Old Testament Prophecy

 

By: Shahid Bin Waheed شاهد بن وحيد

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمدلله رب العالمين والصلوة والسلام على اشرف الانبياء وسيدالمرسلين نبينا محمد صل ا لله عليه وعلى آله واصحابه وازواجه اجمعين - امابعد

Thanks to be Allaah, Sustainer of the Universe, and blessing and salutation to be the most distinguish of the Messengers and foremost among the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allaah be on him and on his wives, children and Companions.

Prophecy # 4 Exodus 19:1-11 and 19:17-25; 20:18-22

019:001 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

019:002 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

019:003 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

019:004 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

019:005 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

019:006 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

019:007 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

019:008 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

019:009 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee forever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

019:010 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

019:011 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

019:017 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

019:018 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

019:019 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

019:020 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

019:021 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.

019:022 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.

019:023 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.

019:024 And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.

019:025 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

020:018 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

020:019 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

020:020 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

020:021 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

020:022 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

Israelites were not contended at Mount Sinai to receive the Commandments from God through Moses, as we read in Exodus cited above. Israelites were rather eager to hear the God communicating with Moses on the Mount Sinai. Whereas in the second instance to hear God speaking with Moses and Israelites directly and to see the God through their own eyes.

Once the wish was granted and the very first encounter to witness God scared the life out of Israelites, which is evidence in Exodus 20:19 (“And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”). Thereafter we read in Exodus 20 to 22:

“020:020 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 020:021 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. 020:022 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.”

The Deuteronomy contains what happened next, in which we read very precise details of the dialogue between God and Moses and the Law given in Exodus. The request of the Israelites to be spared from a direct address by God is granted. God reveals His  “Master Plan” to Moses with His eternal scheme of revelation of His Ever-Lasting and Final Word The Glorious Qur’aan through His last Prophet Muhammad. Who would be an Ishmaelite making it perfectly clear that it is the only way the request would be satisfied.

Let us read Deuteronomy 18:16-22 of Old Testament”

018:016 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

018:017 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

018:018 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 018:019 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

018:020 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

018:021 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

018:022 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

The Glorious Quraan says in Surah Al-Imraan Ayah 164:

 

لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ

Allah did confer a great favor on the Believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while before that, they had been in manifest error.

 

We further read in Surah Al-Maidah, Ayah 20 (Qur’aan 5:20):

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنْبِيَاءَ وَجَعَلَكُمْ مُلُوكًا وَآتَاكُمْ مَا لَمْ يُؤْتِ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ

Remember Moses said to his people: "O my People! Call in remembrance the favor of Allah unto you, when He produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave you what He had not given to any other among the peoples.

 Jews like to give this prophecy a spin by claiming that it is about Isaiah, and Christian as usual claim it to be about Jesus. Let us not forget the Christians claim that entire OT is about Jesus, it is absurdly laughable. However, Jewish and Christian claim fail hopelessly in the face of the context of the very Bible itself: “from among thy brethren, like unto thee.”

We notice that the Prophet has to be like “Moses” and not from the Israelites themselves, but among from their brethren Ishmaelites. Further examining the qualities of that Prophet and his characteristics no one matches but the Prophet Muhammad according to Qur’aanic decree.

If for the sake of argument claims of Jews and/or Christians about Isaiah and/or Jesus are to entertain, that makes the language and/or wording of the prophecy very absurd and should have been “from among thee and thy children.” Instead of “brethren”

We read in Glorious Qur’aan Surah Al-Baqaraah, Ayaat 125-129 (Qur’aan 2:125-129):

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَنْ طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ (125) وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ قَالَ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَى عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ (126) وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (127) رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُسْلِمَةً لَكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ (128) رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ (129)

Remember We made the House a place of assembly for men and a place of safety; and take ye the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and We covenanted with Abraham and Isma'il, that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in Prayer). (126) And remember Abraham said: "My Lord, make this a City of Peace, and feed its People with fruits' such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day." He said: "(Yea), and such as reject Faith, for a while will I grant them their Pleasure, but will soon drive them to the torment of Fire, an evil destination (indeed)!" (127) And remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the foundations of the House (with this prayer): "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: for Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (128) "Our Lord! Make of us Muslims bowing to Thy (Will); and of our progeny a people Muslim, bowing to Thy (Will); and show us our places for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn unto us (in Mercy) for Thou art the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. (129) "Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, and sanctify them: for Thou art the Exalted in Might, the Wise."

