Creating a Personal Typology in the Bible

A biblical typology is a method of interpreting Scripture that identifies patterns or correspondences between persons, events, or institutions in the Old Testament and their fulfillment in the New Testament, particularly in the person and work of Jesus Christ ^[1]. This approach understands certain Old Testament elements as "types" that prefigure or foreshadow "antitypes" in the New Testament ^[1].

The concept of typology is rooted in the belief that God's redemptive plan unfolds progressively throughout history, with earlier manifestations serving as divinely ordained preparations for later, more complete revelations ^[1]. For instance, the Paschal Lamb in the Old Testament is explicitly identified as a type of Christ in the New Testament ^[1]. The lamb, which was to be a male of the first year and without blemish, taken from the flock, and its blood shed, prefigured Christ's sacrifice ^[1]. Christ is seen as the ultimate Paschal Lamb, "without blemish" and "taken out of the flock" (humanity), whose blood was shed for redemption ^[1].

Beyond explicit New Testament declarations, scholars have identified numerous other typological connections. For example, the genealogies in the Old Testament, which the Jews meticulously kept, ultimately prove Christ's descent from Judah, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies ^{[2, 4]}. The Old Testament also sets forth Christ as the "seed of Abraham," of the tribe of Judah and family of David, and born of a virgin in Bethlehem, all of which are typological foreshadowings of the New Testament narrative ^[4].

The early church fathers recognized the typological nature of Scripture. Origen, for instance, discussed how various historical accounts, including those of marriages, childbearing, and wars, could be understood as types ^[11]. Tertullian, in arguing for the plurality of persons in the Godhead, pointed to plural phrases used by God in the Old Testament, such as "Let us make man in our own image," as foreshadowing the Trinity ^[9]. He also noted that many Psalms prophesy of the person of Christ, representing the Son conversing with the Father ^[8].

The Reformed tradition, as articulated by Charles Hodge, views Christian theology as the exhibition and illustration of the facts and truths of the Bible in their proper relations and proportions ^[7]. This includes understanding how the Old Testament points to Christ. Hodge emphasizes that the Bible teaches the whole doctrine of the incarnation, with Christ being both divine and human, a truth foreshadowed in the Old Testament ^[4]. The Old Testament also teaches that God created humanity in His image, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, which sets the stage for understanding the need for redemption through Christ ^[5].

It is important to distinguish typology from mere allegory. While allegory can impose meaning onto a text, typology identifies patterns that are inherent to the divine author's design and are fulfilled in salvation history ^[11]. The Bible itself provides the framework for understanding these connections, as "no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation" ^[6]. The perspicuity of Scripture means that while some things are hard to understand, the core truths, including typological connections, are intelligible to diligent readers guided by the Holy Spirit ^[10].

Typology is not merely an academic exercise but serves to deepen understanding of God's consistent character and plan of salvation across both testaments. It highlights the unity of Scripture and the centrality of Christ in God's redemptive work ^{[3, 4]}.

