Matt Drywood 2003

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More than ever before, we, as “Westerners” who are predominantly Christian in
some form or another, are becoming acquainted with the religion of Islam.
Whether it be through acts of terrorism, in which so-called extremist Muslims lash
out against those who they feel are a threat to Islam, or through the never-ending
saga of the struggle between Jew and Palestinian to claim the land of Israel, or
through the war on Iraq by the United States, we have been introduced to Islam.
We hear words like “Sunni”, “Shiite”, “Quran” and “Ramadan” and places like
“Mecca”, “Medina” and “the dome of the Rock”.

But most of us are still unfamiliar with what Muslims believe, and how the religion
of Islam came to be. What I would like to present here is a brief history of the
Arabs, and the religion of Islam in particular, and show what the Bible has to say
about these things.

The entire history of Jew and Arab, and the conflict between them, has its origins
in Genesis. Abraham, a very faithful man who was called “the friend of God”,
was given great promises about an everlasting possession, descendents so
numerous that they could not be numbered, and about a descendent through
whom all the world would be blessed. This descendent, we find out from the
Bible, is Jesus Christ. Since his wife was very old and was unable to have
children, she gives Abraham her handmaid in order to have a child. In this way,
Ishmael was born.

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Abraham is then told by God that he would have a son by his wife, Sarah, and
that he would be the one that the promises would go through. Isaac is born to
Abraham and Sarah.

A prophecy is contained in Genesis 21:9-21. After the birth of Isaac, Ishmael is

seen mocking him. This was the beginning of a conflict to last through the ages.
Abraham is instructed by God to cast out Ishmael and his bondwoman mother,
Hagar, in response to Sarah's request that Ishmael not be an heir with Isaac.
In the wilderness, Hagar is despondent over being rejected, until an angel of God
appears to her with this prophecy: "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine
hand; for I will make him a great nation" (v. 18). This occurred about 1900 BC,
and Ishmael would eventually become the father of numerous clans and tribes
which inhabited the Arabian peninsula. Both Ishmael and Isaac had twelve sons,
which went on to provide countless descendents.

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Ishmael’s descendents were Arabs We will look at Isaac’s sons in a moment.

Here we see the blessing poured upon Ishmael, but we must be careful to make
he distinction that the record provides as to how the blessing of Isaac and
Ishmael are truly distributed.

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 One important point to be aware of is
that the Bible tells of a request by God
that Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac,
through whom the promises were
given. Through great faith that God
would still be able to fulfill the promise
of a great nation through Isaac,
Abraham obeys and is about to
sacrifice Isaac when an angel of God
stops him. This was a test of his faith,
and at this point the promises are
reiterated to him, that his seed would
possess the gates of his enemies,
and that in his seed (Christ), all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Arabs
claim that the son who was almost sacrificed was Ishmael, and that he was the
son through whom the promises would pass.

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Going back to the situation where Abraham sent away Hagar and Ishmael: the
angel of the Lord observed to Hagar concerning Ishmael, that "he will be a wild
man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him"
(Ge. 16:12). The Hebrew word rendered here as "wild" has the connotation,
according to Young's Concordance, of a "wild ass," and we can certainly
visualize the disposition of an obstinate, rebellious, stubborn individual. Arabs
through the ages have always exhibited these characteristics. Whether it was in
the times of the Bedouin tribes who violently battled for territory, water and
grazing land, or today, where Islamic fundamentalists would rather die and kill
many others than give up what they consider holy land, these characteristics are
still evident.

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EDOM
Esau and Jacob were the twin sons of Isaac. Esau gave up his birthright of a
double inheritance to Jacob, and while Jacob was blessed and handed down the
promises given to Abraham and then Isaac, Esau was given nothing.

Likewise Esau was rejected by God (“Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated”
– Rom. 9:13), he and his descendents would populate the land of Edom at the
northwest corner of the Arabian peninsula. Concerning Esau, we are told in
Genesis 25 that as the firstborn of twins he "...came out red, all over like an hairy
garment" (v. 25). And in forsaking his birthright, he said to his brother Jacob,
"Feed me I pray thee, with that same red pottage ... therefore was his name
called Edom" (v. 30). Edom means red and is symbolic of natural man without
God in his life.

From Ishmael's birth in 1900 BC until 600 AD, the descendants of Ishmael and
Esau were nomadic Bedouin desert dwellers grouped in scattered tribes and
clans throughout the Arabian peninsula. They lived through herding and by
plundering camel caravans traveling northward from seaports on the southern tip
of the Arabian peninsula to Damascus in Syria, which carried valuable goods
from Africa and India.

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THE Edomites were the descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. They
were therefore direct descendants of Abraham the ancestor of the Hebrew
people. But Esau's name was changed to Edom ( which means "red" and is
virtually the same word as Adam). Genesis chapter 25 recounts the origins of the
conflict that was to characterize the relationships between the two families.
Genesis chapter 36 tells us about the very large family of Esau, and Joshua
chapter 24 confirms how his family settled in the hill country known as Mount
Seir. This is why the Edomites were sometimes referred to simply as "Seir".
The Edomites are often referred to at the same time as their more distant second
cousins-the people of Moab and Ammon-whose territory was adjacent to theirs
and which also now forms part of Jordan.

