Why Christianity and Islam Spread: A Jewish Perspective on God’s Plan for Humanity

In a previous article, we discussed the historical reasons behind the global spread of Christianity and Islam, and how they managed to endure despite their internal inconsistencies, which become apparent to any careful observer. In this article, we will explore the deeper, inner spiritual explanation. This truth lies beneath the surface.

Humanity’s First Encounter With the Torah

Judaism teaches that God does not expect the nations of the world to observe more than the Seven Noahide Laws, the first of which is the prohibition against idol worship. As is well known, Avraham the Hebrew was the first person to independently discover belief in God, long before he merited divine revelation at the age of seventy. This belief in one God who created the world, is required of all humanity.

We may therefore say that the Torah’s first message to mankind is monotheism: faith in one infinite and eternal God. Despite their distortions, Christianity and Islam spread this message, and through them it became more widespread than any belief system in human history.

How the Torah Reached the Entire World

Today, Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions in the world. Through them, the Torah became the most influential book on Earth, and the Jewish people gained worldwide recognition.

Because of exposure to Torah concepts, most nations today believe in the idea of a Messiah, know of the Jewish people and Jerusalem, and anticipate a future redemption of the world.

It should also be noted that billions of people in China, India, and Africa were deeply influenced by these religions, especially as they observed the material success and prosperity of their adherents. As a result, their moral outlooks and belief systems shifted. Many Indians and Chinese no longer believe in the primitive idols of their ancestors, transforming ancient idol worship into folklore or cultural tradition rather than true religion. It is reasonable to assume that exposure to Christianity and Islam played a significant role in this transformation.

A Remarkable Common Denominator

The two largest religions in the modern world share only one essential common denominator: belief in the Torah of Israel.

It is difficult to see this as coincidence. Out of more than 4,000 religions throughout history, the two most dominant are monotheistic and rooted in Jewish Scripture.

Although Jesus and Muhammad were false prophets who never offered national revelation, the religions founded in their names nevertheless spread belief in the Torah and its core principles across humanity. Today, the Torah is the most printed, translated, and influential book in the world, and there is no nation that has not heard of the Jewish people.

A Divine Opportunity for the Nations

I believe that through this process, God gave the nations of the world an opportunity to recognize Him and achieve some level of closeness to His truth. As the Sages taught:
“God did not exile Israel among the nations except so that converts would be added to them, as it is written: ‘I will sow her for Me in the land’” (Pesachim 87b).

Can any sincere seeker of God or truth engage seriously with faith without encountering the Torah? Any non-Jew who searches for truth must first approach our Book of Books, the most widely known and influential text in human history. Anyone who truly seeks truth can easily recognize the authenticity of the Torah.

God, who examines hearts and minds, guides every sincere seeker toward Judaism. As the Sages taught: “A person is led along the path he wishes to take.” One who genuinely seeks truth will be helped by God to find the truth of Judaism. This is precisely why God ensured that no book would be more widely known than the Torah.

A Global Awakening Before Redemption

Maimonides wrote the following about Christianity and Islam: “Is there a greater stumbling block than this? All the prophets spoke of the Messiah as the redeemer of Israel who would gather its exiles and strengthen its observance of the commandments. Yet this man caused Israel to be destroyed by the sword, its remnant scattered and humiliated, the Torah replaced, and most of the world led astray to serve a god other than the Lord…

But the thoughts of the Creator are beyond human understanding. All these matters concerning Jesus the Nazarene and the Ishmaelite who arose after him serve only to pave the way for the King Messiah and to prepare the entire world to serve God together, as it is written: ‘For then I will turn the nations to a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord and serve Him with one accord.’

How so? The world has already been filled with talk of the Messiah, the Torah, and the commandments, and these ideas have spread to distant islands and to many uncircumcised nations. When the true Messiah arises and succeeds, is exalted and uplifted, they will all return and realize that their ancestors inherited falsehood, and that their prophets and forefathers misled them.” (Laws of Kings, Chapter 11)

Preparing the World for Truth

Through exposure to the Torah, most of humanity has already abandoned crude idol worship. Christianity and Islam can therefore be seen as a partial step toward the truth of Judaism. God allowed these religions to spread as a preparation for humanity’s ultimate encounter with the full truth of the Torah. Through them, nations came to recognize the God of Israel, the Jewish people, and the hope for redemption.

When the final redemption arrives, speedily in our days, the nations will abandon the falsehoods of Christianity and Islam, separate truth from error, and reconnect to the original and authentic truth of Judaism.

The Vision of the Prophets

The prophets foresaw this moment: “They shall no longer teach one another, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the smallest to the greatest” (Yirmiyahu 31:33).

“And it shall come to pass in the end of days that the mountain of the House of the Lord shall be established at the top of the mountains… and all nations shall flow to it. Many peoples shall go and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Yaakov, and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For from Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Yeshayahu 2:2).

In the end of days, all nations will recognize the truth. From the smallest to the greatest, all will know God. His Name will be one throughout the world, meaning that all humanity will recognize the true God of Israel and serve Him together.

A Hunger for Truth

In the meantime, God continues to prepare hearts for this message: “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine upon the land — not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11).

There is a divine plan and a process of awakening in the world. As the Sages taught: “Two thousand years of chaos, two thousand years of Torah, and two thousand years of Mashiach” (Avodah Zarah 19b).

Summary

1. There is no truth like the truth of the Torah, for only Israel merited national revelation at Mount Sinai.

2. The two largest religions in the world imitated Judaism and succeeded in influencing millions of idol worshippers by offering a more rational belief system than that of their ancestors, without demanding binding commandments.

3. These religions helped move humanity away from idol worship toward belief in the Creator and partial observance of the Seven Noahide Laws, which explains their global success.

4. Their spread created humanity’s first broad exposure to the Torah, enabling any nation to connect to the eternal people.

5. Today, humanity recognizes the Jewish people and anticipates redemption, so that when the true Mashiach arrives, soon in our days, the nations will acknowledge him and recognize the redemption of Israel.