Types of Christ in the Old Testament
This study uses the following notation system. Each “Type” discussed will be numbered as follows: (1), (2), (3) etc. A single type may have different specific points that will be denoted as follows: (1-a), (1-b), (1-c) etc. When you see a notation followed by an asterisk, this is to connect what follows it, to the same note previously shown. For instance, (1-a)* means that the information that follows is directly related to (1-a).
Types of Christ in the Old Testament
One of the major questions for people of any religion is; “How do you know that your faith is in the right religion?” And this is a perfectly valid question. No other book in human history has been more scrutinized, more attacked, and more studied than the Judaeo / Christian Bible. The fact that it still has mysteries to unravel, and that it cannot be sufficiently debunked should say something quite special about the Book itself, as well as its Author. It is true that people claim that the Bible has many contradictions and inaccuracies, but this can always be proven to be a misunderstanding of the text, or an outright misrepresentation of the text.
There are two major ways of using the Scriptures themselves to show the divine nature of the Book (as opposed to examining science and other external sources). One way is to examine the more than 300 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. A man once focused on a mere 8 prophecies, and came up with mathematical statistics of how likely it would be for someone to fulfill just those 8 by blind chance. He then came up with a picture to illustrate this probability. If you were to fill the entire state of Texas two feet high with silver coins, with a single gold coin mixed in somewhere, and then send a blind man into the state, and allow him to pick up only one coin, the odds of him picking up the gold coin are the same as Jesus fulfilling just 8 of the over 300 prophecies that were spoken of the Messiah. If you have not read it, please check out my “Jesus Messiah” flipnote, and Hatena diary entry, which gives the passages of 48 original prophecies as well as the fulfillment of them.
Jesus Messiah Flipnote version- http://flipnote.hatena.com/59DA089031CC2822@DSi/movie/CC2822_0B0AEA61BD6A1_013?in=user
Jesus Messiah Hatena Diary version - http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nicholighkun/20111015/1318702463
The other 100% Scriptural argument is in a thing called types or shadows, also called typology. A type is when an Old Testament person, object, law, ceremony, story, etc. very clearly parallels the person of the Messiah. This occurs in all of the OT. Here’s one way to look at it: The New Testament is Christ the man, the Old Testament is His shadow. Colossians 2:17 “Which [laws] are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” I Corinthians 10:11 Paul speaking of the Old Testament patriarchs, “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” It would require several years of devotion to comprise all of the types in the OT (indeed many exist in the New Testament as well), so, we will only be taking a look at a few examples. It is certainly worth noting that other people and things can be typified as well, such as Israel, the anti-Christ, the Gentile nations, etc. but most types point to Christ. It is also important to note that types are always imperfect, or incomplete pictures, they have to be. At some point, each and every type example must cease to be a representation of Christ, or else it would be that very Christ.
One good reason for focusing on the Torah, and specifically the book of Genesis, is that there is a concentrated attack on the reliability, and scientific possibility of these accounts as they relate to the creation of all things. If Satan can convince people that the creation account is flawed, then all the rest of the Scriptures fall apart. Jesus Himself in countless passages revealed through quoting Genesis, that He believed that this book is a literal account, and that it is reliable. If the Word of God, Jesus Christ, who made all things (John 1:1-14, Colossians 2:16) also endorses the literal accounts of Genesis (Matthew 24:37, Luke 17:26-32), why shouldn’t we? I have devoted a fair amount of time to scientific research of many of evolutions claims, and I fully intend on comprising the fruits of that labor, but for now, I am speaking to Christians that we should stop allowing the interpretations of scientific evidence, as presented by anti-creationists, to sway our belief in the Son of God. The major reason for studying types from the book of Genesis is that they do much in revealing the books supernatural value and authorship, and I would even say that it is THE book that most studies of typology should be focused on, to the ends of further substantiating the Biblical creation account.
My information will be coming mostly from a book called Portraits of Christ in Genesis by M.R. De Haan. I will first point out that I have found many mistakes in the book, so I actually don’t recommend it for the casual reader, as you may take in bad information as truth. In regards to this study it is imperative that you constantly remind yourself that we are mostly looking at A SINGLE BOOK of the OT in Genesis, and of that book, ONLY A FEW examples. Also bear in mind that we are looking at what is almost the oldest book of the Bible (next to Job I believe) meaning that these faint shadows of Christ go all the way back to the creation, demonstrating that God has always known the full story. Further remind yourself as we move along, and I cannot stress this enough, the big reveal hinges on this observation; the Bible as a whole is comprised of 66 books, written by almost 40 different authors, over the course of around 1,500 years. So all of these authors, > if they were to have lied in their accounts,< also just "happened" to PERFECTLY typify the same person that none of them knew personally. Also, in order for Jesus to have faked His identity as the Messiah, He would not only have to be blessed with blind luck in fulfilling almost all of the prophecies concerning The Messiah (minus only the ones yet to be fulfilled (a)*), He would also have to fulfill these types, which were not even thought of as shadows of the Messiah, until after He fulfilled them, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit began to reveal these types to the Bride of Christ, His Church. In that regard, Types are a more concrete evidence than prophecy for showing the divinity of the authorship of the Bible, as well as being great evidence to show that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah, because no one expected the Messiah to also be typified in the whole O.T. (a)* Indeed most Jews believed that Christ would come and reign on the earth with only one coming, as many of them were ignorant of, or simple rejected the prophecies concerning His death and second coming.
