Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!
Typical Principle
This is a
divinely appointed illustration of a spiritual truth. The Greek word has the meaning of an
impression or stamp, mark, pattern, form, or mold. A Type is a person or object that will be a
pattern for a person or object in the near or distant future.
There is no such thing as a perfect type. By their very nature they are not
perfect. A type is like a shadow, we can
see an outline of our body on a sunny day, but there are no details. A type is a shadow of the future fact. The type must have a genuine resemblance to
the point that it is obvious. [1]
Types are
prophetic symbols. They are a fusion of the temporal and the eternal, the Old
and the New. So, to have any hope of
understanding them, we must have rules to find them in the text and to properly
interpret them. Rules for their
interpretation are then:
1. Commence with a thorough New Testament study
and find out what it teaches on typology. This is the absolute starting point in
any work on typology.
2. From the study of the New Testament locate
the great typical areas of the Old Testament.
3.
Locate in any given type the typical and the accidental. What
is typical will be guided by the study of the New Testament which will indicate
especially what sort of things are typical, and what areas are typical in the
Old Testament. Therefore, the good
interpreter will refrain from pressing his interpretation into too much detail,
realizing that in any type there is a dissimilar element.
4. Keep within the bounds of good sense. There is the temptation to suggest a new
interpretation for the sheer sake of its novelty.
5. Do
not prove doctrine from types unless there is clear New Testament authority. Hebrews very plainly proves theology from
types, but we may not do the same since we are not inspired. Types, for the most part, illustrate truth. The central rod of the construction of the
wall of the tabernacle proper cannot be used to prove the unity or security of
the believer, but it may be used to illustrate the same.
6.
Clothe your interpretations with humility. What is clearly taught in
the New Testament may be asserted with confidence, but beyond that humility
should clothe our efforts. Typology is a
kind of double-sense interpretation, and in all double-sense interpretation
there is the two-fold danger of going beyond the evidence of Scripture, and of
the unbridled use of the imagination.
Humility must be our spirit in those territories that cannot be treated
with the finesse of literal exegesis. To
do otherwise is to obscure the Word of God.[2]
There are six kinds of symbols that are
Typical:
1.
Persons may be as typical as Adam, the federal head of a race; Abraham,
the pioneer of by-faith justification; Elijah, the prefigurement of John the
Baptist; Joseph, the rejected kinsman, yet future savior; David, the great
king; Solomon, the chosen son; and Zerubbabel, the head of a new society.
2.
Institutions: The sacrifices look forward to the cross,
the Sabbath to the salvation rest, the Passover to redemption, and the
theocracy to the coming kingdom. 3. Offices: The Old Testament offices of prophet,
priest, and king are all typical of Christ, who is prophet, priest, and king.
4. Events: The exodus is a pattern of deliverance,
and the wilderness journey has many events of typical significance.
5. Actions: The lifting up of the brazen serpent is a
type of the crucifixion, and the ministry of the high priest on the day of
atonement is typical.
6. Things: The ark of the tabernacle is a type of the
incarnation; the incense a type of prayer; and the curtains express principles
of access to God.[3]
As you can clearly see there are many
types in Scripture. There are so many
that a entire book could easily be written on them. I will only give a few examples here in this
chapter so that you can get a basic idea of them. Not only do we have six different typical
symbols, but we have innate and inferred types as well.
An innate
type is one that has been mentioned in the New Testament. The inspired Word of God has declared it a
type. An example of a innate type would
be the brazen serpent that was lifted up by Moses in the wilderness. Jesus said that He would be lifted up so that
all men could have eternal life (John 3:14-15; 12:32). There are many others.
An inferred type is one that is not
specifically mentioned in the New Testament, but is justified as a type by the
New Testament and historical references that line up to the rules of
Typology. We are allowed this by the
fact that Jesus Himself commanded us to search out the Scriptures (Old
Testament) because they spoke about Him (John 5:39-44). The most popular inferred type is Joseph
being a type of Christ. There are many
others, and as you read and study Scripture, try to find them.
