The Types of Christ predominantly found in the Old Testament act as a foreshadow of the Perfection of Christ that was to come. The picture of good that would give way to the Much Better.

Typology is not only interesting, it further confirms Jesus in the Old Testament, which gives way to even more assurance, credence and a greater testimony to our faith. There are a plethora of Types of Christ that go from Old Testament to New; foreshadowing the coming Messiah, His Death and Resurrection and God’s Plan of Salvation for mankind. Inasmuch as the following list is not exhaustive, it names some of the Types and the Antitypes subtly tucked away in the pages of Scripture; highlighting the indisputable connection and flow between the Old Testament of Christ and the New Testament of Christ. Without those Types of Christ acknowledged and studied out, the purpose for the Old Testament writings would be lost, as the primary reason we have the Old Testament is to point readers to Christ Jesus.

Moreover, those who prefigured Christ in the Old Testament acted as crucial evidence for salvation of those in the years before Christ.

Types: Patriarchs acting as prefigures of Christ and places or things that represent Christ in some way in the Old Testament

Antitype: Those representations coming to fruition in the New Testament; we use the prefix “anti” to point to the Perfection of Jesus outweighing types of any kind….

                                    TWELVE EXAMPLES

1). Adam: Adam was the first man, and Jesus is referred to as the “Last Adam” in Romans 5:14 & 1Corinthians 15:45. (Antitype-The Work of Christ)

^“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.” (Romans 5:14)

^“And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” (1Corinthians 15:45)

2). The Promised “Seed:” In Genesis 3:15, God promises to end sin in the world through His Son. The serpent was the first of many who would attempt to prevent Jesus’ Birth, Ministry and Priesthood and in this verse God asserts His Authority and informs the serpent that he would not succeed in his quest to prevent the Birth of the Savior of the world, and in fact He makes it clear that Christ Jesus would win the final battle, saying Jesus would bruise his head, and also references the heal of Jesus in reference to the Cross. (Antitype: The Birth of Jesus)

3). Abel: Abel was the first one in the Bible to suffer and die for Christ and for the sake of righteousness. Just as Jesus always obeyed His Father in Heaven, so too did Abel live uprightly. Moreover, Abel was a shepherd and Jesus is “The Good Shepherd.” AND, he was innocent, yet he was killed, just like Jesus. God even told Cain that He heard his brother’s blood crying out from the ground in Genesis 4:10.

^“to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:24)

4). Isaac: Isaac was willing to lay down his life; he obeyed when Abraham told him that God wanted him to offer his son as a sacrifice to God. Furthermore, Isaac was offered on the same mountain as was Jesus. (Antitype: Jesus’ Sacrificial Death.)

^“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”  concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.” (Hebrews 11:17-19)

5). Joseph: There were over 100 times Joseph’s life lined up with the Life of Christ. Here are just a few:

Joseph was a shepherd, was sent by his father to his brethren, was conspired against, was stripped of his beautiful coat, sold for the price of a slave, resisted temptation, was innocent, yet thrown into prison, interpreted dreams; revealing secrets like Christ, was exalted by Pharaoh over all of Egypt, was a highly exalted king, began his ministry at 30 years old, and his own brothers did not recognize him (at first), just like the Jews, at first, are failing to recognize Jesus. (Antitype: Jesus was a shepherd, was sent by His Father, was conspired against and so on……)

6). The Rock: God told Moses to speak to the Rock in the Book of Numbers, and it gushed water for the people, for they were thirsty. (Antitype: The Living Water that is Christ Jesus our Lord)

^“Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)

7). Passover: God instructed the people to smear the blood of their sacrificial lambs on their doorpost; creating the shape of a cross, which was a sign to His Angels to pass over those houses and sparing their children. (Antitype: Jesus the Sacrificial Lamb; The Perfect Sacrifice)

^“but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1Peter 1:19)

8). The Bronze Serpent: Moses lifted up a snake on a pole and God permitted the people to be healed of their snake bites just by looking at the uplifted snake. The pole representing the cross and the snake representing Christ, in that He hung like the snake. (Antitype: The Crucifixion of Christ)

^“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)

9). David: David was a king, a prophet and a priest. He held all 3 of those offices. And David offered his sacrifice on the very spot Jesus was crucified. (Antitype: Jesus came as a Prophet and became our King and High Priest.)

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:14-15)

10). Joshua: He led his people to the Promised Land and went before them in order to bring them to the inheritance. Furthermore, Joshua saved his covenant people and his name even represents Jesus. Even his name shows him as a “Type” of Christ. The name Joshua means Yehoshua and Jesus means “Jehovah Saves.”

(feedingonchrist.org)

11). Enoch walked with God and was taken up while still upright; resurrected. This miraculous event foreshadowed the Ascension of Christ in the Resurrection.

12). Noah: Noah gave rest to the souls of men; his name meaning “rest.” But Jesus is the “better Noah.” Moreover, the flood presented us with a picture of salvation, as God’s plan of rescue did show itself through that event. God had to save a remnant of mankind in order to fulfill His Promise/Prophecy in Genesis 3:15 in order that He would “send the Seed of the woman to crush the head of the serpent.” (feedingonchrist.org)

Rest

^“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29)

Rescue

^“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39)

Remnant

^“So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.” (Genesis 6:12-14)

NKJV

Linzy is a certified Bible Counsellor, with countless republications on her viewers blogs, Bible Studies, Ezines and the like. Her portfolio includes, non-fiction articles, short stories for all ages, and Christian poetry.