---
title: Deuteronomy 18:15
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/deuteronomy-18-15/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/deuteronomy-18-15.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Deuteronomy 18:15
testament: OT
section: Law
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Deuteronomy 18:15

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "Jehovah your God will raise up for you from among your brothers a prophet like me. You must listen to him."

## JW Usage

JWs accept the messianic application of this verse to Jesus. In practice, however, the Watchtower's pulpit and print use of Deuteronomy 18 emphasises verses 20-22 (the false-prophet test) when evaluating other religious movements while exempting itself by recasting its 1914, 1925 and 1975 predictions as "expectations" or "interpretations" rather than prophetic claims.

## Protestant Usage

This is the load-bearing front half of Deuteronomy 18. Moses predicts a singular prophet — like himself, from among the brothers — to whom Israel must listen on pain of divine reckoning (vv. 15-19). The apostles unanimously identify that prophet as Jesus: Peter in Acts 3:22-26, Stephen in Acts 7:37, the gospel crowds in John 6:14 and 7:40, and Jesus himself in John 5:46. Hebrews 1:1-2 closes the prophetic age in the Son's definitive speech. The doorstep move is to read verses 15-19 BEFORE verses 20-22 — the chapter is positively about THE prophet, and only secondarily about evaluating false claimants. Once that prophet has come, the speaking slot is closed. The Witness has been trained to read the chapter defensively as a weapon against modern claimants; reading it forwards opens the Christological frame the apostles preached.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [The Prediction Cycle — 150 Years of the Same Pattern](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/prediction-failure-blame-cycle.md) — Deuteronomy 18:22 — 'When the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word is not fulfilled' [Eschatology]
- [Deuteronomy 18 — A Prophet Like Moses, Singular and Eschatological](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/deuteronomy-18-prophet-like-moses.md) — Acts 3:22 — Moses said, the Lord God will raise up for you a prophet [Eschatology]