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Answers to Missionary Proofs from the Book of Numbers

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Jesus was the Passover sacrifice whose bones were not broken.

Prophecy:
Numbers 9:12: They shall not leave over anything from it until the next morning, and they shall not break any of its bones. They shall make it in accordance with all the statutes connected with the Passover sacrifice.

Proof:
John 19:32-36: (32) Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. (33) But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. (34) But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (35) And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. (36) For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not [one] of His bones shall be broken."

Both parts of this "prophecy" must apply if this is indeed a Messianic prophecy.

Only the first part of the verse from Numbers is being used by missionaries as a proof of the supposed prophecy.

The second part of this verse states that the Pesach sacrifice shall be made “in accordance with all the statutes connected with the Passover sacrifice.” Jesus was never placed upon a spit, Jesus was never roasted over a fire. Jesus was never eaten in the house with none of his flesh left over in the morning.

Jesus was lifted upon a pole to save mankind.

Prophecy:
Numbers 21:9: Moses made a copper snake and put it on a pole, and whenever a snake bit a man, he would gaze upon the copper snake and live.

Proof:
John 3:14-18: (14) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (15) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (16) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (18) "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

The snake was not an object of worship.

The copper snake was made as a way in encourage the people to look toward heaven and plead with G-d to save them. It was not meant as an object of worship. Yet, these verses in John show that Jesus is to be an object of worship!

If anything is a prophecy that connects the copper snake and Jesus, it would be this.
II Kings 18:4: He abolished the high places, and smashed the monuments, and cut down the asherah, and crushed the copper serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the children of Israel were burning incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.

The snake was destroyed because the people began worshipping it instead of only worshipping Hashem! Just like the theology of Christianity will be destroyed in the Messianic Age because it put Jesus on a stake and worshipped him instead of Hashem.

Jesus was be the future redeemer.

Prophecy:
Numbers 24:17: I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not soon. A star has gone forth from Jacob, and a staff will arise from Israel which will crush the princes of Moab and uproot all the sons of Seth.

Proof:
Galatians 4:4: But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law…

Start with a valid translation of the original Hebrew.

The beginning of the verse says “I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not soon.” This is not talking about an individual person.

This is also how Young’s Literal Translation translates this verse.
I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab, And hath destroyed all sons of Sheth.

What this verse really means.

The very beginning of this verse is talking about the greatness and prominence of Jacob that will occur at a time in the future.

The star is speaking of someone who will rise above all others. This is not talking about Jesus.

The staff is referring to a ruler – a king. Was Jesus ever a ruler or king?

If this is a Messianic prophecy, both parts of the verse must be fulfilled.

The second half of this verse reads “…which will crush the princes of Moab and uproot all the sons of Seth” Did Jesus do either of these things?

This is in fact a messianic prophecy. However, it is not about Jesus since he obviously did not fulfill this – or any other – prophecy regarding the Moshiach.

A look at the Greek in Galatians.

In the verse from Galatians, the word used for “born” in the Greek is γίνομαι (gen-oh-my).

What makes that interesting is that word means to become, to arise, to appear in history, to be made, or finished. Christianity teaches that Jesus always existed. If he did then how could he be made or become or arise or finished?

*Jewish Scripture from The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary
**Christian Scripture from the New King James Version

 

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