False Prophecy/Broken Promises
God said that the Day of Atonement would be a statute forever. How is this possible if Jesus made atonement for all, putting an end to all sacrifices? And there are a great many other places in the Law that say of the sacrifices "this will be a statute forever." But how can this be with the New Covenant? (Lv 16:29, Ex 27:21, Is 66:21, 23, Ezk 40-48)
If the bible is so confident about its prophecies, why are they so vague and inscrutable? What’s the difference between this and Nostradamus?
Why did Jesus say that his generation wouldn’t pass away until all had been fulfilled, when it obviously hadn’t. How could he say this when he said that he didn’t know the day or hour of his coming? (Mt 24:34, 36)
How can these be validated as true prophecies if they were written after the fact ("as at this day")? (Start at Jer 25:17, see chps 46-51)
Is 11:14 When will this take place, or when did it take place, since these nations no longer exist (like Edom [Ob 18])? Might vs 15 have something to do with 19:23? So too of Elam, since it no longer exists. (Jer 49:38)
Ezk 4:5-6 What are these 390 and 40 years? I thought Judah was supposed to be in captivity for 70 years. (Jer 25:11)
Ezk 33:20-21 “Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers.
This isn't true. There have been days without number that these things haven't been true.
Ezk 29:11 No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years.
According to the ESV Study Bible note, this never came true.
Extreme contradiction, and this deals with prophecy. Jeremiah said that Jehoiakim would die in Judah and be dumped outside Jerusalem, (Jer 22:18-19) but in II Chr 36:5-6 it says he was taken captive to Babylon. cf Dt 18:22
Jer 36:30 also implies he'd be dumped outside the gates of Jerusalem.
Zebulun’s blessing didn’t come true at all. (Gn 49:13 & ESV map of the 12 tribes of Israel, ESV study bible map of the apportionment of the 12 tribes according to Ezk)
Why did God change the boundaries of the Promised Land? I thought he always does things according to his word and plan. (ESV study bible, map on p 320 from Nm 34)
I thought Moab has disappeared as a nation, so why does the bible say God will restore its fortunes in the latter days? (Jer 48:47)
If the Assyrians disappeared from history, what's this about prophecies of goodness toward them? (ESV Study Bible p 1710, last sentence of 1st paragraph, Is 19:23-24)
Zec 14:15 Doesn’t this imply this is a false prophecy, since this prophecy hasn’t occurred but we don’t fight with or bring animals into war anymore?
Hg 2:21-23 It doesn't seem that this prophecy has been fulfilled yet, so how can it ever, since Zerubbabel is long dead?
How was John the Baptist's ministry in the spirit and power of Elijah? (Lk 1:17)
I don't understand! Why didn't Pompey die when he intruded into the Most Holy Place? (I assume the ESV Study Bible means the Holy of Holies.) Even Nadab and Abihu were killed before the Lord for offering unauthorized fire in their censers. When the Romans removed and appointed high priests at will, they didn't choose legitimate priests. (For example, Jonathan wasn't a Zadokite.) If illegitimate, how could God honor their service, and wouldn't they be killed upon defilement of the sanctuary or any of the holy things?
Why was Jesus never called “Immanuel”? (Is 7:14, Mt 1:21)
Shouldn’t Jesus be an actual physical descendant of David, through Mary? But Mary’s genealogy is never given. So then wouldn’t have Jesus just been some guy, instead of the promised prince of the prophecy? (Mt 1:1-17, Lk 3:23-38)
If the bible is so confident about its prophecies, why are they so vague and inscrutable? What’s the difference between this and Nostradamus?
Why did Jesus say that his generation wouldn’t pass away until all had been fulfilled, when it obviously hadn’t. How could he say this when he said that he didn’t know the day or hour of his coming? (Mt 24:34, 36)
How can these be validated as true prophecies if they were written after the fact ("as at this day")? (Start at Jer 25:17, see chps 46-51)
Is 11:14 When will this take place, or when did it take place, since these nations no longer exist (like Edom [Ob 18])? Might vs 15 have something to do with 19:23? So too of Elam, since it no longer exists. (Jer 49:38)
Ezk 4:5-6 What are these 390 and 40 years? I thought Judah was supposed to be in captivity for 70 years. (Jer 25:11)
Ezk 33:20-21 “Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers.
This isn't true. There have been days without number that these things haven't been true.
Ezk 29:11 No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years.
According to the ESV Study Bible note, this never came true.
Extreme contradiction, and this deals with prophecy. Jeremiah said that Jehoiakim would die in Judah and be dumped outside Jerusalem, (Jer 22:18-19) but in II Chr 36:5-6 it says he was taken captive to Babylon. cf Dt 18:22
Jer 36:30 also implies he'd be dumped outside the gates of Jerusalem.
Zebulun’s blessing didn’t come true at all. (Gn 49:13 & ESV map of the 12 tribes of Israel, ESV study bible map of the apportionment of the 12 tribes according to Ezk)
Why did God change the boundaries of the Promised Land? I thought he always does things according to his word and plan. (ESV study bible, map on p 320 from Nm 34)
I thought Moab has disappeared as a nation, so why does the bible say God will restore its fortunes in the latter days? (Jer 48:47)
If the Assyrians disappeared from history, what's this about prophecies of goodness toward them? (ESV Study Bible p 1710, last sentence of 1st paragraph, Is 19:23-24)
Zec 14:15 Doesn’t this imply this is a false prophecy, since this prophecy hasn’t occurred but we don’t fight with or bring animals into war anymore?
Hg 2:21-23 It doesn't seem that this prophecy has been fulfilled yet, so how can it ever, since Zerubbabel is long dead?
How was John the Baptist's ministry in the spirit and power of Elijah? (Lk 1:17)
I don't understand! Why didn't Pompey die when he intruded into the Most Holy Place? (I assume the ESV Study Bible means the Holy of Holies.) Even Nadab and Abihu were killed before the Lord for offering unauthorized fire in their censers. When the Romans removed and appointed high priests at will, they didn't choose legitimate priests. (For example, Jonathan wasn't a Zadokite.) If illegitimate, how could God honor their service, and wouldn't they be killed upon defilement of the sanctuary or any of the holy things?
Why was Jesus never called “Immanuel”? (Is 7:14, Mt 1:21)
Shouldn’t Jesus be an actual physical descendant of David, through Mary? But Mary’s genealogy is never given. So then wouldn’t have Jesus just been some guy, instead of the promised prince of the prophecy? (Mt 1:1-17, Lk 3:23-38)