Failed Prophecies of The Old Testament
Defend the Truth of Scripture by Truly Understanding Distinction
There are numerous "failed" prophecies in the Bible - here is a sample:
Ex 3:8, 15:17, 23:23 – God promised to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites who left Egypt. But the adverse report by the spies caused them to rebel, so God said, “not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home.” (Num 14:30) God even called this, “my breach of promise” (Num 14:34 KJV).
2 Kings 20:1 – Hezekiah’s sickness resulted in a prophecy from Isaiah that he would not recover. However, in 2 Kings 20:2-6 Hezekiah pleads with the Lord who decides to reverse the prophecy and adds another 15 years to his life.
Jonah 3:3, 4 – Jonah prophesied that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days. Yet when the people repented, the prophecy was reversed (Jonah 3:5-10).
1 Kings 21:20–26 – Elijah prophesied that Ahab would be destroyed. But when he repented the outcome was reversed (1 Kings 21:27, 28).
2 Sam 7:16, 16, Ps 132:11 – God promised David (and confirmed it to Solomon in 2 Chron 7:18) that his throne would last forever. That David’s royal throne was destroyed about 500 years later, in 586 BC, is a historical fact. However, the prophecy was no less certain because it, as with all such prophecies was conditional as recorded in 1 Kings 6:11, 12, 8:25, Ps 132:12, 2 Chron 7:17, 18.
In Jer 17:4, God’s anger is kindled against wicked Judah and will burn forever. Later in the same chapter (v25) He promises to love them forever.
the “forever” Davidic line of kings, l Kings 2:3, 4; 8:25, 9:4,5; l Chron 28:4-9; 2 Chron 6:16; 7:17-22. The Davidic dynasty lasted until their capture of Zedekiah in the 6th century BC and was never re-established.
Let’s make a distinction between “failed” prophecy and “false” prophecy.
FALSE
These individuals claim to speak on behalf of God but spread deceptive messages and teachings. Here are some key points about false prophets based on Scripture [emphasis my own]:
Matthew 7:15-20 warns us to be cautious: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. A good tree brings forth good fruit, while a corrupt tree produces evil fruit. By their actions, you can discern them” 1.
Deuteronomy 18:20 provides a stern warning: “A false prophet presumes to speak in My name anything I have not commanded, or speaks in the name of other gods.” These deceivers twist God’s truth and lead people astray 2.
1 John 4:1-3 emphasizes discernment: “Many false prophets exist in the world. To recognize them, consider whether they acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Those who deny this truth are not from God” 3.
Jeremiah 14:14 describes false prophets as those who offer “false visions, divinations, idolatries, and delusions of their own minds.” Their messages mislead and distort God’s intentions 4.
Specifically in the OT,
Ezekiel 13:1-9: The prophet Ezekiel receives a message from the Lord concerning false prophets. These individuals claim to speak on behalf of God but are driven by their own desires rather than divine revelation. Here are the key points:
False prophets follow their own spirits and do not genuinely see visions from God.
They mislead the people of Israel by spreading lies and false predictions.
The Lord declares that He will punish these false prophets, removing them from His people. Their names will be erased from the list of Israel’s family, and they will never return to the land of Israel 1.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5: This passage outlines the gravity of false prophecy and its consequences:
If a prophet performs a miraculous sign or prediction that comes true but then teaches contrary to God’s Word, they are to be put to death.
Deuteronomy 18:20, 22: Further emphasizing the seriousness of false prophecy, the penalty for a prophet whose prediction does not come true is also death. God expects His messengers to speak truthfully and faithfully 2.
Jeremiah 14:14: Jeremiah denounces false prophets who claim to have seen visions but speak lies. Their deceptive messages mislead God’s people and distort His intentions 1.
So, in this and here: Jeremiah 14:14; 23:16:
These passages highlight the actions of false prophets who give false visions, false hope, encourage idolatries, divination, and self-delusion.
Their visions do not expose sin or prevent judgment; instead, they help rationalize sin.
Ezekiel 13:6:
Ezekiel denounces foolish prophets who see false visions.
Their predictions don’t come true, yet they claim, “The LORD said this.”
We see that False Prophets can still have events in which they occur, whether by demonic means, allowance by God, or sheer happenstance, these prophets do have visions that do come to be — most likely by vague interpretation. Though, these are not “uneducated” men, and often filled by demonic power they are able to rationalize probabilities of events that can occur and we know that divination was a thing in the Old Testament.
Now, let’s look at FAILED PROPHECIES
This is a tough subject because it crosses God’s immutability (unchanging nature and mind) and I must admit that the topic is quite stretching for any human mind, especially mine.
Can God fail? No, by no means can God fail, but can unlimited (infinite) permissive potential wills have infinite outcomes? Yes, absolutely. Let me explain using an example from the first paragraph of this article.
Ex 3:8, 15:17, 23:23 – God promised to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites who left Egypt. But the adverse report by the spies caused them to rebel, so God said, “not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home.” (Num 14:30) God even called this, “my breach of promise” (Num 14:34 KJV).
This promise was revoked on the basis of free will — in this case, fear and not trusting in the YHWH’s promise. To reduce it down — “You don’t believe my promise? You don’t get to partake in it”.
2 Kings 20:1 – Hezekiah’s sickness resulted in a prophecy from Isaiah that he would not recover. However, in 2 Kings 20:2-6 Hezekiah pleads with the Lord who decides to reverse the prophecy and adds another 15 years to his life.
I love this because it points to two things (1) God’s goodness in our response to Him when it is a humble and direct request and (2) that God operates with human free will. At the risk of sounding foolish, let me try and provide a visual example that may help here:
You have infinite red buttons (this would be a human free will) and God has each button triggered to action, now millions may be tied to one action, and millions tied to another action. If we, in our free will, walk on the button that is obedient, that triggers events that proceed from obedience (sometimes, not always! we aren’t the Architect, He is). Inversely, we see that if you step on buttons that are disobedient and prideful and filled with anxiety “You cannot add an hour to your life” because the action doesn’t correspond with a grace.
Example of this:
Jonah 3:3, 4 – Jonah prophesied that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days. Yet when the people repented, the prophecy was reversed (Jonah 3:5-10).
1 Kings 21:20–26 – Elijah prophesied that Ahab would be destroyed. But when he repented the outcome was reversed (1 Kings 21:27, 28).
What about historically accurate ones like the “forever” Davidic line of kings, l Kings 2:3, 4; 8:25, 9:4,5; l Chron 28:4-9; 2 Chron 6:16; 7:17-22. The Davidic dynasty lasted until their capture of Zedekiah in the 6th century BC and was never re-established.
This requires Christological explanation, as does the entire Bible, so that shouldn’t surprise any soul. The line of David’s kingdom is forever, through the Kingship of Christ, Himself.
I pray this article was clarifying, I pray that it helps you protect against doubts, I pray that it aids in the apologetic discourse.
