DOUBLE APPLICATION OF PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES EXAMPLES

Hosea 11:1 God here speaks of Israel as the son he called out of Egypt. Matt 2:15 relates this same passage to Jesus being called out of Egypt. Many Old Testament passages had double meaning and double application. There is a symbolic parallel in the history of Israel and events in the life of Jesus. This is apparent in all of the Old Testament models of the gospel of Jesus. It is prophesied in Gen 32:22-32. Here the Angel of the Lord, who is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus, comes to earth and wrestles all night with Jacob. The wrestling match is symbolic of the future history of Israel in which they would struggle with man and with God throughout the whole night time of their existence and yet overcame in the end. Jesus here changed Jacob’s name to Israel to symbolize this fact. It was only a symbolic change because Jacob continued to be called Jacob. In other cases where God changed a man’s name the change stuck with him for the rest of his life.
There are hundreds of models in the Old Testament of Israel’s history being a model of the coming Messiah. One possible reason for this is that it facilitated the “:blinding” of the Jews. They can easily read their Bible and see it representing them nationally or historically in the lives of individuals, and overlook the historic fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth.
Ex 4:22 Here God speaks of Israel as his first born son. Jesus was literally his “first born son.”
Isa 41:8-10 refers to Israel as a person, a servant. In Isa 42:1-7 the servant is spoken of as the Messiah.
Isa 52 and 53 clearly are prophetic of key events in the life of Jesus. Jews interpret these passages nationally.
Ps 16:8-11 is clearly prophetic of Jesus as preached by Peter in Acts 2:25-28 and 13:35. Yet David may also have believed that it applied to him during his lifetime. The same can also be said of Ps 110:1 as recorded in Acts 2:34-35, again by Peter.
Other examples of the double application of prophecy include Jer 31:15 and Matt 2:16-18, and Ps 91:11-12 and Matt 4:4-6.
Isa 61:1-3 is a prophecy of Jesus first and second comings, given sequentially. Verse 1 through the middle of verse 2 applies to Jesus first coming, and the middle of verse 2 through the middle of verse 3 applies to Jesus second coming. Jesus said as much when he first preached in the synagogue in Nazareth as recorded in Luke 4:16-21.<>·There is a prophecy in Mal 3:1 and 4:5-6 which has double fulfillment. This is apparent from Matt 11:14, 17:10-13, Mk 9:11-13, Lk 1:17. This double fulfillment involves the coming of John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus and the yet future reappearance of Elijah in the Tribulation period. It can be said that Elijah has already returned but is yet to return.