You've heard of the first and second Adam right? The New Testament itself gives us the foundation: Adam is explicitly called a type of Christ (Romans 5:14); the wilderness events are called examples/warnings (1 Corinthians 10:1–11); the rock is identified with Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4); and Hebrews calls the tabernacle, priesthood and sacrifices “copies” and “shadows” (Hebrews 8:5; 9:23–24; 10:1).
> Passover Lamb: The blood on the doorposts in Exodus foreshadows Jesus Christ as the ultimate spotless Lamb of God who takes away sin.
> Tabernacle and Temple: The physical structure, Holy Place, and Day of Atonement rituals represent the reality of believers having direct access to God through Christ's finished work.
> Sabbath: The Old Testament Sabbath rest acts as a shadow pointing to the true spiritual rest believers have from works-based righteousness through faith.
Can we look at this by book from Genesis through Malachi?
CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Types, Shadows, Pictures, Patterns, Promises and Prophecies Pointing to Jesus Christ
The controlling principle
Jesus said:
Luke 24:27 — He explained to the disciples “in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
And then:
Luke 24:44–47 — Jesus said that everything written about Him in “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms” had to be fulfilled.
That means Christ is not artificially inserted into the Old Testament by Christian imagination. Christ is the destination toward which the Old Testament revelation is moving.
As Billy Graham's ministry has explained, the Old Testament remains God's Word and is important precisely because it points toward the promised Messiah; its sacrificial system finds its fulfillment in Christ's final sacrifice.
PART ONE
THE PENTATEUCH
1. GENESIS
The book of beginnings that begins preparing us for Christ
Creation → Christ, the Creator
Genesis 1:1–3, 26–31
John 1:1–3
Colossians 1:15–17
Hebrews 1:1–3
Genesis begins with God creating through His word.
John deliberately takes us back to Genesis:
“In the beginning…”
and identifies the Word as Christ.
Picture: The God who created everything in Genesis is revealed in the New Testament as the Son through whom all things were created.
Adam → Christ, the Last Adam
Genesis 1–3
Romans 5:12–21
1 Corinthians 15:45–49
This is one of the explicit biblical types.
Adam represented humanity and brought sin and death through disobedience.
Christ represents a new humanity and brings righteousness and life through obedience.
Adam: one man's disobedience → condemnation/death.
Christ: one man's obedience → righteousness/life.
Paul explicitly calls Adam “a type of the one who was to come” (Romans 5:14).
The first promise of redemption → Christ
Genesis 3:15
Galatians 4:4–5
Hebrews 2:14–15
1 John 3:8
God promises that the offspring of the woman will crush the serpent's head.
This is traditionally called the protoevangelium, the first gospel promise.
Picture: Satan will wound the promised Redeemer, but ultimately the Redeemer will crush Satan.
Adam and Eve's coverings → the need for God's provision
Genesis 3:7, 21
Isaiah 61:10
Romans 3:21–26
Humanity tried to cover its shame.
God provided covering.
This should not be pressed into saying that Genesis 3:21 specifically predicts Christ's blood. Scripture does not explicitly make that connection. But it establishes the profound biblical pattern that sin produces guilt and shame, and God must provide the covering humanity cannot provide for itself.
Abel → the righteous sufferer
Genesis 4:1–10
Hebrews 11:4; 12:24
Abel is righteous, yet his brother hates and kills him.
Hebrews later contrasts Abel's blood with Christ's blood.
Picture: the righteous one suffers because of the hatred of the unrighteous.
Noah and the ark → salvation through God's appointed provision
Genesis 6–9
Matthew 24:37–39
1 Peter 3:18–21
2 Peter 2:5
God judges a wicked world but provides salvation through the ark.
Peter explicitly connects Noah's experience with salvation imagery.
Picture: judgment is real, but God provides a way of salvation.
We should not say “the ark equals Jesus” in every detail. The biblical correspondence is broader: God's appointed means of deliverance in the midst of judgment.
Abraham → faith
Genesis 12:1–3; 15:1–6
Romans 4:1–25
Galatians 3:6–9
Abraham believed God's promise.
Genesis 15:6 becomes foundational to Paul's doctrine of justification by faith.
Picture: God's people receive righteousness through faith in God's promise.
Isaac → the promised son
Genesis 17:15–21; 21:1–7; 22:1–19
Hebrews 11:17–19
Isaac is the promised son, uniquely beloved by Abraham.
