Typology
By Ray Ibrahim
Typology is a theological doctrine of theory of types and their antitypes found in Scripture. A type is a special kind of symbol, a prophetic symbol, where historic intention is important. Its fulfillment is in the future. It is a message from God hidden in an Old Testament story. Medieval allegory began as an early Christian method for synthesizing the discontinuities between the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the Christian Bible (New Testament). While both testaments were studied and seen as equally divinely inspired by God, the Old Testament contained discontinuities for Christians. The technical name for seeing the New Testament in the Old Testament is called typology. The doctrine is stated most succinctly by Paul in Colossians 2:16-17 - "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." Typology was very frequently expressed in art; many typolological pairings are found in sculpture on cathedrals and churches, and in other media. Popular illustrated works expounding typological couplings were among the commonest books of the late middle Ages, as illuminated manuscripts, blockbooks, and incunabula (early printed books). The two most successful compilations were the Speculum Humanae Salvationis and the Biblia pauperum.
One of the most fascinating areas of Bible study is that of typology – the study of Scripture “types.” Few Christians have made any sort of in-depth investigation of biblical types. As a matter of fact, this field of study has fallen into disrepute in recent years and this can probably be accounted for on two bases:
First, the extravagant speculations of earlier typologists have left a bad taste for the study in the minds of many; they feel it has been discredited.
Second, the spirit of religious liberalism has silently assaulted the thinking of some. They thus tend to dismiss the supernatural elements of the Scriptures, and since typology relates to prophecy, it has been similarly discarded. The Bible itself, however, makes it quite clear that “types” are a vital component of Jehovah’s redemptive plan.
One must be very cautious in his study of Bible types. There are some dangerous extremes to be avoided. On the one hand, as indicated earlier, some deny the use of biblical type’s altogether. Obviously, this is a radical view contrary to the teaching of the Bible itself. Others, though, feel that the use of types in the Scriptures is quite limited. Accordingly, one can only identify a type when the New Testament specifically does so. This is an extreme position. If one followed a similar line of reasoning, he might assert that there are no prophecies in the Old Testament save those which are specifically quoted in the New Testament. Still another extreme is the notion that virtually every little detail of the Old Testament system was typical of some New Testament circumstance. Thus, even the cords and pegs of the tabernacle were seen by some commentators as representing significant antitype New Testament truths. The truth is to be found between these extremes.
There are several interpretative principles that one should keep in mind as he begins a study of this subject:
It must be recognized that types are grounded in real history; the people, places, events, etc. were deliberately chosen by God to prepare for the coming of the Christian system. An old writer has wonderfully described it: “God in the types of the last dispensation was teaching His children their letters. In this dispensation He is teaching them to put the letters together, and they find that the letters arrange them as they will, spell Christ and nothing but Christ.”
It must be clear that the type was designed by God to preview its fulfillment in the New Testament. There is a graduation from type to antitype; of the lesser to the greater; from the material to the spiritual; the earthly to the heavenly.
One must distinguish what is essential in the type and what is merely incidental. A failure to do this can lead to some serious errors. Broomall notes, for example, that “Jonah’s expulsion from the great fish typifies Christ’s resurrection (Matt. 12: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.); but Jonah’s restoration to the land does not necessarily typify Israel’s restoration to Palestine.”
Characteristics of Typology
1. It points to the future: usually it is an Old Testament type prefiguring something about redemption in the future.
2. It may be different in essence or it may be something similar or even the same. Ex. Death in the animal sacrificial system is the same as in the anti-type.
3. The resemblance must be designated, that is, stated to be one in the New Testament, or the New Testament may state the whole as being typical.
Ex. The reference to the wilderness wanderings in 1 Corinthians 10:1-11.
4. A type may parallel many points in the antitype.
Ex. The tabernacle—the Holy of Holies, the furniture, the altar (Hebrews 8-10).
5. Dissimilarity is to be expected. A one-to-one correspondence between type and anti-type is not necessary or usual.
Ex. Moses is a type of Christ
Points of pronounced similarity—Moses is a leader and a mediator.
Points of pronounced dissimilarity—Moses sinned and died.
The typical truth is at the point of similarity.
We are now ready to consider several different categories of Old Testament types:
Typical Persons
A number of Old Testament people, due to some character or relation which they sustain in redemptive history, serve as types.
Adam is a type of Christ in that as the former introduced sin into the world, even so, through the latter a system of righteousness was made available for mankind (Rom. 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous). Melchizedek, who was both king of Salem and a priest of God (Gen. 14:18-20), was a type of Christ – who, at his ascension became our high priest ( Psa. 110:4; Zech. 6:12,13; Heb. 5:5-10 ). Moses, in his noble role of prophet, leader, and mediator for Jehovah’s people, was typical of the Lord Jesus who functions in a similar, though more exalted, capacity ( Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22;Gal. 3:27; 1 Tim. 2: 5).
Jonah in the belly of the fish is a type of Christ. Medieval allegorical interpretation of this story holds that it prefigures Christ's burial, the stomach of the fish being Christ's tomb: as Jonah was freed from the whale after three days, so did Christ rise from His tomb after three days, ( Matthew 12:38–42,Luke 11:29–32.) Indeed, Jonah called the belly of the fish "She'ol," the land of the dead, translated "the grave" in the NIV. Thus, whenever one finds an allusion to Jonah in Medieval art or medieval literature, it is usually an allegory for the burial and resurrection of Christ.