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This sometimes gives rise to the unfortunate way in which the descendants of
Edom are grouped together with those of Ammon and Moab plus those of a quite
distinctly different family of Ishmael with the result that they are all called "Arabs"-
a distinction not made, nor a term used in the Bible. It is therefore neither helpful,
nor is there justification, for regarding the scriptural people of Edom as the Arabs
of the 20th Century.

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Arabs
It is necessary to speak of what the Bible says of the word Arab, since many fallacies
exist in the usage of this word. Our Western ignorance tends to stereotype anyone under
the umbrella of Islam as an Arab. When we speak of today’s description of “Arab
Nations”, we must realize that this is a political description of the pieces of land around
and East of the Mediterranean Sea rather than a Biblical term. We can say that to the
greater extent Islam is the religion of those countries, but not all Islamic countries are
Arab. Take Iran for example. Iran being one of the most militant states, is neither an Arab
country nor does it use “Arabic” as its language, but rather a Farsi script. It doesn’t even
belong to the Arab League, which is an organization of some 22 nations founded in 1945.

It might surprise most to realize that the word Arab only occurs once in the Authorized
Version of the Bible. It is found in Joshua 15:22 in reference to a village in the hill
country near Hebron: “Arab,694 and Dumah, and Eshean,”
‫'ארב‬ arab ar-awb'
From H693; ambush; Arab, a place in Palestine: - Arab.

There are some other closely related words which look and sound like arab, such as ereb
(Strong’s 6153, meaning evening) and arab (Strong’s 6148, meaning 11 different things,
only twice intermix). In those cases, the intermixing is in relation to the Jews, not the
Arabs ( see Ps 106:35, Ezra 9:2).
So we see that we need to tread cautiously when interpreting the term Arab, and not
make false assumptions.

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Ishmael and Hagar
Interestingly, Muslims never regard themselves as sons of Esau, but of Ishmael.
In AD 622, there was such a religious revolution which caused huge conflict in Mecca
that Muhammad had to flee from Mecca. This is regarded as the “flight (or “hegira”:
same word as Hagar, who was put to flight from Sarah’s household) of Muhammed.”
In fact, during this flight of Muhammad celebrated in Mecca by Muslims, where Muslims
following one of the 5 pillars of Islam(the hajj), journey to Mecca trying to emulate
Abraham, his son Ishmael, and Hagar while throwing stones at the devil (see section on
orthodox Christianity in the Quran). It is the Ishmaelites that correspond to the Arabs, not
Edom!!!
In Genesis 16, we have the account of the birth of Ishmael through Hagar, and the
corresponding “flight” in verse 6. In the AV margin, the rendering for Ishmael is “God
will hear”. Abraham had already received the basis of what we call the “Abrahamic
Covenant”, but it would be another 16 years later before his son Isaac was born to whom
these promises were confirmed. However, when Hagar gave birth to Ishamel, she was
told to name him Ishmael because the Lord was aware of her situation of being driven out
by Sarah. The fact that Ishmael means “God will hear” is indicative of a clear purpose for
this family.
An outline of these promises to Ishmael’s family is found in Genesis 16: 12.

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The Ishamaelites were to become a great nation, that would ruled over by 12 “princes”.
Gen 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.
This is an important point in our topical consideration. The Ishmaelites were not to be
kings, for we learn from Gen 17:16 that “…kings of people shall be of her”, that is to say
of the Jews.
Gen 17: 16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and
she shall be [a mother] of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
However, Abraham certainly loved Ishmael and so did God. Ishmael was even
circumcised and taught the way of the Lord (Gen 17: 23, 18:19).
Later however, Ishmael mocked his brother Isaac, probably due to the jealousy of Isaac to
whom the promises to Abram were given.

When Muhammad comes to the scene

In God’s time plan, the moment had come that the Roman Empire would be disposed of.
He had a two-part plan for bringing that about as revealed in Revelation chapters 8 and 9.
So in accordance with Revelation 8, the Franks, Visigoths, and Vandals came down from
Europe to remove the Western (Italian) leg of the Roman Empire. At this point, there are
still remains of a Christian Church in Constantinople (Eastern 2/3rds) , where the
apostasy is gradually going. But their time was to come. So which nation was God to use
for the next stage in his plan? There, waiting down in the desert of Arabia, centred around
the great nomadic trading posts of Mecca and Medina, were some tribes of Semitic
peoples claiming descent from Abraham—the Ishmaelites,

Now, at last, their time for greatness had come (remember they are to be a “Great
Nation”) and
there was a
great work to
be done for
God. Between
613 and 630
AD, there
arose
Muhammad,
who claimed
descent from
Abraham and
consequently
claimed a
right to the
promises God
had made to
him, including
the city of
Jerusalem.

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Muhammad, appalled by the moon-worshipping paganism he saw all around him, tried to
persuade his people to worship one god, the God of Abraham, but whom he called
“Allah.” He essentially says to these people “Look, sons of Ishmael, you have drifted
away from the one God (ie. To paganism), Come back to Allah, not the 3 Gods as is in
Constantinople.”
So we see historically that this Saracen power swarms like a plaque of locusts across
north Africa into Spain and into northern France, thus removing the Western Roman
Power from
these parts.

