Islam—Our Greatest Challenge: Concluded

The Role of Heathen Nations

IN THE Moslem world we see a religious system so powerful that it is gaining rather than losing in the face of Christian witness.The question naturally arises, What is God's purpose in allowing such a non-Christian philos­ophy to develop and grow?

First we must realize that Islam as a re­ligion contains some elements that can be considered truth as we understand truth. This truth, partial though it be, is an aspect of the eternal truth of God, and for that reason it will endure as long as God wishes it to endure.

It was only after Seventh-day Adventists began a serious study of the books of Daniel and Revelation that we began to under­stand the role of heathen or worldly nations in the affairs of the Eternal, and the part they were to play in God's over-all purpose for the world.

In the book of Daniel a number of world empires come into the prophetic picture. We must remember that each of these earthly powers outlined in prophecy had some part to act in the unfolding of God's purposes for His truth and His people. These world empires began with Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. This king was a heathen and at first a worshiper of idols. Nevertheless, God gave him a divine revela­tion. He was given a prophetic dream.

He may not have comprehended all that was revealed to him, but the Lord used Nebuchadnezzar as an instrument in His hand and called him "my servant" (Jer. 25:9). Later, Cyrus the Great, a Persian monarch, was singled out by God to per­form a special task, and he was even called God's "anointed" (Isa. 45:1) in that the Lord raised up Cyrus to do a work He wanted to have done. Cyrus was a chosen instrument for the liberation of the Jews. God ordained the course of events even before Cyrus was born, so that Cyrus, when he came to power, would have an oppor­tunity to recognize God as the Supreme Ruler and as the One who had appointed him His mission.

And so through these heathen rulers we see that a merciful providence was direct­ing events for the good of His chosen peo­ple. God was using these heathen powers to accomplish His end in human affairs.1

Prophecy of Revelation 9

In the book of Revelation we have brought to view a prophecy concerning the rise and progress of Islam in the world. This prophecy was to be fulfilled after the estab­lishment of Christianity. Seventh-day Ad­ventists believe and teach that the Moslem Arabs are represented in Revelation 9:1 to 12 under the fifth trumpet, and the Moslem Turks in Revelation 9:13 to 11:14 under the sixth trumpet. The seal of divine ap­proval was placed upon this interpreta­tion by the messenger of the Lord in The Great Controversy, page 335. In comment­ing upon the events that led Turkey on August 11, 1840, to place herself under the control of Christian nations, and thus cease as the Ottoman power, she said, "The event exactly fulfilled the prediction."

When this great panorama of the seven trumpets was opened to the apostle John, the empire of Rome, the fourth universal power as outlined by Daniel, was ruling. The rule of Rome became autocratic, and at times it was brutally cruel and un­just. She had become so corrupt that it was impossible for her to continue, so God outlined to John the gradual overthrow of the Roman Empire and the method He would use in overthrowing this persecut­ing power.

In the prophecy of the seven trumpets the first four trumpets tell of the collapse of Western Rome; the next two the over­throw of Eastern Rome. The overthrow of Eastern Rome was to be accomplished by the Saracens (Arabs) and Turks, and the seventh trumpet, the last, reveals the col­lapse of all human government when "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ" (Rev. 11:15).

Let us notice the description of the fifth trumpet: "And the fifth angel sounded and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bot­tomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nei­ther any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads" (Rev. 9:1-4).

No more descriptive prophecy can be found in all the Bible. Almost all Bible scholars agree that the fifth and sixth trum­pets apply to the Saracens (Arabs) and Turks. The blast of the fifth trumpet was fulfilled in the rise and progress of Mos­lem Arabs. Arabia has been called "the pit of the abyss" because of its deserts and wil­derness areas. It was here that Moslemism arose, and like a horde of locusts out of the smoke, it speedily overspread both the Per­sian and the Eastern Roman empires.

The "star" to whom the "key to the bot­tomless pit" was given well describes the prophet Mohammed, who was born in a.d. 570 and died in a.d. 632.

It is interesting to note that when the Arabian tribes were gathered for the con­quest of Syria in 632, Abu Bakr, Moham­med's successor, gave the following order, which exactly fits the Bible prophecy: "When you fight the battles of the Lord, acquit yourselves like men, without turning your backs; but let not your victory be stained with the blood of women or children. Destroy no palm-trees, nor burn any fields of corn. Cut down no fruit-trees, nor do any mischief to cattle, only such as you kill to eat. When you make any covenant or article, stand to it, and be as good as your word. As you go on, you will find some religious persons who live retired in monasteries, and propose to them­selves to serve God that way: let them alone, and neither kill them nor destroy their monasteries: And you will find another sort of people, that be­long to the synagogue of Satan, who have shaven crowns; be sure you cleave their skulls, and give them no quarter till they either turn Mahometans or pay tribute." 2

One vital point we must consider in this prophecy of the conquests of Moslemism is this: The prophecy asserts that in the at­tacks and conquest of the Moslem Turks their destructive power was to be directed against a certain class, so one class of per­sons is directly brought to view in this text. Verse four names them—the Arabian con­querors were to hurt "only those men which have not the seal of God in their fore­heads." We see that the preservation of those who bore the seal of God is brought in only by implication. Accordingly we do not learn from history that any of those who had the seal of God or kept the true seventh-day Sabbath were victims of the calamities inflicted by the Moslem Arabs upon the object of their hate. They were commissioned against another class, for they were to cleave the skulls of a class of religionists with shaven crowns, who be­longed "to the synagogue of Satan."

