Chapter 6


FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY

By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze


FULFILLMENT
         Every true prophecy has a fulfillment. The fulfillment takes place as foretold. Otherwise, it is not a prophecy. It could be that the prophecy has been so used to prevent its fulfillment. This is usually the case when bad prophecies are prevented. Hence, the fact that a prophecy did not fulfill does not necessarily mean that the prophecy is false. An illustration is found with King Hezekiah:

“In those days, Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amos went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says, put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” But when Hezekiah prayed, God lengthened his life span by 15 years.

         The fulfillment of the prophecy is mainly dependent on God. When God prophesies, He does not ask man to fulfill the revelation for Him, except as it may please the Lord. He Himself fulfills His words and prophecies. He watches His words to fulfill them. He was “... with Samuel and let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel. 3:19). King Solomon acknowledges that God promised and fulfilled the building of the temple.
         Your trying to fulfill a prophecy, when God has not directed you to do so, puts you into trouble. God promised Abraham a son. At a time, Sarah thought the promised son could only be fulfilled by marrying a second wife. She moved Abraham to marry Hagar, who begot Ishmael. Later, God fulfilled His promise, according to His words and plan. Hagar and Ishmael had to be sent away. (Gen. 1:12; 21:1-13)
         The fact that God has promised blessings and prosperity does not in anyway permit a person to be lazy or unrighteous.
         There is always a period of seeming contradiction which follows a prophecy. Examples are the lives of Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, David and Jesus. The scriptures and prophecies made it clear that these people were destined to be great kings. But events, first led them into various sufferings, humiliations, or slavery, before they became what God foretold. A person who is not watchful may speak against God during the period of elusion. Events of the period equally make clear how the enemy battle against the words and plans of God. All the same, God’s victory is a certainty.

TYPES OF FULFILLMENT
         There are different types of prophetic fulfillment. They include:
  1. Prompt Fulfillment
    2. This type of fulfillment takes place within seven days or soon after the prophecy. Seven days is used because seven is symbolic of God’s perfection. Therefore, seven days is regarded as “a unit time.” A clear example was the denial of Jesus by Peter. Jesus prophesied that Peter will deny Him before the cock crowed. Peter did so three times, on the same day (Luke.22:31-34, 54-62). Another example was the prophecy of bringing Lazarus back to life, which fulfilled soon after. Luke.11:11-44

  2. Remote Fulfillment
    3. This fulfillment takes a long time to manifest. Habakkuk describes it very well.

    Then the LORD answered me and said:
    "Write the vision
    And make it plain on tablets,
    That he may run who reads it.
    3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
    But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
    Though it tarries, wait for it;
    Because it will surely come,
    It will not tarry.
    Habakkuk 2:2-3

             A good example is the end time prophecies of Jesus Christ, which were made about two thousand years ago. They are now fulfilling in this our time.

  3. Delayed Fulfillment
    4. The fulfillment of a prophecy may be delayed due to one reason or another. Good prophecies, in form of blessings and fortune, may be delayed because of sin. “People cause my promises unto them not to fulfill. They do so through their sinful ways; thereby, making my words a lie,” said Jesus.
             On the other hand, a bad prophecy may be delayed because of righteousness or repentance. The Angels delayed the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, in order to save Lot and his family, Gen.19:12-25. The Lord prophesied immediate destruction of the Israelites in the wilderness when they refused to believe Him. But Moses pleaded; therefore, the destruction was delayed, Num. 14:1-36.

  4. Nullified Fulfillment
    5. A true prophecy will not fulfill if God changes His mind and cancels the prophecy. The case of Nineveh is a good instance. God repented of His intention because Nineveh sought His face and repented.

    1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"

    5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying,

    Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

    10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.     Jonah 3:1-10

  5. Reversed Fulfillment
    6. This is when blessings manifest instead of foretold curses, or when curses manifest in the place of predicted blessings. The case of Eli and his family is a clear illustration.

    30 Therefore the LORD God of Israel says:’ I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.' But now the LORD says:’ Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever.

    33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. 35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind.

    I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. 36 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, "Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread."'"     1 Samuel 2:30-36

  6. Transferred Fulfillment
    7. A prophecy about a man may be transferred to his son. God promised to make Abraham “the father of nations.” This prophecy was transferred to Isaac, then to Jacob, before the descendants of Abraham started multiplying. God’s promise to Abraham that all nations shall bless themselves through him (Abraham) became manifest in Jesus Christ; forth-two generations afterwards.
Patience Is Necessary
         The idea of being impatient of blessings and promises should be discouraged. It is our duty to believe a message from God and wait for its manifestation. This should not be to the extent that we set our hope on it, always expecting it to manifest; even to the extent that we are anxious or eager to have them fulfilled soonest. Then it becomes a burden to our soul. Jesus told his disciples that it is not for them to know the times which God has set for the last day. All the same, they should remain steadfast in righteousness.