Here I will give some of my personnel favorite
types found in God’s Word. You will see
how they enlighten the Bible stories.[4]
Joseph as a Type of Christ: This is an inferred Type. To begin with he (Joseph) was the father’s
well-beloved son. He was set apart from
his brethren, his kinsmen according to the flesh, by his coat of many colors,
the garb of a chieftain or a priest. His
brothers envied him and could not speak peaceably to him. They resented his favored relationship with
the father. His dreams, which spoke of
his coming glory and power, moved them to murderous rage. When his father sent him to his brothers,
they conspired against him and sold him for the price of a slave. Handed thus over to the Gentiles, he was
falsely accused and made to suffer for sins not his own.
In the person of
Pharaoh, he “preached” to others who were there awaiting their final
sentence. For the chief butler he had a
message of life; for the chief baker he had a message of a second and worse
death. Brought out of prison, Joseph was given a
position second only to that of Pharaoh, exalted to the right hand of majesty,
and thus became a ruler in the land of Egypt before whom everyone would bow.
Exalted -- taken from obscurity and raised up
to share his place on high -- Joseph was given a Gentile bride, and thereafter
began to deal faithfully with his natural brethren, the children of
Israel. He brought them to the place
where, in deep contrition, they confessed their long rejection of him. Finally, “all nations” came to him.
Antiochus Epiphanes as a Type of the
anti-Christ- Daniel 8:9: This is an
inferred type. The “little horn” in
Daniel 8 is a Type of the future anti-Christ.
“This ‘little horn’ is correctly identified with Antiochus Epiphanes
(175-164 B.C.) …. There is common agreement on this identification, because
this man brought extreme suffering on the Jews in Palestine. This suffering was of a nature corresponding
to the descriptions, of atrocities wrought by this ’little horn.’ Antiochus Epiphanes wanted to force the Jews
to become Grecian in their thinking and practices, especially in matters of
religion. He had spent time in Athens,
prior to becoming king of Syria, and apparently had become enamored with the
Grecian way of life. He wanted the Jews
to change their Mosaic practices and devised laws to this end. When the people resisted, they were made to
suffer, with large numbers paying with their lives. The Temple was desecrated and the alter
and/or statue of Zeus Olympius was erected, later referred to by Christ as the
’abomination of desolation’ (Matthew 24:15).
In view of these matters, the reason Daniel
used the same term, ’little horn,’ for this man of ancient history as for the
Antichrist of the future becomes discernable.
The later little horn will be like the earlier little horn in bringing
suffering on the Jews. Antiochus did
this to a degree much greater than any other person of ancient time; the
Antichrist will do the same to a degree much greater than any other person of
future time. He was, then, a kind of
antichrist of ancient time, and, therefore, appropriately called by the same
term. The use of this term thus had a
prophetic function. By designating this
person of history as the antichrist of ancient time, Daniel was predicting the
character and deeds of the Antichrist of future time. Those who would live after the period of
Antiochus Epiphanes could know the general pattern of the final Antichrist by
studying the life of the former one.
Thus, we can learn the following information
about the Antichrist. He will have the
same interest as Antiochus Epiphanes in changing the religious beliefs and
practices of the Jews. This is also
suggested by his causing ’the sacrifice and the oblation to cease’ at the
Temple, as noted in Daniel 9:27. He will
carry out this interest to the extent of employing great force, even to the
slaughter of all who oppose him. And he
will desecrate the Temple (which will have been restored at least by the
midpoint of the tribulation) through the erection of another ’abomination of
desolation’ (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15).[5]
The
Passover Lamb: This is an innate type “…For even Christ our Passover is
sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
This is typical of Christ and it is divinely authorized. This takes us back to Exodus 12. It is a most remarkable chapter and contains
one of the most astounding types of the Bible.
Israel is in Egypt and in bondage.
Here we have the judgment on the land, and the deliverance of Israel by
the Passover Lamb. That night Israel was
led out of bondage.
