A common objection futurists pose after seeing compelling evidence of a first century Parousia comes from a vague assertion that there are multiple fulfillments of bible prophecy. As one futurist writes: "When studying endtimes I pay no attention to what has supposedly been fulfilled but consider prophecy to have the possibility to have a future fulfillment." In response to such a popular notion we have to ask, is this biblical?

Putting Futurist Theories to the Test

Futurists often assert that bible prophecy has no terminus for ultimate fulfillment of texts. When discussing bible prophecy with preterists their idea is expressed as follows: If the fall of Jerusalem and attendant catastrophes around the Roman Empire at the close of the Old Testament era are the fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse, then this must serve as a springboard for some greater fulfillment in our future. Futurists will point to other past fulfillments of prophecy such as the destruction of Babylon in the 6th century B.C. or the conquests of Antiochus Ephiphanes in the 2nd century B.C. and see these as foreshadowings of events that will simply repeat over and over in history. But is this a biblical view of the nature of bible prophecy? Does the bible tell us of the time at which all things written would be fulfilled? Can the writings of the prophets simply be reapplied to historic events over and over again?

Since bible prophecy covers a wide range of prophesied events, we have no lack of subjects for which to put multiple fulfillment theories to the test. We can fairly apply futurist logic to other important events of bible prophecy to illustrate just how inconsistent and absurd this "multiple fulfillments" hermeneutic can be.

The Crucifixion of Jesus: Foreshadow of a Global Atonement to Come?

Let's start with the crucifixion at AD 30. No person would argue against the fact that the Jewish apostles believed Jesus of Nazareth's shameful public hanging at the hands of Roman and Jewish authorities was the fulfillment of many Messianic texts in the Hebrew scriptures. Yet how absurd this interpretation must have appeared at the time. Jesus was one of literally thousands of alleged criminals and rebels that were put to death via Roman crucifixion. From the time Jesus was a mere child Jews could walk around Jerusalem and see hundreds of Roman crosses with corpses hanging in the sun, serving up carrion for birds of prey. Jesus, himself, was hanged next to two other seemingly insignificant outlaws against the Roman State. The unlawful crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth surely wasn't recognized by the whole world of that day; perhaps an insignificant number of spectators showed up for the event at all. The uneventful and stealth quality underlying this proposed "salvation of the world" has long been a major reason for objection by adherents of Rabbinical Judaism and by atheists. Nevertheless, Christians around the world and down the centuries have perceived in that execution of Roman jurisprudence a fulfillment of bible prophecy.

Having examined closely the unassuming details surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, we will now ask the really important question using the futurist multiple-fulfillment theory of bible prophecy: What current events around us in modern times look to be the greater fulfillment of the Calvary event we read about in our bibles? Surely there must be some greater, worldwide fulfillment that God intended for the whole planet, and not just the localized enactment of Roman capital punishment. Right? Borrowing the logic supplied by our futurist brothers, we can assert that Christ's crucifixion surely must serve as a small-scale model of something far greater Jehovah has intended for our day. Perhaps the truly spiritual man will discern a divine sacrificial mystery in the bombing of the World Trade Center where thousands of innocents died at the hands of evil men. Couldn't we look to the Holocaust or to Columbine as some greater fulfillment of the Passover concept? Perhaps abortion is the modern, worldwide evil that more completely fits the writings of the prophets and will result in a great future salvation to the whole human race once God's plan is fully revealed. One thing is for sure: something has to fit according to the rule of multiple fulfillments.

Shadows of Good Things to Come?

Obviously, we must not stop at the prophecies of suffering and atonement given us by the Old Testament prophets. Let's proceed to the virgin birth. Perhaps cloning is the greater fulfillment in our times of that mere shadow and model provided us by the Madonna and Child. Today's medical possibilities and worldwide scope of cloning arguably supply a better contour to the prophets with the grandeur we would expect of a true Messianic fulfillment. Maybe cloning is not the final fulfillment, but is leading us up to the greater, worldwide application of Isaiah 7:14. One thing we know if we apply futurist logic: something has to fit and we are that generation to discover it using the rule of multiple fulfillments.

What of Christ's ministry of miraculous cures? No doubt that modern medicine is the greater messiah of our times for which Matthew 8:14-17 could be viewed as a mere shadow. Modern medicine has brought cures for ailments and diseases on a mass scale never before realized by anyone, including Jesus. Surely Christ's miraculous healings were just a type for a far greater and global healing of the sick in our times. One thing is for certain: we know that something in our times has to fit according to the rule of multiple fulfillments.

Absurd? This is exactly the pattern of logic futurists demonstrate when they talk about multiple fulfillments of bible prophecy. I have fairly applied their misguided logic to important subjects of bible prophecy to illustrate just how inconsistent and absurd a multiple fulfillments concept really is when carried out to its logical and natural conclusion. What futurists have failed to recognize is that there is a biblical terminus given in scripture for any multiple fulfillments of or typological methods for the interpretation of bible prophecy.

In Part Two of this series we will look at the specific error that leads futurists into such interpretive chaos on matters of bible prophecy and demonstrate from scripture that Jesus Christ revealed the terminus for the fulfillment of all things written in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms concerning the Messiah.