Assalamu alaikum we are welcome you once again to Islam and focus. Today’s program inshallah will be our seventh in our series, Mohammed, a peace be upon him, the last messenger of God and our sermons on Mohammed and the Abrahamic family tree. Please topic inshallah we’ll be on who is the parakeet I’m your host. is having a mission here once again from St. Mary’s University, is that the General Assembly conducted?
Could you start off please, with a summary of last week’s program? Okay, we continue to first of all, the discussion with the prophecy in Isaiah 42. To show how does it apply to Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Since it’s connected with kadesh, the son of Ishmael, seller or Salah, which is Medina, the new wave praising God from the ends of the earth, like the court for the prayer, the encouragement of learning and science in the establishment of justice on Harrison.
We also discussed some of the objections, especially those raised by side of yours and gyptian clergy. And we indicated the errors in some of those objections, including, of course, some even factual, clearly factual errors. Then we began to examine prophecies in the New Testament, beginning with the john chapter one verses 19, through 26, speaking about the advent of john the baptist, and how the Jewish divides and priests, were actually anticipating the coming of the second Elijah, Elijah in the second coming of Elijah, which is john the baptist, the Jesus peace be upon him. And in addition to that, there was another one they asking about, they say that Prophet, someone who’s
really long awaited, and that Prophet we explained, could have been none. But the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.
And the courage occasions of speaking about john the baptist, the question was raised about john the baptist, identifying Jesus peace be upon him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of humanity. And we said that if one carefully examines the those statements as to when john the baptist, recognize Jesus, even one in one single gospel that is lewd, we find three different and possibly irreconcilable
statements, one that he knew him when he was a fetus in the womb of his mother. Secondly, that he discovered him only when he saw the dove, descending upon him at the time of baptism. And the third even shows that even at the end of the life of john the baptist, he was writing to Jesus and asking, or sending His disciples to ask Jesus, are you the one who is to come? Or should we wait for another may have to this also that if john the baptist really realized long time ago,
as the the writer of the Gospel of Luke
contends that Jesus really is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of mankind or that he had any notion that Jesus was deified? He would have followed him, he would have become one of his own disciples rather than to continue to preach repentance instead of
shortly before his death, asking if he’s going to come, which shows that john the baptist also did know of someone not contemporary to him, but one that will come afterwards. And I couldn’t see how could that not apply to
something very interesting here
today to start off
our topic this way. Now, you still need a PhD upon him, himself speak, and I want to come after him or her as as the as the perfect, first of all,
for the best of both me and the viewers were in the Bible that he said,
North might sound surprising. And as the program unfolds, maybe this one and the next one,
I think many of the viewers would be hearing something maybe for the first time, even in our coverage of that topic, in a series long time ago under the title Mohammed in the Bible.
They have been some points, but there are some very interesting and additional points, resulting in some additional research on that topic.
But in any case,
To start with, you see the idea here, of course, that might make it sound very strange that many of our Christian brethren believed that the climax of Revelation and everything was Jesus, there was none to come after him, just like the Jews also feel that the climax was Moses and there is no, no want to be recognized, you know, after no recognition of Jesus, or Muhammad, but the references to that
prophecy by Jesus Himself, peace be upon him.
Interestingly enough, appear only in one of the four gospels, the gospel according to john, especially in chapters 1415, and 16. And it also appears in the first epistle of john, in the beginning of chapter two.
Now, when Jesus speaks about someone to come after him, it is a serious matter. And it’s very important. And one wonders, why
didn’t this prophecy appear in any of the three other gospels? Why and john, only?
This is rather puzzling. Why did the first three writers
are those who communicated the writings of the writers of the three synoptic gospels? Why did they keep quiet on it?
Dr. bouquet in his book, The Bible, Cochran science,
say that there is a possibility that this prophecy might have been suppressed, and then later on, might have surfaced. But again, it’s not quite clear. Why did john
reinstate it and include it in his gospel?
But even then, if this prophecy deals with a supportive thing that’s to happen in the future?
Is it really reasonable to say that
this might have been lost, neglected or forgotten until john came and destroyed it?
Simply because it might be relevant to his own theology that way, he interpreted or other people also, after interpreted to refer to something other than a new person or a prophet.
