Historical and Messianic Prophecy – Page 2

If Jeremiah 33:15 says that the Messiah will sprout up in the days of Israel’s restoration in the 6th century BC, doesn’t that contradict the time of Christ’s appearance?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Question: Question: If Jeremiah 33 15 says that Messiah will sprout up in the days of Israel’s restoration, doesn’t this contradict the time of Christ’s appearance Answer: The timing and meaning of a prophecy is determined by the context. Besides, many of the restoration prophecies in both Jeremiah and Ezekiel are what I call “double […]

Are there genealogies available today that purport to go back to Jesus’ brothers James or Jude, or Joseph’s other sons?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: One area of Old/New Testament which I’m interested in is the genealogy of Jesus. Now what I’m wanting to find out is whether the genealogy of the line of David (as the Jews know the Messiah must come from his line) is still being recorded to this day? Is there any record of it […]

Hosea 11:1 cannot be a prophecy about the Messiah because it speaks of Israel, not Jesus.

John Oakes wrote in Apocrypha, Bible Interpretation, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible, Versions of the Bible .

[Editor’s note: I received a long and somewhat rambling set of comments and questions from someone. I asked for a more succinct set of comments and questions so that I could respond. You will see below that the shorter version is still a bit unfocused, but this person asks sufficiently important questions that I felt […]

Why did the Council of Nicaea discuss whether Jesus was God or human?

John Oakes wrote in Apocrypha, Church History, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Questions: 1.Why did the council have to meet to discuss if Jesus was the Son of God or if he was human or a spirit? 2.If God inspired man to write the Bible and he lives in me, why do I need the Bible or Jesus to tell me how to live when I can […]

Did Jesus become the Son of God at his resurrection as Bart Ehrman claims?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Church History, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Some people think that Jesus was begotten by the father only at his resurrection because the apostle Paul said about Jesus that he was appointed Son of God by His resurrection ( Romans 1 – or the speech of Paul in the Act of the Apostle). I’m currently reading the Bart Erhman’s book “How Jesus […]

Is Zechariah 13:7 a prophecy of the Messiah or of the false shepherd of Zechariah 11:17 or the false prophet of Zechariah 13:1-6?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Uncategorized .

Question: Is Zechariah 13:7 talking about the Messiah or is it about the false shepherd whom God strikes in Zechariah 11:17 or perhaps the false prophet in Zechariah 13: 1-6? Answer: The shepherd of Zechariah 13:7 is the Messiah. I know this for sure because in Matthew 26:31 the inspired gospel writer Matthew tells us […]

Could the empty tomb of Jesus be the result of a conspiracy rather than Jesus actually resurrecting?

John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

[Editor’s note: I am dispersing my answers among the questions. They will be in italics.] Question: I have been a believer of Jesus Christ for more than 10 years. Recently my brother who is an atheist challenged me with many absurd theories he found on the internet. That provoked me to look for solid evidence […]

Who are the sixth and seventh kings in Revelation 10-12? Could they be Vespasian and Titus? Who are the kings who had not yet come?

John Oakes wrote in Church History, Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Q & A .

Question: Doesn’t Revelation 17: 10 show that John got his vision during the sixth king, who is Vespasian? and the seventh king who is to come is Titus, who according to this verse will rule for a short time, and he did, from 79 till 81 AD? If this is true, then John got […]

What evidence is there to oppose what is said about Jesus in the Toledot and by Celsus?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: What proof is there against the stories about Jesus in the Talmud (for example in the Toledot) and Celsus? Answer: I am well aware of Celsus and his spurious attacks on Jesus and the Christian faith, but, to be honest, I had not heard of the Toledot before. Technically, the Toledot is not part […]

Is Isaiah 25:6-8 a dual prophecy?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, End Times, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Question: Is Isaiah 25:6-8 a dual prophecy – of the resurrection of Christ and of the second coming of Christ? The background of the question is the parable of the great banquet in Luke 14. I have read in Kenneth Baileys book “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels” that the Jews believed […]

My Hindu friends tell me that Krishna incarnates in the world to protect the righteous and to destroy evil. How do I respond to this and present Jesus?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Other Religions, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: Our Hindu friends often quote from the Bhaghavad Gita where Krishna himself says that he would incarnate from age to age in order to protect the righteous and punish the wicked. He came thus to destroy the evil from the world. How shall we give our response and present Jesus as only the true […]

An atheist claimed that all of the evidence for Jesus is “made up”, that Christianity was created in order to exert power over people, and that the NT books were written hundreds of years after Christ. Response?