400 years later,

Rev 9:13
onwards tells us
four more tribal
hordes from the
East (mostly
Islamic) sweeps
across Syria,
Palestine, across
Turkey and
onwards to
Vienna,
destroying the
city of
Constantinople
in 1453. So now
we see that the
Eastern leg of the empire is now politically destroyed, whilst the Eastern Caesars flee
northwards to Moscow to become Czars of a “Third Roman Empire”. So what we see
here is that an early form of Militant Islam replaced much of the territory of the original
Roman Empire. History continues to show us how:
• In the 11th century came the Seljuks.
• In the 12th century came Genghis Kahn and his horde.
• In the 13th century came Timurlane
• In the 14th century came the Ottomans

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It was the Ottomans who gave their name to the great Islamic Empire which for the next
500 years ruled much of the Middle East corruptly and brutally.

The Ottomon Empire to Dry up

It was the work of Napoleon that brought what was known as the Holy Roman Empire to
an end by about 1806 under the symbol of the 5th vial. Continuing on with our theme of
Islam and Bible Prophecy, we come to the judgment of the 6th vial as recorded in
Revelation 16: 12:
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water
thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”

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This would be the last great sign of our times leading up to the return of the Lord Jesus
Christ (v.15) and the ensuing battle of Armageddon (vs. 16-see booklet on “Armageddon,
Fact or Fiction?” for further details).
In the prophetic symbol, rivers are used to represent nations, so that when they conquer
other nations the rivers are said to “overflow”. A good example of this can be found in
the invasion of Israel by Assyria:
“Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong
and many, [even] the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his
channels, and go over all his banks:”
Similarly, a nation having declined in power is said symbolically to “dry up”, so that the
symbol before us in Rev16:12 shows that this Ottoman power would eventually dry up
before the return of Christ (vs. 15).
So we are told a number of things from Rev 16:12, namely, that this Ottoman power
would have to be dried up, and also that the purpose of this drying up is so that “ the way
of the Kings of a Sun’s Risings might be prepared”.
At this stage we cannot say that the power of Turkey is totally dried up. The reference
points to more than a “shrivelled” state of Turkey; it points to a disappearance of that
power by exhaustion. Turkey is rapidly advancing to this catastrophic situation. The river
is to be dried that Christ and the saints(the Kings of a Sun’s Risings) might have an open
“way” for the commencement of their great work at his coming; but the drying-up which
prepares their way, opens the way for any one else who may wish to take advantage of it.
When a river is dried, people can cross and recross throughout the entire length. The
drying-up which prepares the way of the kings of the east, opens also the path of the king
of the north, in so far as the exhaustion of Turkey makes her northern territories an easy
prey for Russia. Scripture is clear that a Northern Confederacy, led by Russia, will come
down into the Middle East against Israel as God’s judgments are poured upon the nations
(see our “Handbook on Events Subsequent to the Return of Christ”).

So we see
historically,
in 1917,
during the
First World
War, the
British army
drove out the
Turks from
Palestine and
entered
Jerusalem,
paving the
way for the
British
Government’s
Balfour
Declaration

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which stated that the land of Palestine should become a National Homeland for the Jews.
This development led to the creation of the State of Israel 40 years later. However,

Turkey is still around, and is becoming more frequent in the news as it causes great
animosity with the European Union, Nato and its neighbours Greece. And to further the
issue, Turkey’s 60 million population is about 98% Islamic, which is why it is not
welcome in Europe. Cyprus is applying to join the EU and so Turkey has threatened that
if the EU accept its application and refuse their own, it will in turn cut off Northern
Cyprus. Therefore, Russia has been asked to supply Cyprus with missiles if this is the
case, and Russia objects most strongly to Turkey’s hostile attitude.
There is so much going on to keep our eyes on.
So only when Russia makes an assault on Israel ,as depicted in Dan 11:41-45 and
Ezekiel 38, invading Turkey en route and re-establishing its power in Constantinople (
remember the Ottomans captured Constantinople in 1453 driving out the pseudo
Christian Caesars), will it be fair to say that this Euphratean power has been totally dried
up.

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What do we see today?
After the demise of the
Ottoman empire, when the
Euphrates began drying up,
What was left? It was Britain
(Winston Churchill took a
leading part in laying the
foundations of the welfare
state in Britain, in preparing
the Royal Navy for World
War I, and in settling the
political boundaries in the
Middle East after the war),
France and others who
divided these Middle Eastern
desert areas into what is
today referred to as the Arab
Nations.
Ishmael today is seen exactly
how the Bible portrays them
to be; scattered all over
Africa and the Middle East
as a fractious, argumentative
people, mocking the covenants of promise, promoting holy war (Jihad) against Israel.
They are disunited, not united, under 12 princedoms. The Bible makes it clear that there
is no such thing as a United Arab Nation, and that they will continue this way until the
return of Christ when “God will hear them”.

