Boaz as a Type of Christ

One very interesting character to study is Boaz, and what makes him  particularly interesting is that he was a type of Christ. Let's examine the Scriptures about him together.

Historical Background
For the historical context, you should read the book of Ruth, which is a beautiful love story. It's a short, easy read of only four chapters. But essentially it is about a Jewish woman named Naomi who leaves Israel with her husband Elimelech and two sons during a time of famine. They move to Moab and settle there, where her two sons each marry Moabite women, one of which was Ruth. In the course of time, her husband and two sons die, leaving her and her two daughters-in-law as widows.

Naomi eventually decides to move back to Israel. Although both of her daughters-in-law begin to follow her, she tries to persuade them to stay in Moab, but Ruth insists on following her. Ruth says to Naomi, "Where you go I will go. Where you lodge I will lodge. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God." (Ruth 1:16).

Back home in Bethlehem in the land of Israel, Naomi and Ruth struggle in poverty to survive without a man to provide for them. Ruth gleans out in the fields, walking behind the servant girls as they reap the barley harvest. She picks up the gleanings that the servant girls have dropped on the ground.

The owner of the field is a very wealthy man named Boaz, who falls in love with Ruth when he sees her. He gives special instructions to his servants to let her glean behind them, and he orders the men not to touch her. When Naomi finds out from Ruth whose field she was gleaning in, she tells Ruth that Boaz is a close relative and coaches Ruth on how to win his heart.

After Ruth follows Naomi's instructions, she ends up sleeping on the threshing floor at the feet of Boaz. During the night he awakes and finds her there. No impropriety takes place between them, but at her request, he simply covers her with the corner of his blanket. Then he also promises to redeem her and Naomi, after he first gives a chance for another relative to redeem them, who is closer in relation to Naomi than he is. In the morning, he gives her a load of barley to take back home for herself and her mother-in-law Naomi.

He and the other kinsman have a public discussion together about the opportunity, where Boaz gives him a chance to redeem them if he wants. But the other kinsman backs out of the opportunity when he finds out he would have to redeem the old widow Naomi along with the estate of her husband. Thus Boaz ends up being the one to buy the field that belonged to Naomi's late husband, and he obtains Naomi and Ruth along with it.

Boaz then marries Ruth and together they have a baby named Obed, who ends up being the grandfather of King David. Naomi is able to rejoice once again and loves baby Obed like her own child.

Boaz as Kinsman-Redeemer
Now that we've got the essential background information, let's see how Boaz actually typifies Christ. There are several references to Boaz as a kinsman of Naomi's husband. For example, in the second chapter of Ruth it states:

"Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz." (Ruth 2:1)

Amazingly Boaz was not related to Naomi by blood, but by marriage. Boaz was only related by blood to Naomi's late husband Elimelech. Later in the same chapter, Naomi refers to Boaz as a kinsman-redeemer:

“The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers." (Ruth 2:20, NIV)

The Hebrew word for kinsman-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55). The following verse sums up the Lord's command regarding the responsibility of a kinsman-redeemer:

"If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold." (Lev 25:25).

This essentially teaches that a kinsman-redeemer was required to come and redeem the property his poor relative had sold, if that relative had done so out of necessity because of being destitute. More detail about the role of a kinsman-redeemer is found in the following passage in Numbers:

"Further, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 'If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 'If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 'If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his own family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be a statutory ordinance to the sons of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.'" (Num 27:8-11).

One key fact in this last passage is that if there was no other relative eligible to receive someone's inheritance, then ultimately the person's inheritance would be given to the next of kin or nearest relative in his own family.

Here is another verse, in which Naomi once again told Ruth that Boaz, in whose field she had been gleaning, was their kinsman redeemer:

"Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight." (Ruth 3:2).

Notice how she referred to Boaz as "our kinsman," showing that she considered him to be Ruth's kinsman now through marriage, just as much as he was her own kinsman.

When Boaz discovered Ruth at his feet on the threshing floor at night, He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative." (Ruth 3:9). This is another example that identifies Boaz as a kinsman.

After Boaz and Ruth were married and she gave birth to Obed, it was a time of great rejoicing. "Then the women said to Naomi, 'Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel.'" (Ruth 4:14).

Initially one would assume the women were referring to Boaz as Noami's redeemer, but they were actually referring to the baby Obed that Ruth bore to Boaz. And he did become famous as they said he would, too. Moreover, they viewed the baby as if it were Naomi's own child. Here is the proof of this fact in the verses that immediately follow that one, where the neighbor women referred to Obed as a a restorer of life:

"'May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.' Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, 'A son has been born to Naomi!' So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David." (Ruth 4:15-17).

