This is a continuation of a series where I critically read the book Prophecy Speaks. This book was sent to me by an anonymous person, presumably to convert me. You can read more about how the book came to me here, or find all posts in this series here.

(I hope any Christians out there who happen to glance upon this might read this post in full, or even the entire series. I know prophecy isn’t the be-all and end-all of apologetics, but as an honest Christian you are bound to read into this subject. Go check Proverbs 14:15, Proverbs 19:2 and 1 Thessalonians 5:21 before you scroll past.)

Last time, I looked into the prophecy of Tyre. Basically: the Bible says that Tyre was never to be repopulated. Google Earth shows otherwise.

This time, I read chapter four (called “How to Disprove the Bible”). The author is really digging himself deeper and deeper…

A Tyred Argument

The first part of this chapter is basically the lecturer (the Christian character) saying how Tyre hasn’t been rebuilt and how it would be easy for skeptics to settle there to explicitly prove the bible wrong.

Every time he repeats the sentiment I have in my mind that image from Google Earth.

God Himself has not only dared you to disprove His predictions, but has taken the pains to tell you how. Tyre has continued a daily defiance to every unbeliever. ‘Thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have spoken it,’ says the prophecy. Read it for yourself in Ezekiel 26:14. The reason it cannot be rebuilt is here given. Here is a test that God has set for the boasting unbeliever — the simple one of rebuilding a city. To do that one thing would disprove the Bible.

(Emphasis added.)

— Page 25

Every year, every day, every minute that Tyre has remained in utter ruin it has disproved the emphatic declaration of skeptics that all Bible predictions are vague…

— Page 26

Hilarious. But almost tragic, in a way.

I find it hard to lay the blame the original author, who penned this circa 1933. I think many of his assertions fit that time more than they do 2011. And even if the author were outright lying, readers in 1933 would not be able to jump onto Google Earth, so such deception would not be pointless.

Prophecy is prophecy, however, and it should hold in 2011, and 3011, and for the rest of time.

Moreover, remember that this book was send to me in 2011 because it was presumably thought to make a strong argument. The sender is either stupid or deceitful. And if they are deceitful they expect me to be stupid. Neither option speaks well for their claims.

Sidon

Another prophecy mentioned in this chapter is Sidon.

Observe that the judgement of Sidon was not utter extinction like that on Tyre, but only blood in her streets, wounded in her midst, the sword on every side. In spite of the fact that no other city has had so much suffering, has been so often destroyed and rebuilt, Sidon has continued an uninterrupted existence down to the present minute.

— Page 27

This is actually true. (Hey, it’d be remarkable if every bible prophecy were wrong!)

Ashkelon

Out of a score of such forecasts, notice two sentences about Ashkelon, a city hardly less famous that that of the who we have just considered. Ashkelon shall be ‘a desolation’ [Zeph. 2:4]; ‘Ashkelon shall not be inhabited’ [Zech. 9:5].

— Page 28

Someone had better tell the 100,000 plus citizens of Ashkelon this.

Again, the author may or may not have been right about Ashkelon in 1933. Doesn’t matter. The prophecy is wrong in 2011.

But suppose Ashkelon were, like Sidon, a flourishing city; suppose the predictions had been transposed. How eagerly would unbelievers seize upon the fact!

— Page 29

Heh.

I look forward to the next chapter, about Egypt.