Are The "End Times" Upon Us?

The following excerpt is taken from Who's ? Right: Mankind, Religions & The End Times by Kelly Warman-Stallings

“Signs of the Times”

In biblical history, many prophets foresaw and correctly predicted various future occurrences that have happened during the existence of mankind. For centuries, religious scholars and ministers of the gospel have been saying that the “End Times” are upon us. Even the Apostles believed that Jesus would return, to set up His kingdom, during their own lifetime. Now, nearly 2,000 years later, Christians continue warning of the imminent destruction of mankind and the return of Jesus Christ. The Muslims stoutly believe their savior, Mohammed, is soon to make his appearance and cleanse the planet of its unholy and unworthy inhabitants. Even the Jews agree that their Messiah will purify the world after exterminating those who practice evil and are unworthy of eternal life.

So many prophecies have already been fulfilled since the dawning of the Anno Domini era, while other predictions have yet to be executed. It is interesting to note that all Bible prophecy revolves around the “Children of Israel” and the promises made to their Hebrew ancestors so long ago. An extreme worldwide interest rests upon this small, persecuted country. Most of the planet is intrigued with the current events that surround Israel. Today, there are more and more of the Jewish faith believing in Jesus Christ and His message. More than ever before, in the history of the Jewish nation, have this race of people come to accept and believe that Jesus was indeed the Messiah they had waited for. 

 

To many believers, the Christian’s Holy Bible is a simple textbook. It has taught us where man has come from and how man should live in order to survive. It is also considered the Creator’s outline of what is to come and what mankind should prepare for.

The Prophetic Signs:

Such prophets as Isaiah, Daniel and Jesus have foretold and forewarned mankind of incredible events that will occur concerning the “End Times”. The oracles were steadfast in warning of a doomsday scenario, as well. For many believers of Christian, Islamic and Judaic faiths, some of the ancient predictions have already arrived.

While all three major religions disagree on chronological order, certain events and interpretations, they all agree an “End Times” occurrence is assured. The following is a partial list of prophecies that have already been fulfilled:  

Wars and Rumors of Wars (Matthew 24:6)

For centuries wars have been fought, but in the last one hundred years or so, mankind has had more than its fair share of battles. There have been over 16 major wars since the turn of the 20th century A. D., which does not include the various battles and skirmishes fought around the globe.

(Major 20th century wars: Boer War, Boxer Rebellion, Russo-Japanese War, Turkish/Ottoman Revolt, Chinese Revolution, World War I, Russian Revolution, Spanish Civil War, Japan/China War, World War II, Korean War, Hungarian Revolution, Bay of Pigs Invasion, Vietnam War, Middle East Six Day War, Desert Storm War, Afghanistan War, Iraq War)

[For a full list of ongoing wars and conflicts, please visit Ongoing Military Conflict]

The increase in warfare grew considerably, if not astronomically, in the 20th century. Not one decade has gone by without a war somewhere in this world being fought. Not one generation has passed away without there being a battle to contend with. Mankind has definitely struggled through their fair share of skirmishes these last 100 years or so. To many believers, this prophecy has not only been fulfilled, but continues to escalate as we enter the 21st century.

Earthquakes in Diverse Places (Matthew 24:7)   

The increase in earthquake activity has multiplied many times over since the beginning of mankind. Just since the 1990’s, the scientists claim earthquakes have been shaking the planet in various places almost on a monthly basis or more. Then you have earthquakes erupting where they had lain dormant for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The horrid tsunami of Indonesia (that claimed over 270,000 lives in 2004) was caused from an underwater earthquake, measuring 9.2, in the Indian Ocean; in a diverse place.

