Principle Of Double Fulfillment.pdf

The principle of double fulfillment in interpreting prophecy is a controversial topic, with some theologians, like Dwight Pentecost, Berkeley Mickelsen, and Charles Ryrie, supporting the idea that one prophetic passage can apply to more than one situation, while others, like Milton S. Terry, argue that this principle introduces uncertainty and undermines scientific interpretation. The law of double reference refers to the phenomenon where a prophecy has a partial fulfillment near the time of its utterance and a fuller fulfillment at a later time, often in the person of Christ or the affairs of His kingdom. Definitions from various theologians, including Horne, A. H. Strong, and Thomas Hartwell, highlight the complexity of this principle, which can take various forms, including multiple events described by a common profile and future events with gaps in their fulfillment. Key observations about double reference prophecy include: the first fulfillment is usually close in time to the prophetic utterance, the first fulfillment is usually only a partial fulfillment, the ultimate fulfillment is usually found in Christ or His kingdom, the first fulfillment is usually temporal, while the ultimate fulfillment may be spiritual or eternal, and part of the prophetic message may be fulfilled close at hand, becoming a type of what remains to be accomplished.