Eternal Davidic Dynasty
God promised an eternal Davidic dynasty. Where is it?
Challenge
The Torah prophesies that David's throne will last forever. Considering that the Davidic throne was dismantled, the Torah errs in its prophesy and is therefore not divine.
When your days are done and you lie with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own issue, and I will establish his kingship. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to Me. When he does wrong, I will chastise him with the rod of men and the affliction of mortals. But I will never withdraw My favor from him as I withdrew it from Saul, whom I removed to make room for you. Your house and your kingship shall ever be secure before you; your throne shall be established forever.
Your throne shall be established forever.
Resolutions
The eternal throne was conditional on good behavior
Resolution
Then GOD will fulfill the promise that was made concerning me: ‘If your descendants are scrupulous in their conduct, and walk before Me faithfully, with all their heart and soul, your line on the throne of Israel shall never end!’
From the above reference, it seems that the throne would only last as long as the Davidic line is scrupulous in their conduct.
Counter
The earlier verse specifies that when the Davidic line does wrong, they will be punished; but they will not be discontinued like Saul's dynasty. It specifies punishment (not cessation) in the case of wrongdoing, while reiterating that the throne shall be established forever. If anything, this appears to me to be a misquote of the earlier prophesy and a retcon to resolve the end of the Davidic dynasty.
The throne is eternal, but it's on pause
Resolution
The pasuk means to say that there will be times when the throne will be dismantled, but god will reestablish it in the future. Therefore, the throne is eternal.
Counter
I truly do not understand how that reading can be found from the text. If god wanted to promise that the dynasty may be dismantled, but in such a case it would one day be reestablished, wouldn't god have said:
If your house and your kingship shall ever fall, your throne shall be reestablished in the future.
But no, the pasuk clearly says Your house and your kingship shall ever be secure before you; your throne shall be established forever. No mention of cessation is given.
Conclusion
The Torah contains a failed prophesy. Therefore the Torah errs in its prophesy, and is not divine.
p.s
Originally when I was planning this blog I was basing it off the following pasuk:
For thus saith the LORD: There shall not be cut off unto David a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
One of the counter arguments I anticipated for the above pasuk was: Yes, as long as there is a throne in Israel, it will be Davidic. But nowadays, there is no throne, so the prophesy does not currently apply!
I don't think that this is a valid resolution for the II Sam. 7:12-16 pasukim, so I did not include my research of the history of monarchy in Israel. But rest assured, both the Chashmonayim and the Christian kings of Jerusalem sat on the throne in Jerusalem (and none of them were Davidic).
References
This blog is an amalgamation of ideas taken from the following sources:
- https://jbqnew.jewishbible.org/jbq-past-issues/2016/442-april-june-2016/eternal-davidic-covenant-ii-samuel-chapter-7-later-manifestations-bible/
- https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Biblical_prophecies#Davidic_line_will_endure_forever
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