Quick note: Many people attack the validity of the Scriptures by saying that the manuscripts were altered in favor of Jesus, after His death. This claim is somewhat easily laid to rest in studying the dating of the Dead Sea scrolls [which is around 100 years before Christ]. Some also like to claim that Jesus never existed, but looking at the number of anti-Christian authors of and around the time of Jesus, that confirmed such things as; He lived; He performed many miracles; His Body went “missing” shortly after His burial, we can find more confirmation for the life of Jesus than for many other historical figures that are not questioned to have lived. There is a very competent short 4 video series on youtube concerning this topic, called “The Evidence for the Existence of Jesus (part 1 of 4)”.
Video #1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX0UMq2FQbU&feature=player_embedded
Video #2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeThvs3xP3k&feature=related
Video #3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvLbXf2wqT8&feature=related
Video #4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFtqfBHZIWU&feature=related
Meat and Potatoes
When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees He said in John 5:45-46. “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.” Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, known collectively as the Torah (the book of the Law), or the Pentateuch. Jesus also revealed things concerning himself, found in the OT scriptures, see Luke 24:25-27. Keep in mind, Moses only wrote of the creation story up to the tale of Joseph, the laws of God, and the story of Israel's travels through the wilderness; so when did Moses write of Jesus? This is a peculiar statement indeed. The answer lies in the study of the types, or shadows of Christ in the Torah, which is a look at how the stories, people, places and things of the Old Testament very closely parallel the person of Jesus Christ. These are called types. Now let’s begin with type #1.
(1) Christ the Light: Indeed Christ’s shadow can be seen in each day of creation, but the example given in De Haan’s book is that of the first day of creation as recorded in Genesis 1:1-5, the creation of light. In John 9:5 Jesus calls Himself the light of the world, see also John 3:19-21, 8:12 & 12:46. Genesis 1:4 says that God created the light, but the sun wasn’t created until the fourth day, Genesis 1:14-19. Many will mock this and ask where light came from before the sun, well as we have already seen, it came from God, and in New Jerusalem, God will once again be the only source of Light needed, see Revelation 22:5.
(2) Adams rib: It cannot be denied that Adam was a type of Christ, since he is one of the specifically named types of Christ in the New Testament, see Romans 5:14. And in I Corinthians 15:45 & 47 Christ is called the “last Adam” and “the second man”, respectively. Did you ever wonder why God had to put Adam to sleep and take from him in order to create Eve? Well it was to typify Christ; Adam, whose bride, Eve, was formed when God put Adam to sleep, and then opened his side; just as the bride [the church] of the second Adam [Christ] was created after He was put to sleep and His side opened. If the author of Genesis was being creative in concocting this story from thin air, it seems strange that it so perfectly parallels the story of Christ, while it offers almost no other percievable meaning. With each and every example of types in this study, you must remember that point, because the ENTIRE Old Testament is filled with these types, and most all of them are far too similar to Christ to be shrugged off as mere coincidence.
In Genesis 2:23-24 “And Adam said, This is now (2-a) bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (2-b) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
Ephesians 5:30-32 “(2-a)* For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (2-b)* For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
Christ’s side was pierced after He died, or “fell asleep” John 19:33-34. In this case Adams sleep was a type of Christ’s death, and this sleep being a prerequisite for the very creation of Adam’s bride shows through typology Christ’s bride being created only after His death. It is also worth noting that Adam was a supernatural birth, by the special creation of God, and so too was Christ a supernatural birth by a virgin.
(3) Did Adam sin deliberately? This is a fascinating possibility, but it requires quite a bit of exegesis. First we must note that God told Adam not to eat of the tree, before Eve was created. Adam heard God say this, but Eve did not hear this directly from God, she apparently only knew what Adam had told her. The serpent then comes along and asks Eve, “Has God really said?” This explains why Eve could be so easily deceived.
Now consider I Timothy 2:13-14 “(13) For Adam was first formed, then Eve. (14) And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."