John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: The other day I overheard an atheist talking to someone about the Bible. I didn’t join in on their conversation, but they were loud enough and close enough for me to hear every word they said. Anyway, the atheist (I know he’s an atheist because I heard him say it) said that all the […]

What would you say to an atheist who is a complete materialist (who believes in only the things he can see) to convince him that Jesus is the truth?

John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, General Apologetics, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Philosophy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible, Resurrection of Jesus, Science and the Bible .

Question: What would you say to an atheist who is a complete materialist (who believes in only the things he can see) to convince him that Jesus is the truth? Answer: That would depend on the person. Not every materialist is the same. If the person is even an iota open, I might do a […]

Can you explain the statement in Ezekiel 29 concerning Egypt that “No foot of man shall pass through it”

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: I came upon your page while researching some Old Testament Biblical prophecies. I have a couple questions about two of them if you have the time. I’ve read two responses of yours to the Ezekiel prophecy regarding Nebuchadnezzar and Egypt, and found them very enlightening. However, in neither of your responses did I see […]

Could the three kings subdued by Domitian in Daniel 7:24 be a reference to the three kingdoms he subdued?

John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Question: I’ve been doing some sermons on Revelation and it obviously intersects with Daniel 7. I’ve been reading some of your Q/A, and I have a few thoughts to offer regarding the following section of Daniel 7. “After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.” We understand this to […]

Can it be proved that Daniel chapter 9 is about Jesus?

John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Can you prove Daniel 9 is about Jesus? Jeff: The word “prove” has a range of meaning. In a mathematics class or in a philosophy class it has the meaning of demonstrating with absolutely certainty that a particular proposition must be true. It is like proving the angles of an equilateral triangle are equal. In […]

Is Al Hsu correct when he claims that Jesus was not forsaken on the cross–that this is a misinterpretation?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Question: What do you think about the claim below about the cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” by the author Al Hsu below? The Cry of Vindication By Al Hsu When the Jesus film is screened in cultures that have never heard of Jesus, viewers often love the […]

Some say that the supposed messianic prophecies are all ambiguous. For example Isaiah 53:10 when it says that Jesus will have offspring. Your response?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Question: Some people say that there are no unambiguous prophecies about Jesus in the OT, hence such verses are open to interpretations. For example, even in one of the strongest prophecy about Jesus, Isaiah 53:10 it says, “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord […]

In Daniel 8:26 what date corresponds to “the distant future?” Also, in verse 17 what is “the time of the end” a reference to?

John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Question: My wife and I recently were having a conversation about the book of Daniel. She had been reading Daniel 8, and was wondering what it meant, especially about the part with the goat overthrowing the ram. After pondering the imagery for a while, I recalled a few points from your teaching on the subject […]

Is the reliability of the Gospel of John in doubt, and therefore the conclusion that Jesus is God?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: I have a question regarding Jesus as being God. It is clearly stated in the Gospel of John, and in some of the epistles that Jesus is God as well as the Son of God. But after some research I found that the reliability of the Gospel of John and of those epistles are […]

When was the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem issued? (Daniel 9:25)

John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Question: When was the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem issued? Answer: This is somewhat debatable, as there are at least three “decrees” in the Book of Ezra. The first is in Ezra 1:1-4. This is a decree of Cyrus that the Jews can go back to Judah and Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. This […]

Can you respond to the claim that Jesus cannot be the Messiah because no one can die for someone else’s sins?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Q & A .

Question: Hello, I was watching a video between a Rabbi and a Pastor recently, where the Rabbi stated Jesus could not be the Messiah because no man can die for another man’s sins. There is also a article on why Jesus could not be the Messiah, I was wondering if you could help me a […]

How do you respond to the claim of Bill Maher that “The Bible was written by men and edited by men as well”?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: I recently heard an argument that Bill Maher uses to debunk the authority and authenticity of the Bible. It says, “the Bible was a book written by men and edited by men as well”. How would you respond to this? Answer: My response would be to say that this is true. Maher is right. […]

Why would God hold the Jews at the time of Jesus responsible for all the sins of the Jews–even those in the distant past?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Questions: 1. Why would Jesus charge the blood of all the prophets since Abel on the generation of Jews at the time of Jesus? 2. What is the definition of a prophet according to the Bible? I thought prophet means messenger of God, perhaps much like an angel. If so, why would Abel be called […]

In what sense is Jesus a prophet like Moses?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: I wanted to ask about how JESUS OUR LORD fulfilled the prophecy of the PROPHET LIKE MOSES. Did Moses mean he would be like him in life similarities such as his infancy in Egypt, being rejected, etc. or more because of the miracles he worked? Thanks in advance Answer: A good rule of thumb […]

Can you prove that the Shiloh in Genesis 49 is fulfilled by Jesus?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy .

