Syrian Refugee Crisis: Is This Part of the “Last Days” Mentioned in the Bible?
As of now, 23 U.S. states have refused accepting Syrian refugees. The terror attacks in Paris have created a new scenario where American leaders are now increasingly concerned regarding the influx of immigrants from nations where ISIS operates. Is this shift of immigrants part of the last days mentioned in the Bible?
In Joel Rosenberg’s insightful book Implosion written in 2012, he mentions a variety of reasons that may explain why America is not specifically mentioned in the Bible’s end-times scenario. These include financial implosion, natural disasters, the rapture, as well as the possibility of implosion, or demise from power, due to war and terrorism. In addition, others have noted the possibility of moral decay that may lead to America no longer serving as a superpower that stands for truth or supports Israel.
Rosenberg’s writing finds itself strangely accurate according to today’s headlines. First, a mass influx of potentially hostile immigrants has created a new potential for terrorism on American soil. To date, only lone wolf attacks have been noted, such as the Boston Marathon bombing or the July 16, 2015 Chattanooga shootings at military recruiting centers that killed five servicemen.
However, with more people in the nation who may desire to cause harm to America, large-scale terror attacks similar to those in Paris are becoming a concern. Many state leaders now feel compelled to act to prevent a similar disaster.
Second, more immigrants with anti-American and anti-Israeli worldviews may lead to additional support for non-biblical worldviews. For example, in the past several years, American support toward the nation of Israel has fallen to lower levels. Many factors are likely involved, but the increase in population from nations with high populations of Muslims that hold anti-Semitic views is one area of influence.
This distancing from Israel closely connects with the Bible’s predictions in Ezekiel 38. In this prophetic passage, the nations surrounding Israel come together to destroy it. Though some nations oppose the effort, not one will join with Israel to defend the land. In the end, only God’s direct intervention will protect Israel.
Third, new immigrants also open new opportunities to communicate the gospel. Though the first two points are negative, this third observation includes a positive perspective for those who seek to share their faith. With many new immigrants within our own communities, we have “world missions” in our own neighborhood. Those we could never visit in nations hostile to Christianity now live where we can minister to them without leaving our own city.
As a result, there is a growing need for new refugee ministries of many types. This can include ESL (English as a Second Language) courses, culture-specific churches (including services in the languages of the immigrants served), neighborhood Bible studies and children’s outreaches, and much more. While we can and should have concerns regarding immigration, we can also seek to live out our faith among those already near where we live.
What Can We Do?
There is and will continue to be a strong tension between helping immigrants from certain nations and protecting our nation. We may not be able to control some aspects of America’s changing landscape, yet we can help in at least three ways.
First, we can continue to show appreciation to those who serve to protect our nation. American Christians should not fear showing signs of patriotism. The nation has long held to religious liberty that has led to some of the greatest innovations in Christian growth and missionary activity. Our support of military personnel, veterans, and their families should stand firm in our churches and personal lives.
Second, we can continue to encourage support of Israel. While we may not agree with every political decision in the Jewish homeland, the Bible clearly indicates God’s support of Israel (Genesis 12:1-3). This is the land where Abraham lived, the Promised Land where Joshua led the Jewish people, and the land where Jesus and His disciples walked. Christians, of all people, should cherish and seek the peace of this land.
Third, we can seek to show the love of Christ to the immigrants in our midst. Rather than focusing only on the negatives of the situation, we can find ways to assist those who need to see and hear what it is like to follow Jesus. When Christians get involved in the lives of those new to our nation, it will only be a matter of time before some of these new immigrants follow our Lord. Ministry to immigrants is a long-standing tradition of the Judeo-Christian worldview that American Christians can continue today to impact lives for Christ.
The Bible does predict a future when all will turn away from Israel. And yes, America is not directly mentioned in the Bible’s end-time events. Recent immigration may be part of this scenario, yet much remains unknown. For now, all American believers can focus on a concern for our nation, for the support of the Jewish people, as well as serving those immigrants who already exist in our communities.
The author states “Rather than focusing only on the negatives of the situation, we can find ways to assist those who need to see and hear what it is like to follow Jesus. When Christians get involved in the lives of those new to our nation, it will only be a matter of time before some of these new immigrants follow our Lord.”
Evidently he agrees with a very well known pastor in Kalispell Montana who stated; “I also pointed out that not all Muslims are terrorists and to condemn all Muslims on the basis of Muslim Jihadists is wrong.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is absolutely NOT TRUE that all Muslims are anti-American, anti-Christian murderers and terrorists. It is NOT TRUE that all Muslims want to enact Sharia Law in the United States. It is NOT TRUE that all Muslims are our enemies.”
Really Pastor, even though the Quran specifically says otherwise? Sir, I think it is you who has the problem.
So I ask how is it that you can say that one who’s religion hates our Lord is not my enemy?
So let’s take a look at exactly what the Quran says in part at the very least regarding the christian shall we?