Also consider the passage of Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Who was Adams Father, that he would have left, in order to be with his wife? It was God, Luke 3:38. So did Adam purposely leave his Father [God] by sinning, in order to be with his wife? It seems that in a very round about way, the Scripture may be showing us that Adam intentionally left his Father by sinning with Eve, in order to be with her, and perhaps in some sense this was an attempt to save her. If this is true (and certainly a stronger case should be made before Adams reason for partaking in Eve’s sin can be considered a certainty), then this is a clear picture of Christ, since He too left His Father’s House, in order to save His bride from her sin by becoming sin for her sake, II Corinthians 5:21.
(4) A servant sacrifices freedom for his bride and for his master: Exodus 21:2-6 “If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. > If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant shall plainly say, > I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.”
Here we have a man who demonstrates his undying love for his bride, when he willingly sacrifices his own freedom by submitting to his master for life, and receiving a mark in a prominent part of his body, for all to see as a token of his love for his wife, for his children and for his master. Jesus went to the cross to demonstrate His Love for His bride, the church, though He also did so simply because it was the Fathers Will Galatians 1:4. Here Christ demonstrates His Love for His bride and His Master, by receiving several marks in His skin. The nail prints in his Hands and Feet, the wound in His Side, the scars of the crown of thorns, the lashes on His back, these are the tokens, or proof of His Love for His bride and His Master.
In John 1:1-14 we learn that Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God, and that He was God, and that He became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus was once a spirit, but had to put on mortality in order to pay the fines of mortal man. He was resurrected in the flesh Luke 24:39, and in flesh and bones He ascended into Heaven. In this limited flesh body He will remain forever, just as the Hebrew servant must forgo his freedom in order to be with his bride, I Corinthians 15:28 “And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” The Hebrew servant’s sacrifice of freedom to be with his wife, and to show his love for his master was a type of Christ’s sacrifice for His church. Did the author of Exodus just happen to get this right in pre-figuring Christ, or was it ordained and planned by a loving God in order to show us how to recognize God's Love?
This sacrificing of ones own liberty to be with his bride, harkens again back to Adams reason for eating the fruit, but it doesn’t necessarily prove that Adam ate the fruit for this reason. Do you see how interwoven this typology is? When Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” He demonstrated His awareness of these types. Here He implies that ALL of the Old Testament speaks of Him, not just the prophecies.
Also remember Luke 24:27 “And BEGINNING AT MOSES (The Torah) and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in ALL the scriptures the things concerning himself."
And Luke 24:44 “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”
John 5:45-47 “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed MOSES, ye would have believed me; for he WROTE OF ME. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”
(5) The seed of the woman: Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed and HER SEED; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
All throughout Scripture, mankind is referred to as the seed of Adam, or an individual as the seed of a specific tribe. Sin came first through the sin of the woman Eve, and redemption also would eventually come through the seed of the woman. This is a prophetic fulfillment of an age old rule of God, “he who digs a pit, will fall therein” Satan deceived the woman, knowing that she had not heard directly from God; in turn God used the woman to bring into life, the One who would ultimately destroy that very serpent.
The seed of the woman is also prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore (5-a) the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (meaning God with us).” Many cast doubt on the meaning of the word “virgin” saying that the Hebrew word used could also be used to mean, a young woman. But would it be considered a (5-a)* sign from God that a young woman would bear a son? See also Luke 1:34 “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”
(6) The covering: Genesis 3:21 “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Three things to note about this passage, (1) God did the work, and God provided the covering. Adam and Eve did nothing to bring the animal into being, they didn’t even slay it, or make coats from it, God did all of it. Lesson: God provides the way out, it is a free gift, it is not the result of man’s work. Incidentally, when God provides a way out in the Old Testament, you should automatically look for a typological Christ figure, that is one of the major signs that you are looking at an example of type. (2) An innocent creature was sacrificed to cover the sins of man. Without this covering, they would have died before the sun set, according to God’s Word’s in Genesis 2:17 “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” It is important to remember this fact, because anti-christians will quickly run to this, and call God’s decree a lie; because they did not die the day they ate the fruit as He said they would. (3) Atonement was by the shedding of blood. The absence of a blood atonement is why God rejected Cain’s offering, Genesis 4:3-5. The blood makes atonement for the soul, Leviticus 17:11.
Cain’s offering, and Adam’s fig leaf covering are examples of the distinction between God’s religion, or message of salvation by blood ALONE, and Satan’s deception for mankind, the false system known as a “works based religion” where YOU put in the work to be acceptable to God. The latter version flies in the Face of God’s Work, and subtly attempts to deify man.
This is merely the first animal of countless others who lost their lives to cover the sins of mankind. Indeed all sacrifice was pointing to Jesus; their death was only a temporary covering, until the soul sinned again; these were merely a pre-figuring of Christ’s Work, and His destiny.