Question: Can you prove that Shiloh in Genesis 49 is Christ? Can you prove that this prophesy was fulfilled in Jesus? A Jewish website claims that it wasn’t fulfilled. What’s your comment? https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/the-scepter-of-judah-shiloh-and-the-messiah/ Answer: We cannot “prove” that the Shiloh in Genesis 49 is the Messiah and that it applies to […]

Can we prove that the prince in Daniel 9:27 is not prophesying about Jesus?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Question: Is there proof that the prince in Daniel 9:27 is not Jesus of Nazareth? Is there hard proof that psalm 22 is speaking about the Messiah? Answer: First of all, such things do not lend themselves to “proof.” Anyone who claims he or she has “proved” who the prince in Daniel 9:27 is should […]

Could Daniel 9 be a prophecy about Herod Agrippa II rather than the Messiah?

John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Question: I wanted to ask if it is possible Daniel 9 doesn’t refer to the MESSIAH but just refers to a mere king such as Herod Agrippa II. Answer: You know what they say, “Everything is possible.” But in this case, it is not possible that Daniel 9 refers principally to someone like Herod Agrippa. […]

Did the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy of abomination of desolation happen during the time of Antiochus IV. If so, what is Jesus talking about in Matthew 24?

John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible, Uncategorized .

Question: I read your book Daniel: A Prophet to the Nations (editor’s note: available at www.ipibooks.com) and enjoyed it very much. I was going over my notes from it and got to the part where you talked about the prophesies in Daniel about Antiochus IV and how he was going to desecrate the temple and […]

Isn’t it reasonable to expect that God will send prophets to us today to help guide his people?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Miracles, Q & A .

Question: About prophets in our present day, the New Testament had prophets like Agabus and Anna. What about our present day? Could God still appoint prophets to guide and direct his church? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:1 to “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” This gift can be a blessing to the […]

In Jeremiah 46 there is a prophecy about the destruction of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, yet this never happened. What is your response?

John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: In Jeremiah 45, God says that Egypt will fall and most all the remnant of Judah will be destroyed. How does this work historically? I don’t see where Babylon invaded Egypt at this time in history. Am I incorrect? Thanks for clarifying. Answer: I assume you mean Jeremiah 46. In this prophecy we are […]

What do you think about Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri? Is he right about the return of Jesus?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, End Times, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Question: What do you think of the Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri? Apparently he was Israel’s leading religious teacher up until 2006 when he died at 108 years. Supposedly during the latter years of his life he focused very intently on the teaching of the coming of the Messiah and how to recognize him. He wrote a […]

Is there a specific prophecy which predicts the resurrection of the Messiah?

John Oakes wrote in General Apologetics, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Q & A .

Question: I know we have many prophecies of Christ in the OT, but I did not find one that says ‘He will rise from the dead’. Is there any verse that explicitly states this? Or is it as He said to the doubting people the only evidence He will give them is the sign of […]

Who is Melchizedek in the Bible? Is he Shem, the son of Noah?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Q & A, Types .

Question: Who is Melchizedek in the Bible? Is he Shem the son of Noah? I there any evidence about his geneology? Answer: Melchizedek is a somewhat enigmatic figure in the Bible. He only appears in Genesis, Psalms and Hebrews. He was a worshipper of Jehovah, but was not from Abraham’s family and, therefore, by […]

Can you prove Daniel 9 is about Jesus? Jews always criticize this conclusion.

John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A .

Question: Jews always criticize the Christian explanation of Daniel 9… https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/daniel-9-a-true-biblical-interpretation/ Can you prove that Daniel really spoke about Jesus in Daniel 9? Answer: I cannot “prove” that Daniel is talking about Jesus in Daniel 9. Such things do not allow for mathematical-type proofs. However, I can show sufficient evidence that any open-minded person would […]

What is the meaning of the altar mentioned in Hebrews 13:10? Are Catholics and Orthodox right that it is a Christian altar?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: What is the meaning of the altar mentioned in (Hebrew 13 : 10)? Catholic and Orthodox Churches use this verse to prove that there is an altar in the New Testament–justifying their use of an altar in their worship, and the idea that the Eucharist is a sacrifice. In Arabic translations, the word altar […]

How can we know that the Bible, a collection of many different books over centuries, is from a deity?

John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, General, General Apologetics, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Miracles, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: How do we know the Bible, a collection of books and letters written of centuries, is the word of a deity? Answer: Given the amazing evidence for the inspiration of the Bible, the fact that it is a collection of writings written over many centuries makes it even more impressive. The Bible contains the […]

In Zechariah 12:10, is the translation “look to Me” justified as a reference to God?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Q & A, Versions of the Bible .

