Dual fulfillment in the Bible

Prophecy about Immanuel was fulfilled in the Old Testament and New Testament

Old Testament refers to a sign of a virgin (or young woman) conceiving a son Immanuel ("God with us") who while young will see two dreaded kings laid waste

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”"

(Isaiah 7:14-17)

Later, Isaiah mentions his son being conceived who sees the wealth of two kingdoms carried off

"The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.” So I called in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me. Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. For before the boy knows how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”"

(Isaiah 8:1-4)

Isaiah later mentions his children being signs of Israel

"Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion."

(Isaiah 8:18)

Isaiah spoke of the land being Immanuel's

"Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, Immanuel"

(Isaiah 8:8)

Joseph is told that the virgin birth by Mary is a sign of Isaiah's prophecy about Immanuel

"But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

(Matthew 1:20-23)

Notes

• Taken together, these words appear to indicate fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah both within Isaiah and by Christ. It should therefore not be surprising that Bahá'u'lláh might claim to fulfill texts (e.g., on the "Comforter") which could have been fulfilled previously by the Báb, Muhammad, or Christ.

Prophecy about God's son coming out of Egypt was fulfilled in the Old Testament and New Testament

God called His son out of Egypt

"When Israel was a child, I loved him,

"and out of Egypt I called my son."

(Hosea 11:1)

Moses sent to bring Israelites out of Egypt

"So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

(Exodus 3:10)

Matthew indicates Joseph taking Jesus into then out of Egypt fulfilled the prophecy of Hosea

"When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

"So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

(Matthew 2:13-15)

Notes

• Taken together, these words appear to indicate fulfillment of the prophecy of Hosea both by Moses and the Israelites and by Christ. It should therefore not be surprising that Bahá'u'lláh might claim to fulfill texts (e.g., on the "Comforter") which could have been fulfilled previously by the Báb, Muhammad, or Christ.

Prophecy about a voice being heard in Ramah was fulfilled in the Old Testament and New Testament

Voice to be heard in Ramah with great weeping

"This is what the Lord says:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

mourning and great weeping,

Rachel weeping for her children

and refusing to be comforted,

because they are no more.”

(Jeremiah 31:15)

Rachel was unconsoled for her descendants in Ramah as a result of the exile to Babylon

"By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept

when we remembered Zion.

"There on the poplars

we hung our harps,

"for there our captors asked us for songs,

our tormentors demanded songs of joy;

they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”"

(Psalm 137:1-3

Matthew indicates Herod ordering killing of young boys fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah

"When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children

and refusing to be comforted,

because they are no more.”

(Matthew 2:16-18)

Notes

• Taken together, these words appear to indicate fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah both by the Babylonian exile and by Herod. It should therefore not be surprising that Bahá'u'lláh might claim to fulfill texts (e.g., on the "Comforter") which could have been fulfilled previously by the Báb, Muhammad, or Christ.

Prophecy about the people of Zebulun and Naphtali seeing light was fulfilled in the Old Testament and New Testament

The people of Zebulun and Naphtali have seen a great light

“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles—

the people living in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation

and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you

as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice

when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered

the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor.

(Isaiah 9:1-4)

Matthew indicates the people's seeing of light was with Jesus

Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles—

the people living in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

a light has dawned.”

(Matthew 4:13-16)

Notes

• Isaiah 9:1–2 described the northern regions of Israel (Zebulun and Naphtali) in the 8th century B. C. that had been devastated by the Assyrian Empire. The "darkness" referred to the anguish, military defeat, and foreign occupation suffered by those territories. This historical "light" represented temporary political deliverance and hope for Judah.