SpringCity BFC 21 April 1991

Dr.Robert C. Newman

BiblicalTheological Seminary

 

                                                      FULFILLEDPROPHECY:

                                                 NOSTRADAMUS& THE BIBLE

 

 

Introduction

 

            Greathuman interest in future

            Numerousclaims to be able to predict

            Wantto examine two of the strongest claims here, Bible & Nostradamus

            Nostradamus(1503-66) French astrologer of Jewish descent, trained in philosophy andmedicine; began to make prophecies about 1547, publ as Centuries 1555, 1558

 

The Data: Comparing Nostradamus withthe Bible

 

 

1.  Nostradamus: The Fire of London (Centuries 2.51)

 

            Prediction:

                        Theblood of the just will make complaint to London,

                        Burntby fireballs in twenty-three the sixes;

                        Theantique dame will fall from the high place,

                        Ofthe same sect many will be destroyed.

            Fulfillment:

                        London'sbiggest fire occurred in 1666 (the sixes), burning from Sept 2 thru 5         (9+2+3+4+5=23);fireballs?;

                        antiquedame: St. Paul's traditional site of temple to Diana;

                        samesect: many other Anglican churches destroyed

 

2.  Bible: Israels Future (Hosea 3:4-5)

 

            Prediction:

                        Forthe sons of Israel will remain for many days with­out king or prince,without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols.  Afterward the sons of Israel willreturn and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will cometrembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.

            Fulfillment:

                        Sixthings Israel will lack for "many days": king, prince (neitherrevealed govt. nor their own); sacri­fice, pillar, ephod, teraphim (neitherSinai religion nor idolatry); all true from about AD 70 to 1948; all but onestill apply today.

 


3.  Nostradamus: Napoleon? (8.1)

 

            Prediction:

                        Pau.Nay.Loronwill be more fire than blood,

                        Toswim in praise, the great one to flee on the confluence of waters,

                        Hewill refuse the Agassas entry,

                        Greatbridge Durance he will hold them imprisoned.

            Fulfillment:

                        Pau.Nay.Loronis an anagram for Roy Na.Pau.Lon;

                        morefire than blood (more soldier than nobleman);

                        fleeon waters (flight from Elba);

                        agassas=magpie=pie=Pius(Napoleon imprisoned Popes Pius 6 & 7)

                        Durance(imprisoned them in SE France where R Durance flows)

 

4.  Bible: Time of Messiah (Daniel 9:25-26)

 

            Prediction:

                        Knowand discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalemuntil Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it willbe built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.  Then after the sixty-two weeks theMessiah will be cur off and have nothing...

            Fulfillment:

                        Startingpt: 20th yr Artaxerexes (445 BC), Neh 2:1-6

                        Unitof measurement is sabbatical cycle

                        Methodof counting inclusive

                        69this AD 28-35, spanning ministry of Jesus

 

5.  Nostradamus: Hitler? (5.29)

 

            Prediction:

                        Libertywill not be recovered,

                        Abold, black, base-born, iniquitous man will occupy it;

                        Whenthe material of the bridge is completed,

                        Therepublic of Venice will be annoyed by Hister.

            Fulfillment:

                        Hister= old name for Danube (anagram for Hitler?)

                        Bridge= pontoon bridge over Danube, Feb 1941?

                        Republicof Venice = Italy?

 

6.  Bible: Messiahs Burial & Resurrection (Isaiah 53:9)

 

            Prediction:incl vv 8-10 and context

                        Hisgrave was assigned with wicked men, yet he was with a rich man in his death,because he had done no vio­lence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth.

            Fulfillment:

                        Wholecontext an impressive picture of Servant-Messiah, put to death by oppression& judgement, death a substi­tution, burial with rich man instead ofwicked as planned; brought back to life after becoming guilt offer­ing.

 

7.  Nostradamus: Depopulation of World (Preface)

 

            Prediction:dated 1 March 1555

                        Fromthe time I am writing this, before 177 years, 3 months and 11 days, bypestilence, long famine, and wars, and more still by inundatations, the worldbe­tween this day and that, before and after, shall be diminished, and itspopulation so reduced that there will hardly be hands enough to attend toagriculture, and the lands will be left as long without culture as they havebeen under tillage.