From Exodus 12 we go to John 19:36. “A bone of
him shall not be broken.” John the
Baptist had it revealed to him that Christ was the lamb. No one is ever called the Lamb of God except
Christ, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29). God never had in mind any lamb saves the one
Lamb. In spite of slaying of thousands of
lambs, you never read of Passover lambs, but “the Passover Lamb.” On the night of the Passover, there were
possibly thousands of lambs slain, but God did not say “Kill them,” but, “Kill
it.” All divine sacrifices are embodied only in the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. Calvary
culminates, down to the minutest detail, the slaughter of innumerable lambs. [6]
One thing that stands out in Exodus
12 is the fact that Israel was in bondage, in slavery. Their burdens had become so great that they
were almost unbearable, “…and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the
bondage…” (Exodus 2:23). They were in
sin. We are inclined to think of these
people as martyrs, but they deserved just what they endured. They were not only slaves, but also sinners
as well. They were as sinful as the
Egyptians; in fact, they were worse than the Egyptians, for they had light that
the Egyptians did not have. They had
contact with God and had such promises and enlightenment as the Egyptians had
never had. Israel was worshiping the
gods of the Egyptians, “ye pollute yourself with all your idols…” (Ezekiel
20:27-32). Israel was so contaminated,
and so headstrong in her idolatry, that God thought to destroy her. This is a picture of man outside of Christ.
They were delivered through the Lamb. It was God’s purpose to bring these people
out of Egypt, to deliver them. But,
before He could set them free, before they could know the blessing of Jehovah
dwelling in their midst, before they could walk with God, the sin question must
be taken care of.
God will not associate Himself with sin; God
is Holy. It was God’s plan to deliver
them after the question of their sin was settled. God settled that question by passing the sentence
of death against the first-born in the land of Egypt, “And all the firstborn in
the land of Egypt shall die…” (Exodus 11:4-5).
That included the firstborn in the Hebrew homes as well as the firstborn
in the homes of the Egyptians. God
brought the judgments against the gods of the Egyptians, and so against those
who worshiped the gods. God singled out in every case, the household’s
pride, the firstborn, the heir of the family, the one in whom the hopes of the
house were centered. This firstborn is
representative of the family and of the family’s guilt. The whole family is under condemnation that
rests upon Jew and Gentile. “All have
sinned,” and “The wages of sin is death.”
That is what Christ received on the cross, the wages of sin. They were wages He had not earned, because He
was sinless; but He received them anyway.
The
condition then, is this: Here is a
people, sinful slaves under condemnation.
When God said, “I am will come down to deliver them,” that is grace. Moses was not going to deliver them, but was
merely an instrument in the hands of God.
God was the Deliverer. Another
Deliverer came 1900 years ago; Christ, the same “I AM,” came down to deliver
men, that is grace. God came down,
incarnate in Christ, in order that slaves might be delivered. What has been said concerning the people of
Israel is true of man today, “…There is none righteous, no, not one…” (Romans
3). There is no difference. All have not committed the same kind or the
same number of sins, but all have sinned.
There was no difference between Israel and Egypt, but God put a
difference between them, there was the lamb between.
One lamb is
always sufficient, and Christ is always sufficient. The lamb must be a perfect specimen, a
firstborn male, without outer defilement and inner wrong, (1 Peter 1:19;
Hebrews 7:26). The lamb must be
slain. A live lamb would not save the
firstborn in the home. The blood must be
sprinkled on the two sides and above the door.
Something must be done with the blood.
Some say that if Jesus died for the world, the world must be saved. They forget that the blood must be
applied. It takes more than the shedding
of blood to save a sinner. There must be
a personal appropriation. The blood must
be put on the door in the form of a cross.
Christ living cannot save.
“Except the Son of Man to be lifted up,” (John 3:14).
Blood in the Lamb-Incarnation
Blood
in the basin- Death
Blood
on the door- Application
The lamb must be put into the fire. It not only had to be slain, but it also had
to be roasted as well. There might be
some crosspieces to hold the limbs apart.
Thus, the lamb was literally crucified.
This gives us a picture of Christ crucified. He was hung before the open fire of God’s
wrath, and the flames of God’s wrath enveloped Him.
It must not be eaten raw. The carcass had to endure the fire until the
roasting was complete or until the action of the fire was complete. Christ said, “It is finished.” He had endured it all. The lamb must not be soaked with water,
because water would resist the action of the fire. Nothing was to be done to alleviate the
sufferings of Christ on the cross.