(7) Abel: I John 3:11-12 “… we should love one another. Not as Cain, who … slew his brother … because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.” In Matthew 27:17-18 we learn that the Jewish leaders delivered Christ up for envy. Since the New Testament reveals the parallel between these two murders, we can be sure that there is a type contained in the Old Testament story, so we should begin looking for the connection. Jesus says in John 15:22 “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.” The religious leaders of Jesus’ day thought that they had salvation by keeping the letter of the law, but when Christ revealed through teaching, that keeping the law was as much a heart issue as a flesh issue (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28), they were convicted because their hearts were wicked, and their man made sin covering of proverbial fig leaves vanished, leaving them spiritually naked, vulnerable, and in need of help; which also negated the perceived great works that they had done in acting out religion, in essence Christ had slain their pride. Jesus however was adequately clothed in righteousness, and so they were jealous and they slew Him, just as jealous Cain slew righteous Able.
(8) Cain’s curse: Genesis 4:9-12 “And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, what hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; (8-a) When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; (8-b) a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.” 4:14-15 “… (8-c) and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. (8-d) And the LORD set a mark (#226 owth) upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him."
Notice how even though Cain was a murderer, God had Mercy on him not to slay him, and Grace to protect him from being murdered himself. You see Cain was the firstborn Genesis 4:1, so the birthright was upon him, regardless of his crime. Even before God promised Abraham that He would supernaturally preserve his seed through Isaac, God was already showing tremendous Grace and Mercy to Abraham’s ancestor, the original firstborn of natural means.
Cain’s curse is a type of the curse upon the land of Israel for the slain Messiah which was prophesied, among other places, in Leviticus 26:32-33 “(8-a)*And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. “(8-b))* And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.” After Rome sacked Israel and burned Jerusalem, both of these prophecies came true, and the land of Israel was desolate and not farmable for close to 2,000 years, during which time the children of Israel were scattered throughout the nations of the world, just as prophesied.
So jealous Cain slew righteous Able, as the jealous Jews slew the righteous Jesus. God evicted Cain from the land, just as God evicted Israel from their land. Yet, in His tremendous Grace and Mercy, God protected Cain from death during his exile from the garden, just as He protected the Hebrews during their exile from the promised land, and even those who slew Jesus were given the chance to repent, which most of them accepted, Acts 2.
In Isaiah 55:13, note the reversing of the curse of thorns in the ground, indicating that the following is referring to the reverse of the entire curse “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign (#226 owth) that shall not be cut off.”
Sign: Strong’s #226 (owth). What I want you to see in this quick look at the other uses of this Hebrew word, is that it is most often used in regards to things that end up being types, meaning that when you find this word in the O.T. you should immediately look at the subject matter, and see if you can spot the shadow of Christ. This same Hebrew word is translated as (1) token: such as in Genesis 9:13 to describe the rainbow, 17:11, to describe the circumcision, Exodus 12:13 the blood of the Passover. It is translated as (2) sign: as in the many signs that Moses performed before the children of Israel, and before Pharaoh king of Egypt, Exodus 13:7-9 the putting away of leaven from an Hebrews house during Passover was considered a sign in his hand, 13:15-16 the sacrificing of the firstborn from the flocks was a sign in the hand of the Hebrew, 31:13 the Sabbath is a sign between God and Israel that shows God to be the One who sanctifies, Numbers 14:11 the miracles of God are signs, Deuteronomy 6:8 the laws of God are a sign to be bound upon the hand. It is translated as (3) ensign: Numbers 2:2 each tribe had an ensign of their father’s house. This is significant because these things as stand alone signs would have been enough, but God intended that these were also signs, or tokens of the Messiah, since they are types of Him. The fact that the double meaning was hidden until Christ and the Holy Ghost revealed them to be signs of the Messiah, is a very clear token that Jesus is the Christ, and that the Scriptures are the result of divine revelation.
(9) The ark: A good starting point for the study of this type, is to notice how God warned Noah, and gave him the blueprints for the ark. Noah did not perceive the impending doom, in fact the earth had not even seen water falling from the sky, because the firmament was still in tact (Genesis 1:7 states that there were waters above the firmament, as well as below it; furthermore 2:6 says that God had not caused it to rain but instead a mist went up and watered the whole earth, and Hebrews 11:7 says that Noah was warned of God of things which had not yet been seen). God saved, God saved, GOD SAVED. This is one of the MAJOR signs that you are looking at a type of the Redeemer, when God provides the way out.
