words” (Jer. 36:32).

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples of Christ who were waiting at Jerusalem “were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Ac. 2:4). The multitude of Jews out of every nation were confounded because they heard them speak of the wonderful works of God in their own language (Ac. 2:6-12). God, the creator of the universe and all that is in it, can easily, through men, preserve His Word in any language, including English.

Although there are many corrupted versions of the Bible, God’s Word has always been preserved. God never said that His Word would be lost for some period of time. He said that He would preserve His Word forever. Thus, the claims of Moslems and Mormons and other false religions who profess that their “prophets” restored the lost and corrupted Word of God are proven false by God’s own Word.

Joseph Smith, who claims to have restored the Bible and added more to it, received his information from spirits who falsely identified themselves as Jesus Christ or some other prophet of God.

Muhammad did not believe the original Bible (the Torah and the Gospel) was inherently corrupted. Instead, early Islamic tradition teaches that these scriptures were originally divine revelations from God. However, Muhammad believed that the interpretation of these texts had been altered or misapplied over time by their respective followers. The Quran portrays itself as a safeguard and a correction, confirming the truths in earlier scriptures while addressing where humans had changed the oral transmission or true meaning of the message.

Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the movement that became the Jehovah’s Witnesses, did not claim to receive any divine visions, dreams, or direct revelations. Instead, his eschatology and teachings were formulated through systematic Bible study alongside other Adventist ministers and scholars, such as Nelson H. Barbour and George Storrs. His conclusions are proven false by an honest study of and belief in God’s Word.

Some, through various methods, enter into an altered state of mind in which they receive information from the spirit world. In an altered state of mind, the door is open for the spirit of antichrist. See, e.g., 1 Jn. 4:1-3 (This passage addresses the heresy of Gnosticism which teaches that Christ did not come in the flesh, but the principle applies to other false teachings which rely upon information received from spirits). “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).

Some Bible “translations” are based upon the dynamic equivalence or functional equivalence method of interpretation. These versions change the words. These were written using, not the words, but the “underlying meaning, ideas, and thoughts Scripture and expressing them in modern language.” God said His words would convey the meanings, ideas, thoughts, etc. of Scripture. All translators of the Bible would do well to review God’s warnings against changing His words (see above).

Within what is viewed by the world as “Christianity,” Covenant Theologians inappropriately allegorize much of Scripture; but Dispensationalists believe in a literal interpretation. A biblical allegory is a literary device or interpretive method where characters, events, or objects in a narrative symbolize deeper spiritual, moral, or abstract truths rather than just their literal meaning.

Dispensationalists believe that biblical prophecies, promises, and events should be understood in their plain, normal sense rather than being allegorized, spiritualized, or reinterpreted as metaphors. They contend that allegory allows interpreters to read incorrect meanings into the text. While a passage might have many personal or practical applications, it has only one true meaning.

If a passage of Scripture has a deeper meaning, God’s Word does not leave one guessing as to that meaning. He reveals the meaning in His Word and does not leave it to the imagination, humanism, mysticism, meditation, or occultism.

Unless recognized by God’s Word as allegory, one should discard assertions that any particular Scripture is allegorical. Only the Bible correctly identifies true allegory within its pages. Examples of genuine allegory in Scripture include:

• the historical account of Abraham’s sons, Isaac and Ishmael. “For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” (Gal. 4:22-30).
• In John 10:1-18, Jesus tells an allegorical story of a shepherd, thieves, and a sheep pen. He then identifies Himself as both the door and the Good Shepherd who protects His flock.
• In John 15:1-8, the Father tends to the vine, Jesus is the source of spiritual life, and believers are the branches tasked with bearing fruit. Jesus explicitly states, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman” (Jn. 15:1).
• The parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-23 functions as an allegory. In verses 1-8, Jesus speaks a parable. In verses 10-17, Jesus tells the disciples why He is speaking to the people in parables. In verses 18-23, He tells them the meaning of the parable.
• In Romans 11:17-24 God uses an allegorical tree to explain the relationship between Israel and Gentiles. The natural branches, Israel, are broken off, wild branches are grafted into the tree to share its root, etc.

God authenticated the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus referred to Old Testament Scriptures approximately seventy-eight times referencing over twenty different books. In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus is quoted as saying: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” In Luke 4:24-44, He validated the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms which represented the entire Old Testament. He referenced figures like Noah (Mt. 24:37), Abraham (Jn. 8:56), Daniel (Mk. 13:40), and Jonah (Mt. 12:40) as factual historical benchmarks. During His temptation (Mt. 4:1-11), He used Deuteronomy as His primary defense, declaring, “It is written.” Of special note is Jesus’ answer to Satan’s temptation, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (Mt. 4:3). Jesus answered, “It is written [in Deuteronomy 8:3], Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” His prophecies parallel those in the Old Testament.