[For a full list of world earthquakes in the 20th and 21st centuries, please visit List of Earthquakes]

Supervolcanoes (capable of producing an exceedingly large explosion and a giant caldera) are scattered throughout the world. Many have not had activity for hundreds of thousands of years and in the last decade these giant, catastrophic volcanoes are starting to awaken (i.e. Yellowstone National Park). According to the website, earthmountainview.com, there have been over 1,000 small earthquakes registered at Yellowstone - some that measured at a magnitude of 3.8 - just since the beginning of 2010.   

Increased Knowledge (Daniel 12:4)

One cannot deny how advanced mankind has become. Since the 1950’s, we have seen the invention of the television, spaceships and corporate computers, just to name a few. In the last 25 years alone, mankind has invented cell phones, personal computers and video games. Many machines (such as appliances) are used and utilized around the planet today. Our ancestors would be amazed at such luxuries we [mankind] take for granted today. Mankind has been bestowed with such an incredible intelligence, in comparison to the ancients, that many people of various faiths believe this is a sign of the “End Times” that was foretold centuries ago.

[For more information about increased knowledge, please visit Increased Knowledge at the Time of the End]

“Nor let it disturb you, dearest brethren, if with some, in these last times, either an uncertain faith is wavering, or a fear of God without religion is vacillating, or a peaceable concord does not continue. These things have been foretold as about to happen in the end of the world; and it was predicted by the voice of the Lord, and by the testimony of the apostles, that now that the world is failing, and the Antichrist is drawing near, everything good shall fail, but evil and adverse things shall prosper.” - Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

Cyprian (Latin: Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus) was an important Early Christian writer, many of whose Latin works are extant. He was born around the beginning of the 3rd century A.D. in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage, where he received a classical education. After converting to Christianity, he became a bishop in 249 and eventually died a martyr at Carthage on September 14, 258.

 

 

[For more information about the "End Times",  please visit Who's ? Right: Mankind, Religions & The End Times]

 

The Lost Years of Jesus Christ

From the American continents to the far-east land of the Orient, many scholars, theologians and historians have pondered and, in some cases, embellished upon the concept of 'the lost years of Jesus Christ'. In reference to the "Lost Years", this concerns the undocumented timespan between Jesus' childhood and the beginning of His ministry [recorded in the New Testament]. The Gospels account for Jesus' birth and flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:11-13); the general reference to the family residing in Nazareth (Matthew 2:23 & Luke 2:39-40); and the brief mention of Joseph, Mary and Jesus visiting Jerusalem during the celebration of Passover (Luke 2:41-50).  Beyond the isolated accounts of Jesus' early years, there seems to be a blank space where eighteen years of His life is unaccounted for.

In the American Continents

According to several legends of the Native Americans, a "White Prophet" had visited many different parts of the North, South and Central American continents. In her book, He Walked the Americas, Lucile Taylor Hansen explored the idea that Jesus indeed walked among the natives of the Americas. She wrote: "Almost two thousand years ago a mysterious white man walked from tribe to tribe among the American Nations. He came to Peru from the Pacific, he travelled through South and Central America, among the Mayans, into Mexico and all of North America, then back to ancient Tula, from whence he departed across the Atlantic to the land of his origin."

 

While this enigmatic "White Prophet" was called by many different names among the American tribes, the correlating descriptions of His appearance were very similar. He was known as a bearded man with fair-skin and grey eyes. The legend of this prophet is recalled throughout the Americas according to tribal lore, and while the legends vary in relating the story, the story remains the same.

 

Some scholars of the Mormon faith believe that Quetzalcoatl (a feathered serpent deity who appeared to have traveled throughout Mesoamerica) in contrast, was actually Jesus Christ. This finding is based upon the Book of Mormon in the book of Third Nephi (Chapters 10 & 11), where it is recorded that Jesus visited the inhabitants of ancient America.

