By Dan Maines

The Physical Shadows And The Spiritual Fulfillment In Christ Part 2 of 3
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Part 2 of 3 - https://fulfilledprophecies.com/topics/1393.html
Part 3 of 3 - https://fulfilledprophecies.com/topics/1394.html
Introduction
† The Old Testament continues to present types that point forward to Christ, and the New Testament confirms these were not random events but intentional patterns (Luke 24:27)
† These types move from physical reality to spiritual fulfillment, showing that what was temporary has now been completed in Christ (Colossians 2:17)
† In this continuation, we will see more examples that prove the same pattern, the shadow gives way to the substance (Hebrews 10:1)
John 5:39
You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me;
† Jesus Himself said the Scriptures testify of Him, this confirms that these Old Testament accounts were always pointing to Christ (John 5:39)
† This removes any argument that we are reading Christ into the text, He said it Himself (John 5:39)
† This establishes Christ as the center of all Scripture, including every type we are examining (Luke 24:27)
Romans 5:14
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
† Adam is directly called a figure, meaning a type of Christ, this is not assumed, it's stated (Romans 5:14)
† Adam brought death through disobedience, Christ brings life through obedience, showing the contrast between the type and the fulfillment (Romans 5:19)
† The first man was earthly and brought corruption, the last Man is heavenly and brings life (1 Corinthians 15:47)
1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
† Adam brought death to all, Christ brings life, this clearly shows the type and its fulfillment (1 Corinthians 15:22)
† This reinforces that Adam was not the end, but the beginning of a pattern fulfilled in Christ (Romans 5:14)
† This confirms the complete reversal, death in Adam, life in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22)
Genesis 22:13
Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son.
† The ram was offered in place of Isaac, showing substitution, this points directly to Christ dying in our place (Genesis 22:13)
† This event shows the principle of substitutionary sacrifice, which is fulfilled in Christ (Isaiah 53:5)
† Abraham's willingness to offer his son reflects the Father offering His Son, fulfilled in Christ (Romans 8:32)
Genesis 37:28
Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him out and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. So they brought Joseph into Egypt.
† Joseph was rejected and sold by his brothers, this mirrors Christ being rejected and betrayed (Acts 7:9)
† Joseph later became the one who saved those same brothers, just as Christ saves those who rejected Him (Genesis 50:20)
† What was meant for evil was used by God for salvation, showing the pattern fulfilled in Christ (Acts 2:23)
Acts 7:9-10
"The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and his entire household.
† Stephen directly highlights Joseph's rejection and exaltation, confirming the pattern fulfilled in Christ (Acts 7:9-10)
† This shows the same pattern, rejection first, then exaltation and salvation (Acts 2:36)
† This confirms Joseph was not just history, but a clear type fulfilled in Christ (Acts 7:9-10)
Numbers 21:9
So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on the flag pole; and it came about, that if a serpent bit someone, and he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
† The bronze serpent was lifted up so that those who looked would live, this is directly applied to Christ (John 3:14)
† The healing was not in the object itself, but in trusting God's provision, pointing to faith in Christ (John 3:15)
† This shows salvation comes through looking in faith to what God has provided, fulfilled in Christ (John 3:16)
Genesis 14:18-20
And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said,
"Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High,
Who has handed over your enemies to you."
And he gave him a tenth of everything.
† Melchizedek appears as both king and priest, a unique role that points forward to Christ (Hebrews 7:1-2)
† His priesthood is not based on genealogy, showing a different order fulfilled in Christ (Hebrews 7:3)
† Christ is a priest forever after this order, showing the fulfillment of this type (Hebrews 7:17)
Genesis 6:14
Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch.
