Contradiction with Ezekiel 33:14-16
Here, God shows that a prophecy can change if the people change their behavior, contradicting the idea that an unfulfilled prophecy indicates a false prophet.
Ezekiel 33:14-16: Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; [that...: Heb. judgment and justice]
Contradiction with Jonah 3:10
God relented from the disaster He said He would bring upon Nineveh because they repented, showing that not all prophecies that don't come to pass are false.
Jonah 3:10: And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.
Contradiction with 2 Kings 20:1-6
God extended King Hezekiah's life despite initially saying he would die soon, indicating that prophecies can change.
2 Kings 20:1-6: In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. [Set...: Heb. Give charge concerning thine house]
Contradiction with Genesis 22:2-12
God ordered Abraham to sacrifice Isaac but then rescinded the order, showing a prophecy or command can be conditional.
Genesis 22:2-12: And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
Paradox #1
One potential contradiction or conflict is with the idea of God's prophets making mistakes. Deuteronomy 18:22 suggests that if a prophet's prediction does not come true, the prophet is speaking presumptuously and not from God. This could conflict with the belief in the infallibility of God's chosen messengers, as other parts of the Bible show prophets making errors but still being considered true prophets.
Paradox #2
Deuteronomy 18:22 suggests that if a prophecy does not come true, then it was not spoken by God. A potential contradiction might arise when considering instances where the Bible records prophecies that were either delayed or fulfilled in a manner not immediately apparent. Some might question whether this standard applies universally or if exceptions exist.
Paradox #3
Deuteronomy 18:22 suggests that a prophet's message is true only if their predictions come to pass, implying that false prophets should not be trusted. However, this could conflict with instances where true prophets, like Jonah, delivered messages that seemed not to come to pass due to repentance or divine mercy, leading to confusion about evaluating prophecy truthfulness strictly by outcomes.
Paradox #4
The conflict in this verse may arise from the challenge of determining true prophethood or prophecy. If someone claims to speak for God but what they say doesn’t come true, it raises questions about the reliability of interpreting divine messages and the difficulty of distinguishing false prophets from true ones.