Friday, August 31, 2018

Discovering Types Of Christ In The Old Testament

By Carolyn Graham


Many Christians believe that the facts of Jesus are all contained in the New Testament. These are the books, after all, that describe how He lived, taught, died, and was resurrected. Jesus Himself refers repeatedly to Old Testament teachings when He is speaking to His believers. Old Testament references that Jesus takes for Himself are not physical but rather prophecies, pictures, and shadows that give allusions to the different types of Christ.

The tree of life is referenced in Genesis. We are given a picture of the tree that God planted within the midst of the Garden of Eden, just as much later He transplanted His Son in the midst of His people. In Revelations Jesus is depicted as the tree of life bearing twelve fruits, the apostles, with the leaves of the tree spreading to heal the nations.

The Ark represented salvation to Noah and his family. Once they had all the animals on deck they shut the door behind them and were safe. In the same way Jesus is man's salvation. Just as Noah believed the Ark would keep them safe from destruction, Christians believe that Jesus will never let them perish.

In the Old Testament Jacob dreamed about a ladder that reached to heaven with angels ascending and descending from it. The New Testament tells us that Jesus is the ladder between God and man. We will see God and angels through Him. Most Christians are familiar with references in their New Testament to Jesus as the Lamb of God. This goes back to the Passover Lamb described in Exodus.

Jesus describes Himself to the believers as their bread of Life. He says anyone who comes to Him will be fed. The children of Israel in the Old Testament had to wander on dry ground for 40 years. During that time, they didn't have anything but manna, bread, to keep them alive. The New Testament assures us that Jesus will feed us spiritually if we submit to Him and believe.

There is a story in Exodus in which God commands Moses to go to Horeb with the elders. There he'll find a rock that he must strike in order to release the water inside that the people can drink. Paul tells the Corinthians, in the first letter he wrote to them, about this story, but with a twist. In Paul's recounting the drink is spiritual and the rock represents the spirit of Jesus.

When God told King David that he would not be the one building the temple, the job was turned over to Solomon. This will become the house where God resides. Only those willing to repent will be allowed to enter. Jesus says that He is the temple and if His enemies attempt to destroy the temple, He will rebuilt it in three days.

Today a lot of Christians find Old Testament readings difficult. It contains the books that Jesus read and studied however. He continually refers to Himself in terms the people of the Old Testament would have understood. In order to fully understand Him today, we need to become more familiar with His Bible.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment

 
Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | Best Buy Coupons