Even the ability to build a boat, God has supernaturally provided. There is no record of ship making before God’s command and instruction to Noah; in fact in Genesis 4:20-22 we see the only crafts mentioned by name, as well as the ones who originated them. These include tent making coupled with cattle keeping, musicians (which implies musical instrument making), and artificers of brass and iron. Not only is shipbuilding not mentioned, but also the use of wood in making things is only implied in the creation of musical instruments and tent making. There is therefore very strong evidence that God Himself is the originator of the very idea of a boat, as well as the method for shipbuilding. In fact, most modern ship makers will insist that the dimensions given for the ark are perfect for a reliable seaworthy vessel. It is not impossible to think that ships had already been built before Noah undertook the building of the ark, but the Bible doesn’t mention or imply the previous making of boats at all. In fact, there is some interesting evidence in the cracks of the continental plates that seem to show that the continents were separated during the flood, which would mean that there was no need for a boat previous to the flood of Noah, because all land was one solid mass. For a good start in studying this evidence please see the youtube video called Complete Creation, 2nd Edition, Part 5 with Wazooloo at 0:40 to about 2:40.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJEkR5UCioM
Just as the ark was the one single escape vessel from the judgment of God, so too faith in the Son of God is the only vessel for escaping the final judgment of God. Just as Christ must be accepted by faith, that believes God concerning something that our eyes have never seen i.e. the Son of God, as well as hellfire and damnation; Noah also had to have faith in God concerning something he had never seen, water from the sky, and in building something that the world very likely had never seen up to that point, and certainly Noah seems to have never built. Noah was saved by believing the Word of God, and thanks to John 1:1-14, we know that Jesus Himself is the Word of God.
(10) The door of the ark: There is only one door leading into the ark, Genesis 6:16, Jesus Christ is the door, John 10:7-9, “… I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved …” Also notice how the dimensions of the door were not given to Noah. Indeed all other dimensions were given for building the ark, including those of the only window, so why not the door? It seems logical, and even fairly obvious that this dimensionless door typifies Christ in revealing the nature of salvation: no matter the dimensions of your sin, you may enter into the safety and salvation of Christ. Indeed all who passed by Noah, heard him preaching while he was building the ark, and each person had the opportunity to be saved by entering in, but none accepted this free gift of salvation, except Noah, and his family.
It is interesting to note that God says “come” into the ark, in Genesis 7:1, which may indicate that God Himself was inside the ark, or perhaps it is more in line with the typology to say that He is the ark, but this Hebrew word for come (#935 bow) can mean to come or to go. So simply because the translators translated it as “come” doesn’t necessarily prove that this was the intended usage. In his book, DeHaan says that this is the first use of the word “come” but it actually appears in Genesis 6:13, 18 & 20, each of these passages use the same Hebrew word. In fact the Hebrew word is used 9 times before Genesis 7:1, though it is translated differently.
You may be tempted to draw a connection to the Ark of the Covenant, but these are two different Hebrew words. However, the little basket that Moses was set adrift upon by his mother is the same Hebrew word for Noah’s ark.
(11) The ark was made by God and man: Even though God gave the instructions, and warning, He allowed man to actually build the ark himself. Christ was made by the Holy Spirit [God] Luke 1:35, and [the human woman] Mary. Again, the human blueprints, or DNA information, much like the blueprints of the ark, were deposited by God, man could not have brought this about alone; but Mary performed the physical labor in bringing the man child into this world, as Noah performed the physical labor of bringing the ark into being.
I would like to point out that there are many types that can easily be written off by the skeptical mind as coincidence; but if you look at the shear numbers of types, as well as the examples that are almost impossible to be the result of chance, you should be able to see that each and every event contained in the Old Testament had to be orchestrated by a Higher Power, since they so closely parallel the man who had not yet come into being. If your heart is focusing on a single example and calling it“weak" then please step back and look at the whole picture.
(12) Noah’s work within the ark: Noah had a ship full of occupants for whom he was to care. Noah was not told that he would be ejected from the ark if he did not perform, just as a believers place in Christ’s salvation does not rely on the works that he performs. Yet God gives each believer work, just as Noah had a work to do, while living in God’s salvation. If you struggle with the idea that you are not good enough because you still sin occasionally, or that you are not doing enough good to satisfy God, then please read the following study.
The Role of the Law-
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nicholighkun/20120727/1343415433
(13) No one in or out: Once the door was shut, no one could come in, or go out. Genesis 7:16 “… and the LORD shut him in.” Anyone who chose to believe God could have come into the ark, while the door was open. But there came an end to that opportunity, and when the door was shut, it was shut by God, not man. Revelation 3:7 “… These things saith he … that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;”
(14) Only one ark: There is only ONE Redeemer of mankind, which the ark typifies. Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
(15) One window: Genesis 6:16 also mentions the one single window, which was to be made above. This means they weren’t able to look out on the horizon, but up into the clouds only, signifying our need to keep our focus on God during our trials.