Christ, as recorded in John 16:12-15, pre-authenticated the New Testament. He said to His apostles:

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

God, through those He chose to write down the books of the New Testament, verified the Old and New Testaments. When speaking of the subject, the writers of Scripture affirm that they speak by divine authority.  The writers of the New Testament without exception treat the Old and New Testaments as authoritative and inspired by God. See, e.g., 2 Pe. 1:19-21; 2 Tim. 2:15-17; 3:16-17.

“Fulfilled prophecy is a proof of inspiration because the Scripture predictions of future events were uttered so long before the events transpired that no merely human sagacity or foresight could have anticipated them, and these predictions are so detailed, minute, and specific, as to exclude the possibility that they were mere fortunate guesses. Hundreds of predictions concerning Israel, the land of Canaan, Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, and numerous personages—so ancient, so singular, so seemingly improbable, so detailed and definite that no mortal could have anticipated them—have been fulfilled by the elements, and by men who were ignorant of them, or who utterly disbelieved them, or who struggled with frantic desperation to avoid their fulfilment. It is certain, therefore, that the Scriptures which contain them are inspired.” “Prophecy came not in olden time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pe. 1:21).

God Instructs Political and Religious Leaders and all others to believe, read, study, obey, and sing His Word:

• Deuteronomy 4:1-7 [To Israel prior to crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land]: “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baal-peor: for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you. But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day. Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?” {Continue reading from there for more insights].
• Deuteronomy 17:14-20 [To the political leader or leaders]: [In his parting counsels to Israel, before they entered the , Moses said] “When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.”
• Joshua 1:1-9 [God’s instructions to the Joshua who led the Israelites into the Promised Land]: “Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
• Isaiah 28:9-18: “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.”
• Isaiah 34:16: “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.” [The theme of Isaiah 34 is the final world clash, the campaign of Armageddon. In Isaiah 1, God presented His case against Israel and called heaven and earth to witness His final judgment on His people, Israel. Here, he calls on the nations to witness His final judgment on then nations. The judgment is universal and severe.]
• Psalm 68:11 [A song of deliverance that ushers in the Kingdom]: “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.”
• John 5:39: [Jesus said,] “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
• Ephesians 5:18-19 [Sing the Scriptures]: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”
• Colossians 3:16 [Sing the Scriptures]: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
• 1 Timothy 4:13 [1 and 2 Timothy, God, through the Apostle Paul, gives instructions to Timothy, and to all His children.]: “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”
• 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
• 2 Peter 1:19-21: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

The problems—as explained in God’s Word—of individuals, families, America, the other Gentile nations, Israel, religion, and “Christianity” are the result of turning from or corrupting God’s Word. God’s Word makes clear that man would, in the end and absent God’s intervention, destroy himself and the earth. Thankfully, God’s Word tells man that, on “the day of the Lord,” He will personally intervene and crush the Gentile nations who come against Israel, cast Satan into the lake of fire, judge the lost, establish His kingdom, and restore righteousness to the earth. That day is fast approaching.

In conclusion, the theme of Psalm 119 is praise and love for God’s Word. Everyone would do well to adopt that theme.

God’s word is truth. He promised that He would perform the small task, for Him, of preserving His Word. He warned against adding to or changing His words. Yet, many religions claim that their restorations of the corrupted and lost originals of God’s Word establish their divine authority as the authentic religion of God.

Others claim to have found truth through communication with spirits while in altered states of mind achieved through various means. Some translations use, not the words, but what they believe to be the underlying meaning, ideas, and thoughts expressed in modern language.

Covenant Theologians improperly add to and change God’s Words by improperly allegorizing much of the Bible. As has been explained in the body of this work, this has led to the serious heresies such as of replacement theology and antisemitism.

Dispensational Theologians believe in a literal normative interpretation of Scripture. God said it; I believe it. Of course, they are aware of figures of speech, types, and allegory as identified by the Word of God.

Jesus Christ authenticated the Old Testament and pre-authenticated the New Testament. The writers of the New Testament verified that both the Old and New Testaments were God’s Word. Fulfilled prophecies prove that the Bible is God’s Word.

The Bible instructs political and religious leaders and all others to believe, read, study, obey, sing, and proclaim His Word. As prophesied, the vast majority of individuals, families, nations, and churches have turned from God and His Word. The coming results will be as God foretold.