† The ark was the means of salvation from judgment, those inside were saved (Genesis 7:23)
† This points to salvation in Christ, where those in Him are saved from judgment (1 Peter 3:20-21)
† Just as there was one ark, there is one salvation in Christ (John 14:6)
1 Peter 3:20-21
who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
† Peter explicitly says the ark was a true likeness, meaning a type pointing to salvation in Christ (1 Peter 3:21)
† This confirms the ark was not just history, but a pattern fulfilled in Christ (1 Peter 3:21)
† This shows the connection between physical deliverance and spiritual salvation in Christ (1 Peter 3:21)
Leviticus 16:22
Then the goat shall carry on itself all their wrongdoings to an isolated territory; he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
† The scapegoat carried away the sins of the people, showing removal of sin (Leviticus 16:22)
† This points to Christ bearing our sins and removing them completely (Hebrews 9:28)
† The physical act pointed to a complete spiritual reality fulfilled in Christ (John 1:29)
Historical References
† Justin Martyr explained that Adam, Isaac, and the sacrifices all pointed forward to Christ and were fulfilled in Him (Romans 5:14)
† Irenaeus taught that Christ recapitulated Adam, restoring what was lost through the first man (1 Corinthians 15:22)
† Eusebius recorded that the early church consistently interpreted Old Testament figures as types fulfilled in Christ (Luke 24:27)
How It Applies To Us Today
† We now understand the Old Testament through Christ, not as an ongoing system, but as fulfilled truth (Colossians 2:17)
† Our faith is not in physical systems, but in the completed work of Christ (Hebrews 10:12)
† These types strengthen our confidence that God's plan was always leading to Christ (Luke 24:27)
† We live in the reality that the Old Testament pointed to, not in the shadow that came before (Hebrews 10:1)
† Every type points in one direction, forward to Christ, and once fulfilled, it never points forward again (Hebrews 10:1)
Q & A Appendix
Q: Why are there so many different types of Christ?
A: Because no single type could fully represent Him, so God used many to reveal different aspects of Christ (John 21:25)
Q: Does every Old Testament story point to Christ?
A: The Scriptures as a whole point to Christ, even if not every detail is a direct type (Luke 24:27)
Q: What is the purpose of seeing these types now?
A: It strengthens our understanding that Christ was always the plan and fulfillment (Romans 15:4)
Q: Were these types understood fully at the time they happened?
A: No, they were understood more clearly after Christ fulfilled them (1 Peter 1:10-12)
Q: Do these types prove the Old Covenant was temporary?
A: Yes, because they all point forward to something greater that would replace them (Hebrews 8:13)
Q: Are these types just symbolic interpretations?
A: No, the New Testament itself identifies them as figures and patterns fulfilled in Christ (Romans 5:14; 1 Corinthians 10:11)
Q: Why didn't God just reveal Christ fully from the beginning?
A: He revealed Christ progressively through types and shadows until the fullness came (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Q: Why does God use people like Adam and Joseph as types instead of only laws and rituals?
A: Because real lives and events reveal Christ in action, not just in symbols, showing His work through history (Romans 5:14; Acts 7:9-10)
Q: What is the difference between a type and a prophecy?
A: A prophecy is spoken beforehand, while a type is lived out in real events that later find their fulfillment in Christ (1 Peter 1:10-11)
Q: Do these types prove that God planned everything from the beginning?
A: Yes, they show a consistent pattern that leads directly to Christ, proving God's plan was always in place (Isaiah 46:10)
Q: Why are some types clearer than others?
A: Because God revealed truth progressively, some were shadows that became clearer once Christ fulfilled them (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Q: Is it wrong to miss a type when reading the Old Testament?
A: No, but Christ is the key to understanding them fully, without Him they remain hidden (2 Corinthians 3:14)
Q: Can someone believe in Christ without understanding these types?
A: Yes, but understanding them strengthens faith and shows the depth of God's plan (Romans 15:4)
Q: Do these types show that the Old Testament is still important?
A: Yes, not as an active system, but as a witness pointing to Christ and His fulfillment (John 5:39)
Q: Why is Melchizedek important as a type?
A: Because he shows a priesthood outside the Law, pointing directly to Christ's eternal priesthood (Hebrews 7:3)
Q: What does the ark teach us about salvation in Christ?
A: That there is one way of salvation, and those who are in it are saved from judgment (1 Peter 3:20-21)
Q: What does Joseph's story teach us about Christ?
A: That rejection comes before exaltation, and God uses both to bring about salvation (Acts 2:23)
Q: Why did God include the scapegoat in the Law?
A: To show that sin must be removed, not just covered, which is fulfilled in Christ (Hebrews 9:28)
Q: How do we know these patterns are intentional and not coincidence?
A: Because the New Testament directly identifies them as types and fulfillment in Christ (Luke 24:27; Romans 5:14)
† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †
© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.
Source Index
† John 5:39; Luke 24:27; Romans 5:14, 19; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 47; Genesis 22:13; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 8:32; Genesis 37:28; Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23; Acts 7:9-10; Numbers 21:9; John 3:14-16; Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 7:1-3, 17; Genesis 6:14; Genesis 7:23; 1 Peter 3:20-21; John 14:6; Leviticus 16:22; Hebrews 9:28; John 1:29; Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 10:1, 12; Romans 15:4; 1 Peter 1:10-12; Hebrews 8:13; Hebrews 1:1-2
† Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho; Irenaeus, Against Heresies; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History