(16) Pitch: Genesis 6:14 “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch (#3722 verb) it within and without with pitch (#3724 noun).” The first Hebrew word used here for pitch is #3722 kaphar, which is only translated as pitch in this single verse. Definitions include (1) to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch (a) (Qal) to coat, cover over with pitch (T) (Piel) (b-1) to cover over, pacify, propitiate (b-2) to cover over, atone for sin, make atonement for (b-3) to cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites (c) (Pual) (c-1) to be covered over (c-2) to make atonement for (d) (Hithpael) to be covered. The word pitch occurs other places, but the Hebrew word is different. Pitch is a tar like substance that would have water proofed the ark, but the word kaphar, though only translated as pitch in this one instance, also occurs 102 other times: atonement (71 times), purge (x7), reconciliation (x4), reconcile (x3), forgive (x3), purge away (x2), pacify (x2), atonement…made (x2), merciful (x2), cleansed (x1), disannulled (x1), appease (x1), put off (x1), pardon (x1), and pitch (x1). This is an interesting, albeit strange choice of word for God to command Noah to seal the ark with.
The second Hebrew word used is #3724 kopher, which is (1) the price of life, ransom or bribe, (2) asphalt, pitch, as a covering, (3) the henna plant, name of a plant, (4) village. This word is translated as: ransom (x8), satisfaction (x2), bribe (x2), camphire (x2), pitch (x1), sum of money (x1), village (x1). Isn’t it interesting that God would choose such a word? Noah was essentially instructed to seal the inside and the outside of the ark with atonement, a word used for atoneing for sins, something that only the sacrificial death of Christ can do for us today.
Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement [pitch] for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement [pitch] for the soul.” Romans 5:9,11 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him ...by whom we have now received the atonement.”
(17) Son of promise: Abraham was told by God that he would receive a son Genesis 12:3 whose seed would number more than the stars of the sky and the sand of the sea. Abraham had to wait about 25 years before this son was actually born, just as God spoke through His prophets (Isaiah 7:14) of the coming Messiah, thousands of years before Christ actually came. God promised both Isaac and Christ, long before they finally arrived.
(18) Isaac and Ishmael: Types of the church and Israel respectively. Galatians 4:21-31 reveals this example of type, and I will let you read this one on your own, since it is stated quite perfectly, requiring no explanation.
(19) Miracle birth: Abraham’s son would come about by a miracle birth, since Abraham was 100 years old Genesis 21:5, and impotent, and his wife Sarah was barren her whole life, plus she was now “past the time of women” Genesis 18:11 meaning that she had gone through menopause leaving them both completely unable to produce a child naturally. See also Romans 4:18-19. Obviously Jesus was a miracle birth as well, being born of a virgin.
(20) God given name: Isaac’s name was given by divine declaration to the child’s parents before he was born Genesis 17:19, as Christ’s Name was given by divine declaration to the child’s parents before He was born Matthew 1:20-21, Luke 1:30-31.
(21) The sacrifice: Many Bible critics will single this event out and blaspheme God for asking a man to murder his own child just for the sake of a test. There are three very important things to always remember: (1. God had promised Abraham that the seed of his offspring would be innumerable, but Isaac was not yet married, nor had he any children. Abraham believed God’s Words concerning His promise to bless his seed through Isaac Genesis 21:12, which had not yet happened. (2. God had not only proven Himself to be trustworthy, but He had also shown that He could perform supernatural works, as evidenced in the very birth of Isaac. (3. Isaac is a type of the supernatural birth of Christ, as well as His sacrifice for all of mankind. This will be undeniably clear very soon. These two events are the very bookends of the Life and Ministry of Christ’s earthly existence, so it seems rather obvious that one person should typify both of these aspects of Christ.
Indeed Abraham trusted God to keep His promise to bless Isaac’s seed, Genesis 22:5 “And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the donkey; and I and the lad will … come again to you.” Genesis 22:8 “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: …” Abraham believed God’s promise to multiply his seed. Notice also in verse 8 that Abraham does not say “God will provide a lamb for Himself” but “God will provide Himself a lamb”. Furthermore God said in Genesis 21:12 “in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” and Abraham clearly believed God (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:3) to uphold His Word.
(22) The only son: Genesis 22:2 “And he said, (22-a) Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and (22-b) get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave (22-a)* his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (22-b)* Jerusalem was in Mt. Moriah II Chronicles 3:1, and Christ was crucified just outside of Jerusalem. It isn’t stated exactly where Abraham took Isaac to be sacrificed, but many believe that it was to the very hill Golgotha. One thing to consider is that the spot where Christ was to be sacrificed may have been too holy in God’s Eye’s to allow Abraham to go to that exact spot.
