Originally posted by aChristian
What do you say to those who remind us that God often used "types" in the Old Testament to point to then future people and events. (Elijah was a "type" of John the baptist. Abraham's having children with the slave woman Hagar prefigured God's later having spiritual children who would be slaves to the Mosaic Law, and with the free woman Sarah, spiritual children who would be free in Christ. - Gal. 4 ) ...That being the case, isn't it a reasonable possibility, since the same God inspired the writing of both the Old Testament and the New Testament, that He would have also used "types" in the New Testament to point to then future people and events?
Hi Mike.
Typology is a timebound heremeneutic. Those shadows of the O.T. foretold the story of the Messianic Advent via things familiar to the Jews' way of life. Once Christ is come the shadows are done away (Col 2:16-17). The heavenly things that arrived in Christ's advent are the object for which the types only were shadows (Heb 8:4-5). These heavenly New Covenant things are the final destiny. The Law contained the shadow but not the very image of such great things (Heb 10:1-2). We have the heavenly things now. They have been delivered and they are the END product, not the mere means to some future and better end product. The eternal New Covenant
IS the destination. One could say that the entire book of Hebrews, from chapter 1 to chapter 13, argues this exact point. The biblical answer answering this whole question is written down as the book of Hebrews (all).
Originally posted by aChristian
I suspect your response to this will be that we have no evidence that this is the case. Of course, before the Old Testament types were shown to be types by the appearance of their "antitypes" the same could have been said. You may also point out, as you already have, that the scritures do not really leave anything for a second coming of Christ to accomplish.
We not only have no evidence of such an application of N.T. things, we have explicit teaching to the contrary. The book of Hebrews answers this question. The writer argues persuasively that the Old Covenant things were types for the New Covenant priesthood, people, and atonement. That eternal covenant is heavenly and fully effectual. It is the end, not the means to an end.
Also, the article I wrote was designed to illustrate what happens when we apply a TYPOLOGICAL reading to New-Covenant-Age things as if they were mere types (i.e., as if they were the MEANS to some end and not the end itself). What happens is that the Cross and blood of Jesus then becomes a
mere TYPE of some future and TRUE salvation for the whole world that hasn't happened yet. The many other N.T. fulfillments are then made TYPES as well. This runs exactly contrary to the understanding of the writer of Hebrews and Paul (assuming they are not the same). To them, the New Covenant consists in and of the TRUE HEAVENLY THINGS for which all prior earthly types merely pointed to.
Originally posted by aChristian
Again, the question is asked, "Since God used 'types' so often in the Old Testament, why should we not believe that the same God would likely have designed and arranged New Testament historical events in the much same way?"
Because the apostles teach just the opposite is true.
To the apostles, the New Covenant is the end goal. It is Messiah. It is the HEAVENLY THINGS and, therefore, the final state. The Old Testament Era was the earthly administration where the many types were not effectual in accomplishing the salvation they pointed to. Once the effectual Messianic religion came and atonement was made, there is no more need for types and shadows. The object has come and the shadows are passed away.
Finally, I believe Jesus Christ truly addressed the issue clearly when he instructed the apostles that ALL things written concerning Him MUST be fulfilled (Luke 24:44-47)...and then Jesus actually gives
THE terminus for
WHEN all those things written would be fulfilled -- namely, the fall of Jerusalem (Luke 21:20-22). So the shadows are fulfilled in the present, eternal, New Covenant Age that was ushered in during the last days period of the typological Old Testament Age. The New Covenant delivered REALITIES, and not mere types and shadows.
God bless,
BJ