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Return to Answers to Missionary Proofs Proof: The Name The Name used in verse one - and repeated through the other two verses - in "Elohim". This is interpreted as the power behind the powers and is a formal name of Hashem. The "spirit" does not refer to a separate "being". The word Ruach (רוּחַ) in verse two can mean wind, mind, breath, or spirit. This word is referring to G-d’s Throne of Glory hovering over the face of the water. Not the "Word". The word Yomer (יֹּאמֶר) in verse three means to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend. It does not mean word – that would be davar. There are three persons of G-d known as the trinity. Proof: The angelic presence. The “us” in this verse is referring to the angels. From here we learn the humility of the Holy One, blessed be He. Since man was created in the likeness of the angels, and they would envy him, He consulted them. Jesus was born of a virgin. Prophecy: Proof: The word used for “seed” is זַרְעָהּ. The root word (זֶרַע) is used throughout the Tanach and has various meanings. Part of a plant (such as an apple seed) The sowing season Field crops and grains Semen Progeny/offspring There are different uses and meanings of the word "seed" depending upon its usage within the passage. When this term is used in the case of generic offspring, it is implicitly plural but if it is referring to a specific offspring, the term is singular. When the term is used regarding offspring it always implies progeny – that is, biological descendents. In Genesis 3:15, “her seed” is a generic reference to mankind since it is speaking of Eve’s descendents. It is understood as a plurality since there is no explicit reference to an individual and as a consequence the term “they” should be used instead of “he” in the English translations at the end of the verse [the singular הוּא can also be plural – see Exodus 1:10 as an example]. This use of the term "seed" when referring to a woman is not exclusive to this passage in Genesis. Genesis 16:10: And the angel of the Lord said to her [Hagar], "I will greatly multiply your seed (זַרְעֵךְ), and it will not be counted for abundance." Genesis 24:60: And they blessed Rebecca and said to her, "Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed (זַרְעֵךְ) inherit the cities of their enemies." Leviticus 22:13: But if the kohen's daughter becomes widowed or divorced, and she has no offspring (וְזֶרַע) she may return to her father's household as in her youth [and] eat of her father's food, but no non kohen may eat of it. I Samuel 2:20: And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and he would say, "May the Lord grant you seed (זֶרַע) from this woman," because of the request which he had requested of the Lord, and they would go to his place. Jesus (seed of the woman) was tempted by Satan. Prophecy: Proof: I John 3:18: My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. The "seed" refers to mankind and not to a specific person. When this term is used in the case of generic offspring, it is implicitly plural but if it is referring to a specific offspring, the term is singular. When the term is used regarding offspring it always implies progeny – that is, biological descendents. In Genesis 3:15, “her seed” is a generic reference to mankind since it is speaking of Eve’s descendents. It is understood as a plurality since there is no explicit reference to an individual and as a consequence the term “they” should be used instead of “he” in the English translations at the end of the verse [the singular הוּא can also be plural – see Exodus 1:10 as an example]. There is a very simple explanation for the reference to the enmity between the snake and the offspring according to Uri Yosef. “The enmity between snake and man, from mankind’s perspective, stems from the fact that in general, snakes are pests, even dangerous pests. From a snake’s perspective, it is an animal without the ability to reason and, thus, it acts on natural instincts – it must eat to survive, and its main job is to look for sustenance while protecting itself from predators.” (Uri Yosef, Ph.D., for the Messiah Truth Project, Inc) Jesus ascended bodily into heaven. Prophecy: Proof: Enoch and Jesus were not the only bodily ascensions. Enoch was a righteous man but could be swayed toward evil quite easily. This is why Hashem, in His justice and mercy, took Enoch from this world. Elijah was also taken bodily into heaven. The problem is that Jesus denied that anyone ascended into heaven. How can missionaries use Enoch’s ascension as a messianic prophecy when their own messiah denies the fact that Enoch (or Elijah) ever ascended to Heaven? There are inconsistencies with the "ascension" in the Christian Scriptures. Did Jesus ascend into heaven? The Book of John does not report any ascension of Jesus after he met with the disciples. The Book of Mark reports the ascension of Jesus at the end of the book. However, the reliable early manuscripts and ancient witnesses do not even include