“Miracles” and “Prophecies”:
The Two Most Fraudulent of the Silly Jokes in the Christian Evangelist Repertoire
The Madhya Pradesh state government (a Congress party government) had appointed the Niyogi Committee under M. Bhavani Shankar Niyogi (a retired judge of the Nagpur High Court) in the early fifties, which submitted its report in 1954, which was published by the Madhya Pradesh government in 1956. It was later published in full by Sita Ram Goel in 1998: “Vindicated By Time: The Niyogi Committee Report on Christian Missionary Activities”, Voice of India, New Delhi, 1998. The report (long and detailed as it is) is not to be recommended for light reading, but it is a super-classic document when it comes to meticulously recording for posterity the fraudulent tactics by which Christian Evangelists, backed by massive billion-dollar funds and overwhelming political support from powerful political elements in Europe and America, carry on conversion activities in India. The history of Evangelist activity in India after 1956, right up to the present date, is no different from that described in the report, and is overtly or covertly backed by every single political party in India, including those who get votes in the name of Hindutva, and by masses of woke or deracinated young Hindus (the latter totally ignorant about, and largely indifferent to, every issue which affects the future of India and Hinduism). This article is not about this massive enterprise (already dealt with in the Niyogi committee Report, and by many other scholars, including Sita Ram Goel, Ram Swaroop, Koenraad Elst and Arun Shourie). It is only about two of the stupidest and most fraudulent tactics of the evangelists – though naturally it is not necessary that “stupid” and “fraudulent” necessarily translates to “unsuccessful” – viz. “miracles” and “prophecies” − and mainly the latter (after I saw a video on the internet yesterday about “predictions”).
About miracles, I still remember the ultra-juvenile and mentally-retarded videos that Evangelist channels on cable TV used to bombard us with in the pre-internet days (now probably youtube channels are doing the same work). For example, one of the channels, appropriately called “Miracle TV” (probably one of many such channels with similar names: check the site “Miracle TV Plus” on google search, and you get its self-description: “Miracle TV+ is an educational television channel with original content. It targets all nations unreached by the Gospel, and all Christians throughout the world”. Yes you read it right: “targets”), used to show crowds of hysterically screaming half-witted converts congregating in remote parts of India, watching a “pastor” (or whatever he is called) as he performed “miracles” on stage: an old and “lame” person, face contorted in expressions of unbearable pain, was brought on stage with crutches. As the pastor screamed out entreaties to “Jesus” to cure the man, he hobbled “painfully” around the stage, helped by devoted volunteers. After a few rounds, expressions of ecstasy and pleasure replaced the expressions of agony on his face, and his steps became faster and faster. Before very long, he threw away the crutches and started running faster and faster around the stage with “tears of ecstasy” pouring down his cheeks, to the accompaniment of frenzied exhortations to Jesus from the “pastor” and hysteric screams and wails from the mad crowd, and, hallelujah! He was pronounced completely cured of his affliction by the miraculous grace of “Jesus”!!!
All this was, and is, old hat. This kind of farcical performances must still be going on in full force in every remote corner of India and the world. Mammon and Stupidity rule everywhere after all!
But I was (perhaps I had nothing
better to do?) inspired to write this article after I saw a video on youtube
with my niece yesterday titled “Simpsons Predictions for 2025 are insane”, by a youtube channel “Off
the Kirb Ministries” − let me make it clear that I would never have
bothered to see the video if I had seen the name of the site before I saw the
video itself: we were only watching (as a “time-pass”) to see the two
alleged “predictions” made by “the Simpsons” (the “animated sitcom”) about
Trump long before the actual events took place (one of which shows Trump
descending an escalator waving to his supporters, and the other one shows him
standing with the king of Arabia and another world leader with all three
standing in a circle with their palms held down on a globe). It was only
halfway through that the video unsheathed its fangs and claws and Dr, Jekyll (the
“fun and entertainment” man) turned into Mr. Hyde (the propagandist evangelist),
which I would have expected beforehand if I had bothered to see the name of the
channel.