They were to eat the lamb. The eating of the lamb would strengthen them
for their journey. There are Christians
today who haven’t feed on the lamb, and so have not strength to get out of the
land of Egypt. What was left must be
burned. If any of the flesh of the lamb
was not eaten, it would spoil and decay, and become corrupt. But this lamb is typical of Christ, and
anything that savors of corruption must be destroyed.
Concerning
the blood. The blood was sprinkled for
God. It was for God’s eye, not for the
eye of the firstborn. The blood spilt on
Calvary we have never seen, but God saw it.
Result of the Passover. When the Passover was over, there was death
in every home in the land of Egypt. In
the homes of the Egyptians it was the death of the firstborn. In the homes of the Israelite's it was the
death of the firstborn lamb. There was a firstborn death in every home.
The feast of
unleavened bread (Exodus 12:15). This
was instituted also. They were to put
leaven out of their homes, and for seven days were to eat unleavened bread.
The time of
the Passover. The lamb was slain at
three o’clock in the afternoon; judgment came at midnight. Between three and midnight there was time for
the sprinkling of blood, but after midnight no blood could be sprinkled; it was
too late. Christ was crucified 1900 years ago. That was at three in the afternoon. There is a midnight of God’s judgment coming,
but before that time men must come under the blood, to be saved.
The New Year. In Exodus 12 we read that God changed the calendar of the
Israelite's. They were at the beginning
of the seventh month, but God changed it to the first month. Six is the number of man, failure and
sin. Six months had passed, and the
seventh had come, and the seventh was to be the new beginning based on the
Passover. The old six is blotted out.
The
Offerings or Sacrifices- Leviticus 1:5: There are five of them: Burnt, meat, peace, sin, and trespass. It takes all five to present Christ’s
work. The first three are sweet savior. The last two are non-sweet savior; they have
to do with sin- that is, they picture Christ as the sinner’s substitute.
Types of
sacrifices used. There were three kinds
of four-footed beasts- oxen, sheep, and goats.
There also were two birds of sacrifice- turtle-doves and young pigeons.
All sacrifices were either such as were
offered on the ground of communication with God (Burnt and Peace), or else they
were intended to restore that communication when it had been dimmed (Sin and
Trespass). [7]
The burnt offering- Leviticus 1: Entire
surrender unto God whether of the individual or the congregation. Thus, it
could not be offered without the shedding of blood. This portrays our Lord’s perfect submission
to the Father. He was obedient unto
death. The sacrifice was always a male
animal- indicating strength and energy.
The blood was sprinkled on the alter.
The animal was cut in pieces and wholly burned. Through Christ’s finished work we come into
the presence of God for worship. Man is
unworthy and needs to be identified with a Worthy One.
The meat offering- Leviticus 2: Really
a meal offering since there is no flesh in it.
It comes from the vegetable kingdom.
No blood. It brings before us the
products of the soil- that which represents the sweat of man’s brow and
labor. There are three varieties of the sacrifice and all speak of
Christ. The meat offering is human
perfection. It speaks of His unblemished
manhood. Man, fallen and depraved, needs
a substitute.
Fine flour. Ground and sifted. Speaks of evenness and balance of
Christ. No excess or lack of any
quality. The grain, ground between the
millstones and exposed to fire, speaks of Christ’s sacrifice. Frankincense.
Frank means whiteness and speaks of purity. Incense speaks of prayer- “He ever liveth to
make intercession.” The fragrance speaks
of the fragrance of His life. He is the
lily of the Valley.
Baked loaves.
They are cakes mixed with oil. No
leaven permitted. No decay or corruption
in our Lord. No honey. Honey is a
natural sweetness which stands for natural sweetness apart from grace. Honey causes and promotes fermentation.
Salt was to be used, preserving against corruption.
Green
corn. Dried by fire and beaten, pictures
suffering of Christ. Full ears-
excellence and perfection. The first
fruits of the harvest. The best, full,
first, and finest ears.
The peace offering- Leviticus 3: It speaks of a happy fellowship. It followed other feasts. It was either public or private. It could be male or female. Leviticus 7 tells us that the “inwards” were
waved before the Lord, along with “the breast” and “right shoulder.” The purpose of the waving was to present the
sacrifice to the Lord and then receive it back to Him. This offering is typical of Christ in
relation to the believer’s peace.
Colossians 1:20. Christ is our peace.