Mark 16:9-20. It is a forgery! Where did the ascension take place? The Book of Luke indicates that Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples while they were gathered in or near Jerusalem. Jesus then took them to Bethany and ascended from there. The ascensions of Enoch and Elijah are different from that of Jesus. Enoch was taken alive into heaven. Elijah was taken alive into heaven. Jesus died, was resurrected, and then was taken into heaven. The G-d of Shem will be the Son of Shem. Prophecy: Proof: In order for this "prophecy" to be true the genealogy of Jesus in the Book of Luke would need to be factual and they would need to show that Jesus was a valid contender for the throne of David. For a comparison of the Tanach, Matthew, and Luke genealogies at one glance, please refer to the page Comparative Genealogy. Who is this Cainan? Why is there an extra generation between Shem and Abraham? I Chronicles 1:17-27 : (17) The sons of Shem: Elam, and Ashur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech. (18) And Arpachshad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber. (19) And to Eber were born two sons; one was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was parted and his brother's name was Joktan. (20) And Joktan begot Almodad, and Shaleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jorah. (21) And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah. (22) And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba. (23) And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. (24) Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah. (25) Eber, Peleg, Re'u. (26) Serug, Nahor, Terah. (27) Abram, he is Abraham. Why is the lineage traced through Nathan when the Moshiach will be a descendant of Solomon? I Kings 1:37: As the Lord was with my lord the king, so shall He be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David. I Kings 2:45: And king Solomon [shall be] blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever. Why are Shealtiel and Zerubbabel listed as descendants of “Neri” instead of Jeconiah? The answer is quite simple. In Jeremiah 22:30 the descendants of Jeconiah are cut off from ever sitting on the throne of David. So, if Jesus is a descendant of Jeconiah then he is not eligible to be on the throne of David. Jeremiah 22:30: So said the Lord: Inscribe this man [Jeconiah] childless, a man who will not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David or ruling anymore in Judah. Why is Heli listed as the father of Joseph in contradiction to Matthew's genealogy? Matthew 1:16: And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. There are three persons of a trinity. Proof: The angelic presence. The “us” in this verse is referring to the angels. From here we learn the humility of the Holy One, blessed be He. Since man was created in the likeness of the angels, and they would envy him, He consulted them. Jesus was a descent of Abraham. Prophecy: Proof: In order for this "prophecy" to be true the genealogy of Jesus in the Book of Matthew would need to be factually correct. For a comparison of the Tanach, Matthew, and Luke genealogies at one glance, please refer to the page Comparative Genealogy. Who was the son of Ahaziah/Uzziah? I Chronicles 3:11: Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son. Where are there missing generations after Joash? I Chronicles 3:11-13: (11) Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son. (12) Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son. (13) Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son. (13) Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son. Where is the missing generation after Josiah? I Chronicles 3:15-16: (15) And the sons of Josiah: the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. (16) And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son. Why is there a completely different list after Zerubabbel? I Chronicles 3:19-24: (19) And the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimi, and the son[s] of Zerubbabel: Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister. (20) And Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushab- Hesed-five. (21) And the son[s] of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Isaiah; his son was Rephaiah; his son was Arnan; his son was Obadiah; his son was Shechaniah. (22) And the sons of Shechaniah: Shemaiah, and the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, and Jigal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shafat-six. (23) And the son[s] of Neariah; Eljoenai, and Hezekiah, and Azrikam-three. (24) And the sons of Eljoenai; Hodaviah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Delaiah, and Anani-seven. In order for this "prophecy" to be true Jesus would need to be a valid contender for the throne of David. Jeconiah is listed as an ancestor of Jesus. If this is true then Jesus is not a valid contender for the throne of David. Jesus (Abraham's seed), will bless all the nations by leading them away from sin. Prophecy: Proof: There are