Prophetic Interpretation Page 6: Double Fulfillment and Prophecy

With this in mind let us delve deeper.  Remember our lessons about Double Fulfillment found in 11.1E.  Sometimes there are prophecies that have a short-range fulfillment but then they are also fulfilled later.  For example, Solomon built the Temple of God in Jerusalem, but this was only a short-range fulfillment of the prophecy in 2 Samuel 7.  The ultimate fulfillment of this scripture was that Jesus, the Son of David, would build His temple in us!  He would build up a temple that would endure forever.  Solomon fulfilled it in terms of the physical building in Jerusalem, but Jesus fulfilled it in terms of the spiritual building in our hearts.  Solomon’s building was a partial fulfillment.  Jesus’ building was a complete fulfillment.

So it is that many of the prophecies in the scriptures are fulfilled in part at one point in history but ar later fulfilled again in a more complete manner.  For instance, some believe that the book of Revelation prophecies are already fulfilled.  They believe that “The first half of Revelation teaches that Israel was defeated in A.D. 70, while the last half of Revalation is about God’s conquest of Rome in the fourth century when Constantine declared the Roman Empire Christian” (http://www.ldolphin.org/preterism-ice.html).

There may be some parallels between historical events that took place during the time of Rome and events in Revelation and other prophetic accounts.  However, this fulfillment would only be a short-term fulfillment of prophecy at best.  It would only be a partial fulfillment, like a foreshadowing of events to come.  How do we know that these historical events are not the ultimate fulfillment?  The short-range fulfillments do not satisfy all of the prophecy.

Let’s go back to the Solomon example.  In 2 Samuel 7:12-14 it states, “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.  I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.  If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.”

The short-range fulfillment was that Solomon built the physical Temple of God.  He did so after David had died.  He was David’s “seed”, his son.  God established his kingdom.  Solomon built the temple for God’s name.  However, God did not establish Solomon’s kingdom forever at that time.  Solomon did not always do things the way God wanted him to.  He was not truly like a son to God nor was God truly like a father to Solomon.  When Solomon sinned against God, God did not punish him with the rod of men.  In fact, Solomon escaped God’s punishment, if you think about it.  He was never beaten.  He did not war against anyone.  The kingdom was not divided during his time.  He did not fulfill this scripture completely.

Only Jesus, our beloved Lord, fulfilled completely this prophecy.  He came after David had died.  He was David’s “seed”, his descendant.  God established his kingdom, for all who accept His sacrifice are His kingdom.  God established it through Christ’s death and resurrection.  Christ built the temple for God’s name within us.  God established Christ’s kingdom forever.  Christ did everything the way God wanted Him to.  God said that Jesus was his “beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).  Jesus called God His Father.  And, on top of it all, Jesus committed no sin, but instead took the sins of all mankind upon Himself.  Because He took upon the sins of the world, Jesus took upon Himself all iniquity and God chastened Him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men, which was His crucifixion.