 

In the British Isles

 

The legend of Jesus being in the British Isles dates back to Joseph of Arimathea, who was mentioned in all four Gospels and, in some cultures, believed to be Flavius Josephus [the 1st century Jewish historian]. It was Joseph of Arimathea who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial place of Jesus after His crucifixion. According to the traditional lore of Great Britain, Jesus lived near Glastonbury [perhaps during his teen years] and was brought to Europe by Joseph of Arimathea. Such historians as Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Tertullian and Eusebius not only expounded upon the legend, but enriched it. In Luke 10:1, Jesus appointed seventy worthy men and sent them out in pairs on a specific mission [which is detailed in the 10th chapter of Luke]. "After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come." - Luke 10:1

 

Another tale that surfaced in the 12th century about Jesus being in Britain is connected with the Arthurian legend in which Joseph of Arimathea receives the Holy Grail from an apparition of Jesus and sends it with his followers to the British Isles. (The Holy Grail was a goblet which Jesus drank from during the 'Last Supper' in Jerusalem and later Joseph used to catch the drops of blood from Jesus as he hung on the cross). Whether Jesus actually lived in Europe or appeared to Joseph in His ghostly form is left open for debate, yet it has been commonly accepted that Joseph of Arimathea was the first Christian bishop in the British Isles.

 

 In the Land of the Orient

 

Several scholars and historians of ancient Indian theology support the belief that Jesus Christ was in India during his missing years. Those same authors claim to have found proof [in the existence of manuscripts] that Jesus was in Tibet and India and that He passed by a number of settlements in the region during His ancient travels. The manuscript was first mentioned in modern times by Nicolas Notovitch, a Russian aristocrat and journalist known for his contention that during the years of Jesus Christ's life missing from the Bible he followed travelling merchants abroad into India and the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh, India, where he studied Buddhism. The ancient scrolls revealed that Jesus spent seventeen years in India and Tibet and was a spiritual teacher of the Buddhists and Hindu holy men. Known as St. Issa to the people of India and Tibet, he is still revered today as their 'buddha'.

 

Godfrey Higgins, a prominent archaeologist and Freemason of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, insisted that Christianity was already firmly in place in both the West and the East many centuries before Jesus Christ was born. He claimed that Krishna, born [of a holy union similar to that of the Mother Mary] in 3228 BC, was an incarnate of Jesus Christ and he departed the Earth in 3102 BC. Many religious historians for centuries have struggled to find out how and why the similarities of Jesus and Krishna (born 2000 years apart) are so nearly identical. 

• Both Jesus and Krishna was descended from Noah
• The future birth of both messiahs were predicted ahead of time
• Jesus was descended from Abraham
• Krishna was the father of Abraham (Brahma)
• Jesus' first name was Yeshua
• A title of Krishna, meaning 'love' was Yesu
• Both men were born of virgins and in a stable
• Jesus did not have an earthly father, but had a protector named Joseph
• Krishna did not have an earthly father, but had a protector named Vasudeva
• An evil king tried to kill Jesus and Krishna when they were infants
• To protect the infant [Jesus], Joseph took him to Maturai, Egypt
• To protect the infant [Krishna], Vasudeva took him to Mathura, India
• It was predicted that both men would die to atone for the sins of their people
• Jesus was crucified on a cross in Jerusalem
• Krishna was killed by a hunter's arrow and impaled on a tree
• Both men were resurrected and 'appeared' after death
• Jesus had a female admirer named Mary Magdalene
• Krishna had a female admirer named Marya Maghadalena.
• Both men have a major holiday dedicated to them and celebrated on December 25th

However, the Christians and Hindus alike militantly reject the idea that the stories of these two deities are related. The Christians accuse the Hindus of blurring their identities on purpose. Some even claim that Satan himself is the culprit. And the Hindus reciprocate accordingly. Unfortunately, neither side can prove or disprove anything.

In Conclusion

Other than the generic allusion that Jesus was advanced in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52), the Bible gives no indication of Jesus' life and what he did during those missing years. The American Native Indians referred to the "White Prophet" who spoke a thousand languages; Britain holds fast to the idea that Jesus not only visited their country but left behind the most sought after item in the world (The Holy Grail); and the people of India believe the Christian beliefs of the West were descended directly from the Buddhists.

