Session 13
Q.
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to this new episode. Today we answer a very
important question through discussing John 1:21, ‘And they asked him, ‘what
then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he
answered, ‘No.’ Together we resume our study with Dr. Nagi
Youssef. Last episode we talked together about the
Jewish Priests asking Prophet John, son of Zechariahs, about whom he is. They
asked him, ‘Are you Elijah?’ ‘He said ‘I am not’ ‘are you the Prophet?’ ‘And he
answered, ‘no’. Dr. Nagi you said that the question
of the Jewish leaders to Prophet John the Baptist, whether he was “the Prophet
", is linked to a prophecy stated in Deuteronomy 18:15. Could you please
give us an idea about the prophecy?
A. God
gave the prophecy to Moses, spokesman of God, as he was instructing the People
of Israel before he died. He said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a
Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. To Him you shall hear’.
Deuteronomy 18:15. The People of Israel waited in anticipation for this Prophet
until John, son of Zechariahs came. He was the first to appear after 400 years
of silence on the part of the Almighty. As we already said, they believed he
might be the Prophet, but he said he was not.
Q.
Beloved Moslems believe that this Prophet that Moses prophesied about was the
Prophet of Islam. You said he was not. Why wouldn't he be the Prophet of Islam?
A. The Prophet mentioned in this prophecy could not possibly be
the Prophet of Islam for many irrefutable reasons, of which I’ll mention a few:
Reviewing the prophecy, we find that it says, ‘the Lord your God will raise up
for you’, meaning the People of Israel. In other words, Moses tells his People
that the Prophet of which he is prophesying will come to the People of Israel –
not to the Arabs, nor to any other nation. As for the Prophet of Islam, he was
an Arab, and had an Arabic tongue, not a Hebrew one. Moses, spokesman of God confirmed that the
Prophet would come from you midst. Whether Moses meant a geographic location by
“midst “or physically from the midst of the People of Israel, this does not
apply to the Prophet of Islam. The Prophet of Islam was not from the People of
Israel, and geographically speaking, he did not appear in
Q.
The word ‘from your brethren’ does not mean ‘from you’ (not from your
descendents), as per the beloved Moslems say. They say that had the prophecy
been meant for the People of Israel, he would have said, ‘from you’. But ‘from
your brethren’ means the descendents of Ishmael, from hence came the Prophet of
Islam.
A. The
prophecy said ‘your brethren’ and not you, simply because Moses was addressing
12 tribes, not one tribe or group. If he had been addressing one tribe from
whom the Prophet was to come, he would have said “from you”– meaning the tribe.
But the prophecy did not identify a tribe in particular. He was therefore
addressing each tribe saying, from your brethren, meaning one of the other 11
tribes. Had Moses been addressing the tribe of
Q.
Why couldn't ‘your brethren’ be ascribed to the sons of Ishmael?
A.
Because the sons of Ishmael were in constant animosity with the People of
Israel; they did not live among the People of Israel. Also when God promised
Abraham, friend of the Almighty, of a son, Abraham asked God, saying ‘Oh that
Ishmael might live before you!’ then God said: ‘No, Sarah your wife shall bear
you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac’. Genesis 17:18, 19. And further
the Lord God Almighty says ‘for in Isaac your seed shall be called’ Genesis
21:12. Thus the Almighty was speaking of the seed (descendents) who would
inherit the promise that God Almighty had given to Father Abraham, and the
Prophet of Islam is not a descendent of any of the tribes of
Q.
Are there any other proofs that this prophesy could not possible be meant for
the Prophet of Islam?
A.
There is indeed strong evidence that implies within many other proofs, it is
the word, “like me“. Let us recall the prophecy; it says “the Lord your God
will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst". It was Moses,
spokesman of God who said those words, specifying that the coming Prophet had
to be like him – like Moses, Prophet of the Almighty.
Q.
In what sense should the Prophet resemble Moses?
A.
This is a very good question. In my opinion, the Prophet of which Moses,
spokesman of God, prophesied, had to resemble him in every thing.
Q.
You know that it is impossible for two People to be identical in all things. In
any context, two compared People could never be identical.
A. It
is true that there are no two identical People, even though they resemble each
other in many ways. But two resembling each other, could never be repellent to
each other – one contradictory to the other, or else, they could not be told to
resemble one another
Q.
Could you please give us some examples of disparity between the two Prophets?
A.
