"Is Muhammad prophecied in the Bible? no and yes"

Submitted by Lactantius Jr (United Kingdom), Nov 3, 2008 at 12:23

To Keith Williams

Once again, I thank you most warmly for your very gracious words and complimentary remarks about my knowledge, research and skills. I appreciate them very much, and compliment you on your winsomeness of expression, repeating that as a fellow human being I greatly respect you, but do not respect the Islam of Muhammad for reasons I have already described.

Like many Muslims, you claim the Bible contains prophecies about Muhammad, and the Bible does indeed contain clear prophecies about him, these being documented below.

The Qur'an expressly states that both the Old and New Testaments contain references to Muhammad:

Those who follow the Messenger, The unlettered Prophet, Whom they find mentioned In their own (Scriptures)—In the Law and the Gospel— ... It is they who will prosper.

Surah 7:157

"And remember, Jesus, The son of Mary, said: ‘O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (Sent) to you, confirming The Law (which came) Before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger To come after me, Whose name shall be Ahmad [i.e. Muhammad]."

Surah 61:6

The Bible verses you partially quote, have Jesus using the Greek word paraclete to describe Who He was going to send to His disciples, paraclete usually being rendered Advocate, Intercessor Comforter or Helper, with perhaps no English word broad enough to cover all the significance of the word "Paraclete" except the word "Helper." The Spirit helps the disciples in all the above-indicated ways. Of course the objection to this translation is that it is too indefinite. The specific Christian conception is lost in the comprehensiveness of the term. Our conclusion, therefore, is that the term "Paraclete" itself would perhaps be the best designation of the Holy Spirit in the passage in John's Gospel.

Cited in Paraclete in the Bible at http://www.bible-history.com/isbe/P/PARACLETE/

Jesus prophecy was that the paraclete would be in them and dwell with them forever. This was something entirely new, and it was by no means invalidated because the Holy Spirit was already in Jesus.

Jesus says that the paraclete would be with his disciples forever. In no sense was Muhammad ever with Jesus' disciples, let alone with them permanently, and according to Jesus' prophecy, the world cannot receive the paraclete because it cannot see Him. Thousands of people saw Muhammad during his lifetime, for he was visible. Thus, the invisible paraclete cannot be the visible Muhammad.

Jesus tells the disciples that the paraclete was already with them. While the paraclete was with Jesus' disciples, Muhammad wasn't born for more than five centuries after this prophecy and therefore couldn't have been with them.

The paraclete was to be in the disciples. Muhammad is not in Jesus' followers and never will be. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, filled the believers at Pentecost and has been in Christians ever since. Jesus said that He would send the paraclete from the Father. Muslims do not believe that Muhammad was sent by Jesus; they believe that Muhammad was sent by Allah. So, unless Muslims are willing to admit that Jesus is the all-Holy Triune God, they should not accept this as a prophecy about Muhammad.

Finally, prior to his ascension, Jesus predicted that his followers would "be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" Acts 1:5. The Holy Spirit came to Jesus' followers shortly after his ascension to the Father:

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:1-4

Thus, the fulfillment of this prophecy came within a matter of days. Muhammad came more than five hundred years later.

Putting all of this together, it is seen that Muhammad could not have been the paraclete. He was not with the apostles, he was not in the apostles, he was not with them forever, he was not invisible, he was not sent by Jesus, and he did not come quickly, as Jesus said He would. Yet the Holy Spirit matches this description perfectly. Jesus identified the paraclete as the Holy Spirit, Who was with the disciples, was in them at Pentecost, was invisible, came quickly, was sent by Jesus, and has been with Christians for nearly two thousand years.

Biblical prophecies that do apply to Muhammad

Consider the following passages drawn from the New Testament:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"

Matthew 7:15-16

"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:9-11

"And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

2 Corinthians 11:14-15

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron."

