Commercial Break: Prophecy Hardly Comes Alive

 

“”If you pick up any of the four Gospels and read them at random, it will not be long before you learn that such and such an action or saying, attributed to Jesus, was done so that an ancient prophecy should come true. If it should seem odd that an action should be deliberately performed in order that a foretelling be vindicated, that is because it is odd. And it is necessarily odd because, just like the Old Testament, the "New" one is also a work of crude carpentry, hammered together long after its purported events, and full of improvised attempts to make things come out right.

—Christopher Hitchens,

There are numerous Biblical prophecies, some vaguely fulfilled, others strangely unfulfilled. Of course, like the Bible, the Quran also contains what its followers maintain are fulfilled prophesies. Christians tend to find these unconvincing or silly — which is coincidentally the attitude which non-Christians have towards the claimed biblical prophecies.

Some Christians claim that fulfilled prophecies — if they actually existed — would prove that the Bible is inerrant or even literally true. Creationists conclude it is accurate even on scientific subjects.

This article examines various prophecies from the Bible and gives an analysis of whether or not they have been fulfilled.

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Biblical_prophecies#The_nature_of_prophecy_in_the_Bible

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The topic and use of Biblical Prophecy is a huge drawing card and tool used by the Splinters to draw people to them.  While a huge topic, one fact of history remains clear. Many if not most Biblical prophecies never came to pass or failed miserably. This is true for both the Old Testament and the New.  

The Book of Revelation, a favorite of the Churches of the God and one which they alone possess the keys to or have the puzzle solving skills to reveal its real meaning and timing, is historically and simply a failed first century prophecy for that time just prior to the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. I realize most will yell foul but this is the truth and why the Book of Revelation was never meant for today. Hard to grasp and swallow I know. 

Apologetics will fix this reality by insisting that "not yet" is the real answer and so the Bible is accurate but just not yet.  This is bogus theology and historical sleight of hand. IMHO of course, and that of many critically thinking Biblical scholars and historians. 

Time would fail, as well as attention spans to cover this topic here as it deserves but it is an important one because so many Church of God members are assured that they live in the end times and "it won't be long now."  Actually, everyone will die in time and not see that which they are assured they will see in their lifetimes. The Apostle Paul made the same mistake and after all his many references to soon, shortly and quickly, faded, he had to admit at least he fought a good fight and it would happen "someday". 

So, a sample of teaser realities in the world of Bible prophecy badly mistaken and unfulfilled. A comprehensive analysis of both OT and NT prophecies and how they failed is to be found at the site above for those with a true interest in the topic. 

Of course, apologetics exist for every apparent failed OT and NT prophecy but that is to be expected if one insists in the inerrancy of scripture or the fact that it is a puzzle one has to figure out or a code one has to break to unveil it at last!

As well, I completely understand the emotional reactions and responses that such topics create depending on our wishful or actual understanding of the topic. Prophecy is the carrot used by most of the Splits, splinters and slivers to draw people in and they do it with fear over the times in which we live, as has been done by "the prophets" for the last 4000 years. 

I personally predict that Bob Thiel, Dave Pack and Gerald Flurry will all die with nothing of their interpretations of the times as they relate to their concept of Biblical Prophecy having actually come to pass. 

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Nebuchadnezzar would destroy Tyre  (A Favorite WCG Proof of God)

In Ezekiel 26:1-21, God states that Nebuchadnezzar II (a neo-Babylonian monarch, reigned circa 605 to circa 562 BCE, notable for his ambitious military conquests^[2]) would conquer, sack, and completely destroy the city of Tyrus (Tyre) and that Tyre's land would never be built upon again:

The ruins of modern Tyre

However, this never occurred. After a 13-year siege, Tyre compromised with Nebuchadnezzar and accepted his authority without being destroyed. Despite being conquered and razed by Alexander the Great 240 years later,^[3] Tyre still exists.^[4]

Ezekiel even admits that Nebuchadnezzar failed to conquer Tyre three chapters later in Ezekiel 29:18

Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre, every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against it.

