Thursday: Typology as Prophecy
The symbols of apocalyptic prophecies, such as those found in Daniel and Revelation, have one single fulfillment. For example, the he-goat found its fulfillment in Greece, a singular kingdom (Dan. 8:21). After all, the text came right out and named it for us! How much clearer could it be?
Image © Lars Justinen at Goodsalt.com
Typology, however, focuses on actual persons, events, or institutions of the Old Testament that are founded in a historical reality but that point forward to greater reality in the future. The use of typology as a method of interpretation goes back to Jesus and the New Testament writers, and is even found in the Old Testament itself. The only guide to recognizing a type and antitype is when an inspired writer of Scripture identifies them.
Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. To what events in history does Paul refer as he admonishes the Corinthian church? How does this relate to us today?
Paul refers back to the historical reality of the Exodus and develops a typology based on the experience of the ancient Hebrews in the wilderness. In this way, Paul shows that God, who inspired Moses to record these events, intended that “these things became our examples” (1 Cor. 10:6, NKJV), thereby admonishing spiritual Israel to endure temptation as we live in the last days.
Read the passages below and write down each type and antitype fulfillment, as described by Jesus and the New Testament writers.
In each case, Jesus and the New Testament writers apply the type and antitype interpretation that allow the prophetic significance to stand out. In this way, they point to a greater fulfillment of the historical reality.
| Think about the earthly sanctuary service, which functioned as a type of the entire plan of salvation. What does this teach us about the importance of the sanctuary message for us today? |
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Thy way O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? Ps 77:13
Where two or three are gathered together I am in the mist to bless and do them good. Matt 18:20
It is in the sanctuary that many spiritual things are taught. Those also includes how to discipline a member in love.
Christ is the guide in our everyday life. Seven days a week. Many neglect to attend church whether during the sabbath or night meetings. The Lord knows how to meet with his people as a group to bless and do good.
I’ve often said that the bible is like an onion. Truth within truth wrapped in more truth. What is so fascinating is that you can read the bible, you can study the bible and you continue to discover more. I’ve read the bible through several times and yet I’m not even close to knowing all there is to know. Typology adds another layer of truth. Using this method even more truths are revealed. There are stories in the bible which when typology is used, the types point to an antitype that you may not have seen if not looking at it from a typology view. I love it!
Matt 12:40- The scribes and Pharisees were demanding a sign from Jesus to prove he was God because of the things he was doing. Jesus answer was the sign of Jonah in the fish belly. How/when/why Jonah ended up in the fish belly? How/when/why Jesus spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth? What does that means. When Jonah was in his deepest moments of distress, he cried by reason of his affliction unto the Lord and the Lord heard him while in the fish belly.
It was God who cast Jonah into the deep, in the midst of the seas the floods compassed him. He stayed there three days and nights. He asked for help and it was freely given.
After the Passover feast, it was time for Christ to be offered up as a lamb. He felt similar to Jonah. He went to Gethsemane to begin his three days journey which ended in his resurrection.
Jonah stated his life was brought up from corruption and thank the Lord.
When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord.
What was Jesus prayer in Gethsemane? How was Jesus feeling on the night he was captured? Tortured? Rejected? Betrayed? Abused? Denied? What were his prayer on the cross?
1.A prayer of forgiveness, similar to Jonah.
2. A prayer when he thought God had forsaken him, similar to Jonah.
3. He committed his spirit into the hands of his father, so was Jonah.
Amen.
I believe the antitype is not necessarily exactly like the type. For instance Jesus said "as it was in the days of Noah so will it be when the Son of Man" it doesn't mean there will be a flood at the end.
Similarly with the Sanctuary and the Plan of Salvation. Also when Paul talks about Jesus going into the Most Holy Place, I don't believe it means He is physically moving around the Sanctuary in Heaven, I believe it is symbolic and it is comparing the continual ministry with the final ministry which we see in Rev 15:8
Correct Shirley, there will be no flood "as in the days of Noah", but there will be destruction, which will come while the world is busy with worldly things, having no time to heed the Word of God and prepare as Jesus was urging all to "take heed", and "watch and pray"! Instead, many will ridicule the warning messages as they did before the flood came suddenly and "took them all away".
Yes, Robert, we must let the NT bring out the meaning. Often the type is literal and the anti-type is spiritual like Israel and Babylon in Revelation.