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Someone once said that what is enfolded in the Old Testament is unfolded in the New Testament. The purpose of this blog is to fully unfold those rich truths buried like treasures in the Hebrew Scriptures, specifically the ones where we find types of Christ. Our goal is to get to know our wonderful Lord Jesus more. But there are also other types as well, and as the Lord leads, we will examine those, too.

As Paul the apostle said, "Now these things happened to them as types and were written for our admonition, to whom the ends of the ages are arrived." (1 Cor 10:11, BSB).

Some of the types we've covered already include Adam, the tree of life, Noah's Ark, the blood of the paschal lamb, the scapegoat, Isaac, Israel, Joseph, Jonah, Moses, Joshua, Boaz, King David, the temple, the tabernacle and its furnishings, the high priest, the rock from which water sprang, the bronze serpent, the cornerstone, the manna, and the Jewish Feasts, as well as Hagar and Sarah. We've even examined black holes a type, which is very interesting. Others that will be covered, Lord willing, include animal sacrifices, and Saul son of Kish, as well as kings and priests.

Adam as a Type of Christ	Noah's Ark a Type of Christ	Hagar and Sarah as Types
The Temple as a Type of Christ	The Typology of the Tabernacle	The Passover Lamb as a Type of Christ
Isaac as a Type of Christ	The Rock as a Type of Christ	The Cornerstone as a Type of Christ
The Glorified Lamb of God	The High Priest as a Type of Christ	The Typology of the Jewish Feasts
Joseph as a Type of Christ	Manna as a Type of Christ	The Scapegoat as a Type of Christ
The Tree of Life as a Type of Christ	The Sufferings of the Prophets as a Type	The Bronze Serpent as a Type of Christ
The Black Hole as a Type	Jonah as a Type of Christ	Moses as a Type of Christ
David's Mighty Men as Types of Christ	David as a Type of Christ	Boaz as a Type of Christ
Joshua as a Type of Christ	The Israelites as a Type of the Church	Israel as a Type of Christ
Daniel as a Type of Christ	Egyptian Slavery a Type of Christ and His People

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from  Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible, BSB. Copyright ©2016, 2018 by Bible Hub. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Author's note: I also recommend reading The Mysteries of the Faith. You can access 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 Typology of the Jewish Feasts

According to a book by pastor Roland Buck, called Angels on Assignment, the angel Gabriel told him that God's priorities are associated with the seven Jewish feasts that typify them in Leviticus 23. In other words, these annual religious festivals that the Hebrews celebrate are types that signify God's priorities. For the apostle Paul said that "These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." (Col 2:17, NIV).

Here are God’s priorities and the seven feasts that typify them, which are found in Leviticus 23:

The Passover of the Lord
1. Priority: The Blood of Jesus
Festival: The Passover of the Lord

Moses wrote in the Torah, 'These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover." (Lev 23:4-5)

"And when your children say to you, 'What does this rite mean to you?' you shall say, 'It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.'" And the people bowed low and worshiped." (Exo 12:26-27)

Jesus has become our Passover Lamb, when He gave his life on the cross for us.  In fact, He was crucified on during the Passover Feast.

When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion." (Mat 26:1-2).  On the night he was betrayed, He celebrated the Passover with His disciples. "While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.'" (Mat 26:26-28)

"And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.'" (Luk 22:19-20)

When we put our faith in Jesus, His precious blood is applied to our hearts and our sins are washed away.  Since He was the spotless Lamb of God, His blood applied to the hearts of those who put their trust in Him saves them just as the blood of the Passover lamb saved the Israelites in Egypt.

The apostle Peter wrote: "...knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." (1Pe 1:18-19)

The apostle Paul wrote to the Hebrews, "For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb 9:13-14)  "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus." (Heb 10:19)

The apostle John wrote: "But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1Jo 1:7)

The Festival of Unleavened Bread
2. Priority: Fellowship and Communion with God
Festival: The Festival of Matzah (Unleavened Bread)

'Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread." (Lev 23:6)

The leven or yeast represents sin.  So this feast was meant to typify the removal of all sin from our lives. Unleavened bread is a metaphor for holiness and purity.

"Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, [Jesus] began saying to His disciples first of all, 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.'" (Luk 12:1)

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?" And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'" The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. (Mat 26:17-19)

The apostle Paul wrote: "Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1Co 5:7-8)

God wants to have a personal relationship with each of us, and fellowship with us daily just as He did with Adam in the garden. But sin separates us from God.  So God made a way for us in Christ to be made holy, so that we might enjoy sweet fellowship with Him. 