(23) Dead 3 days then “resurrected”: Genesis 22:4 ”Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.” For three days Abraham considered his son to be as good as dead, while they made their way to Moriah, which is a clear type of the three and a half days in which Christ was dead. You might say that three days is not three and a half days, but notice that the place was still “afar off” and also consider the fact that Abraham had to prepare the place for sacrifice as well. And, eventually, when God provides the substitutionary ram, Isaac is resurrected in his fathers eyes.
(24) Isaac carried the cross: As Jesus was made to carry His own wooden cross John 19:17-18; so too Isaac carried the wood that he was to be offered on Genesis 22:6.
(25) The closed veil: Abraham commanded his servants to wait by themselves, so that no man witnessed what transpired between the father and son, only they themselves. This seems to clearly typify the darkness that is recorded from the sixth hour, unto the ninth hour, during the crucifixion Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33.
(26) The substitute: Isaac’s journey of being a type of Christ ends here. Isaac is still only human, and therefore needs a substitute, which God provided in the ram of Genesis 22:13. Here it is actually the ram that typifies Christ, in that it takes the place of the one destined to die, just as all animal sacrifice typifies Christ, the final sacrifice.
(27) Mysterious absence: Strangely enough, Genesis 22:19 says nothing about Isaac coming down from the mountain, “So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.” In fact, Isaac is not mentioned until the story of him meeting his bride-to-be in a field Genesis 24:62; Isaac is even curiously absent from the death and burial of his own mother, in Genesis 23. Even this absence itself typifies Christ’s long departure from earth, from the time of His death, typified by Isaac’s trip to Mt. Moriah, up until He is joined to His bride to be.
(28) The servant: In Genesis 24 Abraham sends his servant into his home country to take a wife for Isaac from among Abraham’s kinsmen. This man seems to be a double type: the first of which being a preacher of the Gospel since the angel of the Lord went before this servant to “prosper his way” 24:7 & 40. This man told the story of the supernatural birth 24:36, which clearly typifies the preaching of the Gospel of Christ.
Christ’s Words in John 16:13-14 seem to suggest that this servant may also represent The Holy Spirit, “Howbeit when He, The Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” which seems in conjunction with the fact that Abraham’s servant took ten camels to demonstrate Abraham’s wealth Genesis 24:10, he also gave the damsel jewelry in 24:22, again in 24:53 he gives Rebekah more jewelry and to her brother and mother also, and he recounted the expanse of his masters wealth in 24:35.
(29) The bride: We will notice three things concerning what Isaac’s bride Rebekah was challenged with: notice how each one paints a clearly paralleled picture to that of the bride of Christ, which is the church.
(1. She was asked to believe the story of a man she had never met before.
(2. She was given a request to leave her home, to which she would never return.
(3. She was asked to marry a man whom she had yet to even meet. We as believers are called the bride of Christ, and we are called to “marry” a man that we have never seen for ourselves, I Peter 1:8 “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”
To see how the church is the bride of Christ check out the following link.
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nicholighkun/20120402/1333384784
(30) Jacob’s wives: Isaac had 2 sons, Jacob and Esau. Esau was the firstborn, meaning that the blessing of a seed that numbered as the stars of the sky, and the sand of the sea, that Isaac was able to pass down from God, would have been upon Esau. But Esau forsook his birthright for food, and so it was passed to Jacob. Esau planned to kill Jacob for this, and their mother Rebekah sent Jacob away to live with her brother Laban. Jacob saw Laban’s youngest daughter Rachel, and bargained with Laban to work for 7 years to purchase Rachel to wife. After 7 years, Laban forced Jacob to marry Rachel’s older sister Leah; saying that he could not marry the younger until the older was wed. So Jacob toiled another 7 years for Rachel. Being married to both, Leah bare many children to Jacob, but the beloved Rachel was barren, until God later blessed Rachel’s womb, and she bare Joseph and Benjamin. Later on, Jacob having wed both his wives travels home in an attempt to reconcile with his brother Esau. On this journey home, God changes Jacob’s name to Israel, and his 12 sons are the patriarchs [heads] of the 12 tribes of Israel. Jacob’s story is from Genesis 25:21-Gen 36. Gen 37 begins Israel’s son Joseph’s blessed story.
Leah is a type of the church, while Rachel typifies Israel. (1. Rachel was first desired, as was Israel, but due to circumstances, Leah was married first, as was the church. (2. The beloved wife was barren, while Leah bare many children. (3. The beloved wife eventually bares children, being visited by God.
In Isaiah 54:1, God speaks to Israel, who the beloved and barren Rachel typifies. He says “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.”
