Jesus' Prophecy About Who Identified Himself To Paul as Jesus

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Paul says he met someone who says "I am Jesus," "why are you persecuting me?" Acts 9:3-7.

Very clearly this person came in Jesus' name and implied he was the Messiah whom Paul was persecuting, and not some other person by the name of Jesus.

Paul did not actually see this person, but was blinded by an extraordinary light and heard a voice.

Did Jesus prophesy of this event?

He unquestionably did so in Matthew 24:4-5 and 24:24-27, and meant it as a warning not to follow the voice in the wilderness (whom the whole world does not see) saying it was Jesus, the Messiah. We discuss this in detail below.

Is it impossible that Paul was fooled at this point? Paul was not yet a Christian. Not a born again believer, right?

And even if Paul prior to encountering this "light" and "voice" had the Holy Spirit already (which Luke does not imply), Paul would not be immune from the wiles of Satan. David, who had such Holy Spirit, was not above Satan planting ideas in his head:

Now Satan, designing evil against Israel, put into David's mind the impulse to take the number of Israel. (1 Chron. 21:1.)

Thus, Paul, whether you think he did or did not have the Holy Spirit yet, should have put up a barrier of concern about a being whose appearance he only saw as a blinding light and knew only by means of a voice.

Yet because this being came in the name of Jesus and implied 'I am Messiah' by asking 'why are you persecuting me?,' Paul should have been very dubious of this experience if he had the Holy Spirit. Jesus warned the 12 apostles that such an event was coming that would decieve if "possible" the very elect. (Paul was not yet a Christian actually, per Luke's account).

And the kind of messages Paul received from this one he accepted as Jesus (when not yet a believer) prove that this being who Paul encountered was not Jesus. And with hindsight, we can prove who indeed was this blinding light, as we shall see.

Let's start our proof with Paul's own words.

Paul's Encounter With A Supernatural Voice

In Acts 9:3-7, we read:

³ As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. ⁶ “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

⁷ The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.

In later accounts by Paul recorded in Acts, Paul said this light was "brighter than the Sun." (Acts 26:13.)

Jesus's Prophecies About This Person

Of course, Jesus warned repeatedly about false prophets to come in His name who would have "have signs and wonders" so that they could deceive even the elect. Matthew 7:15-23; 24:11,24; Mark 13:22-23. See Study Notes below.

But Jesus did more than that. In Matthew 24:4-5, Jesus gives a series of warnings of events that must precede the end. The very first one in church history--and chronologically far earlier than events that would take a long time, such as wars, etc, Jesus says this will happen:

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.

⁵ For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray. (NIV)

In Luke, Jesus warns this one coming in "my name" says "I am He...."

Jesus then advised anyone claiming a vision in a desert place (like on the road to Damascus) would be deceived if they thought the one coming in "my name" was indeed Jesus. In Matthew 24:24-27, Jesus warns:

²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

²⁵ Behold, I have told you beforehand.

²⁶ If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe it not.

²⁷ For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.

Is this a prophecy by Jesus about the person who identified himself to Paul as "I am Jesus, the one you persecute"?

Yes for several important reasons.

First, what Paul experienced per Luke quoting Paul's account to a Roman official precisely fits this prophecy. The statement Paul heard was by someone coming in the name of Jesus, specifically using the name "Jesus." Paul records the voice said: "I am Jesus."

Second, because there are many persons named Jesus in that era -- the third most popular name, the 'voice' made clear that he claimed to be Jesus the Messiah / Christ. The voice said he was Jesus "the one you persecute." Paul thereby knew the voice claimed to belong to Jesus the Messiah / Christ whose followers Paul then persecuted. Thus, in substance the voice conveyed "I am Jesus who is the Christ."

Third, Jesus also warned in Matthew 24:24-27 that some will try to deceive you by telling you they are Jesus in the wilderness, but know instead this can only be true if every eye on earth sees Jesus. In fact, Jesus said this false Christ will use "signs and wonders" to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

Hence, Jesus specifically prophesied of just such an event, and it would lead many astray.

Is that aspect true as well? Was a nonbeliever like Paul at the time of the vision led astray? Yes. This voice had a different voice (message) than Jesus. In Paul's letters, Paul repeatedly contradicts Jesus on the Law, meat sacrificed to idols, salvation-doctrine, on calling others by the name of 'father,'etc. For a long table of contradictions, go to our page: "The Contradictions of Jesus by Paul."

And through Paul many were led astray - to even think Paul was the embodiment of Jesus Christ Himself:

And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Gal 4:14

Next we will see Jesus has further prophecies about this individual whom Paul met.

