GOD commanded Israel walk 40-years in the desert | Unraveling Scriptures

Frequently Asked Questions

1.The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mark 12:28

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Mark 12:28-30

2.And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mark 12:29

3.Why did God send so many prophets?

God sent thousands of prophets with the sole message to worship the one, true God (the Creator) and not worship Creation, such as other men, prophets, spiritual leaders, trees, water, fire, animals, weather, money etc.

4.How did God send his revelation to us?

The Angel Gabrial (Jibreel) was tasked with conveying God's message to His prophets

5.What is the basic teaching of Islam about God?

Islam teaches that there is one, and only one, God Who is the Creator and Controller of the entire universe. He is unique in every respect, and there is nothing which bears any likeness to Him. He is the Knower of all things, and has full power over the whole of creation. He does not stand in need of anything at all, while everything is totally dependent on Him. He possesses all the perfect qualities, and man should worship Him, and Him alone.

6.Does Islam give any arguments to prove the existence of God?

The Holy Quran gives three kinds of arguments on this point.

Firstly, it refers us to the physical world which shows great order and arrangement, works according to laws, and where everything has a set purpose in the whole scheme of things. There is also immense beauty in nature which attracts man's heart. Science is discovering more and more of these characteristics of the world all the time. So behind this highly purposeful and beautiful working of nature must be One, single Intelligence of great beauty and attraction.

Secondly, the Quran tells us about the close and deep connection between God and the inner nature of every person. There is an in-built desire in each and every person to search for something higher than oneself, and when in difficulties a person instinctively wants to call upon a Hidden Power to help him.

Thirdly, and most convincingly, Prophets and men of God appeared in every nation in the world and showed their people the reality of God through their teachings and works. Just as most of us learn about science not by making all the discoveries ourselves, but by accepting the work and evidence of those who devote themselves to the study of science, similarly the proof of the existence of God is provided by the lives of the great luminaries whom God sent all over the world for this very purpose.

7.Other religions also teach the existence of God. Is there any difference between their teaching and the Islamic concept of God?

The first major difference is that Islam teaches the absolute one-ness of God, with Whom no one can share in Divinity. No idol or heavenly object, nor any religious or spiritual teacher, can possess some Divine power or attribute.

Secondly, Islam teaches the highest conception of God, and does not accept any limitation to His power and knowledge, while other religions set limits to Him. For instance, Islam rejects the Hindu belief that God is not the Creator of matter and souls but exists alongside them. It also rejects the Christian doctrine that God is unable to forgive sins unless He punishes someone, and so He sent His 'son' to suffer the punishment for the sins of all humanity. Moreover, a son is needed to take the place of the father when the father dies, and clearly this cannot apply if God is perfect.

Thirdly, Islam refutes the idea that any human being, however great, was a 'manifestation' of God on earth, or a Divine incarnate.

8.What is a prophet or messenger of God?

A prophet or messenger of God is a human being to whom God gives His guidance and whom He charges with the task of conveying that guidance to the people, so that they may do good and avoid evil.

9.Christianity and Hinduism revere their religious figures as gods or incarnations of God

According to Islam, all these righteous persons were mortal, human prophets of God, like Muhammad, having the same needs that every human being has. They all eventually died, as everyone must.

There are several reasons why they have come to be revered by their followers as 'gods'. One is that their words were misunderstood by the later generations, who mistook their figurative expressions in a literal sense. Another is that the details of their lives were not preserved accurately, and therefore a great many myths have grown up around them, and their works and deeds have been much exaggerated.

10.Is Allah the Moon-God?

Robert Morey, a Christian pastor first claimed Allah was a pagan Moon God. This is a false claim

11.Do Muslims believe in a God?

Yes, Muslims believe in Allah(God)

Muslims believe that Allah is the all-powerful Creator of a perfect, ordered universe.

He is transcendent and not a part of his creation. He is all-powerful, absolutely Just and He is First, Last, and Everlasting; He was when nothing was, and will be when nothing else remains. Also, There is no other entity in the entire universe worthy of worship besides Him.

