Finklestein wrote:
Bible prophecy is fictional mythology, therefore it has no relevance to anything in these modern times toward humanity now, other than its historical reference.
You are SO RIGHT! Even from the Jewish viewpoint, this whole idea that the Scriptures foretell the future is Christian nonsense. Maybe the New Testament claims to do that, but Jewish Biblical "prophecy" isn't really about foretelling the future. It's about speaking up for justice sake in the name of God.
While Jews look forward toward the Messianic era or the World to Come, there are no specific foretellings beyond a general forecast of this hope. The Messianic ideal is for the most part post-Biblical (Old Testament, that is). Since most people today would never allow themselves to be ruled by a monarchy, it is likely that the Messiah-concept is a personification of a future period where humanity is able to achieve peace and prosperity, or at least the Jewish hope that such a time can happen.
But this notion of the Scriptures being used like a crystal ball or tarot cards in foretelling the march of world powers, etc., reducing Jewish Scripture to the realm of heathen and pagan magicians, witches, soothsayers and the like, I find disturbing and telling about some of the religions that promote this. The Jewish Prophets were not mediums but people who believed God was supporting their cries against injustice.
Leave it to Christians to reduce the Tanakh to the low depths of a grimoire.