Moses as a Type of Christ

Moses is also a type of Christ. Let's see what the Scriptures say about their many similarities.

Faithful
Moses was faithful as a servant in God's house, just as Jesus was faithful as a Son over His house. The apostle wrote:

"He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." (Heb 3:2-6)

A Prophet to Give Heed To
Moses said that God would raise up for His people Israel a Prophet like him from among them, and that they must give heed to everything He says to them, or else they would be utterly destroyed. The apostle Peter said to the Jews:

"Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. And it will be that every soul that does not heed that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'" (Act 3:22-23; cf., Dt 18:15).

We know that Peter was referring to Christ on this occasion, because it is clear from the immediate context that he was speaking about Jesus:

"But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time." (Act 3:18-21).

I am also reminded of the account of what happened on the sacred mount:

"Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, 'This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!' All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone." (Mar 9:7-8)

Spared from Attempted Infanticide
Moses was spared from death as a baby as Jesus was, while all the other male babies were killed. Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew boys be killed (Ex 1:15-22; 2:1-9), and Herod ordered that all baby boys be killed (Mt 2:12-13, 16).

Forty Days of Fasting Alone
Moses went up on a mountain for forty days and nights, without having food or water, when he received the Ten Commandments (Ex 34:28), just as Jesus fasted alone in the desert for forty days and forty nights at the beginning of His ministry (Mt 4:1-11).

Not Recognized By His Own
Moses' own people did not recognize him (Ex 2:13-14; 6:9; Act 7:25-28), just as the world did not recognize Jesus and His own did not receive Him ( Jn 1:10-11).

Object of People's Grumbling and Complaints
Moses suffered the complaints and grumblings of the Israelites against him (Ex 15:24; 16:2; Nu 14:2). Likewise, the Jews grumbled about Jesus (Jn 6:41).

Object of People's Jealousy
Other people were jealous of Moses, such as Dathan, Abiram, and the two hundred fifty rebels (Ps 106:16-17; Num 16). Likewise, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were jealous of Jesus. For it was out of envy that they handed Him over to Pilate (Mt 27:18).

Humble
The Bible says, "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth." (Nu 12:3, NIV). Likewise, Jesus was meek and lowly, too.  He said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Mt 11:29, NIV). He "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mk 10:45, NIV). Perhaps the apostle Paul described the Lord's humility best when he wrote of Him saying:

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Php 2:5-8)

Intercessor and Mediator
Moses was an intercessor and mediator for the people before God (Deu 5:5, 22; 9:8-9, 18-20, 25-29; 10:10; Psa 106:23). Moses was willing to have his own name blotted out of the book of life on behalf of the Israelites, and to take the punishment for their sins, if God was unwilling to forgive their sins (Ex 32:32). Likewise, Jesus was willing to take the punishment for our sins and to give his life in place of everyone else. Jesus is both our Intercessor and Mediator, always living to make intercession for us as our only Mediator between God and man (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 1 Tim 2:5).

Deliverer
Moses led the people up out of slavery from Egypt (Ex 6:6-8; 7:16; 8:1; 9:1; 12:50-51; 14:1-22). Jesus led the prisoners up from the underworld (Eph 4:8-10), and He also delivers us from the slavery and oppression of our sin (Ro 6:6-7). He is the one who sets us free from sin and death (Ro 8:2; He 9:15).

"So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.' They answered Him, 'We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, "You will become free"? Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.'" (Joh 8:31-36)

Suffered Disgrace
Although Moses was brought up in Pharaoh's household by a princess (Ex 2:10), he suffered disgrace by standing up for the people of God. "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." (Heb 11:24-26, NIV). Likewise, Jesus gladly bore our shame and reproach in order to deliver God's people. "For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12:2b, NIV).

Did Not Fear the King
Moses wasn't afraid of the king. "By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen." (Heb 11:27). Likewise, Jesus was not afraid of the king, and did not allow Herod to deter Him from going to the cross and delivering His people.

"Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, 'Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You.' And He said to them, 'Go and tell that fox, "Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal." Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.'" (Luk 13:31-33)

Jesus was not the least bit afraid when He stood before King Herod; nor was He intimidated by the governor, but made a good confession before Pontius Pilate (Mt 27:11-14; Lk 23:8-11; Jn 19:8-11; 1 Tim 6:13).

Marked by Signs and Wonders
Moses' ministry was marked by many miraculous signs and wonders like the ten plagues, the water from the rock, the manna, the quail, and the parting of the Red Sea. The Bible said, "Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land." (Dt 34:10-11, NIV).

Jesus' ministry was also marked by many miraculous signs and wonders like turning water into wine, multiplying the bread to feed the multitudes, walking on water, calming the storm, raising the dead, casting out demons, healing all kinds of diseases, making the lame to walk, the blind to see, the mute to talk, and the deaf to hear.

Knew the Lord Face to Face
The Lord knew Moses face to face, according to the Scriptures (Dt 34:10). This was quite evident from the way God spoke to him at the burning bush, on Mount Sinai, and throughout his journey in the dessert with the Israelites for forty years.  Likewise, Jesus had a face to face relationship with the Father. This was evidenced on many occasions like at His baptism, when the Father spoke from heaven saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:17b, NIV), as well as on the sacred mount, which I mentioned earlier (Mar 9:7-8). Jesus was one with the Father (Jn 10:30), only saying what He heard the Father saying and only doing what He saw the Father doing (Jn 5:19; 8:28; 12:49).

Closing Words
In our study of Moses as a type of Christ, we have seen the parallels between their lives in so many ways. They were both spared from infanticide, both were very humble, both spent forty days fasting, both were intercessors and mediators, both were known by the Lord face to face, both were objects of people's grumbling and jealousy, both suffered disgrace for the people of God, both were prophets of God to be heeded, whose ministries were marked by miraculous signs and wonders; both were called by God and used as mighty deliverers, neither of them was recognized by his own people, neither of them feared the king, and both were faithful  -- Moses as a servant in God's house and Jesus as a Son over God's house. Christ is that Prophet like Moses that God promised to send. Therefore, every soul that does not heed what Christ says and put it into practice shall be utterly destroyed from among the people (Ac 3:23; Mt 7:26-27).

