Atheists: What do you think about fulfilled Bible prophecy. How is that done

[mÅlmightyÅtheistm]

The prophecies are so vague they can mean anything. Most of the Quaran has also been fulfilled with it's vague prophecies, why do you ignore it?

[DreamstuffEntity]

1. There are several mundane ways in which a prediction of the future can be fulfilled:
1. Retrodiction. The "prophecy" can be written or modified after the events fulfilling it have already occurred.
2. Vagueness. The prophecy can be worded in such a way that people can interpret any outcome as a fulfillment. Nostradomus's prophecies are all of this type. Vagueness works particularly well when people are religiously motivated to believe the prophecies.
3. Inevitability. The prophecy can predict something that is almost sure to happen, such as the collapse of a city. Since nothing lasts forever, the city is sure to fall someday. If it has not, it can be said that according to prophecy, it will.
4. Denial. One can claim that the fulfilling events occurred even if they have not. Or, more commonly, one can forget that the prophecy was ever made.
5. Self-fulfillment. A person can act deliberately to satisfy a known prophecy.

There are no prophecies in the Bible that cannot easily fit into one or more of those categories.

2. In biblical times, prophecies were not simply predictions. They were warnings of what could or would happen if things did not change. They were meant to influence people's behavior. If the people heeded the prophecy, the events would not come to pass; Jonah 3 gives an example. A fulfilled prophecy was a failed prophecy, because it meant people did not heed the warning.

3. The Bible also contains failed prophecies, in the sense that things God said would happen did not (Skeptic's Annotated Bible n.d.). For example:
* Joshua said that God would, without fail, drive out the Jebusites and Canaanites, among others (Josh. 3:9-10). But those tribes were not driven out (Josh. 15:63, 17:12-13).
* Ezekiel said Egypt would be made an uninhabited wasteland for forty years (29:10-14), and Nebuchadrezzar would plunder it (29:19-20). Neither happened.

4. Other religions claim many fulfilled prophecies, too (Prophecy Fulfilled n.d.).

[bloody_mary]

If you give any vague prediction about anything it will eventually be fulfilled.

[gotswagga]

It's the same thing as Nostradamus. He wrote a bunch of random quatrains, then after the fact people went and matched them up with events that matched the description.

If I were God and I wanted to make an amazing prophecy that was going to become fulfilled, I would choose something more relevant to all mankind than Alexander the Great, considering many people don't even know or care about Ol' Alex.

[lainiebsky]

No, the Bible predicted no such thing.

The Bible is full of vague, general prophecies which are retroactively interpreted to fit current events. Then there are the stories written in such a way as to make it appear that prophecy has been fulfilled. The gospels are full of those. For example, the fact that Matthew and Luke get Jesus born in Bethlehem but raised in Nazareth by two different and contradictory stories proves that the stories were written to make it appear that prophecy had been fulfilled. The way the details of the crucifixion story were written to echo a psalm is another example. The silliness which has Jesus riding into Jerusalem on both a donkey and a colt is another.

A bit earlier this evening a Muslim pointed out all the prophecies of the Quran that were being fulfilled now. His case was every bit as strong as yours.

[JohnsHopkins]

Xian: ever hear about the 100th Monkey theory in 4th grade (or whatever class you're in?). Or the "shotgun approach?" Or self-delusion or self-fulfilling prophecies? That's how the bible "fulfills" its own prophecies.

[BobLoblaw]

Actually, most of the prophesies haven't come true at all. Many are about as vague as Nostradamus. Strangely enough though, humans are rather accurate at predicting the future if they are using Scientific Theories. That's one of the things the theories are supposed to do, be able to make accurate predictions.

If I can name a dozen other religions that also have had prophesies come true, will you convert? If not, why not? If accurate predications are all that is needed you should consider those other faiths. Many are older than your Christianity.

[SteJimmy]

I prophesize that tomorrow it will rain somewhere.

[punch]

Fulfilled bible prophecy's? There's been a few lucky guesses. That's all.

[Boris]

I abhor your gullibility but admire your tenacity. Bible prophesy is about as difficult as choosing what to have for breakfast.