Let's take a look at biblical events that were fulfilled in history, but that also point prophetically to events that will be fulfilled in the very near future.
"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?" Amos 3:7,8 (KJV)
My King James Bible is an amazing book. It is not a science book, but revealed many scientific truths before science ever thought of them. It is not a history book, but contains the true history of how we got here. What is the Bible? The Bible is, from cover to cover, the revelation of God's Son Jesus Christ and the coming Kingdom that has been prepared for Him to receive. The Second Coming is by far the
greatest and most-discussed event in the entire book. Mixed in with historical accounts of actual events, God has placed prophecy that will have its fulfillment at a point that. as of this writing, is yet in the future.
All through the Bible, in book after book, there is a Day and an event that happens on that Day so important that it is referred to as “in that day”112 times. The prophet Zechariah mentions the phrase 20 times, and is one of the most descriptive and informative books in the Bible on the Second Coming.
Christians look at Jesus on the cross, and His rising from the dead 3 days later, as the greatest event because that is where we “get in”. But look at it from God’s perspective, it was the day His only begotten Son was executed between common criminals. Why would that be God’s favorite day? But at the Second Coming, God’s Son will receive the Kingdom He rightly deserves, and will reign from Jerusalem as the King over the whole world. That’s The Day that interests God the most.
So just for fun, let's take a look at biblical events that were fulfilled in history, but that also point prophetically to events that will be fulfilled in the very near future. This is something that the Lord showed me a little bit at a time, until after awhile, I could see them popping in dozens if not hundreds of places in scripture.
THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE:
We first see the phrase the 'time of Jacob's trouble in the book of Jeremiah. "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." Jeremiah 30:7 (KJV). Now the nation of Israel was absolutely in trouble, historically this refers to the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, which happened in the past. But God has woven prophecy here as well, verse 3 in the same chapter provides a huge clue. "For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it." Look at that, God prophesying that He will regather His people. God did regather them after Babylon, but then He also scattered them again at the hands of the Roman army in 70 AD. So that makes the promise to regather an open promise from that point on. History records that the Jews were regathered officially on May 14, 1948, back in their land of Israel. But the Bible says that the Jews will again be scattered in the time of Antichrist, and it will be then that the prophecy of the 'time of Jacob's trouble' will have its complete fulfillment.
I have alway found it interesting that Jesus in Matthew 24 tells us to go visit the prophet Daniel's writings for 'inside information' of the coming time of 'great tribulation'. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)" Matthew 24:15 (KJV). That brings you to this verse: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Daniel 9:27 (KJV). But when you go to the top of chapter 9, that's where you see that Daniel was reading Jeremiah when the Holy Spirit opened his eyes to future end times events. "In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." Daniel 9:2 (KJV). Following Daniel's path back to Jeremiah leads you here: "For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place."Jeremiah 29:10 (KJV). And there you have it, an unbroken chain from Jeremiah, to Daniel, to Jesus Christ who all discuss historical events that have tremendous prophetic future fulfillment.
THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE IN THE SONG OF SOLOMON:
In Jewish tradition, the Song of Solomon was a book that because of its graphic content, was not deemed suitable for a Jew under the age of 30 to read. Many scholars, both Jew and Gentile, will write endlessly on the 'sexual themes' contained in Solomon's writings. But God has placed within that framework some amazing
future prophecy of the Rapture of the Church.
“The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice. My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Song Of Solomon 2:8-10 (KJV). Compare that with Revelation chapter 4 to see an astonishing parallel.
“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Revelation 4:1 (KJV)
JOSEPH AS A TYPE OF JESUS CHRIST AT HIS FIRST COMING:
Joseph was one of the sons of Jacob, and we all know the story of how he was mistreated by his brothers and how God used him mightily in Egypt to save his family. As you can see, this example is already explaining itself. But historical Joseph dealing with the historical famine and living in historical Egypt is chock-full of Bible prophecy of events that were well in the future at the time of Genesis. You see, God used the life and trials of Joseph to prophecy about the earthly live, ministry and mistreatment that His Son Jesus would receive at His First Coming. Here are just a few examples:
Joseph & Jesus were first born sons, and they both were shepherds. The brothers of both men were crazy jealous of them and didn't believe their words. Joseph was sent by his father to his brothers, Jesus was sent by His Father to His brethren the Jews. Both were sent to Egypt, both were made servants, and both were falsely accused. In Egypt, all knees bowed to Joseph, at the Great White Throne Judgment all knees will bow to King Jesus. Both Joseph and Jesus were given a gentile bride. Joseph in Egypt endured 7 years of physical famine, the Jews in Jacob's trouble will endure 7 years of spiritual famine. Joseph was a saviour to his brothers, Jesus will be the Saviour to His brethren the Jews at the Second Coming. In short, nearly the entire adult life of Joseph prophetically prefigures the adult life and ministry of Jesus.
THE BATTLE FOR CONTROL OF GOD'S CITY, JERUSALEM:
All through the Old Testament, the city of Jerusalem is fought over. The prophet Zechariah has much to say about the battles for Jerusalem that waged in his day. But woven into those historical accounts are events that can only be realized in future prophetic fulfillments, like this verse here. "For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city." Zechariah 14:2 (KJV). Never in world history have all nations come to battle against Jerusalem. The wars mentioned historically in Zechariah were regional to the Middle East. But when you read the verse that comes before this one, Zechariah tells us exactly when this battle for Jerusalem will take place. "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee." Since the Day of the Lord is, obviously, yet still future, we know that Zechariah's prophecies are also for yet a future time and could not have been fulfilled at any point in the past. To further prove that point, try matching Zechariah 14 with Matthew 24, and you will see clearly it is future prophecy. In fact Zechariah 10-14 matches exactly with the events listed in Revelation 1, 19 and 20. Here's a tantalizing sample of what you will find when you go looking:
"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." Zechariah 12:10 (KJV)
"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." Revelation 1:7 (KJV)
As you can now see, hopefully clearly, God has indeed woven amazing yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy into the historical events surrounding Israel and other nations as recorded in the Bible. By believing what we read, in the context in which we read it, and then comparing scripture with scripture these prophecies come flying to the surface time after time. I can still remember my pleasant "shock and surprise" the day the Holy Spirit had me
compare Revelation 6 with Matthew 24, it blew me away! There they were, all 6 Seals present in Matthew 24, and I had never recognized that before. How many more like there are there? Dozens more, hundreds more, so many more we will never have the time to find them all but they're there.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
You don't need to be a scholar to mine the depths of the Bible, you just need to follow Paul's instructions to roll up your sleeves and study the Book like a workman. You need to be someone who believes the Bible, and not someone who spends all their time attempting to correct it.
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