Studying types of Christ like this can help us grow in our love and knowledge of the Lord. I trust this has helped to accomplish that very goal in your life as you have read this article. I hope you will come back again later to enjoy more articles on the types in the Bible.

Attribution notice: Most Scriptures where noted taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Other Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Image may be subject to copyright, used per Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.

Author's note:  Also see The Sufferings of the Prophets as a Type, Adam as a Type of Christ, Isaac as a Type of Christ, David as a Type of Christ, Daniel as a Type of Christ, Noah's Ark a Type of Christ, The Temple as a Type of Christ, The Passover Lamb as a Type of Christ, The Typology of the Tabernacle, The Typology of the Jewish Feasts, and Hagar and Sarah as Types. You can access the Main Directory for Biblical Typology, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Jonah as a Type of Christ

"I can't believe in God unless I see some kind of sign that He exists." I've heard people say things similar to this before. Maybe you have heard this from someone you love or even said it yourself. This is what the religious people wanted to see from Jesus -- some sort of sign to prove his divinity.

Jesus said, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah." And He left them and went away. (Mat 16:4) Also see Luke 11:29, 30.

In fact, Jesus compared himself to Jonah, and said that the sign of the prophet Jonah would be given to this adulterous generation. This study examines that sign, comparing and contrasting the experiences of Jonah as a type of Christ, and Jesus on the sea. I'll put these comparisons side by side, so you can see them one by one, first about Jesus, and then about Jonah. (All references to the book of Jonah will be abbreviated Jon)

Jesus	Jonah
Son of God gave the order to go across the lake to the other side (Mat 8:18)	God told Jonah to go to Nineveh (Jon 1:2)
Jesus got into the boat to cross over and the disciples followed him (Mat 8:23)	Jonah got into a boat and fled from the Lord’s presence. He disobeyed God, heading away from Nineveh (Jon 1:3)
Without warning, a furious storm came up on the sea. (Mat 8:24)	There was a great storm on the sea (Jon 1:5)
The waves swept over the boat (Mat 8:23)	The ship was about to break up (Jon 1:4)
Jesus was sleeping in the boat (Mat 8:24)	Jonah was sleeping in the boat (Jon 1:5)
The disciples in the boat cried out in fear for their lives to the Son of God (Mat 8:25)	The sailors in the boat became afraid and every man cried to his god (Jon 1:5, 10)
The disciples went and woke Jesus (Mat 8:25)	The captain approached Jonah and woke him (Jon 1:6)
The disciples expected the Son of God to save them from the storm (Mat 8:25)	The captain expected the God of Jonah to save him and his crew from the storm. The sailors called on the Lord to save them. (Jon 1:6, 14)
Jesus is the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land (John 1:1-3)	Jonah feared the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land (Jon 1:9)
Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves of the sea (Mat 8:26)	Jonah was thrown into the sea (Jon 1:15)
The sea became perfectly calm	The sea stopped its raging (Jon 1:15)
The key to the sea becoming calm again was Jesus being in the boat	The key to the sea becoming calm again was getting Jonah out of the boat (Jon 1:11, 12)
The disciples were amazed at the power and authority of the Son of God. They took note that the winds and waves obeyed Him. (Mat 8:27)	The sailors feared the Lord greatly after the sea became calm, and they offered sacrifices to Him and made vows (Jon 1:16)
A fish has represented Jesus for centuries, because of the Greek Ikhthus (ΙΧΘΥΣ) acronym (Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior) that means fish. The Lord ordained that Jesus would be crucified and die on a cross. (Mat 20:18,19 and Luk 9:22)	The LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah (Jon 1:17 and Is 53:10)
Jesus died to save us from God's wrath. Yet, unlike Jonah, He never sinned, and the wrath was on account of our own sins. (Rom 5:91 and Thes 1:10)	When Jonah asked them to throw him into the sea, he was willing to die to save them from the wrath of God. (Jon 1:12) Jonah seems to have died of drowning before the sea creature swallowed him (Jon 2:5-7).
Jesus was in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. (Mat 12:39, 40)	Jonah's body was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jon 1:17)
Jesus went down to the dead. In 180 AD, Irenaeus of Lyons wrote, “…the Lord went away into the midst of the shadow of death where the souls of the dead were…” In 350 AD, Cyril of Jerusalem wrote, "(Christ) descended into the subterranean regions so that He might ransom from there the just...” (1 Pet 3:19 and Ac 10:40)	When Jonah died, he cried to the Lord from Sheol (the subterranean world of the dead). (Jon 2:2)
Many people repented at the preaching of Jesus (Mat 12:41)	The men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah (Jon 3:1-10)
After three days in the heart of the earth, Jesus rose from the dead. (Luke 24 and John 20, and 1 Cor 15:3-5)	After three days in the belly of the sea monster, the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land. He was raised back to life again by the Lord. (Jon 2:6, 10)

My friend, you've got your sign.  Jesus, One Who is greater than Jonah, has come and walked among us (Mat 12:41, Luke 11:32).  He Himself is a sign, as Simeon said of Him to Mary, His mother, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against..." (Lk 2:34).

After Jesus rose from the dead, he manifested himself (appeared) to the disciples by the sea where they were fishing. There he was by the seaside, cooking a piece of fish on the charcoal fire. He gave them some of the fish and they ate breakfast together. John 21:9

"The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. (Luk 11:32)

The IKTHUS Fish
The Greek word for fish, ikhthus (ichthys in borrowed words), spelled, in Greek characters, Iota-Chi-Theta-Upsilon-Sigma (ΙΧΘΥΣ looks like IXOYE in Roman alphabet characters) is regarded as an acronym for Ιησως Χριστος Θεου `Υιος Σωτερ (or, in Roman alphabet characters, Iesou (Jesus) Christos (anointed) Theou (of God) Uios (son) Soter (saviour)), which means Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour.

