A gracEmail reader notes: "Someone said that the Old Testament prophets did not intend to predict future events, but that New Testament writers simply read later events back into those earlier Scriptures. Didn't Jesus actually fulfill many specific prophecies of the coming Messiah?"

*          *          *

The ancient Hebrew prophets were often moved by the Spirit of God to write about the future Messiah, speaking far beyond their own knowledge or understanding as they did so (1 Pet. 1:10-12; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).   Many of those prophecies had multiple meanings -- they served a specific purpose in their original setting, but also faithfully described messianic events in the distant future. Many Old Testament texts which New Testament writers see "fulfilled" in Jesus were suitable in some way to the circumstances of those who first pronounced them -- although God had a greater meaning in mind which would become apparent only in retrospect after Jesus' life, death and resurrection and the descent of the Spirit on Pentecost (see John 2:21-22; Eph. 3:4-5).

This does not deny that there is some "predictive" prophecy in the Old Testament which Jesus specifically fulfilled, for certainly there is. It does say, however (as Jesus himself affirmed and taught his disciples to think)  that all things written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms were "fulfilled" in connection with his first coming or will be fulfilled in connection with his second coming. That includes all the promises to Adam and Eve, to Noah and Abraham and the patriarchs, all the paraphernalia and purposes of the Levitical sacrificial system with its priests and Tabernacle, all pronouncement in history and in psalm concerning the Davidic dynasty, and every grand theme of the writing prophets both major and minor.

Indeed, all the ideals, dreams, aspirations and goals -- as well as the holiest thoughts, motives, words and actions -- of godly Israel and of every godly individual who lived before Jesus in any nation of the world -- were "fulfilled" in him. He brought together in one person and one life all that is best and right about human life as it ought to be lived in full harmony with God.

The key to understanding biblical prophecy is the apostolic testimony about Jesus Christ (Rev.19:10). The Bible's last book is not "Revelations." It is rather "The revelation of JESUS CHRIST" himself. Its intended meaning -- as also that of the rest of Scripture -- is revealed by the Holy Spirit to those who read it with their eyes fixed firmly on Jesus.

For more end-time topics, click here.