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Damascus would be destroyed

Damascus, a heap of ruins

Isaiah 17:1-2 tells us that Damascus will be laid waste, and it will remain uninhabited forever.

An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city, and will become a heap of ruins. Her cities will be deserted for ever; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.

Damascus is currently the capital of Syria and has a population of approximately 1.5 million people. But it is remarkable that the words "for ever" are completely absent in the Masoretic Text^[11] (the Hebrew version of the Bible officially in use among Jews) and the Text of the Great Isaiah Scroll^[12] (the oldest complete copy of the book of Isaiah), but in the Septuagint (a Greek translation of Hebrew Bible) one can find the expression "εις τον αιώνα"^[13] meaning literally "till the age", that in certain contexts can mean "for ever". It could be an addition of a translator.

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Egypt would be a barren wasteland

In Ezekiel 29:1-15, God states that Egypt will be made into a desolate wasteland:

...

This passage is one of the most erroneous in the Bible. Since Ezekiel was penned, Egypt has never been recorded as a 'desolate waste'. There is no historical evidence of a time when people have not walked through Egypt; when for forty years Egypt was uninhabited after the civilization started there; or for when Egypt has been surrounded by other desolate countries.^[5] God sets out a checklist of specific events that will occur:

1. Egypt and everything from the tower of Syene to Ethiopia will be desolate and waste
2. God will own the Nile
3. No humans will walk through Egypt
4. No animals will walk through Egypt
5. Nobody will live in Egypt for 40 years
6. Egyptians will leave Egypt and be scattered among other nations
7. After 40 years of scattering, Egypt will be repopulated by the scattered Egyptians
8. Egypt will be a weak kingdom, and will never control "the nations"

Never happened.

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The Nile River would dry up

In Ezekiel 30:12, God promises to dry up the Nile:

I will dry up the streams of the Nile and sell the land to evil men; by the hand of foreigners I will lay waste the land and everything in it. I the LORD have spoken.

There is no evidence that this has happened in recorded history. At least not yet?

Zechariah

The prophet Zechariah makes some audacious and even absurd predictions, but one that happens to stick out is his prophecy that the Nile River will be dried up.

Zechariah 10:11 tells us the following:

They shall pass through the sea of Egypt, and the waves of the sea shall be smitten, and all the depths of the Nile dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart.

Once again, the Nile has never been 'dried up'.

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Jesus will be called out of Egypt

NOTE: There are 8 "And thus it was fulfilled" tales about Jesus birth written by Matthew. All of them misquote and misuse the original OT text and make them mean for him what they never actually meant when written. 

Matthew 2:15 cites Jesus' return from Egypt as being the fulfillment of a prophecy:

And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

The source is Hosea 11:1:

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

Note that the quote as it appears in Matthew is incomplete. The first part, the reference to Israel, is missing. In fact, the passage in Hosea is not a prophecy of Jesus leaving Egypt but rather a reference to the exodus of the Israelites.

In defense of the claim that Matthew gave an incomplete quote to hide the fact that Hosea was not intended as a prophecy, biblical inerrancy site AboutBibleProphecy.com notes, "Matthew wasn't trying to hide anything, he was trying to show that the life of Jesus had many parallels with the history of the Jewish people."^[ It should be noted, however, that per Matthew's own words he in fact intended to show that the words of "the prophet" were "fulfilled" and not to show a parallel.

It should also be noted that among the gospel accounts the journey of Jesus to Egypt is unique in Matthew.

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Jeremiah prophesied Judas' silver

Before Judas commits suicide in Matthew, he renounces the money he got for betraying Jesus. It is stated that the chief priests used that money to buy a field, and this act somehow fulfilled a prophecy made by Jeremiah.

Matthew 27:5-10 explains this:

And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” So they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

The problem is that no such verse exists anywhere in the Book of Jeremiah.