According to "Knowledge Rush" encyclopedia, "One of the signs for Christianity is the fish. The reason for this dates from some early societies of Christians who protected themselves and their congregations by keeping their meetings secret. In order to point the way to ever-changing meeting places, they developed a symbol which adherents would readily recognize, and which they could scratch on rocks, walls and the like, in advance of a meeting. The fish was chosen as eminently apropos." 

What's Your Response to the Sign
When you are driving your car and see a road sign warning that there's danger ahead, you heed the road signs, because you know you could die if we don’t respond properly to the sign.

Jesus has given us in Himself the sign of Jonah. What should our response be at this sign?

First, we should repent with the same wholehearted fervor as the men of Nineveh.  If we do turn from our wicked way, then God will relent concerning the calamity that He had declared He would send on us and we will not perish. If we don’t repent, the men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment and condemn us.

Second, we should believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and receive forgiveness for our sins. Remember that Jesus said the sign he would show was that he would be in the belly of the earth for only three days and three nights, as Jonah was temporarily in the belly of the great fish. Just as it was a miracle that Jonah made it out of the fish alive, it was a miracle that Jesus came back out of the grave. This is the most remarkable aspect of the sign Jesus gave to the world.

The apostle Paul wrote: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (Rom 10:9). This means that there are two very important things you must do to be saved. The first is to confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. That means you say out loud that He is Lord over your life personally and Lord of the Universe. And the second thing you need to do is to believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.

This takes us back to the sign Jesus gave us. He is no longer in the grave. After three days, He rose again. What will be your response to this sign? Let me encourage you today to repent of your own sin and believe on Jesus Christ. Confess that He is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. And as the Scriptures say, “You will be saved.”

Will you repent of your sins, and put your trust in Jesus today to save you?

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: I recommend my other posts called, Adam as a Type of Christ, The Sufferings of the Prophets as a Type, Isaac as a Type of Christ, Joseph as a Type of Christ, and The Tree of Life as a Type of Christ. You may also visit the Home page of this blog, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

__________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Bronze Serpent as a Type of Christ

The bronze serpent that God commanded Moses to make in the wilderness was a type of Christ.

Historical Background
First, let's begin with the historical context of the serpent. Scripture says:

"The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people came to Moses and said, 'We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.' And Moses interceded for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.' And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived." (Num 21:6-9, NIV).

Let's break that down into smaller parts, so we can digest it:

The problem: The people sinned by speaking against the Lord and against Moses.

The consequences: Fiery serpents came and bit the people, so that they died.

The source of the serpents: The Lord sent the fiery serpents.

The people's response: The people confessed their sin to Moses and asked him to pray for the Lord to remove the serpents.

Moses' response: He interceded for the people.

The solution: The Lord commanded Moses to make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard.

The outcome: Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard.

The process:  If a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

A Type of Christ
The apostle John tells us in his gospel that the bronze serpent was a type of Christ. He says: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." (Jn 3:14-15, NIV). This is plainly and simply set forth to us to understand: As Moses lifted up the bronze serpent, even so Christ was lifted up on the cross. Let's break it down even further, so that we can better see the truth of that statement.

The problem: All people have sinned.

The consequences: The wages of sin is death, so that men die as a result of it.

The solution: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16).

The outcome: Jesus was lifted up and crucified on a cross, similar to the standard upon which Moses set the bronze serpent.

The process:  Whoever believes and looks to Jesus Christ on the cross for salvation from sin and its deadly consequences shall have eternal life.

A Word of Caution
The bronze serpent later became a snare to the Israelites and they worshiped it by burning incense to it. It became known as Nehushtan as recorded in 2 Kings 18:4. Likewise, many turn the crucifix into an idol and worship it, but it is just a symbol. Yet in the Roman Catholic Church, to which I used to belong, they have a ceremony known as the Veneration of the Cross, in which I used to participate before I came to know Christ. It is typically done on Good Friday. During this ceremony, church members approach the cross, kneel before it, and kiss it. In fact, I believe some crosses have been kissed so many times that the feet of Jesus on it are probably worn off. This is simply idolatry, which God forbids in the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:4-6).

Closing Words
Just as the bronze serpent was a model of the poisonous snakes that were biting the people who sinned, so also the Lord came in the likeness of men who were fallen in sin (Phil 2:7). He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor 5:21). He hung upon that cross as if He were a sinner, though He Himself was not, and thereby identified Himself with us and our sin problem. Just as the serpent was set upon a standard, so that it could be lifted up for all those who were bitten to see, likewise Jesus was lifted up on a cross, so that all those who realize they are dying in their sin may look to Him and live. Have you looked to Jesus?

Studying types of Christ like this can help us grow in our love and knowledge of the Lord. I trust this has helped to accomplish that very goal in your life as you have read this article. I hope you will come back again later to enjoy more articles on the types in the Bible.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures where noted taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image of Christ on the Tree of Life may be subject to copyright, used per Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note:  Also see Adam as a type of Christ, Manna as a Type of Christ, The Tree of Life as a Type of Christ, Noah's Ark a Type of Christ, Isaac as a Type of Christ, Moses as a Type of Christ, The Temple as a Type of Christ, and The Mysteries of the Faith. You can access the Main Directory for Biblical Typology, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master. Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

__________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

A Black Hole as a Type

Scientists have captured the first image of a
black hole, using Event Horizon Telescope 
observations of the center of galaxy M87. 
Image credit: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration 

There are many types found in God’s creation. For example, the stars are types of the saints (Phil 2:15), and the sun is a type of Christ, as I have written about in Light of the World (Ps 19:4b-6; Mal 4:2). The bright morning star is another type of Christ (2 Pe 1:19; Rev 22:16), and gold is a type of God’s glory (Ps 19:4b-10; Job 23:10), which is why it is found in so many things in the temple. The heavens are also a type of God’s glory, or at least a messenger that declares His glory (Ps 19:1), and sheep are a type of God’s people (Ps 95:7).

The stars are also types of the angels (Job 38:7). In the book of Revelation the red dragon, which is the devil, swept a third of the stars from the sky with its tail and flung them to the earth (Rev 12:4). Many believe this is a symbolic representation of satan leading a third of the holy angels to rebel against God, and thus to become fallen angels. This is further substantiated by the following passage:

“Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Rev 12:7-9)

The morning Star is also a type of Lucifer or satan:

“How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!” (Is 14:12).

