Part 1 – Part 2
“I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you; and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19 HNV).
We have established that the prophet of whom Moses spoke had not come by the days of Christ, nor has anyone since been identified and proven as such. Some say that Christ fulfilled that role, but, as we have pointed out, that is not possible according to the Jews who knew the Scriptures:
“And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he says, I am not. Are you that prophet? And he answered, No” (John 1:19-21 MKJV).
That prophet and Christ are separate beings, one a man, the other, God.
According to the Jews, the Christ, or Messiah, and the prophet of whom Moses spoke were different roles and persons, and the Scriptures confirm this understanding. Here is another demonstration:
“And in the last day of the great feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’ (But He spoke this about the Spirit, Which they who believed on Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.) Then when they heard the Word, many of the people said, Truly this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But others said, Does the Christ come out of Galilee?” (John 7:37-41 MKJV)
If the Christ and that prophet were the same individual, then these questions and disputes would not be reported. What would be the point when nothing is said by those who would have known better and who could have corrected the notion of two different appearances? Nowhere was it said that the Jews were wrong about there being two separate individuals for the simple reason that they were not wrong. This I will prove from the rest of the Scriptures, which speak of that prophet and the Christ as separate beings, one a man like unto Moses, and the other, God, the Lord from Heaven:
“For Jesus has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, in so far as he who has built a house has higher honor than the house itself. For every house has had a builder, and the builder of all things is God. Moreover, Moses was faithful in all God’s House as a servant in delivering the message given him to speak; but Christ was faithful as a Son having authority over God’s House, and we are that House, if we hold firm to the end the boldness and the hope which we boast of as ours” (Hebrews 3:3-6 WNT).
There is a profound difference between a man of God and God.
Those who believe are the House of God built by Christ, Who is God. The prophet like Moses would be part of the House, therefore, and not the Builder of the house:
“For who in the Heaven can be compared unto the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?” (Psalms 89:6 KJV)
Moses is a prophet, yes, among the sons of the mighty, but Jesus Christ is LORD, the Son of God. There is a profound difference between a man of God and God Himself. Therefore it could not be said at all that Christ is like Moses. Christ is unique. Consider the following:
Hebrews 1:1-8 EMTV
(1) God, Who in various ways and in many ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
(2) has in these last days spoken to us by the Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the worlds;
(3) Who being the effulgence of His glory and the exact expression of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
(4) having become so much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent Name than they.
(5) For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to Me”?
(6) But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
(7) And on the one hand He says to the angels, “He Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers flames of fire.”
(8) But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.”
Jesus Christ settled the question.
It is obvious, then, that Moses was not speaking about the Lord Jesus when he spoke of a prophet to come. The Lord Jesus is unlike any man that has ever lived, or will ever live, because He is God, Who was already there leading Moses and the children of Israel in the wilderness when Moses spoke about the prophet to come. As it is written:
“…all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were drinking from that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4 EMTV).
Jesus Christ settled the question of whether the Messiah was a man like Moses or David once and for all by bringing the matter up to His haters and religious know-it-alls in the days of His flesh. He asked them:
“What do you think of Christ? Whose son is He? They say to Him, David’s. He said to them, How then does David by the Spirit call Him Lord, saying, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, Sit on My right until I make Your enemies Your footstool for Your feet?’ If David then calls Him Lord, how is He his son? And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day to question Him any more” (Matthew 22:42-46 MKJV).
This is what we find in the Psalms, where Christ, the Son of Man, is called God. We know there is only one God, and thus it is confirmed that the Son of Man is God, and not a man like Moses or any other:
Psalms 45:1-7 MKJV
(1) To the Chief Musician. Concerning the Lilies, for the sons of Korah, a contemplation; A Song of Loves. My heart is overflowing with a good matter; I speak of my works to the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
(2) You are the fairest of the sons of men; grace is poured into Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever.
(3) Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, with Your glory and Your majesty.
(4) And ride prosperously in Your majesty, because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Your right hand shall teach You fearful things.