inaccuracies within the text of Acts and the missionary interpretation. Many people had blessed Abraham’s seed and have led them away from sin. What makes Jesus any different from them? This verse in Genesis is telling mankind as a whole that those who bless Abraham’s seed will be blessed and those who curse Abraham’s seed will be cursed. Notice that the quote in Acts is not accurate. The verse in Bereishit specifically states that only those who bless Abraham’s seed will be blessed. There is no universal blessing of the entire world just as a matter of course. There must be an active blessing of Abraham’s seed in order for an individual or nation to be blessed through Abraham’s seed. Jesus, as Abraham's seed, fulfilled the promises given to Abraham. Prophecy: Proof: The word used for “seed” is זַרְעָהּ. The root word (זֶרַע) is used throughout the Tanach and has various meanings. Part of a plant (such as an apple seed) The sowing season Field crops and grains Semen Progeny/offspring There are different uses and meanings of the word "seed" depending upon its usage within the passage. When this term is used in the case of generic offspring, it is implicitly plural but if it is referring to a specific offspring, the term is singular. When the term is used regarding offspring it always implies progeny – that is, biological descendents. In Genesis 12:7, “your seed” is a generic reference to Abraham’s descendants through Isaac. It is understood as a plurality since there is no explicit reference to an individual. Let’s look at how various Christian “Old Testaments” translate זַרְעֲךָ. King James Version: And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. 1611 King James Version: And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. American Standard Version: And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto Jehovah, who appeared unto him. Young’s Literal Translation: And Jehovah appeareth unto Abram, and saith, `To thy seed I give this land;' and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, who hath appeared unto him. Darby Translation: And Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land. And there he built an altar to Jehovah who had appeared to him. Webster’s Bible: seed And the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, To thy seed will I give this land: and there he erected an altar to the LORD, who appeared to him. New World Translation: Jehovah now appeared to A´bram and said: “To your seed I am going to give this land.” After that he built an altar there to Jehovah, who had appeared to him. New King James Version: Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. New American Standard Bible: The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. Revised Standard Version: Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. Hebrew Names Version: The LORD appeared to Avram, and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." He built an altar there to the LORD, who appeared to him. New Living Translation: Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I am going to give this land to your offspring." And Abram built an altar there to commemorate the LORD's visit. New International Version: The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. English Standard Version: Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the Lord , who had appeared to him. New Jerusalem Bible: Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, 'I shall give this country to your progeny.' And there, Abram built an altar to Yahweh who had appeared to him. As you can see, there is no one way that the Christian “Old Testament” even translates זַרְעֲךָ. In seven of the translations listed, זַרְעֲך is translated as seed which can be either plural or singular depending upon the specificity or non-specificity of the verse. In four of the translations listed, זַרְעֲךָ is translated in the plural, three of the translations translate זַרְעֲך as offspring, and one translates זַרְעֲךָ as progeny– both implying plurality. The promise given in Genesis is the land. Genesis 12:7: And the Lord appeared to Abram, and He said, "To your seed I will give this land," and there he built an altar to the Lord, Who had appeared to him. Notice that in Genesis there is only one promise mentioned – that of the land. In Galatians the word “promises” is used implying more than one promise. So what are the other promises? The promise is that the land will be given to Abraham’s seed. Was the land ever given to Jesus? Genesis 13:14-16: (14) And the Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Please raise your eyes and see, from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward. (15) For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your seed to eternity. (16) And I will make your seed like the dust of the earth, so that if a man will be able to count the dust of the earth, so will your seed be counted. The “seed” (זַרְעֲך) mentioned in verse 15 are the descendants of Abraham and the “seed” (זַרְעֲך) mentioned in verse 16 are also the descendants of Abraham. The word זַרְעֲך is used in both verses. If the “seed” in verse 15 – which is the same “seed” in chapter 12 – is Jesus then is the “seed” in verse 16 Jesus as well? Was Jesus “like the dust of the earth so that if man will be able to count the dust of the earth, so will your seed be counted.”