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 […]

Read More

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 […]

Read More

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 […]

Read More

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 […]

Read More

[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 […]

Read More

Question: Is it possible that your standard Jewish citizen of Roman Judea would have had foreknowledge of the Old Testament Prophecies and planned to have fulfilled them with an intent. Would Jesus have done such a thing to manipulate the prophecies purposely in order to convince his followers and enemies that he was indeed the […]

Read More

Question: What proof is there that the Bible is true? Answer: To tell you the truth, this is a rather broad question.   My first answer is please just start looking around the web site.  We have more than 2500 articles, each of which is intended to answer your question!   But you asked, so […]

Read More

Question: I read in a question at the web site concerning the prophecies of Daniel 11 in which you said that the Kingdom of the North which were the Seleucids become later identified as the Romans. Why is it that this change seems random as if to accommodate for the fact that Antiochus IV did […]

Read More

Editor’s note:  This is a series of about ten questions.  For ease of following the arguments, I will intersperse my answers between the questions. Question: I stumbled upon a website known as “RationalWiki” which lists supposed unfulfilled prophecies of the Bible which deeply trouble me in my understanding of the Bible. The most difficult of […]

Read More

Question: I am writing to ask you a quick question: a Christian friend of mine shared his conviction that Daniel was not truly written  by Daniel, but was written some time in the second century BC.  I would like to know what are the arguments for and against this view, and the same for the […]

Read More

Question: An argument that is used by atheists comes from the situation concerning Pilate, Judas and others associated with condemning Jesus to be crucified.  The point that is made is that none of these people had a choice in what they would or would not do. If any of these had changed what they were […]

Read More

Question: How do you know for sure that the Bible and Jesus is really the truth of God? – I was a Christian for a long time , not just religious.  I thought I was a born again and experienced things but nowadays some things (Objective info from psychology, learning about suffering, etc.) brought doubts […]

Read More

Editor’s note:  The comment below comes from a Muslim who does not believe in Jesus. Comment: Acts 4:25 to 27 and psalm 2.   God was angry with them because they plotted against his messiah.  This means God did not want them to plot against his messiah.  This means God did not send his messiah to […]

Read More

Question: Dr. Oakes, I have a question about Isaiah 11. I understand that the chapter is a messianic prophecy, but how do you interpret verse 14? Is it fair to say that this would conjure up images of a restored kingdom of Israel (God) and is symbolic of the breaking in of the kingdom in the […]

Read More

Question: Does the account of the Last Supper as a Passover meal indicate biblical errors and historical unreliability? 1. Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, and Luke 22:7-38 call the Last Supper a Passover Meal as described in Deuteronomy 16:5-6, occurring on Thursday Nisan 14, and that Jesus was crucified on Friday and resurrected on Sunday.2. John 13:1 […]

Read More

Question: Does god play dice?  Quantum events are random. So how can God know who is going to heaven? The Bible mentions that those who are saved have been written in the book of life before creation. You also mention the universe has a sort of free will so how does God know about events […]

Read More

Question: In 2 Chronicles 36:21 it says that “70 years this place will be a wasteland and so the earth will have its Sabbath rest.”  What does this mean?  If 70 years represents the Sabbath, then is it significant that this is 1/7 part of the 490 years? Does this figure in the Bible?  Is […]

Read More

Question: We have met in Berlin.  This is a topic that seems to have stuck with me since being a teenager (I am 34 now) and I would be very glad if I could have some exchange with you on this.  To equate the first three empires of Daniel 2 as Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece is beyond […]

Read More

QUESTION: 1. What is a good resource for learning more about Calvinism and how to refute it. 2. How do you best defend the Word of God with someone who says “the Bible is not perfect.”  We obviously know of a few clerical errors but he uses those mistakes and others to justify his own […]

Read More

Question: Hello Dr. Oakes. I recently have had the desire to study out the biblical support for Jesus being the Messiah and why the Jews don’t consider him to be the Messiah. I listened to a podcast by a Jewish Rabbi on the Trinity.  He talks about a few things: he referenced John 10 saying […]

Read More

QUESTION: Hello, I have recently been wondering why Judaism seems to reject Jesus as the Messiah.  I have found that they have a list of prophecies that they show as evidence of his failure to fulfill the position of Messiah. Do you think you could help explain each of the following prophecies? If they are […]

Read More

QUESTION: Hi Dr J.  I have just clipped your interpretations of the four parts of the great statue in Daniel for my study: nice summary. But I have been struggling with the origin of the two beasts in Rev 13:1,11. Antichrist-beast comes from the sea – apparently the disorganised nations (whatever they are); but what […]

Read More

Question: My brother-in-law is an atheist and mathematician. He has a couple of master’s degrees in “pure math.” He also has completed all his doctoral classes in this area. He challenged me to send him a few of the most compelling prophecies and he would research them. He is contends with great assurance that God […]

Read More

[Note: this query comes from a believer who got these questions from a friend who is Bahai. Question: One of my questions was WHY had not God in the Old Testament chosen for himself, the name Jesus the Christ, but many other names ? In addition, Christ Himself also promises that when he returns, he […]

Read More

Question: I am deeply grateful for your research and teaching for brothers and sisters in the faith. Your web-site and publications have been so helpful, insightful and informative. I have been a Christian for over 21 years now, and your works, and those of other teachers, have proven helpful as tools to help deepen my […]

Read More

Question: I read your article on how to help convert our Jewish friends, the problem is that yes, “our version” the Old Testament mentions things about Jesus, but when you bring that up, they show you in “their version” that is in Hebrew it is different.  Where ours says a virgin will give birth…but in their […]