2:6-7 “As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not. Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom.”
2:286, 3:147 “Give us victory over the disbelieving folk.”
3:28 “Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers.”
3:32 “Allah loveth not the disbelievers.”
3:85 “Whoso seeketh as religion other than the Surrender (to Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter.”
4:91 “Take them and kill them wherever ye find them. Against such We have given you clear warrant.”
4:101 “The disbelievers are an open enemy to you.”
4:144 “Choose not disbelievers for (your) friends in place of believers. Would ye give Allah a clear warrant against you?”
5:51 “Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. … He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them.”
8:39 “Fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah.”
9:5 “Slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush.”
9:29 “Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah.”
9:73 “Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites! Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey’s end.”
9:113 “It is not for the Prophet, and those who believe, to pray for the forgiveness of idolaters even though they may be near of kin (to them) after it hath become clear
9:123 “Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you.”
22:15 “Whoso is wont to think (through envy) that Allah will not give him (Muhammad) victory in the world and the Hereafter (and is enraged at the thought of his victory), let him stretch a rope up to the roof (of his dwelling), and let him hang himself.”
28:86 “Never be a helper to the disbelievers.”
Evidently the author of this piece has not really studied the Quran, because if one is a Muslim, he cannot be a “peaceful Muslim” as there is no such thing. All Muslims are our enemies because they hate the Gospel and our Lord. There is no such thing as peaceful Islam as it does not exist.
A peaceful Muslim makes as much sense as saying someone is a peaceful Nazi.
In Philipians 3:18-19 God specifically says “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.”
Today these so called “peaceful Muslims” do exactly what God said in Jeremiah 8:11-12
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.
Sir, the history of Islam is a millennium long devil dance of murder, massacre, rape and plunder, trickery, treachery, tyranny and torture across the world from the day of its inception. The peaceful face of Islam is a deception. It is political Islam, which is the mask of violent Islam.
There are many non-fighting members, e.g., accountants, cooks, fund-raisers, logistics specialists, medical doctors, nurses or recruiters – who may play only a passive support role.
But all of them have the same ultimate goal, i.e., to defeat the enemy. Similarly, there are many ways to support jihad, besides personal violence.
The peaceful Muslims we know are playing this passive support role and the ultimate goal is to conquer the world for Islam by wiping out the infidels and their civilization.
“Islam, just like the Roman God Janus, has two faces”. — Abul Kasem
“ The militant Muslim is the person cutting the head of the infidel while the moderate Muslim holds the victims feet”. — Dr. M. Sabieski
In a country when Muslims are a minority, they demand more and more privileges and rights for minorities from the host country. When their number grows by birth or immigration, they want to impose Sharia rule.
When they become the majority, they start bringing death and destruction to the host nation and start ethnic cleansing. This is the worst type of disloyalty and hypocrisy and is what we are witnessing today all over Europe.
The slogan “Islam is a peaceful religion” is about 1,400 years out of date. The seed of terrorism is germinating inside every Muslim.
Anyone, who has put a single grain of trust on Muhammad and his Qur’an, fills up his mind with unjustified hate and paranoia, and he is bound to have similar destructive ideas like his Prophet.
The dark force of Muhammad’s narcissism immediately starts working in him.
Even after a decade into the war on Islamic terror, we often hear that Islam is a religion of peace. While those so-called peaceful Muslims use this term for obvious reasons, those, who know Islam, use this term sarcastically. Terrorism is there in every cell of Islam. Islam cannot survive without terrorism, because terrorism is the life-force of Islam.
Those, who are against terrorism, have no place in Islam; they are infidels. As Habis al Saoub, in his Arabic document, entitled A Martyr’s will, quoted (Spencer, 2003, p. 23): “The Prophet Muhammad’s seventh-century assertion is that abandoning the cause of jihad is a disgraceful act tantamount to leaving the Islamic religion.”
From the above quote it is very clear that jihad in the cause of God is an integral part of a Muslim’s life. Violence against non-Muslims is not a twisting of Islam, but it is repeatedly affirmed in the Qur’an, the Hadith, the examples of Muhammad, and the rulings of every school of Islamic jurisprudence.
Muslim terrorists are not “hijacking” Islam; they are, in fact, restoring it. Without terrorism, Islam will suffocate and collapse in quick time.
The history of Islam is a millennium long devil dance of murder, massacre, rape and plunder, trickery, treachery, tyranny and torture across the world from the day of its inception. The peaceful face of Islam is a deception. It is political Islam, which is the mask of violent Islam.
Bill
** The difficulty of arguing ethical issues from natural law is that it is difficult to argue ethical issues from Scripture in a society that does not honor Scripture’s authority. But it is even more difficult to argue from natural law. For natural law is not a written text. Even though it is objectively valid, there is no way of gaining public agreement as to what it says as long as we simply exchange opinions about what natural law says.” John Frame