Types and Shadows Leading up to Easter
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. (Hebrews 10:1)
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
EASTER IS THE MOUNTAIN PEAK OF HUMAN HISTORY. It’s about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and its fulfillment of much Bible prophecy. Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The penalty for sin, all sin, is death. (Romans 6:23). But God loves every person He made, and He sent His son to die for the sins of the world. He invites you to acknowledge that you are a sinner, to be sorry for your sins and to accept Christ as your Savior and Lord. (Acts 16:31) (Romans 10:9,10) Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13.
DO YOU NEED TO BE SAVED? DO YOU WANT TO BE SAVED? Are you wiling to be saved? Get on your knees or bow your head and call upon Him right where you are. Tell Him you are a sinner and need to be saved; that you believe Christ died for you and that you want to accept Him as your Savior and Lord, and that you will serve Him all the days of your life. Mean it from the heart. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24) In a nutshell, this is what Easter is about.
TO MORE FULLY UNDERSTAND EASTER, we must study the mountain upon which Easter rests. You don’t have to know all of that in order to be saved. But if you want to know all that God wants you to know about it, if we would understand the most about Easter, we must know something about Types and Shadows in the Old Testament. At Amazon Books, there are at least 20 books on Types and Shadows of the Old Testament. I would like to read…everyone of them!
SIXTY YEARS AGO, I found, bought, and spent a lot of time studying the big illustrated book: DISPENSATIONAL TRUTH. Its author, Clarence Larkin (1850-1924), was a keen, dedicated Bible student with a degree in mechanical engineering, and was a professional draftsman. He used his developed skill to make charts that displayed Bible truth. You can find his book, free, at https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/larkin/dt/28.cfm. The Blue Letter Bible is an excellent free app for your smart phone.
LARKIN'S BOOK TAUGHT ME MUCH ABOUT THE BIBLE in the shortest amount of time. He had studied the Bible deeply with a keen mind. His book is in the library of thousands of pastors in the English-speaking part of the world. Many other books confirm his views on Bible interpretation. God wants us to be saved and that takes place in a moment of time.
BUT UNDERSTANDING ALL GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW, after you are saved, will take a lifetime. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (1Peter 2:2) But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. (2Peter 3:18)
MR.LARKIN WROTE: “You cannot understand Leviticus without Hebrews, or Daniel without Revelation, or the Passover, or Isaiah 53 without the Gospel account of the Crucifixion. The value of the study of the “Types” and “Antitypes” is the proof they furnish of the Inspiration of the Scriptures. Their study proves beyond question that the Scriptures had but one Author: the HOLY SPIRIT.”
“THE "TYPOLOGY" OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IS THE PICTURE LANGUAGE in which the Doctrines of the New Testament, such as the Atonement, are prefigured. For illustration the “Brazen Serpent: and the Cross” (John 3:14-15) Therefore no preacher or Bible Teacher is competent to preach the doctrines of the New Testament who is not acquainted with the “Typology” of the Old Testament.
“WHAT DO WE MEAN BY "TYPES?" The Apostle Paul gives the answer in 1Corinthians 1:1-11. In verse 11 he says: Now all these things happened unto them for ENSAMPLES (examples, see verse 6) and they are written for our ADMONITION (instruction), upon whom the ends of the world (Age) are come.”
OF "WHOM" AND OF WHAT "THINGS" IS THE APOSTLE SPEAKING? Of the Children of Israel, and the “things” that happened to them from the time of their “Egyptian Bondage” until they reached the “Land of Promise.” So we see that while the Old Testament is a record of the History of the Children of Israel, the events of that “History” are more than mere events; they are “TYPICAL” of the “Plan of Salvation” as revealed in the New Testament, and are neither “mythical” nor “allegorical,” but really happened to Israel and were recorded for our instruction.
“THE WRITER TO THE HEBREWS TELLS US THAT THE "TYPES" are but the SHADOW OF GOOD THINGS TO COME, AND NOT THE VERY IMAGE OF THE THING.” (Hebrews 10:1).
“That is, the Old Testament “Types” are but “SHADOWS.” But there cannot be a “shadow” without some “REAL THING” to make it. And a “shadow” is not the “VERY IMAGE OF THE THING,” for a shadow is out of proportion, and is an imperfect representation of the real thing it reveals.
“SO, THE OLD TESTAMENT TYPES ARE "SHADOWS" in the sense that they are not the “Real Thing,” and are but imperfect revelations of it. A “Type” then is some “person,” or “event,” or “ceremony” that is recorded to “foreshadow” some future “person,” or “event,” or “ceremony.”
- TYPICAL PERSONS like Adam, Cain, Abel, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Jonah.
- TYPICAL EVENTS like the “Flood,” the ”Plagues of Egypt,” the “Passover,” the “Brazen Serpent,” “Crossing the Jordan,” “Cities of Refuge.”
- TYPICAL CEREMONIES, like the “Offerings,” “Ceremonial Cleansing,” “Feasts,” “Year of Jubilee,” “Day of Atonement.”
“TO WHICH MIGHT BE ADDED: “TYPICAL STRUCTURES,” like the “Ark,” the “Tabernacle,” the “Temple.” “TYPICAL FURNITURE” like the “Brazen Altar,” the “Laver,” the “Seven Branched Candlestick” the “Table of Shewbread,” the “Altar of Incense,” and the “Ark of the Covenant” with its “Mercy Seat.”
“And, “TYPICAL COLORS,” like “Blue,” “Red,” “White,” “Purple,” “Green.” Add, “TYPICAL NUMBERS,” like “one,” “three,” “twelve,” forty.”
“IN STUDYING THE "TYPES" the two comparative words “AS” and “SO” are forcibly called to our attention. The word “AS” IS USED FOR THE “Type,” and the word “SO” for the Antitype. (Antitype is the fulfillment of the type.) The first is “historic;” the second is “prophetic.” Examples:
“AS” IN ADAM ALL DIE, even SO in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22) “AS” in the days of Noah were, SO shall also the coming of he Son of Man be.”(Mat.24:37
“AS” Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even SO must the Son of Man be lifted up.” (John 3:14)
“AS” Jonah was three days and three nights in the Whales belly, SO shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40)
Clarence Larkin was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, on October 28, 1850. He became born again at the age of 19 and was a member of an Episcopalian church. Larkin graduated from college as a mechanical engineer and became a professional draftsman. He also taught the blind, and later became a manufacturer. From an early age, Larkin felt called to the ministry, but was unable to find a place in the ministry until, at the age of 32, he left the Episcopalian church and became a Baptist. He was ordained as an American Baptist minister in 1884 and left private business concerns to work full-time in his ministry. (SwordSearcher.com)
Read Through the Bible in a Year
APRIL 8, 2019 – MONDAY
A.M. Ruth: 1-4 P.M. Luke: 11:29-54
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verse to Memorize:
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)
Song for Today:
O Glorious Love (1:40) – (Josef Francis – Pam Taylor-Calv.Mem.Ch.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg9_a45TNlA
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Health Tips:
I got to thinking the other day, after all the talk about health tips, if I should wake up dead one morning it would be terribly embarrassing. So, in case that happens, perhaps the best thing to do is we just won't talk about it. OK?
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