Wow...what an interesting discussion!


Other than the errors of Ishmael's relation to Muhammed and the obvious mis-statement involving arab=muslim or vice-versa, the info as stated by the guest is pretty much right on in terms of what the Bible has to say about it all.

As stated correctly by a few in this thread, Muhammed came onto the scene several centuries after Ishmael but as far as the lineage is concerned, I really don't know if Muhammed has been genealogically linked to Ishmael or not. I'd go on record as saying that it's a distinct possibility and I've heard discussion on it both ways.

But don't be too quick to dismiss the recorded history of what happened. The Bible, whether you choose to believe the spiritual aspect of it or not, is a very good and accurate historical record as far as the journey of the Jews from Abraham through the Egyptian captivity and then the exodus to the land now in dispute. We all know Muhammed was a real person and I feel fairly certain that there is enough factual data among several circles to admit that the major players of the Bible were indeed real people as well.

Now for the spiritual aspect of it. The Jews do indeed believe that they are in their promised land. It is true that they do not occupy as much of the land now that they feel was promised to them from God. So the problem is really two-fold. Not only do they occupy the land that is hotly contested but they also want the rest of the land that is currently under arab control to "complete" the area that they feel that was originally promised. How big that area is, I'm not really sure, but things, I think, are going to get a lot more serious before anything starts to get better.

(This is where the bit about what Pat Robertson said about Sharon giving up the land and having the massive stroke as possible punishment from God for breaking up God's promised land. I feel as if Pat Robertson is really passionate about what he feels but is just a little...ok...a lot wreckless with how he states things from time to time.)

As a matter of fact, Christians now believe that the 2nd coming of Christ is less than a few years away according to prophecy and the recent events of what's happening around the world. Some even say that the anti-christ is now on the scene and moving up to his prophesied position. Some have even been so bold as to throw out a name of who they feel it is. It's really strange how some of this stuff actually makes a lot of sense when you look at the picture as a whole. However, I'm still not sold on the entire idea of how it will all work out. I tend to believe that there are some things that God just doesn't want us to know right now. We can guess and extrapolate all day long but at the end of the day, put them all in a hat and take your choice and each one has as much chance of being the way it will happen as any other.

But that's just the way I see it.


Hubby