The Seventh-day Adventist Church identifies its mission with the three angels of Revelation 14:6–12 and is compelled to reach “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.”1 For the past two thousand years, there seemed to be a clear distinction of people groups in the world. Mission to all cultures required that missionaries be sent abroad to far-off countries where most of the non-Christians lived. In the twentieth century, this mission movement enabled individuals to be sent to those lands, especially where descendants of Ishmael lived, but after many years there was negligible success. However, a very interesting scenario has played out in front of our eyes towards the end of the twentieth century. We find that millions of people from different social and religious backgrounds, who used to live in those far-off countries, are now dispersing throughout the world and living in our neighborhoods. Today, in the traditionally Christian West, we have immigration from the East, including those who claim their lineage from Ishmael. According to Pew Research today, 25 percent of the world population is Muslims. As a church, how do we connect with millions of those people not just in other parts of the world, but to those who are now living in our neighborhoods, going to school with our children, doing jobs alongside of us, and can be seen in big numbers in our society? As a church, what should be our response to these neighbors?
There are two possible reactions to this overwhelming migrant influx in the West. One reaction is to ignore their presence and continue business as usual. If one is driven by fear, such as the fear of losing one’s job to immigrants, or fearing violent behaviors from them, then the reaction would be of prejudice. Aligning mission to meet their needs would seem out of sync, and any realignment of mission to those who are negatively perceived would seem to be a waste of resources.
There is another way to respond. Instead of seeing them with prejudice and ignoring them, the church may see that immigrant influx within the plan of God, orchestrated by God to make the work of the church easier than before. We may realize that something more is compelling them to come to our borders than just war or economic benefits. Could it be possible that God is bringing them to us so that we can bless them in His name by showing the love of Jesus? When the church sent many missionaries to the region of the world known as the 10/40 Window, there was negligible success after a century of work due to limitations of sharing the gospel in those countries—especially in the Middle East. However, now because of migration those same people are living in countries where there is general freedom to share. God seems to be giving the church another chance to share the love of Jesus with them.
The unbelievable thing is that God has already revealed that He has a plan for the children of Ishmael before the end of time. As I travel to different parts of the world, one question that Christians often ask is, “What does the Bible say about the role of Islam in the Last Day events?” At the turn of the twenty-first century, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America, Protestant Christians paid keen attention to the apocalyptic role of Islam.2 Early pioneers and Adventist theologians have traditionally accepted that Revelation 9 is about Islam3 but have debated whether Daniel 11:40–45 has any relevance to Islam.4 However, there is a prophecy that has gone unnoticed that refers to the role of the children of Ishmael in the end times. We notice the following prophecy in Isaiah 60:7: “All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory.”
At the outset one may not be aware that this verse relates to the children of Ishmael or the people of the East, but by understanding the names mentioned here (Kedar and Nebaioth), the link becomes obvious. This verse plays a crucial part in the plan of God for the children of the East in general, and children of Ishmael in particular. Who were Kedar and Nebaioth? These two names mentioned in Isaiah 60:7 can also be observed in Genesis 25:13 as follows: “And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar. . . .”
Kedar and Nebajoth were the sons of Ishmael and grandsons of Abraham and Hagar. Isaiah 60:7 seems to claim that the children of Hagar (through her son Ishmael) will come when the light of the gospel is proclaimed (Isa 60:1).
They shall come into the presence of God, and God declares that “they shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory” (v. 7).
Today the Islamic religion and the Qur’an specifically claim their heritage from Ishmael, who is mentioned in the biblical narrative. Richard Davidson, a renowned Old Testament scholar of the Adventist Church, concurs in his paper on the “Children of the East” that the Qur’an and other Islamic traditions trace the genealogy of their prophet and Islamic Arabs to Ishmael son of Abraham. Though the direct link to the prophet of Islam is far from certain, Davidson believes that “the general genealogical tie between the nomadic tribes of northern Arabia . . . and that the nomadic tribes descended from Ishmael has solid support from a biblical-historical perspective.”5
I am convinced that this migration of the people from the East may represent something more than a random, haphazard movement of people from the lands of Ishmael. It could be God’s way of fulfilling this prophecy in Isaiah 60. When the church recognizes that their coming is within the plan of God, and that we have a part to play in that plan, then our perspective changes towards the people who claim the lineage of Ishmael. The recognition that actually God is doing something changes our perspective from indifference to appreciation that God is opening a way for us to fulfill His mission. The question for us is: What is our perspective of their presence and what we are going to do about it collectively as a church and individually as Adventist believers?
BUILDING BRIDGES
Perhaps we can begin by accepting appropriate values to build bridges of understanding as we engage with our Muslim friends.
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK
Since most Christians generally eat pork and drink alcohol, Muslims do not consider present-day Christians to be the true People of the Book since they do not eat halal (or clean) foods. However, in the Qur’an it says, “Among the People of the Book are some who have faith” (Surah Al-Imran 3:110). Some Muslim scholars have pointed out that they see Seventh-day Adventists as the true “People of the Book” among Christians because of their lifestyle and because they distinguish between halal and haram (clean and unclean), abstaining from pork and alcohol.