[Editor’s note: This question is coming from a person responding to Muslim claims that Jesus never claimed to be God] Question: I’d like to ask you 2 questions. 1 What’s your comment on the New World Translation of Zechariah 12:10 “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem […]

Why did Daniel get all of the historical facts wrong in Daniel 11:35-35?

John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: I am happy to find your resourceful website and I hope you can help solve my puzzle. Why did the book of Daniel get all the history wrong from verse 11:35 to the end? I tried to find answers in your power point but you list the historical facts just up to 11:35. This […]

What historical events are fulfilled in Revelation–especially in the last chapters of the book?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, End Times, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy .

Question: Similar to you, I find preterism [editor’s note: this is the view that the majority of the visions in Revelation involve things which happened in the early period of Christianity] as the best interpretation of Revelation. However, I struggle with interpreting the events (especially the plagues). I also do not know what to do […]

If God’s judgment is based on our actions, then why does he accept a substitute sacrifice instead. Doesn’t it need to be one or the other?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Q & A, Types .

Question: If God is just and gives everyone what they deserve according to their actions, then why does he accept a substitute sacrifice on our behalf–whether it be the millions of animal sacrifices in the OT or even Christ himself? Perhaps you will just say it is God’s mercy, but I would appreciate some elucidation. […]

Are Zechariah 3:8-9, 6:11-13 and 12:10-13:3 messianic prophecies? Is Joshua a figure of Jesus?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Q & A, Types .

Question: Could you answer a couple questions about Zechariah? Is chapter 2:8-9 referring to Jesus’ sacrifice for all sin? Also, is chapter 6:11-13 referring to Joshua as a Jesus-figure? After all, isn’t Jesus’ real name in Hebrew Yeshua, which is a variant of Joshua? Is it a coincidence that it says his “name” is the […]

Is reincarnation taught in the Bible as my Hindu friends claim, using Matthew 11:14?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: I live in India where 80% are Hindus and believe in reincarnation. I don’t believe in it but yesterday I checked out a website that has testimonies regarding Near to Death experiences. Some of them have seen Jesus after their death and he told them either to go back or reincarnate to a new […]

Is the claim by Matthew in Mat 2:23 that there was a prophecy that Jesus would be from Nazareth true?

John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: Sir, in Matthew 2:23 its written that Joseph was told in a dream to go to Galilee and live in the town of Nazareth just as the prophets said that He will be called a Nazarene. I have heard that this is clear evidence of an error in the New Testament. Can you give […]

How can I convince my friend to reject Postmodernism?

John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Q & A .

Question: A friend of mine who left my church told me that she considers herself a postmodernist, which is why she left. I did some research and got to understand it a bit better. I also watched your video. I was wondering what I can say or ask that can help my friend reconsider this philosophical […]

Did the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah predict that we would worship him?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: The OT describes the prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah. The doubt I have comes from the question, did God the Father command Israel to worship this Messiah? Or on the other hand, did he only predict the coming of a great prophet who will teach Israel his way (like the old prophets […]

Surely God is against human sacrifice, yet he asks Abraham to be willing to commit human sacrifice. Why would he do this?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: God is, in principle, against human sacrifice: the religious ritual killing of innocents to appease God, or any gods, for that matter. So it would be likewise true that God is, in principle, against anyone’s ever *thinking* that God is ever in favor of such sacrifice. So, if God caused Abraham to think that […]

Your interpretation of Daniel 11:36-45, that it is about Rome and Egypt is problematic.

John Oakes wrote in Church History, Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Comment: I’ve been reading your book “Daniel: A Prophet to the Nations” and I’ve been very inspired and overwhelmed by the very specific prophecies. I’m thankful for how God is using you to reveal his word to others. So suffice it to say, while I have a problem with your response to Daniel 11:36-45 my […]

What do you think of the “consensus” that Isaiah has two authors–one after the Babylonian exile?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General Apologetics, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: I’ve been studying out prophecies of the Old Testament and in studying out the prophecies of Isaiah I looked up what Wikipedia had to say about it. According to Wikipedia “The exact relationship between the Book of Isaiah and any such historical Isaiah is complicated. One widespread view sees parts of the first half […]

Can you respond to an article by R. G. Price at rationalevolution.net in which he claims that Jesus was a fictional creation of the writer of Mark?

John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Reliability of the Bible, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

[Editor’s Note: I recently answered a question about R. G. Price but, not knowing his middle name, thought the question was about a different critic of Christianity named Robert Price. Interestingly, the positions of the Robert Price and of R. G. Price are actually fairly similar. Nevertheless, I am a bit embarrassed and apologize […]