   "This, in our day, is the Christian religion, not as having been unknown in former
    times, but as having recently received that name" - St. Augustine of Hippo

   "The religion of Jesus Christ is neither new nor strange" - Eusebius of Caesarea


One simple question remains: Who's Right?

Who's ? Right: Top Ten Religious Landmarks

There are numerous religious and sacred landmarks scattered throughout the world, which are venerated as 'holy sites' to all religions and creeds who built them. The following list was chosen in accordance with the top six religions in the modern world and how their cultural traditions sometimes intertwine with one another. The top six religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. This 'Top Ten List of Religious Landmarks' was created by the Who's ? Right blog.

10- The Parthenon, on the Acropolis of Athens, Greece:

 

The Parthenon is an ancient temple on the Athenia Acropolis in Greece and dates back to the sanctuaries in Greek paganism. Construction began in 447 BC and completed in 438 BC and dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron virgin. In the last decade of the 6th century AD, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church called Church of the Parthenos Maria. By the latter 15th century the Parthenon became a mosque; legend states Mehmed II ordered its conversion as punishment for an Athenian plot against Ottoman rule. In 1832, the entire Acropolis reverted back to Greece and the Parthenon has since been an historic national lankmark.

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon
   

9- Mahamuni Statue of Buddha in India:

Per ancient tradition, only five likenesses of the Buddha were said to have been made during his lifetime: two were in India, two in paradise, and the 5th is the Mahamuni (Great Sage) pictured above. Archaeologists believe the image was probably cast during the reign of King Chandra Surya, who ascended the throne in AD 146, some 600 years after the Buddha actually passed away. Little is known of the Mahamuni over the next fifteen hundred years. Brought to Mandalay in 1794, it's the most venerated Buddha in all of Burma (a sovereign state in Southeast Asia).

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahamuni   

8- Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil:

 

Cristo Redentor (English: Christ the Redeemer) is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world, it is 130 ft tall and is located at the peak of Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. A symbol of Brazilian Christianity, the statue was constructed between 1922 and 1931. The idea of erecting a large statue atop Corcovado was first suggested in the mid-1850s, when Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss requested financing from Princess Isabel to build a large religious monument. Princess Isabel did not think much of the idea and it was dismissed in 1889. The second proposal for the landmark was made in 1921 by the Catholic Circle of Rio. The donations for construction came mostly from Brazilian Catholics. 

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ-the-Redeemer

7- Sri Harmandir Sahib (aka: Golden Temple) in India:

 

Sri Harmandir Sahib (literally "The Temple of God")  is a prominent Kikh Gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India and was initiated by the fourth Guru, Ram Das ji and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev ji in 1604 AD. The present-day Golden Temple was rebuilt in 1764 by Maharaja Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and other chieftains. While the temple was erected as a Sikh religious center, it was orginally intended as a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions. Considered a holy site and supreme center of Sikhism (a monothesic religion); their holy scriptures, known as the Guru Granth Sahib, is always present inside the Gurdwara. 

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/Golden_Temple

6- The Wailing Wall (also called Western Wall) in Israel:



The Wailing Wall is in Jerusalem’s Old City. The wall was built around 516 BC and later renovated by Herod the Great around 20 BC. In the year 1867 AD, nineteen lines were discovered in the underground where the lowest line featured the rocks from the Tyropoeon Valley. In the year 1968 two more lines were discovered and it featured seven layers of stone belonging to the Byzantine and Roman periods. Prayers have been held at this sacred wall since 132 AD.

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/Wailing_Wall

5- Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Israel:

Also know as Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Resurrection [by Eastern Christians] is a sacred church within the Christian Quarter of the walled Old City of Jerusalem. The church rests on the site of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, and is said to feature the burial place of Jesus. The church has been a paramount pilgrimage destination since the 4th century AD. Today it serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and the control of the building is shared between several Christian churches, such as: Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholicism and Oriental Orthodox.