? Jesus became the high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Prophecy: Proof: Malchizedek was a descendant of Noah. Malchizedek was none other than Shem, the son of Noach and ancestor (Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather) of Abraham. This whole story is to show that – one – Malchizedek bares no grudge against Abraham for killing his sons and – two – to foreshadow the meal offerings and libations that Abraham’s children would offer in the future. Malchizedek is a non-Jew although he believes in G-d and follows the Covenantal Laws of Noach. He is not part of the priesthood of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) or the Beit HaMikdash (Temple). He is also not part of the covenant made with Abraham. Jesus was never a "high priest". Where is the claim that Jesus was a high priest substantiated in the Christian scriptures? How can Jesus be a priest to G-d if he is G-d? Notice that the verse in Genesis states that Malchizedek was a priest not a high priest. Based upon the actual wording of the supposed prophecy alone, the claim that Jesus is like Malchizedek, is false. The "prophecy" is based upon a mistranslation. The idea that Jesus will be a priest after the order of Malchizedek is in Psalm 110:4: The Lord swore and will not repent; you are a priest forever because of the speech of Malchizedek. The Christian Scripture translates this same verse as: The LORD has sworn And will not relent, "You [are] a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." The Christian Scripture mistranslates the word דִּבְרָה which means speech, saying, words, or utterance. This verse in Psalms is about G-d speaking to David and telling him that the kingship and priesthood will be given to David’s children as an inheritance from Shem – David’s ancestor – who was also a king and priest. The term for priest – kohen – has the connotation of priesthood and rulership as in II Samuel 8:18: And Benayahu the son of Yehoyada [was over] the archers and the slingers; and David's sons were chief officers (כֹּהֲנִים). Jesus became the king according to the order of Melchizedek. Prophecy: Proof: Malchizedek was a descendant of Noah. Malchizedek was Shem of whom his father (Noah) said: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be a slave to them.” (Genesis 9:26) We see from this passage that Hashem has already promised the descendants of Shem (Malchizedek) the land of Canaan which would become Eretz Yisrael. Through this blessing, the entire world will also be blessed through Shem (Malchizedek) since the world will be blessed through the Children of Israel. What about this verse? Malchizedek is born without a father and mother? Where is this found in the Tanach? Or even within the Christian scriptures? Even Jesus had an earthly mother so the “son of God” referred to would rightly be Adam and not Jesus. Jesus was never a "king". Where is the claim that Jesus was a king substantiated in the Christian scriptures? The "last supper" was foreshadowed. Prophecy: Proof: A foreshadowing of the offerings of Abraham's descendants. Bread and wine were staples of food and libations to G-d since the times of Noah. This is actually a foreshadowing of the meal offerings and libations that Abraham’s children would offer in the future. Jesus was from the seed of Isaac. Prophecy: Proof: There are different uses and meanings of the word "seed" depending upon its usage within the passage. When this term is used in the case of generic offspring, it is implicitly plural but if it is referring to a specific offspring, the term is singular. When the term is used regarding offspring it always implies progeny – that is, biological descendents. In Genesis 17:9, “your seed” is a generic reference to Abraham’s descendants through Isaac. It is understood as a plurality since there is no explicit reference to an individual. This passage is simply stating that all the descendants from Abraham through Isaac are within the covenant with G-d – the covenant of circumcision. Genesis 17:10: This is My covenant, which you shall observe between Me and between you and between your seed after you, that every male among you be circumcised. G-d can and does appear as a corporeal being. Proof: The three visitors were in fact angels. From the very first verse we see that G-d is already there with Abraham before the three "men" arrive. Verse three was addressed to G-d where Abraham was asking G-d to wait a bit while he took care of the three "men". Genesis 19:1: And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom, and Lot saw and arose toward them, and he prostrated himself on his face to the ground. Three angels were sent because angels can only perform one errand at a time. The three