Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, " To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
This "prophecy" written down well after the establishment of Israel, is obviously just a "Prophecy Fable"; an origin myth invented as an explanation for the existence of Israel. It also provides Israeli rulership with a divine mandate for its borders. There is no more proof that this prophecy occured before the foundation of Israel than there is of the "Ides of March" prophecy against Julius Caesar.
Christians try to apply this to the founding of Israel in 1948 but in order for the original borders to be realized; Egypt, Syria and Jordan would have to politely step out of the way.
BAKKE COMMENTS:
Not to mention the rather obvious fact that the boundaries of Israel
have never in history ever been anywhere near as extensive as the area
that would be bounded by the Nile and the Euphrates rivers. That area
would encompass nearly the entire Middle East.
Verdict: "Prophecy Fable" a story written to explain the desired boundaries of Israel.
Genesis 28: 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. 14 "Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Here we have a simple "Duh Prophecy". No details, nothing specific and a prediction that any five-year old could make. We have to date all prophecies to the writings in the Bible which means that the nation of Israel was already formed and there were a lot of Isrealis. In this sense it is another "Prophecy Fable" - simply an origin myth along with a divine mandate for the existence of Israel. Let's review Christian claims about these prophecies.
Verdict "Prophecy Fable" and "Duh Prophecy" some gushing reassurances with no details.
Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be
Yet again we see a prophecy fable written down well after there were thousands of Israelis explaining to the people at the time where all the multitudes of Israelites came from. Does any Christian really believe that this "prophecy" can be used as proof of anything?
Verdict "Prophecy Fable" a story written to explain the origin of the Israeli tribe.
Deuteronomy 28:64 "Moreover, the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known.
This is simply a "Prophecy Fable" that recounts the conquest and exile of Israel by Babylon. The scriptures blame Israel's lack of faithfulness to Jehovah for Babylon's invasion. Read the entire chapter and if you are familiar at all with the Babylonian exile you will see it here.
BAKKE COMMENTS:
Another problem with this one is what is meant be "as numerous as the
stars". There are only a few thousands stars that are visible to the
naked eye. To say that Abraham's descendants would grow to be a few
thousand strong is to say that the tribe will remain very small. On
the other hand, if "as numerous as the stars" is to be taken
literally, the prediction means that Abraham's descendants would grow
to a number *FAR* greater than could physically exist on the Earth --
even if they were all laying flat and piled up dozens deep.
Verdict: "Prophecy Fable" a story written to explain the Babylonian exile.
Isaiah 49:13 Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted. 14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me." 15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. 16 "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms {of My hands;} Your walls are continually before Me. 17 "Your builders; Your destroyers and devastators Will depart from you.
Now this is a textbook "Duh Prophecy" bordering on a "Grand DUH". It's just a pile of gushing reassurances with no specifics or details or any kind of concrete information. It is completely worthless as any kind of proof text and shouldn't be in any list of "fulfilled prophecies". If you want a real laugh - do what I did and read all of Deuteronomy 28 before you read Isaiah 49. Deut 28 goes on about how Jehovah will smack the Jews down with plagues and cannibalism and destruction until there's almost no Jews left and they would not find a home anywhere. Isaiah says that Jehovah will deliver them from destruction and bring them back to their homeland. Whatever happens to the Jews, you have a fulfilled prophecy somewhere, huh?
Verdict "Duh Prophecy" - just some gushing reassurances with no details.
Genesis12:2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Duh all the way. Of course Jews have impacted the whole world, so what? The Greeks, Germans, Egyptians, Romans (Italians), Persians (Iran), Babylonians (Iraq), French, English, Ethiopians etc have impacted the whole world! I'm sure if you read some of their sacred texts you will hear some gushing praise about how Persians will be a blessing to the world - does this make you fall to your knees in front of the Zoroastrian god, Ahura Mazda?
Verdict: "Duh Prophecy" - gushing praise with no details.
Joel 3:2 I will gather all the nations And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; And they have divided up My land.
