Having considered what the New Testament writers teach about Jesus, let us now observe what the Old Testament prophets taught regarding Him. Jude records what an early prophet foretold of Jesus. Enoch, the seventh from Adam said these words:
Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him (Jude 14-15).
This is indeed a prophecy that occurred even before the Flood, but it is describing not that judgment but the one that occurs at the end of time. It harmonizes well with what Jesus taught in John 5:27-29, as well as what Paul described in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. The Lord, then, in Jude 14-15 is not Allah or even the Father. It is Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Man.
King David also prophesied of Jesus, and Peter quoted what he wrote in Psalm 16:8-11 on the Day of Pentecost to prove that Jesus would rise from the dead. Muhammad, however, did not believe that Jesus rose from the dead because He was never crucified. This is the teaching of Sura 4 (about 155-58):
And for their saying, “Verily we have slain the Messiah, Jesus the Son of Mary, an Apostle of God.” Yet they slew him not, and they crucified him not, but they had only his likeness. And they who differed about him were in doubt concerning him: No sure knowledge had they about him, but followed only an opinion, and they did not really slay him, but God took him up to Himself.
So, how can David prophesy of the resurrection of Christ, when, according to Muhammad, He was never crucified or buried? David also wrote the words that Jesus spoke on the cross: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me” (Ps. 22:1). If Jesus was not crucified, then He was not on the cross, and He could not have spoken these words. In this same Psalm, David writes:
They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing cast lots (Ps. 22:16b-18).
All of these were fulfilled at the cross, which Muhammad said Jesus was never on! Muslims do not believe the Old Testament prophets—neither Enoch nor David. Their advertisement which claims they do is a lie. They do not believe the prophets at all.
Isaiah prophesied of the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14), which Matthew says was fulfilled when Mary gave birth to Jesus (Matt. 1:18-23). Luke explains that the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and overshadowed her. Therefore the Holy One Who was born of her would be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). However, Muhammad rejected the Deity of Jesus (as seen in the previous article). One would think Muhammad would reject the virgin birth, but he does not per se. He seems to accept the fact that Mary gave birth to Jesus.
He does not necessarily attribute the birth to the Holy Spirit, but just says that Jesus resulted from “an act of divine will,” which is true but ambiguous. Muhammad did not believe Jesus is the Son of God (as per the previous article); so, although he accepts Isaiah 7:14 in some measure, he does not accept the implications of the verse (along with the explicit statement of Luke and all of the evidence of the Deity of Jesus in the New Testament).
Isaiah 53 prophesies of the death of Jesus on the cross. He was “wounded for our transgressions” (v. 5) (except He was never crucified). “And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death” (v. 9). Oh, but wait. God didn’t allow Jesus to be crucified; so He could not have been between the two thieves (the wicked). And since God took Him to heaven Himself, He could not have been buried in a new tomb owned by a wealthy man (the rich). When did Jesus, therefore, suffer “the travail of His soul” (v. 11) and pour out “His soul unto death” (v. 12), if not on the cross? Muslims do not believe Isaiah any more than they do David.
Speaking of the death of Jesus, He Himself foretold it on three occasions prior to its occurrence, as the following verses indicate:
And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again (Mark 8: 31).
or He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day” (Mark 9: 31).
“And they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit upon Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again” (Mark 10:34).
Notice Jesus did not say that the Father would save Him from crucifixion and death—but that they would kill Him. Muhammad is wrong about the prophets.
Almost everyone knows of the prophecy that Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem—from Micah 5:2, but it is important to notice the description that occurs at the end of the verse concerning Jesus.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been of old, from everlasting.
The Muslims have the same problem with this passage that Jehovah’s Witnesses do. Clearly this is a prophecy of the birthplace of Jesus. We know that because: 1) That is the city in which He was born (Luke 2:4-7; and 2) When the wise men asked what city He Who was to be born King of the Jews would be born in, the chief priests and the scribes answered, “Bethlehem,” based on this verse (Matt. 2:1-6).
But notice the description of Jesus in the last part of the verse. His future kingship is noted, but so is His Deity! His ways have been “from everlasting,” a phrase that is only ever used of God (Ps. 90:2). Jesus is God! But since Muhammad denied that fact, it is evident that he did not believe the Old Testament prophets. The Old Testament prophets believed in the Deity of Jesus. And Jesus’ Godhood is further tied in with His Kingship.
The Old Testament prophets often wrote of the coming king. His kingdom is everlasting, as is the king.
And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people… (Dan. 2:44).
The prophet is talking about the church which was established during the days of the Roman emperors (the fourth world kingdom). It would never be destroyed which means it has continued until this very hour. It has never fallen into the hands of anyone else because Jesus is the King, and He continues to live and reign. Later (Dan. 7:13-14), Daniel describes One like the Son of Man (a phrase often applied to Jesus) as coming in the clouds to the Ancient of Days (which occurred in Acts 1:9-11), and being given a kingdom, which Peter mentions on Pentecost has having occurred (Acts 2:29-35). Peter here says that Jesus ascended to Heaven and has received His kingdom.
Furthermore, people in the first century often associated the kingship and the Deity of Jesus together. After a brief conversation with Jesus, Nathanael concluded, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!” (John 1:49). Jesus is the everlasting king of an everlasting kingdom. Muhammad did not believe Daniel.
Thus far these two articles have dealt with the first statement that Muslims make in their current advertisement in the Orlando Sentinel—that Muslims believe in all the prophets of the Old and New Testaments. It has been made abundantly clear that they do not. This claim is deceptive and untrue; how can they not know it?
But they make a second claim in their ad which is also false. They say:
as His Last and Final testament to humankind.
The Scriptures declare this claim to be false—even though they were written 600 years earlier. First, the reader ought to know that Qur’an was not always in the form we have it today. Muhammad never wrote a single word of it down. He composed it to be sung by him and his men. It was not written down until two years after his death. Therefore, all the variations were destroyed before it was ever published. It may not be the original, but it is the only version there is.
Second (and more importantly), the New Testament is God’s final testament to humankind because it says that it is. Jude said that the faith was once for all delivered to the saints (v. 3). Peter said that God had given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). So, who is telling the truth—the Bible or Muslims? No doubt the followers of Muhammad would say they are right. They don’t believe the Old Testament prophets—furthermore, they do not believe what any of the New Testament writers say, either. They will not hesitant to contradict Peter and Jude.
Muslims have the same problem as Mormons, who have no choice but to tell Muslims that they are wrong because Joseph Smith received an even later covenant than they did. Muhammad allegedly received his in the early 600s, and Joseph Smith got his in the 1800s. Perhaps they should debate each other.
The New Testament tells us that it is complete precisely to avoid those who would come along later on claiming to have new insights, more revelation, or a final covenant. The Old Testament pointed to the New. A Messiah was coming—a king, a prophet, the Lord, Deity, Savior—and Jesus fulfilled them all. A new covenant was coming (Deut. 18:15-19; Jer. 31:31-34). But where is the promise in the New of an even newer or another covenant to come? None exists.
Muslims try to say that Muhammad was the Comforter that Jesus promised, but this is foolish. Besides, people are not comforted by Muhammad; they are terrified and threatened with death for disagreeing with Him. Muslims may know their own religion, but they know next to nothing about the Old and New Testaments.