PALESTINE and the PALESTINIANS

It is necessary for us to define the terms Palestine and Palestinian at this point of our
study. Without a proper understanding of this history, we can get into all sorts of
confusion.
Origin of the Name Palestine
The name Palestine encompasses the ancient Holy Land and the modern nation of Israel.
But it is not the original name for that country. The Romans assigned this name about the
second century A.D.
To appreciate the pressure brought upon the Jews in Judea and Jerusalem during this
time, some background is necessary.
A Jewish revolt occurred just before A.D. 70, when the Romans sacked Jerusalem after a
bitter siege. The revolt was caused by ongoing provocations by the Roman occupation
forces. Roman officials continually stole valuables from Jewish priests, demanding
ransom for their return. They plundered the temple and looted the priests' ornamental
garments—along with other sacred treasures. This surpassed the breaking point, and the

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inevitable revolt began (Wars of the Jews, Josephus, bk. 2, ch. 14-16).
The survivors of the A.D. 70 revolt were subjected to similar provocations that led to
another revolt in A.D. 132. The Romans prevailed again, and the revolt ended in A.D.
135. The Roman Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus) punished the surviving
Jews.
He renamed Jerusalem after himself and the god
Jupiter Capitolinus—Aelia Capitolina. He then
imposed the death penalty on any Jew who would
enter the city.
Some historians feel that this period was most likely
the time that the Romans renamed Judea as Palestina
(or Palestine). Others believe the change occurred
about a century or so later, after Constantine
established the eastern (Byzantine) part of the Roman
Empire. Notice: “Till the period of the Roman
occupation it [the Mid-East area later designated as
“Palestine”] was subdivided into independent
provinces or kingdoms…but never united under one
collective designation. The extension of the name of Palestine beyond the limits of
Philistia proper is not older than the Byzantine Period” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th
ed., Vol. 20, p. 601).
So, the Roman term “Palestine”
came into existence well after
Scripture had been written and
canonized. The term “Aelia
Capitolina” did not last for
Jerusalem, but “Palestine” became a
more permanent name for the region
including and surrounding Judea.
Understandably, the Jews who have
lived there since then have rejected
that name.
Holy Land Never Called Palestine
in Scripture
Some believe that Israel today was
once called Palestine millennia ago.
The word Palestine does not occur in
the original Hebrew or Greek Bible
texts. The Hebrew term Pelesheth
‫ פּלשׁת‬,which refers to the land of the
ancient Philistines—Philistia—is
erroneously translated in the King
James Version as “Palestina” in
Exodus 15:14 and in Isaiah 14:29

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and 31, and as “Palestine” in Joel 3:4. The New King James Version correctly reads
“Philistia”—the land of the Philistines—in every case noted above.
The Bible does not use the term “Palestine” or “Palestinians” to designate any geographic
location or people. Nor does the historian Josephus ever use these terms in his major
works, Antiquities of the Jews and Wars of the Jews. These relatively recent terms cannot
change history—much less Scripture.
In the New Testament, other terms denote the territories of that region. For example, in
Luke 1:5, Herod (the Great) is King of Judea. In Luke 3:1, we find other references:
Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea; Herod (Antipas), Tetrarch of Galilee; Philip, Tetrarch
of Ituraea (northeast of Judea); and Lysancas, Tetrarch of Abilene (near Ituraea). Notice
that there is no “king,” “governor” or “tetrarch” of Palestine found anywhere in
Scripture—more proof that “Palestine” was not an ancient term.
Secular History Finds “Palestine” Without Merit
Notice the following: “PALESTINE, a geographical name of rather loose application.
Etymological strictness would require it to denote exclusively the narrow strip of
coastland once occupied by the Philistines, from whose name it is derived…The modern
subdivisions under the jurisdiction of the Ottoman Empire are in no sense conterminous
[having common boundaries] with those of antiquity, and hence do not afford a boundary
by which Palestine can be separated exactly from the rest of Syria in the north, or from
the Sinaitic and Arabian deserts in the south…” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., p.
600).
These historians strongly imply that (1) the boundaries are obscure, (2) the territorial
name breaks many ancient language rules, and (3) at best, the name is a “loose
application.” (The boundaries were in effect in 1910, when this source was written. The
Ottoman Empire still controlled the region, and Judea was designated as part of Syria.)
In short, by God's standards, the term “Palestine” is illegitimate. (This will be covered
later.) To name the entire region in honor of the Philistines—bitter enemies of Israel for
centuries—insults the Jews. The Romans chose this name because they knew it would be
an abomination to the Jews. For these reasons, some informed political leaders and
statesmen still denounce the term “Palestine.” One of the more notable is Lady Margaret
Thatcher (former prime minister of Britain), one of the few public figures not intimidated
by “political correctness.”
The Peoples of the Mid-East
While they were still in Egypt, God revealed to Israel how they would obtain the land of
Canaan—the Promised Land: “And I am come down to deliver them [Israelites] out of the
hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large
[land], unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and
the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites” (Ex.
3:8).
These peoples, as far as lineages can be traced, were descendants of Ham. Collectively,
they were called Canaanites, and the land was often referred to as Canaan (Gen. 10:15-
20).
Palestinians today insist that they inhabited the land of Canaan before God gave it to

