Proof Of God From Prophecy Part 3

Updated 5/28/2020

This is a continuation from Proof Of God From Prophecy Part 1 and 2 begun here. 

My prior prophecy posts discussed some likely failed Tenach prophecies. Here are some more.

JPS refers to THE JEWISH STUDY BIBLE Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler editors 2004.

1) Micah

Micah 3:12 Assuredly, because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field, And Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,
And the Temple Mount A shrine in the woods.

How do we know this was a failed prophecy ? From Jeremiah 26:17

26:17 Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying: 18 'Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. 19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and entreat the favour of the LORD, and the LORD repented Him of the evil which He had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our own souls.' 

{Revised 2/27/2020. I Originally proposed an interpretation that Micah deserved the death penalty because of the false prophecy - that the city was not destroyed as per his prophecy and therefore Micah deserved the death penalty. That would be consistent with Torah law. But an alternate  interpretation is Micah should have been put to death for a  treacherous prophecy. Yet, on what Torah law should a prophet be executed for a treacherous prediction ? 

Anyway, my main point is the city was not destroyed and so the Micah prophecy failed.}

{ETA 5/20/2020 Regarding Micah - Destruction of Jerusalem did not occur in his lifetime which is almost certainly what Micah had in mind. Micah's prophecy did not mean the destruction that would occur in 586 B.C. way after he was dead; because note Jeremiah 26:17-19 which explains why the destruction did not occur during Micah's times. The prophecy was abolished by the Lord. Also Micah 3:1 is addressing the leaders of Jacob and Israel of his times telling them because of their evil ways  Zion shall be plowed, just like Assyria was already doing to the region and other parts of Israel.  This strongly suggests he was referring to the leaders of his times and destruction during his time, not decades or a century later.}

2) Regarding Isaiah 43, where it is prophesied Cyrus will conquer Egypt. Page 869 JPS explains  “God will reward Cyrus
with the conquest of far-off lands including Egypt, because his work allows the exiles to return home.  In fact, Cyrus never conquered Egypt, but his son, Cambyses, did.”

{ETA 5/20/2020 JPS refers to 43:3-4. Per JPS this is referring to Cyrus.  I will add Isaiah 45 refers directly to Cyrus himself who will get the rewards like Egypt etc: It is a twisting of Isaiah to claim the prophecy is referring to someone other than Cyrus himself.}

{ETA 5/27/2020 The Ibn Ezra commentary on Isaiah Chapter 45: 14 explains that the verse intends Cyrus will conquer Egypt and carry it's inhabitants into captivity.}

3) Ezekiel 26 - Prophecy that King Nubuchadrezzar will conquer Tyre. Including that Tyre will never be rebuilt 26:14 I will make you a naked rock, You shall be a place for drying  nets;
You shall never be rebuilt. For I have spoken -declares the Lord God.

This prophecy failed. How do we know ? Because Ezekiel 29:1 7 In the twenty-seventh year, on the first day of the first
month, the word of the Lord came to me: 18 0 mortal,
King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon has made his army expend
vast labor on Tyre; every head is rubbed bald and
every shoulder scraped. But he and his army have had no
return for the labor he expended on Tyre.

JPS explains on page 1099 Ezekiel is referring to Nubuchadrezzar failure to conquer Tyre. 

[One more thing - I am not an expert on Tyre, but it seems to be built and inhabited now contrary to 26:14. So there are very likely  two failed prophecies here.]

4) Ezekiel 29:19 Assuredly, thus said the Lord God: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon.

Page 1099 JPS explains Nebuchadrezzar attacked Egypt in 668 but failed to conquer the land. {BTW - I think the year is a typo. 568, not 668 ). 

Continued Proof of God From Prophecy Part 4