Well, yeah I admit I didn't try to find those. Not like I didn't know that a few have made the concrete predictions like your examples show. Just that I also realize as you claim with your statement-"Yep, it’s a copout. ", that no one can know G-d's plans for the world with absolute certainty.
On the other hand, there is prophecy in the Bible wrt Jesus as Messiah. Granted, not all accepted Him as such. But that does not invalidate prophecy. BTW, Epicenter is still worth a look, regardless your views.
Well, yeah I admit I didn't try to find those.
Actually, I was speaking of the "date-suggesters" prophecy preachers. They were the ones falling all over themselves to see Jesus "soon return" prior to 1988 (1948 + 40 = 1988)
Just that I also realize as you claim with your statement-"Yep, it’s a copout. ", that no one can know G-d's plans for the world with absolute certainty.
Well, that’s a copout too of sorts. If you believe in a "literal" way of interpreting the Bible, esp. the prophecies, it should be a fairly straightforward task to apply them with some certainly to current events … that is if that was God’s intent.
After all, just read passages like Matthew 24:4-22 where Jesus gives very specific and detailed signs that folks were to look for in relationship to the destruction of the temple. And Jesus expected His hearers to act on these signs, e.g., "let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains", when they were recognized.
Very specific and very detailed.
Now if Jesus gave those people in that day very specific signs to watch for just prior to the destruction of the temple (which occurred in AD70, BTW), then you would think the same sort of detailed signs would jump off the pages of Scripture if they were supposed to be speaking about modern events.
But they don’t appear to do that. So either 1) folks aren’t doing a very good job of interpreting the passages and applying them to today, or 2) it was not God’s intent for these prophecies to apply to modern day events.
I vote for 2.
On the other hand, there is prophecy in the Bible wrt Jesus as Messiah. Granted, not all accepted Him as such. But that does not invalidate prophecy. BTW, Epicenter is still worth a look, regardless your views.
How so? Why should I spend money on something that, as its foundational thesis, promotes a view that is in many ways contrary to my view of the Bible and God’s plan for this earth? I do not for one second believe that prophecy revolves around modern Israel. I do not believe that modern Israel is the fulfillment of any Bible prophecy, or that the inhabitants of Israel are "God’s chosen people".
Perhaps you can share some insight from the book that will suggest it might be good reading for those like me who do not accept the Christian Zionist view of Israel.