VII. TYPES AND INDIRECT FORECASTS OF MESSIAH The Bible is unique in its TYPE-PICTURES of the coming Messiah as well as in its distinct and definite prophecies.* A "type" may be defined as a divinely created illustration of spiritual truth. A person, place, thing, event, or a series of events, by divine foresight and planning, becomes an object lesson, a PICTURE-with correspondence of details-of its anti-type (fulfillment). God and Christ, Satan and Antichrist, believers and unbelievers, the yielded Christian life and the world, are the subjects of Biblical types. "Even where no direct prediction is found," comments A. T. Pierson., "indirect forecasts (through types) referring to Christ may be distinctly traced "all through the Bible." How true! Types of Christ- prophetic pictures giving indirect forecasts-abound in the Old Testament. We could write a book of several hundred pages and barely skirt the edges of the vast field of Biblical types. In our limited space, we can but suggest some of the marvels of this field of Biblical research and study. (*The Bible is unique, without parallel-without even a serious competitor-in at least seven features: (1) It alone, of all books in the world, has genuine prophecy. (2) The Bible alone contains an intricate system of "types" in the Old Testament, fulfilled in the New Testament, as shown in this chapter. (3) The Bible alone contains the record of genuine, credible miracles, fully attested by adequate witnesses. (4) Of all books in the world, the Bible alone presents the Perfect Character (the Messiah). (5) The Bible alone, of all national history books, portrays its characters without bias, and presents them as they are, their weaknesses and failures as well as their strong points. (6) The Bible alone, of all ancient books, is consonant with all the facts of nature and true scientific discoveries that it refers to, even though it was written ages before the modern scientific era. (7) Though written by nearly 40 human authors, the Bible has a phenomenal UNITY that shows the superintendence of its Divine Author) The Cross of Christ has perhaps more foreshadowings, more types that preview and prefigure the sacrifice of the Son of God, than any other thing in the Bible. Every Passover lamb slain (with its attendant ceremonies of the sprinkling of the blood of the lamb on the door posts, the eating of the roasted lamb, etc.-see Exodus 12:1-13);* every Levitical offering brought to the altar and sacrificed (see Leviticus, chapters 1-6); and every other blood offering presented, "from the hour of Abel’s altar-fire down to the last Passover of the passion week, pointed as with flaming finger to Calvary’s Cross!" . . . And there we see "the convergence of a thousand lines of prophecy (indirect forecasts) ... as in one burning focal point of dazzling glory" (A. T. Pierson). [*When the Passover lamb was roasted "a spit was thrust lengthwise through its body, and another transversely from shoulder to shoulder; every Passover lamb was thus transfixed on a cross. In like manner, when Moses lifted up the brazen serpent (Num. 21) it was not on a pole but on a banner staff-i.e., a cross" (A. T. Pierson, in "Many Infallible Proofs," p. 204).] Turn where you will, you find pictures of CHRIST in the Old Testament. In Genesis (especially rich in prophetic forecasts of Christ) you find ADAM presented as the Head of God’s creation-a type of Christ as Head of the new creation (see 1 Corinthians 15:45-49). The ARK was the only means of saving people from the judgment of the Flood (Gen. 6-9); Christ is the "Ark of Salvation"; all who by faith come to Him are saved from the coming flood of God’s judgment against sin. The Offering of Isaac is an especially rich type (Gen. 22) of the offering up of Jesus, by His Father. The life of Joseph beloved of his father, but hated and rejected by his brethren (Gen. 37)-is an amazing picture, with over 100 corresponding features, of the Lord Jesus Christ, who likewise was beloved of His Father but hated and rejected by His brethren. Joseph was sent to the Gentiles, where he obtained a bride, and was the means of feeding multitudes and saving them from destruction (Gen. 39-47); so Christ, rejected by His brethren (the Jews) has been preached to the Gentiles-and vast multitudes have been preserved and fed the Bread of Life by Him. Joseph finally reveals himself to his brethren-and becomes the means of preserving them too. So Christ, in the latter days, will reveal Himself to Israel and save many of them (see Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:25-26). In Exodus, we see not only the PASSOVER LAMB (already referred to, Exodus 12), but the life and ministry of MOSES, as an outstanding type of Christ. Moses, a Shepherd in his youth, and at first rejected by his brethren, flees to a Gentile country, where he gets a Gentile bride; later, when he return to liberate Israel he is accepted as their leader, and leads them out of the house of bondage (Egypt) with great victory. This type of Christ is thrilling: for it speaks of Christ’s re-rejection at His first coming to Israel and His eventual acceptance and leadership over Israel. (See Acts 7:22-37, especially Acts 7:35). The life of DAVID in First and Second Samuel is a similar picture of the Messiah. David was a shepherd in his youth; at first he was rejected by Saul, who sought to kill him; later, David was accepted by the nation, anointed, and crowned as their king. And so he becomes a TYPE of the Greater David who was at first the "Good Shepherd" who gave His life for His sheep; later on He will reign as KING.