In any case, and Regardless of the reason, or reasons why this prophecy does not exist in the gospels, I think it’s very interesting, as it is examined in the light of the discussion of the prophecies about the coming of the last prophet, Muhammad the script.
Let me ask you first,
to give us an outline of what Jesus meant peace be upon him, said about the parent perfectly.
Okay.
Paraphrasing since the day, you know, the profile appears in three chapters and verses 1415 and 16. I’m trying just to use my own words to express basically the same issues. But there seem to be about eight parameters or indicators or signs for that, to come after Jesus.
That person or whatever, whatever comes I don’t use it in the gym person to be impartial at this point. They want to come after Jesus is called the Paraclete.
Number one,
the prophecies indicate
that it is very important if anyone truly loves Jesus, that he should accept and follow that perfectly. And Jesus keep repeating this to His disciples in more than one occasion. For example, in john 14, verse 15,
and actually indicates that the love of Christ is of no use unless they listen to his commands.
And then speaks about the Perkins
to
Jesus peace be upon him indicates that there are a lot of things that he wants to tell to the seconds are teach them.
But he says that you cannot build it now. But when the Paraclete comes, he will explain He will guide the followers of Jesus, on to the whole truth, which means that they will be capable for that in that stage to receive additional information
that appears in john 16 in verses one through 33.
The disparately it would have a very important role to play.
To the point even that Jesus Himself discipline him says that it is advantageous to his followers, that he should go so that the product lead will come because the product lead cannot come in the life
of Jesus, the spirit
that appears in john 16. In verse seven,
for
the disparately, it will have the faculties of speech and hearing, and that he will receive revelation from God. Because it says he will not speak on his own, but what he hears from the Father, he would say, that appears in john 16, verse 35, that this Paraclete
will testify of Jesus, that is really speak favorably of him, verify his truthfulness and glorify Him. That appears in john 15, verse 26, john 16, verse 14,
six.
He says that the role of that product lead will not only be in matters of moral aspects reproving the word of sin,
or righteousness, but he will also reprove the word or convinced the word of just justice or he will be a ruler you will have the authority to rule.
And it indicates that with his coming, the prince of this world, which is a metaphor used in the Bible to refer to Satan, will be judged
deference john 16, verses eight to 11.
The seventh sign
is that this directly will prophesied you will tend the disciples and followers of Jesus of things which are to come later, which are obviously characteristics of prophets. reference, john 16, verse 13, and eight, that this brief profile about the product lead
did not of course, I should say, cover all aspects.
And as the program unfolds, we will see additional points pertaining to the issue, that this represents perhaps a broad outline
for the proclivities. Now, now, obviously, these were
how other people interpret interpret, what you’ve just what you’ve just discussed. Traditionally, this prophecy has been interpreted to refer to the descent of the Holy Spirit, on the disciples of Jesus peace be upon him after his ascension to heaven. According to the Bible, I’m talking. And that was the day of the Pentecost, which was a sort of Jewish festival celebrated in the spring.
It is said that while the disciples were gathered on this day,
the Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit descended upon them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. And they began to speak in different languages in tongues, languages that they never learned before.
And as Luke described it, in the book of Acts,
in chapter two, especially verse four, that they were so elated that they appeared to be drunk, they appeared as if they were drunk, not understanding what the person is telling the other because they are supposedly speaking, different tongues or different languages.
From this perspective, than the Paraclete was understood to be the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit, and the prophecy was understood to have already been fulfilled 2000 years ago.
Many scholars, however, who studied the Bible,
a poem that when Jesus peace be upon him, spoke about the Paraclete he was not speaking about the Holy Spirit of Holy Ghost, but rather about the coming of the last prophet of God, to come after him, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.
This is the understanding or explanation which seemed to have been corroborated 600 years, nearly,
later, or after Jesus peace be upon him in the Quran, especially in Surah 61 verse six, which made it clear that Jesus did prophesy, and speak about the origin of Prophet Muhammad.
However, I believe that even taking the biblical references alone forgetting about the Quran
will show that the Paraclete
there, the about tomb, Jesus four is actually nothing or none. But
now I’d
like to ask you, what you see as the problem in interpreting the power CLI as being the Holy Spirit.
There are a number of problems, but in essence, before we branch it, in essence, all of these problems boil down to
To one basic thing,
that the profile of the Paraclete, as described by Jesus peace be upon him
is quite different in many important respects, from the Holy Spirit.