Genesis 22 becomes particularly important.
Isaac offered → Christ's sacrificial mission
Genesis 22:1–19
John 3:16
Romans 8:32
Hebrews 11:17–19
Abraham is commanded to offer his beloved son.
God provides a substitute.
There is a profound gospel pattern here:
beloved son → offered → substitute provided → life preserved.
But we should not flatten the story: Isaac is not Jesus in every detail. Isaac is a type/pattern that finds a greater fulfillment in Christ.
The ram → substitutionary sacrifice
Genesis 22:13
Isaiah 53:4–6
2 Corinthians 5:21
1 Peter 2:24
The ram dies instead of Isaac.
Picture: the innocent substitute dies in the place of another.
This principle becomes central to the entire sacrificial system and ultimately to Christ's cross.
Jacob → God's covenant faithfulness
Genesis 28:10–22; 32:22–32; 35:9–15
John 1:51
Jacob is not primarily a type of Christ, but his story contributes to the developing covenant story.
At Bethel, God confirms the Abrahamic covenant.
Jesus later uses Jacob's ladder imagery:
John 1:51 — the Son of Man is the ultimate meeting point between heaven and earth.
Joseph → rejected, suffering and exalted savior
Genesis 37–50
Acts 7:9–14
This is one of the richest typological patterns in the Old Testament.
Joseph:
- is beloved by his father
- is rejected by his brothers
- is sold
- suffers unjustly
- is humiliated
- is exalted
- receives authority
- saves many people
- eventually reconciles with those who rejected him
Christ:
- is beloved by the Father
- is rejected by His own
- is betrayed
- suffers unjustly
- is crucified
- is raised and exalted
- receives universal authority
- saves His people
- will ultimately reconcile all things under His reign
Sinclair Ferguson specifically uses Joseph as an example of a legitimate broader typological pattern even though the New Testament never formally says, “Joseph was a type of Christ.”
Genesis 50:20 provides a profound redemptive pattern: God sovereignly turns what people intend for evil toward the salvation of many.
2. EXODUS
Redemption becomes the dominant picture
Moses → Christ, the greater Deliverer
Exodus 1–20
Deuteronomy 18:15–19
Acts 3:22–23; 7:37
Hebrews 3:1–6
Moses delivers Israel from Egypt.
Christ delivers His people from sin.
Moses mediates God's covenant.
Christ mediates the New Covenant.
Moses is God's servant.
Christ is God's Son.
Hebrews 3:5–6 gives the comparison beautifully.
Egypt → slavery to sin
Exodus 1–14
John 8:34–36
Romans 6:16–23
Israel's physical bondage becomes a powerful biblical picture of humanity's bondage to sin.
Passover → Christ our Passover Lamb
Exodus 12:1–32
John 1:29
1 Corinthians 5:7
1 Peter 1:18–19
This is among the clearest biblical types.
The lamb is:
- without blemish
- sacrificed
- associated with judgment
- associated with deliverance
- its blood marks God's people
Paul explicitly says:
1 Corinthians 5:7 — “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
Billy Graham's ministry likewise emphasizes that the Old Testament sacrificial system was designed to teach Israel the seriousness of sin, substitution and God's provision, ultimately preparing them for Christ.
Unleavened bread → Christ's holiness
Exodus 12:15–20
1 Corinthians 5:6–8
Paul uses leaven as imagery for corruption and contrasts it with Christ our Passover.
Red Sea → deliverance
Exodus 14
1 Corinthians 10:1–2
Israel passes from slavery into freedom.
Paul calls the event an example for Christians.
Manna → Christ, the Bread of Life
Exodus 16
John 6:31–35, 48–58
Israel received bread from heaven.
Jesus says:
“I am the bread of life.”
The manna sustained physical life temporarily.
Christ gives eternal life.
Water from the rock → Christ
Exodus 17:1–7
1 Corinthians 10:4
This is explicit:
“The Rock was Christ.”
Few typological statements in Scripture are clearer.
The Tabernacle → God's dwelling with humanity
Exodus 25:8–9
John 1:14
Hebrews 8:1–5; 9:1–12
God says:
“Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.”
John says Christ “dwelt” among us.
The tabernacle was a place of divine presence.
Christ is God dwelling among us in human flesh.
The altar → Christ's sacrifice
Exodus 27:1–8
Hebrews 9:11–14; 10:10–14
Repeated sacrifices anticipate the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ.