(5) Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; peoples fall under You.
(6) Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; the staff of Your Kingdom is a staff of righteousness.
(7) You love righteousness, and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows.
The Lord Jesus Christ appears on earth as a man, “that prophet.”
No, there are not two Gods, one talking to the other. God, Who is a Spirit transcending time, took on human form and appeared in time (the Son) while yet transcendent (the Father). Who says He cannot do that?
As omnipresent God appeared in the flesh as Jesus Christ, so the omnipresent Lord Jesus Christ appears on earth as a man, “that prophet.” That is the stated purpose of His work in man, as spoken by the apostle Paul:
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 KJV).
If the God-given goal of His people is to come to the stature of the fulness of Christ, then why should it be surprising that the final prophet of this age, as part of His Body composed of all believers (Hebrews 12:22-23), should come in His perfection? Perfection, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
That is what Peter prophesied to the nation of Israel:
“And He shall send Jesus Christ, Who before was proclaimed to you, Whom Heaven truly needs to receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet to you from your brothers, one like me. You shall hear him in all things, whatever he may say to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people’” (Acts 3:20-23 MKJV).
The Lord is not coming again in a fleshly body.
God’s promise to restore all things will be fulfilled only when that prophet like Moses is sent in the Name and power of Jesus Christ, along with His Presence from Heaven. The prophet is not Jesus Christ, yet Jesus Christ comes through him. This is in agreement with the exact words of the prophet Isaiah:
“Who hath wrought and done, calling the generations from the first? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I am He” (Isaiah 41:4 YLT).
How can the Lord Jesus say He is raising up a prophet from among mortal human beings, a man like unto Moses, if He is speaking of Himself, as God, returning in a glorified body? The thought is ridiculous, plainly contradicting God’s words and common sense. How many people do you know who, as God, occupied a human body, raised it from the dead, and are now walking around in their resurrected bodies?
So if Jesus Christ is not that prophet, then who is? We have seen from the Bible record that the Jews were still awaiting that prophet in the days of Christ. Today they have forgotten about him, instead speaking only of the Messiah, in Whom they expect to see the fulfillment of that prophet’s calling. Many Christians also say they are awaiting the return of Christ (Messiah), but they are also mistaken inasmuch as they are talking about the ministry of that prophet, who comes in the power of Christ. The Lord is not coming again in a fleshly body. He returned to take His abode in those who believed on Him at Pentecost and has ever since come to inhabit those who believe and obey Him through the baptism of His Holy Spirit:
“…so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many. And to those who look for Him He shall appear the second time without sin to salvation” (Hebrews 9:28 MKJV).
His coming the second time for the disciples who were instructed to wait for Him in Jerusalem brought them new life and power, evidence of the salvation He was working out within them. No longer did they hide in fear, but thereafter testified boldly and also laid down their lives as did Christ Who now lived in them and testified through them.
The prophet like Moses leads Israel out of bondage into the Kingdom of God.
Peter, filled with the Spirit of God, declared that the Lord had returned when he testified to the Jews in Jerusalem as follows:
“Having raised up His Son Jesus, God sent Him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you away from his iniquities” (Acts 3:26 MKJV).
This return of the Lord is not the same thing as the time of restoring the kingdom to Israel. This is obvious now, with two thousand years elapsed since Christ ascended, and Israel is only recently reconstituted as a country. But it was not obvious to the disciples, who imminently expected and hoped for the new age of the Messianic Kingdom reigning over all the earth. The Lord distinguished for them (and for us) what was happening at His return, where He would live within those who believed, and the final establishment of His Kingdom on earth, which was to happen at a later, undisclosed time:
“For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Then, indeed, coming together they questioned Him, saying, Lord, do You restore the kingdom to Israel at this time? And He said to them, It is not yours to know times or seasons which the Father placed in His Own authority; but you will receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you, and you will be witnesses of Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:5-8 LITV).
Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh to convert Israel.