So not only was Boaz a type of Christ as our kinsman-redeemer, but even Obed his son was a type of Christ as our Redeemer and a restorer of life. So how does all of this point to Christ?

Christ as Kinsman-Redeemer
Scripture tells us that we have redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ, who is a descendant of David, Obed, and Boaz. The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace..." (Eph 1:7)

Just as Boaz was the one responsible to redeem the property of his deceased relative Elimelech, along with his widow Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, likewise, Jesus Christ was the One chosen by God to redeem His people to God. Just as Boaz was motivated by love when he redeemed Naomi and Ruth, Christ too was motivated by love for lost humanity when he purchased redemption on the cross. Just as Naomi and Ruth were destitute without anyone to help them until Boaz came along and redeemed them, likewise, we are all helpless and destitute spiritually with no one else except Christ who alone can redeem us. It's only by His perfect, sinless blood that was shed for us that anyone can be redeemed to God. For this is what it says in the song they sing in heaven:

And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation." (Rev 5:9, NKJV)

Only Jesus Christ the Son of God could redeem us to God. He is not only our blessed Redeemer, but He is our Kinsman, because He became one of us through His incarnation, when He took upon Himself the form of a man (Phil 2:7; Jn 1:14; Mat 1:18; Gal 4:4). He became closely related to us by being born into Adam's race through the virgin Mary. The apostle explains it to the Hebrews like this:

"In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says,

'I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the assembly I will sing your praises.'”

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Heb 2:10-15, NIV).

Therefore, it was by design that Jesus shared in our humanity, becoming part of our family, and then redeemed His brothers and sisters as our Kinsman-Redeemer. Both the Lord Jesus, who is holy, and those of us whom He has made holy, are of the same family, and He is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. Praise the Lord.

Closing Words
As a result of Ruth's unwavering commitment to the Lord and the family she had married into, she was honored to give birth to David's grandfather. What an honor it was for her, since the Lord Jesus Christ came from the line of David. Boaz and Ruth are listed in the genealogy of Christ given in the gospel of Matthew as the parents of Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David (Mat 1:5-6). And amazingly, Boaz was the son of Rahab, the former harlot from Jericho, who was saved by the Israelites for her faith in Jehovah (Mat 1:5; Jos 2:1, 10-14; 6:25; Heb 11:31).

May we all be committed to our family. May we also be ready to leave our natural family to go wherever God leads us, so that we can help propagate the family of God as Ruth did.

But the main point of this article is to show that Boaz was a type of Christ as our Kinsman-Redeemer. As our close relative, He purchased our redemption with his own blood in order to bring us to God. Just like Naomi and Ruth, we are all poor, destitute and hopeless without Christ our Kinsman-Redeemer, who is also our Restorer of life. I trust this has helped to give you a greater love and appreciation for Him, as well as new insights into the rich meaning of the redemption He purchased for us with His blood at Calvary. I hope you will come back again later to enjoy more articles on the types in the Bible to help you grow in your love and knowledge of the Lord. 

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.

Author's note:  Also see David as a Type of Christ, David's Mighty Men as Types of Christ, David -- A Man After God's Own Heart, The Sufferings of the Prophets as a Type, 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, 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.

David as a Type of Christ

All throughout the Hebrew Scriptures we see David as a type of Christ in his various roles as shepherd, giant slayer, warrior, and king. Many of the psalms that he wrote prophetically point to Christ and speak of Him:

"For David says of Him, 'I saw the Lord always in my presence; for He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. 'Therefore My heart was glad and My tongue exulted; moreover My flesh also will live in hope; because You will not abandon My soul to Hades, nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. 'You have made known to Me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with your presence.'"

"Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on His throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh suffer decay."

"This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for your feet."' Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." (Act 2:25-36)

Moreover, the Holy Spirit foretold through the prophet Micah, seven hundred years before Christ, that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, the town of David. He said:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.” (Mic 5:2, NIV)

This effectively narrowed down the birthplace of Messiah to one specific town, and the Jews knew this, which is one reason many of them did not believe in Christ, because they knew he was from Nazareth in Galilee. According to John's gospel:

"Others said, 'He is the Messiah.' Still others asked, 'How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?' Thus the people were divided because of Jesus." (Jn 7:41-43, NIV).