I have written about this in my articles The Origin of Sin, Satan, and Secular Music and The Rise and Fall of Lucifer the Musician. I suggest reading those if you want more detail.

Having said all that by way of introduction, let’s now consider the black hole of stellar mass. A black hole is formed in space by the collapse or death of a giant star. Since stars have mass, and mass causes a gravitational pull, smaller objects tend to gravitate toward and orbit around larger objects. Hence we find our planets revolving around the sun and our moon orbiting the earth, accompanied by millions of other objects, including man-made satellites. This gravitational pull in the universe is also the reason for spiral galaxies ¹. Thus when a super-massive star collapses, experiencing a supernova, whereby its central core implodes, it forms a black hole. Then as other smaller stars are drawn into it, the black hole develops and grows. As stars, planets, dust, and other matter, as well as antimatter and radiation, cross the event horizon, they fall down into the central singularity, growing the black hole and adding to its mass. They are pulled into it at the speed of light, and they never come out. In fact, not even light can escape from the black hole, hence the reason for its name. Initially objects drawn close to a black hole orbit it, but if they get too close to the precipice, they reach a point of no return. Then the super-heated gases get pulled by gravity into the powerful black hole, and become 100-billion-degree-hot plasma, never to be seen again.

Incidentally, this same phenomenon can occur when any large collection of matter, such as a massive cloud of contracting gas — collapses down directly to a black hole. It is not only the collapse of super-massive stars that can produce black holes. Moreover, the intense gravitational force that black holes exert is extremely powerful due to their enormous mass.

Scientists recently captured the first ever photos of a black hole, which helped to confirm what they previously understood. For many people, a black hole may have seemed like nothing more than a scientific theory. Since no one had ever seen a black hole, one may have questioned whether such things really existed. In fact, even Einstein himself was skeptical of their existence. Without ever having seen a black hole, astrophysicists could only theorize based on observations of circumstantial evidence like the motion of stars that seemed to orbit some sort of bizarre unseen object, as well as jets of particles found in space, or radiation that they detected from matter swirling into them. But how could they prove that these were actually black holes?

Now that they’ve photographed a black hole, we have the visual evidence of their existence beyond the shadow of a doubt. We have now seen what we thought was invisible. It took two hundred committed scientists, long-term development, international cooperation, innovation, a lot of money, numerous telescopes and antennae at multiple locations on earth, computers, and wisdom to actually capture a photo of a black hole ². But just as the Lord gave man wisdom how to put a man on the moon, He also gave this team of scientists the wisdom and a planet large enough from which to photograph a black hole. And He did so at this particular time in history for a specific purpose. I believe it is a sign of the times, and the main purpose for it is to illustrate something that is very important for every person on earth to know.

A Type of Hell
Since a black hole is a type of hell, God wanted us all to have this visual image of a black hole to help us realize that it definitely exists, and to better understand that terrible place called hell, of which it is a sort of pattern, so that we would not go there. For just as there are many people who don't believe that black holes exist, there are many who don't believe that hell exists either. But that doesn't make it any less real.

Initially, there was a giant star, Lucifer, who was one of the most powerful angels in heaven. He was an anointed guardian cherub. But he fell into sin and led many other angels in a rebellion against God. Some believe that a third of the holy angels actually fell with him, based on John's revelation of the dragon sweeping a third of the stars from the sky (Rev 12:4). His fall was like the death of a giant star, and the fall of those angels were like other stars being pulled into a black hole. The devil and his angels lost their place in heaven, and God prepared the eternal fire of hell for them (Mt 25:41).

Hell is the place where satan has his throne and he pretends to be God. Like a collapsed super-massive star, he exerts a powerful, dark, invisible force. Like stars drawn into a black hole, people in this world feel drawn toward evil as they experience a sort of gravitational pull that satan has. As they go through life, they are doing his bidding, whether they realize it or not, and descending toward hell with each step (Pr 2:18; 5:5; 7:27; Ps 9:7). They cannot seem to break free of their sinful habits, no matter how hard they may try (Pr 4:14-17, 19). They are foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. They live in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another (Tit 3:3). When they die, they fall down a great shaft and end up down in the pit with satan and his fallen angels, which is sometimes referred to as the bottomless pit, the infernal pit, or simply the Abyss (Rev 9:1-2). Although there are flames there, it is a place of utter darkness, where the light of the flames does not illuminate that place. Just like a black hole, the light cannot escape from that place, and no one can escape.

Hell is much like a very active black hole. Every minute there are thousands of souls falling into it to their eternal destruction, like grains of sand pouring through an hourglass. This brings great pain to the heart of God, since He is not willing for any to perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pe 3:9; Mt 18:14). In the same way that black holes grow by consuming stars and other matter insatiably, likewise hell has grown larger by the sheer number of souls falling into it. As the Scripture says, "So hell has enlarged itself, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pride, and he who rejoices in her, shall go down into it." (Isa 5:14). And it's no wonder, since the Lord declared, "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." (Mat 7:13).

Avoiding a Black Hole
Of course, the best way to avoid a black hole in the first place is to stay as far away from it as possible. However, since humans have already been drawn closer to hell to one extent or another, then we need another solution. If you have already been drawn close to a black hole, and find yourself circling it, then there is one way to avoid falling into it before you reach the point of no return, and that is to move away from it at the speed of light. The speed of light is represented by the letter c, which is the initial letter of celeritas, the Latin word meaning speed. As I wrote in a previous article, Christ is the Light of the World. He is the C that you need in order to avoid falling into hell. Let me explain how to move away from that type of "black hole" at C, the speed of Light.

The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory (Ro 3:23), so sin is a universal problem common to all people. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good, not even one (Ps 14:1, 3). We all, like sheep, have gone astray (Is 53:6). Scripture also says that the wages of sin is death (Ro 6:23a), and hell is the eternal punishment for those who die in that state (Mt 25:41, 46; Rev 20:12-14).