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Israel. But they are either seriously misinformed or willfully ignorant. The Canaanites
described above were definitely not of Arab descent. The Arabic peoples are descendants
of Ishmael, who descended from Shem. The peoples of Tunisia, Malta, Algeria and Sicily
of today are of similar descent as these Canaanites.
The peoples who now call themselves Palestinians correctly acknowledge the common
ancestry of Abraham, just as the Jews and Arabs claim.
Let's review some points already mentioned so we can better understand the origin of the
Jews and Arabs.
Abraham had two sons: Isaac (by his wife, Sarah) and Ishmael (by Hagar, her handmaid).
Though Abraham passed the birthright to Isaac, Ishmael was also blessed, becoming the
progenitor of the Arabs. Twelve princes, sons of Ishmael (Gen. 25:16), went on to form
major Arab nations—not insignificant nomadic tribes. These peoples intermarried
primarily with the Egyptians and were located south of Canaan, known as Arabia.
Isaac had two sons:
Jacob and Esau.
Abraham and Isaac's
God-given birthright
was passed on to
Jacob. Esau, like his
uncle Ishmael, was
also blessed with
wealth and
offspring. He moved
away from Canaan
to a region called
Mount Seir, just
south of the land of
Moab (southeast of
the Dead Sea). Esau
was also called
Edom, and his
offspring were
known as Edomites. Many rulers, nobles and kings were borne of Esau (Gen. 36). Esau
married Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael (Gen. 28:9). He also had a number of wives
from various other nations. His offspring continued to marry into the families of Ishmael,
as well as other peoples.
Meanwhile, Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel, had twelve sons—Reuben,
Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulon, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph and
Benjamin—the twelve tribes of Israel. While in Egypt for nearly two and a half centuries,
the tribes of Israel grew vastly in numbers. The birthright was passed from Jacob (or
Israel) to Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Israel effectively became thirteen tribes.

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 Israel and Judah
After the time of King Solomon, Israel split
into two nations: Judah and Israel (to the
north of Judah). Judah consisted of the tribes
of Judah and Benjamin, as well as the
majority of Levi. These peoples became
known as Jews. In fact, the Bible's first use
of the word “Jews” is in II Kings 16:6, when
the Jews (allied with Syria) were at war with
Israel.
The northern ten tribes of Israel were taken
captive by the Assyrians in 721-718 B.C. and
became known as the “lost ten tribes of
Israel.” The Jews remained in the land of
Judah (later Judea). The Assyrians placed
other peoples in the land formerly inhabited
by the ten tribes. Transplanted from a region
near Babylon, these new inhabitants were
called Samaritans.
In about 600 B.C., the Jews were taken
captive by the Babylonians. A remnant of
them returned approximately 70 years later.
The vast majority of the Jews remained dispersed among other nations after the captivity.
The Jews who returned faced continual opposition by certain peoples, such as the
Samaritans and the peoples of Ammon and Moab. The Ammonites and Moabites—sons
of Lot, Abraham's nephew—were distant relatives of the Jews. The Jews' most bitter
rivals were none other than the Edomites—sons of Esau.
Later, as Alexander the Great's Empire dominated the region, such local rivalries were
suppressed. The series of ongoing wars between the Seleucid and Ptolemy Empires—
fragments of Alexander's former Empire—dominated the second century B.C.
Next came the Roman era and their provocation of the Jewish religious leaders.
The Masses of Palestine
Major population shifts occurred in the area before the Jews' arrival between 1917 and
1948: “The spread of Islam introduced a very considerable Neo-Arabian infusion. Those
from southern Arabia were known as the Yaman tribe, those from northern Arabia the
Kais (Qais). These two divisions absorbed the previous peasant population, and still
nominally exist [as of 1910]; down to the middle of the 19th century they were a fruitful
source of quarrels and of bloodshed.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol. 20, p.
604). Note that these people were inclined toward quarreling and infighting.
The “infusion” of Arabians coincided with the expansion of Islam. Their presence in the
Holy Land began about the seventh century A.D. These waves of migration continued as
the Turks pushed north, and west, spreading Islam by the edge of the sword. By the tenth
century A.D., the Turks had conquered the former land of Judea, as well as Jordan, Syria,
and Lebanon. By the eleventh century, they controlled the bulk of Asia Minor. The

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Arabians—descendants of Ishmael as well as Esau—claimed the land from that time until
the present.
Many of the particular nationalities that live in Judea and Jerusalem do not intermix and
intermarry with other peoples or nationalities.
Notice this reference about the Samaritans: “The most interesting of all the non-Arab
communities in the country, however, is without doubt the Samaritan sect in Nablus
(Shechem); a gradually disappearing body, which has maintained an independent
existence from the time they were first settled by the Assyrians to occupy the land left
waste by the captivity of the kingdom of Israel”.
Like the Samaritans, the original Canaanite nations and the Philistines also diminished in
size and had long since emigrated. Much of this occurred during the time of David and
Solomon. An example is the Hivites, who were “hewers of wood and drawers of water”
(Josh. 9:21). “And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites,
Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel, their children that were
left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to
destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day” (I Kgs. 9:20-
21).
Modern descendants of these former bond servants exist only in occasional lineages of
certain modern inhabitants of the nation of Israel. The percentage of that bloodline would
only be small, being diluted by many generations.
Arabs comprise the bulk of the remaining residents. Not only did the term “Palestine”
originate as late as the Byzantine era, the Arabs who call themselves “Palestinian” did not
lay claim to the Holy Land until about the tenth century A.D.
Relatively few Arabs were in the region when the Jews returned in 1917. Shortly before
then, the population of the Holy Land was estimated at about 650,000 permanent
residents. More than 65% were Islamic. Only after the Jews established their nation in
1948 did the masses of these Arabic peoples feel drawn to this particular territory. The
population of Palestinians swelled dramatically after the Jews brought about vast
improvements in agricultural production. They established irrigation and re-introduced
efficient means of agriculture.
Palestinian Population 1860-2000 (thousands)

