Fundamentalists say the fulfillment of prophecy proves the divine inspiration of the Bible. Supposedly, the prophets predicted Jesus Christ's birth, ministry, death, and resurrection centuries before he existed.

They also supposedly predicted the rise and fall of nations such as Tyre, Egypt, Edom, and Babylon. And they claim to have described the threat of Russia, the founding of Israel in 1948, and the political unification of Europe.

Upon closer examination, the claims do not hold up. The so-called messianic prophecies are taken out of context and have nothing to do with Jesus. This...