The time of restoring the kingdom to Israel is the time of that prophet prophesied by Moses. The first Moses led Israel out of physical enslavement to a physical land, but the second prophet like Moses leads Israel out of the bondage of sin and this world into the Kingdom of God. The prophet like Moses comes in the power of the Spirit of the Lord, by Whose blood he reconciles Israel to her God, and by Whose life she is saved. The Lord requires submission by all to that prophet, because it is not only His designated time to bring Israel back to Himself, but to reconcile the whole world. How else will this happen unless the Lord requires this and does it?
Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh to convert Israel or the world. He came to lay down His life so that those who believe on Him would have life:
“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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17 MKJV).
Jesus came to lay down His life to make atonement for mankind.
Jesus spoke with Moses of the purpose of His taking on human form:
“Now it came to pass, about eight days after these words, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and glistening. And behold, two men were talking with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appearing in glory were talking about His decease which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem” (Luke 9:28-31 EMTV).
What Jesus came to do was lay down His life to make atonement for mankind. The Law of Moses taught that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). The sacrifices of the Law were not effective for the cleansing of sin once and for all, being repeated annually, but the Sacrifice they foreshadowed was. After Christ died, the way into the Holy of Holies was opened to men through Him:
Hebrews 10:15-22 MKJV
(15) The Holy Spirit also is a witness to us; for after He had said before,
(16) “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My Laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
(17) also He adds, “their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more.”
(18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
(19) Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus,
(20) by a new and living way which He has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh;
(21) and having a High Priest over the house of God,
(22) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies having been washed with pure water.
Christ has now come, and the Spirit of God resides in His servant in fullness.
Whereas Moses alone of the prophets knew God face to face, now through Christ men can be forgiven and born again by His Spirit. Even the least in the Kingdom of God has something greater than Moses in his earthly ministry, because God lives within the person who is born of Him:
“For I say to you, Among those who are born of woman there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28 MKJV).
Knowing how great Moses’ ministry was, consider how much greater is the ministry of that prophet like him, because Christ has now come, and the Spirit of God resides in His servant in fulness. It is the day of God in man and man in God. Consider how much more is at stake and is required as described by the writer of Hebrews, who compares Moses’ day with ours:
“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the City of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general Assembly and Church of the firstborn who are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to Blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him Who speaks. For if they did not escape, those who refused him that spoke on earth, much more we shall not escape if we turn away from Him Who speaks from Heaven” (Hebrews 12:22-25 MKJV).
This is the Day of the Lord and His unveiling in the flesh of mortals.
The prophet like Moses speaks the Word of God without measure, because it is Christ, the Spirit of God Who dwells within and is testifying.
Paul the apostle refers to this happening, which is the Day of the Lord and His unveiling in the flesh of mortals, as follows:
“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaits the unveiling of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but on account of Him Who subjected it in hope; because even the creation itself shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21 EMTV).
As Moses led the children of Israel out of the bondage of physical Egypt, so the prophet like Moses leads the children of Israel out of the bondage of spiritual Egypt, bringing them salvation. Paul also tells us that this means salvation for the rest of the world:
“For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry, if somehow I may provoke to jealousy my fellow Jews, and I may save some of them. For if their casting away means reconciliation for the world, what will their acceptance be, if not life from the dead?” (Romans 11:13-15 EMTV)
The Lord their God will require them to hear.
The world has looked upon Israel and the Jew as the source of its problems. That will be reversed, as God will restore Israel to peace with Himself and with all men. They will be a blessing and not a curse. They will be beloved, and they will not fear.
The prophet whom they will be required to hear preaches the good news of God’s reconciliation through Christ and His judgment against evildoing. The words of Zechariah will be fulfilled; Israel will be reconciled to her God, and Jerusalem will be saved:
“And I will pour on the house of David, and on the people of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of prayers. And they shall look on Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be bitter over Him, as the bitterness over the first-born” (Zechariah 12:10 MKJV).