The veil → access through Christ
Exodus 26:31–33
Matthew 27:50–51
Hebrews 10:19–22
The veil separates the Holy of Holies.
When Christ dies, the temple veil is torn.
Hebrews then speaks of entering God's presence through Christ.
Picture: the barrier between sinful humanity and God's holy presence is overcome through Christ.
The priesthood → Christ our Great High Priest
Exodus 28–29
Hebrews 4:14–16; 7:23–28
Aaron represents Israel before God.
Christ is the perfect High Priest who represents His people forever.
3. LEVITICUS
The gospel hidden in sacrifices and priesthood
Hebrews is essentially the New Testament's explanation of Leviticus in light of Christ.
Burnt offering
Leviticus 1
Ephesians 5:2
Complete offering to God.
Christ gave Himself completely.
Grain offering
Leviticus 2
John 6:38; Philippians 2:5–8
Associated with dedication and thanksgiving.
Christ perfectly obeyed the Father's will.
Peace offering
Leviticus 3
Romans 5:1, 10–11
Associated with fellowship and peace.
Christ reconciles sinners to God.
Sin offering
Leviticus 4
2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24
Sin requires atonement.
Christ bears our sins.
Guilt offering
Leviticus 5:14–6:7
Isaiah 53:10
Isaiah uses sacrificial guilt-offering language regarding the suffering Servant.
Christ bears the guilt of His people.
Day of Atonement
Leviticus 16
Hebrews 9:6–14; 10:1–14
The high priest enters God's presence once a year.
Christ enters the heavenly sanctuary once for all.
This is central to Hebrews.
Scapegoat
Leviticus 16:20–22
Psalm 103:12
Isaiah 53:6
1 Peter 2:24
Israel's sins are symbolically placed upon the goat and carried away.
Picture: Christ bears our sins away.
“The life…is in the blood”
Leviticus 17:11
Matthew 26:28
Hebrews 9:22
The sacrificial system teaches the costliness of sin and the necessity of blood in atonement.
4. NUMBERS
Christ in the wilderness
The bronze serpent → Christ lifted up
Numbers 21:4–9
John 3:14–16
Jesus Himself establishes the connection.
Israel looks upon God's appointed provision and lives.
Christ is lifted up on the cross so that believing sinners receive eternal life.
This is one of the most explicit types in the entire Bible.
The bronze serpent also warns us
2 Kings 18:4
Centuries later Israel turns the bronze serpent into an idol.
The lesson is important:
A God-given symbol must never become a substitute for God Himself.
Even a legitimate biblical picture can be corrupted into idolatry.
Balaam's prophecy → the coming King
Numbers 24:15–19
Matthew 2:1–6
Revelation 22:16
Balaam prophesies:
“a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”
The royal/Messianic expectation develops throughout Scripture.
Wilderness experiences → Christian warnings
Numbers 14; 20–21
1 Corinthians 10:1–13
Hebrews 3:7–4:11
Israel's unbelief becomes a warning to Christians.
Redemption must produce persevering faith.
5. DEUTERONOMY
Moses promises a Prophet like himself
Deuteronomy 18:15–19
Acts 3:22–23; 7:37
The apostles explicitly apply this to Christ.
Jesus is the ultimate Prophet who reveals God perfectly.
Moses' death and Joshua's succession → Christ's greater leadership
Deuteronomy 34
Joshua 1
Hebrews 3–4
Moses cannot bring Israel into the final rest.
Joshua succeeds him.
Hebrews then says even Joshua did not provide ultimate rest.
That points us toward Christ.
PART TWO
THE HISTORICAL BOOKS
6. JOSHUA
Joshua → Jesus, the greater Joshua
Joshua 1–24
Hebrews 4:8–11
The names Joshua and Jesus correspond through Hebrew/Greek forms of the same name.
Joshua brings Israel into Canaan.
Jesus brings His people into ultimate salvation and rest.
Rahab → salvation through faith
Joshua 2:1–21; 6:22–25
Matthew 1:5
Hebrews 11:31
James 2:25
Rahab believes and acts upon God's revelation.
She is incorporated into God's people and appears in Messiah's genealogy.
Picture: grace reaches a sinner outside Israel who believes and is brought into God's covenant people.
7. JUDGES
Judges gives us a repeated pattern:
sin → oppression → crying out → deliverance → sin again.
Judges 2:10–19
This creates a longing for a righteous, permanent King.
Judges 21:25
“Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
The book creates the need for a king.