What those people didn't realize was that although Jesus was raised in Nazareth, He was actually born in Bethlehem of Judea, in precise fulfillment of prophecy (Mt 2:1; Lk 2:4-7). He was born in the same town as David, and His mother Mary was a direct descendant of David, as was Mary's husband Joseph, who was supposed to be the father of Jesus (Mt 1:1-17; Lk 3:23-38).

In addition to being a type of Christ, David was a type of those believers and ministers who are men and women after God's own heart. For more on that, see my article David -- A Man After God's Own Heart.  

Side by Side Comparison
Let's look at the striking similarities between David and Christ in the following chart:

David	Christ
A king (1 Sa 16)	The King of kings (Re 19:16)
A shepherd (1 Sa 16:11; 17:34; 2 Sa 7:8)	The Good Shepherd (Ps 23; Jn 10:11)
Born in Bethlehem (1 Sa 17:12)	Born in Bethlehem (Mt 2:1; Lk 2:4-7; Mic 5:2)
When Absalom rebelled, David went up the Mount of Olives weeping as he went into exile (2 Sam 15:30)	On the night that Jesus was betrayed by Judas, He went up onto the Mount of Olives. His soul was deeply grieved to the point of death, and being in agony He was praying very fervently with loud cries and tears (Mt 26:38; Lk 22:44; He 5:7)
A mighty man of valor, a warrior (1 Sa 16:18)	A mighty man of valor, a warrior (Is 9:6)
Conquered Goliath the giant (1 Sam 17:50-51)	Conquered the devil, triumphing over him through the cross (Col 2:15)
He was the anointed of the God of Jacob (1 Sa 16:11; 2 Sa 23:1)	He is the Anointed One, the Messiah (Mt 16:16, 20; 26:63-64)
He was David son of Jesse (1 Sa 17:12)	The son of David (Mat 1:1, 20; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:9, 15; 22:42; Mar 10:47-48; 12:35; Luk 3:31; 18:38-39; Re 22:16)
David's son was to build a house for God (2 Sa 7:13)	He is restoring the fallen tent of David, building His Church (Mt 16:18; Ac 15:16)
Merciful to his enemies (2 Sa 16:5-11)	Merciful to his enemies (Lk 23:34)
God swore to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants after him on His throne and to establish His kingdom (2 Sa 7:12)	When He entered Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, they hailed Him as King, shouting, "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David." (Mk 11:10).
The Lord spoke through Isaiah the prophet about the One on whose shoulder He would set the key of the house of David (Is 22:22)	He holds the key of David (Re 3:7)
David was persecuted by his enemies	Jesus was persecuted by His enemies
David prophesied of the Lord telling the Lord to sit at His right hand (Ps 110:1)	He has been exalted to the right hand of God as both Lord and Christ (Mk 16:19; Ac 2:33)

Closing Words
In our study of David as a type of Christ, we have seen the parallels between their lives in so many ways. Among other things, they were both kings, shepherds, born in Bethlehem, anointed ones, warriors, mighty men, and conquerors of giants. Both were persecuted and both were merciful to their enemies. Many of the Psalms are Messianic, meaning that they look forward to the coming of Christ, such as Psalms 2, 22, 69, 72, 89, 100, 110, etc. There are perhaps more connections between David and Christ than any other character in the Hebrew Scriptures.

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 may be subject to copyright, used per Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.

Author's note:  Also see Moses as a Type of Christ, David's Mighty Men as Types of Christ, David -- A Man After God's Own Heart, Boaz as a Type of Christ, The Sufferings of the Prophets as a Type, 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, The Typology of the Tabernacle, The Typology of the Jewish Feasts, Daniel 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.

David's Mighty Men as Types of Christ

While, of course, David was a type of Christ, his mighty men were also a type of Christ. As a former infantry soldier myself, these men always inspire me. They are listed in the second book Samuel, where it says, "These are the names of the mighty men whom David had:"

Josheb-basshebeth
"Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time;" (2 Sam 23:8).

That's pretty amazing for one man to kill eight hundred men of the enemy's army in one encounter. Only through the Lord could he do so.

Eleazar 
"And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn. He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain." (2 Sam 23:9-10)

Now there's a courageous man! They taunted the Philistines who were gathered for battle. Though all the other Israeli soldiers had withdrawn in fear, and were likely taking cover from the enemy, he arose and struck down the Philistines until his hand froze to his sword. That's carrying out the wrath of the Lord with great zeal. Later the others came out from their hiding places, but only to strip the dead and not to fight the Philistines. Notice how the Scripture gives God the glory for it saying, "the LORD brought about a great victory that day." It was supernatural, and not by Eleazar's own strength.