First of all,
according to the definition of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are not the gods, they’re not three are not three different gods.
They are presented not as three components even of God. But as simply three manifestations of the same one God, this is basically the idea of the Trinity.
Now,
it follows from this kind of definition, that it would be inaccurate really to speak about any of the three manifestations of God sending the other.
Okay?
This characteristics about the Paraclete
are different from the Holy Spirit in at least three essential points. One,
Jesus peace be upon him speaks about that Paraclete as someone who will not speak on of his own, but only what he hears, we mentioned that before, right, which means that he is someone who does not have
authority on his own. He doesn’t have power on his own. But he’s simply an emissary. He’s someone who was simply communicating what is commanded by the father, to say, or to tell what obviously, that’s different from the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is considered to be the third manifestation of God, who should have the power and according to the definition, again, each one of the three persons in God’s word is fully God. So that would not apply. It applies only to someone who is a servant of the Father, a creature of the Father, and engine or a prophet.
Okay. The second point,
as Dr. Morris bouquet indicates, in the Bible, Koran and science,
excuse me, he says that, one of the descriptions that we were just talking about that this perfectly will, speaks what he hears from the Lord, as we find, for example, in 1613, in the Gospel, according to john,
and he says that if you go back to the Greek words, for here, and say,
he says that, for example, hearing in the Greek come from the verb, a coup, excuse my Greek has no Greek, it spells a K, or you all.
And uku, actually, in Greek means to perceive sounds, which actually is the origin of the English term acoustics or the science sounds.
Secondly, the term for speak in English, in Greek is lallier. It’s l a, l, e. That’s the Greek word for it. And as a Greek verb, it means simply to emit, sounds, to emit sounds. And that very term has been used in the New Testament to describe the words of Jesus peace be upon him, which again, shows that the one that Jesus speaks about would be like he would be a human being who emits sounds and perceive sounds also. And this is not the mode of communication of the Holy Spirit. It follows then that both words indicate someone who will have the faculties of hearing and speaking in the organs of hearing and speaking and that obviously, is not the Holy Spirit.
A third point, that Jesus peace be upon him says that I must go, it is to your advantage that I go so that the Paraclete will come.
That seems to imply quite clearly, that the perfectly the promise perfectly, will not come until Jesus goes, that is the cannot come or be present simultaneously, at the same time. Again, that description does not apply to the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. Because according to the New Testament, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, were present at the same time, evidence right, before the baptism of Jesus.
We are told that or at the time of baptism, I should say, we are taught that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, and that a voice was heard from the heavens, that this is my beloved Son, and that the Holy Spirit descends
The, in a form of adapt to the Holy Spirit and Jesus were there at the same time that appears in Matthew chapter three, verses 16 and 17. john chapter one, verse 52. Matthew, chapter 12, verses 27 through 33. It’s amply confirmed. And
secondly, when Jesus peace be upon him, sent his apostles.
He said to them receive the Holy Spirit. That was reported in john chapter 20, verse 22. And that was obviously before that they have the Pentecost, which means that he breathed the Holy Spirit into them. So both Jesus and the Holy Spirit were there. But he said before that he has to go before the Paraclete can come so Paraclete cannot be the Holy Spirit. All right, they existed, what presence
in both of these examples, then we find that the Holy Spirit and Jesus
did not necessarily have one’s presence contingent on the absence of the other as Jesus speaks to the Paraclete cannot be noticed.
For this reasons, it becomes obvious that Jesus then does not speak about the product lead as the third person in the Trinity.
For this description, does not apply to some someone who’s something which is intangible or spirit, but about a person, a human being Prophet, and a ruler. And nobody, after Jesus peace be upon him, meets those criteria par excellence. But one
that’s Prophet Muhammad peace.
Once you really
turn,
turn to the term itself, apparently,
discuss it now in this program.
Where does it come from?
And you’ve touched upon this before, what exactly does it mean? Okay, the
manuscripts as you know, available of the Bible, as are in
Greek, even some of the Hebrew manuscripts has been translated already from Greeks. So the English term Paraclete p a, r a c. t, is simply just like copying the Greek term without translation. I prefer to use the term as such because there’s some problem with the translation. But the word actually come from pirate Cletus, in Greek.
