A Sign of God's Judgment? Part 6

A Sign of God's Judgment? Part 6
Monday, March 30, 2026 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Categories: Apostasy / Contemporary issues / Scripture discussion / Spiritual deception / The church / Thought for Today / Truth telling

God’s judgment. The underlying question behind this series remains: Was the Muslim conquest an example of God’s judgment against the Church?

We’ve already seen that prior to the Muslim invasion, the Eastern Church was rife with unbiblical concepts, most notably their belief in theosis. Syncretism was deeply imbedded in the church: Greek philosophy was at the root of key beliefs and various doctrines. But there were numerous other systemic problems as well.

The Eastern Church mercilessly persecuted Jews. Sometimes that persecution was just legal; other times they instituted forced conversions and violence. Jews were also forbidden to live in Jerusalem. That persecution has continued down to the present times, particularly in the Middle East. Bat Ye’or discusses it at length in many of her books, and Brigitte Gabriel mentions it as an unfortunate part of the church culture she grew up in. It is worth noting that God repeatedly warns in Scripture that it will not end well for those who persecute the Jews.

The Eastern Church, through the Byzantine emperors, also persecuted sectarian Christian groups. One of the reasons that the early Muslim conquests were so successful was that the sectarian groups, so weary of Byzantine persecution, typically sided with the Muslims, often turning cities over to them, betraying the Byzantines. Granted, Muslim bribes coupled with internal corruption were also sometimes factors.

Byzantine rulers also used the monastic system as a dumping ground for their political enemies. The ninth century chronicler, Theophanes, records incident after incident of the current “Christian” ruler slitting the noses of his adversaries and then forcing them to become monks in some obscure monastery. Do we see anything in Scripture that God’s church is to be used in that manner? No!

Who was responsible for times of victory over the Muslim invaders? Theophanes repeatedly gives praise to Mary for their victories. Could it be that those remarks merely reflect Theophanes’s opinion? Yes. But as we’ve seen, Mary had an even more exalted position within the Eastern Church as compared to the Latin West.

Then there is the use of icons in worship. A theological line was drawn, stating that veneration of an icon was not the same as worshiping of an idol. Yet even the highly regarded late Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemann admitted that the fine line between veneration and worship was all too easily crossed. Overall, worship remains very ritualistic, with the biblical Gospel rarely proclaimed. As we saw, Christ’s death is not central in Eastern Orthodox theology as compared to Jesus’s incarnation.

A few Byzantine rulers came out against the use of icons in worship (see the iconoclastic controversy) but they were ultimately repudiated. The use of icons in worship was affirmed by the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 AD (the seventh ecumenical council).

It is well known that Islam repudiates the biblical reality of the triune God, of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (sometimes portrayed as Father, Son, and Mary). They insist that it is a form of idolatry and the ultimate blasphemy against Allah. But when considering the veneration/worship of icons and the cross, coupled with the exaltation of Mary as Theotokos, is it any wonder Islam came to see Christianity as just another religion of idol worship and polytheism?

What about potential issues regarding pride? To this day the Eastern Orthodox Church sees itself as the one and only true faithful church. For example, while the Roman Catholic Church recognizes the Orthodox Church as a valid Christian expression, the Orthodox Church still sees the Roman Catholic Church as heretical.

What do we make out of all of this? Specifically, what does Scripture have to say about how those in the Church are to treat those who reject or change the Gospel? We will turn to that question in the next post.

Share This Blog: