An Eastern Orthodox reader of this blog recently posted the following in the comments section on one of my previous posts:
I was recently discussing with a muslim gentleman on twitter, and he constantly stated that Mohammed was mentioned in the Book of the Prophet Haggai, specifically Chapter 2 verse 7. Have you come across this further example of rather peculiar Islamic exegesis?
Thank you Tobias for this comment. I wasn’t aware that Muslims were using this verse as evidence for Muhammad being in the Bible. A quick google search showed me that a few Muslims do actually use this verse. Why do they use it? Probably for the same reason that they use Song of Solomon 5:16.
I’m actually very familiar with the book of Haggai. I’ve done extensive studying of the Old Testament with an emphasis on the Prophets. Here is the passage in question:
I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
– Haggai 2: 7-9
Well, I think that the context for Haggai 2:7 is verse 9 which talks about the glory of this house being greater than the former house. What is the house? The second temple. What is the former house? The first temple. A good introduction to the context would be verse 3 which reads:
Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?
Who is old enough to have seen both temples? It’s pretty simple. I’ve always believed that this verse is a reference to Jesus Christ because His presence at the second Temple was the only thing that could have made it better than the first one since the second Temple was deficient in many other ways.
To be fair, the New Testament never quotes this verse and applies it to Jesus Christ so we’re not bound by this interpretation but I think it’s the best interpretation of that verse. The second Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Muhammad was born in 570 AD which is half a millennium after the Temple was destroyed.
The only time that Muhammad would have went to this site was the Night Journey in 621 AD. Even if you believe that the Night Journey was historical, there was no Temple in Jerusalem when Muhammad was supposedly there. Muhammad is 551 years too late to fulfill this prophecy.
In addition to this, the concept of the Temple seems to be completely lacking in Islam. I think it’s mentioned once in the Quran but it doesn’t seem to be important. Regardless, this passage has absolutely nothing to do with Muhammad. He isn’t mentioned in the Bible and trying to use Haggai 2 is a pretty big stretch.
Dear Mr Ruhl
Thank you very much for your highly informative post. Frankly I find it fascinating, and confusing, that modern day, western educated Muslims, such as Paul Bilal Williams, are so fond of saying ‘Catholicism has the Christ of Faith, Protestantism has the Christ of Paul, Islam has the Jesus of History’. Firstly, what of Orthodoxy. Does our Christology not matter ?
Secondly, if one dismisses the New Testament, as most Muslims do, and rely upon the Quran for ones Christology, there is very little evidence for anything. The Quranic Jesus says nothing about Nazareth, Bethlehem, Capernaum or even Jerusalem. There are also no reference to contemporary Jewish religion, such as the Temple of Herod. If the Quranic Jesus were indeed the Jesus of History, would there not be at least some small reference to the religious practises of his time. According to Dr Gabriel Said of the University of Notre Dame, the Jesus of the Quran is remarkably un-Jewish. The Jesus of Islam floats free of history, much like the Jesus of the Gnostics or of the Manicheans. What, if I may ask ,is your opinion on this ?
God and St Mary be with you
Tobias Bellhouse
P.S Finally I do find it rather strange that Muslims, of the School of Ahmed Deedat, constantly ask, “Where did Jesus say ‘I am God, worship me ?'”. Using that same logic, where in the Quran does the Son of Man say with his own lips “I am not going to be crucified, someone shall replace me on the cross” ?
Hello!
“According to Dr Gabriel Said of the University of Notre Dame, the Jesus of the Quran is remarkably un-Jewish. The Jesus of Islam floats free of history, much like the Jesus of the Gnostics or of the Manicheans. What, if I may ask ,is your opinion on this ?”
Can you source this quote. I’m not doubting you but I think I might do a post on this. It’s a very true statement.
One of the first posts that I’ve ever written on this blog(all the way back in 2015…time flies) was answering Deedat’s stupid challenge. See below:
http://allanruhl.com/refuting-ahmed-deedat/
God bless,
Allan