“I (God) will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee (Moses), and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”
Deuteronomy 18:18
There are some insignificant dissimilarities between Moses and Jesus, such as the fact that Moses was married and Jesus was not, proves nothing. There were numerous disparities between Moses and Mohammed. Moses was born in Egypt, Mohammed in Mecca. Moses was taken by God at the age of 120; Mohammed died a natural death at the age of 63, etc.
The reality is, however, there are significant similarities between the work of Moses and that of Christ. Consider the following:
1. Kings sought to destroy both Moses and Jesus when they were babies (Ex. 1,2; Mt. 2).
2. Both were sent by God to be deliverers (Ex. 3:8; Rom. 11:26).
3. Both Moses and Christ authenticated their missions with miracles (Ex. 4:1ff; Jn. 20:30-31).
4. Both gave laws from God (Jer. 31:31ff; Jn. 1:17).
5. Both mediated on behalf of their people (Ex. 32:32; Gal. 3:19; 1 Tim. 2:5).
6. Both supplied bread for the people (Ex. 16:15; Jn. 6:49ff).
7. Both Moses and Christ had a “baptism” which provided a transition from bondage to freedom (Ex. 14:30; cf. 1 Cor. 10:2; Gal. 3:27).
8. Both men were specially tended by God at the event of their deaths (Dt. 34:6; Lk. 23:46).
9. Moses and Christ united in song in praising the mighty works of God (cf. Ex. 15; Rev. 15:3).
To suggest that Mohammed is the “prophet” foretold in Deuteronomy 18 contradicts the Qur’an, which declares that the “Prophethood and Revelation” was to come through the “progeny” of Isaac and Jacob – not Ishmael (Sura 29:27).
The prophecy of Deut.18 explains “from among the brethren”, which according to the Muslims, does not refer to the Israelites but to the Ishmaelites.
One only has to look into the Scriptures to see how the term “brethren” is used. In Deut.17:15, Moses instructs the Israelite people saying, “You shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord God chooses, one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you, you may not set a foreigner over you who is not a brother.”
Israel never appointed a foreigner to rule over them, especially an Ishmaelite. To choose from among the brethren meant one had to come from one of the twelve tribes of Israel, not Arabia or anywhere eles.
Moses and Jesus were both Jewish, which corresponds to the term brethren in Deut.18.
They both left Egypt to bring deliverance to their own people. “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” (Israel being the national son of God and Jesus being the eternal Son of God.)
Both forsook riches to identify with their people. (Heb.11:26, 2 Cor.8:9). Instead Mohammed took riches in his conquering the people.
One of the keys to identifying this prophet of Deut.18;15-18 is in Deut.34:10-11, “Since there has not risen a prophet like Moses whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt before pharaoh, before all his servants and in all the land.”
There are more similarities between Moses and Jesus than Mohammed and Moses.
Peace