10 End Times Prophecies Debunked

[Brother Jeff]

This glorious thread was magically inspired by this related thread. Christians like to make a lot out of biblical prophecy, but the truth is that if you look at prophecies closely and in the light of facts and reason, it's really not that hard to debunk. In this thread, I will comment on and debunk ten End Times biblical prophecies. The site I take them from doubtlessly sounds convincing to the average Christian, but not to me or probably to any other educated skeptic.

 

From http://www.100prophecies.org/page9.htm:

 

1. Jerusalem would become an international problem

Bible passage: Zechariah 12:1-5

Written: between 520 and 518 BC

To be fulfilled: End Times

 

Zechariah 12:1-5

This is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness," declares the Lord. "I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, `The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.'

 

Brother Jeff: The first verse reveals the primitive cosmology of the bible. The rest of the verses clearly indicate reference to ancient times, and not a modern fulfillment. Look at the language - horses, for god's sake.

2. When Israel blooms again, the Kingdom of God will be near

Bible passage: Luke 21:29-31

Recorded: about 30 AD

To be fulfilled: End Times

 

Luke 21:29-31

He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

 

Brother Jeff: Jesus may or may not have ever lived, and he may or may not have said anything recorded by the anonymous author of "Luke". Even so, the modern nation of Israel came to be as I understand it not by fulfillment of prophecy but by political pressures and agreements of the time. Israel isn't a miracle or a sign of the End Times. Its existence is fully explainable from a purely naturalistic perspective. Relevant link:

http://www.theocracywatch.org/christian_zi...srael_forms.htm

 

3. The Messiah will appear after the Jews return to Israel

Bible passage: Jeremiah 23:3-6

Written: sometime from 626 to about 586 BC

Fulfilled: end times

 

Jeremiah 23:3-6

"I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the Lord. "The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.

 

Brother Jeff: This is alleged to speak of the return of Jews to Israel in modern times, but really, look at the language here. Jesus wasn't the Son of David since he had no earthly father, according to Christian mythology. Jesus' father was the Holy Spook! Jesus also wasn't the Jewish Messiah. Relevant links:

 

http://www.messiahtruth.com/response.html

 

http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/

 

http://home.att.net/~fiddlerzvi/j4j_no.html

 

4. The Gospel will be preached to the entire world

Bible passage: Matthew 24:14

Recorded: about 30 AD

To be fulfilled: End Times

 

Matthew 24:14

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

 

Brother Jeff: It ain't happened yet, and it never will. Plus, you have to keep in mind the size of the known world at that time. That area of the world heard the gospel a long time ago, and the end still hasn't come. Jesus also may or may not have actually spoken the words attributed to him by the anonymous author of the book of "Matthew".

 

5. The world would be able to simultaneously witness events

Bible passage: Revelation 11:9-10

Written: sometime between 54 and 95 AD

To be fulfilled: End Times

 

Revelation 11:9-10

For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

 

Brother Jeff: Revelation was not written by John, but by an anonymous author writing in his name. These verses and the entire book of Revelation is all just mythological nonsense dreamed up by someone obviously on a hallucinogenic mind-altering substance.

6. Zechariah foreshadowed modern warfare

Bible passage: Zechariah 14:12

Written: between 520 and 518 BC

To be fulfilled: End Times

 

Zechariah 14:12

This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

 

Brother Jeff: A biblical plague foreshadows modern warfare? I don't think so. It's just more of the Lord's awesome love! Glory!

7. Many people will go to Jerusalem to seek God's favor

Bible passage: Zechariah 8:22

Written: between 520 and 518 BC

To be fulfilled: End Times

 

Zechariah 8:22

And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.

 

Brother Jeff: So? The Christian explanation for this verse - In Zechariah 8:22, the prophet said 2500 years ago that a time will come when many people go to Jerusalem to seek and honor God. This prophecy has been at least partially fulfilled already. The Jews recaptured Jerusalem during the Six Day War in 1967. Since then, people from around the world have toured Jerusalem to visit various sites that are important to the history of Judaism and Christianity. Jerusalem is also an important city to Moslems - is just ludicrous!

 

8. Book of Revelation envisioned an army of 200 million

Bible passage: Revelation 9:16

Written: sometime between 54 and 95 AD

To be fulfilled: End Times

 

Revelation 9:16

The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.

 

Brother Jeff: So the bible makes an outrageous claim. What else is new?

 

9. The troops would cross the Euphrates

Bible passage: Revelation 16:12

Written: sometime between 54 and 95 AD

To be fulfilled: End Times

 

Revelation 16:12

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.

 

Brother Jeff: Again, just mythology, and another outrageous claim.

 

10. People would be forced to receive the mark of the beast

Bible passage: Revelation 13:16-18

Written: sometime between 54 and 95 AD

To be fulfilled: End Times

 

Revelation 13:16-18

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (KJV).

 

Brother Jeff: What is this mark? Nobody knows, and the likelihood of this ever happening is nil. It's just mythology.

 

See, I didn't even go that in depth or try really all that hard and I found reasons to doubt or dismiss all ten prophecies. Debunking and dismissing biblical prophecy is easy if you are educated and you use your brain and think! Glory!

[hereticzero]

Good replies, Bro.