First: Origin wise, Moses spokesman of God Almighty was Jewish; he belonged to
the People of Israel. The Prophet of Islam is of Arabic origin though, coming
from the tribe of “Quraish “in the
Q.
Dr Nagi, it is quite clear that there are many
differences between Moses, spokesman of God, and the Prophet of Islam?
A.
Well, in my opinion, the most substantial difference between both is the teaching
that God Almighty had sent. All the laws and obligations that God Almighty had
given to Moses were annulled and voided by the Prophet of Islam.
Q.
Could you please give us an example of this teaching?
A.
Moses, Spokesman of God, brought about clear texts on sacrifices and
redemption: Man had to offer sacrifices to atone for his sins. The Prophet of
Islam never recognized the need for a sacrifice to atone for the Sin of Man; he
did not recognize redemption either.
Moses spokesman of God introduced an order of Priesthood, headed by
Prophet Aaron. whereas Islam absolutely rejected this Priesthood order,
declaring that there is no Priesthood in Islam, neither is there offering of
sacrifices for atonement Moses, spokesman of God believed and admitted that the
promised son of Abraham, Father of all believers, is Isaac, and that it was
Isaac whom Abraham, friend of the Almighty's attempted to present as a burnt
offering to God on Mount Moriah. Whereas the Prophet
of Islam said that Abraham’s promised son was Ishmael. Prophet Moses declared that the People of
Israel were God's chosen People, where as the Prophet of Islam told his People
that they are the best nation ever descended of Mankind (translator's version).
Q.
Are there other differences between the Prophet of God, and Prophet of Islam?
A. It
is quite clear that Prophet Moses loved his People, the People of Israel, and
was dedicated to serve them. He never waged, nor led war against them; he never
regarded them as enemies, nor has he ever provoked his followers to fight them,
as did the Prophet of Islam. Besides, it is clear that the People of Israel
were under the impression that the Prophet that Moses, spokesman of God had
prophesied was to come before the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name)
came, not after Him. That’s why they asked John, son of Zechariahs, whether he
was the Prophet. The prophecy does not tell of a Prophet who was to come after
the Lord Christ (Glory be to His Name), as is the case with the Prophet of
Islam. These evidences are only a few; there are many other irrefutable proofs
that are hard to recount in this context due to time limitation. The bottom
line is that the Prophet of whom Moses, spokesman of God, was referring to in
his prophecy is someone else, other than the Prophet of Islam.
Q.
If the Prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy is not the Prophet of Islam, and not
John, son of Zechariahs, then who is he?
A.
Simply, He is the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name).
Q.
Dr Nagi, from what you had just said, it is clear
that the Prophet to in Deuteronomy, could not possibly be the Prophet of
Islam. But to say that it is the Lord
Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name), this is somewhat odd?
A.
What is odd about it? Why couldn't be the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name)
be meant by this prophecy?
Q.
First, because the prophecy says, ‘a Prophet will
came’, not the Lord Christ will come. Second you had said that the Jews were
convinced that the Prophet would come before the Christ (Messiah). Third: The
teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name) was different from the
teaching of Moses, spokesman of God.
A. Let
us discuss these three points, since they could be misunderstood, leading
someone to think that the Prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:15 is someone
else other than the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name). First, there is nothing odd about the Lord
Jesus Christ being a Prophet, since among His many attributes that He is
Prophet, King, Priest, and God Almighty revealed in human flesh; all of which
are marvelous attributes, and heavenly jobs, that are not assigned save to
those chosen by God Almighty. That the Lord Christ (Glory be to His Name) is a
Prophet, is only natural. God Almighty as a Messenger sent him to People - as
guidance and mercy to mankind. Therefore saying that the Lord Jesus Christ is a
Prophet and Messenger does not undermine Him by any means.
Q.
Dr. Nagi, how can the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to
His Name) be a Prophet or Messenger of God, yet be God revealed in human flesh?
A.
I've answered this question several times before, saying that we need to
differentiate between the Lord Jesus Christ as God in heaven, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, the man walking on earth.
A man who has a human body could be said to be Prophet, Messenger, King,
Priest and others. But being God, or essence of God, He exists ever eternally.
Thus He could not, in this context, be called Prophet or Messenger. He is the
One who sends messengers and Prophets.
Q.
What about the conviction of the Jews, that the Prophet would come before the
Lord Christ, or the Messiah, comes to the world?
A.