            Fulfillment:

                        Deadlineis approx 12 June 1732

                        Drasticconditions quite specific and long-lasting

                        Nothingof the sort occurred

 

8.  Bible: Regathering of Israel (Isaiah 11:11)

 

            Prediction:

                        Thenit will happen on that day that the LORD will again recover the second timewith His hand the remnant of His people who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt,Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

            Fulfillment:

                        2ndregathering presumably counts return from Bab captivity as 1st regathering

                        Names7 specific areas & 1 general area:

                                    Assyria=> Iraq & Syria

                                    Pathros=> Egypt

                                    Cush=> Sudan

                                    Elam=> Iran

                                    Shinar=> Iraq

                                    Hamath=> Syria

                                    Islands/coastlandsof sea: Europe & No. Africa

                        Theseare just the areas which have experienced large chang­es in Jewishpopulation since 1940s.

 

Whatcan we conclude from this tour of four prophecies each by Nostradamus and theBible?

 


Conclusions

 

1. Both the Bible and Nostradamus appearto give impressive examples of successful prediction, as shown above.

 

2. Both predict events that have not yethappened (not discussed here), Nostradamus through the year AD 3797 and Biblethrough last judgment.

 

3. Nostradamus has clearly missed inprediction, obscure as he usually is; the Bible has not, though it is muchclearer.

 

4. The biblical predictions arerelatively straightforward; those of Nostradamus are almost invariablyriddles.  It is therefore difficultto guess what fulfillment will look like in advance for Nostradamus' predictions,but relatively easy for those of the Bible.

 

5. The biblical predictions are intendedto validate the Bible's message which, while unpopular, is most important andvaluable for every individual.  Itis not clear what purpose N's predic­tions serve, perhaps to encouragepeople to get into the occult, to ignore the distinctive message of the Bible?

 

 

Bibliography for Nostradamus Talk

 

Prophecies ofNostradamus:

 

Leoni, Edgar.  Nostradamus and His Prophecies. New York:  Exposition Press,1961.  Reprint, New York:  Bell Publishing Co., 1982.  Complete text of his prophecies inProvenal French and English translation, with biography, other Nostradamuspapers, bibliography and index. Leoni does not believe in supernatural prophecy.

Murray, Richard D.  The Key to Nostradamus. Cleveland, OH:  ScarcapPublishing Co., 1975.

Reed, Clarence.  Prophecies about the War in Europe. Philadelphia:  W. FoulshamCo., 1941.  A number of prophetsare discussed, including chapter 6, The Man Who is Never Wrong (The Propheciesof Michael Nostradamus).

Robb, Stewart.  Nostradamus on Napoleon.  NewYork:  Oracle Press, 1961.

Robb, Stewart.  Prophecies on World Events by Nostradamus. n.p.: Liveright Publishing Corp., 1961.  Reprint, New York: Ace Books, 1972.  Robb is a major (fairly scholarly)proponent of the prophetic abilities of Nostardamus.

 

BiblicalProphecies:

 

Barfield, Kenny.  The Prophet Motive: Examining theReliability of the Biblical Prophets.  Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate,1995.  The most recent andwide-ranging presentation of biblical prophecy of evidence for the truth ofChristianity.


Beegle, Dewey M.  Prophecy and Prediction. Ann Arbor, MI: Pryor Pettengill, 1978.  A major attack on fulfilled prophecy as evidence forChristianity.  Author deniessupernatural fulfillment.

Groningen, Gerard Van.  Messianic Revelation in the OldTestament.  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House,1990.  A massive study of themessianic predictions in the OT.

Keith, Alexander.  Evidence for the Truth of theChristian Religion Derived from the Literal Fulfillment of Prophecy. 26th ed. Edinburgh: William Whyte, 1848.

Kellogg, Samuel H.  The Jews, or Prediction andFulfilment, an Argument for the Times.  New ed.  New York: Anson Randolph, 1887.

Montgomery, John Warwick, ed.  Evidence for Faith: Deciding the GodQuestion.  Dallas, TX: Probe/Word, 1991.  A general book on Christian evidenceswith several chapters on fulfilled prophecy.

Newman, Robert C., ed.  The Evidence of Prophecy: FulfilledPredictions as a Testimony to the Truth of Christianity. Hatfield, PA: Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute, 1994.

Newton, Thomas.  Dissertations on the Prophecies. Rev. by W. S. Dobson. London: J. F. Dove, 1853.

Payne, J. Barton.  Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy. New York: Harper and Row, 1973. Attempts to discuss all biblical prophecies, and to date theirfulfillment (in the past or by eschatological periods for the future).