Re: Interfaith Dialogue (Heaven, Hell & Jdugement day) - Islam and Christianity
As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the **Ancient of Days* took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand time ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.....In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him....* - Daniel 7v9-14
Notice the wording in the Old Testament "son of man" who get "sovereign power" and is worshipped by all in the presence of the Ancient of Days. And then some say that there is no scripture in the Old Testament indicating on Jesus Christ....
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. - Rev.13v8
The Lamb in the new testament is Jesus Christ.
The fairytale nature of these verses have left me flabbergasted.:)
Who is the "Ancient of Days" in the verse? The verse clearly states that Jesus (Son of Man) will be given power, surprising to see such conflicting revelation for one who is part of a Triune God.
Haha! Yes some of us still can't see Jesus PBUH in the old Testament even through this verse :) There is too much conflict in the Bible with regards to the historical image of Jesus PBUH versus the divine Jesus that Christendom proclaims.
Faith in God and a righteous life.
I think the two faiths agree, although some Christian denominations say the Hell fire will destroy all put into it.
If blood of the Lamb covers the sins then a righteous life matters not. The very fact that some will go to Hell according to these verses washes away the concept of Atonement in Christianity and the sacrifice of Jesus PBUH did not save those who were not righteous or make it into the book.
*Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God....and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he will be there God....He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"...I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple...Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
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Can man see God in a dream, surely these verses are the dream of John and he states he saw the Almighty (SWT) and even gives certain details humanizing his existence (Muslims would shudder at this)?
...At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne cam flashes of lightning,rumblings and peals of thunder....In the centre, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and behind....Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. And then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no-one in heaven and earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no-one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." **Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne...He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb...And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open the seals, **because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God* from every tribe and language and people and nation....Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!"....and the elders fell down and worshipped.
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The duty of a judge is to impart justice, if those who are not in the book, are to be saved from hell then it is understandible why there is a need for a judge but just to commit them to hell when judgement has already been passed is irrational and illogical. I don't understand the point of the verse w.r.t. to the presence of a Judge?
Christianity also teach about anti-christs who will corrupt the teaching of Jesus after his ascension but a final AntiChrist at the end of times. He will be assisted by an evil prophet and they will mislead mankind. What does Islam say will the Anti-Christ do?
Where will the peace and harmony that will follow after the AntiChrist be, in heaven or earth? I suppose it will have to be earth because there is always peach and harmony before God Almighty. When will the people go to heaven?
BTW: Revelation, the last book of the New Testament and Bible, is a beautiful book and the only one of which it is written "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it"
If you search on Dajjal you will come up with numerous ahadith about Dajjal. So what are the signs before the day of Judgement according to Christianity?