And according to Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible, that’s in volume three pages 665 through 668. He says that the Paraclete is the English form of the Greek Paraclete was in the Authorized Version. The word is translated comforters and the gospel, an advocate and the official that is the Epistle of john without any margin and alternatives.
The first thing that attracts one’s attention here is that the very same word, the Greek para Cletus
is translated differently.
In the Gospel is translated in one meaning or one word, in the epistles of john, another translation is given to it.
In any case,
Heston continues to explain the origin of the word and he says, it comes from the Greek verb puroclean in pa ra, K, Li, vi, n production. And he says that this term has been used in the New Testament, in a sense of
comforting or consoling. However, he says that this meaning war is quite rich, in classical Greek, all right.
But he says that the oldest meaning, the oldest meaning of the verb, practically, is not really to comfort but to send four, or let’s say to someone, to one’s eight
biblical scholars who translated the Revised Standard Version of the Bible.
Were aware of this problem. And that’s why we find that they differ from the traditional King James Version. You see, if you open the King James Version, you find that the Paraclete in john 1415 and 16 is referred to as the as the comfort session, but in the Revised Standard Version, they used a better word, quote unquote, counselors instead of comfort. This is not only a better translation, but it is also consistent with one basic fact. That is that the followers of Jesus peace be upon him and his disciples did not really need a comfort
is not needed.
First,
after
that’s
really interesting, I’m just this whole, this whole topic of, of
a Prophet Jesus and talking about the Prophet coming into percolate. Is is very new to many of us. And it’s, it’s just great that you’re bringing it all out. Now to take this maybe one step further. Would you explain why and why the why the disciples, and you mentioned earlier that they did not need a conference? Well, maybe we can elaborate on that and tell us why. Okay, on the surface, it may appear to us that they did need the comforters, why, when to consult them to comfort them for the tragic loss of their masters and teach us that Jesus peace be upon him, the tragic events of the crucifixion, according to the New Testament,
but we all know that according to Christian theology,
the crucifixion of Jesus peace be upon him, according to them, is regarded not as a defeat, but as the climax of victory. For what more glory, in their opinion, is more than the shedding of his blood on the cross in order to take away The sins of humanity. That’s regarded as an absolute victory rather than defeat, as it may appear.
And if the crucifixion and resurrection, according to the Bible, is regarded as the climax of his mission, why do you need consolation? That’s the fulfillment of the essence of his of his mission. We are told that after the resurrection, that is, according to the New Testament again, it says that his disciples that his followers, returned back to Jerusalem, quote, with great joy. We’ll find that mentioned in the Gospel, according to Luke, in chapter 24, verse 52.
But even before that, before that, it says that when the women went to the tomb,
and discovered that Jesus was not there, it says that the departed with fear and great joy, great joy, you’ll find that in Matthew, chapter 28, verse eight,
if this was the case, not only on the theological level, but also in terms of the reports of the people who were contemporaries, to Jesus peace be upon him, his disciples, why, Ben, Do you need any comforters or consoler? Actually, it is the most joyous thing that the Jesus died and resurrected. That kind of theology still persists until today. So that seems to be considered inconsistent with the notion of the Comforter, really. But when we speak about
a person who is regarded more as a counselor, maybe in a sense of guiding, advising, helping authors in some translation, for example, advocating
one that perhaps would fit the meaning much more so than to speak about this, perhaps in appropriate term, temperature, and in fact, there are some biblical scholars who do not necessarily agree with the term comforter, I think James hasting was one when he once said that,
that the term unfortunately was translated as, as comfort. They didn’t need comfort they need a counselor, and a counselor or guide, actually could be a reference easily to a human being
a human being some iterate, the counselor could also be experienced, but as again, we
elaborate on this and examine it further, to become quite clear that the counselor again, is none. But Prophet Muhammad. Peace.
Very good. Well, thank you very much. Thank you, by the way, and it almost seems to me that there’s still a tremendous amount of ground to cover in this particular topic. And I shall I will continue with this next week. So I thank you for coming here. Once again, and especially I want to thank all of you for joining us here in Assam and focus your comments, your questions will be most appreciated. Our address and phone number as always, will be appearing on your screen. From all of us here in stone and focus Assalamu alaikum See you next week.