Jesus Is Alive!
3. Priority: Jesus Is Alive!
Festival: Reshit Katzir ("The Festival of First Fruits")

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.'" (Lev 23:9-10)

This was fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is the First Fruit.

"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Cor 15:20)

The Promise of the Holy Spirit
4. Priority: The Promise of the Holy Spirit
Festival: The Festival of Shavuot (Pentecost)

'You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. 'You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD.'" (Lev 23:15-16)

Shavuot (Hebrew) means "weeks." This is why it's called the Feast of Weeks. The term "Pentecost" comes the Greek penteconta "fifty".

The disciples received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language." (Act 2:1-6)

Go Tell The World
5. Priority: Go Tell The World
Festival: The Festival of Rosh Hashanah (Trumpets)

Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. (Lev 23:23-24)

During this feast, the shofar is blown to commemorate the ram that God provided to Abraham in place of Isaac. 

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Mat 28:18-20)

This festival corresponds with going and telling the world that Jesus Himself has become that ram and died in our place. 

Atonement of Jesus is Everlasting
6. Priority: Atonement of Jesus is Everlasting
Festival: Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. (Lev 23:26-27)

The day of atonement was the only day of the year when the High Priest was allowed to enter into the Most Holy Place in the Temple.  On this day he would sprinkle blood on the ark of the covenant.  Each time he did so, it would atone for the sins of Israel for another year.  But it had to be repeated every year. This is a very solemn day of the year, when Jewish people abstain from all enjoyment, fast and pray and ask for forgiveness.

Jesus has made atonement for us at the cross. "For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of Gpd for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own." (Heb 9:24-25). If you want to understand this more fully, read the book of Hebrews 9.

"For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate." (Heb 13:11-12)

However, Jesus doesn't just cover your sin.  He washes it away!  He makes us holy when we trust in Him and His atoning sacrifice on the cross.  And that atonement is not just for one year, but it is everlasting.

The Return of Jesus
7. Priority: The Return of Jesus
Festival: Sukkot (The Festival of Tabernacles)

Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. (Lev 23:33-34).  This feast was a celebration of the exodus from Egypt when the children of Israel lived in tents for forty years in the wilderness.

This feast anticipates the eternal dwelling places that Jesus Christ has prepared for us.

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." (1Th 4:15-17)

Our journey here on earth is a brief one.  We live in these tents of clay that we call our mortal bodies. When Christ comes back for His people, He will give to His people glorified bodies like His own, and then we shall always be with the Lord.  We shall dwell with Him in glory forever in His eternal kingdom.  This is the only feast of the seven that has not yet been fulfilled.  But it will be fulfilled VERY soon.

Closing Words
Through the Scriptures, we have learned that the seven Jewish festivals all types of things to come, the realities of which are found in Christ. The Passover Lamb is a type of Christ, and its blood a type of His blood, as I explained in detail in my article on that. The Festival of Unleavened Bread (Matzah) is a type of fellowship and communion with God. The Festival of First Fruits (Reshit Katzir) is a type of Christ's resurrection. The Festival Pentecost (Shavuot) is a type of the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) signifies that God wants us to go tell the world the Good News! The Day of Atonement, known as Yom Kippur, is a type of Christ's atonement. The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) is a type of Christ's Return. These feasts were so important to God that he had Israel rehearse them every Year.

Through our study of this subject, we can learn many truths that strengthen our faith in Christ. I trust this has helped to accomplish that objective 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. Image taken from My Savior's Perfect Will blog.

Author's Note: Also see The Passover Lamb as a Type of Christ, The Typology of the Tabernacle, Isaac as a Type of Christ, Noah's Ark 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.

Hagar and Sarah as Types

According to the apostle Paul, Hagar and Sarah are types of bondage and freedom respectively. He said, "For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman." (Gal 4:22).

Historical Background
Let's begin with the historical background. Sarah was Abraham's wife, but Hagar was Sarah's slave, which Sarah gave to Abraham to sleep with, so that she might conceive and bear him a son, since Sarah was barren. Sarah knew that God had promised to bless Abraham and make him a great nation, and that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the heavens, so she took matters into her own hands and did this, rather than believe God's promise.

"Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, 'Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.' And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. And Sarai said to Abram, 'May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me.'"(Gen 16:1-5)

Since Abraham made the mistake of listening to his wife and laying with Hagar, it brought about a great deal of trouble for him and Sarah, as well as for Isaac later when he was born. While Hagar was pregnant, she ran away from Sarah, who had been mistreating her. But God sent his angel to bring her back to Sarah:

"The angel of the Lord also said to her: 'You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward[a] all his brothers...So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.” (Gen 16:11-12, 15, NIV)

So before Ishmael was even born, he was destined to be a wild donkey of a man, whose hand would be against everyone, and against whom everyone else's hand would be. Later the Lord appeared to Abraham and told him that the heir of promise, through whom He would establish His everlasting covenant with his descendants, would be born to Sarah, and that his name would be Isaac. Here is the account:

"Then God said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.' Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?' And Abraham said to God, 'Oh that Ishmael might live before You!' But God said, 'No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year." (Gen 17:15-21)

The Lord later appeared again and repeated His promise that Sarah would bear him a son.

"He said, 'I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.' And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. Sarah laughed to herself, saying, 'After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?' And the LORD said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh, saying, "Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?" Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.'"(Gen 18:10-14)

She did conceive miraculously, even though she had been barren, and she bore him a son, whom he named Isaac. 

"Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac." (Gen 21:1-3)

"By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore." (Heb 11:11-12)

As it turned out, in the course of time as the boy grew, trouble arose between the two boys as the angel had foretold.

"The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, 'Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.' The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. But God said to Abraham, 'Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named." (Gen 21:8-12)

So Abraham did send Hagar and Ishmael away with a skin of water, and they wandered in the wilderness, where the Lord met them and sustained them. Ever since then there has been trouble between the descendant of Ishmael, which are the Arabs, and the Jews, who are descendants of Isaac.

Apostolic Teaching on the Typology
The apostle teaches us the typology of these two sons:

"But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise."  (Gal 4:23)

Since Abraham and Sarah had sought to bring about the promise the Lord made to them by having him sleep with Hagar, her child represents the flesh, which always wants to do it our way, not God's way. But since Isaac was conceived supernaturally in fulfillment of God's promise to this couple, then he is a type of all those who are born free through the promise of God in Christ. Here is how Paul explained the typology of these two women:

"This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar." (Gal 4:24)

In that verse, Paul specifically taught that Hagar represents the Mosaic covenant that God established on Mount Sinai. Even though we know that the Arabs as descendants of Ishmael do not follow the law of Moses, nor are they Jewish, we must understand that Paul is speaking allegorically. Hagar was sent into the wilderness with Ishmael, and he lived to the east of Isaac. Therefore, Paul is simply using this to teach that all those who live under the Mosaic covenant given at Mount Sinai are slaves, just as the descendants of the slave woman Hagar were. But all those who are born again in Christ through the promise given by God in the New Covenant are children of the free women like Isaac was.

"Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother."  (Gal 4:25-26)

Here Paul compared Hagar allegorically to Mount Sinai in Arabia and Sarah to Mount Zion in heaven. He said that Hagar corresponds to the earthly Jerusalem while Sarah corresponds to the New Jerusalem above. All those in Christ are children of the Jerusalem above, which is free, and all those who are not in Christ and living under the law are children of the earthly Jerusalem, which is in slavery with all her offspring of Mount Sinai.

Paul wrote: "And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise." (Gal 4:28). This teaches that Isaac was a type of the Church in the sense that we are children of promise as he was.

Unfortunately the initial persecution between Ishmael and Isaac has continued to this day, as we can see the constant conflict between Arabs and Jews. But Paul uses this, too, to teach us.

"But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also." (Gal 4:29)

Here Paul is showing that those who are born again according to the Spirit will be persecuted by those born of the slave woman, who are living under the Mosaic covenant. The Galatians in Christ whom Paul was writing to were being persuaded by Judaizers that they could not be saved unless they were circumcised, and he was seeking to correct that. They had returned to observing the Law, keeping days and months and years, and observing dietary restrictions, but he was trying to use Hagar and Sarah as types to teach them that they were free from all that.

He wrote: "But what does the Scripture say? 'CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.' So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman."(Gal 4:30-31)

Side by Side Comparison
Let's summarize what we've just read by comparing the two women and their two sons side by side using Scripture in the following chart:

Hagar and Ishmael	Sarah and Isaac
"bondwoman"	"free woman"
"son of the bondwoman"	"Son of the free woman"
"Law"	"promise"
"Mosaic covenant"	New Covenant in Christ
"the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the free woman" (Gal 4:30)	God established His everlasting covenant with Isaac the son of promise and his descendants
those under the Law are children of the slave woman like Ishmael	followers of Chris are children of promise "like Isaac" (Gal 4:28)
"he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit" (Gal 4:29)	"cast out the bondwoman and her son" (Gal 4:30
Mount Sinai	Mount Zion
earthly Jerusalem (Gal 4:25-26)	New Jerusalem in heaven (Gal 4:25-26)
in slavery	free
"born according to the flesh" (Gal 4:23, 29)	"born according to the Spirit...through the promise."  (Gal 4:23, 29)

Which Mountain Have you Come To?
The apostle wrote to the Hebrews who had come to know Christ, telling them that they had come to Mount Zion and not to Mount Sinai. He described Mount Sinai like this:

"For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, 'If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.' And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, 'I am full of fear and trembling.'" (Heb 12:18-21)

Then he went on to describe Mount Zion in this way:

"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel." (Heb 12:22-24).

