Why Most Prophecy Is for Our Time

When you discuss end-time prophecies with your pastor, don’t be surprised if he tells you, “Brother, I’m afraid you are confused. Those prophecies aren’t talking about events in our time. Those prophecies were already fulfilled long ago.”

Seminaries usually teach that most prophecies are about a single event—that if a prophecy has already been fulfilled, then it is done.

Take, for example, the prophecy in Daniel 4. Most preachers will tell you that the prophecy has only one fulfillment—that it only foretold the seven years that Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind. They may say that once a prophecy has already been fulfilled, it would be dangerous to look for another fulfillment.

Who should you believe?

You certainly shouldn’t believe me! After all, I’m just some guy you have never met.

But really, you shouldn’t believe what anyone says about the Bible.

Believe the Bible.

What does the Bible say about prophecy? Do prophecies have one fulfillment, or more than one fulfillment?

Most prophecy is dual

One important key to unlocking Bible prophecy is to understand that most prophecy actually has two fulfillments. Most prophecies actually foretell two separate events that will occur at different times.

The first event usually happens within a few hundred years after the prophet spoke. This first fulfillment serves as a type or model for the second, ultimate fulfillment.

The second event usually will happen during “the Last Days.” This ultimate fulfillment is generally a larger, more complete fulfillment of the original prophecy.

Most Bible scholars recognize that prophecies can have two fulfillments. In fact, many of the prophecies about Jesus Christ were dual prophecies.

For example, in Matthew 2:15, we read that when Jesus’s parents took Him to Egypt, it fulfilled the prophecy in Hosea 11:1, which says, “out of Egypt I called My son.”

But have you ever read Hosea 11:1 in your Bible? Who is this prophecy talking about? It is a prophecy about the people of Israel! But the Bible itself says that this prophecy was also about Christ. So obviously at least some prophecies have two fulfillments.

So why do most scholars say that most prophecies only have one fulfillment?

Because they don’t know how to recognize the second fulfillment.

Most Bible scholars are missing certain keys that unlock real meaning of these ancient prophecies. For example, most scholars believe that “Israel” means “the Jews”—so the prophecies about Israel don’t make sense to them.

Once you have the keys that unlock prophecy, you will be able to recognize the second fulfillment—the ultimate fulfillment—of each prophecy.

The first fulfillment remains. It serves as proof of God’s ability to foretell the future. It also provides detail and clarity about the final, ultimate fulfillment that is for our time.

More proof that prophecy has two fulfillments

Let’s look at another example to prove that many Bible prophecies predict two separate, but similar events. Turn over to Malachi 4:5-6 in your Bible. I’ll quote the passage here also, but you’ll get the most out of these lessons if you read every scripture in your own Bible.

There are two reasons you should look up every scripture in your own Bible:

1. You shouldn’t believe any claim anyone makes about the Bible unless you can find clear proof in your own Bible
2. Turning to each scripture will help you learn where to find key prophecies your Bible. Later, when you see these prophecies being fulfilled, or you want to explain them to someone else, you’ll know where to find them in your Bible.

Ok. So here is the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6:

“Look! I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and fearful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so I won’t come and strike the earth with a curse.”

At first glance, it appears that this prophecy is about one event. It appears to say that God will bring Elijah back to life at the end of the age to improve family relationships. However, like many prophecies, this prophecy uses a type. Elijah is type or model of an end-time prophet who will appear before the Day of the Lord.

How do we know? Because this prophecy was already fulfilled once.

Turn over to Matthew 17:11-13:

Now Jesus answered and said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah already came, and they didn’t recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the Son of Man is also about to suffer by them.” Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist.

Jesus explained that the prophecy in Malachi was fulfilled by John the Baptist. But Jesus also indicated that there will be another fulfillment—the main fulfillment—in the future.

Because you have the first fulfillment of this prophecy as a model, you can have a better understanding the future “Elijah” who will come. For one, you can see that this future prophet won’t literally be Elijah, but will be someone like Elijah. You can also look at the work that John the Baptist did to gain a better understanding of the role that the future Elijah will play at the end time. John the Baptist turned the hearts of people back to God, their Father in heaven. Likewise, the end-time Elijah will help many people repent and turn to God.

Do you see God’s purpose for providing two fulfillments for most prophecies? The first fulfillment serves as a model for us to gain a better understanding of the ultimate fulfillment in the Last Days.

Every prophet spoke about the Last Days

How can you be sure that most prophecies have a fulfillment in the Last Days?

Did you know that the Bible says that every single prophet of God prophesied about events that would happen at the end of the age? Notice that Acts 3:21 says Jesus Christ would stay in heaven, “until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke about by the mouth of all His holy prophets from a distant age.”

From the beginning of the world, all of God’s prophets have been speaking about “the times of restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21). These “times of restoration” include the time immediately “before the coming of the great and fearful day of the LORD” (Malachi 4:5) when “Elijah…will restore all things” (Matthew 17:11).

Nearly one-third of the Bible is prophecy. And Bible prophecy is primarily about end-time events. Yes, many prophecies have already been fulfilled. But in most cases, the first fulfillments of these prophecies were merely models for a greater fulfillment in our time.

Don’t believe me. Look up the scriptures in this lesson and prove these things to yourself. You will be glad you did.