Although we tend to shy away from prophecy, there is a general interest in it that begs for response. Although the theme is large, only one of the factors appears here so to help maintain logical human ground, but also to find truth meaning for prophetic Scripture. Our interest here is noted as double fulfillment. Without some form of double fulfillment in the prophet there is no convincing way to separate false prophecies from true ones. Well known biblical prophecies illustrate double fulfillment. Isaiah, Chapter 7, is taken to be one of the major Messianic projections of the birth of Jesus given hundreds of years before his birth. Isaiah refers to a virgin, a baby, and his name. The king living at the time is in difficult straits, but by the time Isaiah’s child is able to eat solid food the kingdom will be delivered. In the Eighth Chapter, Isaiah and his wife have a child, and before the child is able to speak clearly the kingdom recovers. The short term prophetic fulfillment, which living persons witnessed, gave the prophet credibility for the larger story. The long range is made dependent upon the proof of the short range for the prophet’s proof of integrity. Details related to the birth of Isaiah’s son, inform readers about the future – the birth of the Messiah. Persons reading Isaiah Seven should perceive meaning for Isaiah Eight.
The open secret to the prophecies of Daniel pertains to all legitimate prophets. What happens in short predictions will replicate in the long range predictions. Destruction coming up shortly and described in verifiable details suggests veracity for distant predictions. Current recovery predicted suggests recovery in the future. Even some secular historians may prophesy. For example, Gibbon writing in the 1700s gave several large reasons for: The Fall of the Roman Empire. Other nations finding the same causes in their nation and culture will also fail, even fall. His five reasons were: 1)- Breakdown of marriage and the family; 2)- Excesses in taxes for wrong purposes; 3)- Craze for pleasure; 4)- Armaments increased with decadence; and, 5)- Decay of religion as influence on the people. Writing in the middle of the twentieth century Toynbee repeated, in his own way, the problems for modern societies that were seen in the work of Gibbon. Checking emerging history we can determine secular prophetic quality of the prophet.
Secular prophets are often quite good at what they do. They are tied to evidence relating to cause and effect. Some combine psychic, historical and spiritual factors, as Nostradamus apparently did, but there are too many errors to give credence to some ideas spoken and/or written. Prophecies to which we give full credence come from God, and they may resist some human patterns, like chronological time. Persons like to find specifics. They may fail because desired specifics are not provided, but also the prophecy can be postponed, increased or decreased, even adjusted. This shows up when the cause of the prophecy changes. If it is prophesied that because of unsatisfactory conduct a certain result will occur, change in cause can shift or postpone consequences. Prayer may serve to accomplish change. Prayer and moral compliance for a nation may save a generation. Prayer changed the offer of God to drop Israel and make Moses a substitute nation. Prophecy indicates problems, strengthens faith and inspires prayer, as Daniel proved. (10:2) More than that with us, we play god. It is to be remembered that God’s preference favors a flourishing creation. It seems clear that in the free functioning of mankind that ideal can be violated, but God’s purposes will not be thwarted. With ideals from God that are found in morality unchanged, and with some astuteness to interpret directions that persons or societies are taking, we can presume to prognosticate something about future realities. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020