But Israel's earthly kings will also fail.
The story ultimately points beyond human rulers to the perfect King.
8. RUTH
Boaz → the kinsman-redeemer
Ruth 2–4
Ephesians 1:7
1 Peter 1:18–19
Boaz is willing and able to redeem Ruth.
Christ becomes truly human and redeems His people.
Ruth → Gentile inclusion
Ruth 1:16–17; 4:13–17
Matthew 1:5
Ruth, a Gentile, becomes part of David's ancestry.
Picture: God's redemptive purpose reaches beyond Israel to the nations.
9. 1 SAMUEL
David → Messiah
1 Samuel 16
2 Samuel 7
Luke 1:32–33
David is anointed king.
Jesus is the ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah.
David's victory over Goliath → God's anointed representative
1 Samuel 17
David fights as Israel's representative.
Israel's victory comes through its representative.
Christ conquers sin, death and Satan as our representative.
This is a legitimate typological pattern, although Scripture does not explicitly call Goliath a type of Satan.
10. 2 SAMUEL
Davidic Covenant → Christ's eternal throne
2 Samuel 7:12–16
Luke 1:32–33
Acts 2:30–36
God promises David:
- an enduring house
- an enduring throne
- an enduring kingdom
The ultimate fulfillment is Christ.
11. 1 KINGS
Solomon → Christ, the greater King
1 Kings 1–11
Matthew 12:42
Solomon is wise, wealthy and glorious.
Jesus says:
“something greater than Solomon is here.”
That statement gives us the interpretive key.
Solomon's temple → greater Temple
1 Kings 6–8
John 2:19–21
Solomon builds the temple.
Jesus identifies His body as the true temple.
12. 2 KINGS
Elijah/Elisha and God's prophetic ministry
1 Kings 17–19; 2 Kings 4–8
Luke 4:24–27
These prophets demonstrate that God's mercy is not restricted to Israel.
Jesus specifically points to God's mercy toward Gentiles in the ministries of Elijah and Elisha.
They are not simply types of Jesus, but their ministries contribute to the pattern of God's saving purpose reaching the nations.
13. 1 CHRONICLES
Davidic kingdom and temple worship
1 Chronicles 17:11–14
Luke 1:32–33
Chronicles reinforces the Davidic hope.
The royal line points toward the promised Messiah.
14. 2 CHRONICLES
Temple, sacrifice and God's presence
2 Chronicles 6–7
The temple is the center of Israel's worship.
The New Testament relocates the ultimate meeting place with God to Christ.
John 2:19–21
PART THREE
EZRA THROUGH ESTHER
15. EZRA
Restoration after exile
Ezra 1–6
Israel returns from exile and rebuilds the temple.
This anticipates God's greater work of restoration.
16. NEHEMIAH
Rebuilding Jerusalem
Nehemiah 1–13
Jerusalem's walls are restored.
But Israel's deeper problem remains the human heart.
The Old Testament repeatedly demonstrates that external restoration cannot solve humanity's fundamental sin problem.
That creates anticipation for the New Covenant.
17. ESTHER
Esther never explicitly names God.
Yet God's providential preservation of His covenant people is unmistakable.
Esther 4:14
The Jewish people are preserved from destruction.
This matters because Messiah's promised line cannot be destroyed.
Picture: God's hidden providence preserving His redemptive purposes.
PART FOUR
THE WISDOM BOOKS
18. JOB
The righteous sufferer
Job 1–42
Job suffers despite not being guilty of the specific accusations brought against him.
This is not a direct prophecy of Jesus, but Job contributes to the biblical theology of:
innocent suffering → vindication → restoration.
Christ is the ultimate righteous sufferer.
19. PSALMS
The Psalms contain some of the Bible's clearest Messianic revelation.
Psalm 2 → God's Anointed King
Psalm 2:1–12
Acts 4:25–28
Acts 13:33
Hebrews 1:5
Christ is God's Son and King.
Psalm 16 → resurrection
Psalm 16:8–11
Acts 2:25–32; 13:35–37
Peter and Paul apply this to Christ's resurrection.
Psalm 22 → suffering and crucifixion
Psalm 22:1–31
Matthew 27:35–46
John 19:23–24
The suffering righteous one cries out to God and is ultimately vindicated.
Psalm 23 → Christ the Shepherd
Psalm 23
John 10:11
1 Peter 5:4
David says:
“The LORD is my shepherd.”
