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Most of the readers who reacted, majority of who are Christians agreed with me that Joshua was the prophet Moses predicted in Deuteronomy 18:18. So what is in focus here are the views of the two Christians and a Muslim who raised issues on last week’s piece. The two who are believers of Christ are Mr. Godwin Iheanacho (080 – 3865 – 7991) who phoned me from Aba on Sunday and Professor Balogun Christopher Ominyofe (070 – 3472 – 7007) who sent a text message on Monday morning.
According to them, it is clear from the statement of Apostle Peter in Acts 3:22 – 23, that Jesus Christ was the Prophet Moses told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 18:18 that God would send to them. They said that it was not Joshua as I asserted in my article.
The text message which came from the owner of GSM Number 080 – 6767 – 8230 and which did not have the name of the sender advised me to go and read more about Islam. The preponderate cheeky person said that if I cannot find Muhammad in my Bible that I would not equally be able to find the name of Jesus in my Old Testament Bible. Show us the name of Jesus in the Bible, he or she rudely asked.
In spite of the statement of Apostle Peter in Acts 3:22 – 23 I still maintain that the coming of Jesus was not what Moses predicted in Deuteronomy 18:18. I insist that the prophet he was referring to was Joshua. And this is obvious if one carefully reads Deuteronomy Chapter 18 from the beginning to the end (that is from verse 1 through 22).
Verses 1 – 8 were on the Most High’s instruction that the priestly tribe of Levi was not to have any share of land in the Promised Territory (now Israel). Instead, they were to live on the offerings and sacrifices given to the Lord.
Verses 9 – 13 were the warnings the Supreme Being gave to the Israelites not to follow the evil practices of the people in the land they were going to occupy. These were that they should not sacrifice their children, engage in divination, use charms or consult the spirits of the dead.
Verses 14 – 22 were where the Ancient of Days promised to send the Israelites a prophet. Moses began in verse 14 with, and I quote: “In the land you are about to occupy, people follow the advice of those who practice divination and look for omens, but the Lord your God does not allow you to do this. Instead, He will send you a prophet like me from among your own people, and you are to obey him.”
From this pronouncement of Moses, how can anyone say the prophet he was referring to in Deut. 18:18 is Jesus Christ and a prediction of his coming. Is it not apparent that he was talking about his successor, Joshua, who like him was a prophet and war commander, who would lead the Israelites to the Promised Land? Rather than of a prophet who would bring a new religion to the Israelites and the people of the world about one thousand and two hundred years later.
I thank Mr. Iheanacho for bringing up Apostle Peter’s statement in Act 3:22 – 23. For those who don’t know I am someone the Heavenly Father discusses issues in the Holy Bible with and I have since 2008 been writing on them in this column. I am not a pastor or prophet and I do not see visions. The Lord speaks with me only when I go on a retreat in Ado – Ekiti and the spiritual guide He chose for me in 1992 takes me to the Holy Land to communicate with Him.
Of course, before writing a book on the explanations the Ancient of Days had made to me on issues in the Christian Holy Book and the Qur’an I would ask Him if Moses in Deut. 18:18 was talking about Joshua or Jesus? And why he did not name the prophet? And if Joshua was the prophet, why did Apostle Peter say it was Jesus? Or was the statement ascribed to him a misreport by the author of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles.
Or as with the issue of God and Jesus being the same person introduced by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, was Apostle Peter’s statement brought into the New Testament by a Christian Emperor of the Roman Empire or the Council of the Church.
Next week: My reply to the Muslim critic who asked me to show where the name of Jesus was mentioned in the Old Testament. I will do this in the two Books that did so and revealed the town he would be born, predictions which were fulfilled and reported in Matthew 1:23 and Matthew 2:5 – 6 and John 7:42.
Happy Birthday To My Loved Ones (2)
July is when I have more birthday people to greet than in any other month of the year, eight of them, relatives, friends and associates. Last week, I began with Mr. Rasheed Aderibigbe, a Lagos Island – born friend of Agarawu Street who came into the world on Saturday July 1, 1944 and whose 76th birthday came up last Wednesday, the day of the week this column is published.
I continue the salutation and appreciation today starting with the duo of my second – born and second daughter Olufunmilayo Abiola Adedipe and Sir Amos Ofoneme, a Knight of Saint Christopher of the Anglican Church and a Jerusalem Pilgrim, who were born on July 2, 1985 and 1936 respectively, she on a Tuesday and he on a Thursday.
Next is Hausa – born Miss Naomi Twalchem Hackson from Adamawa State who lives in the Apapa area of the city of Lagos. Please note that her surname is Hackson not Jackson. A lover of this column, she celebrated her 26th birthday yesterday. She came into the world on Thursday, July 7, 1994 which makes me call her the 7/7 woman.
Naomi, a graduate of Business Management and a Christian whose baptismal name is in the Bible and in all the four chapters in the Book of Ruth sees PABULUM as a fantastic showpiece column. The reason she gave is that it always has well – researched glowing articles with insightful divine information that give people uncommon and deep knowledge of the Scriptures making it easier to understand and appreciate.
Another July 7 person is Ijebu – Ode – born Princess (Mrs.) Adenike Adetutu Adedipe (nee Fetuga), a younger sister of late Professor Tunde Fetuga, who came into the world on Saturday, July 7, 1945. She is the wife of my late cousin, High Chief Bolanle Adedipe, the Elemo of Akure (1977 – 2012) and the Parliamentary Secretary (Minister of State) for Agriculture (1964 – 66) in the administration of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa who administered the country from 1957 – 66.
More to come on the other July 7 celebrants next week.
