Introduction
Biblical prophecies are often presented as evidence of divine inspiration. However, the Bible contains numerous predictions that did not materialize as stated. This page examines failed prophecies that are verifiable through historical evidence and are not subject to significant interpretative debate.
These examples focus on specific, concrete predictions with clear timeframes and outcomes that can be evaluated against the historical record. Prophecies that are vague, general, or subject to multiple interpretations are not included.
Failed City Destruction Prophecies
Tyre's Permanent Destruction
Ezekiel 26:7-14, 19-21 (prophecy given c. 587-586 BCE)
"For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of many soldiers... For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a city laid waste, like cities that are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you, and the great waters cover you... I will make you a bare rock... You shall never be rebuilt, for I am the Lord; I have spoken, declares the Lord God."
This prophecy makes several specific predictions: (1) Nebuchadnezzar would destroy Tyre, (2) Tyre would be made a "bare rock," (3) It would "never be rebuilt," and (4) It would be permanently underwater.
Historical Outcome:
Nebuchadnezzar besieged mainland Tyre for 13 years (586-573 BCE) but failed to capture the island city, as confirmed by Josephus citing Phoenician records. Alexander the Great later conquered it in 332 BCE. Rather than being permanently destroyed, Tyre was rebuilt and remains inhabited today with a population of 150,000+ people. The city was an important center throughout Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods. Archaeological excavations confirm continuous habitation across this period.
Damascus Ceasing to Be a City
Isaiah 17:1-2 (prophecy given c. 735 BCE)
"An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid."
This prophecy predicts Damascus would cease to exist as a city and become permanently uninhabited ruins.
Historical Outcome:
Damascus has never ceased to be a city. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with archaeological evidence of continuous habitation dating back over 11,000 years. Damascus remained an important urban center through the Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods up to the present day. It survived the Assyrian conquest in 732 BCE (shortly after Isaiah's prophecy) and maintained its status as a significant urban center. Today Damascus has a population of approximately 2.5 million people.
Egypt's 40-Year Desolation
Ezekiel 29:10-13 (prophecy given c. 587 BCE)
"Therefore, behold, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years. And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries. For thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered."
This prophecy predicts Egypt would become completely uninhabited for 40 years, with no humans or animals passing through it, followed by a restoration.
Historical Outcome:
There is no 40-year period in Egyptian history where the entire country was uninhabited. Egyptian historical records, archaeological evidence, and documentation from surrounding civilizations confirm continuous habitation throughout the relevant period (6th-5th centuries BCE). During this time, Egypt was ruled by various powers: (1) The 26th Dynasty until 525 BCE, (2) Persian rule under Cambyses II and subsequent kings, and (3) the brief restoration of native rule in the late 5th century BCE. Historical records document ongoing Egyptian domestic affairs, tax collection, and cultural activities throughout this period.
Failed Near-Term Prophecies
Nebuchadnezzar's Conquest of Egypt
Ezekiel 29:19-20, 30:10-12 (prophecy given c. 587 BCE)
"Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off its wealth and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army. I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord God... Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to the wealth of Egypt, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He and his people with him, the most ruthless of nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land, and they shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain."
This prophecy specifically predicts that Nebuchadnezzar would conquer and plunder Egypt.
Historical Outcome:
Nebuchadnezzar never conquered Egypt. Historical records from Babylonian, Egyptian, and Greek sources contain no account of such a conquest. Babylonian chronicles detail Nebuchadnezzar's campaigns but show no successful invasion of Egypt. Instead, Egypt remained independent under the 26th Dynasty (Saite Period) until it fell to the Persians under Cambyses II in 525 BCE, decades after Nebuchadnezzar's death in 562 BCE. Archaeological evidence confirms continuous Egyptian rule during this period without Babylonian occupation.
The End of the Babylonian Empire
Isaiah 13:17-20, 14:22-23 (prophecy applied to Babylon)
"Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them [Babylon]... And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pride of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there... 'I will rise up against them,' declares the Lord of hosts, 'and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,' declares the Lord. 'And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,' declares the Lord of hosts."
This prophecy predicts that Babylon would be completely destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah and would "never be inhabited" again.
Historical Outcome:
Babylon was not destroyed when conquered by the Medes and Persians in 539 BCE. Instead, it was absorbed peacefully into the Persian Empire and continued as a major city. Historical records show Babylon remained an important administrative center throughout the Persian period (539-331 BCE) and into the Hellenistic period after Alexander the Great's conquest. The city remained inhabited for over 1,000 years after the prophecy, flourishing especially under Alexander and the Seleucids. Archaeological excavations confirm continuous habitation until around the 3rd century CE, with gradual abandonment rather than sudden destruction.
The Imminent Fall of Babylon
Isaiah 13:6, 13:17-22 (prophecy applied to Babylon)
"Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty... Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them... Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished. Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold... And Babylon... will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them."
This prophecy predicted an imminent ("the day of the Lord is near") violent destruction of Babylon by the Medes, with atrocities against the population.
