Sura 17:4 And we made [this] known to the children of Israel through revelation: Twice, indeed, will you spread corruption on earth and will indeed become grossly overbearing. 17:5 Hence, when the prediction of the first of those two [periods of iniquity] came true, We sent against you some of Our bondmen of terrible prowess in war, and they wrought havoc throughout the land: and so the prediction was fulfilled
17:6 And after a time We allowed you to prevail against them once again, and aided you with wealth and offspring, and made you more numerous [than ever] 17:7 [And We said:] “If you persevere in doing good, you will but be doing good to yourselves; and if you do evil, it will be [done] to yourselves.” And so, when the prediction of the second [period of your iniquity] came true, [We raised new enemies against you, and allowed them] to disgrace you utterly, and to enter the Temple as [their forerunners] had entered it once before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that they had conquered
17:8 Your Sustainer may well show mercy unto you; but if you revert [to sinning], We shall revert [to chastising you]. And [remember this:] We have ordained that [in the hereafter] hell shall close upon all who deny the truth.
This seems to be referring to the time that the armies headed by the Babylonians and that headed by the Romans came in and entered the Temple and set it alight. In other words, in the distant past. At both those times, a substantial portion of Israelites were taken into exile.
Sura 59:2 He it is Who caused those who disbelieved of the followers of the Book to go forth from their homes at the first banishment you did not think that they would go forth, while they were certain that their fortresses would defend them against Allah; but Allah came to them whence they did not expect, and cast terror into their hearts; they demolished their houses with their own hands and the hands of the believers; therefore take a lesson, O you who have eyes
59:3 And had it not been that Allah had decreed for them the exile, He would certainly have punished them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have chastisement of the fire.
Bible: OT: Isaiah 22:8 On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest. 9 You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the City of David. You collected water from the lower pool. 10 You counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore them down to strengthen the wall. 11 You built a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the ancient pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider Him who planned it long ago.
Bible: OT: 1 Chronicles 32:5 Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and to raise up towers on it. He also built an outer wall and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David, and he produced an abundance of weapons and shields.
Bible: OT: 1 Chronicles 32:30 It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Spring of Gihon and channeled it down to the west side of the City of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. 31 And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart.
Bible: OT: 2 Kings 20:12 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. 13 Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”
“From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came from Babylon.”
15 The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”
“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: 17 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. 18 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
Now the Islamic commentaries do not connect Sura 59.2 to Sura 17.7. I expect that one of the main reasons is this:
Sura 59:4 That is because they acted in opposition to Allah and His Messenger, and whoever acts in opposition to Allah, then surely Allah is severe in retributing (evil)
And in everyone’s minds, any mention of Allah and His Messenger can only refer to the Prophet of Islam.
Bible: OT: Exodus 23:20 Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. 21 Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.
Now even though English translations distinguish between Angels and Messengers the same word is used for a messenger regardless of whether sent from God or sent from man – in both Greek and Hebrew.
Bible: OT: Malachi 3:1 Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testament, whom you desire, shall come to his temple. Behold he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts. – Douay-Rheims
Bible: OT: Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts. – New King James
Therefore:
Bible: OT: Exodus 23:20 Behold, I am sending a messenger before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. 21 Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.
A Messenger who carries the name of God within him.
Psalm 118:26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! […]
Now there are a number of videos addressing the relationship between Jesus and the Angel of the Lord as mentioned in the Old Testament on the internet. I myself have written a few pieces addressing this and will not go into it here.
In any event, how does all this impact Hamas and its doings?
The Quran says that it was predicted that the Children of Israel would be very very naughty twice. And in both instances the Temple was breached. It does not state explicitly that there is a third instance.
And even if you wish to shut your ears and eyes about what I am saying about Sura 59:4 it cannot be denied that the Quran states:
Sura 59:3 And had it not been that Allah had decreed for them the exile, He would certainly have punished them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have chastisement of the fire.
Allah had decreed for them the exile (Islamic countries chasing the Children of Israel from exile – I am looking at you!!). He has not decreed them punishment in this world but only the chastisement of the Fire. What then when they are not in exile?
Sura 45.16 And certainly We gave the Book and the wisdom and the prophecy to the children of Israel, and We gave them of the goodly things, and We made them excel the nations.
Sura 10.93 And certainly We lodged the children of Israel in a goodly abode and We provided them with good things; but they did not disagree until the knowledge had come to them; surely your Lord will judge between them on the resurrection day concerning that in which they disagreed.
Sura 45.17 And We gave them clear arguments in the affair, but they did not differ until after knowledge had come to them out of envy among themselves; surely your Lord will judge between them on the day of resurrection concerning that wherein they differed.
So unless Hamas is of the view that it there is a Temple to be burned and to send the Children of Israel into exile for a Third Time, or that it is Resurrection Day and it is their assigned job to enforce judgement on behalf of Allah, then what is Hamas doing?
Sura 22.52 And We did not send before you any apostle or prophet, but when he desired, the Shaitan made a suggestion respecting his desire; but Allah annuls that which the Shaitan casts, then does Allah establish His communications, and Allah is Knowing, Wise, 53 so that He may make what the Shaitan casts a trial for those in whose hearts is disease and those whose hearts are hard; and most surely the unjust are in a great opposition.
Is it that they are on the side of the Shaitan, are against Allah and His Communications, or are they suffering from Cirrhosis of the Heart?
Markus Gorelli (not that Markus the other one!) 