Islamic Theology Confirms that Jesus claimed to be God! Pt. 2b

We continue from where we left off https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/15/islamic-theology-confirms-that-jesus-claimed-to-be-god-pt-2/.

The All-Sovereign Heir of all Creation

The Quran teaches that Allah (who is supposed to be the one true God of Abraham) is the Heir of the heavens and earth, i.e. the One who completely owns the entire creation:

“And never must those who act miserly upon what Allah has bestowed upon them of His grace, think that it is good for them; in fact it is harmful for them; soon what they had withheld will be collars round their necks on the Day of Resurrection; and Allah only is the Inheritor (Owner) of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Well Aware of what you do.” S. 3:180 Faridul Haque http://islamawakened.com/quran/3/st13.htm

And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and Allah has power over all things. S. 3:189 Hilali-Khan

They indeed have disbelieved who say: Lo! Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. Say: Who then can do aught against Allah, if He had willed to destroy the Messiah son of Mary, and his mother and everyone on earth? Allah’s is the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. He createth what He will. And Allah is Able to do all things. S. 5:17 Pickthall

The Muslim scripture further proclaims that no one is allowed to share in Allah’s unique sovereign ownership of all creation:

And say: (All) praise is due to Allah, Who has not taken a son and Who has not a partner in the kingdom, and Who has not a helper to save Him from disgrace; and proclaim His greatness magnifying (Him). S. 17:111 Shakir

He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and Who has begotten no son (children or offspring) and for Whom there is no partner in the dominion. He has created everything, and has measured it exactly according to its due measurements. S. 25:2 Hilali-Khan

And yet Jesus claims to possess absolute and perfect power over the entire creation since, being the unique Son of God, he is God’s beloved Heir to whom all things have been entrusted:

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” Matthew 11:25-27

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, ALL power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18

The King of kings and Lord of lords

Both the Quran and Islamic tradition affirm that Allah is the King of all creation, which is why he utterly detests anyone calling themselves the king of kings:

Allah is Al-Malik (King or Owner)

Allah is the True Owner (Malik) (of everything and everyone). Allah said…

(He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, the King, the Holy, the One free from all defects) (59:23).

Also, the Two Sahihs recorded Abu Hurayrah saying that the Prophet said…

<<The most despicable name to Allah is a person who calls himself the king of kings, while there are no owners except Allah.>>

Also the Two Sahihs recorded that the Messenger of Allah said…

<<(On the Day of Judgement) Allah will grasp the earth and fold up the heavens with His Right Hand and proclaim, ‘I Am the King! Where are the kings of the earth? Where are the tyrants? Where are the arrogant?’>>

Also, in the Glorious Qur’an…

(Whose is the kingdom this Day Allah’s, the One, the Irresistible.) (40:16).

As for calling someone other than Allah a king in this life, then it is done as a figure of speech. For instance, Allah said…

(Indeed Allah appointed Talut (Saul) as a king over you.) (2:247)…

(As there was a king behind them) (18:79), and…

(When He made Prophets among you, and made you kings) (5:20).

Also, the Two Sahihs recorded…

<>. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=35; underline emphasis ours)

And yet the risen Lord Jesus, who is supposed to be a Muslim who espoused Islamic theology, revealed to his servant John that he is both the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” Revelation 17:14

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:11-16

The reason why we know that these are the words that Christ gave to John to write down because this is what John tells us at the start of his book:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:1-8

And:

“I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, WRITE in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, AND WAS DEAD; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. WRITE the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;” Revelation 1:9-19

“And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things SAITH the first and the last, WHICH WAS DEAD, and is alive;” Revelation 2:8

Hence, not only does Jesus tell John that he is the King of kings and Lord of lords, he even identifies himself as the Almighty, and the One who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, and the First and the Last who died and came to life again!

This isn’t the only time that the risen Christ applied these unique titles to himself:

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I JESUS HAVE SENT MINE ANGEL to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star… ” Revelation 22:12-16, 20

Jesus again describes himself as the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, and the First and the Last. He even says that he shall be the one to repay every person for what s/he has done.

Suffice it to say, these are ascriptions and functions which both the Hebrew Bible and the Quran attribute to God alone:

“Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” Isaiah 44:6 – cf. 41:4; 48:12

“Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” Isaiah 40:10

He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of every thing. S. 57:3 Hilali-Khan

Thus, for the risen Jesus to ascribe these unique characteristics to his own Person basically means that he is making himself out to be timeless and uncreated by nature, as well as omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. After all, the titles the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, and the First and the Last imply that Christ has been there from the start of the creation and will continue to be there till the very end of the age. For that to be possible Jesus must be outside of time and must have existed before the creation ever came into being. Likewise, the only way for Christ to be able to perfectly repay or recompense everyone for all their works is if he knows what every single creature has done every second, every moment of their lives.

To say that these are mind blowing claims would be a wild understatement!

With that said we have one final section to get to before concluding https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/17/islamic-theology-confirms-that-jesus-claimed-to-be-god-pt-2c/.

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