Mount Zion is clearly a better mountain than Mount Sinai. Which mountain have you come to?

Closing Words
Through the Scriptures, we have learned that Hagar was clearly a type of Mount Sinai and the Law, while Sarah was a type of Mount Zion and the New Covenant promise in Christ. All those under the law were typified by Ishmael the son of the slave woman, while those in Christ were typified by Isaac, the son of the free woman. As the apostle said, "if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." (Gal 3:29). We who are in Christ have been born of the free woman above, which is the New Jerusalem in heaven, so we should not seek to go back to the bondage of living under the law, as if we were children of the slave woman.

Through our study of this subject, we can learn many truths that strengthen our faith in Christ. I trust this has helped to accomplish that objective 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

[a] Gen 16:12 "live to the east of"

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  Also see Adam as a Type of Christ, Noah's Ark a Type of Christ, and Moses as a Type of Christ. 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 Typology of the Tabernacle

The tabernacle and all its furnishings were types and shadows of things to come. They were made according to the pattern shown to Moses on the mountain and they are a copy of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle in heaven that the Lord pitched, not man (Heb 8:2).

Speaking of Jesus, the apostle said, "If He were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: 'See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.'” (Heb 8:4-5).

In these verses we can observe two things: First, the earthly tabernacle is a copy and shadow of the sanctuary that is in heaven. This is true not only of the tabernacle as a whole, but of every individual aspect of it. It is a copy of its counterpart in the heavenly sanctuary, indicating that it is patterned after the original. And it is a shadow of its counterpart in heaven, which indicates that it looks like the original in the same way your own shadow looks like you, even though it is not you. Secondly, that is why the Lord warned Moses to make everything according to the pattern the Lord gave him, otherwise it would not be a correct copy of the heavenly one.

Of the heavenly tabernacle, John said when he saw it: "After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened." (Rev 15:5, NIV).

In the ninth chapter of Hebrews, the apostle gives us a great deal of information about the articles in the earthly tabernacle.

He said, "Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary." (Heb 9:1). This means that God set forth regulations for the Hebrews' worship and for their earthly sanctuary as follows:

The Holy Place

"For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place." (Heb 9:2). As you can see in the photo image above, there was an outer barrier surrounding the entire sanctuary, which is also shown in the diagram below from an overhead view. The barrier had one door or gate by which the priests would enter and exit, which was a type of Christ, who is the door (Jn 10:9) as well as the Way (Jn 14:6).

The area inside that barrier, not including the inside of the tabernacle itself, was known as the outer court. The court contained the brazen altar, upon which the priests offered animal sacrifices to God. The brazen altar was a type of the cross, where the blood of Christ was shed as He was sacrificed in our place, on our behalf, and for our sake.

The court also contained the brazen laver filled with water, which the priests bathed in before entering the Holy Place. This is a type of being baptized in water, cleansed from sin, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Just as the priests had to be pure and holy before they entered the Holy Place, so we must be pure and holy to come before the Lord in His heavenly sanctuary.

"Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not trust in an idol
    or swear by a false god." (Ps 24:3-4, NIV)

The tabernacle building itself was divided into two parts, the outer part being the Holy Place, which was behind the first veil. Inside to the left was the golden lampstand to light the place. In one sense we could say this is a type of Christ, who is the Light (Jn 8:12), but it is also a type of the Holy Spirit. John said when he was taken up to heaven that "From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God." (Re 4:5, NIV).

Opposite across from the golden lampstand was the golden table upon which was the bread of the Presence located on the right side of the Holy Place (Ex 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Num 4:7; 1 Sa 21:6; 1 Ki 7:48; 2 Chr 4:19). This is a type of Christ, who is the bread of life (Jn 6:35). One might also say the bread of the Presence represents the Word of God, too, since we feed upon it. Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Dt 8:3; Mt 4:4). Since Jesus is the Word of God (Jn 1:1), the  bread of the Presence still points to Christ. The priests had to keep the bread on this table fresh before the Lord at all time. And with the Holy Spirit illuminating the Word to our hearts as we read it, He always keeps it fresh for us.

