Chapter
2
The basic theme of the Bible is Jesus Christ, both in the New and in the
Old Testaments, and this theme is
exampled to us over and over again in Christ types.
In the beginning, Adam was a type of Christ.
As Adam ate from the knowledge of good and evil
and condemned the world of sin, Jesus brought knowledge into the world and
condemnation. "If they
were blind, they would have no sin," (John 9:41). "If I had not spoken
to them, they wouldn't have
sin," (John 15:22).
Abel, the son of Adam (that is, "son of man"), was a Christ
type. He was slain by his brother
for envy, as Christ was slain by His
brethren. Then Cain was driven into
the wilderness, as the Jews were driven
into the wilderness of the nations.
These types, or figures of Christ, are throughout the Bible and it is not
possible to find a place in the
Bible where there is a likeness of Christ lacking.
These types don't have to be perfect to be a likeness of the Lord, they
don't even have to be good people.
Consider the story Jesus told about the unjust judge, saying, if you can
get justice from the unjust, how
much more should you expect God to hear your prayers?
The likeness is drawn for contrast.
Jesus drew a comparison with Noah and Lot--pointing out their likeness to
Himself, (Luke 17:26-29).
Moses, Joshua, and Samson are some of the better-known types and the full
list is too long to include.
David is such a powerful likeness of the Lord, his words in the Psalms
can generally be taken as David's
words or can be taken as words of Christ, speaking of Himself.
As Jonah was three days in the fish, Jesus was three days in the
grave--another likeness Jesus pointed
out to us. He also drew a contrast between Nineveh and Jerusalem.
When Jonah began his ministry
to Nineveh, he said the city would be destroyed in forty days.
Forty years after Jesus began His
ministry, Jonah's prophecy was fulfilled and Jerusalem was destroyed.
Joseph was thrown into the pit by his brothers, out of envy--the pit
being a figure of the grave.
And,
as the coat of Jesus is dipped in blood, (Rev 19:13), Joseph's coat was dipped
in blood, (Gen 37:31).
Then his brethren suffered famine and Joseph turned out to be their
salvation. Joseph was an interpreter
of dreams, just as Jesus is the interpreter of the meaning of the scriptures.
Joseph ruled over the condemned in
the prison of Pharaoh, as Jesus rules over the prisoners of sin.
And Joseph forgave his
brothers, saying that they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good--to save
them alive.
One more thing to mention about Joseph--one of the early interpreters,
not knowing the meaning, said his
coat was "of many colors." He
only wanted to indicate there was something special about
it--not knowing specifically what. Later
interpreters have followed suit; some say elaborately ornamented
coat, some add a footnote indicating the meaning to be unknown.
This
is a figurative word used to indicate something which is spread out or
continuous across; the palm is
continuous across, but the other part of the hand is divided into sections which
we call fingers. The figure probably
refers to the weave of the coat, which was continuous; it was a seamless coat.
If you want to know the significance of the seamless coat, you should
refer to the coat of Jesus, (John
19:23). What John literally says is, it was "woven from above,
throughout." The key phrase there
is, "from above."
The temple is a Christ type--His body is the true temple.
All the utensils and the tables, everything
about the temple serves the likeness. Consider
the altar; the altar is holy, therefore what touches
the altar will be holy, (Exodus 29:37). Now
consider how Jesus healed the unclean; He touched
them and they were clean. "As
many as touched Him, He healed all." He
was holy and clean, therefore
whatever touched Him was holy and clean--the true healing.
The chief likeness of Christ in the Old Testament is Israel.
This is another of the types which we are
plainly told of. God said,
"Israel is my firstborn son," "I called my son out of
Egypt." The name Israel
means, the prince of God.
If the Old Testament is about Israel (the Prince of God) and the New is
about Christ, it should be apparent
that they are the same story told twice--in the sense that a parable and its
interpretation can be viewed as the
same story told twice. It is told
first in figurative language, then explained in plain talk:
The Old Testament begins with the events and geneology leading up to the
birth of the nation of Israel; the
New Testament begins with the events and geneology leading up to the birth of
Christ.
When the nation of Israel was in its infancy, Joseph took them into Egypt
to save them alive; when Jesus was
an infant, Joseph took Him into Egypt to save Him alive.
The danger for Israel was famine;
in the days of Herod, it was a famine from hearing the words of the Lord.
The angel told Joseph when it was time to bring Jesus out of Egypt and,
likewise, Israel was called out of
Egypt.
Jesus was baptized, wandered forty days in the wilderness, and then
preached the Kingdom of God; Israel
was baptized in the Reed Sea, wandered forty years in the wilderness, and then
entered the promised land with the
Lord as their King--the Kingdom of God.
The history of the Kingdom of Israel is the message of God, showing us
our way by example and by the
sermons of the prophets. The
ministry of Jesus shows us the way by the same example. His
life is the message, therefore if you know Him, you know the way.
As dreams are for men, but their
interpretation is of the Lord, the lessons of Israel are in figures, but Jesus
gave the interpretation.
In
fact, Jesus is the interpretation.
Jesus died to bring salvation to the world; Israel rejected their king
and died as a nation, that their
salvation would go to the Gentiles. Israel
died to bring salvation to the world; they were sheep for
the slaughter, (Psalm 44:22). All
of this is written in the law, both the sacrifice of Jesus and the sacrificing
of the Jews.
As Jesus took the sin of the world upon Himself, likewise the Jews.
All the righteous blood shed
upon the earth, from Abel to Zacharias was laid on that generation, (Matt
23:35), (Luke 11:50).
Ezekiel 45:16 is translated, "the people shall give this oblation
for the Lord." Look up the Hebrew
for yourself; here is what it actually says, "the people shall be for this
oblation, along with the Lord."
Jesus left with the prophecy that He would return in the distant future
and that return would coincide with
a terrible war. Israel left with the same prophecy and their return has already
occurred.
The
return of Israel coincided with the most horrific war the world has ever known,
which war was surely the figure of
what is soon to come. And it is no coincidence that the one side in that war was determined
to destroy the Jews.
Once you realize that Israel is a figure of the Prince of God, you should
begin noticing likenesses in the
comments about them: The term, "drink this cup," is applied to both
Israel and Jesus. Both are given
water of gall to drink, (Jeremiah 8:14), (Amos 6:12).
As they cast the lot for His coat, they cast the
lot for, "my people," (Joel 3:3).
Jesus was the first-fruits; Israel, the first-fruits, (Jeremiah 2:3), etc.
Their fall is salvation to the Gentiles; their receiving, life from the
dead, (Romans 11:11-15).
They
are an offering to the Lord out of all nations, (Proverbs 66:20).
The thing that worries me is the offering
up of the Gentiles, (Romans 15:16).
One more thing about types: If you are planted in the likeness of His
death, also His resurrection, (Romans
6:5). Birth is Christ formed in you, (Gal 4:19).
We are kings and priests, (Rev 1:6).
You are the temple, (2 Cor
6:16-17). You should be purified
like Him, (1 John 3:3). You should
be perfect, as your Father, (Matt
5:48). We should be as Him, (1 John
4:12-21).
We are all made in the image of the Lord; therefore, each one of us is a
Christ type.