Half-Life

Ezekiel 34:13
I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.

This is referring to the people of Israel returning to their land. It's plain as day.

7. The people of Israel would return to "their own land"
Bible passage: Ezekiel 34:13
Written: between 593-571 BC
Fulfilled: after May 14, 1948
In Ezekiel 34:13, the prophet said that God would gather the people of Israel scattered throughout the world and bring them back to "their own land." After many centuries of dispersion, hundreds of thousands of Jews returned to their ancient homeland beginning in the late 1800s. But, millions more returned after Israel declared independence in 1948. In other words, millions of exiles returned to their ancient homeland which was now truly "their own land" in the sense that it was now a sovereign Jewish state.

How can any atheist seriously dispute this claim? What land was God referring to if not for Israel? Because in Ezekial, he talks all about Israel.

Deuteronomy 30:3-5
then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.

10. The fortunes of the people of Israel would be restored
Bible passage: Deuteronomy 30:3-5
Written: perhaps 1400 BC
Fulfilled: 1948, etc.
In Deuteronomy 30:3-5, the Bible said the Jews would be scattered worldwide and that they later would return to their homeland and have their fortunes restored. This prophecy began to be fulfilled in modern times during the late 1800s when many Jews returned to Israel, from as far away as China and the United States, Russia and South Africa. Israel declared independence in 1948. Today, Israel is among the world's most prosperous countries. In 1999, for example, Israel's per capita Gross Domestic Product was twice as prosperous than the neighboring countries.

So, we have God admitting that the Jews would be scattered all over the world, which is true. How can someone just writing the Bible without a God to inspire just somehow "know" that the Jews would be scattered all over the world?

http://www.100prophecies.org/page3.htm

There are TONS of prophecies on that page that are not vague. NONE of this prophecies can be twisted around by atheists.

If you claim these prophecies are not true, please explain how any mortal man could:

A. Know that the people of israel would return to their land.

B. Know that the Jews would become more prosperous than their fathers.

C. Know the Jews would be scattered all over the world.

Autonemesis

Scattered peoples are a common theme in mythology and literature. The OT is just one more story among many of another group of people who lost their homeland.

Half-Life

So, which land was God referring to then?

he explicitly states he will bring the jews BACK to their homeland.

How did a mere mortal man know that the Jews would be scattered all over, and then return?

What made a mere mortal see so accurately into the future?

Is it really "vague" when God is talking about Jews coming back to Israel and it actually happens?

Johnny Skeptic

If it was as plain as it is that President Bush exists, as many people would accept Bible prophecy as accept that President Bush exists, when in fact that is not the case. If God wanted to convince most people to believe that he can predict the future, he could easily have done that thousands of years ago. If Jesus had accurately predicted what the names of the Roman emperors would be for the next 200 years, and their dates of birth and death, surely more people would have become Christians. That is a reasonable assumption since historically, many people have accepted all kinds of outlandish religions based upon much less convincing evidence than that. In addition, Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce attracted a lot of followers based upon a lot less convincing evidence than that.

Consider the following Scriptures:

John 20:24-29

“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Matthew 14:28-31

“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

Matthew 17:20

“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Mark 16:14

“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.”

Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

The preceding Scriptures emphasize the importance of faith, but strangely, the following Scriptures emphasize the importance of faith AND tangible, firsthand evidence:

Matthew 4:23-25

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.”

John 2:23

“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.”

John 3:2

“The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

John 10:37-38

“If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”

John 11:43-48

"And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation."

John 20:30-31

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. ”

Acts 14:3

“Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”

1 Corinthians 15:6

“After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”

It is up to Christians to reasonably explain why God refuses to provide additional evidence that would cause more people to love him, and to accept him. It is also up to Christians to explain why Jesus criticized Thomas for requiring tangible, firsthand evidence that he had risen from the dead, but willingly provided tangible firsthand evidence to many people who were not convinced by his words alone.

Autonemesis

You asked how some ancient writer could have written about scattered peoples, and I told you it was a common theme. The OT is just one more story among many of another group of people who lost their homeland. There are many stories like it. That one of them corresponds here and there with some other mythological accounts of other scattered people is not surprising. I don't find it striking at all that some modern Jews claim some of these stories as their founding mythologies.

stuart shepherd

Ezekiel 34:23-24 (King James Version)
23And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

24And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

Ezekiel 37:15-17 (King James Version)
15The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

16Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions:

17And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

Ezekiel 37:20-22 (King James Version)
20And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

21And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

22And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.

Ezekiel 37:24 (King James Version)
24And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.


When viewed in context, it is easy to see that the OP prophecy has not been fulfilled.

Stuart Shepherd

Amaleq13

He knew the Jews would be scattered because he was one of the exiles and he hoped they would one day all return from whence they came.

No appeals to magical foreknowledge appear necessary.

Half-Life

Wow, so God should have prophesied the names of 200 roman emperors?

Why? I'm glad you know what God "should have done" despite not even thinking he exists.

Even if you are just assuming God exists for the sake of your argument, how can you make the claim that he "should have prophesied 200 roman emperors?"

You know mind of God?

Half-Life

i see no sentence in that passage that indicates he is hoping.

It says "I will bring you back to your land."

Completely different from saying "I hope God will bring me back."

Why are you trying to make the Bible say something it doesn;t?

Toto

Compare this to an economic forecaster. If someone tries to sell you a newsletter and claims to have predicted in 1950 that the Dow would be at 13000 - but didn't tell you exactly when it would reach that number - would you think this person an economic genius with supernatural insight? A prediction without a specific date is not useful information.