Prophecy of Those With Signs and Wonders In Jesus' Name

In Matthew 7:21-23, we learn there are those who "prophesy by the name [of Jesus]," and who can "cast out demons by the name [of Jesus]," but whom Jesus will say "I never knew you." Why? Because they are workers of ANOMIA. This word ANOMIA is a Greek word that can mean either "lawlessness" or "negation of the Mosaic Law." (Torah is NOMOS in Greek; the prefix "A" means negation, like 'anti' in English.) Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23:

²¹ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.

²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works?

²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work ANOMIA -- either "iniquity" or "negation of the Law of Moses."

Jesus meant this as a supplementary prophecy to Matthew 24:4-5 and 24:24-27. It tells us one can "never know" Christ but still do signs and wonders in His name. This can apply to Paul. If someone other than Jesus came to Paul but convinced Paul that Paul was now commissioned to do signs and wonders in Jesus' name, and Paul did this successfully, Jesus tells us in Matt. 7:21-23 that this is not sufficient proof Paul ever met Jesus. We could still conclude Paul was misled by the luminous being whom he met on the Road to Damascus to think otherwise, proving again Paul did not meet Jesus.

One of the proofs Paul was misled by the "Jesus" Paul met on the Road is that Paul in effect disputes Matthew 7:21-23. Paul claims in 2 Cor. 12:12 and Romans 15:19 (see infra) that his doing signs and wonders in Jesus' name proves Paul did meet Jesus, and was commissioned as an apostle. But Jesus emphatically says NO in Matthew 7:21-23 as well as Matt 24:24-27.

Here are Paul's two contradictions of Jesus where Paul says such signs are proof Paul not only knew Jesus but was commissioned as an apostle:

First, Paul expressly said his validity turned on "signs and wonders." (2 Cor. 12:12.)  He said:

"The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance." Id.

Lastly, Paul in Romans 15:19 likewise said:

"Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."

The Greek roots for 'signs and wonders' in Paul's two statements were "semeion" and "teraton."

But Jesus told us to be on guard about those who could lead us astray who had 'semeion' and 'teraton' -- signs and wonders (the same Greek words as Paul used) -- Matthew 24:24 (false Christs with "signs and wonders"). This proves signs and wonders are no proof that one coming in His name was from God. (See STUDY NOTES infra.). Jesus repeats this in Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus says those with signs and wonders will be told "I never knew you" when their ministry worked ANOMIA - negation of Nomos -- negation of Torah.

Paul's contrary thinking on that key issue in 2 Cor. 12:12 and Romans 15:19, as well as his many other contradictions of Jesus, prove Paul never "knew" Jesus on the road to Damascus as Paul supposed. The most salient proof is that Paul was a worker of ANOMIA -- the negation of the Law, as Paul admits in 1 Cor. 9:20-21. There Paul says he "works" to appear "anomos" i.e., without the Law around those who are Gentiles, saying Paul himself is 'not under the Law.' In the very next verse, Paul defended being 'all things to all men' to fit in with their morals. (1 Cor. 9:22.) For a detailed discussion on 1 Cor. 9:20-21, see our heading "Paul Admits He is Anomos," in ch. 4 of JWO. On thorough proof that Paul negated the entire Law given Moses, see ch. 5 of JWO at this online link.

Thus, the voice instructed Paul to spread ANOMIA--living without the Law given Moses in any of its scope that applied to either Gentiles or Jews like Paul himself. And Jesus in Matt. 7:21-23 explained one could prophesy and cast out demons in his name, as Paul did, and still Jesus will say "I never knew you" if such person, which includes Paul, brazenly worked ANOMIA -- the negation of the Law of Moses.

Paul's experience on the road to Damascus thus precisely fits the criteria of Jesus' prophecy in Matthew 24:4-5 as well as Jesus' affirmation that Paul could do signs and wonders in Jesus' name yet Jesus say 'I never knew you' -- i.e., 'I never met you on the road to Damascus' -- in Matthew 7:21-23 -- because Paul works ANOMIA. -- negation of the Law given Moses by God.

But there is more evidence that the person whom Paul met was not Jesus even though the voice claimed to be Jesus.

Evidence This Voice and Blinding Light Was Not Jesus

In the three versions of the vision account recorded in Acts, the blinding light goes from a "light" (Acts 9:1-9), to a "great light" (Acts 22:3-11) to a "light brighter than the Sun." (Acts 26:9-20.) This great light blinded Paul. Who could this blinding light be? After all, the Bible says Lucifer is a blinding angel of light. (See this link for more discussion.) Could it be Lucifer then?