Jesus says:
“I am the good shepherd.”
Psalm 40 → Christ's obedience
Psalm 40:6–8
Hebrews 10:5–10
Hebrews applies Psalm 40 to Christ.
Psalm 45 → the divine King
Psalm 45:6–7
Hebrews 1:8–9
The New Testament applies this royal psalm to the Son.
Psalm 69 → rejected suffering Messiah
Psalm 69:4, 9, 21
John 2:17; 15:25; 19:28–29
Romans 15:3
Multiple elements are applied to Christ.
Psalm 72 → the universal King
Psalm 72:1–19
Matthew 28:18–20
Revelation 19:15–16
Solomon may be the immediate historical horizon, but the psalm's universal and everlasting kingdom language points beyond Solomon.
Psalm 110 → Christ the King-Priest
Psalm 110:1–7
Matthew 22:41–46
Acts 2:34–36
Hebrews 5–7
This is perhaps the most frequently quoted Old Testament Messianic psalm in the New Testament.
Christ is simultaneously:
King + Priest + Lord.
Psalm 118 → rejected cornerstone
Psalm 118:22–26
Matthew 21:42
Acts 4:11
1 Peter 2:7
The rejected stone becomes the cornerstone.
20. PROVERBS
Wisdom → ultimately fulfilled in Christ
Proverbs 1:1–7; 8:1–36
1 Corinthians 1:24, 30
Colossians 2:3
We must be careful here.
Proverbs' personification of Wisdom should not simply be declared “Jesus” in every verse.
But the New Testament reveals Christ as the wisdom of God, and all true biblical wisdom ultimately finds its fullness in Him.
21. ECCLESIASTES
Ecclesiastes repeatedly declares the inability of earthly life to provide ultimate meaning apart from God.
Ecclesiastes 12:13–14
The book creates a longing for something greater than:
- pleasure
- possessions
- achievement
- wisdom
- human success
Christ provides the ultimate answer to that longing.
22. SONG OF SOLOMON
This book celebrates covenant love between husband and wife.
Song of Solomon 2:16; 8:6–7
The New Testament uses marriage as an analogy for Christ and His church:
Ephesians 5:25–32.
We should therefore be cautious about claiming that every individual detail of Song of Solomon secretly represents Christ.
But the marriage covenant/love pattern provides a legitimate biblical framework for understanding Christ's love for His people.
PART FIVE
THE MAJOR PROPHETS
23. ISAIAH
Isaiah is extraordinarily rich in Christology.
Immanuel
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:22–23
“God with us.”
Matthew explicitly applies this to Jesus.
The Child and Son
Isaiah 9:6–7
Luke 1:32–33
A child is born.
A son is given.
His kingdom is everlasting.
The Branch
Isaiah 11:1–10
Romans 15:12
The Davidic ruler comes from Jesse's line.
The Servant
Isaiah 42:1–9
Matthew 12:17–21
Matthew explicitly applies Isaiah's Servant prophecy to Jesus.
The suffering Servant
Isaiah 52:13–53:12
Acts 8:30–35
1 Peter 2:22–25
This is one of Scripture's clearest portraits of Christ's substitutionary suffering.
He:
- is despised
- suffers
- is pierced
- bears sins
- dies
- is buried
- is vindicated
- brings righteousness to many
The anointed preacher
Isaiah 61:1–3
Luke 4:16–21
Jesus reads Isaiah and declares that the Scripture is fulfilled in Him.
24. JEREMIAH
The righteous Branch
Jeremiah 23:5–6
Luke 1:32–33
A Davidic king will reign righteously.
His name is associated with:
“The LORD is our righteousness.”
The New Covenant
Jeremiah 31:31–34
Luke 22:20
Hebrews 8:6–13; 10:15–17
God promises:
- a new covenant
- forgiveness
- transformed hearts
- God's law written within
- knowledge of God
Jesus identifies His death with the inauguration of the New Covenant.
25. LAMENTATIONS
Lamentations shows the devastation caused by sin and God's judgment.
Lamentations 3:22–24
Even in judgment, God's steadfast love remains.
The book contributes to the biblical tension:
judgment + mercy.
That tension ultimately finds its resolution at the cross, where God's holiness and mercy meet.
26. EZEKIEL
The Good Shepherd
Ezekiel 34:11–24
John 10:11–18
God promises to seek His scattered sheep.
Jesus says:
“I am the good shepherd.”
The correspondence is profound.
