Machmad and "Muhammad foretold in the Bible"

Submitted by Lactantius Jr (United Kingdom), Jan 1, 2013 at 17:41

To Mark Chetkin

Great to hear that you witness to Muslims. I wish there were many, many more Christians like you, how we need a clear presentation of the gospel of grace to Muslims.

First off , let me apologise for not responding to you before now, but I've been away from home and off-line, anyhow here goes.

Some Muslims claim that Song of Solomon 5:16 mentions Muhammad by name but this is a false claim spread by Islamic dawagandists such as Ahmed Deedat, Zakir Naik and Shabir Ally, and now widely used by Muslims influenced by them.

The claim is that the phrase "altogether lovely" means Muhammad. The source of this claim is a false Latinised translation of the Hebrew, "חִכֹּו֙ מַֽמְתַקִּ֔ים וְכֻלֹּ֖ו מַחֲמַדִּ֑ים זֶ֤ה דֹודִי֙ וְזֶ֣ה רֵעִ֔י בְּנֹ֖ות יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃". The word "machmad"(pronounced Makh Mawd) meaning - "delightful; hence, a delight, i.e. object of affection or desire -- beloved, desire, goodly, lovely, pleasant (thing)". Naik/Deedat/Ally et al claim the above to be 'Muhammad' however this is incorrect from all examinations of the word, and seems to have spread from Naik's own inventive translation. (NB. Naik does not understand Hebrew).

I think the best help I can give you with responding to the Muslim claims to find Muhammad prophesied in Song of Solomon 5:16 is to mention links where James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries and others, respond to this claim,

Does the Name of Muhammad Appear in Song of Solomon 5:16?

http://tinyurl.com/a9ahuk3

Does Song of Songs mention Muhammad's name?

http://tinyurl.com/amdxyd8

Muhammad mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon 5:16?

http://tinyurl.com/482ay29

Is Muhammad Mentioned in the Song of Solomon?

http://tinyurl.com/adth5ts

and here are other links dealing with the oft-asserted Islamic claim to find Muhammad prophesied in the Bible.

Are there Prophecies about Muhammad in the Bible?

http://tinyurl.com/yv2au6

Are there Prophecies of Muhammad in the Bible?

http://tinyurl.com/adrjj47

Refuting Zakir Naik on Muhammad in the Bible

http://tinyurl.com/anh3rpq

Muhammad in the Bible? An Analysis of the Muslim Appeal to Biblical Prophecy

http://tinyurl.com/5wv98qt

The Deuteronomy Deductions Two Short, Sound, Simple Proofs that Muhammad Was a False Prophet

http://tinyurl.com/azun2ks

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.'

Seeking to witness to Muslims and denying their arguments that Muhammad is foretold in the Bible, together with demonstrating that he was in fact a false prophet, will inevitably provoke some of them to anger and maybe to violence against you, and I caution you against this possibility.

With kind regards and all good wishes, and praying blessing on your witness to Muslims.

Jesus Christ is Lord

Lactantius Jr

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