YEAR WITHIN PALESTINE ISRAEL WEST BANK* GAZA INSIDE PALESTINE TOTAL
1860 411 411
1890 533 533
1914 738 738
1918 689 ** 689
1931 860 860
1940 1086 1086
1946 1308 1308
1950 1170 of which 165 765 240 304 1474
1960 1340 239 799 302 647 1987
1970 1412 367 677 368 1289 2701
1980 1992 531 964 497 2100 4092
1990 2731 687 1373 671 3302 6033
2000 3787 919 1836 1032 4667 8454

*including East Jerusalem

**population drop was caused by WWI and the famine which followed

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Understandably, many took advantage of gainful employment provided by the Jews in
developing the land and building a needed infrastructure for the tiny nation of Israel.
These local laborers were called fellahin, or agricultural workers. Previously, the Arabs
had only used primitive methods. Without the innovations introduced by the Jews, the
fellahin had been restrained by their own superstitions, which prohibited advancements
and efficiency in agriculture. So, initially, a mutual benefit existed, and the two peoples
worked together.
But the Jews were never welcomed by Arab leaders who harbored jealousy and ancient
resentment. No consideration was given to the willingness of the Jews to advance the
cause of the fellahin.
Today, Palestinian leaders and Islamic clerics have rejected gestures of mutual
cooperation from the Jews, because their ancient hatreds stand in the way. Their only
plan regarding Israel is nothing less than the extinction of all Jews.
Ownership of the territory is another
controversial issue. The Palestinians claim
to be the ancient owners of Palestine. Yet
we see that they only took possession of the
land in the wake of the Turkish campaign
through that region in about the tenth
century A.D. The claim made by ancient
Israel precedes this claim by about 2,300
years.
How ironic that these Palestinians accuse
the Jews of depriving them of their home
when (1) the vast majority of them moved
to Israel after the Jews reclaimed the land
from desolation and ruin, and (2) their Arab
relatives in the world of Islam own over
1,000 times more real estate than exists
within the boundaries of tiny Israel.
Remember when thousands of Palestinians
were expelled from Kuwait in 1991 after
they were found conspiring with the Iraqis
in selling out their host country?
The following scriptures show how the true
Owner of this and all land everywhere
expressed this “land transfer”: “And the
LORD gave unto Israel all the land which
He swore to give unto their fathers; and
they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the
LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that He swore unto their fathers: and
there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their
enemies into their hand. There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had
spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass” (Josh. 21:43-45).

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Joshua 24:13 covers more details: “And I [the LORD] have given you a land for which
you did not labor, and cities which you built not, and you dwell in them; of the vineyards
and oliveyards which you planted not do you eat.”
The Coming Solution
Today, the Islamic Arabs bear the same rivalry and suspicion of the Jews that they have
always borne for Israel. But that rivalry is greatly intensified by Islamic fundamentalists
advocating the destruction of the Jews and Israel. The most dangerous enemy of the
west—as well as the Jews—is the incessant Islamic message that fuels the flames of
hatred and vengeance, which fuels the fires of terrorism.
The Palestinians have lived near the Jews for over half a century. This closeness to the
“enemy” makes them of great value to the perpetuators of terrorism. Thus, the
Palestinians have served as surrogates for the states who sponsor terrorism, namely Syria,
Iran, and Iraq, confronting the Jews with escalating terrorism.
To see through the smoke surrounding the Mid-East crisis, a clear understanding of
Palestine and the Palestinians is critical. We live in momentous times. Events in this
crucial area will soon impact everyone!
Real peace—the kind that lasts forever—will not come before the end of this age. The
present dilemma will not be solved until the arrival of the King of Peace—Jesus Christ—
and the kingdom of God ( see booklet on “Road Map to Middle East Peace).

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The founder of Islam was Muhammad.

Muhammad was born in 570 A.D. in the city of Mecca, a member of the
prestigious Hashim clan. He supposedly had his first vision from God in 611,
began his public ministry in 613, and by 630 he had succeeded in uniting most of
the many clans and tribes on the Arabian peninsula into a unified and formidable
force. This was quite an accomplishment, since the tribes had always been
fiercely independent of each other. We do not have enough time to look at
Muhammad’s efforts from 613 to 630, but some of his teachings will be
considered. Muhammad's followers were referred to as Muslims; his teachings
came from the book he inspired, the Quran; and the religion he invented is
known as Islam.

Muhammad died in 632; and even though he had charisma and qualities of
leadership, he had made no provision for an orderly succession after his death.
He had two sons and four daughters by his first wife, but both sons had died
before him.

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Some claimed Muhammad had designated his successor to be his son-in-law Ali,
husband of his daughter Fatimah, and father of his only surviving grandsons,
Hasan and Husayn. This would have kept the leadership in Muhammad's blood
line-the Hashim clan.
By a decree of elders, however, Ali was by-passed, and Abu Bakr became
Muhammad's successor. The Arabic term for "successor" is khalifah, which in
English became "caliph." Abu Bakr was caliph from 632 until he died a natural
death in 634. The second caliph was Umar, who reigned from 634 until he died a
natural death in 644. The third caliph was Uthman, who took over in 644 but was
assassinated in 656.

Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali, was finally designated the fourth caliph in 656.
However, he was assassinated in 661 by Muawiyah, nephew of the third caliph,
Uthman. Muawiyah became the fifth caliph. When Muawiyah died in 680, his son
Yazid became the sixth caliph. He then killed Ali's youngest son, Husayn, who
had led a rebellion against him.
We have looked at the succession of Muhammad fairly deeply because it
provides the answer to a question we all may have had in our consideration of
Muslims. We often read of Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims. What's the
difference? The Shiites, who have always looked for charismatic leaders, believe
Ali was Muhammad's rightful successor, to be followed by his eldest son Hasan,
then by the youngest son Husayn, and then by his descendants. Sunnis, on the

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other hand, accept the succession as it occurred, and they represent about 90
percent of all Muslims in the world today.
There have been many different sects, divisions, factions, and philosophies
which have arisen within Islam in the nearly 1400 years it has been in existence.
But there is one basic element that binds all these divisions together. They all
agree on the teachings of the Quran.

The Quran was not actually put together until about 20 years after Muhammad's
death. It consists of all the "revelations from God" he supposedly received via the
archangel Gabriel during his lifetime. Many were written down when they were
supposedly received, but many were verbal and memorized by him and his most
trusted followers. The result was a book of 114 chapters of very unequal length,
approximately comparable in length to the New Testament.

To Muslims, the Quran is the ultimate authority for all legal and religious and is
considered to be completely infallible, or faultless. To question its authority or
imitate its Arabic style is considered sacrilege.

Muhammad's complete knowledge of the Bible and the teachings of both

Judaism and Christianity are evident in the Quran. He states that there have
been 26 prophets, messengers of God appointed by God Himself, beginning with
Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, with Muhammad
himself being the last and greatest. He believed that all the messages of earlier
prophets were consummated in him. In this view, Islam is God's true religion
given to mankind, and it is Jews and Christians that have deviated from it!

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The Quran recognizes the total invincibility of God, who is called Allah, and looks
at man's relationship and subservience to God. It also looks at man's frailties and
man's responsibilities to his fellow man.
It is interesting that many orthodox Christian beliefs are evident. One very
prominent one is the existence of a personal devil, called Satan. A proper study
of the Bible, however, will show that there is no such thing as a personal devil.
The words “satan” and “devil” have the meanings of “adversary” and “false
accuser”, and are not meant to be names applied to a single being. In fact, a
comparison of the identical incidences in 2 Sam 24 and 1 Chron 21 will show that
God is called “Satan”:

2 Sam 24: 1 “And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and
he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah”

1 Chron 21:1 “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number
Israel”

Titus 2:3 says that the aged women should teach the younger to not be “false
accusers”.

That word is “diabolos”, which is elsewhere translated “devil”. They are not
teaching the younger women not to be devils, in the sense of a personal devil. It
is as it reads. They are not to be false accusers.

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Another orthodox Christian teaching is the concept of everlasting torment in a
place called “Hell” for the unbelievers.

Again, this concept is nowhere found in the Bible, when it is studied. The english
word “hell” is used, but looking at the original Hebrew and Greek words, it is
synonymous with the grave. This is evident when in Acts 2:31 we read:
“he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not
left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption”. If Christ was not LEFT in hell,
then he must have been in hell at some point. Therefore hell is not a place of
torment for the unbelievers, since Christ was the sinless son of God as the Bible
describes him.

Even as Islam regards him, as being just a prophet of God; a prophet would not
be in the hell described on this slide.

Again, the concept of a judgement, followed by paradise for the believers, as

seen in Orthodox Christianity, is also seen in the Quran.

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Again, the concept of a judgement followed by paradise for the believers, as
seen in Orthodox Christianity, is also seen in the Quran.

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With the concern over fundamentalist Muslims carrying out terrorist acts and the
fear that the world will look at all Muslims as terrorists, many mainstream
Muslims are defending Islam and claiming that the true teachings of the Quran
are tolerance and love for all mankind. If we look at what the Quran teaches,
however, this is not the case. We see that Jews and Christians are labeled as
wrongdoers, and that Muslims are not to be friends with either. They are told to
make war on the unbelievers and deal rigorously with them. Perhaps there are
many Muslims that want to follow a policy of tolerance and love, but to follow the
teachings of the Quran to the letter involves no such tolerance.

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Another prominent doctrine of the Quran is the principle of jihad, or holy war.
Loosely-interpreted, jihad is an active struggle using armed force whenever
necessary. Most importantly to us, the long-range goal of jihad is not so much the
conversion of individuals to Islam, but rather the gaining of political and
ecclesiastical control over societies or countries, to run them in accordance with
the principles of Islam. Conversion of individuals to Islam is a by-product of this
goal. A country such as Israel, which was once under Islamic control but now is
not, is regarded as an intolerable situation which must be corrected through
jihad. This is where the extremists come in. Again, to follow the Quran
completely is to be ruthless to unbelievers, to fight against them. And the reward
for those who die while carrying out this holy war is a direct entry into the
Paradise outlined in the Quran.

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The terrorist Muslims believe that they are following what God would have them
to do, and this involves the death of many Jews and Christians, and even other
Muslims who are associating with the Jews and Christians.

The Bible teaches that believers, while verbally defending their faith, are to leave
the punishment of the wicked to God himself.

