The stories of Abraham which made the Heavenly Father raise Jesus Christ to establish Christianity and Prophet Mohammed Islam are in Chapters 15, 16 and 21 in the Old Testament Book of Genesis. While the reference to them by Apostle Paul in Chapter 4 of the New Testament Book of Galatians is indicative or suggestive that members of the two religions worship the same Deity.
This was about Paul talking of God’s promise to Hagar on Ishmael in Genesis 16: 1 – 15 and His covenant with Abraham on Isaac in Genesis 18: 1 – 15. The one with Hagar the Apostle called the covenant made on Mount Sinai in Arabia.
Those who say Christians and Muslims worship different Deities do so because they do not realize that it was the promise to each of Abraham and Hagar that made the Ancient of Days to raise Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed to bring the religion each initiated. I too would not have known this, if not that I have the grace of speaking directly with the Lord and had raised the matter with Him in 2009.
But before going into the story of the origin of Christianity and Islam in about two weeks, I will first provide basic information on the report in last week’s column on the covenant the Heavenly Father had in the Bible with Noah, Abraham and King David and the one with me and two other men in 1994, 25 years ago. This is because it was the covenant that made the Lord in 1997 to allow me to start asking Him questions on issues in the Scriptures.
The Ancient of Days discusses stories and statements in the Bible with few people. He is not the one who tells most pastors and prophets in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world, what they say on issues in the Christian Holy Book. They just talk according to their understanding or interpretation of the statements of Almighty God, the prophets, Jesus Christ and the Apostles in the Old and New Testaments.
This is the reason two clerics will agree that the Most High is against polygamy but express different opinion on the payment of tithes and other matters in the Bible. If the Lord truly speaks with them, as they want people to believe, they should be saying the same thing on all the issues and statements in the Scriptures all the time.
To God be the glory that from the explanations He made to me, I have since 2008, a year after this column began, been able to come out with rare information on the stories and statements in the Bible. Issues which nobody knew the truth about since the Christian Holy Book was published in one of the years in the decade from 95 – 105AD. This is one thousand, nine hundred and fourteen years to one thousand, nine hundred and twenty – four years ago.
The last of the 66 Books in the Bible were written by Apostle John. These were John (one of the four Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament), 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation, which he scripted in the ten years from 85 through 95 AD.
But the precise year the Bible was published is not known. What is certain is that it was before 106, the year the Church Apostle Peter, the first Bishop of Rome (Pope), established on the Day of Pentecost in 33AD (in Acts of the Apostles 2:1 – 13) became known as the Catholic (universal) Church, through a document written by Saint Ignatius, the Bishop of Antioch.
This explains why the name of the Catholic Church is not in any of the 23 Books from the Acts of the Apostles through Revelation. The title of Pope is also not available because it came into use one to six centuries after the Bible had been published. This was in one of the years starting from 217 through 604AD.
To be continued next Wednesday
Gasali’s ridiculous criticism of my column (4)
This column commenced on December 19, 2007 and right from the first article I started receiving text messages and phone calls from readers who were happy that I had come out to write for the Daily Sun. The praise every edition was such that eight weeks later I had to write to thank them in the February 13, 2008 edition with the headline: Professor David – West, others applaud Pabulum column.
Here are the reactions of some of them beginning with the text message from Professor Tam David – West in Ibadan. “Dear Sina, I must say that I was very excited that you’ll now be writing for the Daily Sun. With your ‘Pabulum’ on Wednesday and Duro Onabule’s ‘Today’ on Fridays, both with well – researched historical style, The Sun has adequately filled what I’ve always felt is an unfortunate lacuna in our popular publishing. Congratulations.
“Let me particularly appreciate you for joining me in correcting the embarrassing error in the last 29 years that General Obasanjo was the first African military Head of State to voluntarily handover to an elected civilian government. Ghana’s General Kwasi Afrifa did so in 1969 while Fl. Lt. Jerry Rawlings beat Obasanjo to it by a week, doing so on September 24, 1979.”
Next was this message sent by Innocent Ove in Badagry, Lagos State (080 – 2576 – 6982): “It is obvious that the Daily Sun has struck gold with your coming on board. Your article really put the record straight on where Obasanjo stands in African history. Thanks for your incisive write – up.”
I received this from Saka Abdulkadir in Yola, Adamawa State (080 – 5718 – 3425): “So long as you write, the management of Daily Sun can count on me for a copy. I enjoyed the write – up on Obasanjo’s 1979 handover of power and the one before it comparing the different generations of columnists. “They were very illuminating. Please keep on educating the nation. May your pen never dry.”
From Princess Dupe Adetuwo of Lagos, an actress who starred in the Mirror in the Sun in the Nigerian Television Authority drama series in the 1980s came this: “He made billions of stars and calls each by name. He has so many children yet He treats you like the only one. Enjoy His extravagant grace. “It was exhilarating reading your column in the Daily Sun comparing Nigeria’s past columnists with the present ones. It’s a brilliant piece.”
And this one from Mrs. Ekaette Helen Henshaw in Calabar: “With your very high quality and objective articles on past and present columnists and 1979 handover of power by Obasanjo you have definitely brought a breath of fresh air into column writing. For me, you are one of the brightest stars now shinning on the Nigerian newspaper scene.
“Your column is the type that can bring new readers for the Daily Sun and make the paper sell more copies. I hope the Editor will soon transfer the column from Pages 34 and 37 where he alternates it to either Page 7 or 9.”
I withheld the telephone numbers of the two women at their request.
Next week: Reason for Gasali’s impetuous reaction.