a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption” (Acts 2:30, 31); whence we infer that in penning this psalm David was conscious of its higher application to Christ.  The spirit of the New Testament quotations from the psalms indicates that he had a deeper insight into the prophetic meaning of his words than many modern expositors are willing to admit.  But however this may be, the Spirit of inspiration had in view the fulfilment of these psalms in Christ; and his intention, clearly revealed to us in the New Testament, is our rule of interpretation.

10.  Different from the above literal and typical sense, yet closely related to it in principle, is that of the progressive fulfilment of prophecy, which has a wide application in the interpretation of those prophecies which relate to the last days.  By the progressive fulfilment of prophecy is meant, a fulfilment not exhaustively accomplished at one particular era or crisis in the church’s history, but successively from age to age; a fulfilment repeated, it may be, many times, and ending only with the final consummation of the Messiah’s kingdom.  An undeniable example of such a prophecy is God’s message by Isaiah to the covenant people:  “Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not,” etc, with the threatened desolation that should follow (chap. 6:9-13).  This prophecy had a true fulfilment in the ancient Jewish people before the Babylonish captivity.  For their blindness of mind and hardness of heart, they were given over to the power of Nebuchadnezzar, who wasted their land, destroyed their city and temple, and carried the remnant of the people into captivity.  But the same prophecy had, in both its parts, a more awful fulfilment in the generation of Jews who rejected and crucified our Lord, and were destroyed with their city and temple by the armies of Rome (Matt. 13:14, 15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:39-41; Acts 28:25-27; Rom. 11:8); and its fulfilment is yet in progress.  Joel’s prophecy of the outpouring of the Spirit in the last days upon all flesh, with the mighty accompanying judgments (chap. 2:  28-32), and Amos’ prediction of the raising up of David’s fallen tabernacle (chap. 9:11, 12), had both their initial fulfilment in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the triumphs of the gospel that followed.  Acts 2:16-21; 15:16, 17.  But the blessings which they promised were not exhausted in the apostolic age.  The church has had rich instalments of them, but richer still are reserved for the future of millennial glory.  A large part of the prophecies of the Old Testament indicate in their very structure that they are not to be understood of particular events,