This "prophecy" refers to the Babylonian conquest and occupation of Israel, not a future event. Joel 3 is simply an angry curse against the gentiles where the prophet describes the punishment Jehovah will dish out for something that has already occured. Virtually any Bible study tool will tell you this.
Verdict "Prophecy Fragment - NP". The verse is taken from a non-prophetic part of a prophecy.
Ezekiel 36:8 'But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come. 9 'For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be cultivated and sown. 10 'I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be rebuilt.
Another textbook "Duh prophecy". Chances are, Israel would be re-established and if it wasn't, then Christians would call it a "future prophecy". With no details or compelling specifics these scriptures are just some gushing reassurances that cannot be used as proof text for anything.
Verdict: "Duh Prophecy" - gushing reassurances with no details.
Isaiah 42:1 " Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosenone {in whom} My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 "He will not cry out or raise {His voice,} Nor make His voice heard in the street. 3 "A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.4 "He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law." 5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives \breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it, 6 "I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison. 8 "I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. 9 "Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim {them} to you."
"The LORD'S servant" is a term used over and over in Isaiah. Should we automatically apply it to any cult-leader that wanders along and decides to appropriate the title, or should we read the Book of Isaiah and see who "The LORD'S servant" really is? Let's look back just one chapter:
Isaiah 41:8 "But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend,
How about ahead a couple chapters?
Isaiah 44:2 Thus says the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, 'Do not fear, O Jacob My servant; And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
Isaiah 45:4 "For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen {one,} I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me
Isaiah 48:20 Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this, Send it out to the end of the earth; Say, " The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob." Isaiah 49:3 He said to Me, "You are My Servant, Israel, In Whom I will show My glory."
Besides, let's read this, just a couple paragraphs later:
Isaiah 42:19 Who is blind but My servant, Or so deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as he that is at peace {with Me,} Or so blind as the servant of the LORD? 20 You have seen many things, but you do not observe {them;} {Your} ears are open, but none hears. 21 The LORD was pleased for His righteousness' sake To make the law great and glorious. 22 But this is a people plundered and despoiled; All of them are trapped in caves, Or are hidden away in prisons; They have become a prey with none to deliver {them,} And a spoil, with none to say, "Give {them} back!" 23 Who among you will give ear to this? Who will give heed and listen hereafter? 24 Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, And in whose ways they were not willing to walk, And whose law they did not obey? 25 So He poured out on him the heat of His anger And the fierceness of battle; And it set him aflame all around, Yet he did not recognize {it;} And it burned him, but he paid no attention.
Notice that the text calls the servant blind (was Jesus blind and not hearing?) and although it uses the singular "servant" it goes on to say that "this is a people plundered and despoiled". Notice the change in pronoun from 24 to 25 "...in whose ways they were not willing to walk, And whose law they did not obey? " and then "So He poured out on him ..". The poetic imagery shifts between Israel as a man or servant and Israel as a country.
Jesus is NOT in Isaiah. Isaiah is concerned with Judah's survival during attacks by Israel and Assyria not the actions of some cult-leader that happens on the scene five hundred years later.
Verdict: This is a "Stolen Prophecy" that was meant for Israel but applied to Jesus.
Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
Hmmmm... just for the fun of it let's look at the verses before it.
Luke 21:31 So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. 32 "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.
Well unless you want to crank up the rationalization machines until they start smoking we can pretty much agree that Jesus failed on this prophecy so why the hell should we care about the next one? A real prophet shouldn't be making mistakes, right? Besides isn't this a self-fulfilling prophecy? Whether Jesus, Mohammed or Krishna said that their words wouldn't pass away - they wouldn't until the religion was long dead and then no one would hear or care about the prophecy! Under what condition could someone point to this as a failed prophecy
"See, Jesus said that his words would never pass away and yet they did... OOOPS I just quoted him!"
Verdict: "Duh prophecy". It's either fulfilled or no one would've heard of it so it's meaningless.