But God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). Jesus Christ gave His life for you and me on the cross and took the punishment that we deserved. He died in our place. Then He rose again on the third day, and He lives forever as King of kings and Lord of lords. The gift of God to you is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord (Ro 6:23b). The only way to receive this free gift is to repent of your sin, believe on Jesus Christ, receive His forgiveness, and accept His gift of salvation (Ac 2:38). That is how you move away from hell and satan at the speed of Light.

You cannot repent after you die. Mercy is only available while you are still alive on earth. It is appointed to every man to die once and then comes the judgment (Heb 9:27). Don't wait until it's too late and you have passed the point of no return. Give your life to Jesus now while you are still able to. Now is the time of God's favor. Today is the day of salvation.

The Message of the Accretion Disk
The Event Horizon of a black hole is defined in Wikipedia as the invisible "shell" containing "points of no return", i.e., the boundary at which the gravitational pull of a massive object becomes so great as to make escape impossible. Through the recent image of the M87* black hole, scientists discovered that super-heated gases are circling the Event Horizon ("points of no return") in a clockwise pattern, known as the Accretion Disk. They believe these gases are moving close to the speed of light due to the intense gravitational pull. Nothing that crosses over the Event Horizon can escape from falling into the black hole's pit (known as its singularity). For all matter that passes over the Event Horizon, there is no turning back.

Hence, in the image of the black hole that was captured by scientists recently, what we are seeing is the light being emitted from (radio waves produced by) those super-heated, swirling gases in the Accretion Disk before they fell into the hole forever. In order to make that visual image possible, it was necessary for the tiny particles of light -- known as photons -- emitted from the Accretion Disk, to travel 53.5 million light years to earth and reach our telescopes ³.

The Accretion Disk, as part of the heavens, actually declares the glory of God, according to Psalm 19:1. So what is the message that the Accretion Disk declares to us that brings glory to God? The photons traveled all the way to earth to tell us of Christ’s salvation. Their message to all mankind is, "Repent! Hell is real! Don't go to that terrible place! Jesus saves!"

The Photo is a Type, Too
The image of the black hole, which provides definitive proof that black holes exist, is a type of all the evidence we find in Scripture that hell really exists. There is an abundance of evidence, including the testimony of the rich man in hell that Jesus spoke about in Luke 16:19-31. The photo of the black hole is also a type of the many testimonies of those whom God has allowed to temporarily experience hell and live to tell about it. They have returned with a message for mankind. I have published many of those testimonies on my Eternal Destinations blog, which I encourage you to check out.

Side by Side Comparison
Let's take a look at all of this in a side by side comparison:

Black Hole	Hell
May originate with collapse of super-massive star	Prepared by God due to the fall of a guardian cherub known as Lucifer, which means "star of the morning" (Is 14:12; Mt 25:41)
Grows and develops as it consumes stars, dust, planets, and other matter	Lucifer led a rebellion of heavenly angels, signified by stars. Once God prepared hell for the devil and his angels, it has grown and developed by being populated with fallen humans (Mt 25:41; Rev 12:4, 7-9; Isa 5:14).
Characterized by utter darkness inside	Characterized by utter darkness inside (Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30)
Billions of degrees hot temperature	Intense heat from eternal fire (Mt 25:41; Mk 9:43, 48)
Infinite density inside	Heavy oppression that grips all within
Exerts intense gravitational pull	Devil and his angels exert a strong pull on people that attracts them through temptations and overtakes them
Insatiable	Insatiable (Pr 30:15-16; Isa 5:14)
Nothing that enters can escape	Nobody condemned to that place can escape
Many people skeptical of its existence	Many people skeptical of its existence
Image of it now proves it is real	Scriptures, as well as testimonies, prove it is real
Avoid it by staying far from it	Avoid it at all costs
When being drawn close to it escape by moving away at the speed of light	Move away at the speed of Light by repenting and believing in Jesus Christ, accepting His free gift of salvation (Mk 1:15; Rom 10:9-13; Ac 2:38)

Closing Words
In this study, we have learned that just as many other parts of God's creation are types of Christ, the saints, and the angels, likewise black holes are a type of hell. There is no way out of hell, just as there is no way out of a black hole. Those who go to that place when they die are doomed to remain there forever, and never return. But Christ has made a way for us to avoid going to that place by moving away from it right now at the speed of Light.

Studying types of Christ like this can help us grow in our love and knowledge of the Lord. I trust this has helped to accomplish that very goal in your life as you have read this article. I hope you will come back again later to enjoy more articles on the types in the Bible.

Footnotes:
¹ It is generally accepted that there is a super-massive black hole at the centers of most galaxies, including our own Milky Way galaxy.

² The M87* black hole that scientists recently photographed at the center of a giant, elliptical galaxy called Messier 87 (M87) is 6.5 billion times the mass of our sun. The actual size of its shadow (black part in the center) is nearly the size of our entire solar system. It is located 53.5 million light years away. The image above shows a bright ring formed as light bends in the intense gravity surrounding the black hole. Due to the fact that nothing can escape from a black hole once it falls into it, not even light, this is the first ever image of its kind. In order to accomplish such a breakthrough scientific discovery, it required a telescope at least the size of planet earth, which would have been impractical. So scientists created a virtual one that size by connecting six telescopes around the world, which were synchronized using an atomic clock that only loses one second every 50 billion years. And just to show how God made it all possible, it turns out that He made planet earth big enough for scientists to view black holes using these synchronized telescopes, ensuring our planet met the minimum size requirement, because it would have been impossible to do from a smaller planet. You see, due to the relatively tiny size of M87* in our sky from earth's perspective, it is at the very technological limits of what we are capable of viewing from earth. This video further explains it.

