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Who can tell the future?

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Mymom | 10:30 Tue 17th Jan 2012 | Religion & Spirituality
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Some people believe that the Bible is a reliable book of prophecy. Others feel that it contains vague predictions that could be interpreted in many different ways. What's your opinion? And it would be appreciated if those answering did so in a serious and respectable way - unlike some previous comments I have noted in other threads. Thank you.
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The records of major earthquakes are proportional to the populated areas and the propensity record them. The figures are biassed toward recent times because of the vast increase in the amount of recording equipment.

The cost of natural disasters increases in modern times because there are more people and the value of the assets is greatly increased. Large numbers of big buildings cost much more than a few mud huts.

Seismic experts say the current frequency of earthquakes is well within the normal distribution that would be expected.
Only time travellers could tell what the future holds, and since we have not mastered time travel, yet, then no one at this point in time.
@Beso

Well said. It staggers me that our supposed reputable news media consistently fail to understand that very simple point – more people, more infrastructure, more damage and loss of life when natural disasters occur. Not due to an increase in the ferocity or frequency of the disaster – be it earthquake, volcano or flood – but simply down to the fact that we as a species occupy ever increasing amounts of land and build things upon that land.
@Mymon - “... Some people believe that the Bible is a reliable book of prophecy...”


Indeed they do. Some people also believe that the Bible only contains lovely stories about healing sick people and other smashing and uplifting tales. They wilfully ignore the stories that contain acts of almost unimaginable cruelty and torture. Some people are expertly adept at ignoring what is right in front of their face.

In answer to your question – no one (and no book) can tell the future. The Bible certainly doesn't do so and nor does the Koran.
Wel there certainly are plenty of smashing tales. Like smashing the bodies of the children of those who have incurred the wrath of God.

"Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up."

Hosea 13:16
And why only the "women with child"?

Because, as in many similar stories of the Bible, the general principle is that the virgins are taken as sex slaves by "God's People" as a reward for their participation in the slaughter.
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Birdie: //– no one (and no book) can tell the future. The Bible certainly doesn't do so and nor does the Koran.//
That no one can tell the future I agree wholeheartedly. Many have tried and failed. But the Bible has been proved true on more than one occasion.
But as Pillj123 said – “wait and see!”
Jomifl: Jesus is already here and has been since 1914. He has been ruling as King in the heavens since then. All we are awaiting now is that he takes action and begins to rule over the earth.
"the Bible has been proved true on more than one occasion"

have you got any specific examples?
@MyMom

And who says Jesus has been ruling since 1914? Well, I'll be - this is a declaration from the JW, without any empirical evidence to support it, that some verse out of Revelations is it? has been satisfied. Handy then that he is confining himself to ruling in heaven at the moment -no evidence of course. No other cult,that I am aware of, believes this - just the JWs.With no evidence.

So, a bunch of geezers, in a fundamentalist religious cult arbitrarily decided that jebus was back on the basis of their subjective and biased interpretation of a verse in revelations - And you think this constitutes evidence? You unthinkingly accept this?

As for biblical prophecy coming true, you should post a few - trumpet your book of myth and legends inerrancy !- Of course, others may view such triumphs as selective, written after the event, or merely trying to crowbar into history a version of an event to match a piece of versifying. But hey, why let facts get in the way of your faith eh?

Is it any wonder that such faiths command such little respect?
Here's something outlining the reasons for the 1914 date. It was about the first thing I came across in google, and I haven't read it all.

http://www.jehovahswitnesstruth.com/1914.htm
Mymom, well that's the earthquakes explained then..
@Mymom

I must echo Ankou's request for a specific example of where the Bible has, “... been proved true on more than one occasion.”.

You seriously cannot expect to post such a statement and expect others not to ask the obvious question.
@Mymom - “... Jesus is already here and has been since 1914. He has been ruling as King in the heavens...”

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the year of 1914 based on the assumption that the earth was created in 4026 BCE? If so, I feel I must post this which I think has been posted before on AB but I don't know the original author...

“4500 BCE Sumerians invent glue and beer. 4000 BCE god creates the universe. The 2600 BCE The Egyptian third dynasty starts building pyramids. 2500 BCE god floods the world and kills everyone but 8 people. 2400 BCE The Egyptian third dynasty is still building pyramids, apparently not realizing there was a flood and that they are, in fact, dead.”
Hello, again, Mymom.
You've kindly answered a question I put to Brother Shanghi on a different thread. So JWs do still believe in the invisible return of Christ in 1914.
In answer to your question the Bible has striking examples of very accurate prophecy. Most of them can be found in the book of Daniel where you derive the 1914 date (based in the false date of 607 BC for the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar). Daniel predicts with astonishing accuracy the break-up of Alexander's empire and the doings of a number of the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt over 200 years AFTER Daniel's death.
Regarding wars, earthquakes etc. which JWs say are the sign of Christ's return. How do you justify this interpretation of Matthew 24, Mymom? The chapter begins with the question "what shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the world?". Christ replies with a list of things which will happen BEFORE then (wars, rumours of wars, etc.) followed by the remarks "but the end is not yet" and "then they will see the SIGN of the Son of Man and all nations...". So he didn't say what the sign was, only that everyone would see it. What is wrong with my reading of the text?

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