Deuteronomy 34:10 further impeach the claims of Jews and Christians for Isaiah and/or Jesus to be the prophet “like unto thee”:

034:010 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,

Christians claims that Jesus is like unto thee” (like Moses), I wonder why they forget that Moses was not son of God, neither he was human and god at the same time like Jesus is claimed by Christians to be. Moses got married and died a natural death. He fought the Holy war. Contrary to that Jesus never fought the Holy war, never led an army beside his terrorist attack on temple according to Bible. Jesus never got married, didn’t have children and didn’t die natural death and never got buried like Moses.  Jesus according to Christians died on the cross and rose again after three days, while Moses didn’t die on the cross neither rose again. On the other hand Isaiah was a disciple of Moses. Teacher and disciple are not the same or equal. Isaiah lived at the time of Moses making no occasion for a prophecy about him to be the case since the prophecy says, “I will raise” a clear significant that the prophet will be raised in future time. We must remember that Isaiah was declared prophet at the time of Moses.

 

When we compare Moses and Muhammad (PBUT) we learn that:

 

 

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولً

We have sent to you, (O men!) a Messenger, to be a witness concerning you, even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh.

 

وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى (3) إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى (4)

Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. (4) It is no less than inspiration sent down to him:

 

We further read in Glorious Qur’aan 69:43-46 that says:

 

تَنْزِيلٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (43) وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ (44) لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ  45) ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ (46))

(This is) a Message sent down from the Lord of the Worlds. (44) And if the Messenger were to invent any sayings in Our name, (45) We should certainly seize him by his right hand, (46) And We should certainly then cut off the artery of his heart:

Further examination of the prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:19 which reads “018:019 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.”  This refers to bringing the Code of Life, the Law; waging war against infidels and retaliation etc. this was given to neither Jesus nor Isaiah. We read in New Testament Matthew 5:17 (“005:017 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill”). Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets, the last Messenger; he is the Prophet of this prophecy. This prophecy clearly states that if that prophet falsely speaks other than the commands of God, he will be killed. (Deuteronomy 018:020 “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.”). It is the fact that despite of all the hate, enmity and multiple attempts on the life of Muhammad, he didn’t die and his enemies hopelessly failed to kill him.

Glorious Qur’aan says in 8:30!

وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ

Remember how the Unbelievers plotted against thee, to keep thee in bonds, or slay thee, or get thee out (of thy home). They plot and plan, and Allah too plans, but the best of planners is Allah.

 

In Surah Al-Maidah, Ayah 67 we read:

 

يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ

O Apostle! Proclaim the (Message) which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His Mission. And Allah will defend thee from men (who mean mischief). For Allah guideth not those who reject Faith.

 

Prophet Muhammad remained unharmed and continued to become more revered and eminent. He completed his mission and his message spread all over the world. On the other hand if we apply Deuteronomy 18:20 on Jesus as Jews do   to Jesus who according to Christians was killed then this prophecy makes Jesus a liar and a imposter not a prophet like unto Moses.

 

Further study of Glorious Qur’aan reveals us (Qur’aan 17:74 & 69:44-46):

 

وَلَوْلَا أَنْ ثَبَّتْنَاكَ لَقَدْ كِدْتَ تَرْكَنُ إِلَيْهِمْ شَيْئًا قَلِيلًا

And had We not given thee strength thou wouldst nearly have inclined to them a little.