ROMANS 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place
unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

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In their daily lives, devout Muslims follow the "Pillars of Islam," five duties they
must perform. These are:
(1) Profession of faith. This requires a public, oral confession at least once in a
lifetime. This confession states that "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad
is His prophet."
(2) Prayer. Five daily prayers are required, preceded by ritual washing. Followers
must face the Kaaba in the Great Mosque at Mecca (which is a very large black
cube), so here in Canada you may see prayer being done while facing the east,
towards Mecca. Women pray in a separate room. Public call to prayer is made
from a minaret of the mosque.
(3) Almsgiving. Every Muslim must pay a tax which is used mainly to help the
poor. It is also used for winning converts, ransom of war captives, relief of those
in chronic debt, and jihad.
(4) Fasting. This is required during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month on
the Muslim calendar, in which Muhammad supposedly received his first
"revelation from God," from dawn to sunset. There is to be no eating, drinking,
smoking, or marital relations while the sun is up; and they must abstain from all
sinful thoughts and actions and, if possible, feed at least one poor person.
(5) Pilgrimage to Mecca. This pilgrimage occurs the first ten days of the last
month of the lunar year. All adults must make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in
a lifetime if physically and economically possible.

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A Future for Ishmael?
So now that we have some understanding of what Islam is, where it originates,
and what Muslims believe, let us now look at what the Bible says about this
group of people, in particular, the Arabs in the immediate vicinity of Israel and the
Egyptians (both of which are Muslim today).

What we read in the Bible in various places, is the path taken by Jesus Christ,
leading the resurrected believers, or saints, with him, prior to rescuing Jerusalem
from a formidable force and becoming King over the whole earth there. From the
books of Isaiah, Habakkuk, and the Psalms to name a few, we see that Christ will
first travel to the Arab regions near Mt Sinai, and teach and subdue them, at
which time they will recognize him as the saviour and king of the world.

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Christ will first move from Sinai (where the judgment of the resurrected takes
place) into the surrounding Arab nations. Christ's first work of conquest is among
the Arab peoples, which is made clear from Habakkuk's prophecy.
Habakkuk 3:7 “7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: [and] the curtains
of the land of Midian did tremble.”
Earlier in this chapter Habakkuk describes the 'Mighty One' who comes from
Teman (the south). A picture is presented of the Multitudinous Christ (or Christ
with the saints) coming from Sinai.

"I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction" The term 'tents' implies it was a
nomadic people. The 'tents of Cushan' relate to the Arabian descendents of Cush
through Abraham, dwelling in the region of Sinai.

"the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble" - This description relates to
Arab peoples inhabiting the area of Sinai.
The Arab peoples will be the first to feel the supernatural power of the 'Mighty
One' from Teman resulting in their complete subjugation to Christ.

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The subduing and disciplining of the Arabs is the first work Christ will do in order
to provide a haven for Jews who flee from the land when Gog, a northern
invader, overwhelms the Jews prior to Armageddon, when Christ and the saints
will conquer Jerusalem and Israel. The age-long hostility of Arab towards Jew
which still exists today must be removed if the fleeing Jews are to find refuge
among the Arab peoples adjacent to the land.

The Arabs brought water to him that was thirsty - The refugees from Israel,
fleeing Gog's furious attack upon the land of Israel will be desperate for
sustenance. A drink of water in this dry and arid region is a valuable gift.
"they prevented with their bread him that fled" – the R.V.says - "did meet
the fugitives with their bread" This implies that the Arab peoples will help the
fleeing Jews. What could bring about such a remarkable change in the attitude of
Arab toward Jew but the supernatural intervention of Christ?

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From these verses in Isaiah, we can see how the Arab regions described will
glorify God and worship Him in the house of His glory, which is to be set up in
Jerusalem and attended to by immortal priests and mortal Levites, or Israelites.

These two groups of people who have always been at odds with one another will
finally work together to worship their creator.

Following the conversion of the Arabs, Christ and the saints will move westwards
into Egypt. Christ's entry into Egypt is part of a plan by God to provide a base for
the return of purged and redeemed Israel to the land of their fathers.

Dan. 11:42-45 demonstrates how Russia, the northern invader, will invade and
occupy Egypt but then send its main force to Jerusalem where it will be
overthrown by Christ. In the meantime, Egypt will be under the iron rule of a
“cruel lord”. When Christ and the saints get there, the Egyptians will be educated
in the ways of God. The 'language of Canaan' is more than just an alphabet and
a system of speech, it is a system of God’s truth. They will “know the LORD”,
and will serve him with sacrifices.

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CONCLUSION:
Hopefully we can see how the religion of Islam came to be and why there is such
animosity between the Arabs and the Jews today. We can see what the beliefs
of Islam are, how they were influenced by Orthodox Christianity, and how, if the
Quran is followed to the letter, Islam does not lend itself to peace between the
Arabs and Jews, or even Arabs and Christians. It must be noted, to be fair, that
as history will show, orthodox Christianity also does not support peace between
itself and its opposition. The only way for true and lasting peace is for Jesus
Christ to return to the earth and subdue all the nations who will then serve and
worship God in Jerusalem. We can see from the Bible how the Arabs in the
region close to Israel will be subdued and will worship God alongside the Jews.
Christ’s return is soon. May we all be watching and waiting.

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Matt Drywood 2003

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