Historical Outcome:
The Book of Isaiah was written in the 8th-7th centuries BCE, but Babylon's conquest by the Medes and Persians in 539 BCE contradicted the prophecy's details. According to Herodotus, Xenophon, the Cyrus Cylinder, and the Babylonian Chronicles, the conquest was largely peaceful. The Persian king Cyrus diverted the Euphrates and entered the city with minimal resistance. There was no destruction of the city or massacres of the population. The Babylonians generally welcomed Cyrus as a liberator from Nabonidus. Babylon remained intact and prosperous, becoming an administrative center in the Persian Empire.
Failed Messianic Timeline Prophecies
Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy
Daniel 9:24-27 (text written c. 165 BCE, set in 6th century BCE)
"Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed."
This prophecy predicts a specific timeline: from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of an "anointed one" (messiah) would be 7 weeks plus 62 weeks = 69 weeks. Using the "day-year principle" (each day representing a year), this equals 483 years. The prophecy specifies this anointed one would be "cut off" (killed), followed by the destruction of Jerusalem.
Historical Outcome:
The most common starting point for this timeline is Artaxerxes' decree in 458 BCE or 445 BCE. Counting 483 years from either date places the fulfillment around 25-38 CE, roughly aligned with Jesus's lifetime. However, the prophecy also stated this period would establish "everlasting righteousness," "put an end to sin," and bring the other conditions listed in verse 24. These universal, definitive conditions were not fulfilled within the specified timeframe. Additionally, scholarly consensus dates the Book of Daniel to the Maccabean period (c. 165 BCE), making it a retrospective text rather than a 6th century BCE prediction.
Jesus's Prediction of His Return
Matthew 16:27-28 (spoken c. 30 CE)
"For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
Jesus explicitly states that some of his listeners would still be alive when he returned in glory with angels to judge people according to their deeds.
Historical Outcome:
All the disciples and everyone who heard Jesus speak these words died nearly 2,000 years ago, yet the predicted event did not occur within their lifetimes. Jesus did not return within the specified timeframe to judge humanity and establish his kingdom in the manner described.
The Imminent End in the Olivet Discourse
Matthew 24:29-34 (spoken c. 30 CE)
"Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other... Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."
Jesus predicts cosmic disturbances, his return on clouds, angels gathering the elect, and other end-time events would all occur within the lifetime of "this generation" (his contemporaries).
Historical Outcome:
The predicted cosmic events and worldwide visible return did not occur within the generation of Jesus's contemporaries (typically calculated as 40 years). While Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 CE, the other specific events (darkened sun and moon, falling stars, Jesus visibly returning on clouds, angels gathering the elect) did not occur as described. All members of Jesus's generation died by approximately 100-130 CE without witnessing these events.
Paul's Expectation of Christ's Imminent Return
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 (written c. 50 CE)
"According to the Lord's word, we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."
Paul clearly expects that he and many of the Thessalonian Christians he's writing to ("we who are still alive") would live to see Christ's return.
Historical Outcome:
Paul and all the Thessalonian Christians he addressed died in the first century CE without experiencing the described return of Christ. The global, physical resurrection of the dead and the gathering of living believers described in the prophecy did not occur within the implied timeframe.
Other Notable Failed Prophecies
Unfulfilled Restoration Prophecy
Ezekiel 37:21-25 (prophecy given c. 570 BCE)
"Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms... My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever."
Ezekiel prophesied that after return from exile: (1) Israel and Judah would be reunited as one kingdom, (2) A descendant of David would rule as king over the reunited kingdom, and (3) This Davidic kingdom would be established "forever."
Historical Outcome:
After the Babylonian exile, the returning Jews never reestablished an independent kingdom ruled by a Davidic king. Israel (northern kingdom) was not reunited with Judah. The returnees lived under Persian rule (539-332 BCE), then Hellenistic rule under the Ptolemies and Seleucids (332-166 BCE). The brief period of independence under the Hasmoneans (166-63 BCE) did not involve a Davidic ruler. From 63 BCE onward, Judea was under Roman control, eventually becoming a Roman province with no Jewish king except for the client king Herod, who was Idumean, not Davidic.
Egypt Never Again Ruling Over Nations
Ezekiel 29:14-15 (prophecy given c. 587 BCE)
"I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations."
This prophecy states that after the predicted 40-year desolation, Egypt would be restored but would forever remain "the lowliest of kingdoms" and would "never again rule over nations."
Historical Outcome:
Egypt did rule over other nations after this prophecy. The Ptolemaic Dynasty (305-30 BCE), founded by one of Alexander's generals, ruled an empire that included Cyrenaica, Cyprus, parts of Asia Minor, and the Levant, making Egypt one of the most powerful Hellenistic kingdoms. During the Fatimid Caliphate (969-1171 CE), Egypt was the center of an empire extending across North Africa, Sicily, and the Levant. The Ayyubid Dynasty (1171-1260 CE) controlled territory including Egypt, much of the Levant, and parts of Arabia. The Mamluk Sultanate (1250-1517 CE), based in Egypt, controlled territories extending into the Levant, Hejaz, and parts of Anatolia.
Conclusion
The Bible contains numerous specific prophecies that did not come to pass as described. These examples are not subject to interpretative debates since they involve clear predictions with definite timeframes and concrete outcomes that can be verified against the historical record.
These failed prophecies raise important questions about the nature of biblical prophecy and the traditional understanding of biblical inerrancy. When evaluating prophetic claims in any religious text, empirical verification remains an essential test of their validity.