This belief in God is how one becomes a Muslim and is similar to the first commandment of Christianity and Judaism: You shall have no other gods before Me.

The Quran presents this belief in Allah as:
Say He is Allah,the One,
Allah the Eternal,Absolute;
He does not beget,not nor is He begotten,
And there is none like Him.

Al-Ikhlas(1:1-4)

12.How many prophets did God send?

According to sources, God sent 124,000 prophets to guide mankind

13.In the Bible, God says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Begotten son"

The words "Begotten" and "Son" are not accurate. View Jesus is the Son of God for more information.

In the Quran, God says:

"They say: (God) Most Gracious has begotten a son! Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin, That they should invoke a son for (God) Most Gracious. For it is not consonant with the majesty of (God) Most Gracious that He should beget a son." (Quran 19:88-92)

14.According to Apostle Paul, why did God give Jews the Torah?

Paul claimed God gave Jews the Torah so that they could be saved later on by believing in Jesus Christ. This was God's divine plan.

15.Does the resurrection of Jesus prove he is God?

No. Jesus himself raised people after their death:

1. Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:35-43)
2. Son of a widow at Nain (Luke 11:11-17)
3. Lazarus, who was dead for four days (John 11-1-44)

Furthermore, the Old Testament shows women received their dead by resurrection (Hebrews 11:35)
Elijah raised a widows son from death (I Kings 17:17-24)

Therefore, the resurrection itself would not make Jesus unique or divine even.

16.How did Apostle Paul break Gods Law?

Two of the most demanding requests made by God of all faithful Jews was:

1. Circumcision of males as a sign of covenant
2. Ritual Purity - Both physical purity and dietary, careful regulation of what foods passed the lips

By rejecting the Torah, Paul broke away from God's requests.

17.How did the Sun-God manifest itself?

The Sun-God had many manifestations including:

* Apollo or Dionysus among the Greeks
* Hercules among the Romans
* Mithras in Persia
* Adonis and Attis in Syria
* Phrygia, the Osiris, Isis and Horns triad (Trinity) in Egypt
* Baal, Astarte and Tammuz triad (Trinity) among Babylonians
* Jesus Christ the 'Son-of-God' (Sun-God?)

18.How were the Triadic or 'Trinity-like' Pagan Gods presented?

The pagan Triadic dieties were shown as a single-head with 3 faces, 3 mouths but only 4 mouths. Such images were preserved across the Roman Empire.

19.Who was Mithras, the Sun-God?

Long before Jesus arrived, the Sun-God Mithras was worshipped.

* Mithras was said to have been a great mediator between God and humanity
* Mithras was born of a virgin in a cave on December 25th
* Mithras travelled far and wide with 12 disciples
* Mithras died in the service of humanity.
* Mithras rose again from the tomb, and his resurrection was celebrated with great rejoicing.
* His great festivals were the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox.
* Mithras was called Saviour and sometimes figures as a lamb. People were initiated into the cult through the baptism of blood

20.Who was Dionysus, the Greek God of Wine?

* Dinoysus, the Greek God also known as Bacchus was born on December 25th
* Dinoysus' mother was a virgin called Demeter
* The world was full of evil, so the GOD of Gods was called on to save humanity
* The prayer was accepted by Jupiter who declared his Son would redeem the world from its misery
* Dionysus known as his only begotten-Son, was sent as the Saviour
* The shedding of Dinoysus' blood was symbolized in his gift of wine to humanity

21.Who was the Attis God?

* Attis was born of a virgin named Nana
* Attis bled to death on a pine tree and his blood renewed the fertility of the earth; bringing life to humanity
* He rose from the dead and this event is celebrated on 24th March when Attis' image is attached to a pine-tree
* Attis' image was placed in a tomb, but the tomb was later found to be empty and so the festival of resurrection was celebrated

22.Were the Gods sacrificed?