New heart
Ezekiel 36:25–27
John 3:5–8
Titus 3:5
God promises cleansing, a new heart and His Spirit.
Christ brings the reality of regeneration.
God's presence returning
Ezekiel 43:1–5
John 1:14
Revelation 21:3
The glory of God returns.
Ultimately God dwells with His redeemed people forever.
27. DANIEL
The Son of Man
Daniel 7:13–14
Matthew 26:63–64
Mark 14:61–62
Revelation 1:13
Daniel sees:
“one like a son of man”
coming with the clouds and receiving everlasting dominion.
Jesus repeatedly identifies Himself as the Son of Man.
The stone
Daniel 2:34–35, 44–45
Matthew 21:42
Acts 4:11
God's kingdom destroys and surpasses the kingdoms of this world.
Christ establishes the everlasting kingdom.
The Anointed One
Daniel 9:24–27
Daniel's prophecy contributes to the biblical expectation of the coming Messiah and His redemptive work.
PART SIX
THE MINOR PROPHETS
28. HOSEA
“Out of Egypt I called my son”
Hosea 11:1
Matthew 2:13–15
Hosea originally speaks about Israel.
Matthew applies the pattern to Christ.
This is an important example of typological fulfillment: Israel's history provides a pattern that reaches its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.
Sinclair Ferguson specifically uses this passage as an example of how the New Testament identifies a historical Old Testament pattern fulfilled in Christ.
Faithful Bridegroom
Hosea 1–3
Ephesians 5:25–32
Hosea's covenant-marriage imagery contributes to the Bible's larger theology of God's faithful love for His unfaithful people.
29. JOEL
The outpouring of the Spirit
Joel 2:28–32
Acts 2:16–21
Peter explicitly identifies Pentecost as fulfillment of Joel.
30. AMOS
Restoration of David's fallen tent
Amos 9:11–12
Acts 15:13–18
James applies Amos to God's inclusion of the Gentiles in the people of God.
31. OBADIAH
God's kingdom over the nations
Obadiah 15–21
The book anticipates the day when:
“the kingdom shall be the LORD's.”
This contributes to the Old Testament expectation of God's universal kingdom.
32. JONAH
Three days
Jonah 1:17
Matthew 12:39–41
Jesus explicitly makes Jonah a sign pointing toward His own death and resurrection.
This is one of the clearest examples of an Old Testament event being interpreted by Jesus Himself as a sign pointing toward Him.
33. MICAH
Bethlehem
Micah 5:2
Matthew 2:5–6
The Messiah will come from Bethlehem.
Shepherd-King
Micah 5:2–5
The ruler from Bethlehem will shepherd God's people.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd and Davidic King.
34. NAHUM
Nahum proclaims God's judgment against Nineveh.
Nahum 1:7
“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble.”
The book reinforces God's character:
holy Judge + refuge for those who trust Him.
That pattern reaches its fullest expression in Christ's saving work.
35. HABAKKUK
“The righteous shall live by his faith”
Habakkuk 2:4
Romans 1:17
Galatians 3:11
Hebrews 10:38
This becomes one of the foundational statements of New Testament justification and Christian perseverance.
36. ZEPHANIAH
The LORD in the midst of His people
Zephaniah 3:14–17
God Himself comes to dwell among His people.
The New Testament reveals the ultimate fulfillment of God's presence in Christ and ultimately the new creation.
Revelation 21:3
37. HAGGAI
Greater glory
Haggai 2:6–9
The rebuilt temple's future glory surpasses the former.
The temple theme ultimately points beyond a physical building toward Christ and the presence of God.
38. ZECHARIAH
Zechariah is extraordinarily Messianic.
The Branch
Zechariah 3:8; 6:12–13
The Branch will build God's temple and bear royal/priestly authority.
Picture: Christ combines the offices of King and Priest.
The humble King
Zechariah 9:9
Matthew 21:4–5
Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey.
Matthew explicitly connects the event to Zechariah.
The pierced one
Zechariah 12:10
John 19:37
The New Testament applies the pierced-one prophecy to Christ.
The struck Shepherd
Zechariah 13:7
Matthew 26:31
Mark 14:27
Jesus explicitly applies Zechariah's prophecy to His disciples' scattering when He is arrested.
The coming King
Zechariah 14:3–9
Revelation 19–20
The book ends with the expectation of God's universal reign.