For more infomation, please visit wikipedia.org/ChurchoftheHolySepulchre

4- Dome of the Rock in Israel:

The Dome of the Rock is a religious shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem and is one of Islam's most holy sites. The structure (constructed on the site of the Second Jewish Temple, which was destroyed in 70 AD) has been refurbished many times since its completion in 691 AD, and has mainly remained under Islamic rule. The Ottoman Empire held ownership from 1517-1917; British mandate from 1917-1967; and, Israel took control during the Six Day War in 1967. A few hours after the Israeli flag was hoisted over the Dome during the [Six Day]War, the Israelis lowered it on the orders of Moshe Dayan (former Israeli Minister of Defense) and invested the Muslim waaf (religious trust) with the authority to manage the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, in order to "keep the peace".

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/wiki/Dome-of-the-Rock

 3- Holy City of Varanasi, India:

The City of Varanasi [located along the banks of the River Ganges] in Uttar Pradesh, India is a religious landmark in its own right. It is regarded as a holy city by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The religious culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges, as Hindus associate it with the Goddess Shakti and believes the river can cleanse one of sins and ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, gave his first sermon at Sarnath located near Varanasi. This city has been a most sacred pilgrimage place and religious center for several thousand years. 

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/Varanasi

2- Holy City of Mecca, Saudi Arabia:

 

The city of Mecca is the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. As the birthplace of Muhammad and site of the Qur'an composition, Mecca is deemed the holiest city in the religion of Islam. From the days of the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century AD until 1925, the sharifs (Muhammad's descendants) ruled the region until it was absorbed into a province of Saudi Arabia. In its modern period, Mecca has expanded considerably, which resulted in the loss of many historic buildings and archaeological sites. The holy city of Mecca is one of the most diverse cities in the Musim world, although the non-Muslim remains prohibited from entering the sacred city. 

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/Mecca

1- Holy City of Jerusalem, Israel:

The city of Jerusalem is considered sacred ground in a number of religious traditions, including Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Each religion has a significant connection to the holy city. In Christianity, Jesus' life in Jerusalem has great importance, in addition to its place in the Old Testament, and God's relationship with His "chosen people". At the end of each of the Gospels, there are accounts of Jesus' Last Supper in an 'upper room' in Jerusalem, his arrest in Gethsemane, his trial, his crucifixion at Golgotha, his burial nearby and his resurrection and ascension. In Islam, Muhammad was taken to Jerusalem by a miraculous steed (Buraq), where he prayed and was taken into heaven for a single night [where met Abraham, Moses and Jesus] in 610 AD. While the Qur'an does not mention Jerusalem directly, it is believed the Qur'anic verse (17:1) implies that Jerusalem was "the farthest Mosque" (al-masjid al-Aqsa), which was located in Jerusalem. The significance of Abraham, David, Solomon and Jesus as Islamic prophets and mentioned in the Qur'an, also explains Islam's strong association. In Judaism, Jerusalem has been the ancestral and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people since the 10th century BC and given special status in Jewish religious law. Jerusalem appears in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament) 669 times and Zion (meaning "land of Israel") appears 154 times. The Talmud (commentaries of the rabbis) elaborates in great depth the Jewish connection with Jerusalem.

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/Jerusalem

Origins of Mankind

Excerpts from--
Who's ? Right: Mankind, Religions & The End Times by Kelly Warman-Stallings

"The Roots of Mankind"

In this modern age of increased knowledge there are two main-streamed theories concerning the origins of mankind – creation and evolution. The former is a widely assumed interpretation, which is embraced through religious faith. The latter is a comprehensive study, embraced through scientific supposition. While there are a multitude of books, Internet sites and other literature dedicated to presenting logic and reason as to the origins of mankind, the following chapter is not a debate about the origins. It is rather a simplistic approach to assimilating the data related to origins.

