From: hudson@athena.cs.uga.edu (Paul Hudson Jr)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Bible (Prophet Muhammad)
Date: 29 Aug 92 04:36:45 GMT
Reply-To: hudson@athena.cs.uga.edu (Paul Hudson Jr)
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens
Originator: gwydion@churchy.gnu.ai.mit.edu


In article <23AUG199215401772@iago.caltech.edu> hareb_s@cubldr.colorado.edu writes:
>			Excerpts from the book

>Genesis 15:18 In that same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying,
>unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the grat
>river, the river Eu-phrates.

Also notice that God promises Abraham that the promise would come through
Isaac in the book of Genesis.

>-Is it possible that the prophet and the messenger of God (Allah), Muhammad
> (peace be upon him) is mentioned in the Bible by name?

I doubt it.  Muhammad seems to be mentioned in a group with many others,
"and many false prophets shall rise and shall decieved many."

>the following verses are some of the astonishing Biblical references and 
>prophecies that support the statement that Muhammad {pbuh} is both the last 
>messenger from god to all nations.
>
>1. Gen. 21:21  Prophet Ishmael lived in the wilderness of Paran (Mecca).
>
>2. Gen. 17:20  God blessed Ishmael with twelve sons (princes) and God made
>   him a great nation.

How does this prove that Muhammad is the last messenger.  The Bible
certainly does not call Ishmael a prophet.  As a matter of fact 
Genesis 21 verses 20 and 22, tell of how God established his covenant with
Isaac, rather than Ishmael.  But God blessed Ishmael also, because he
was a physical descendant of Abraham.  But this has nothing to do with
whether or not Muhammad was a prophet.

>3. Gen. 25:13-18  The second son of Ishmael was named kedar. Muhammad 
>   is a direct descendent of prince kedar.

So were many other people.  But that does not make them prophets.

>4. Gen. 15:18-21  God promise Abraham that his descendetes shall be given 
>   the land (Arabia) between the river of Egypt (Nile, Ethiopia, Sudan,) and 
>   the river Euphrates (Iraq, Turkey, Syria).History has shown this promise      
>   to be fulfilled throuh Ismael to Muhammad 638 A.D .

In other passages, God specified that this was to be fulfilled through the
nation of Israel.  Notice that according to Scripture, the covenant was
through Issac and Jacob.  

>5. Gen. 49:10  Jacob in his conversations with his childern. said that all 
>   the prophets. both weak and strong.

This passage does not say that all the prophets or even rulers would come
from Judah.  islam even teaches that Moses was a prophet and he was an 
israelite from the tribe of Levi.  

shall come from Judah (Israel) .The 
>   septre shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh (Muhammad) messenger form 
>   God comes. Shiloh will take the septre from Judah and unto Him (Shiloh)
>   shall the gathering of the poeple be. Shiloh is an untranslated Hebrew
>   word meaning the most important messenger from God.

Some have translated it, by comparing it to Ezekial "He that shall come."
Christ's kingdom is the everlasting kingdom.

> God promised Abraham
>   that all the prophets shall come from his descendents, either from Issac
>   or Ishmael. Shiloh is a descendent of Ishmael as previously shown in 
>   Gen. 17:20. 

This passage only shows that Ishmael would become a great nation.  It says 
nothing about Shiloh.  Repeatedly the Tanach shows that the Messiah,
The Prophet would come from among the Jews, as indeed He did.

And God did not promise that all prophets would be physically descended
from Abraham.  According to the Bible, Balaam the son of Beor prophecied.
And God promised to pour out of His SPirit upon all flesh.  Indeed, though
Jewish believers do seem to be prone to having visions and exercising
prophetic gifts, many Gentile believers exercise them as well.

Link Hudson.