1 Timothy 4:1-2

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

2 Timothy 4:3-4

These verses need not be applied solely to Muhammad. Yet, without a doubt, Muhammad is a fulfillment of many New Testament prophecies. First, Jesus said that false prophets come in sheep's clothing, but are actually ravening wolves. Muhammad fits this criterion better than anyone else in history. He convinced his followers that he was the greatest moral example in history, yet he murdered countless people, took part in the slave trade, allowed husbands to beat their wives, allowed his men to have sex with their female slaves, had at least nine wives at one time, admittedly spoke Satan's words, that neither he nor his listeners could distinguish from Allah's words, and had sex with a nine-year-old girl. If Muhammad doesn't fulfill Jesus' prophecy, then who does?

Next, Jesus said that false prophets would arise, and that they would deceive many. There are currently more than a billion Muslims in the world, and Islam is one of the world's fastest growing religions. This means that Muhammad is the greatest false prophet of all time, and the most obvious fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy.

Third, the Apostle Paul said that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. If Muhammad had been aware of this, perhaps he would have trusted his first instinct when a spirit claiming to be Gabriel suddenly appeared to him. Muhammad's first impression of his revelations was that he was under demonic attack. This is a clear fulfillment of the Apostle Paul's words.

Fourth, the Apostle Paul said that people would give heed to "seducing spirits" and "doctrines of devils." Muhammad's infamous "Satanic Verses" provide a striking example of this. The Prophet of Islam received revelations saying that it was okay for his followers to pray to gods besides Allah. Later, he claimed that Satan had put those words on his lips. Muhammad was therefore seduced by the doctrines of Satan, just as the Apostle Paul predicted.

Fifth, the Apostle Paul predicted that a time would come when people would not listen to sound doctrine. Instead, they would turn their ears away from the truth and listen to fables. An application of this prophecy can be made to Muslims today. While there are many Muslims who do seek the truth, there are also many who don't seem to care where the evidence points. Instead of acknowledging that Islam is an untenable religion, they go to teachers like Zaki Naik, Jamal Badawi , Shabir Ally and others, who tell them "what their itching ears want to hear."

These prophecies may all be applied to Muhammad and to Islam. Thus, when Muhammad claimed that other messengers of the all-holy God had prophesied about him, he was correct. The problem is that these messengers predicted the rise of false prophets, not the rise of a new religion after Christianity. Tragically, most people haven't heeded the warnings of the prophets. To this day, many even reject the words of Jesus Christ. Yet when a man rises from the dead, vindicated by the all-holy Triune God, everyone should listen to what He says. And when this risen man tells us that false prophets will come, we should be extremely suspicious of anyone claiming to be a prophet—especially one with Muhammad's character flaws. Indeed, in addition to his other flaws, Muhammad is guilty of rejecting one of the clearest prophecies in history, a prophecy about the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, "the suffering servant:"

"Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, And as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; And when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; And with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: And who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living: For the transgression of my people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, And with the rich in His death; Because He had done no violence, Neither was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: By His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, And he shall divide the spoil with the strong; Because He hath poured out his soul unto death: And he was numbered with the transgressors; And He bare the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors."

Isaiah 53:1-12

So, neither the Bible nor the Lord Jesus Christ prophecy the coming of a prophet after Him in the line of Biblical prophets, who will close the line of prophets, but yes, most emphatically yes, the Lord Jesus Christ does prophecy the coming of false prophets after Him, and Muhammad exactly ‘foots the bill.'

I conclude by saying it is very telling that an ‘Open Challenge' made to Shabir Ally by Sam Shamoun, nearly seven years ago on 25^th.November 2001, has not yet been accepted, with Sam saying,

"His unwillingness to debate this topic only reinforces our suspicions that Shabir is aware that he cannot win such a debate. I have requested such a debate many times in personal communication with him. He always finds ways to avoid it."

Therefore, I am issuing a public challenge to Shabir Ally.

Debate me on the credibility of your prophet.

http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Shabir-Ally/challenge.htm

Does it bother you Mr Williams that one of Islam's premier debaters is clearly unwilling to publicly debate Muhammad's prophetic credentials?

With kind regards and best wishes

Lactantius Jr

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