39. MALACHI
The messenger preparing the way
Malachi 3:1
Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:27
The New Testament applies this prophecy to John the Baptist preparing the way for Christ.
The Sun of Righteousness
Malachi 4:2
The coming day of God's salvation and judgment is portrayed with the imagery of rising light.
While this verse is not directly quoted as a formal prophecy of Christ in the New Testament, Christians have historically seen its imagery as fitting the coming Messiah.
We should distinguish that from passages the New Testament explicitly applies to Jesus.
THE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF OLD TESTAMENT TYPES
When all 39 Old Testament books are viewed together, the patterns become remarkably clear.
CHRIST IS PICTURED AS...
The Last Adam
Genesis 1–3 → Romans 5; 1 Corinthians 15
The Ark of Salvation
Genesis 6–9 → 1 Peter 3
The Substitute
Genesis 22 → Isaiah 53
The Rejected and Exalted Savior
Joseph, Genesis 37–50 → Christ
The Deliverer
Moses/Exodus → Christ
The Passover Lamb
Exodus 12 → 1 Corinthians 5:7
The Bread of Life
Manna, Exodus 16 → John 6
The Living Water
Rock, Exodus 17 → 1 Corinthians 10:4
The Great High Priest
Aaron → Hebrews 4–10
The Perfect Sacrifice
Leviticus → Hebrews 9–10
The Sin-Bearer
Scapegoat, Leviticus 16 → 1 Peter 2:24
The Lifted-Up Savior
Bronze serpent, Numbers 21 → John 3:14–16
The Greater Joshua
Joshua → Hebrews 4
The Kinsman-Redeemer
Boaz → Christ
The Greater David
2 Samuel 7 → Luke 1
The Greater Solomon
1 Kings → Matthew 12:42
The Good Shepherd
Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34 → John 10
The Suffering Servant
Isaiah 53 → Acts 8; 1 Peter 2
The New Covenant Mediator
Jeremiah 31 → Hebrews 8
The Son of Man
Daniel 7 → Matthew 26
The Cornerstone
Psalm 118 → Acts 4; 1 Peter 2
The Humble King
Zechariah 9 → Matthew 21
The Pierced Savior
Zechariah 12 → John 19
The Struck Shepherd
Zechariah 13 → Matthew 26
The Coming King
Zechariah 14 → Revelation
THE THREE OFFICES OF CHRIST
The Old Testament repeatedly establishes three great offices.
Prophet
Deuteronomy 18:15–19 → Acts 3:22–23
Christ reveals God.
Priest
Psalm 110:4 → Hebrews 7
Christ represents His people before God and offers Himself as the final sacrifice.
King
2 Samuel 7; Psalm 2 → Luke 1:32–33; Revelation 19:16
Christ reigns over God's everlasting kingdom.
And Jesus doesn't merely perform these offices.
He perfectly fulfills all three.
THE THREE GREAT PICTURES OF SALVATION
There are also three enormous Old Testament movements.
EXODUS
Bondage → redemption
EXILE
Sin → judgment
RETURN
Restoration → God's presence
The New Testament brings these themes to their climax in Christ:
Christ redeems us from slavery to sin.
Christ bears judgment for His people.
Christ restores us to God.
Christ brings us into God's presence.
SOME OF THE GREAT CHRISTIAN VOICES ON THIS SUBJECT
I want to be particularly careful here because you asked me not to invent quotations.
Billy Graham
Billy Graham's ministry taught that the Old Testament remains relevant because it points toward Christ, and that the sacrificial system prepared God's people for the Messiah.
A particularly useful statement from his ministry is:
“Most of all, they point us to Jesus Christ.”
That appears in Billy Graham's answer concerning Old Testament law and sacrifices.
Sinclair Ferguson
Ferguson gives an important warning for anyone teaching biblical typology:
“The best way is to begin with the clear teaching of the New Testament rather than to start making up types from the Old Testament.”
That is an especially valuable principle for Bible teachers.
C.J. Williams
Williams describes biblical types as essentially living prophecies embedded in Old Testament history, pointing toward God's covenant promises fulfilled in Christ.
Ligonier's summary of Hebrews
One particularly helpful formulation is:
“Christ is the original; He is the antitype.”
The Old Testament institutions are the shadows; Christ is the reality casting the shadow.
Heidelberg Catechism
The Heidelberg Catechism summarizes the progression beautifully, saying God's covenant was proclaimed through the patriarchs and prophets, “foreshadowed by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law, and finally fulfilled in his well-beloved Son.”
