Types of Christ in the Old Testament and Their Significance
The Old Testament contains numerous types or prefigurations of Jesus Christ, illustrating God's plan of salvation throughout history. These types are individuals, events, or institutions that foreshadow Christ's life, death, and redemptive work [1].
One of the earliest types of Christ is Adam, described as a "type of him that was to come" (Romans 5:14). Adam's role as the first human being and the head of the human family prefigures Christ's role as the second Adam, the head of a new humanity [1]. Other notable types include Abel, whose offering of a lamb pleased God (Genesis 4:4), and Abraham, who was promised to be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5; Ephesians 3:15) [1].
The Paschal Lamb is another significant type of Christ, representing his sacrifice on behalf of humanity. The lamb's characteristics, such as being a male of the first year and without blemish, are seen as prefiguring Christ's purity and strength (Exodus 12:5; 1 Peter 1:19) [2]. The Ark of the Covenant, containing the law and representing God's presence among his people, is also a type of Christ, who embodies God's law and presence [1].
The significance of these types lies in their foreshadowing of Christ's life and work. They demonstrate God's consistent plan of salvation throughout history and highlight the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. According to John Gill, the Paschal Lamb is a type of Christ, "held forth in the ministry of the word, and in the ordinance of the Lord's supper" [6].
The New Testament writers frequently draw upon these types to illustrate Christ's significance. For example, Matthew Henry notes that the author of Hebrews "proceeds to set before us some illustrious examples of faith in the Old Testament times," including Abel and other figures who prefigured Christ [7].
The use of types in the Old Testament underscores the unity of the biblical narrative, revealing a coherent plan of salvation that culminates in Jesus Christ. As Matthew Henry observes, the gospel is "the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God," emphasizing the centrality of Christ in the biblical story [5].
The various traditions represented in the sources, including Baptist/Reformed and Nonconformist/Puritan perspectives, all recognize the significance of types in understanding Christ's role in salvation history. For instance, John Gill interprets the heifer used in the ritual for an unsolved murder (Deuteronomy 21:3) as a type of Christ, highlighting his strength and laboriousness [4].
The types of Christ in the Old Testament serve as a reminder of the richness and depth of the biblical narrative, pointing to the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan in Jesus Christ. As Adam Clarke notes, the Lamb in Revelation 14:1 represents "Jesus Christ in his sacrificial office" [3].
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Types of Christ — Adam -- Ro 5:14; 1Co 15:45. Abel -- Ge 4:8,10; Heb 12:24. Abraham -- Ge 17:5; Eph 3:15. Aaron -- Ex 28:1; Heb 5:4,5; Le 16:15; Heb 9:7,24. Ark -- Ge 7:16; 1Pe 3:20,21. Ark of the Covenant -- Ex 25:16; Ps 40:8; Isa 42:6. Atonement, sacrifices offered on the day of -- Le 16:15,16; Heb 9:12,24. Brazen serpent -- Nu 21:9; Joh 3:14,15. Brazen altar -- Ex 27:1,2; Heb 13:10. Burnt offering -- Le 1:2,4; Heb 10:10. Cities of refuge -- Nu 35:6; Heb 6:18. David -- 2Sa 8:15; Eze 37:24; Ps 89:19,20; Php 2:9. Eliakim -- Isa 22:20-22; Re 3:7. First-fruits -- Ex 22”
- 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”
- Revelation (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Revelation 14:1: A Lamb stood on the mount Sion - This represents Jesus Christ in his sacrificial office; mount Sion was a type of the Christian Church. And with him a hundred forty and four thousand - Representing those who were converted to Christianity from among the Jews. See Rev 7:4. His Father's name written in their foreheads - They were professedly, openly, and practically, the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus. Different sects of idolaters have the peculiar mark of their god on their foreheads. This is practised in the east to the present day, and the mark is ca”
- Deuteronomy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Deuteronomy 21:3: And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man,.... And so suspected, as the Targum of Jonathan, of the murder; or the murderer is in it, or however belonged to it: even the elders of the city shall take an heifer; of a year old, as the same Targum, and so Jarchi; and in this the Jewish writers agree, that it must be a year old, but not two; though heifers of three years old were sometimes used in sacrifice, Gen 15:9 a type of Christ, in his strength, laboriousness, and patience; see Num 19:2. which hath not been wrought with; in ploughing la”
- Mark (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Mark 1:1: We may observe here, I. What the New Testament is - the divine testament, to which we adhere above all that is human; the new testament, which we advance above that which was old. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God, Mar 1:1. 1. It is gospel; it is God's word, and is faithful and true; see Rev 19:9; Rev 21:5; Rev 22:6. It is a good word, and well worthy of all acceptation; it brings us glad tidings. 2. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the anointed Saviour, the Messiah promised and expected. The foregoing gospel began with the generation of Jesus Christ -”
- Ezekiel (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ezekiel 45:21: In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month,.... Of the month Nisan, that day fortnight from the cleansing of the sanctuary; and that day week from the expiation of the house, and the recovery and reception of backsliders: ye shall have the passover; Christ the passover sacrificed for us; held forth in the ministry of the word, and in the ordinance of the Lord's supper; for the passover was a type of Christ: his purity and strength were signified by the lamb without blemish, a male of the first year; his separation to his office, his death, and the time”
- Hebrews (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Hebrews 11:4: The apostle, having given us a more general account of the grace of faith, now proceeds to set before us some illustrious examples of it in the Old Testament times, and these may be divided into two classes: - 1. Those whose names are mentioned, and the particular exercise and actings of whose faith are specified. 2. Those whose names are barely mentioned, and an account given in general of the exploits of their faith, which it is left to the reader to accommodate, and apply to the particular persons from what he gathers up in the sacred story. We have here those”