In this prophecy it can be seen how God uses one desolating power to destroy another. The empire of Rome, so long a punisher of the true Christians, was now being punished itself. And God used the Moslems as an instrument, as He used Cy­rus the Persian to punish those who were suppressing the truth and oppressing the people of God.

One of the greatest bulwarks against the wave of atheism engulfing much of the world today is the religion of Islam. I was made aware of this when near Baghdad, Iraq, Robert Darnell and I visited the ven­erated Shi-ite Imam (leader) Muhsan Al-hakeen. He gave us a copy of an edict he had issued forbidding Moslems to join the Communist party in Iraq, and command­ing them to oppose this modern atheism whenever and wherever possible.

Surely the Lord will vindicate His eter­nal truth before those who now believe in Allah. There is this encouraging statement found in Sura 2:15 of the Koran: "And that which hath been sent down unto us, and that which hath been sent down unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which was de­livered unto Moses, and Jesus, and that which was delivered unto the prophets from their Lord: we make no distinction between any of them, and to God are we [Moslems] resigned."

The Angel of Revelation 10

As we study the prophecy of the last three trumpets, or the three woes, we see that these woes are interrupted by another prophetic presentation. Revelation 9 closed with the events of the sixth trumpet. The sounding of the seventh trumpet is not in­troduced until we reach Revelation 11:15. All of chapter 10 and part of 11 come in parenthetically between the sixth and sev­enth trumpets.

The "mighty angel" of Revelation 10 holds in his hands "a little book open." He sets his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth. Here is pictured a worldwide proclamation of the Advent message—a message that is to reach all people. There can be no other meaning than that God is summoning the Advent people today to present the final warning message to the Islamic people in all coun­tries where they are found.

You ask: What assurance do we have that there will be a large harvest from among the Moslems? First, it is fallacious reasoning to think that only a token num­ber will be saved among the believers in Islam who today number one seventh of the population of the world. We need to review what God's servant has written re­garding the large ingathering into the church during the last remnant of time.

During the loud cry, the church, aided by the providential interpositions of her exalted Lord, will diffuse the knowledge of salvation so abundantly that light will be communicated to every city and town. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of salvation. So abundantly will the renewing Spirit of God have crowned with success the in­tensely active agencies, that the light of present truth will be seen flashing everywhere.3

From India, from Africa, from China, from the islands of the sea, from the downtrodden millions of so-called Christian lands, the cry of human woe is ascending to God. That cry will not long be un­answered.4

And this final statement:

Then thousands in the eleventh hour will see and acknowledge the truth. . . . These conversions to truth will be made with a rapidity that will sur­prise the church, and God's name alone will be glorified.5

A Large Harvest From the Jews

Another religious group that has been equally hard to reach is the Jews. But no­tice these encouraging statements:

There are Jews everywhere, and to them the light of present truth is to be brought. The slum­bering faculties of the Jewish people are to be aroused. The Old Testament scriptures blending with the New, will be to them as the dawning of a new creation, or as the resurrection of the soul. . . .

There will be many converted from among the Jews, and these converts will aid in preparing the way of the Lord. . . . Converted Jews are to have an important part to act in the great preparations to be made in the future to receive Christ, our Prince. A nation shall be born in a day. How? By men whom God has appointed being converted to the truth.6

Conclusion and Appeal

We have come to the time when God expects us to be ready to do the extraordi­nary tasks to which we have been called. We must bring to the world the vibrant faith it needs most. It is the superiority of our religion as contrasted with other re­ligious systems that will attract many hon­est hearts to us.

It is God's purpose to set His people above all the nations of the earth. The re­sult will be that all people of the earth will see and recognize the superiority of our religion and will call us blessed.

When we actually live our religion and truly love all men, then the nations of the earth will see and acknowledge the superi­ority of our religion. Then many of them will make their decision to join the ranks of those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. We have been told that "even the heathen would rec­ognize the superiority of those who served and worshiped the living God." 7 It is thus that from among all nations and creeds there will be a multitude who will share in the blessings so generously bestowed upon the remnant people of God.

1 "The Arabs, Muslims, and Our Bible" paper by Dr. W. H. Lesovsky, former SDA missionary in the Middle East.

2 Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Philadelphia: Porter and Coates), vol. 4, chap, 51, pp. 417, 418.

3 Ellen G. White. Evangelism, p. 694.

4--------, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 179.

5---------, Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 16.

6---------, Evangelism, pp. 578, 579.

7--------, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 289.