Introduction
† From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is one connected story pointing to Jesus Christ, the ending of the Old Covenant age, and the revealing of the New Covenant kingdom. The Law, the sacrifices, the feast days, the priesthood, the temple, and even the historical events were shadows pointing forward to Christ and the fulfillment that came in that generation. (Luke 24:27; Colossians 2:16-17)
† Many people read the Old Testament as disconnected stories, but Jesus and the apostles taught that Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms all testified about Him. The Old Covenant system was never the final reality. It was temporary and was preparing Israel for the coming Messiah and the end of their covenant age. (Luke 24:44; Hebrews 8:13)
† The Old Covenant system contained prophetic shadows that prepared Israel for the coming Messiah and the establishment of the New Covenant kingdom. (Hebrews 10:1)

Genesis And The Promise Of Christ
Genesis 3:15
And I will make enemies
Of you and the woman,
And of your offspring and her Descendant;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise Him on the heel."
† This was the first prophecy of Christ. The promised seed would defeat the serpent through suffering. Jesus fulfilled this through His death and resurrection. (Romans 16:20; Hebrews 2:14)
† Even from the beginning, God revealed that redemption would come through one coming man, not through the Law of Moses which came much later. (Galatians 3:16-19)
† The entire Bible moves forward from this promise. Every covenant, shadow, and prophecy pointed to the coming Messiah and the removal of sin. (John 5:39)

Genesis 6:13
Then God said to Noah, "The end of humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of people; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.
† Noah's ark pointed forward to salvation through Christ, where believers are brought safely through judgment. (1 Peter 3:20-21)
† The flood also established an early pattern of covenant judgment followed by deliverance. (Matthew 24:37-39)
† God repeatedly used judgment and salvation themes throughout Scripture to reveal His redemptive plan. (Romans 15:4)

Abraham And The Promised Seed
Genesis 22:18
And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
† Paul plainly says this seed was Christ. The promises to Abraham were always about Jesus and the inclusion of the nations into one covenant people. (Galatians 3:16)
† Israel according to the flesh was never the final goal. God was preparing a worldwide kingdom through Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-19)
† The Old Covenant system separated Jew and Gentile, but Christ removed that wall in the New Covenant age. (Ephesians 2:14-15)

Isaac Carrying The Wood
Genesis 22:6
And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.
† Isaac carrying the wood up the mountain pointed forward to Christ carrying the cross to His sacrifice. (John 19:17)
† Abraham offering his beloved son also revealed the Father offering His only Son for the sins of the world. (Romans 8:32)
† The ram provided in Isaac's place pointed to substitutionary sacrifice fulfilled in Christ. (John 1:29)

Joseph As A Type Of Christ
Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive.
† Joseph was rejected by his brothers, suffered unjustly, and was later exalted to save the very people who rejected him. This clearly pointed to Jesus. (Acts 2:23-24)
† The stories in Genesis were not random history. God designed them as prophetic pictures revealing Christ beforehand. (Hebrews 10:1)
† Joseph saving many alive points forward to Christ bringing salvation to both Jew and Gentile through the New Covenant. (John 11:49-52)

Cain And Abel, Two Covenant Lines
Genesis 4:4-5
Abel, on his part also brought an offering, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering; but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his face was gloomy.
† Abel represented faith and acceptable sacrifice, while Cain represented flesh and rejection. (Hebrews 11:4)
† This pattern continued throughout Scripture between the children of promise and the children of the flesh. (Galatians 4:22-31)
† Israel after the flesh eventually became like Cain by persecuting the righteous seed. (Matthew 23:35)

The Passover And Exodus
Exodus 12:13
The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will come upon you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
† The Passover lamb directly pointed to Christ. His blood delivers His people from judgment. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
† Israel's deliverance from Egypt was a shadow of the greater deliverance from sin and death through Jesus. (Luke 9:31)
† The Old Covenant feasts were prophetic rehearsals pointing to fulfillment in Christ and His kingdom. (Colossians 2:16-17)

Moses As A Type Of Christ
Deuteronomy 18:15
"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen; to him you shall listen.
† Moses was a prophetic picture of Christ. Moses brought Israel out of Egyptian bondage, but Christ brought His people out of bondage to sin and death. (John 8:31-36)
† Moses mediated the Old Covenant at Sinai, but Jesus mediated the better and everlasting covenant. (Hebrews 8:6)
† Israel rejected both Moses and Christ at first, yet both were appointed by God as deliverers. (Acts 7:35-37)

The Bronze Serpent
Numbers 21:8-9
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and put it on a flag pole; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, and looks at it, will live." 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.
† Jesus directly connected this event to Himself being lifted up on the cross. (John 3:14-15)
† The people were healed by looking in faith, just as salvation comes through faith in Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
† The judgment brought by the serpents also showed that sin brings death, but God provided one way of deliverance. (Romans 6:23)

The Tabernacle Pointed To Christ
Hebrews 9:8-9
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. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,
† The tabernacle was a giant prophetic picture revealing access to God through Christ. (Hebrews 10:19-20)
† The outer court represented earthly approach, the holy place represented priestly mediation, and the Most Holy Place represented full access into God's presence. (Hebrews 9:1-7)
† When the veil tore at Christ's death, God revealed that direct access had now been opened through Jesus. (Matthew 27:51)

The Feast Days Pointed To Fulfillment In Christ
Colossians 2:16-17
Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day- things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
† Passover pointed to Christ's sacrifice as the Lamb of God. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
† Firstfruits pointed to His resurrection from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
† Pentecost pointed to the outpouring of the kingdom through the Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4)
† The feast days were prophetic rehearsals preparing Israel for fulfillment in Christ. (Hebrews 10:1)

† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †
© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.

Source Index
† Genesis 3:15; Genesis 6:13; Genesis 22:6, 18; Genesis 50:20; Genesis 4:4-5; Exodus 12:13; Deuteronomy 18:15; Numbers 21:8-9; Hebrews 9:8-9; Colossians 2:16-17
† Justin Martyr, Dialogue With Trypho; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book 4; Clement of Alexandria, Stromata; Epistle of Barnabas