God Reaches Out to Raise Up the Islamic Faith

One of the great tangles of religion has been the apparent conflict between the Islamic and Christian Faiths which incidentally were established in the same area of the world. Jordan is one of the Holy Lands steeped in both Faiths. To understand how these Faiths can come together is not only part of the Divine Principle but part of the history of the Middle East. On two occasions I questioned our Master on this and he said I would find out how and why God established these Faiths. At first nothing happened but then one day as I spoke to a small group of colleagues the answer came, it flowed forth. Here in these lands a chosen people grew up favored by God. They were Hebrews and they were to form the Foundation of the New World when the Messiah came.

A little further to the East lay the great Persian Empire. The relationship of Palestine to Persia was that of Abel to Cain. All people in the Middle East fell into one of these categories. The Abel Nation under the direction of the Messiah was to lead the Cain Nations towards God.

The Messiah came to the Able Nation but they never recognized him. God separated out the good from the bad. He gave them a choice of a very good man the Christ-Jesus, or a very evil man — the murderer Barabbas. Note they had to choose between a good man and a very evil man, not between a very good man and a good man. There could be no excuse, the choice was deafeningly made Barabbas! Barabbas! they cried. Their savior was led to his death. Two thousand years of history was to be thrown away on one fateful day. The anger of God was to fall upon that nation and disperse it around the world. They had chosen a murderer rather than the Messiah.

Now Satan rejoiced. He had successfully killed the only man born in perfect way since Adam. Now he was so happy, he knew no one would be able to restore the Earth. All men must bow to Satan. The heathen ruled the Earth. He had taken God’s son in the Abel country. In retribution God reached forth his hand into the Cain country — the Persian Empire. He raised up six hundred years after Jesus a man who could neither read nor write — Mohammad. This man, who was to become the Master of Arabia, taught all men to bow down to Our Father five times a day in prayer. They were to say “There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is His Prophet.” In addition they were to proclaim the unity of God and demand obedience to Him. So all men, both Cain and Abel were forced to bow down to God. Carrying a strong Messianic Idea it taught of the eventual coming of the supreme ruler — the Great Mufti or Mahdi — the Messiah (Lord of Second Advent).

Hence Mohammad was to punish the Abel people for their refusal to accept the Messiah — Jesus, and also the Cain people for their failure to obey God. Mohammad was to show that all must respect God.

Satan was rebuked for his optimism in thinking he could govern men.