* Horus - In Egypt, in the Heb-Sed festival, the powers of Pharaoh (Horus incarnate) were tested. If found weak, Horus was expected to sacrifice himself by donating his blood to the soil

* Kronos - A man was sacrified annually at the Phoenician feast of Kronos. Kronos had a son, Ieoud who he sacrificed. Ieoud was known as 'the only begotten son of his Father'

* Tammuz - A popular Syrian saviour-God born of a virgin was killed and rose again every spring. Wherever Tammuz was worshipped a human victim in royal robes was killed and eaten, so his body and blood might bring salvation to the community.

23.Who was the Tammuz God?

Tammuz was a popular Syrian saviour-God who pre-existed Jesus Christ yet shared a number of similarities:

* Tammuz was born of a virgin
* Tammuz was killed and rose again every spring.
* Wherever Tammuz was worshipped, he was celebrated with a human victim in royal robes who was killed and eaten. This was so the sacrifice, his body and blood might bring salvation to the community
* One of the chief centres of Tammuz worship was Bethlehem, said to have been the birthplace of Jesus
* Tammuz was called 'the Carpenter', a title related to the 'Architect' of the universe. Jesus too was called the 'son of the carpenter'
* Tammuz was said to have entered Jerusalem riding two asses, because this represented the passage of the sun at the summer solstice through the sign of Cancer (two asses star-sign)
* In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus enters Jerusalem on two animals.

24.Who was the Babylonian Baal God?

Details of the Babylonion Baal or Bel God were found by German excavators in 1904 at the site of the ancient city of Ashur.

* Details of Baal's capture and his trial in the House on the Mount
* Baal's torture and being led away to his death
* The city broke out in fighting
* Baal's clothes were carried away
* A woman wiped away blood from the weapon thrust into his heart
* A weeping woman came to lament him at the 'Gate of Burial'
* Baal was brought back to life at the spring equinox

25.Why are their so many similarities between Jesus Christ and all the pagan Gods?

It is highly likely the reason why the Church priests burned and destroyed the earlier records of pagan Gods was to hide the evidence for the real origins of their own Christian mythology.

26.What is the God of the Old Testament like?

The God of the Old Testament is a jealous, bloodthirsty, vicious God that mercilessly commanded horrific attrocities like, for example:

Killing every human on the planet except the handful that went with Noah.

Moses commanding his people to shed each others blood as atonement for creating and worshiping the golden calf

The genocide of the people in the promised land when the Hebrews finally ended their 40-year stay in the dessert. Under the command of God, they wiped out whole cities, killing every man, woman and child.

27.In Islam, can God become a Man?

God is perfect and He is all powerful. Both Muslims and Christians accept that this is true. The ontological term for this is that God is "immutable" or absolute in His perfect nature. In the Christian faith, God's incarnation is seen as a manifestation of His power, whereas in Islam it is seen as the changing of God's nature. If God is perfect, and God's nature changes, how can He be perfect?

It would have to mean that He was not perfect before and is now perfect, which would not make Him God or that He was perfect before and is now not perfect, which would also not make Him God.

If God is perfect, then there is no need for Him to become anything, so that He can grant us salvation. Since He's already perfect, loving and merciful, why would He need to change His nature to a weaker, human nature to grant us salvation? That's a contradiction. Therefore, when the Christian argues that God changing His nature makes Him perfect, this is not the case. They need to think before they speak. If God is perfect and you add something to His nature, does that mean He was not perfect before? Which means He was not a God before this addition?

If God is perfect and you add something to His nature, that would mean He lacked something before and thus could not be a God.

28.Jesus is the son of God as he had no Father?

If Jesus is the son of God, Adam is the greater son of God as he had no father and no mother

29.In John 1:1. Jesus claims to be God?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In actual fact, the 'Word' is God's wisdom and action and not as a separate deity, as is presented in the Old Testament:

And the word of the Lord was Joseph’s helper (Gen.39:2)

And Moses brought the people to meet the word of the Lord (Ex. 19:17)

And the word of the Lord accepted the face of Job (Job 42:9)

And the word of the Lord shall laugh them to scorn (Ps. 2:4)

They believed in the name of His word (Ps. 106:12)

30.The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mark 12:28

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Mark 12:28-30

31.All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Timothy 3:16

Yet in other Bible verses, Paul claims he is not inspired by God.