errands are: 2. Saving Lot 3. Overturning of Sodom G-d spoke to Abraham in the presence of the three "men". G-d spoke to Abraham while the three "men" were in front of Abraham - it was not the "men" who made the statement to Abraham. Genesis 18:13: And the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Is it really true that I will give birth, although I am old?' G-d reveals His inner thoughts to us. We see G-d's inner thoughts in verses 17-19 with G-d's decision to tell Abraham about the cities in verses 20-21. Genesis 18:17-21: (17) And the Lord said, "Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am doing? (18) And Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the world will be blessed in him. (19) For I have known him because he commands his sons and his household after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord to perform righteousness and justice, in order that the Lord bring upon Abraham that which He spoke concerning him." (20) And the Lord said, "Since the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great, and since their sin has become very grave, (21) I will descend now and see, whether according to her cry, which has come to Me, they have done; [I will wreak] destruction [upon them]; and if not, I will know." G-d is still with Abraham after the "men" leave. Later in verse 22, we see that G-d was still there and waiting for the three "men" to leave. Genesis 18:22: And the men turned from there and went to Sodom, and Abraham was still standing before the Lord. Jesus was crucified on Golgotha (where the Akeidah occurred). Prophecy: Proof: Mark 15:22: And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. Luke 23:33: And when they had come to the place called Calvary [Golgotha], there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. John 19:17: And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called [the Place] of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha... The Akeidah (binding of Isaac) took place on what is currently the Temple Mount which is in the land of Moriah. The land of Moriah refers to Jerusalem. According to Rashi, this is seen in II Chronicles 3:1: And Solomon commenced to build the House of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where He had appeared to his father David, which he had prepared in David's place, in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. The location of Golgotha is not in the land of Moriah. Golgotha is traditionally located in Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher but at the time that Jesus supposedly lived, Golgotha would have been outside the city – meaning not in the land of Moriah. John 19:41: Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. [Note: Tombs would have been outside the city.] There is also historical precedence that shows that "Hadrian's builders replanned the old city, incidentally confirming the bringing of the hill of Golgotha inside the new town wall. (The Church in Ancient Society: From Galilee to Gregory the Great p.21) Jesus spent three days and three nights in the tomb. Prophecy: Proof: Mark 16:1,6: (1) Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. ... (6) But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. Luke 24:1,6: (1) Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ... (6) He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,.. John 20:1-2: (1) Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. (2) Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." Jesus was not in the tomb three days and three nights. If Jesus was crucified on Friday as traditionally believed and was raised on Sunday, he did not spend three days and nights in the tomb. He only spent two full nights, one full day, and two partial days in the tomb. Jesus was the final Passover sacrifice which would take away the sin of the world. Prophecy: Proof: Abraham was to offer a burnt offering. Genesis 22:6: And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, and he placed [it] upon his son Isaac, and he took into his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went together. Genesis 22:8: And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And they both went together. Jesus was not a burnt offering. This "prophecy" has already been fulfilled. Abraham and Isaac both understood that Hashem would provide the “lamb” for the sacrifice. They also both understood that if a “lamb” was not offered then it was Isaac who was to be the sacrifice. Genesis 22:7-9, 13: (7) And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and he said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" (8) And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And they both went together. (9) And they came to the place of which God had spoken to him, and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar upon the wood. (13) And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw, and lo! there was a ram, [and] after [that] it was caught in a tree by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. This story of