3. Are there prophecies that are not stated in the form of predictions?

³ It should be realized, however, that there is more than one kind of prophetic information in the Bible. We have already observed this in connection with the miracles of Jesus, which served as portents of what mankind will experience under God’s Kingdom. Other portions of the Scriptures that may not use language that sounds like prediction also contain prophetic elements.

FASCINATING PROPHETIC PATTERNS

4. How are we alerted to the prophetic significance of the Mosaic Law?

⁴ The Bible book of Hebrews, for example, opens our eyes to the prophetic significance of matters that a casual reader might view as being simply history. It reveals that “the [Mosaic] Law has a shadow of the good things to come.”​—Hebrews 10:1.

5. What illustrates that objects may typify something greater?

⁵ At times objects were used to make prophetic patterns. For example, with regard to the sacred tent, or tabernacle, built by Moses at Jehovah’s direction, along with the services performed at it, the divinely inspired writer of Hebrews explains that it was “a typical representation and a shadow of the heavenly things.” It pictured Jehovah’s great spiritual temple, the Most Holy of which is in the heavens.

6. What prophetic significance is ascribed to persons at (a) Galatians 4:21-31? (b) Matthew 17:10-13?

⁶ Persons referred to in the Scriptures also served as prophetic types. At Galatians 4:21-31 a detailed example of this is explained in the case of Abraham’s wife Sarah (said to correspond to “Jerusalem above”) and the servant girl Hagar (identified with the earthly “Jerusalem today”) and their children. In another case Jesus helped his disciples to perceive that Elijah the prophet had his counterpart in John the Baptist, who, like Elijah, was fearless in exposing hypocritical religious practices.​—Matthew 17:10-13.

8. (a) What example shows that experiences in life may be prophetic? (b) Does every aspect of such an experience necessarily have a parallel in the fulfillment?

⁸ It is evident that the prophetic parallels involve more than the office or position of persons. They also include their experiences in life. On one occasion when the Jewish religious leaders displayed their unbelief, Jesus said to them: “A wicked and adulterous generation keeps on seeking for a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.” (Matthew 12:38-40; Jonah 1:17; 2:10)