Who is He Whom Israel pierced? The One they were not required to listen to in the days of His flesh; God let them do as they pleased, so that they might make the sacrifice He ordained for the salvation of the world.
In other words, God will require submission.
In the days of the revelation of the One Whom Israel pierced, the Lord their God, He will require them to hear, and He will destroy the enemies of Jerusalem, bringing peace to those who remain and honor Him:
“And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso of the families of the earth goes not up unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, upon them there shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, they shall have no overflow; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the nations that go not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16-18 JPS).
In other words, God will require submission, just as is spoken of the prophet like unto Moses whom He would send. Zechariah also prophesied of the prophet who would be instrumental in these happenings, as represented by Zerubbabel, ruler of Judah:
“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by force or by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of armies. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level: and he will let all see the headstone, with cries of Grace, grace, to it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have put the base of this house in place, and his hands will make it complete; and it will be clear to you that the Lord of armies has sent me to you” (Zechariah 4:6-9 BBE).
The prophets speak of these last days, and the marvelous thing God will do.
Zerubbabel, meaning “taken out of Babylon,” is a figure or type of the prophet who is given to rule and to represent God in these last days when the kingdoms of men are overthrown:
“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the Heavens and the earth; And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. In that day, says the LORD of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the LORD, and will make you as a signet: for I have chosen you, says the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:21-23 KJV).
Other prophets speak of these last days, and the marvelous thing God will do. Isaiah said:
“And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the Mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many peoples shall go and say: ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the Mountain of the LORD, to the House of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:2-4 JPS).
The one to whom Christ is speaking is the one He raises up by His Spirit.
Isaiah links these events to the servant of God whom He raises up:
“And now says the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, and that Israel be gathered unto Him – for I am honorable in the eyes of the LORD, and my God is become my strength – Yea, He says: ‘It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the offspring of Israel; I will also give you for a light of the nations, that My salvation may be unto the end of the earth.’ Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him who is despised of men, to him who is abhorred of nations, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD that is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, Who has chosen you” (Isaiah 49:5-7 JPS).
Some say this prophecy is referring to the Christ, the Messiah. But Jesus Christ is the One speaking to His servant, for He is the Redeemer of Israel, the Holy One. The one to whom Christ, the Redeemer of Israel, is speaking is the one He raises up by His Spirit to bring His salvation to Israel and the rest of the world, which is that prophet like unto Moses.
Of course, the one who is sent is Christ as well, because it is the Spirit of Christ giving him life and speaking by him. That is why God is requiring submission of all that hear; He is present and making Himself and His will manifest. Is this not what the apostle John heard from the Heavenly messenger, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10)?
There is the shoot and the root. These are two different individuals.
Isaiah’s words help to clarify the work of God that He is doing in these last days through His prophet and the relationship between that prophet and His Anointed:
Isaiah 11:1-10 JPS
(1) And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots.
(2) And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
(3) And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears;
(4) But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the land; and he shall smite the land with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
(5) And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
(6) And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
(7) And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
(8) And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the viper’s den.
(9) They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
(10) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the peoples, unto Him shall the nations seek; and His resting-place shall be glorious.
The Root is the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is the shoot (or branch) and the root. These are two different individuals. Let’s start with the root. Who could that be, except the Lord our God? He is the foundation and supporter of life in all things. It is written of Christ:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, because by Him all things were created, those in the heavens and those on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things are held together. And He is the Head of the Body, the Church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:15-18 EMTV).
The Root is the Lord Jesus Christ, Who said of Himself:
“Truly I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I am” (John 8:58 BBE).
And of Whom it is written:
“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals of it” (Revelation 5:5 MKJV).
Of these branches comes the prophet like unto Moses.
The sprout, or branch, is supported by the Root, or Vine:
“I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 MKJV).
There is only one Vine, but many branches. Of these branches, “from among your brethren,” comes the prophet like unto Moses:
“And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto Me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? says the LORD” (Jeremiah 30:21).