APPRECIATING OUR DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES
In building bridges of understanding, we need to identify the similarities and differences between us. This was demonstrated in Paul’s ministry at Mars Hill (Acts 17) when he used concepts from other faith orientations as footprints of truth to link to biblical truths.
PRESENT THE MESSAGE OF JUDGMENT
Seventh-day Adventists are called to prepare people of the world from different faith orientations for the soon return of Jesus the Messiah. The judgment and Second Coming of Jesus can be found in the Bible (Rev 22:12; John 14:1–3) but are also accepted by most mainline Muslims. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, many Muslims believe that because of current world events, Jesus will come again during their own lifetime.6
RESPECT OTHER CULTURES
We respect other people’s culture and religious beliefs as we endeavor to share the love of Jesus with them in humility, while we are confident of our own beliefs. By considering the existing religosocio-cultural diversities among the people, our engagement with them needs to be done with consideration of their cultural values.
BARRIERS TO BUILDING BRIDGES
Have you wondered why sometimes Adventists do not connect with Muslims? Some reasons are:
• Lack of knowledge. Many Adventists do not know much about their faith, so they don’t know how to connect.
• Fear factor. Many Adventists are afraid of connecting with them because they presume that they are militant. Like us, most Muslims also like to live in peace and have the same felt needs.
• Cultural barriers. Most Muslims operate from the Near Eastern cultural paradigm. Sometimes, Adventists find it challenging to relate to these cultures and therefore don’t know what to do.
• Confrontational approach. Sometimes Adventists use a confrontational approach of denouncing other people’s religion, prophet, or religious book. This method generally does not cultivate friendships and build bridges.
HOW CAN MY CHURCH AND I DEMONSTRATE THE LOVE OF JESUS TO OUR COMMUNITY?
Is it possible that most Adventists do not know how to connect with people from Middle Eastern or South Asian religions because of some misconceptions?
Some may think that relating with people from Middle Eastern religions requires a lot of expertise. But one of the best ways to build bridges is to simply develop relationships with people. Does one require a vast knowledge about how to relate to the people around us or do acts of kindness?
Building bridges among the people from any background should be anchored on “Christ’s method alone,” as Ellen G. White states in The Ministry of Healing. “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with people as one who desired their good. He showed sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He invited them, ‘Follow Me.’ ”7
We may be eager to preach the truth to people, but it seems like a daunting task when done with people who are so different in culture and religion to the one we are used to that we become discouraged. But the local church can make an intentional effort to share acts of kindness with their community by finding out the needs of the community. People have needs, and instead of leaving it to one or two individuals who struggle on their own to do acts of kindness in their community because they are driven by Micah 6:8 “to show mercy,” it could be an intentional effort of the regional church or the local church to meet the needs of the community, especially if they are from another culture or religion. Mingling with people, meeting their needs, and winning their confidence were all things that Jesus did, because He desired their good. Through us, they can be introduced to the love of Jesus.
1 All biblical quotations are from the New King James Version.
2 Thomas S. Kidd, “Islam in Apocalyptic Perspective” (Center for Christian Ethics, Baylor University, 2010), 6.
3 Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (London: Strahan & Cadell, 1776); and Gordon L. Ziegler, Trumpets Sound Again (n.p.: Benevolent Enterprises, 2010), 93.
4 Miguel Luna, “Is Any Trace of Islam in Daniel 11? A Theological Perspective on Daniel 11:40–45” (Biblical Research Committee, November 11, 2015); Ángel Manuel Rodríguez, “What Is the Message of Daniel 11:40–45?” (Biblical Research Institute, Seventh-day Adventist Church, April 2, 2013), https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/materials/bible-ot-texts/ daniel-1140-45; Roy Allan Anderson, Unfolding Daniel’s Prophecies (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1975); Robert D. Brinsmead, The King of the North and the King of the South (Conway, MO: Gems of Truth, 1960); Taylor G. Bunch, The Book of Daniel (n.p., 1950); Donn W. Leatherman, “Adventist Interpretation of Daniel 10–12: A Diagnosis and Prescription,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 7, no. 1 (Spring 1996); and Tim Roosenberg, Islam and Christianity in Prophecy (Calhoun, GA: Teach Services, 2021).
5 Richard Davidson, “The Children of the East,” Journal of Adventist Mission Studies 14, no. 1 (2019): 76.
6 Michael Lipka and Conrad Hackett, “Why Muslims Are the World’s Fastest-Growing Religious Group,” Pew Research Center, April 6, 2017, https://www.pewresearch. org/fact-tank/2017/04/06/why-muslims-arethe-worlds-fastest-growing-religious-group/.
7 Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1909), 143.
Petras Bahadur is the director of the Global Center for Adventist Muslim Relations, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