The information for this video was: “The complete Simpsons timeline of predictions 1990s - 2025. Including predictions about Lady Gaga, Anna Wintour, Miley Cyrus, Saudi Arabia and Ivanka. Please note all of the Chat GPT predictions for the Simpsons and what I asked Chat GPT about the animated series is purely for fun and entertainment”. But while the Evangelist presenter claimed to be showing the Trump “predictions” just for “fun and entertainment”, the second half of the video made it clear that he was as serious as Hell about the other (Biblical) “predictions” he presented – no question of any “fun and entertainment” there − to buttress his assertions that “The Coming of Jesus Was Predicted”!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSroDpEMsvA
Such Evangelist videos must be a dime a dozen (calculate how many such videos must be being produced on an industrial basis with the Evangelist budgets standing at billions of dollars), and really are not worthy of being written about. But the stupidity and silliness of the whole performance was so gross and mind-blowing that I could not resist this idle and bored whim to “expose” it. So here goes:
The presenter of this video, halfway, tells us: “the next part of the video is very important….you see, there is list of predictions, or rather prophecies, that have come true with amazingly precise accuracy… what is, or who is, responsible for these precise prophecies? Well, the word of God is the Bible. Did you know that there are 351 precise prophecies about the Lord Jesus Christ? These prophecies were written thousands of years before Jesus came to earth, and every single one of them came true, so would you like to hear some of them? I am going to share 18 of these prophecies with you, and I think you will be way more impressed with these than with the Simpsons’ predictions”. He then proceeds to give these “prophecies” and their “fulfillment” one by one in two parallel columns. For the fun and entertainment (even if a rather boring kind of fun and entertainment) of the readers, I will present in full all these “prophecies” and their “fulfillment”, as listed by this propagandist, to give an idea of the kind of under-developed or undeveloped brains which can indulge in this kind of sub-juvenile tomfoolery (both in presenting and in swallowing such tripe):
1. Prophesied (Genesis 14:18): Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
Fulfilled (Matthew26:26): And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My Body”.
2. Prophesied (Exodus 12:46): In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones.
Fulfilled (John 19:31-36): Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (…) But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with the spear, and immediately blood and water came out.(…) For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of his bones shall be broken”.
3. Prophesied (Leviticus 4:12): The whole bull he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out it will be burnt.
Fulfilled (Matthew 27:33): And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a skull (…)
4. Prophesied (Psalm 78:2-4): I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
Fulfilled (Matthew 13:10-15): And the disciples came and said to him “Why do you speak to them in parables?” (…) Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, (…).
5. Prophesied (2 Samuel 7:12): When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
Fulfilled (Matthew 1:1): The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
[Among other things, note that Jesus, although supposed to be the Only-Begotten Son of God born to a “virgin”, has a full-fledged human paternal genealogy].
6. Prophesied (Job 19:23-27): Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Fulfilled (Luke 24:6-7): He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again”.
7. Prophesied (Psalm 16:4): Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood for such gods or take up their names on my lips.
Fulfilled (John 19:34): But one of the soldiers pierced his side with spears, and immediately blood and water came out.
8. Prophesied (Psalm 22.15): My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue clings to my jaws; you have brought me to the dust of death.
Fulfilled (John 19:28): After this Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said “I thirst”.
9. Prophesied (Psalm 22.16): For dogs have surrounded me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet;
Fulfilled (John 19:34,37): But one of the soldiers pierced his side with spears, and immediately blood and water came out. And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on him whom they pierced”.
10. Prophesied (Psalm 22.18): They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
Fulfilled (John 19:23-34): Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts and made for each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots”.
11. Prophesied (Psalm 38.11): My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds, my neighbours stay far away.
Fulfilled (Luke 23:49): But all his acquaintances, and the women who followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
12. Prophesied (Psalm 55.12-14): For it is not an enemy that approaches me: then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal,my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng.
Fulfilled (John 13:18): I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, “He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me”.
13. Prophesied (Psalm 69:21): They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Fulfilled (John 13:18): They gave him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when he had tasted it, he would not drink.
14. Prophesied (Isaiah 53:5): But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.
Fulfilled (2 Corinthians 5:21): For he made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
15. Prophesied (Isaiah 53:9): And they made His grave with the wicked, but with the rich at his death, because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Fulfilled (Matthew 27:57): Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
16. Prophesied (Zechariah 9:9): Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, your king is coming to you; he is just and having salvation. Lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Fulfilled (John 12:1): The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him (…) Then Jesus, when he had found a young donkey, sat on it (…)
17. Prophesied (Micah 5:2): But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting.
Fulfilled (Matthew 2:1-6): Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship Him” (…)
[Incidentally, note that while Matthew and Luke say Jesus was born in Bethlehem in “fulfillment” of this “prophecy”, John (7:41-2) and Mark (1:9; 6:1) apparently assume that his birthplace was in Nazareth, at the opposite end of the country from Bethlehem].
18. Prophesied (Zechariah 11:12-13): Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain”. So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter” – that princely sum that they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter.
Fulfilled (Matthew 26:14-15): Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” and they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.
After this, the presenter tells us: “All of these prophecies came true precisely and incredibly”!!!.
Note what kind of “logic” or “reasoning” all this entails:
1. The idea of “prophecy” and “fulfillment” here is so half-witted that, in every case, some stray sentence in some book of the Hebrew Old Testament becomes a “prophecy”, and another stray sentence (with no relevance in meaning or sense to the earlier sentence or its specific and concrete context) in some book of the Christian New Testament becomes “proof” of the “fulfillment” of that “prophecy”. It is so childish that a sentence “and he shall drink water” or “he shall ascend the steps” (or even a present-tense or first-person reference to someone drinking water or ascending steps) in some Old Testament book becomes a “prophecy”, and a sentence “he drank water” or “he ascended the steps” in a book of the New Testament becomes a divine piece of “proof” of the “fulfillment” of this “prophecy” about Jesus (a person totally unknown to the Hebrew Old Testament, including to the composers of the verses cited)!