³ The photo that scientists captured of the M87* black hole is actually an image of radio waves. But radio waves come in photons too - it’s all "light" (i.e. electromagnetic radiation), just different wavelengths.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Image credit: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, used per Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note:  Also see Light of the World, Where will you go when you die?, Is Jesus God?, The Bronze Serpent as a Type of Christ, Adam as a type of Christ, The Tree of Life as a Type of Christ, Noah's Ark a Type of Christ, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, The Kingdom of Darkness, and The Mysteries of the Faith. You can find many testimonies of people who have received revelations of hell in my blog Eternal Destinations. You can access the Main Directory for Biblical Typology, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master. Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

__________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Sufferings of the Prophets as a Type

Daniel in the lions' den

Since the prophets participated in the sufferings of Christ, they, too, were a type of Him. There were many instances when what they said of themselves showed that they were identifying with Christ, and the same things they said of themselves could also be said of Christ. There are many such examples contained in the Psalms.

They were insulted, persecuted, and slandered because of Him:

"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Mat 5:11-12)

Every disciple who is insulted, persecuted, and against whom others falsely say all kinds of evil because of Christ, are experiencing what the prophets experienced.

They were hated by men, excluded, and their names were scorned as evil for Christ's sake:

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets." (Luk 6:22-23)

In fact, they were even murdered:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets." (Mat 23:29-31)

This pattern continued from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah:

"Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.'" (Luk 11:47-51)

Some of them were stoned to death:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!" (Luk 13:34; cf., Mat 23:37)

There wasn't a prophet that was not persecuted:

"Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;" (Act 7:52)

This goes for all the prophets, including Joseph, Moses, David, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Jonah, and all the others. They prophesied of Christ and shared in His sufferings for it. Moses suffered disgrace before Pharaoh for the sake of Christ (He 11:26). Daniel was thrown into the lions' den (Dan 6), Ezekiel laid on his side for 430 days bearing the iniquity of Israel (Ez 4:4), and he was not allowed to mourn or weep when his wife was taken from him in death (Ez 24:15-27), Jeremiah was dropped into an empty cistern (Jer 38:6), Hosea was required to take a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry (Hos 1:2), and Elijah was threatened by evil Jezebel (1 Ki 19). The Talmud [Yevamot 49b] says that Isaiah suffered martyrdom by being sawn in two under the orders of evil King Manasseh. The apostle wrote to the Hebrews saying: "Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground." (Heb 11:35-38)

The same is true of all who seek to live godly lives in Christ:

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Pe 4:12-14, NIV).

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..." (2 Tim 3:12, NIV).

Closing Words
In this study, we have discovered that to the extent that the prophets participated in the sufferings of Christ, they were a type of Christ, who suffered and died for us. They were also a type of every disciple of Christ, who seeks to live a godly life in Him.

Studying types of Christ like this can help us grow in our love and knowledge of the Lord. I trust this has helped to accomplish that very goal in your life as you have read this article. I hope you will come back again later to enjoy more articles on the types in the Bible.

Attribution notice: Most Scriptures where noted taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Other Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. The painting of Daniel in the Lions' Den mezzotint is by J.B. Pratt, and is used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only. I would like to thank my wife Jennifer for giving me the idea of the theme of this article, which is captured in the opening paragraph.

Author's note:  Also see Joseph as a Type of Christ, Jonah as a Type of Christ, Adam as a Type of Christ, Isaac as a Type of Christ, Noah's Ark a Type of Christ, The Temple as a Type of Christ, The Passover Lamb as a Type of Christ, and Hagar and Sarah as Types. You can access the Main Directory for Biblical Typology, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master. Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Tree of Life as a Type of Christ

The tree of life is a type of Christ and His cross.

When God created Adam and Eve, He placed them in the garden of Eden, where every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food was growing.

"Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."  (Gen 2:9).

As the Scripture says, among those trees were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The only one they were forbidden by God to eat from was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But when satan tempted Eve, she ate of it and gave some to her husband.

"Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" (Gen 3:22).

When Adam and Eve sinned, it brought death. For the wages of sin is death (Ro 6:23a). They would no longer be permitted to take from the tree of life and eat of it, lest they live forever in that fallen state.

"So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life." (Gen 3:24).

The Lord took a number of measures to ensure that man in his fallen state would not have access to the tree of life any longer. After He drove Adam and Eve out of the garden, He also stationed the cherubim with the flaming sword at the entrance to ensure they would not get back in.

We know that the garden of Eden is no longer on earth or we would have discovered it by now along with the tree of life. The garden of Eden is a type of Paradise, which is in heaven. The word Paradise means "garden" or "park." We recall the words of our Savior who said to the penitent thief on cross beside Him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Lk 23:43, NIV). Paradise is in the kingdom of heaven where Jesus and the Father reign.

And since Paradise is in heaven, that is also where we should look to find the tree of life. The apostle John was taken up to heaven and given a revelation of it. He wrote:

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." (Rev 22:1-2, NIV)

The Lord has promised the right to eat of the tree of life to those who overcome:

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God." (Rev 2:7)

Likewise, He has promised the right to eat of the tree of life to those who wash their robes:

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city." (Rev 22:14)

Among the wonderful attributes of the tree of life, the Scripture says that if you eat of it you will live forever (Gen 3:22). The Bible also teaches us that whoever believes in Jesus will live forever, because "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 6:23, NIV).

There are many Scriptures that speak of His life-giving power, but here are just a few:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  (Joh 3:16)

"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."  (Joh 6:40)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.  (Joh 6:47)

"Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me." (Joh 6:57, NIV)

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (Joh 11:25-26)

Jesus actually said that He is the Life! He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."  (Joh 14:6).

Peter succinctly made the connection between life and the tree (Greek, xulon, timber, tree), which was the cross upon which our Lord was crucified. He wrote: "He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed." (1Pe 2:24)

The apostle John wrote: 

"What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—" (1Jn 1:1-2)

"And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life." (1Jn 5:11-12).

Jesus Christ not only died on the cross for you and me, but He is risen from the dead. He lives forever, never to die again. You either have the Son and have life or you don't have the Son and don't have life.