This was the conviction of the Jess, or some of them, that the Prophet had to
come before the Messiah, but the prophecy did not state this. Still the
prophecy could not apply to a Prophet who would come after the Messiah (the
Lord Jesus Christ) came to the world. That’s why some of the Jews believed that
the Prophet of which Moses, spokesman of God prophesied, is the anticipated
Messiah.
Q.
What is your proof that some yews believed that the Prophet could be the
Messiah?
A.
This was clear in the question posed by the Jewish Priests to John the Baptist.
First they questioned him if he was the Messiah; when he confessed, did not
deny, but confessed that he was not the Messiah, they asked him if he was
Elijah. (Elijah was supposed to come before the Messiah as per the prophecy of
Malachi). Then they asked him if he was the Prophet. If they had believed that
the Prophet would come after the Messiah, knowing that the Messiah hadn't come
yet, then their question would be absurd (meaningless). How could he not be the
Messiah who is assumedly supposed to come before the Prophet, yet they ask if
he was the Prophet. It is either that
the Prophet is the person of the Lord Christ Himself, or someone who preceded
Him, but never a person who would come after Him.
Q.
Well, based on this theory, it is possible to believe that the Prophet is the
person of the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name) as you have explained
before, He is Prophet, Messenger, and God revealed in human flesh. Then it is
either that the Prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy is the person of the Lord
Jesus Christ, or someone who preceded Him. But it is clear that the teachings
of the Lord Christ are different from those of Moses. The words ‘like me’ which
Prophet Moses therefore said in his prophecy, ‘the Lord your God will raise up
for you a Prophet like me’, do not apply to the Lord Christ
A. the
words “like me’ definitely apply to the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His
Name) in many aspects. Even where both are not identical, they are not
repellent.
Q.
Would you please give us examples as you did while comparing between Prophet
Moses, and the Prophet of Islam?
A.
Well to start with, origin wise, the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord of the heavens,
was physically a descendent of David, from the descendents of Abraham, friend
of the Almighty. In other words, He
belonged to the People of Israel. Education wise, He was not illiterate, but
well educated the Holy Scripture says of Him that Jesus increased in wisdom and
stature’, and that He used to debate with the Jewish instructors when He was 12
years old. His call was meant for the People of Israel at first, as is said in
John 1:11, 'He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him “His own’
refers to the People of Israel, as we explained in a previous episode. The Lord
Christ was never hostile to his People, the Jews, He rather pleaded for them,
just like Moses did, and even more. He did not battle against them using swords,
but rather stopped His disciples from killing one of them, as they came to
arrest and crucify Him. Also the words "from your brethren”, which came in
the prophecy apply to the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name), because He
descended from the tribe of
Q.
What about the teaching of both? It is clear that Moses set an order of
Priesthood, sacrifices and promoted the concept of redemption that the Lord
Christ did not instruct of, but rather instructed of a different Law?
A. The Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name) said, ‘do not
think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy
but to fulfill’. Mathew 5:17. The Lord
Christ demanded that Christians keep all the Ten Commandments that God Almighty
had given to Moses, spokesman of God. As
for the principle of redemption, the Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name)
has confirmed it by His death on the cross. the Lord
Christ did not abrogate the order of sacrifices which God Almighty had
presented to Prophet Moses, He rather fulfilled it by offering Himself once as
a sacrifice, and thus He satisfied the justice of God Almighty. Moses
encouraged and provoked his followers to be well armed with power and horses in
order to frighten away their enemies, the enemies of the Almighty. The Lord
Jesus Christ (Glory be to His Name) granted His
followers special spiritual power to overcome their enemies: not by sword, nor
by horses, rather by Love, benevolence and self denial. He thus fulfilled what
was lacking in the Law of Moses, spokesman of God: Love. Moses had instructed the People of Israel to
present a faultless lamb in the Passover; the Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself,
as a sacrifice in the Passover, in order to fulfill what was written in the
Holy Scripture, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us? I Co
5:7. To sum it up, there is a complete
resemblance between the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that of Moses,
spokesman of God. As for any teachings which came after the Lord Christ came to
earth, those were totally contradictory to what Prophet Moses, and our Lord
Prophet and God, the Lord Jesus Christ, had left us
Q.
Dr Nagi, in the end of this episode, I would like to
ask you to sum up your answers to these questions, in one sentence?
A. The Prophet whom the Jews had asked John the Baptist about,
with reference to the prophecy stated in the book of Deuteronomy, applies
completely on the Lord Jesus Christ. It
and does not in any sense apply to the Prophet of Islam.