It is also worth noting that Jacob’s name was changed to Israel for the first time when he was returning home with his wives and offspring. When Christ returns to the earth with His armies, which is also His bride, He will then bear a new name Revelation 19:11-14.
(31) Joseph, the name: The Hebrew name Yoseph, means ‘Yahweh has added’. This name’s most prominent meaning is that God has added a son to Jacob (Israel), but the meaning that will later become obvious is the sense that God uses Joseph to add life to many, when God uses Joseph to bless the land of Egypt in order to allow them to reserve enough food just before a famine, in order to sustain many, many lives. The obvious parallel to Christ is the idea that through Him God has added the Gentiles [all who are not Hebrews] to the olive tree of blessing known as the family of Israel, under the blessing of Abraham, see Romans 11.
Also worth noting is the second name given to Joseph by Pharaoh is Zaphnath-Paaneah. The meaning of this name is a bit harder to pin down since it is a Hebrew interpretation of an Egyptian name, but in Egyptian it means ‘savior of the age’, while the Hebrew translation of the same word means ‘revealer of secrets’ both of which clearly typify Christ. The type in Joseph’s second name, was fulfilled by Christ when He and the Holy Spirit began to ‘reveal the secrets’ of the Old Testament and the existence of types. Christ will also reveal secrets after He returns with the armies of heaven, which is His church, at which point He will display His new name, see Revelation 19:10-12. Both men had two names; the one given by their parents, and the one given by the king on the throne that promotes them to glory.
(32) Rejected for revealing sin: Genesis 37:2 says that “… and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.” Concerning his brothers. The literal translation of this portion of Scripture says “brought and Joseph report their evil about their father.” I’ve included this because I’ve heard it said that Joseph brought an evil report, which apparently can mean a lying report, but based on the translations, both KJV and literal, it is a report of their evil deeds, and not “an evil report” in general. This is fulfilled in Christ in that He revealed the sins of the religious leaders of His day, who were His brothers, according to the seed of Abraham. John 7:7 “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” Both men revealed the sins of their brothers.
(33) Murdered by his brothers: Obviously Joseph cannot be literally murdered by his brothers, or else the plans God had for him would be discontinued. However, there is an interesting word picture that clearly illustrates the symbolic killing of Joseph. First let me show that the word “pit” is a synonym for Hell, also called Sheol. The examples in bold are the more clear examples: Job 17:16, 33:18, 28 & 30, Psalm 28:1, 30:3 & 9, 55:23, Proverbs 1:12, Isaiah 14:15 & 19, Ezekiel 31:14 & 16, 32:25, 29 & 30, Zechariah 9:11, Revelation 9:1, 20:3. Now let’s look at Genesis 37:24, “And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.” This typified Christ’s work during the 3.5 days that He was dead, while He preached to the disobedient souls in prison [the pit], see I Peter 3:19-20. Both men spent time in the pit.
(34) The despised prophet: In Genesis 37:3-11 we read the story of Joseph’s prophetic dreams that God had given him, which told the story of his parents and his brothers one day bowing down to him. These dreams caused Joseph’s brothers to hate Him even more. Jesus also heard the truth of the future from God, and was hated for it, see John 8:40 “But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: …” Both men were hated for sharing what God had revealed to them.
(35) The dreams: Let me first remind you that God has said that every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father, which was prophesied in Isaiah 45:23, and this was more clearly stated in Philippians 2:10-11 “10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, >of things in heaven, and things in earth<, and things under the earth; 11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Now let’s look at Joseph’s dreams. The first dream, described in Genesis 37:7 shows the sheaves of the field bowing to Joseph, while the second dream, told in 37:9, has the heavenly bodies bowing to him. This shadow of Christ should be very clear, and should need no explanation; Joseph has already typified the unjust hatred and murder of Christ, and here he typifies the glorification of Christ, both in the earth, and in the heavens.
Major mistakes in De Haan’s book: In the 21st chapter, the section entitled “He came to his own” is almost all wrong. De Haan insists that Joseph brought a gift to his brother’s, yet I can find no such passage in the Genesis account that says or implies this, and the verse he lists with this claim certainly does not say or imply a gift was brought. He then goes on to give seemingly false definitions for the 2 places where Joseph goes looking for his brother’s. The name of the first place, Shechem (Strong’s #’s 7926 & 7927), De Haan says means ‘fellowship’, but Strong’s, Gesenius, and the online concordance blue letter bible all say that it is the shoulder blades, or upper back, the place where a burden is born. De Haan also says that the name of the second place, Dothan (Strong’s #1886) means law, but all of the aforementioned sources define it as dual (as in two), or dual well, since it is the plural form of the Chaldean word for well. This is good reason to always check your sources, and never take anyone