12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
1 Corinthians 7:12

25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
1 Corinthians 7:25

17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
2 Corinthians 11:17

32.And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent
John 17:3

One does not need to be a doctor of divinity to construe our point! The archaic pronoun "THEE", as use in the text, alludes directly and distinctly to the father; no Trinitarian would deny this.
That being the case, if we substitute subject "Father" for the pronoun "THEE" we get:
"And this is life eternal, that they might know FATHER the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent"

33.For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

34.And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mark 12:29

35.How did the prophets Moses, Jesus, Abraham etc. call out to God?

Most likely the Aramaic or (later) Hebrew form of Allah, which would be Elah or El. These are the generic names, but we do not know if it became generic due to normative use.

36.In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God
John 1:1

37.Why does God allow suffering?

In general, God has allowed suffering to remind us that we need to adhere to His laws. The other reason for suffering is as a punishment for those who have violated Gods laws. Ultimately, suffering is a test of our faith in God and we must endure it with patience and appreciation for those who are suffering even greater trials.

38.How did God address Abraham and his wives?

39.How did Jesus tell people to reach God?

By following his way by keeping the law

40.Did Jesus claim to be equal to God?

Jesus confirmed God was greater then him

41.Are Jesus and God the same?

Jesus makes a distinction between himself and God here

42.Was Jesus sent and approved by God?

Jesus was sent and approved by God.

43.Was Jesus a servant of God?

Although the King James Version (KJV) Bible claims "his Son Jesus". Modern, more reliable Bible translations use "his servant Jesus" for this verse.

44.What is the greatest of Gods commandments?

To love God will all our heart.

45.Was Jesus and God one?

Jesus was saying that He and the Father are of one nature and essence.

Christians claim that this statement proves that Jesus is one or united with God and, consequently, Jesus is God. However, when Jesus died, he did not give up the Father, he only gave up the ghost, "And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost" (Mark 15:37).

This claimed unity was not available to Jesus when he died; what happened to this unity and why did not the Father die when Jesus died, if Jesus and the Father are one?

46.Does the Bible support the Trinity (3-in-1) God concept?

This verse mentions the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Ghost) in the King James Version Bible (KJV). Bible critics agree the KJV verse is a forgery that was added into the Bible. More modern, accurate Bibles give different text:

And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth - (RSV Bible)

And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth - (ASV Bible)

For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. (NIV Bible)

47.If God is so powerful, can he become a man?

The Bible tells us that God is not a man or son of man.

48.Do all Christians believe Jesus was God or Son of God?

The early Jewish-Christians such as the Ebonites, the Cerinthians, the Basilidians, the Capocratians, and the Hypisistarians. The Arians, Paulicians and Goths also accepted Jesus as a prophet of God.

Even in the modern age there are churches in Asia, in Africa, the Unitarian church, the Jehovah's witnesses, and even the majority of todays Anglican Bishops do not worship Jesus as God.

49.Did God sent Jesus with the task of guiding people?

The Bible confirms that God sent Jesus, and God gave Jesus a job to do, which he duly completed (i.e. called the 12 disciples and others to the worship of God)

One does not need to be a doctor of divinity to construe our point! The archaic pronoun "THEE", as use in the text, alludes directly and distinctly to the father; no Trinitarian would deny this.
That being the case, if we substitute subject "Father" for the pronoun "THEE" we get:
"And this is life eternal, that they might know FATHER the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent"

50.Jesus was God as he had the power to forgive sin

51.What did God promise Abraham regarding Isaac?

God promised Abraham he would establish an everlasting covenant with Isaac. If this is true, then why would God tell Abraham to sacrifice his 'only son' Isaac? A sacrifice would nullify the covenant?

