How Should We Read Prophecies That Have More Than One Fulfillment?
Some Old Testament prophecies describe events that took place during the prophet's own lifetime. Others point forward to the coming of Christ. A few seem to do both.
How should we understand these passages?
The first step is to remember what we have learned throughout this course.
Every prophecy was first given to real people living in a real historical situation.
That original message should never be ignored.
For example, Isaiah told King Ahaz that a young woman would bear a son called Immanuel as a sign that Judah's immediate enemies would not succeed (Isaiah 7:14-16). That promise meant something to Ahaz and to the people living in Isaiah's day.
Yet Matthew tells us that the birth of Jesus from the virgin Mary also fulfilled those words in their fullest sense.
"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet..." (Matthew 1:22-23)
The New Testament does not erase the original setting.
It shows that God's promise reached its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
The same pattern appears elsewhere.
Hosea wrote,
"Out of Egypt I called My son." (Hosea 11:1)
In Hosea, the "son" is clearly the nation of Israel, recalling the Exodus.
Yet Matthew applies those words to Jesus when His family returned from Egypt (Matthew 2:15).
Why?
Because Jesus is presented as the true and faithful Son who succeeds where Israel failed.
These examples teach us an important principle.
Sometimes God designed events in Israel's history to foreshadow something greater that would later be fulfilled in Christ.
The New Testament identifies those patterns for us.
That does not mean we are free to invent additional fulfillments whenever we wish.
Whenever the New Testament identifies a greater fulfillment, we gladly accept God's inspired explanation.
When it does not, we should be cautious about claiming more than Scripture itself says.
Our goal is not to discover hidden fulfillments.
Our goal is to understand the fulfillments God has revealed.
That approach keeps us anchored in the biblical text.
It respects the prophet's original message.
And it allows the New Testament to guide our understanding of God's unfolding plan.
Continue Your Study
What have we learned about reading the prophets?
How do context, history, symbolism, and the New Testament work together to help us understand God's prophetic message?
Related Bible Studies
How Does the Bible Interpret Itself?
What Did the Author Intend?
The Story of Redemption
Understanding Revelation
Companion Video
How Should We Read Prophecies That Have More Than One Fulfillment?
Read First. Conclude Later.