 

وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ (44)

 لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ (45) ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ (46) فَمَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ الْيَقِينِ

And if the Messenger were to invent any sayings in Our name, (45) We should certainly seize him by his right hand, (46) And We should certainly then cut off the artery of his heart:

As we continue to explore the prophecy and signs mentioned therein about “that Prophet” we read in Deuteronomy 18:22  (“018:022 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”)   that whatever “that Prophet” will speak and prophesies would be fulfilled. A careful examination of Muhammad’s life, his mission and his prophecies' an astonishing fact surfaces that all his prophecies have come to pass and not a single of them has been missed. In fact Muhammad’s enemies called him “Sadiq and Ameen” i.e. Truthful and Trustworthy.

Readers will find it very interesting by reading “Acts 3:17-25” that the prophet mentioned in prophecy as “that Prophet” stands distinguish and separate from Jesus and/or any other Prophet of the Bible.

Acts 3:17-25!

003:017 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. 003:018 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 003:019 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 003:020 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 003:021 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. 003:022 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 003:023 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 003:024 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 003:025 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant, which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

The above verses of Acts also states the rejection and suffering of Jesus by the hands of Jews, but after “that Prophet” mentioned in the prophecy by the Moses who will be of your brethren (the Ishmaelites i.e. Muhammad) [this must be kept in mind that all the prophets including Moses foretold about this promised Prophet] until this promise is not come to pass, the heaven and earth will endure and in that time the covenant of the God which He made with Abraham  “All the kindred of the earth be blessed, shall be fulfilled.”

What need to be noticed in Acts chapter 3:18 in which Paul’s statement “he hath so fulfilled” of Jesus and the Prophet about whom Abraham, Moses and other prophets  (PBUT) have foretold and later in acts 3:21 “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things”, clearly establishes the fact that the prophesied prophet and the pined for prophet stands out distinctly segregating from those prophets who appeared between the time of Moses and Jesus (PBUT). Consequently, there is no such prophet who appeared between Moses and Jesus who can be considered an object of this prophecy including Jesus as well.

John 1:19-22

Reading gospel of John we come across to John 1:19-22  (“001:019 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 001:020 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 001:021 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 001:022 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? That we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?”). 

This obviously proves that Jews were waiting for the arrival of Muhammad (PBUH) because Jews always mentioned Muhammad as “that Prophet”. Gospel of John further provide critical insight about “that Prophet” indicating that he (that Prophet) is other than Jesus let me quote John 7:40  {“ 007:040 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet}. This leaves no doubt that it is Muhammad (SAW), if it is not him then who else can there be who was expected by the Jews and prophesied by Moses?

Many Jews and Christians who reverted to Islaam during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) confirmed and confessed especially Rabbis and Monks that this prophecy is about Muhammad and Jews knew it from the very beginning. To name few who reverted to Islaam is a Jew named Mukaireque, a Roman named Zaghatir and those who confirmed but didn’t embrace Islaam were (1) Heraclius of Byzantine (2) Abdullah bin Suriya a Jew and many others.

 

Another reasons, Jesus was not in the likeness of Moses!

In the New Testament, Jesus has nowhere claimed that the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:18 is about him, even his (Jesus’) disciples have made no such claims on his behalf. It is interesting to know that in fact Bible asserts to the opposite. Actually the very prophecy that Christians claims to be about Jesus puts the Prophethood of Jesus and Christian Church into jeopardy by declaring that:

Deuteronomy

018:020

But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

Bible has further echoed something similar as we read in Deuteronomy 13:1-5!

013:001

If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

013:002

And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

013:003

Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

013:004

Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

013:005

And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not the gods whom the Israelites knew; since they belonged to the category of ‘other gods.’ Whereas according to the Christians, Jesus invited the people of Israel to go after such other gods. A man-god or god-man who could be persecuted was also not known to the Israelites.

 

The fact is that both (Christians & Jews) believe that Jesus was put to death and his signs and miracles availed him not; as the Bible (Torah) tells us that ONLY the false prophet will be met with such fate. Thus, it appears absurd to identify Jesus with Moses (PBUT), especially when the Prophethood of former is obviously questionable according to Bible itself.

 

We further read in Deuteronomy:

034:010

And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,

 

Friday, October 22, 2004

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