52.What does God say about Ishmael, Abraham's eldest son?

God promises to make a nation from Ishmael. This is the Arab nation from whom Muhammad came.

53.Did Jesus confirm the oneness of God?

Yes

54.Did Jesus call for worship of one God?

Yes

55.Did Jesus call for the worship of one God?

Yes

56.Does God make a distinction between clean and unclean animals?

In the account of Noah's Flood. God makes a distinction between clean and unclean animals, but it is obvious that Noah knew the difference.

57.Does God make a distinction between clean and unclean animals?

In the account of Noah's Flood. God makes a distinction between clean and unclean animals, but it is obvious that Noah knew the difference.

58.Does God define clean and unclean animals, i.e. those we can eat?

God goes into great detail and lists which animals were clean (kosher; fit for human consumption) and which are unclean (non kosher; not fit for human consumption)

59.Did Jesus claim to be God?

When read in context with previous verses 22-30, Jesus makes a distinction between himself and the Father. 'My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all'. Therefore, Jesus and the Father are not one in person, for the Father must be a distinct person from the Son, and the Son a distinct person from the Father. The use of the verb plural, "I and [my] Father", (esmen) , "we are one" is in nature and essence.

60.Who are the Gods in the Bible?

Emperor Constantine at the opening of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) quoted Psalm 82:6 to remind the bishops that their high office should raise them above jealousy and party feeling.

The term 'God' was applied to people of power, authority and rule who were considered to have greater nearness to God than others - an appellation which implies that you are God's representatives on earth, and that your decision is, in an important sense, to be regarded as his.

61.Does God have many sons?

According to Bible scholars the term 'sons of God' here refers to kings, rulers or princes. The term is plural and points to many sons.

62.Jesus claimed to be God. The Jews must have understood this, as they accused him of blasphemy and were ready to stone him?

The Jews were mistaken. Jesus did not claim to be God, claim divinity or commit blasphemy. In the next verse (John 10:34), Jesus tells the Jews to read their own books, Psalm 82:6 where men in power, eminence, dignity, government, judges, magistrates, in high office posts are called Gods too. i.e. the term God does not literally mean GOD.

63.In John 9:38, Jesus is worshipped like a God?

According to verse 38, a blind man is healed by Jesus, and after seeing Jesus he worships him.

In the Codex Sinaticus, the oldest manuscript of John, dated to 330-years after Jesus, verse 38 is not recorded. The entire verse 38 appears as an additional footnote on the side of the Codex Sinaticus.

Verse 38 was inserted into the bible to prove that Jesus was worshipped and that he acknowledged and allowed the people to worship him.

This proves that the early Jewish-Christians did not interpret Johns gospel in the way we do today. At some point a scribe felt so strongly about the divinity of Jesus that he was compelled to include a footnote into the main text as an actual verse.

64.In John 20:28, Jesus is called a God?

This verse 28 is a statement by Doubting Thomas and is used to demonstrate that Jesus was viewed as God, and therefter worshipped as one.

In the earliest manuscript, Papyrus66, the words "and my God" are missing. So verse 28 reads "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord".

It appears that later bible scribes came across a gap in the manuscripts and using guesswork and speculation, filled it with the words "and my God".

Unfortunately, it is impossible to know what the original words in the papyrus were.

65.Are children born believing in a God?

Led by two academics at Oxford University, the £1.9 million study found that human thought processes were 'rooted' to religious concepts.

The project involved 57 academics in 20 countries around the world, and spanned disciplines including anthropology, psychology, and philosophy.

The co-director of the project, Professor Roger Trigg, from the University of Oxford, said the research showed that religion was “not just something for a peculiar few to do on Sundays instead of playing golf”.

"We have gathered a body of evidence that suggests that religion is a common fact of human nature across different societies. This suggests that attempts to suppress religion are likely to be short-lived as human thought seems to be rooted to religious concepts, such as the existence of supernatural agents or gods, and the possibility of an afterlife or pre-life."