Shammah 
"Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory." (2 Sam 23:11-12)

He was another courageous soldier. He took his stand against the enemy in a field. He defended it and struck the Philistines. Once again it says, "the LORD brought about a great victory," so that God and not man gets the glory for what He did

Three of the Thirty Chief Men
"Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem."

"David had a craving and said, 'Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!' So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; and he said, 'Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?' Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did." (2 Sam 23:13-17)

David merely expressed out loud a longing for water, and although he did not give an order to someone to bring him that water, it seems as though for these three of the Thirty chief men, David's wish was their command. They went behind enemy lines into the Philistine stronghold at Bethlehem, drew out the water, passed back though the enemy with it, and took it to David.

However, as far as David was concerned, that water was as if it were the blood of those men who fetched it for him at the risk of their lives. He would not dare to drink that water any more than he would drink their blood. Instead he poured it out before the Lord. Those were real mighty men to do such a thing, and David recognized that.

Abishai
"Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three. He was most honored of the thirty, therefore he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three." (2 Sam 23:18-19).

Scripture says Abishai was the most honored of the Thirty mighty men. He single-handedly killed three hundred men with a spear.

Benaiah
"Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.." (2Sa 23:8-23).

Benaiah was truly another mighty man. He struck down Moab's two mightiest warriors. He also struck down a huge Egyptian by snatching the spear from his hand and killing him with it, though he himself had only been armed with a mere club. How did he get the spear from that huge Egyptian and kill him with it? It was by the power of God. Likewise he went down into that pit on a snowy day and killed a lion that was perhaps posing a threat to him and his fellow soldiers. He alone was brave and strong enough to kill it. Although he was as famous as the Three mighty warriors, he was not included among them. But he did get put in charge of David's personal bodyguard, which is a great honor.

The Thirty
David's mighty men were known as The Thirty, even though there were actually a total of thirty-seven in all, including Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba, and all the men named above. Their names are listed at the end of 2 Samuel 23 as a memorial to their faith, strength, and courage. Let me say once again that it was not by their own strength that they did these great exploits, but by the mighty power of God.

"It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You loved them...I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but You give us victory over our enemies, You put our adversaries to shame." (Ps 44:3,6-7, NIV).

Types of Christ
I have no doubt these men were types of Christ, and I'll explain to you why. The prophet Isaiah prophesied of a male child being born to a virgin, who would be called Immanuel, which means "God with us." (Is 7:14). Here is the description Isaiah gave of this male child:

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this."  (Isa 9:6-7)

The virgin's Son would be called "Mighty God," which is "El Gibor" in Hebrew.  The word "El" literally means God. This name, El Gibor, may also be translated, "God-man," "Mighty Man of war," or "Mighty Warrior."  I like all of them, and I think they all describe the Lord Jesus Christ well. But the two translations I want to focus on here are "Mighty Man of war" and "Mighty Warrior."

The Holy Spirit spoke through the psalmist describing Christ like this:

"Gird Your sword on your side, O Mighty One;
    clothe Yourself with splendor and majesty.
  In Your majesty ride forth victoriously
    in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
    let Your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
  Let Your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
    let the nations fall beneath Your feet." (Ps 45:3-5, NIV)

The apostle confirmed in his letter to the Hebrews that this psalm is Messianic (cf., Ps 45:6-7; Heb 1:8-9), so we are on solid ground to understand that the above verses refer to Christ. In fact, in Psalm 45:3, the title by which He is addressed as "Mighty One" is the same Hebrew word "Gibor" that was used in the ninth chapter of Isaiah, which I mentioned earlier. Therefore, Jesus is a Mighty Man of war like David and his mighty men were, but in a much greater way.

Triumph Over the Devil and His Angels
You see, He took on the devil and defeated him. "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him" by the cross (Col 2:15). He made a public spectacle of the devil and his angels. He now holds the keys of death and hell (Rev 1:18). Just when it looked to the devil like he had won the battle by having his agents nail Jesus to the cross, the devil must have really gotten very scared when Jesus uttered those last words, "It is finished," and gave up his spirit, which was immediately followed by the veil of the temple being torn in two from top to bottom, a great earthquake, rocks being split, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep being raised (Mt 27:51-52). Hallelujah! He's a mighty warrior.