Read More

Question: I have read some of your articles. I do not see how Jesus meets the criteria given for Messiah in the Tanakh…  SITUATION OF HIS BIRTH  Christians say he had no biological father. Therefore he had no lineage through Joseph to forebears.  Christians then claim that he was ‘adopted’ or that the lineage was through […]

Read More

Question: Thank you so much for writing “From Shadow to Reality.” It has strengthened my faith by seeing how only God could have orchestrated the foreshadowing in the Old Testament. I have learned a lot, and have had theories of my own on foreshadowing confirmed by your explanation of the related Scriptures.   One issue […]

Read More

Question: Since you believe Jesus fulfilled Zech.6:11-13, do you also believe the body of Christ is the Temple? Answer: I believe that Zechariah 6:11-13 is really more of a messianic foreshadow than a historical messianic prophecy. In other words, it is a picture, in earthly terms of an equivalent future reality in heaven. The vision […]

Read More

Questions: I was listening to a Rabbi debate with a Christian and wanted to ask you about some of the points that the Rabbi made that the Christian didn’t respond to, if i may. 1. Christians had to “make up” the second coming of the Messiah to harmonize why Jesus did not restore peace in […]

Read More

QUESTION: I have a question regarding the Messiah and his purpose. It seems to me that the Bible is clear that the Hebrews are never to worship any thing or anyone but God Himself and that He is ‘One’ and that there is no other besides Him. When did He change His mind and tell […]

Read More

Comment: Shalom,     Revelation 22:7  King James Version (KJV)  7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.     Revelation 22:20   King James Version (KJV)   20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.       QUICKLY= GREEK TACHU = SWIFT-QUICK.  Matthew 28:7 […]

Read More

QUESTION:  How do we know that Satan didn’t write the Bible?   How do we know that the true religion isn’t Buddhism for example and the Old and New Testament are the works of a devil/demon/Satan trying to trick us into doing wrong things like stoning adulteresses and non-believers? Satan could reveal himself as Jesus, claim […]

Read More

Question: Can you please respond to this chain message I received recently: [editor’s note: I am not going to do what I usually do, which is correct the grammar and sentence structure errors in the message below] 666 = The mark of the Beast  President Obama Vs Revelation13:15-18 The US Senate has passed the Obama Health […]

Read More

Editor’s Note:   This is a series of interactions with a person who is obviously a Muslim making a typical argument against Isaiah 7:14 as a messianic prophecy.  See below for further arguments from this person. Question: If you say that the Hebrew word in Isaiah 14 means a virgin and that it is a dual prophecy, […]

Read More

Question: In John 1:24,25 The pharisees asked John the Baptist why he baptised if he was not the Messiah, Elijah or the Prophet. Why did they associate baptism with these 3 figures? Answer: When people saw John preaching and baptizing and that thousands came to hear him, they began to wonder who he was. Might […]

Read More

Questoin: I’m studying the book of Isaiah. When you look at the historical background of Isaiah, there are non-Messianic prophecies that were fulfilled, as the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions of Israel and Judah. Could you please write about these? Response: I have written some about prophecies in the Old Testament fulfilled before New Testament times already in my […]

Read More

QUESTION: Can you please tell me how to share the gospel in a simple manner?  My friend is a Hindu but does nt particularly believe in it Answer: My experience tells me that most Hidus respect Jesus, but do not understand who he was and what he said about himself.   You should start with theatcommon […]

Read More

QUESTION: I was reading the Gospel of John earlier today and I came across the crucifixion account. There was one verse that I’m pretty sure I’ve looked over before but caught my attention this time around. John 19:36 “For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will […]

Read More

QUESTION: Is there any evidence aganst the idea that Daniel 7:1-12:13( the section of daniel that is written in the first person) was not a part of the original book of daniel,but was written dering the maccabean wars and then added to the original text( the section of daniel that is written in the third […]

Read More

QUESTION: I have a question about this article http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/chris_sandoval/daniel.html#forgeries. In paragraph 7 of the section called religious forgeries the writer writes “We read in the Book of Daniel that God’s angels ordered the venerable prophet Daniel to “shut up” and “seal” his book (Daniel 8:26; 12:4,9). Perhaps the author meant us to understand that Daniel […]

Read More

Question: I remember reading in Evidence for Christianity that Voltaire scoffed at Isaiah 53 being written before Jesus’ time, and he claimed he would believe if someone could prove Isaiah 53 was written beforehand. I find that fascinating, what is the title of Voltaire’s work containing that quote? Answer: I did a fair amount of […]

Read More

Question: I noticed you discussed some Baha’i prophecies on your web site.   I noticed some sites produced by some Christians that you might be interested to look at:    http://www.ministryofhealing.org/FreeDevotionals/ChristianDevotionalNewsletter.      http://a233.webs.com/apps/blog/show/prev?from_id=5310025 http://www.bibleprophecytruth.com/prophecy-resources/bible-prophecy-charts.aspx        They all seem to start with the year 457 BC as the starting year of the prophecy and they also mention the year 1844 […]

Read More

Question: Correct me if I am incorrect in my interpretation: God tells the Jews a key sign to look for is Elijah,who would come before the Messiah, and then God secretly puts the spirit of Elijah in the form of John the Baptist (who himself says he is not Elijah…) What would be the point […]

Read More

Question: I am referring to one of the powerpoint presentations at the web site (Reflections on the Passion of Christ).  It indicates that the decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra Chapter 7) was issued around 458 BC. I am impressed with the overall insight into the prophecy (Daniel Chp 9).  However, how did you reach the conclusion that […]

Read More

Question:   The prefiguring and foreshadowing in the NT is so vast. I know a lot of them but also know that I’m missing out on a lot. Is there an exhaustive resource for them? A book maybe that you recommend?   Answer:   Yes I do.  The answer is that the most thorough book […]

Read More