Why Does the Bible Speak about Future Events in the Past Tense?

The Bible sometimes speaks about future events as though they have already happened.

This can be confusing when first encountered. For instance, Isaiah wrote, “He was despised and forsaken of men” (Isaiah 53:3), centuries before Jesus was born. Similarly, in Psalm 22, David lamented, “They pierced my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:16), though this described a form of execution not yet practiced in his day. Even Mary, in her song of praise, said, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble” (Luke 1:52), speaking as if God had already accomplished what He had only just begun to reveal.

Why do prophets and inspired writers use past tense verbs to describe events that were still in the future?

When the LORD prophetically declares or predicts future events using a past tense, He is emphasizing that what is to come is as certain as if it were already history.

This way of speaking is often called “the Prophetic Past.”

The prophetic past refers to instances in Scripture where a prophet uses past—tense language to describe future events. The reason for this is not grammatical error or confusion about time. It is a declaration of certainty. When God reveals a future event, it is as sure as something that has already occurred.

The prophet, inspired by the Holy Spirit, sometimes describes the prophecy in the past tense to emphasize that what God has promised will unfailingly come to pass. From the prophet’s or the prophet’s immediate audience’s perspective, the event has not yet happened. But from God’s eternal perspective, His purpose is already accomplished.

Speaking in the prophetic past therefore communicates divine assurance. It is a way of saying, “This will happen so certainly that we may as well speak of it as already done.” The tense choice reflects the character of God Himself—His power to fulfill His word and His sovereignty over time and history.

One of the clearest examples of the prophetic past is found in Isaiah 53, where the prophet describes the future suffering and atonement of the Messiah. Isaiah wrote:

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well—being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.”
(Isaiah 53:5)

When Isaiah wrote these words, Jesus’s crucifixion was still more than seven centuries in the future. Yet the prophet used past—tense verbs—“was pierced,” “was crushed,” “fell upon Him” (Isaiah 53:5)—as though these redemptive acts had already occurred.

Isaiah’s use of the prophetic past drives home the certainty of God’s plan of salvation. The suffering of the Messiah was not a mere possibility or prediction—it was a fixed reality in God’s eternal decree. Isaiah described it as though it had already happened because, in God’s purpose, it was as unchangeable as history itself. This not only reassured Israel of the coming Redeemer but also displayed the unshakable reliability of God’s word. What God determines, no power in heaven or on earth can undo.

Another example of the prophetic past appears at the end of Habakkuk.

The prophet Habakkuk ends his short book with a poetic vision of God’s coming deliverance and judgment. He wrote:

“He stood and surveyed the earth;
He looked and startled the nations.
Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered,
The ancient hills collapsed.
His ways are everlasting.”
(Habakkuk 3:6)

Habakkuk speaks as though God’s judgment of the earth has already occurred, yet these verses anticipate a future day when the LORD will rise to judge the nations and rescue His people.

By using past—tense verbs to portray this future deliverance, Habakkuk affirms that God’s victory and judgments are already certain. This portion of the prophet’s prayer reads like a historical account because, from God’s standpoint, His day of judgment is not in doubt (Habakkuk 3:6-7, 9-15). Habakkuk responds to this assurance with worship, declaring, “Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:18).

The Apostle Paul used the prophetic past in Romans 8:

“And these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
(Romans 8:30)

The word “glorified” is past tense, even though believers have not yet received their glorified bodies. Paul used the prophetic past to emphasize that our future glorification is guaranteed. Because it rests on God’s faithfulness, it can be spoken of as already done.

These examples reveal a consistent biblical pattern. When God declares something, it is sure. His word is not tentative or dependent on human will, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire” (Isaiah 55:11). The prophetic past serves as a literary reflection of that truth. It allows finite language to echo the infinite reliability of God’s decree. What is still future to us is already certain in His plan.

The prophetic past bridges the gap between human time and divine certainty. As we read Scripture passages that describe the future as though it were already history, we are being invited to share in the prophet’s confidence—to view God’s promises not as uncertain possibilities but as guaranteed realities.

For the believer, this truth encourages trust and worship. Just as Isaiah could celebrate the Messiah’s victory long before Calvary, we too can rejoice with Habakkuk and Paul in God’s still—to—come promises as already accomplished. When God speaks, His word is as sure as the past.

So, “why does the Bible speak about future events in the past tense?”

The Bible speaks about future events in the past tense to remind us of God’s absolute faithfulness.