Abraham and Isaac actually proves that human sacrifice is forbidden by Hashem. Man can only redeem himself from his own sins – he cannot redeem anyone else. Ezekiel 18:20: The soul that sins, it shall die; a son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and a father shall not bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. Jesus did not have to be from the physical seed of Joseph to be from the line of David. Prophecy: Proof: Jesus was not of the tribe of Judah. If one believes that Jesus was born of a virgin then he had no tribal lineage since (1) G-d is not of any tribe and (2) the tribal lineage is passed on exclusively through the biological father. Numbers 1:18: ...and they assembled all the congregation on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees according to their families according to their fathers' houses; according to the number of names, a head count of every male from twenty years old and upward. Numbers 36:7: Thus, the inheritance of the children of Israel will not be transferred from tribe to tribe, for each person from the children of Israel will remain attached to the inheritance of his father's tribe. This passage in Genesis is referring to a Levirate marriage. Deuteronomy 25:5-6: (5) If brothers reside together, and one of them dies having no son, the dead man's wife shall not marry an outsider. [Rather,] her husband's brother shall be intimate with her, making her a wife for himself, thus performing the obligation of a husband's brother with her. (6) And it will be, that the eldest brother [who performs the levirate marriage, if] she [can] bear will succeed in the name of his deceased brother, so that his [the deceased brother's] name shall not be obliterated from Israel. The child born of the union between the brother of the dead man and his former wife -- both of whom are intimately connected with the deceased man -- is considered the spiritual son of the deceased. Jesus (as Shiloh) arrived at the proper time. Prophecy: Proof: This reference in Galatians is not a reference to this verse. This reference in Galatians is actually a reference to Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7. Genesis 12:7: And the Lord appeared to Abram, and He said, "To your seed I will give this land," and there he built an altar to the Lord, Who had appeared to him. Genesis 13:15: For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your seed to eternity. Genesis 24:7: The Lord, God of the heavens, Who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and Who spoke about me, and Who swore to me, saying, 'To your seed will I give this land' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. What do all these verses have in common? It is the promise of Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel). Even in Genesis 49:10 there is this promise because it speaks about the scepter of David and his descendants and the ingathering of the exiles. The scepter shall not leave David's household. This verse in Genesis is making the statement that the scepter (kingship/rulership) shall not pass from David’s household even during the period of the exiles. Shiloh does in fact refer to the Moshiach. However, the Moshiach will be a king just like David and Solomon. Jesus was never a king. Jesus (as Shiloh) was of the seed and tribe of Judah. Prophecy: Proof: Luke 3:33: …[the son] of Amminadab, [the son] of Ram, [the son] of Hezron, [the son] of Perez, [the son] of Judah,… For a comparison of the Tanach, Matthew, and Luke genealogies at one glance, please refer to the page Comparative Genealogy. The scepter shall not depart from David and his descendants through Solomon who will retain rightful ownership to the kingship of Eretz Yisrael. In order to take this verse as a basis for determining Jesus’ eligibility to even serve as king, we need to look at the genealogies in Matthew and Luke. Problems with the genealogy in the Book of Matthew. I Chronicles 3:11: Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son. 2. Where are the missing generations after Joash? I Chronicles 3:11-13: (11) Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son. (12) Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son. (13) Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son. (13) Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son. 3. Where is the missing generation after Josiah? I Chronicles 3:15-16: (15) And the sons of Josiah: the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. (16) And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son. 4. Jeconiah is listed as an ancestor of Jesus. If this is true then Jesus is not a valid contender for the throne of David. Jeremiah 22:30: So said the Lord: Inscribe this man [Jeconiah] childless, a man who will not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David or ruling anymore in Judah. 