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Rev. 22:20-21).

Jerald Finney
Copyright © January 9, 2026

All Scripture references are from the King James Bible

Americans are becoming aware of the Muslim invasion due to the recent revelations of the vast numbers of Moslems who have immigrated, legally and illegally, to America, the many mosques that they have built and are continuing to build at an accelerating rate, their widespread fraud and other non-Christian actions, and their ever present plans to take over America and the world. Any believer close to my age (seventy-nine) should have seen this coming at least thirty years ago. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, as a relatively new believer, I studied false religions, including Islam, in order to have some understanding of how to try to approach their followers as I went into the world as a soldier for the Lord. Sadly, videos of Christian protests against and encounters with Muslims reveal that most believers have not been trained and equipped with the spiritual armor they need to put on as soldiers for our Lord Jesus Christ. See EN[i] for a very brief explanation, from God’s word, of the believer’s duty to fight a spiritual warfare for Christ and the armor he is to put on. Notice that this warfare is spiritual and not worldly. That said, at least some believers are fighting the good fight, even though lacking; and of course, we all fall short to one degree or another. The better prepared we are, the more the Holy Spirit can use our efforts.

Muslims train their followers to challenge and educate Christians from Scripture. Many times the deceiver prevails over the unstudied believer. This article will briefly give the Christian the knowledge he needs to answer one Muslim argument. Future articles may be published concerning others. The best path of learning is Holy Spirit led study of God’s word, not articles by another believer. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).  However, we can all help one another. Two or more believing heads are better than one working alone, as long as they, in love, seek unity as they search the Scriptures. Caveat: I know many believers who can better explain what I write in this article, but I know others who cannot.

Please keep in mind that Islam is a belief system which combines religion and state—both are to work hand in hand for the same goals. Combining religion and state, unlike union of the true God and state, always produces bad results; this is explained in other resources on this website. Islam teaches Moslems to do and say whatever is necessary to gain the control they desire, but do not have. Lying is part of their repertoire. For example, they will tell Americans that they believe people should be able to follow whatever religion they want, say what they want, do what they want (not to include crimes against one’s fellow man), write and publish what they want, protest, etc. The fact is that they, contrary to Bible principle and American law, do not believe in freedom of religion, conscience, press, association, speech, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Their religio/state is diametrically opposed to the word of God.

When Islam gains control, they, as did their prophet Mohammed, uses whatever means necessary to destroy all opposition. They physically destroy those who will not convert to Islam. That is in their repertoire.

Now, to one of many arguments Muslims present to Christians. See, EN[ii] for an example of an encounter between a Christian and an aspiring “Muslim” who argued that Gen. 12:1-3 refers to the prophet Abraham, who was the father of three religions, not to the Jews. Obviously, the three religions which she has in mind must be Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. The Christian was right in his conclusions about that and some other matters (although wrong about some things he said), but made no attempt to educate the lady from the word of God on that issue. God’s word makes clear the correct answer. That answer follows.

God ordained human government and set the boundaries of the nations (Genesis 10; Psm. 74:17). Man rebelled against God at the tower of Babel; God judged that rebellion, confused the languages, and “scatted them abroad from thence upon the face of the earth” (Genesis 11:1-5). Generations later (Gen. 11:10-27), in the midst of almost universal idolatry, God called Abram and made a covenant with him:

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).

As Scripture goes on to reveal, God’s plan was to call out one nation for specific purposes, the nation Israel. God’s word refers to all nations other than Israel, “Gentile.” Notice that God told Abram he would make of him “a great nation,” not “nations.” “And Terah [Abram’s father] took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran (Gen. 11:31-32). “Sarai was barren; she had no child” (Gen. 11:30). God showed Abram a land and promised, “Unto thy seed will I give this land” (Gen. 12:7).

God confirmed this covenant to Abram three times. See, Genesis 13:14-17, 15:1-7, 17:1-8. Abram told God that he had no seed, and that his heir was someone born in his house (Gen. 15:4). “And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir” (Gen. 15:4). God then showed him that the seed he was referring to would be “a seed that shall be a stranger in a land that is not their’s, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance… In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:” (Gen. 15:13-14, 18). This seed was obviously what are now referred to as the “Jews.” This seed could not have been any other seed than the one God promised Abraham.