Jesus is the first and the last. He draws near and raises up whom He wills, and He is with the one He sends:
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him Who sent Me” (Matthew 10:40 MKJV).
The prophet like unto Moses expresses the will of God through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, it is no wonder He says He is both the root and the offspring. It is all His doing:
“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:16 KJV).
The prophet like unto Moses, who ushers in the Kingdom of God on earth wherein truth and righteousness reign, expresses the will of God through Jesus Christ. Notice how similar words are used for each:
The Messiah:
Psalms 2:1-12 MKJV
(1) Why do the nations rage, and the peoples meditate on a vain thing?
(2) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers plot together, against Jehovah and against His anointed [meaning “Christ”], saying,
(3) Let us break their bands in two and cast away their cords from us.
(4) He Who sits in the Heavens shall laugh; Jehovah shall mock at them.
(5) Then He shall speak to them in His anger, and trouble them in His wrath.
(6) Yea, I have set My king on My holy hill, on Zion.
(7) I will declare the decree of Jehovah. He has said to Me, You are My Son; today I have begotten You.
(8) Ask of Me, and I shall give the nations for Your inheritance; and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession.
(9) You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
(10) And now be wise, O kings; be instructed, O judges of the earth.
(11) Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
(12) Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled in but a little time. Blessed are all who put their trust in Him.
That Prophet:
“And he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, to him I will give power over the nations. And he will rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter they will be broken to pieces, even as I received from My Father. And I will give him the Morning Star” (Revelation 2:26-28 MKJV).
And:
“I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come from the sunrise; he will call on My Name. And he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter tramples clay” (Isaiah 41:25 MKJV).
“And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the land; and he shall smite the land with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:1-4).
Who will lead His sheep, except the one He calls and appoints?
We see that the works of the Messiah are attributed to this prophet, and why should that be strange? The prophet is a son of God through Messiah, Who came through the lineage of David, through Jesse, through Judah. Furthermore, many Jews complain that Christ could not be Messiah because He did not accomplish the liberation of Israel and bring peace to all mankind in the days of His flesh. But here we see that Christ, the Son of David, does fulfill all the prophecies spoken of Him, through His servant and son.
Did not Jesus know this? He said:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father” (John 14:12 MKJV).
Who can say that Messiah Jesus will not fulfill every word of Scripture? And why would He be returning in the flesh when He can do greater works by remaining in Heaven? How could He accomplish these works except by His Body, those who believe on Him and are His flesh and blood? And who will lead His sheep, except the one He calls and appoints, even as Moses was sent to lead the people out of bondage?
(Who will argue that the world is not full of religious confusion and bondage? Who will argue that mankind can lift himself by his own bootstraps, religious or not? Those who are yet confident, wait and see how long your confidence lasts.)
Are not the works of the Lord through His prophet, subduing kingdoms and raising the Lord’s people from the dead, greater than the works Jesus did in the days of His flesh?
Do I hear some Christians say that all believers are kings and priests in Christ, and that He does not raise some above others? Let me ask you, independent ones, why then is there a prophet to come after Christ, like unto Moses, to whom submission is required by all those who hear him? And what of these words of Christ, Who, when asked, did not deny there would be rulers seated with Him, but rather affirmed it:
“But to be seated at My right hand or at My left is not for Me to give: but it is for those for whom it has been made ready” (Mark 10:40 BBE)?
As Moses had Aaron, so God said His prophet would have a priest.
It is written of Zerubbabel, the type of the prophet like Moses, that he is accompanied by one fulfilling the role of high priest:
“Yea, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set the one upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and speak unto him, saying: Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: Behold, a man whose name is the Shoot, and who shall shoot up out of his place, and build the temple of the LORD; even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and there shall be a priest before his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zechariah 6:11-13 JPS).
Jeremiah prophesied the same:
“In those days, and at that time, will I cause a shoot of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is the name whereby she shall be called, the LORD is our righteousness. For thus says the LORD: There shall not be cut off unto David a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; neither shall there be cut off unto the priests the Levites a man before Me to offer burnt-offerings, and to burn meal-offerings, and to do sacrifice continually” (Jeremiah 33:15-18 JPS).