5. Why is there a completely different list after Zerubabbel? I Chronicles 3:19-24: (19) And the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimi, and the son[s] of Zerubbabel: Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister. (20) And Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushab- Hesed-five. (21) And the son[s] of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Isaiah; his son was Rephaiah; his son was Arnan; his son was Obadiah; his son was Shechaniah. (22) And the sons of Shechaniah: Shemaiah, and the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, and Jigal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shafat-six. (23) And the son[s] of Neariah; Eljoenai, and Hezekiah, and Azrikam-three. (24) And the sons of Eljoenai; Hodaviah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Delaiah, and Anani-seven. Problems with the genealogy in the Book of Luke Luke 3:34-36: (34) [the son] of Jacob, [the son] of Isaac, [the son] of Abraham, [the son] of Terah, [the son] of Nahor, (35) [the son] of Serug, [the son] of Reu, [the son] of Peleg, [the son] of Eber, [the son] of Shelah, (36) [the son] of Cainan, [the son] of Arphaxad, [the son] of Shem, [the son] of Noah, [the son] of Lamech... I Chronicles 1:17-27 : (17) The sons of Shem: Elam, and Ashur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech. (18) And Arpachshad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber. (19) And to Eber were born two sons; one was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was parted and his brother's name was Joktan. (20) And Joktan begot Almodad, and Shaleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jorah. (21) And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah. (22) And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba. (23) And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. (24) Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah. (25) Eber, Peleg, Re'u. (26) Serug, Nahor, Terah. (27) Abram, he is Abraham. 2. Why is the lineage traced through Nathan when the Moshiach will be a descendant of Solomon? Luke 3:31: … [the son] of Melea, [the son] of Menan, [the son] of Mattathah, [the son] of Nathan, [the son] of David… I Kings 1:37: As the Lord was with my lord the king, so shall He be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David. I Kings 2:45: And king Solomon [shall be] blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever. 3. Why are Shealtiel and Zerubbabel listed as descendants of “Neri” instead of Jeconiah? Luke 3:27: ...[the son] of Joannas, [the son] of Rhesa, [the son] of Zerubbabel, [the son] of Shealtiel, [the son] of Neri... The answer is quite simple. In Jeremiah 22:30 the descendants of Jeconiah are cut off from ever sitting on the throne of David. So, if Jesus is a descendant of Jeconiah then he is not eligible to be on the throne of David. Jeremiah 22:30: So said the Lord: Inscribe this man [Jeconiah] childless, a man who will not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David or ruling anymore in Judah. 4. Why is Heli listed as the father of Joseph in contradiction to Matthew's genealogy? Luke 3:23: Now Jesus Himself began [His ministry at] about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) [the] son of Joseph, [the son] of Heli... Matthew 1:16: And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. Jesus was Shiloh because Shiloh means "One Sent." Prophecy: Proof: "Shiloh" is mistranslated in the Christian Scripture. The word Shiloh (שִׁילוֹ) does not mean “One Sent”. It means “tranquility”. It comes from the root word shalah (שָׁלָה) which means “to be at rest” or “to be at ease”. Genesis 49:10 could just as easily be rendered thus: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until tranquility comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples. The word Shiloh (שִׁילוֹ) can also mean “that which belongs to him” and comes from the combination of שַׁי לוֹ which means “a gift to him”. Genesis 49:10 could also be rendered as: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until the Messiah comes, to whom the kingdom belongs, and to him will be a gathering of peoples. Jesus (as Shiloh) arrived before Judah lost its identity. Prophecy: Proof: There will be a gathering of exiles when the Moshiach arrives. In the passage from John there is made mention of the gathering of the exiles. This is part of the prophecy from Genesis 49 but it was never accomplished by Jesus. In fact, even more Jews were scattered into the diaspora after he came and went which means that in some sense Judah did lose its identity. Jesus (as Shiloh) was obeyed by the people. Prophecy: Proof: Obedience to the Moshiach is not part of this prophecy. The scepter not departing from Judah just means that the throne will never depart from the House of David which means that the Moshiach must be a legitimate heir to the throne from the House of David. The student of the law refers to the scribes of the land and the legislation – in other words, the law and justice. The gathering of peoples refers to the ingathering of the exiles. *Jewish Scripture from The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary |
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