Closing Words

Since life is in the Son and He is the life, even the eternal life, then it is abundantly clear that the tree of life was a type of Christ pointing us to Him. It was His death upon the tree of Calvary, where He bore our sins on the cross, which made it possible for all who die to sins to live to righteousness in Him. The Bible tells us that eternal life is a free gift, but that in order to receive it you must accept it by repenting of your sins, believing in Jesus, and receiving forgiveness of your sins. Have you received His free gift of eternal life? Have you washed your robe in His blood? Only those who do so and endure to the end will have a right to eat of the tree of life in the Paradise of God (Mt 24:13; Rev 2:7; 22:14).

Studying types of Christ like this can help us grow in our love and knowledge of the Lord. I trust this has helped to accomplish that very goal in your life as you have read this article. I hope you will come back again later to enjoy more articles on the types in the Bible.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures where noted taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image of Christ on the Tree of Life may be subject to copyright, used per Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note:  Also see Adam as a type of Christ, Manna as a Type of Christ, Noah's Ark a Type of Christ, Isaac as a Type of Christ, The Temple as a Type of Christ, The Black Hole as a Type, and The Mysteries of the Faith. You can access the Main Directory for Biblical Typology, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master. Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

__________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Manna as a Type of Christ

The manna that God sent from heaven is also a type of Christ, so let's examine the Scriptures and see what this teaches us about Him.

Historical Background

Gathering manna in the wilderness

First, a quick bit of historical context would help, which I assume many people will be very familiar with. Moses had led the children of Israel out of Egypt and after crossing the Red Sea they entered the wilderness of Sin. While they were there, all the people began to grumble against Moses and Aaron that they wished they had died in Egypt where they once had all the food they wanted, including pots of meat and bread until they were full, but now they were suffering hunger in the wilderness. The Lord heard their grumbling and instructed Moses on how to respond to the people.

"Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.'" (Exo 16:4-5).

And again, "When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it." (Num 11:9)

So the Scripture says the Lord promised to rain bread from heaven, which He did for them from that time until just before they entered the Promised Land (Ex 16:35). He sent a layer of dew each morning, which became fine, thin flakes on the ground once it had evaporated. It was as fine as frost on the ground, so it must have been quite delicate.

Manna is described as being as
fine as frost on the ground

"When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, 'It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.'" (Exo 16:14-15)

The Hebrew word for "manna" means a "what-ness", taken from their question, "What is it?" 

"This is what the LORD has commanded, 'Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.'" The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat." (Exo 16:16-18)

The apostle Paul alluded to this when he said, "As it is written: 'The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.'" (2 Cor 8:15, NIV).

Moreover, they were not allowed to save any for the following day, but when some of them did so, it was full of maggots and began to smell (Ex 16:20). This was the original concept of getting their daily bread each day for that day only. After gathering the manna each morning, whatever they left on the ground would melt in the sun's heat.

"They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt. Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, then he said to them, 'This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.' So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it." (Exo 16:21-24).

Manna is described as something
similar to coriander seed

As it says, they would gather twice as much as they needed on the sixth day in order to have enough for the Sabbath day, and they would cook it, so that it would not spoil, and so that they would be able to eat it on the Sabbath without having to go out gathering it on the day of rest.

The Lord commanded that they keep some of the manna for future generations.

Then Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded, 'Let an omerful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'" Moses said to Aaron, 'Take a jar and put an omerful of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations.' As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to be kept." (Exo 16:32-34)

It's amazing that this manna did not spoil, which God commanded to be kept in a golden jar as a memorial to show how He fed the Israelites in the wilderness. It was placed before the ark of the covenant where it was to be kept, and the apostle says it was kept inside the ark (Heb 9:4).

Did you ever wonder what it tasted like? Scripture says, "The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey.  (Exo 16:31)

Manna is described as having the appearance of
bdellium.

"Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium." (Num 11:7). It was like a seed and looked like bdellium (pictured left), which is a fragrant resin produced by a number of trees related to myrrh, used in perfumes. But it was thin and flaky.

The Bible tells us how they prepared it, too. "The people would go about and gather it and grind it between two millstones or beat it in the mortar, and boil it in the pot and make cakes with it; and its taste was as the taste of cakes baked with oil." (Num 11:8)

As time went on, year after year, the Israelites grew weary of eating manna all the time and they grumbled about it. "We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna." (Num 11:5-6). But God fed them with manna for forty years in the wilderness, until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.  (Exo 16:35)

Manna was a Type of Christ

Then thousands of years later during Jesus' ministry, the Jews said to Him, "'Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, "He gave them bread out of heaven to eat."' (Joh 6:31)

Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.' Then they said to Him, 'Lord, always give us this bread.' Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.'" (Joh 6:32-35)

First, the Lord taught them that Moses did not give them the bread from heaven, but the heavenly Father gave it to them. Then the Lord actually declared Himself to be the Bread of God, which He defined as that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Just as the manna came down from heaven and sustained the lives of the Hebrews in their wilderness journey, Christ came down from heaven and gives life to the world, so that we would not perish.

After He said that, the people asked Him to always give them that bread, to which He replied that He is the Bread of Life, who will keep those who come to Him from hungering and those who believe in Him from thirsting. But they didn't receive that, and took offense at what He said.

"Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, 'I am the bread that came down out of heaven.'" (Joh 6:41).

Nevertheless, He didn't walk back His words or try to appease them. Instead, he repeated, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life." (Joh 6:47-48). Based on this passage, we know for certain that the manna was a type of Christ.

He said, "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." (Joh 6:49-51).

"Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”" (Jn 6:52, NIV). The Lord's response to them was a major revelation for all mankind:

So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." (Joh 6:53-58).

The Process of Gathering Manna
Consider for a moment what it was like for the Israelites to go out and gather manna every morning, six days a week. Since it was fine, thin, flaky, and delicate, and since it was located on the ground on the desert sand and rocks, those who gathered it would have had to get down on their knees. They had to gather it little by little into their baskets until they had enough for their households. Since they may have collected some sand with the manna, they may have had to sift it to remove the sand. This process would require patience to do even one time, but it would require endurance to do it every day for forty years.

Other Important Facts About Manna
The reason God did this was to humble the Israelites with hunger and feed them with something completely unfamiliar to them or their fathers, in order to teach them that man does not live on bread alone, but on every Word from the Lord's mouth.

