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Prophecy And Fulfillment / Answer across Scripture
Fulfilled prophecy means God's earlier word reaches its intended outcome, sometimes through direct prediction and sometimes through pattern, promise, or typology.
Study theme
Prophecy And Fulfillment
Fulfilled prophecy in the Bible means God's word reaches the outcome God intended. Sometimes fulfillment involves a direct promise that later comes to pass. Sometimes it involves a pattern, office, event, or covenant hope that later Scripture sees brought to fullness. The safest way to read fulfilled prophecy is to start with the earlier passage in context, then follow how later Scripture receives it.
Luke 24 begins with Jesus teaching fulfillment from the Scriptures, while Matthew shows fulfillment through patterns in Israel's story. Fulfilled prophecy includes direct promise, repeated pattern, covenant hope, and the way Scripture reaches its goal in Christ.
Luke 24 anchors the broad idea of fulfillment after Jesus' resurrection. Matthew's fulfillment language gives one example of earlier Scripture being received in light of Jesus and the unfolding story of God's promises.
Key passages
36As they said these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace be to you."
37But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they saw a spirit.
38He said to them, "Why are you troubled? Why do questionings arise in your hearts?
39See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn`t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have."
40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41While they still didn`t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"
42They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
43He took it, and ate in front of them.
44He said to them, "This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me."
45Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the scriptures.
46He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48You are witnesses of these things.
49Behold, I send forth the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high."
13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."
14He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt,
15and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called my son."
Fulfillment can be defined too narrowly, as though the New Testament only notices isolated predictions. It can also be stretched too broadly, as though any resemblance proves a point. Context keeps both errors in check.