According to the World University Encyclopedia, published in 1968, the first known man-like creature was Pithecanthropus Erectus (or Java Man) in the later Pliocene period when the huge mammathus (ancient elephant) roamed the earth around 500,000 B.C. During the third Glacial Age, the Heidelberg Man made his arrival on planet Earth about 100,000 B.C.

The Neanderthal Man (homo-sapien) followed around 50,000 B.C. This ancient race of people were reputed to live in Northern Europe and were attributed with inventing stone-tipped spears, bone needles and bone fish hooks. Their large, thick-boned frames were acclimated to colder temperatures. The glaciers began melting at the end of the Ice Age and it is theorized that the Neanderthal race was wiped out.

Cro-Magnon succeeded the Neanderthal about 25,000 B.C. and ruled on earth until around 10,000 B.C. when the last Ice Age made their species of people extinct. The Cro-Magnon people were acknowledged for their cave paintings and credited for the invention of the bow and arrow and weapons for hunting and fishing.

While the theory of prehistoric man is debatable, it is said to cover only a small portion of Earth’s antiquated age of eras. Science proclaims that our planet is close to 4.5 billion years old! The history of mankind falls into two divisions, 1) the vast era of pre-history and 2) the historical period, which covers approximately 6,000 years.

While evolution purportedly takes form before creation, the “creation theory” is more commonly accepted because it is a recorded and documented religion-based history concerning mankind’s beginnings. And, in most cases, ancient writings have been confirmed as factual events through years of theological research into antiquity. The only common bond that the “creation theory” and “evolution theory” share: so many unexplainable answers are just not forthcoming in the appeasement of mankind’s curiosity.

 

Depiction of Mankind Through Evolution



"Historical Timeline"

While there is 6,000 years of human continuum (according to the majority of scholars and theologians of antediluvian history), the scientific community claims prehistoric man came long before Adam. Today, speculation continues concerning such a theoretical summation.

The “creation theory” is as old as antiquity itself and mainly based on individual opinion. According to biblical history of the ancient era, mankind was ‘created and formed from the dust of the earth in God’s own image’ (Genesis 1:26). While the “creation theory” is based on belief through religious faith and consists of individual opinion, it does have a prognostic value and is basically invariable when it comes to the bigger picture.

When examined with objectivity, the “creation theory” manages to explain empirical data with as much credibility as the “evolution theory” proclaims. Many answers remain elusive and unfathomable, but mankind will never fully comprehend the “hows”, which is an element of the creation/evolution controversy.

It seems like a simple theory, but it has sparked such controversy. Mankind has not been able to completely fathom the enigma of life, or the beginnings therein. This lack of understanding can sometimes create chaos for all of those who try to decipher and/or debate the “creation theory”.

"Genealogical Timeline"

According to Christian, Islamic and Jewish ancient history, the world’s civilizations were descended from a common set of parents known as Adam and Eve. The Holy Bibles of the world state that Adam was created from the dust of the Earth and life was given to him when the Creator blew life into his nostrils. Eve was created in the same manner, with the exception of receiving one of Adam’s ribs. The Creator planted a garden [Garden of Eden] and instructed man to “work it and watch over it” (Gen. 2: 15). The first man and woman was allowed to eat from any tree in the garden except for the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, “for on the day you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2: 17). The historical man and woman disobeyed their Creator and did eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Soon after, they were evicted from their fruitful garden and faced many hardships for the remainder of their lives.

 

Depiction of Mankind Through Creation

 

While the minority ideal of prehistoric man once existing on this planet is not a subject agreed upon by all, the written history of mankind - accepted by the majority of people - stands fast as a testimonial of whom we [humankind] are and where we came from.