"He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.  (Deu 8:3)

"In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.  (Deu 8:16)

"He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven." (Psa 78:24)

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it."  (Rev 2:17)

Side by Side Comparison
Let's do a quick side-by-side comparison of the manna and Christ.

Manna	Christ
"It is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven." (Jn 6:32)	"The bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven." (Jn 6:33)
Came down each day as dew in the morning on the ground. (Ex 16:13).	Came down from heaven to earth and seemed to be very common and lowly. He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Phil 2:7, NIV)
Evaporated and became fine, thin flakes. It was fine as frost on the ground. (Ex 16:14)	His appearance was ordinary, and nothing spectacular. "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself." (Phil 2:8, NIV) "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." (Is 53:2b, NIV)
Had to be gathered for each household daily.	Gives us each day our daily bread as we pray for it. Meets with us personally, as we each seek Him daily for ourselves and our households.
The people wondered "What is it?" (Ex 16:15)	"He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize Him." (Jn 1:10, NIV)
Satisfied the people's hunger.	"He who comes to Me will not hunger..." (Jn 6:35)
They were not allowed to save any for the following day, or else it would spoil.	We must seek Him daily and keep it fresh, not rely on old, moldy experiences we've had with Him in the past.
Miraculous provision.	Miraculous Savior.
They grumbled about the manna (Num 11:6)	They grumbled about Jesus, because He said, "I am the bread that came down out of heaven." (Joh 6:41)
Something completely unfamiliar to them or their fathers.	Completely unfamiliar to them, a man coming down from heaven.
To humble them and test them. (Deu 8:16)	It is humbling and is a test for people to believe in Jesus for eternal life. In fact, it is a stumbling block for some people, because it is so offensive to them.
To teach them that man does not live on bread alone, but on every Word from the Lord's mouth. (Dt 8:3)	He teaches us not to seek after food that spoils but for food that lasts forever, which only Jesus can give you. "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” (Jn 6:27, NIV) Jesus is the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (Jn 1:1,14)
To do good for them in the end.	God grants eternal life to those who come to Jesus and believe in Him. "He who believes has eternal life." (Jn 6:47) "To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna..." (Rev 2:17)
The bread they ate was food from heaven called manna. (Ps 78:24). It was bread from heaven.	"I am the living bread that came down out of heaven..." (Jn 6:51). "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink." (Jn 6:55).
They ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. (Jn 6:49)	"This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die...if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." (Joh 6:49-51).
Kept the people from dying of starvation.	"Gives life to the world," so that those who come to Him and believe in Him would not perish (Jn 6:33, NIV). "...unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves." (Jn 6:53). "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." (Jn 6:54). "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." (Joh 6:56-58).

Conclusion
In our study of the manna, we have seen that this bread from heaven is a type of Christ. Almost every aspect of it is symbolic, pointing us to Him as the Bread of Life. We examined the manna itself, which was required to sustain human life in the wilderness for forty years, as the Israelites journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land. We also examined how each household had to gather some of the manna each day and bring it home.

We learned that it had to be gathered in fresh daily while they were down on their knees in the morning, which teaches us that we must have a daily walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. If they had gathered it once a week, as some people do each week on Sundays only, then the manna would have become spoiled with maggots and they would not have been able to eat it. It would not even last overnight until morning, let alone a whole week. You cannot meet with Jesus just once a week, or every few days, but must seek the Lord daily for yourself, as the Israelites did each morning.

We also saw that the manna God commanded to be kept in a gold jar and stored with the Ark of the Covenant was a type of Christ. Since the ark signifies the presence of the Lord, this teaches us that the bread of life we must gather each day through our relationship with Christ is found in His presence. Amazingly that manna that was kept in obedience to God's command did not spoil, but remained as a memorial for future generations to see how God fed His people in the wilderness.

We learned that God gave the Israelites the manna to humble them, test them, and teach them that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the Lord's mouth. And we understand from this that Jesus is the Living Word that we must eat so that we may have life. That's why we should read the Word of God daily and ask Him to speak to us through it. We must not grow weary of reading the Scriptures over and over again, but always pray and trust the Lord to give us something fresh.

Since the manna was so small and delicate, and would require such patience each day to gather it in, not to mention faithfulness and endurance to do that daily for forty years, that teaches us that our daily walk with Jesus also requires patience, faithfulness, and endurance. We gather our bread of life from Him little by little, which may sometimes be almost imperceptible, but the nuggets he gives us do in fact sustain us and our households.

We looked at how they prepared the manna in various ways, then how they ate it to satisfy their hunger. Each aspect of the manna teaches us about Christ as the only One who can save us from dying. It teaches us that we must come to Him, believe in Him, eat His flesh, drink His blood, accept Him as our own Lord and Savior, and abide in Him in order to have eternal life. It teaches us that unless we do so, then we have no life in ourselves.

This is a hard teaching for some people to accept, and many Jews grumbled at the Lord because of it. Many disciples stopped following Him after He said that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood (Jn 6:66). Don't let that happen to you, but accept His true words of life, so that you may not perish but have eternal life.

When I began this study, I didn't have much to say about it, and I thought it was going to be brief, but it was like the dehydrated food that we used to eat in the Army, which would expand after we soaked it in water. The rich truths found in the manna as a type of Christ open up and become expansive as we meditate on them and soak them for a while.

Through this study, we have expanded upon these mysteries that the Lord has disclosed to us, so that we may know and trust Christ more. I trust this has helped to accomplish that very goal in your life as you have read this article. May our prayer be, "Bread of Heaven feed me till I want no more." I hope you will come back again later to enjoy more articles on the types in the Bible.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures where noted taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image of "Gathering Manna" taken from Lutheran Coalition for Renewal, may be subject to copyright, used per Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only. Other images in the public domain from Wikipedia.

Author's note:  Also see The Glorified Lamb of God, The Typology of the Tabernacle, Isaac as a Type of Christ, Noah's Ark a Type of Christ, Moses as a Type of Christ, The Temple as a Type of Christ, and The Mysteries of the Faith. You can access the Main Directory for Biblical Typology, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master. Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.