In front of the second veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, was the altar of incense, which is a type of praise and worship. The smoke from the fragrant incense that the priest would burn on this golden altar rose up to God's nostrils in heaven.

"May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." (Ps 141:2, NIV).

"And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people." (Re 5:8, NIV)

"Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne." (Re 8:3, NIV)

The Holy of Holies
The apostle said, "Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place..." (Heb 9:3). Most people were excluded from this inner room.

Inside it was "the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant..."  (Heb 9:4). The ark represents the ark in heaven itself. As it says in Revelation, "And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm." (Rev 11:19)

The earthly ark has a gold-covered lid over it. "And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail."  (Heb 9:5). The ark of the covenant in Scripture represents the presence of God. This is where God's shekinah glory descends and fills the place. No man comes to the Father except by Jesus (Jn 14:6), and the ultimate goal is to enter into His glorious presence.

The Lord Almighty was enthroned between the cherubim that were on the ark, in that sacred place above it known as the mercy seat made of pure gold (Ex 25:17-22; 26:34; Nu 7:89; 2 Sam 6:2), which represented the mercy seat that Jesus now occupies in heaven in the presence of the Father.

"Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance."  (Heb 9:6-7)

This means that only one man in the whole world, which was the high priest, was allowed into this Most Holy Place, and he only entered in there once each year on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle the blood of sacrificial animals and offer incense. He had to wear bells on the hem of his robe and have a rope tied to his leg. The reason was that as long as the other priests outside that room could hear the bells, they knew he was still alive, but if he dropped dead in the holy presence of God, they would not be able to enter in, so the rope enabled them to drag him out. That is why the priest always entered that place with blood to make atonement.

When Jesus died on the cross to make atonement for us with His blood, the earth shook, the rocks split, and the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, opening the way for those who are in Christ to enter into this place now (Mt 27:51). Prior to that awesome moment, that sacred place remained unoccupied by any human being for 364 days per year. But now through His death on the cross, Jesus has made the way for all those who are in Him to enter that Most Holy Place every day of the year, no matter where they are on earth. This is a major change between the Mosaic covenant and the New Covenant in Christ's blood.

We know that the tabernacle is a symbol for us, because the Scripture says so. During the first century, before the Romans destroyed the temple, the apostle wrote: "The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time."  (Heb 9:8-9a)

Furthermore, since the tabernacle was only a copy and shadow of the reality found in Christ, the gifts and sacrifices offered there were unable to clear the consciences of the worshipers as only He can do. The apostle said, "Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation."  (Heb 9:9b-10).

Take Me In
Have you ever been into the Holy of Holies? Some people prefer to be outer court Christians, content to remain in the background. They pay God a visit on Sundays, but they do not earnestly seek His face either at that time or during the rest of the week. Let me encourage you not to be an outer court worshiper, but to seek Him with all your heart and press in to the Lord, so that you may truly know Him. Get hungry for God! Desire His presence more than the air you breath. Ask Him to take you into the Holy of Holies, which is His very throne room. There is only one way into that Most Holy Place, and that is by the blood of the Lamb. "Therefore, brethren...we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus..." (Heb 10:19). For more on this see my blogs Practicing the Presence of the Lord and Seeking the Lord.

There is a beautiful song from the 1980's by Petra called Take Me In, which expresses this hungry heart's cry to the Lord. It goes like this:

Take me past the outer courts
Into the holy place
Past the brazen altar
Lord, I want to see your face

Pass me by the crowds of people
The priests who sing your praise
I hunger and thirst for your righteousness
And it's only found one place

Refrain:
Take me in to the holy of holies
Take me in by the blood of the lamb
Take me in to the holy of holies
Take the coal, cleanse my lips, here I am
Take the coal, cleanse my lips, here I am

May that become the cry of our hearts, and let us draw near to God.

Closing Words
In our study of the tabernacle, we have found many types of Christ. Almost every aspect of the tabernacle is symbolic, pointing us to Him. We examined the door to the outer court, the brazen altar, the sacrifices offered there, the brazen laver, the Holy Place, the golden lampstand, the table of shewbread, the golden altar of incense, the second veil, the Holy of Holies, the ark of the covenant, the blood, and the high priest. Each of these teach us about Christ as the only Way to the Father, and how He has made it possible through His blood for us to be in the immediate presence of God without being struck dead. 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. Image of second temple may be subject to copyright, used per Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes.

Author's note:  Also see The High Priest as a Type of Christ, The Temple as a Type of Christ, Manna as a Type of Christ, Moses as a Type of Christ, Adam as a Type of Christ, Noah's Ark a Type of Christ, Hagar and Sarah as Types, 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.