There is a reference to something like this in Zechariah 11:12-13, but it is has nothing to do with Judas and the purchase of a potter's field.  Close enough for Matthew I suspect even though he got the book wrong and then misquoted it. 

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Why is the recognition that Biblical Prophecy has failed in many circumstances? Because Biblical prophecy is used far too often and inaccurately to motivate the fearful to give monies that they to not have to men who they should not listen to. They will be given a false life narrative and waste an inordinate amount of life time trying to figure out just where they are in Biblical Prophecy as if it can never fail. 

Even Paul admitted they do and I suspect that was near the end of his life when he realized "this does not apply to us". His "we shall not all die" turned into "Oh well, I guess we do".

I recognize the irritation with the topic factor for many. However it is a good exercise in "seeing if these things be so".  

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Biblical_prophecies#Wrong_prophecies

Crackpot Prophet of Doom and Glooms Say People Need To Be More Hopeful

 

Our most highly esteemed authority on EVERYTHING was sent to earth by his god to deliver the end-time warning message to the world and those lazy Laodiceans. Week after week it is one message after another about impending doom. Disease, famines, money collapse, floods, earthquakes, disasters, wars, and death are just inches away from knocking on everyone's door. 

His god is angry, just itching to destroy 2/3rds of humanity to appease its anger. In fact, it is sooooooooooo angry It needed to send one final warning to the world through the greatest prophet the church has ever seen since the days Abraham walked the earth. No one, and I repeat NO ONE in the entire world is doing such mighty work. Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Ron Wineland, and Alton Billingsley all cower in fear of the Great Bwana Mzungu Thiel, the Great Savior of Africa, and 100 Caucasians.

His constant mind stream of doom and gloom has no end and yet the other day he made a post about how people should be hopeful. Forget the fact his god is going to destroy your world, send famines and earthquakes to destroy your home, starve your children, and kill off your family and friends, our Great Bwana Mzungu Bob says you are to remain hopeful.

How to Be More Hopeful

The New Testament teaches that Christians are to have hope. What are ways to be more hopeful? Pocket, a secular source, recommended an article about that. In this video, Dr. Thiel goes over many points of that article and ties them into numerous scriptures that teach about hope. Dr. Thiel also notes that multiple times, the Apostle Paul taught about faith, love, and hope together. Dr. Thiel also quotes Jesus related to not worrying and seeking first the Kingdom of God. Furthermore, he refers to mysteries of God’s plan that most do not understand. He also reads what the Bible promises will occur in the new earth.

Of course, brethren, remain hopeful after reading Bwana Bob's articles on:

G20 connectivity to lead to Middle East peace? Perhaps it will contribute to gathering at Armageddon? 

 

9/11–do not think greater terror will not hit the USA! 

Neither Donald Trump, Joe Biden, nor Michelle Obama are the solution for the USA 

  

Over 2,000 reported dead after earthquake in Morocco–any tie to Ezekiel 38? 

 

‘Ruling Class Is Using AI To Censor Posts On Social Media That Buck The Official Narrative’ 

 

Shofars, Yehuda Glick, the year of creation, and religious end-time politics 

 

Semaglutide may help some with type 1 diabetes and obesity, but there are issues 

 

International ‘clean air day’ and Europe’s unhealthy air pollution 

 

CBS: Earth just had its hottest summer on record, U.N. says, warning “climate breakdown has begun” 

 

‘Japanese Scientists Find that Covid-19 and all of the variants are Laboratory creations: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Have Been Released Upon Us’ 

 

NFL 2023: Early Christians would not have watched 

 

First they banned burqas, now abayas and the AfD is making gains–change is going to happen in Europe 

 

‘Burning Man’: Debauchery, Temple, and Tower of Babel? 

