Learning the Bible is Like Life

When a person lacks understanding, they will misunderstand. The same applies to the prophecies and promises God made about the future—when people do not understand how they are fulfilled, they will misunderstand God, misinterpret the Bible, misjudge history, and ultimately lose faith because events do not unfold as they expect.

The prophecies of the Old Testament (OT) were fulfilled within the OT, while the prophecies of the New Testament (NT) were all fulfilled after Jesus came. Regardless of how the prophecies were given, they were all fulfilled—even if their fulfillment did not match the literal wording of the prophecy.

One must interpret prophecy based on how it was fulfilled in reality during the new time period. The true meaning of a prophecy is revealed by its actual fulfillment—the result. The present result explains the cause and answers the questions of the past.

Prophecies in the past were expressed in the language and style of their respective time periods. For example, the Old Testament prophesied, “Someone like Moses will come.” In reality, in the New Testament, Jesus confirmed that He was the one Moses had spoken of (Deuteronomy 18:15; John 5:46).

Interpret Prophecy by Looking at the Result

The prophet Isaiah prophesied in the OT that God Himself would come with fire and a sword (Isaiah 66:16). However, in the NT, God came in spirit, sent Jesus, and worked through Him—Jesus preached the Word, which is like fire, and took action with the sword of the Spirit (Jeremiah 23:29; Ephesians 6:17).

Another example is the prophecy in Malachi that Elijah would return (Malachi 4:5-6). However, Elijah did not physically return and preach again. Instead, the prophecy was fulfilled through John the Baptist, who came with the same heart and mission as Elijah. This was confirmed by an angel speaking to his father, the priest Zechariah (Luke 1:13; Luke 1:17).

Regardless of how a prophecy was given, it must be judged based on how it was fulfilled. The result reveals the cause, no matter how it was originally stated.

Don’t Miss the Opportunity

In the parable of the ten virgins, the five foolish virgins represent those from the old time period who failed to prepare their oil. Oil represents love—those who failed to love and accept the one sent by God are like the foolish virgins. In contrast, those who love and accept the one sent are the ones who enter the wedding banquet.

Some people disbelieve at first but later realize the truth—only after the opportunity has passed. You must live considering the truth as life itself. Only then will you remain steadfast.

Now is the time period of God’s truth. The truth is God and the one sent by Him. God’s history continues to advance, fulfilling His purpose, even through tribulations and persecutions.

All Prophecies Fulfilled

All prophecies from the previous time period in the Bible are fulfilled when the Lord of the new time period, sent by God, comes (Matthew 11:12-13). This same principle applies today—prophecies are fulfilled in ways that align with the current time period.

There are two types of prophecies:

1. Prophecies fulfilled within the same time period
2. Prophecies fulfilled in a later time period

For prophecies fulfilled in a later time period, since history progresses, they are often fulfilled in ways completely different from how they were originally described.

Some prophecies were spoken in parables by the prophets. For example, the Bible states that in the last days, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light” (Matthew 24:29). At Jesus’ time, the leaders of the OT lost their light—this was the fulfillment.

• The sun represents the highest leader.
• The moon represents internal leaders.
• The stars represent followers.

The Bible uses the sun, moon, and stars as metaphors for people according to their roles (Genesis 26:4).

Another example is that God said He would come. In reality, His spirit came and worked through Jesus’ body to fulfill the prophecy.

Understanding How Prophecies Are Fulfilled

Some prophecies were given in the form of legends. When the time comes, you must judge and follow according to how they are actually fulfilled.

Besides this, God sent prophets throughout history to proclaim what He was doing. Each time period preached about the current works of God, and when the old time period passed, those prophecies were fulfilled through actual events. God has fulfilled everything.

Some prophecies were spoken vaguely or only partially. Therefore, one must look at the person who actually fulfills them to understand their meaning.

We must follow history based on the facts of what has been fulfilled in this time period. You can only reach the right conclusions by examining the reality of prophecy’s fulfillment.

Overcoming Misconceptions About Prophecy

Even if the Word of the time period is given to people, they may still fail to accept it due to arrogance, preconceived ideas, personal interpretations, or ignorance.

Even when God’s time has arrived and the prophecy has been fulfilled, people still wait, believing it has not yet been completed—because it was not fulfilled in the way they expected.

This has always been the case throughout history.

Recognizing Those Who Fulfill God’s Will

In every time period, only those who fulfill the long-awaited Will of God understand and live in joy. The rest slander those who act on the Will of God and grow old, waiting in vain until they pass away. History proves this again and again.