Typical Places
Several prominent places emphasized in the Old Testament appear to have a typical significance. Egypt represents a state of bondage such as holds the sinner prior to his conversion (Gal. 4:2; Rom. 6:17; 1 Cor. 10:l); Jerusalem or Zion typifies the church and finally heaven (Gal. 4:25,26; Heb. 12:22; Rev. 21:2); and Babylon, which held God’s people captive in the Old Testament, pictures the condition of an apostate church that has departed from the simplicity of the New Testament pattern (Rev. 11:8; 14:8; 16:19).
Typical Things
Certain Old Testament objects preview New Testament truths. For example, Jacob’s ladder, with the angels ascending and descending upon it (Gen. 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.), apparently pictured Christ (John 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man), who provides both communication from the Father (John 1:18; Heb. 1:1-2) and access to heaven (John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me).
The brazen serpent, lifted up in the wilderness, through which the people found physical healing (Num. 21:8) was a type of the lifted-up Christ (John 3: 14; 12:32), through whom spiritual healing comes (Isa. 53:5).
As indicated earlier, the tabernacle and many of its features were typical of the present time (Heb. 9:8-9). As the tabernacle was designed to be a “house of God,” and since He is “Lord of heaven and earth” (Acts 17:24), it was proper that the tabernacle be composed of two compartments; one representing God’s heavenly dwelling place and the other His earthly dwelling place. Accordingly, the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle represented Heaven (Heb. 6:19, 20; 9:8, 24), while the Holy Place was a type of the church (Acts 15:16, 17; 1 Cor. 3:16; I Tim. 3:15).
Typical Events
Several Old Testament events seem to represent things to come. The creation of light on the first day of Earth’s history (Gen. 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light) suggests the coming brilliant illumination of the gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ).
The Flood of Noah’s day (Gen. 6-8) typified the sudden destruction of the world yet to come at the end (Matt. 24:37-39).
The miraculous water from the rock in the wilderness (Ex. 17:6) was a preview of the life-sustaining water provided by our Lord (John 4:14; 1 Cor. 10:4).
The manna from heaven in the wilderness (Ex. 16:14-16) was a type of that spiritual Bread who came down from heaven to nourish humanity (John 6:32).
Typical Offices
There were three offices in the Old Testament characterized by an anointing. Prophets (I Kings 19:16), priests (Ex. 28:41), and kings (I Sam. 10:1) were anointed in anticipation of the coming of the Anointed One (Dan. 9:25, 26) who is Prophet (Acts 3:22), Priest (Heb. 3:1), and King (Rev. 17:14).
We too, as Christians, have an anointing from God (2 Cor. 1: 21 Now he which establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God) and we function as prophets (not miraculously, but simply as “forth speakers” of the Word of God. I Cor. 11:4, 5), priests, and kings (I Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6). The anointing of the Old Testament thus prefigured both the work of Christ and our service to Him.
Typical Actions
Certain ceremonial actions of the Old Testament system typified the atoning work of the Messiah. For instance, on the annual Jewish Day of Atonement, amidst numerous other rituals, the High Priest presented two goats before the door of the tabernacle. After the casting of lots upon these animals, one was sacrificed as a “sin-offering” and the other was “set alive before Jehovah” (Lev. 16:9, 10).
The blood of the slain goat was taken into the Most Holy Place where it was sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat. This, of course, was typical of the sacrificial death of Christ (Heb. 9:11, 12). The High Priest then took the living goat, laid hands upon him and confessed over him all the iniquities of the people. Subsequently, by an appointed servant, the animal was led away into the wilderness (Lev. 16:21, 22).
The two goats were, so to speak, two sides of the same coin; both constituted the solitary offering of Christ. The one signified his death and the atoning effect of his blood; the other his resurrection (Rom. 4:25) and the complete removal of our sins (Isa. 53:4, 6; John 1:29).
Typical Institutions
Many institutions of the Old Testament era were prophetic shadows of good things to come. The Passover, for instance, with its spotless lamb (Ex. 12:5) which was slain “between the two evenings” (Ex 12:6), without any bones being broken (12:46). It was a type of the death of Jesus (I Cor. 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us), who was without spot or blemish (I Pet. 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot), and who had none of his bones broken (John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs).
In Leviticus 23 we read of the various feasts which the Lord ordained as memorials for the people of Israel. These were meant to be reminders of the past and pointers for the future. The Feast of Pentecost was celebrated fifty days after Passover. We understand that Passover speaks of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. He alone is our Passover Lamb (John 1:29 with Isaiah 53). Without the Passover there could not be a Pentecost. Many claim to have the Holy Spirit in their lives without ever coming to Christ for salvation. Exactly fifty days after the death of the Lord, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon those waiting in the upper room … "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:1-4).
Bibliography:
* C.F. Keil Commentary on the Old Testament, Eerdmans Publishing Co. June 1978
* Bernard Ramm Protestant Biblical Interpretation, Baker Academic 1999)
* Charles C. Ryrie Basic Theology Chicago, IL. Moody Press 1999
* Christopher Wright Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament Downers Grove, IL. Inter Varsity Press 1992
* Merrill F. Unger New Unger’s Bible Dictionary Chicago, IL. Moody Press 1988
* Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981
* Wayne Grudem Systematic Theology Leicester, England. Inter Varsity Press 1994
* Walter Brueggemann Theology of the Old Testament, Minneapolis. Fortress Press 1997