This did not cross Paul's mind. Paul asked the voice who it was, and the voice said in version 1 in Acts 9 and in version 3 in Acts 26 "I am Jesus whom you persecute." Beyond that, Luke gives us no other reason to think this is Jesus. But should Paul be taking a blinding light's word for it?

"Apparently all it took to convince Paul that he was hearing the voice of Jesus was for the voice to say so."  (Delos B. McKown, Behold the Antichrist: Bentham on Religion (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus, 2004) at 122.)

McKown comments that "taken at face value, this reveals credulity (or gullibility) of a high order." Id. at 122.

But Paul knows that the devil can disguise himself as an angel of light. See 2 Cor. 11:14. Yet the Devil-in-Disguise Principle was not applied by Paul on this ocassion. Luke gives us no sign of any effort by Paul to verify the light and voice was truly from Jesus.

Delos B. McKown while critically summarizing Bentham's Not Paul But Jesus realizes the validity of some points of Bentham in criticism of Paul. So McKown recounts his exchange with a student when a student claims Jesus told him to do something outrageous. McKown then applies his cautions to the young student on how we too should weigh Paul's experience on the Road to Damascus:

To this I said, But how can you be sure it was Jesus and not the Devil disguised as Jesus who told you to do as you are doing (see 2 Cor. 11:14 for Paul's description of the prowess of the Devil as a deceiver)? The waif, clearly shaken by the application of what I call the Devil-in-Disguise (DID) Principle, fell silent for a time. Then confidently, serenly he assured me saying, 'Oh, it was Jesus all right.' Having done my best to 'test the spirit' in question, I bade my visitors farewell. Even if we grant that Paul heard an extramental voice addressing him on the Damascus road, why did he not apply the DID principle? Why did the [author of Acts] not make inquiries about this and tell us how Paul verified the genuiness of the voice?  (Delos B. McKown, Behold the Antichrist: Bentham on Religion (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus, 2004) at 155.)

Indeed!

Conclusion

Jesus specifically prophesied that someone will come in His name -- the name of Jesus -- and claim to be Jesus the Messiah, and this false Jesus will lead many astray. (Matt. 24:4-5.) This figure would use "signs and wonders" to lead astray even the elect, if that were possible. (Matt. 24:24.) In Paul's case, Paul was a lost soul -- a murderer and Pharisee -- when the figure Paul thought was Christ appeared to him as a "light brighter than the sun" which blinded him. Paul was helpless against the impression that a deceptive use of signs and wonders -- a bright light and sudden blindness -- made upon Paul.

How will we tell if the one whom Paul assumed was Jesus had true prophetic messages? Whether the light-and-voice Jesus was the true or false Jesus? The true Jesus told us we would know someone never truly met Him despite doing signs and wonders in His name because this person would be a "worker of ANOMIA."A worker of the Negation of the Law. (Matt. 7:21-23.)

Did Jesus elsewhere tell us the NAME of this person so duped?

Yes, as we discussed in another webpage. Jesus in Matt. 5:17 said the one who works the negation of the Law (i.e., teaches it is not to be followed) shall be called by those in the kingdom of heaven the LEAST MAN. And elsewhere we establish that Saul-Paul's Roman-citizenship name of Paulus is a shortened form of the name Pauxillus -- something admitted by Pauline scholars, and they also confess it means "Least"  in Latin. See "Jesus on Paul the Least." Yet, Jesus says the anti-Law teacher in Matt. 5:17 will be known by the name of "LEAST MAN" by those who are in the kingdom of heaven. Our Lord was being prophetic again. For all eternity among those enjoying heaven, all the anti-Law teachers will be known as Paulinists, Pauline teachers, followers of Paul, etc. -- the LEAST MAN.

Hence, Jesus' prophecy in Matthew 24:4-5 was fulfilled in the duping of Paul by the blinding light (likely Lucifer) on the Road to Damascus. It led Paul to believe that the voice belonged to the true Jesus, the Messiah. This voice claimed to be Jesus, and it first misled Paul. Then through Paul, "many" have been led astray, making Paul's evangelism also fulfill Jesus' prophecy that those teaching us not to follow the Law will henceforth be known among the saved by the name of the Least Man -- Paul -- fulfilling Matthew 5:17 as well.

How great is our Lord to leave us prophecies for those who have 'ears to hear' which would protect His flock who closely listen to Him, our sole Teacher.

Study Notes

Jesus' Warnings of False Prophets To Come

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.