Human beginnings have been a controversial topic for the last two hundred years, if not longer, and the author does not foresee that the controversy will be dissolved. Rather, this subject has escalated in mankind’s search for answers. Whether one believes that mankind was created or evolved, it will remain a subject of individual belief, thought, and opinion. The knowledge of where the human race originally came from continues to remain the greatest mystery of mankind.

For more information, please visit - www.whos-right.net

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

LABOR DAY is an annual holiday celebrated in the United States of America on the first Monday in September to commemorate the hard labor of those in the workforce and is basically considered a day of rest in our modern times.

Brief History of Labor Day:

The early history of Labor Day is in some dispute among scholars, but most agree that Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor was the first to propose such a celebratory holiday in May of 1882 after witnessing an annual labor festival in Canada. Oregon was the first state to recognize this holiday and started the campaign to make it a legal holiday in 1887. By 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed the law into effect to make Labor Day a national holiday six days after the Pullman Strike, which resulted in a number of deaths. Desperate to reconcile the dispute and fearing further conflict, the United States Congress unanimously voted to approve rush legislation that made Labor Day a national holiday. The September date was orginally chosen by the CLU (Central Labor Union) of New York to distinguish it from the May 1 International Workers' Day (a labour movement of the late 1800's in commemoration of the Haymarket Affair in Chicago). Today, the national holiday is observed in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and all US territories (that have made it a statutory holiday). 



A Biblical Aspect of Labor Day:

Such values as perseverance and diligence in our everyday labor [of work] is a characteristic often praised in the Bible. The Scriptures tell us that work is honorable, no matter what your occupation may be. It is said that hard work results in success and a satisfying life, whereas laziness never fulfills our needs.

 

"In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury." - Proverbs 14:23

 

Therefore, honest toil that is done in a joyful spirit is like a prayer unto the Creator. On the other hand, work can also cause a great deal of frustration. In such a scenario the Bible can help put those bad times in perspective, as well.

 

"Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him:  because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto." - Deuteronomy 15:10

 

and

 

"And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:" - 1 Corinthians 4:12

 



Taken from: Bible Verses About Work - http://christianity.about.com/od/Bible-Verses/a/Work-Bible-Verses.htm

 

In Islam, the Qu'ran states similar verses and depicts the state of those who refuse to follow the path of success and instead choose the path of failure. Such outcomes will result in being rewarded accordingly [for it will be known who succeeded and who failed].

 

[al-Haaqqah 69:25-29]

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, decreed a good life in this world for the one who follows the path of success, He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)”

 

and

 

[Shifa’ al-‘Aleel 37-38]
 

"With this thinking one can overcome every obstacle and every failure, and there is nothing that he cannot achieve; there will be no limit to his hopes and no end to his ambition and resolve.  Rather he will realize that failure is a sign of someone who is striving, because the one who strives is the one who may fail, but the one who does nothing and is lazy will neither fail nor succeed. Effort must inevitably lead to success one day, even if it is a long way off. So he should take failure as a step towards success, learning from it the causes of shortcomings, and trying to overcome them and set them straight, so that he becomes stronger than he was before, until he attains the success for which he is striving. The door of repentance which Allah, may He be exalted, has opened to those who make mistakes and fail is another incentive to overcome failures and attain success, especially if the one who falls short learns from his experience. One of the salaf said: A sin that generates humility and regret is better than an act of obedience that generates self-admiration and arrogance. Finally, with all these motives for attaining success and overcoming failure, there remains no excuse for being inactive or lazy. The way is easy and all it requires of you is some determination, will power and wisdom."

 

Taken from: Islam Question and Answer - http://islamqa.info/en/ref/85362

 

In Conclusion:

 

While Labor Day was originally organized to celebrate various labor associations' strengths and contributions to the United States economy, it was also intended to mark the end of the Summer season. Many envisioned this to be a day filled with parades, festivals, and family gatherings. Those early pioneers who tiredlessly campaigned to make this a national holiday would be happy to discover their efforts were not in vain as we [as a nation] continue to honor the labor of the working force 118 years later.