As Moses had Aaron, so God has said His prophet and ruler would have a spokesman and priest to minister before Him. I know this is so because I am that person reporting these things to you. Now, let me tell you more personally about that prophet.
I needed to heed and obey the Word of the Lord through Victor.
In 1978 God revealed Himself to me through the Messiah and Savior of all men, Jesus Christ. I, a Jew, a Cohen and son of Aaron. There was no man or persons or group teaching me. I saw and heard these things directly from God, Who illuminated the Scriptures to me, and I understood Them. In 1979 I went to Israel and requested of God to send someone to help me find my way.
In Israel God sent Victor Hafichuk, a Gentile in the flesh, but son of Abraham by faith, to instruct me in His Word. One day as we visited on Kibbutz Revivim, where we had met and were living, the Lord quickened to me these words He spoke to Jerusalem before His sacrifice:
“For I say to you, You shall not see Me from now on until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord’” (Matthew 23:39 MKJV).
I knew that I would need to heed and obey the Word of the Lord through Victor, that which would be required of me but had yet to be spoken to me. It was God Almighty, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who sent Victor to me, as I had been led and inspired to request. I saw that if I did not submit to Victor’s directions I was rejecting God not man. By the grace of God I submitted, and learned to submit, as all disciples of Christ must do to be saved. Without obedience to God, all profession is vain and vexing to God, incurring His wrath. But God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him, and manifests Himself and His power to those who take up the cross and follow Him.
As I received the one sent, so will Israel and others to whom it is given.
In time the Lord made me a minister to assist Victor in God’s work of judgment and liberation. He has given us to speak the truth to the world, in order to bring judgment on false Christianity and everything that vaunts itself against the knowledge of God, and to raise up the way of Truth for all to walk in, including Israel (the dead bones that Ezekiel saw), who will be raised up to life through their God and Savior. As I received the one sent to me in the Name of Christ by the gift of God, so will Israel and all others to whom it is given. What is the difference whether a person or a people believe? It is still the same truth and the same God Who turns the heart, whether of an individual or a nation:
“Behold, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the scales; behold, He takes up the coastlands as a very little thing” (Isaiah 40:15 MKJV).
Our work began in 2000. In 2003-2004 we began publishing The Issues of Life, which dealt with all comers, none being able to resist or refute the Word of God and the gospel of Christ we preach. In December 2006 we raised the flag and nation of Israel. We have answered the blasphemer Muhammad, and in Part 1 of this article we answered the false claim of Muhammad’s followers who say he is that prophet like unto Moses.
God has raised up that prophet like unto Moses, Victor Hafichuk.
We have begun publishing, one section at a time, Victor’s story of what the Lord has done for him. In recounting the path of truth along which the Lord has brought him, with the specific things the Lord has told and shown him and all the consequential happenings for himself and many others, wherein all of God’s words have been proven true, there is incontrovertible proof that Jesus Christ reigns supreme and is doing a great work among us. This is the reality of God, and not mere religion.
In these last days God has raised up that prophet like unto Moses, Victor Hafichuk, with whom I am sent in the Name and power of Jesus Christ to liberate the captives:
“For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creation was not willingly subjected to vanity, but because of Him Who subjected it on hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21 MKJV).
Do I expect you to take my word for it? Do I expect you to believe because you can examine all the evidence for yourself? Of course not. If the Jews did not believe after Christ raised Lazarus from the dead and did so many other miracles, how could we expect you to believe after anything we could do, even the miraculous? On the other hand, we know that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So I am telling you the truth now, which, as foolish as it may seem to man in his arrogance and carnality, is more powerful than anything you can conceive or do. This we have seen time and time again.
What matters is that you are hearing the truth from God.