Sources

Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Paschal Lamb, Typical Nature Of — A type of Christ -- Ex 12:3; 1Co 5:7. A male of the first year -- Ex 12:5; Isa 9:6. Without blemish -- Ex 12:5; 1Pe 1:19. Taken out of the flock -- Ex 12:5; Heb 2:14,17. Chosen before-hand -- Ex 12:3; 1Pe 2:4. Shut up four days that it might be closely examined -- Ex 12:6; Joh 8:46; 18:38. Killed by the people -- Ex 12:6; Ac 2:23. Killed at the place where the Lord put his name -- De 16:2,5-7; 2Ch 35:1; Lu 13:33. Killed in the evening -- Ex 12:6; Mr 15:34,37. Its blood to be shed -- Ex 12:7; Lu 22:20. Blood of, sprinkled on lintel an”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Genealogies — The Jews reckoned by -- 1Ch 9:1; 2Ch 31:19. Public registers kept of -- 2Ch 12:15; Ne 7:5. Of Christ Given. -- Mt 1:1-17; Lu 3:23-38. Prove his descent from Judah. -- Heb 7:14. Priests who could not prove their own, excluded from the priesthood -- Ezr 2:62; Ne 7:64. Subject of, to be avoided -- 1Ti 1:4; Tit 3:9. Illustrative of the record of saints in the book of life -- Lu 10:20; Heb 12:23; Re 3:5.”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 78: exercise the same faith in Him that they do in God. He declares that He and the Father are one; that those who had seen Him had seen the Father also. He calls all men unto him; promises to forgive their sins; to send them the Holy Spirit; to give them rest and peace; to raise them up at the last day; and to give them eternal life. God is not more, and cannot promise more, or do more than Christ is said to be, to promise, and to do. He has, therefore, been the Christian’s God from the beginning, in all ages and in all places. Christ One Pe”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 78: human and a perfect divine nature, and is one person, the Bible teaches the whole doctrine of the incarnation as it has entered into the faith of the Church from the beginning. Second Argument, from the Current Representations of Scripture. The current language of Scripture concerning Christ proves that He was at once divine and human. In the Old Testament, He is set forth as the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Judah anti the family of David; as to be born of a virgin in the town of Bethlehem; as a man of sorrows; as meek and lowly; as b”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 142: Church doctrine of original or concreated righteousness, and of infused grace. The Bible does indeed teach that God created man in his own image in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. But this holiness was a permanent state of mind the character of a person, a suppositum , or individual subsistence; and not the character of an act which is good or bad according to the motives by which it is determined. If God creates holy acts, He is a Holy Being, but the acts have no moral character apart from their efficient cause or author. F”
2 Peter (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Peter 1:20: "Forasmuch as ye know this" (Pe1 1:18). first--the foremost consideration in studying the word of prophecy. Laying it down as a first principle never to be lost sight of. is--Greek, not the simple verb, to be, but to begin to be, "proves to be," "becometh." No prophecy is found to be the result of "private (the mere individual writer's uninspired) interpretation" (solution), and so origination. The Greek noun epilusis, does not mean in itself origination; but that which the sacred writer could not always fully interpret, though being the speaker o”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 85: development. While “the mediating theology” concedes all this, it nevertheless admits of a miraculous or supernatural beginning of the world and of the person of Christ, and thus gives up its whole philosophical system. At least the members of one wing of Schleiermacher’s school are thus inconsistent; those of the other are more true to their principles. As Christian theology is simply the exhibition and illustration of the facts and truths of the Bible in their due relations and proportions, it has nothing to do with these speculations. ”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP.XI.--THE IDENTITY OF THE FATHER AND THESON, AS PRAXEAS HELD IT, SHOWN TO BE FULL OF PERPLEXITY AND ABSURDITY. MANY SCRIPTURES QUOTED IN PROOF OF THE DISTINCTION OF THE DIVINE PERSONS OF T (part 3): come. "[4] Also to the same purport in another Psalm: "O Lord, how are they increased that trouble me !"[5] But almost all the Psalms which prophesy of[6] the person of Christ, represent the Son as conversing with the Father--that is, represent Christ (as speaking) to God. Observe also the Spirit speaking of the Father and the Son, in the character of[7] a third ”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. XII.--OTHER QUOTATIONS FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE ADDUCED IN PROOF OF THE PLURALITY OF PERSONS IN THE GODHEAD. (part 1): If the number of the Trinity also offends you, as if it were not connected in the simple Unity, I ask you how it is possible for a Being who is merely and absolutely One and Singular, to speak in plural phrase, saying, "Let us make man in our own image, and after our own likeness;"[14] whereas He ought to have said, "Let me make man in my own image, and after my own likeness," as being a unique and singular Being? In the following passage, however,”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 44: § 5. Perspicuity of the Scriptures. The Right of Private Judgment. The Bible is a plain book. It is intelligible by the people. And they have the right, and are bound to read and interpret it for themselves; so that their faith may rest on the testimony of the Scriptures, and not on that of the Church. Such is the doctrine of Protestants on this subject. It is not denied that the Scriptures contain many things hard to be understood; that they require diligent study; that all men need the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to right knowl”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — FROM THE GREEK.: to adapt what they can to each particular related about the tabernacle,--not being wrong so far as regards their belief that the tabernacle is a type of something, but erring sometimes in adapting the description of that of which the tabernacle is a type, to some special thing in a manner worthy of Scripture. And all the history that is considered to tell of marriages, or the begetting of children, or of wars, or any histories whatever that are in circulation among the multitude, they declare to be types; but of wha”

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