Triumph Over the Beast, False Prophet, and Kings of the Earth

"Behold, He Comes" by Danny Hahlbohm, Inspired Art

The apostle John saw our Mighty Man of War leading the armies of heaven in His future return to earth, and here is how he described it:

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.'" (Rev 19:11-16)

If there was still any question in your mind that Jesus is a man of war, I trust it has vanished, and that you can now see it plainly. Scripture says that with eyes like a flame of fire He makes war, riding on a white horse with a sharp sword proceeding from His mouth, with which He will strike down the nations.

John also saw how the beast and kings of the earth as agents of satan would make war against the Lamb in the last days. But notice how the birds of the air are going to be called in advance to come feast on their flesh, because they are doomed to lose before the battle even begins.

"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, 'Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.'"

"And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh." (Rev 19:17-21)

Here you have the beast who has been given authority to make war against the saints and to conquer them, which is the same beast who rules the whole world during the Great Tribulation in the final three and a half years of this age, and the same beast of whom they will say, "Who can make war against the beast?" And men will worship him. But even though he will gather all the kings of the earth with all their armies full of mighty men, which will number in the millions, led by their great commanders, they will be no match for Jesus Christ the Mighty Warrior.

Their fate is sealed before the battle begins, and notice how effortlessly the Lord defeats them. Scripture says it so nonchalantly, so calmly as a matter of fact that the beast and the false prophet were seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire. It's so easy for the Lord to do this. He won't even bother to kill them but throw them directly into the lake of fire while they are still alive. Defeating the largest army the world has ever known will be equally as easy for the Mighty Man of War, who will kill them all with the sword which comes from His mouth. He can do all that without even breaking a sweat! Hallelujah! It's just as easy for Him as taking a ride through the park on His horse. How foolish of them to think they can make war against the Lamb and have even a remote chance of winning.

Final Defeat of Satan
The devil is destined to go through so much humiliation at the hands of Jesus. He is the loser in every single instance. I have already discussed how he was defeated at the cross, how his beast and false prophet will be defeated along with all of the kings of the earth and their armies. Then Scripture speaks of the devil being locked up in the bottomless pit for a thousands years, at the end of which he must be released for a short time (Rev 20:1-3). That's more humiliation for him. But prison won't reform him, and as soon as he is let out, he'll be back to his same rebellion against the Lamb.

"When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Rev 20:7-10)

The devil will gather the nations together for war and they will surround the camp of the saints in Jerusalem, the city the Lord loves. In number they will be like the sand of the seashore, but once again quite effortlessly the Lord will burn them all up with fire that will come down from heaven. Then He will have the devil thrown into the lake of fire, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. That is their final, humiliating defeat, which will continue all throughout eternity. Hallelujah!

Types of the Saints

Not only are David's mighty men types of Christ, they are also types of the saints, specifically the Spirit-filled disciples of Christ who have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. We are to be mighty men and women of God. We are soldiers of Christ (2 Tim 2:3). 

You see, we are in a battle, too, against the forces of darkness, except they are not flesh and blood, which is why we must be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:10-12, NIV). 

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor 10:3-5).

God always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession, so that we are victorious, if we are born of God (2 Co 2:14). "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 Jn 5:4-5, NIV)

Perhaps you may be wondering if you could ever do the kind of exploits that David's mighty men did. Of course you can -- by faith! Remember, you can to do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil 4:13). When you are crucified with Christ, you no longer live but Christ the Mighty Warrior lives in you (Gal 2:20; Jn 17:26; 2 Co 13:5; Col 1:27). He said you shall do the works that He did and even greater works than those (Jn 14:12). He has "given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Lk 10:19, NIV). If you are an obedient disciple of Christ, "the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Rom 16:19-20, NIV).

Closing Words

I hope this little study has helped you to see that David's mighty men were types of Christ the Mighty Man of war, who will come back soon, riding on a white horse, leading the armies of heaven. We worship Him, El Gibor, our Mighty Warrior, who conquers all our enemies. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Cor 15:26).

David's mighty men are also types of us the saints. Being a mighty man or woman of God is not easy, but it's possible through Christ. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the full armor of God. Exercise your faith in the Son of God, discipline yourself through prayer, fasting, and the reading of the Word, then put the Word of God into practice.

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: 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. David's Mighty Men painting by James Tissot, 1836-1902. The "Behold, He Comes" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  Also see David 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, The Typology of the Tabernacle, and Hagar and Sarah as Types. My daughter Charity has written a beautiful poem about The Rider on the white horse. 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.