These are the “small things” God warned His people not to despise in the day of His great work of restitution:
“For who has had a poor opinion of the day of small things? For they will be glad when they see the weighted measuring-line in the hand of Zerubbabel” (Zechariah 4:1-14 BBE).
What does it matter to you, reader, whether one is a great prophet or servant of God? What matters is that you are hearing the truth from God, and you can be guided, as I was, in the right way, and can know God yourself. God honors those who honor Him. Much is at stake, but the victory is already the Lord’s.
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. And the obedience of the peoples to him” (Genesis 49:10 MKJV).
Paul Cohen
July 1st, 2008
Addendum, December 2017:
Paul obeyed at one time but in later years, failed to endure to the end; he rebelled. Now also are the words fulfilled with him: “And it shall happen, whatever man will not listen to My Words which He shall speak in My Name, I will require it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:19 MKJV).
Addendum, June 7, 2024
In late November 2023, Victor wrote to Paul, moved to connect with him in the Name of the Lord. Paul replied in peace, filling Victor in on his current activities. Paul had recently begun writing again, particularly in response to the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel, and what continues to develop there.
He visited Israel in April 2024 for approximately 6 weeks, meeting with various people, speaking to them of the Lord Jesus Christ, The Messiah of Israel. Paul has written several people regarding the situation in Israel, some of which we’ve published and will be publishing. One such letter is Islam: The True Source of Enmity with Israel’s Enemies.
Victor Hafichuk
Additional Correspondence, June 5, 2024
In response to the substance of this paper and an additional video, I Am That Prophet, a visitor, Eric Brown, had this to say followed by a response from Michael Lash:
Victor you’re wrong. First of all I can’t see the document you said we should read. Second the evidence you did provide is insufficient.
In the book of John where the Jews identified the prophet, the Christ and Elijah as 3 different people. These Jews were also of the same ilk that were blinded by the prophet Isaiah (Read Isaiah 29) “These people worship me with their lips but they’re hearts are far from me”. — They even expected the messiah to over throw the roman empire. They’re expectations should not be relied on.
Also Victor they went to John and asked him if he was a prophet and John was a Jew….which means that they clearly expected him to be ethnically Jewish (Likely because they read that the prophet would come up from their own Brethren), which you are not, why is it that you take the words of these pharisees so seriously but do not consider the other part of their expectations? —- The Truth is they are not dependable……they are not evidence of your claim.
You also claim that “Moses would never have likened the Son of God to himself”. Well leaving aside the fact that Moses did not know about who he was speaking (Or at least there is no evidence he knew it was the Son of God), God himself was not saying that this prophet would be like Moses in every single way just that he would perform Miracles and know God face to face:
DEUTERONOMY 34: 10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land.
Those are the only ways in which the Bible is claiming that he will be similar: Miracles and knowing God face to face ——-Both of which apply to Jesus.
If you don’t believe me though, you can believe Jesus:
REVELATION 3 “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”
Jesus said he will come like a Thief. Does Jesus Likening himself to a thief mean he is disrespecting himself, No? Because it’s simply an meant to express a certain similarity: That both a thief and the Lord come at a time when you don’t expect.
Everything else about him is different….he’s God…the thief is a man….the Lord is good…..he is evil. If the Lord himself does this and it is not a sin why is it so horrible for God to liken himself to a prophet because…..Jesus did things similar to what Moses did. Does it deny his Lordship? No. Anymore than the comparison he himself made denies that God is just.
The Gospel of Luke not only stated that Peter’s eyes were opened to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:44-45).
Later in the book of Acts chapter 3 claimed that Jesus was that prophet. You tried to explain this away but you failed, here is the full context:
Acts 3: 11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. —- MY COMMENTS: Keep in mind is entire focus is on Jesus he is directing them to Jesus
17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’[a]
MY COMMENTS: As it says in verse 17-18 he is pointing out what they did to Jesus and he is saying that they should repent and turn to God (By repenting of what they did to Jesus) —– The entire rest of the chapter is about a SPECIFIC TOPIC: The Israelites killed Jesus and now they need to repent. The entire subject is about repentance. One of the scriptures he uses to prove that they should do this is Deuteronomy 18 the passage we’ve been discussing. He is imploring them that since they must listen to everything he tells you otherwise you’ll be completely cut off.