 

EU Digital Services Act censorship and the ‘Call of Duty’ to use AI to Spy on Gamers 

 

Ed Dowd Says a “Mad Max” Scenario Is Unfolding for USA Collapse in Five Years 

 

ZH: “The Endgame Is Clear” – Gold’s Role Rises As Dollar Hegemony Falls 

 

BibleNewsProphecy: Biological Weapons and the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse 

 

Brazil exporting more corn and soy than the USA–the times of the Gentiles is close 

 

Sermon: Evil is Affecting the Food Supply 

 

MS: Wild Mobs Of Young People Totally Out Of Control 

I365: Farmer revives the Biblical Balm of Gilead and Temple Incense 

CNN: Smuggler with ties to ISIS helped migrants enter US from Mexico, raising alarm bells across government 

 

German Strategies For or Against BRICS? 

 

What did Joe Tkach identify as ‘Satan’s Throne’? 

 

Forbes predicted a bad decade for the 2020s, but missed a lot 

 

I365: Rare blue supermoon to appear with Messianic undertones 

Michael Snyder and Sarah Palin on dangerous USA issues 

EU ‘Digital Services Act’ in place: Yes, it is a prelude to the ‘famine of the word’

Hope is only found outside the improperly named "continuing" Church of God. Its god has nothing to offer to anyone.

Proof Texting Scripture To Mean What You Think It Should Mean

I Corinthians 5:8 as a Prooftext for Christian Observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread

In response to my post Get Ready: The Fall Holy Days Are Almost Upon Us, CGI's Jeff Reed cited I Corinthians 5:8 as a prooftext for the obligation of Christians to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I responded by pointing out that Paul was addressing a particular problem in the Corinthian Church - a man was openly in a relationship with his stepmother. I quoted almost the entire chapter in my response and demonstrated that Paul regarded the toleration of this man's sin by the wider community as something that was corrupting/leavening the whole congregation/batch of dough. I went on to underscore the fact that Paul's reference to Christ as the Christian's Passover Lamb - the thing which makes us free of sin/unleavened - is what the apostle intended for them to celebrate.

Nevertheless, Jeff responded: "Lonnie's comments...are an interesting example of how the same text can be viewed so differently. To me, the entire context points to keeping the Festival. It is very clear. It sure sounds like Paul was speaking to people who kept the feast. Or how else would they understand the symbolism he is teaching? Use that same language to a group of Baptists and see if they understand the meaning without additional explanation. What Paul says makes more sense to an audience keeping the feast. Paul even gives instructions in chapters 10 and 11 about proper observance of the Lord's Supper (New Testament Passover), which precedes the Days of Unleavened Bread. Another indication this letter was probably sent shortly before the Festival was to take place."

First, I agree with Pastor Reed that this is a prime example of how a passage of Scripture can be viewed very differently by folks with an agenda (like proving that Christians are obligated to observe the festivals commanded in Torah). However, absent that agenda, if the passage is viewed in context (meaning subject matter and place in the larger epistle), I don't think that there is much room for confusion here. I invite my readers to read Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians (especially chapter 5) and make your own determination about the focus of his remarks. Was he talking about the Feast of Unleavened Bread or was he addressing the situation with a sinning brother and his situation's impact on the larger community?

Also, in so far as the passage is related to any festival, I would like to suggest that it clearly refers to the New Testament Passover - the Lord's Supper! After all, Paul did state that "Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed <for us>" Hence, in this context, Paul's remarks about the proper observance of the Eucharist in the eleventh chapter of the same epistle is much more consistent with the passage from the fifth chapter than any suggestion that he was speaking about the Feast of Unleavened Bread (unleavened bread was also an integral part of the Old Testament Passover). In other words, if Paul was focused on any festival, he was clearly speaking about New Testament Passover.

Finally, of course, these Gentile folks would have been familiar with these references to Torah! They would have been an integral part of Paul's preaching about Jesus Christ! Remember, Christ and his apostles used the Torah, Prophets, and Writings of the Hebrew Scriptures to preach the Good News about salvation through him to everyone - Jews and Gentiles. That does NOT, however, suggest that Christians should observe the Torah festivals - that would be a leap in logic that Scripture simply does NOT make.