Since Sarai, Abram’s wife, bare Abram no children, and since they had grown old, Sarai told Abram to go into her Egyptian maid, Hagar, so that perhaps she could “obtain children by her” (Gen. 16:2). Abraham “went into Hagar,” and she conceived (Gen. 16:4). Hagar bare Abram a son, Ishmael, when Abram was eighty-four years old (Gen. 16:15-16). Ishmael, a son of Abram, was a son of unbelief, and not the seed God promised in his covenant with Abram. God said to Abram: “{M]y covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee …” (Gen. 17:21). However, God promised that he would multiply Ishmael’s seed exceedingly and make him a great nation (Gen. 19:20). After Sarah died, Abraham married Keturah. Keturah bare sons for Abraham (Genesis 25:1-4). Nations came from the sons of Abraham. All but one of those nations, the nation Israel, were Gentile.

When Abram was ninety years old, The LORD renewed his covenant with Abram (Gen. 19:1-8). He also changed the name of Abram (or high father) to Abraham (or father of many nations). God made his covenant everlasting (Gen. 17:8). God established circumcision as the sign of the covenant he made with Abraham (Gen. 17:9-14).

God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah (princess) and promised Isaac, in whom the line of Christ runs. “Abraham fell on his face and laughed” because he was one hundred years old and Sarah was ninety. He said, “O that Ishmael might live before thee” (Gen. 17:15-19). “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 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. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year” (Gen. 17:19-21). Abraham then circumcised all males that were born in his house, and all the men who were bought with his money (Gen. 17:23).

Three men sent by God (angels) appeared to Abraham. They informed him that Sarah would have a son. Sarah, hearing it, “laughed within herself” because she questioned the statement that she, a ninety year-old woman, could have a son. (Gen. 18:1-12). “And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son” (Gen. 18:13-14).

Sarah conceived and bare a son, whom Abraham named Isaac; and circumcised him when eight days old (Gen. 21:1-4).

“Wherefore she [Sarah] said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac” (Gen. 21:10). Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away, but God promised to make Ishmael a great nation (Gen. 21:9-21). However, Ishmael and the nation that was to come from him, as God has made clear, was not the nation of the covenant God made with Abraham.

The word of God tells us that Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah; Jacob, the son of Isaac; and Jacobs twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel, and the line culminating in the Lord Jesus Christ—the Messiah, the son of God, God himself, who came to lay down his life for my sin and the sins of the world, lived without sin, was rejected as king by Israel, crucified, buried, resurrected, now sits at the right hand of the Father, and will one day return to crush the world powers who come against Israel and set up his millennial reign—all were in the lineage of the seed promised by God to Abraham. See Matthew 1:1-17 for the genealogy of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus. God, the Holy Ghost, was Jesus’ father (Mt. 1:20). See Luke 3:23-38 for the genealogy of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Ishmael was not in that line, since he was the product of Abraham’s unbelief.

Epilogue

Believers should know the basics of this and other matters, even should they not have their Bible with them. I knew the basics of this issue; but, of course could not have, off the top of my head included all that is in this article. With my Bible in hand, I could have thoroughly covered it with a person who was open to an honest Bible study. When I, as a believer, go out to do God’s spiritual warfare, I should have my Bible, if needed, to refer to. Notice that the aspiring Muslim, unlike the Christian who was ill-equipped to speak on God’s behalf and very uneducated in God’s word did refer to her Bible.

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Endnotes

EN[i] Born-again believers in Christ are to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:3-4; 4:1-4 deal with times of apostasy, and the path of a good Christian soldier during such a time). Eph. 6:10-18 says:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

Notice that truth and “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God” are part of the warrior’s armour. As one goes from his church into the world to preach the gospel, he must be properly equipped and trained. Believers, as God’s spiritual soldiers in the world but are not of the world, and have jobs; one of which is to let the world know that God the father sent Jesus, God the son (Jn. 17, especially verses 13-23). See also Scriptures which affirm that Jesus was God the son: e.g., Psm. 2:6-7, 110.; Jn. 1:1-5, 14, 10:33 (Jesus did not correct them, but pointed out something else—that they were their own gods), 20:28; Col. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 1 Jn. 2:22; Jude 25, , all the cross-references to these verses, and many others, which give a full contextual explanation.

God’s word makes clear that Christians should proceed with knowledge, understanding and wisdom, else they will fail and fall. See, e.g., Proverbs, Hos. 4:6; 2 Pe. 1:3-10.

EN[ii] See, Christians Protest Islamic Capital of Texas, from 19 min. 10 sec. to 32 min. 55 sec. for the entire encounter between a prospective “Muslim” woman (as she revealed earlier in the video) and a “Christian” man. Many issues are presented in this interaction. The Christian is more right than the Muslim; but, overall, he is ill-equipped to take a proper stand for Christ. This only deals with one issue raised in the encounter.