Why would he appeal to an authority of a secondary prophet who wasn’t going to come for 2,000 years to make his case that they should repent. He’s telling them to repent now and what they did wrong and why they need to follow Jesus. The commandment that he uses to back up his claim is the commandment about this prophet which makes perfect sense if Jesus IS that prophet but it makes no sense if YOU are that prophet.
SO IN CONCLUSION:
You are in error and as you said “Your life is on the line” however the Lord does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked but would rather that they turn and live.
God will forgive if you repent but you must repent, whoever told you that you were that prophet is mistaken, gravely mistaken.
However, Victor I have no desire to kill you and I wouldn’t do so, so don’t think you can make a martyr of yourself. The only evidence you tried to over is from the Bible but you failed. If you can’t answer adequately we have no obligation to believe you. Also Victor you’re not in your hometown anymore. You have no excuse not to perform the same miracles Jesus did of healing, Jesus may not have done many in his hometown but he did them elsewhere. Until you perform them publicly no one is obligated to believe you.
Repent while you can.
Michael responded:
Hello @theinvestigativemillennial9382, can you clarify something for me?
You say that the expectations of the pharisees, who were blind, shouldn’t be relied on. But then in the next paragraph you say “they are dependable”, is this a contradiction or am I not understanding what you’re saying?
You also say that those same pharisees expected that prophet to be Jewish, but I thought you didn’t care about their expectations since they’re blind?
Michael added:
Hello millennial, you also say that “Moses did not know Who he was speaking about”. But Moses, it was said, knew God face to Face. I wonder how you can draw such a conclusion of whom it was said “since the time of Joshua, no prophet has arisen of such significance”. Who are you to say what Moses did or didn’t know?
How could Moses have known God face to Face but not have known Who the Son of God is? If Moses did not know the Lord Jesus Christ, then what do you make of this?
“24By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” Hebrews 11:24 NKJV
And don’t you know that Jesus said, before Abraham was, I Am? Who did Moses talk to at the burning bush if not the I Am, Whom Jesus said He is? So Who is the God Moses had fellowship with if not Jesus Christ, Who is also known as the Son of God?
“…and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4 NKJV
It looks like you are the one who doesn’t know what, or Who you’re talking about.
Then you say you can’t say for sure what Moses knew, but if that is so, then why bring it up as a point? Why not rather say, “I don’t think Moses would have known Who the Son of God is, even though he knew God face to Face”?
What ends up happening is it ends up looking like you have more to say than you really do, and it creates confusion for others when you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Also, you set qualifications for “that prophet”, saying he would have to perform miracles and know God face to Face, but the passage you’re quoting is like 16 chapters later. I’m not seeing where it says “that prophet” that the Lord would raise up would need to perform miracles. Can you show me where you see those requirements?
Besides, how do you know Victor hasn’t performed any miracles? And how do you know He doesn’t know the Lord face to Face? Has the Lord told you that? That is the only way you could know such a thing.
You say, “Also Victor you’re not in your hometown anymore. You have no excuse not to perform the same miracles Jesus did of healing, Jesus may not have done many in his hometown but he did them elsewhere. Until you perform the publicly no one is obligated to believe you.”
“38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Matthew 12:38 NKJV
No signs are given to those who ask for them, because such asking is evil. However, those who believe will see. Those who don’t believe will never see, or they will eventually get what they want and be sorry they asked.
[END]Amen!
Read: Who Is That Prophet – Part 1
See also:
That Prophet – What Moses Says
Some interesting thoughts about that prophet who is first mentioned and briefly described by Moses. What is he all about? What will that prophet look like and be found doing? There’s more to be discerned in those few words of Moses than first appears.