Aaron and Melchisedeck picture Christ as HIGH PRIEST; Moses and Samuel (and the rest of the prophets) adumbrate Christ as the great Prophet.
Christ explained the BRAZEN SERPENT, uplifted before the people as a means of deliverance from the judgment of death that fell on them because of their sin (see Numbers 21:5-9), as a TYPE OF HIS WORK OF REDEMPTION AND SALVATION THROUGH HIS CROSS (see John 3:14-18). JONAH, swallowed by the whale, passing through an experience of "death and resurrection" and then preaching to the Gentiles, is a picture of the One who was "three days and three nights" in the heart of the earth, and who came forth-as Jonah did-in resurrection. (See Matthew 12:40, where Christ Himself makes Jonah’s experience a type of His own, in death and resurrection). The TABERNACLE (Exod. 25-31; 35-40), is one of the most extensive and meaningful of all the types. Its priesthood, its offerings, its furniture, its arrangement-all are symbolic of CHRIST and the believer’s approach to God through Christ.
(1) The brazen Altar stands for atonement by blood.
(2) The Laver of Cleansing stands for Sanctification through the "washing of water by the Word."
The Table of Shew Bread, is a type of Christ the food and strength of His people.
The Golden Candlestick, with its seven branches, is a type of Christ the Light of the world.
(5) The Altar of Incense represents prayer and supplications that ascend to the throne of God. (cf. Revelation 8:3.)
The Mercy Seat, in the holy of holies, represents Christ as the only means of Justification and Access to the Presence of God. (See Luke 18:13, where the publican’s prayer, "God be merciful to me a sinner," can be paraphrased, "God, meet me at the Mercy Seat.")
The ark, in the holy of holies, speaks of Christ, as our Representative and Mediator at the right hand of God. The ark was made of wood, covered with pure gold (Exodus 25:10-11). This speaks to us of the humanity (wood) and the Deity (pure gold) of Christ. In the ark were three things: "the golden pot that had manna," "Aaron’s rod that budded," and "the tables of the law." These speak to us in types and pictures, of Messiah as the Bread that came down from Heaven; of His resurrection; and of His perfect keeping of the law. In HIS heart alone the Law remains unbroken.
The Tabernacle itself speaks to us of the Incarnation: Christ dwelling among His people (see John 1:14).
The boards, the sockets, the curtains, the coverings, EVERYTHING connected with the tabernacle and its service, is a type of CHRIST in some way or another. The FEASTS OF THE LORD, in Leviticus 23, are a beautiful and progressive revelation of the work of Christ for His people and the unfolding of the plan of God, through Christ, especially as related to Israel. And so the wondrous story of the TYPES in the Old Testament unfolds, giving us vast and understandable revelations of the coming Messiah, and of His Person and work.
Messianic typology in the Old Testament opens a door to the fuller comprehension of Messiah, the Christ of God. The book of Hebrews shows clearly that these amazing types in the Old Testament are NOT the result of mere chance, but were divinely planned to give us pictures of Christ and His offering on the cross (see Hebrews 5-10). Indeed, we are told that Moses, when about to construct the Tabernacle, was "admonished of God ... to make all things according to the pattern showed him" (Hebrews 8:5). In other words, GOD planned the types-lives of men, institutions like the tabernacle and its worship, and events in the history of Israel-to serve as illustrations and shadows "of heavenly things."