2. Further, both the Old Testament and the New Testament are parts of the same Christian collection in a book known as the Bible! If “prophecies” and reports of their “fulfillment”, both occurring in different parts of the same book, can be considered “proof” of the veracity and accuracy of the “prophecies”, then at this rate, every single religious, quasi-religious and fairy-tale book in every language and culture of the world will be a miracle book found full to the brim with “prophecies” and reports of their “fulfillment”!
3. Even further, while alleged “prophecies” and their described “fulfillment” in most texts of the world are merely parts of the narratives and stories that are sought to be told in those texts (or fairy tales), the “prophecies” in the Old Testament and their alleged “fulfillment” in the New Testament form part of a shadier deal. It must be remembered that the Old Testament (TaNaKha to the Jews) was the canonical book of the Jews who were perpetually expecting and awaiting the arrival of their Deliverer or “Messiah” who would come and deliver them from all their enemies. And the New Testament was the canonical book of the followers of a new religion, Christianity, which, in its earlier stages (including the stage of compilation of the canonical text of the New Testament) sought to have their (fictional or real) founder, Jesus, accepted by the Jews as the Deliverer or Messiah promised to them in their book the TaNaKha (the Christian Old Testament).
Hence, the entire process of composition of the books of the New Testament had this ulterior motive: to find “evidence” in the Old Testament for the claim that Jesus was indeed the “Messiah” being expected by the Jews by manufacturing “fulfillments” of Old Testament “prophecies” in New Testament verses. This can be seen expressly stated even in some of the small collection of New Testament verses quoted in the above instances where silly events are declared to have taken place only to “fulfill” some stray or pedestrian statements in some Old Testament verses: i.e. the above instances nos. 2, 4, 8, 10, 12.
In one well-known and much-discussed case, the desire to manufacture “fulfillments” in the life of Jesus of Old Testament “prophecies” led to the fabrication of one of the most fundamental dogmas of Christianity, the dogma of Virgin Mary: that Jesus was born of a “virgin” (i.e. that he was conceived without impregnation through any sexual act). Actually, of the four gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, only Matthew and Luke resort to this “virgin” story (apparently such a fundamental aspect about the birth of Jesus was totally unknown to, or not considered important by, Mark and John!) And, of the two, it is Matthew (Matthew 1:23: “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel”) who quotes the alleged citation from the Old Testament book of Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14).
The totally groundless nature of the “prophecy” was revealed by a direct examination of the specific Old Testament “prophecy” which was apparently “fulfilled” by the alleged “virgin birth” of Jesus:
1. The original Hebrew verse (Isaiah 7:14) by Isaiah had the word almah meaning simply “young woman”, and not betulah meaning “virgin”: when Isaiah wanted to describe a “virgin” elsewhere, he specifically used the words betulah (“virgin”) and betulim (“virginity”). But the translation of this Hebrew word into the Greek version of the Old Testament (called the Septuagint) wrongly used the word parthenos (Greek for “virgin”), and Matthew used this wrong Greek translation as the basis for his citation of a “prophecy” and fabrication of its “fulfillment”.
2. Further, the original verse was not referring to a future event involving the expected Messiah, but to an event of comtemporaneous importance to Isaiah (at a point of time, more than seven centuries before Jesus), the birth of a child to the wife of the Hebrew king Ahaz.
For a full perspective on this, see the following:
https://bam.sites.uiowa.edu/articles/septuagint-prophecy-virgin-birth
For a much more in-detail study of the fraudulent claims of Christianity, nothing can beat Michael Arnheim’s book “Is Christianity True?” published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd., London, 1984.
But wait a minute: are stories of “miracles” and “prophecies” restricted to Christianity? Obviously not! Every single religion and cult, and indeed very many more secular (not in the Indian sense of “anti-Hindu” but in the original sense of “non-religious”) institutions and fields of human activity (especially, but not exclusively, politics) abound in these phenomena involving “miracles” and “prophecies” and “unquestioning faith” and many more − and more serious − human foibles. In truth, religious people (or indeed any people) should be free to believe in their versions of “miracles” and “prophecies” and “unquestioning faith” if it makes then happy, so long as they are not a threat to anyone else.
What distinguishes the Christian version of “miracles” and “prophecies”, and makes it at least one part of a massive problem, is that it is part of a powerful cancerous system backed by multi-billion-dollar budgets and sinister political motivations and vested interests, And this cancerous system (along with other similar hate ideologies masquerading as religions or as social panaceas for all the ills of the world) should be exposed and understood for what it is.