Man has a heart alienated from God and needs reconciliation.
The sin offering- Leviticus 4: Not like the trespass offering, which only
atoned for one special offense. The sin
offering symbolized general redemption.
This is the most important of all sacrifices. Every spot of blood from a sin offering on a
garment conveyed defilement. Christ was
made sin for us. Man is a sinner and
needs atoning sacrifice.
The trespass
offering- Leviticus 5: It
provided for certain transgressions committed through ignorance. Demands confession. It was prescribed in the cases of healed
lepers- Leviticus 14:12. Blood was thrown on the corners of the alters. The trespass offering shown how Christ would
settle the question of sin; confession then the application of the blood of
Christ. Man is a guilty transgressor and
needs forgiveness.
The High Priest and his Garments: This
is all found in Exodus 28.
The High Priest: Apart from the High Priest
the tabernacle would be inaccessible. He
was the mediator between God and man.
There are two lines of priesthood:
Aaron and Melchizedek. Aaron was
a type or contrast. Aaron was a priest
on earth: Christ never was a priest on
earth. Aaron ceased to be a priest when
he died; Christ never ceases to be a priest.
The work of the High Priest didn’t begin until after the death of the
sacrifice took place. The priesthood had
to do with Israel- God’s own people. All
believers are in heaven in Christ.
Christ is our confessor in heaven.
The priesthood was in behalf of the people. Christ our Righteousness is in heaven. There is finality to His work.
The garments of the High Priest: They
were made of purple, scarlet, fine linen, gold, and precious stones. They were holy garments for glory and beauty-
God designed. There was a coat with a
long skirt and fine linen breeches. The breeches were undergarments that reached
from the loins to the thigh. They speak
of righteousness and purity. Aaron
needed cleansing. The anti-type needed
one. There was a linen girdle. This is not the girdle of the ephod. It was wound around the body. It is a symbol of service- Phil. 2:7; John
13:4- servant. After regeneration there
is need of daily cleansing. The robes of
the ephod were blue from shoulder to the feet.
One piece woven without seam.
There was a habergeon with two holes for arms, and one for the
head. The skirt was trimmed with
pomegranates and embroidered in blue, purple, and scarlet. There were pomegranates and bells on the
hems. Blue was the heavenly color
showing the heavenly character of His ministry.
Bells speak of the tongue, showing the perfect speech of the Son of God. The bells speak of testimony. Pomegranates
speak of fruitfulness- fruit of many seeds.
Whenever there is testimony there is fruit. Whenever the priest went into the Holy of
Holies, the people could hear the bells and so knew he was alive. How do we know Jesus lives in heaven? Because of the bells. On the day of Pentecost, there was a fulfillment
of the ringing of the bells. Bells and pomegranates are never
separated. Whenever there is testimony
you find a fruitfulness of the Spirit.
Ephod. It was
an outer garment made of blue, purple, scarlet, fine-twined linen and
gold. They were joined with gold. There was an onyx-stone on each
shoulder. On each stone were the names
of the six tribes of Israel. The typical
significance is that He bore all Israel on His shoulder before God. So, Christ bears us before God. The shoulder is the place of strength.
Breastplate: It is of the same material
as the ephod. It is foursquare. There were twelve stones for the twelve
tribes, on the breast. The High Priest
bore them on his heart as well as on his shoulder. The typical significance is we are always in
the place of affection.
Mitre: It is the head covering and shows
obedience toward God.
Golden plate: It was the crowning
piece. It was fastened to the mitre with
laces of blue. On it was “Holiness to
the Lord.” Our holiness is in the presence
of God.
Urim and Thummim: For wisdom. God spoke to His people through these. Probably they were two precious stones
carried in the pouch of the breastplate.
The words are Hebrew words meaning lights and perfection.
[2] Bernard Ramm.
Protestant Biblical
Interpretation. W. A. Wilde Company,
Boston, MA. 1950, p. 146-7.
[3] Ramm., p. 147.
[4] John Phillips.
Bible Explorer’s Guide. p. 110-111.
[5] Leon J. Wood.
“The Bible and Future
Events.” Zondervan Publishing House,
Grand Rapids, MI. 1973; pgs. 101-102.
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