Question #25 – How do we prove that the promised Prophet similar to Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-18 is Jesus Christ and not Muhammad? Muslims claim that Deuteronomy 18:15-18 is fulfilled in Muhammad, is that true?
The scripture: DEUTERONOMY 18:15, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. . . x x x 18, I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren. . .”
Answer: No, the passage does not apply to Muhammad, the Arabian. It applies to Jesus Christ, an Israelite.
Explanation: There are several steps to take in order to have a good view about the Christian claim:
1. Observe closely the grammar of the text. Deut. 1:1 Moses speaks to the people of Israel. Same thing in Deut. 18:1, the people addressed are the Israelites. Not Ishmaelites or Arabs. The wording in verse 15 is “from your midst” and “from among their brethren”. Deut. 1:1 reads, “These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of Jordan in the wilderness in the plain opposite Suph between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.” The text does not talk to Arabians who claim they sprang from Ishmael, the son of the Egyptian handmaid Hagar. Muhammad did not come from the midst & among the Israelite people.
Ishmael and Hagar were sent away by Abraham through the insistence of Sarah. And Yahweh approved of it. So the Ishmaelites became another tribe, another nation. Ishmaelites were the traders who bought Joseph who in turn sold Joseph in Egypt finally ending as the house helper in the compound of an Egyptian army officer. Is Jesus Christ a full-blooded Israelite? Yes. He was born of the Virgin Mary, whose genealogy is traced in Matthew 1 and Luke 3:23-38 – full blooded Israelite!!! Conclusion: Muhammad is not the Prophet spoken of as fulfillment.
2. Muslims also recognize the Torah as their book (5 books of Moses). Genesis 17:19 says, “Then God said,
‘No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.” Evangelist Luke by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, testifies that Jesus Christ, not Muhammad, fulfills this by submitting a genealogy ending with Jesus Christ in Luke 3:23 and is traced back to Abraham in 3:34, “the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham.” Conclusion: Is Muhammad a descendant of Isaac? No, he is a descendant of Ishmael.
3. Muslims recognize the Torah. Genesis 21:8-18 says that Hagar and Ishmael were sent away. God said,
“Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice, for in Isaac your seed shall be called.” So the seed of Abraham, and the inheritance of the promises especially the coming of the Prophet is via Isaac and not thru Ishmael. Apostle Paul in Romans 9:4 testifies this way, “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.” Not thru the Ishmaelites via the Quraish tribe of Arabia from whence Muhammad sprang up.
4 The Samaritan nation also recognized the Torah as their book and the people knew that the Messiah would come which idea comes from Deut. 18:15-18. So the woman of Samaria expressed the idea that since Jesus of Nazareth knew all her dark secrets He must be the Messiah. See John 4:19, 25. And Christ says in John 4:26, “Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.” If Jesus is not the Prophet, he would be a liar.
5. King David is recognized by Islam as a prophet and he prophesied in Psalms 16:10, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Apostle Peter who was a personal witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ mentions this promise in Acts 2:27 as fulfilled in Jesus not fulfilled in Muhammad. Christ’s resurrection was witnessed by 11 original apostles, by 500 disciples mentioned in 1 Cor. 15; by the 120 disciples in Acts 1. Muhammad has not fulfilled this prophecy of King David. Muhammad has returned to the dust in his grave up to this day. And David could not be wrong because he spoke by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Sam. 23:1-4).
6. Jesus Christ is recognized as a prophet by Muslims. In John 5:46 Christ Himself said, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.” Numbers 21:9 – about the brazen serpent lifted up in a pole to neutralize snake venom. Christ said that his crucifixion on a tree is the fulfillment as in John 12:32-34. Muhammad was not lifted up on a tree as the fulfillment of this brazen serpent. So Christ must be that Prophet promised in Deut. 18:15-18. Further, Christ is a prophet or spokesman of God says Hebrews 1:1 2.
7. The Father in heaven has testified that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ and should be the one heard or listened to as regards our relationship with God. This testimony is found in Matt. 3:16 during the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River, and also in Matt. 17:5 during the transfiguration on Mt. Hermon together with Moses and Elijah which was witnessed by John, James and Peter. This is confirmed in Heb. 1:2, that in these last days, God speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ. Not through Muhammad.
Conclusion: Our presentation above amply proves the point that Deut. 18:15-18 points to Jesus Christ as fulfillment. Attributes assigned to Muhammad do not tally with the text of Deut. 18:15-18 and the testimony of the Gospel accounts.