A WORD FROM THE GREAT AUGUSTINE
A famous Christian formulation is:
“The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.”
This saying is traditionally attributed to Augustine and expresses an important theological truth, but I would not present the wording as an exact Augustine quotation unless you are willing to cite a specific edition/translation. The underlying idea is unquestionably consistent with the way Christians have historically understood the relationship between the Testaments.
For your teaching, I would instead use the verified biblical statements as your foundation:
Luke 24:27
Luke 24:44
John 5:39
John 5:46
Romans 5:14
1 Corinthians 10:1–11
1 Corinthians 10:4
Galatians 3:24
Colossians 2:16–17
Hebrews 8:5
Hebrews 9:23–24
Hebrews 10:1
Those are stronger than any human quotation.
THE GOLDEN THREAD
There is something beautiful about tracing the Bible this way.
Genesis:
A Redeemer is promised.
Exodus:
A people are redeemed by blood.
Leviticus:
A way is provided for sinful people to approach a holy God.
Numbers:
A dying people look in faith toward God's provision and live.
Deuteronomy:
A Prophet like Moses is promised.
Joshua:
God gives His people rest.
Ruth:
A redeemer restores what was lost.
Samuel:
A Davidic King is promised.
Kings:
Even the greatest earthly king is inadequate.
Psalms:
The coming King, Shepherd, Priest and suffering righteous One is revealed.
Isaiah:
The virgin-born Son and suffering Servant are revealed.
Jeremiah:
A New Covenant is promised.
Ezekiel:
A new heart and God's Spirit are promised.
Daniel:
The Son of Man receives an everlasting kingdom.
Minor Prophets:
The Shepherd-King, Branch, pierced One, coming King and messenger are anticipated.
And then, after centuries of anticipation:
Matthew 1:1
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
The story finally arrives at a Person.
Not merely a principle.
Not merely a system.
Not merely a law.
Not merely a sacrifice.
Jesus Christ.
THE MASTER KEY
If I were teaching this in a Bible class, I would put these verses at the very top of the handout:
Luke 24:27
Christ explained Himself from Moses and all the Prophets.
Luke 24:44
Everything written about Him in Moses, the Prophets and Psalms had to be fulfilled.
John 5:39
The Scriptures bear witness about Christ.
John 5:46
Moses wrote about Christ.
Romans 5:14
Adam was a type of Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:4
The rock was Christ.
Galatians 3:24
The Law was a guardian leading to Christ.
Colossians 2:17
The Old Covenant things were a shadow, while Christ is the substance/reality.
Hebrews 8:5
The earthly priestly system served as a copy and shadow.
Hebrews 9:23–24
The earthly sanctuary was a copy of heavenly realities.
Hebrews 10:1
The Law had “a shadow of the good things to come.”
And then the conclusion:
The shadow is not the destination.
The sacrifice was not the destination.
The priesthood was not the destination.
The tabernacle was not the destination.
The temple was not the destination.
The earthly king was not the destination.
The promised land was not the ultimate destination.
All of these were pointing beyond themselves to something greater.
And the greater reality is Jesus Christ.
That is why Hebrews 10:1 calls the Old Testament system a shadow, and why Colossians 2:17 says the shadow belongs to the coming reality, Christ. Conservative evangelical scholarship likewise emphasizes that typology should ultimately lead us away from the shadow and toward the reality of Christ rather than becoming an end in itself.
II want to emphasize Luke 24:27, 44 -- that's a good governing framework. It keeps the entire study of this toopic centered where Jesus Himself put it: the Scriptures testify about Him.
In terms of God’s revelation we see in the Old Covenant, we see shadows and types and pictures, and reflections all from the pattern which is heavenly.
The earthly temple, the earthly tabernacle, is a place that is only a copy of the real temple of God. Earthly worship is only a remote reflection of real worship when we get to heaven.
The earthly priesthood is only an inadequate shadow of the real priesthood. In fact, if you go back to Exodus 25:40, and it’ll be quoted for you down in verse 5 in a minute, you’ll find that when Moses received the instructions about the tabernacle and all of its furnishings, that God had said to him, “And look that thou make them after their pattern which was showed thee in the mount.” The pattern is heavenly. All the earthly things are only pictures of the pattern.
So, Jesus is superior to Aaron number one because He’s seated, and number two, because He serves in a superior sanctuary, not pitched by men, but pitched by God. He serves in the real sanctuary.
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