Author Topic: Luke 13:33 "...for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem."  (Read 3115 times)

Peter

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Some Muslims try to suggest that because Jesus was crucified outside the wall of Jerusalem, that the following verse is a contradiction, by insisting that it is a prophecy of Jesus regarding where He would be killed. (It wouldn't be a surprise if this is more foolishness Ahmed Deedat fed his adoring bible-ignorant minions.)

Let's look at the verse.

Luke 13:33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the [day] following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen [doth gather] her brood under [her] wings, and ye would not!

Jesus is talking about prophets in general terms and confirming that people in Jerusalem were noted for killing prophets.

Look at the verse "...for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem."
A prophet. Not THE prophet, and certainly not "...for it cannot be that I will perish outside of Jerusalem."

Jesus' audience was already aware that other prophets had been killed outside of Jerusalem so that precludes that Jesus intended for it to literally apply to all prophets. This precludes it from needing to have been a prophecy about where He would be killed. Even Muslims should know that not all of the prophets before Jesus were killed in Jerusalem.

It would seem more of a bitter sarcastic lament effectively saying "Should we expect that a prophet would be killed by anyone other than those in Jerusalem?" The verse is even in a bit of a poetic style.

Scripture confirms that Jesus was killed "nigh ", or near, Jerusalem.

John 19:20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, [and] Greek, [and] Latin.

nigh
New Testament Greek Definition:
1451 eggus {eng-goos'}
from a primary verb agcho (to squeeze or throttle; akin to the
base of 43); TDNT - 2:330,194; adv
AV - nigh 13, at hand 6, nigh at hand 4, near 4, from 1, nigh unto 1,
ready 1; 30
1) near, of place and position
1a) near
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http://answering-islam.org/Authors/Arlandson/roles_jesus.htm

"(4) Using a lot of irony, he says that no prophet can die outside of Jerusalem (Luke 13:33). From an historical point of view, Jerusalem had acquired this reputation. As noted, he stands in the prophetic tradition of the Bible, so how can he deny Jerusalem’s reputation by dying somewhere else?