{"id":44027,"date":"2020-05-04T12:57:29","date_gmt":"2020-05-04T09:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=44027"},"modified":"2025-05-04T22:52:33","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T19:52:33","slug":"in-john-121-who-is-that-prophet-the-jews-were-asking-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2020\/05\/04\/in-john-121-who-is-that-prophet-the-jews-were-asking-about\/","title":{"rendered":"In John 1:21, who is \u201cthat prophet\u201d the Jews were asking about?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In John 1:19\u201321 (NIV)<\/strong>, a group of Jewish priests and Levites were sent from Jerusalem to question John the Baptist. The passage says:<\/p>\n

\u201cNow this was John\u2019s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, \u2018I am not the Messiah.\u2019 They asked him, \u2018Then who are you? Are you Elijah?\u2019 He said, \u2018I am not.\u2019 \u2018Are you the Prophet?\u2019 He answered, \u2018No.\u2019\u201d<\/em>
\n(John 1:19\u201321, NIV)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

They asked him three important questions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Are you the Messiah<\/strong>?<\/li>\n
  2. Are you Elijah<\/strong>?<\/li>\n
  3. Are you the Prophet<\/strong>?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    John denies all three titles. The first two are clear: he is not the Messiah (Christ), nor Elijah (who was expected to return according to Malachi 4:5\u20136<\/strong>). But the third question\u2014\u201cAre you the Prophet?\u201d\u2014raises the key issue: Who is \u201cthe Prophet\u201d being referred to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n

    Understanding \u201cThe Prophet\u201d in John 1:21<\/h3>\n

    To understand this term, we need to go back to Deuteronomy 18:15\u201318 (NIV)<\/strong>, where Moses said:<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.\u201d<\/em>
    \n(Deut. 18:15, NIV)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    This was a Messianic prophecy\u2014God promised to raise a prophet \u201clike Moses\u201d<\/strong>, someone who would speak God\u2019s words with divine authority. The Jewish people took this prophecy seriously and were expecting this prophet to come. Over time, some came to believe this “Prophet” might be a separate figure<\/strong> from the Messiah or Elijah. That\u2019s why they asked John three separate questions.<\/p>\n

    \n

    The New Testament Confirms \u201cThe Prophet\u201d Is Jesus<\/h3>\n

    The New Testament confirms that Jesus is the fulfillment<\/strong> of this prophecy. In Acts 3:22\u201323 (NIV)<\/strong>, the apostle Peter says:<\/p>\n

    \u201cFor Moses said, \u2018The 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. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.\u2019\u201d<\/em>
    \n(Acts 3:22\u201323, NIV)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Peter makes it crystal clear: Jesus is the prophet Moses spoke about. He is not one of many\u2014He is the Prophet<\/strong>, the Messiah<\/strong>, and the Son of God<\/strong> all in one.<\/p>\n

    So, when John the Baptist was asked, \u201cAre you that prophet?\u201d he rightly said \u201cNo,\u201d<\/strong> because Jesus<\/strong> was the fulfillment of that prophecy, not him.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Misinterpretations: Was \u201cThat Prophet\u201d Referring to Muhammad?<\/h3>\n

    Some claim that the phrase \u201cthat prophet\u201d in John 1:21 refers to Muhammad. This interpretation is not biblically supported.<\/p>\n

    Biblical Context.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    \u00a0 <\/strong>The passage clearly distinguishes \u201cthat prophet\u201d from John the Baptist and from Elijah, but it also ties to Moses\u2019 prophecy in Deuteronomy. As already shown, the New Testament declares Jesus, not Muhammad, as the fulfillment.<\/p>\n

    Jesus as the Final Revelation<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

    The New Testament teaches that Jesus is the final and complete revelation of God<\/strong>.<\/h4>\n

    \u201cIn the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son\u2026\u201d<\/em>
    \n(Hebrews 1:1\u20132, NIV)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \u201cI am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.\u201d<\/em>
    \n(Revelation 22:13, NIV)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    There is no room for a future prophet with new revelation. Any prophet or teacher after Christ must point back to Jesus<\/strong>, not claim new divine authority apart from Him.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Why Did the Jews Expect More than One Figure?<\/h3>\n

    During the first century, there was a lot of confusion and speculation among the Jews due to the 400-year prophetic silence<\/strong> following the prophet Malachi. Many were expecting the return of:<\/p>\n