Typology for Dummies (Including Me), Part 2

Witness Protection ran out. Feds, am I right? Biblical typology is looking at the Old Testament and seeing how early people and events point to something even bigger and better that’s yet to come. Think of it as a blueprint or shadow that leads us to Christ and His amazing work of salvation. The Old Testament figures, events, or institutions (the type) are like the blueprint, but they’re not exactly the same as the fulfillment (the antitype) that we find in the New Testament.

Typology can get a little complicated, so here are a few examples to warm you up on the concept. Just remember that the former (the type) is a lesser example predicting a much better fulfillment in the words and deeds of Jesus Christ (the antitype).

1. Adam is a Typology of Christ as Mankind's Representative (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 45-49)

As “Man 1.0,” Adam represents the entire human race. To be fair, competition for that election was pretty scant. But his single act of disobedience in the garden led to the introduction of sin and death in the world, which then affected all his descendants. That's you, me, and everybody throughout history. Yikes. But what makes this a typology? The Apostle Paul says that Adam was “a type of the one who was to come” (Romans 5:14), and Christ is called the “last Adam” or “second man.” Because of Jesus’s obedience on the cross, righteousness and life are now available to everyone who connects with Him. This comparison emphasizes the idea of representative headship, while the difference illustrates the outcome. Huh? Adam’s failure led to condemnation, but Christ’s success brings justification. Adam points forward to the need for a better representative who would undo the damage of the Fall. Jesus is that better/perfect representative for humanity.

2. Noah's Ark is a Typology for Salvation in Christ/Baptism (Genesis 6-9; Peter 3:18-22)

When God retconned the world by flood, He provided one means of escape: the ark that Noah built in obedience. Anyone who entered the ark was saved from judgment; any haters outside perished.

Peter draws a direct typological link between the ark in the flood waters and baptism, saying that it points to salvation through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Huh? Get to the choppa, Arnold! Just as the ark was the only place of safety during the flood, Christ is the only refuge from the coming judgment of God. Being “in the ark” corresponds to being “in Christ.”

3. Melchizedek is a Typology for Christ's Eternal Priesthood

(Genesis 14:18)

Melchizedek appears suddenly as king of Salem (peace) and priest of God Most High. He blesses Abraham and receives a tithe from him, yet Scripture gives no record of Melchizedek's parentage, birth, or death.

But the writer of Hebrews uses this silence to present Melchizedek as a type for Christ’s later, superior, and eternal priesthood. Huh? Melchizedek’s dual office (king and priest) hints at Christ’s combined roles as King and High priest for all mankind. Jesus is a priest “after the order of Melchizedek" because he was an unknown Judean from Nazareth, not some nepo baby from the official Levitical line of priests. No, Jesus was to be from an better, royal priesthood that never ends.

4. Isaac (and the Ram) is a Typology for Christ's Sacrifice (Genesis 22, Hebrews 11:17-19)

Let’s not forget the story of Abraham and Isaac. God asked Abraham to offer his beloved son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah. Isaac, full of faith, willingly carried the wood for his own sacrifice as he climbed the mountain where he was to die. But just as Abraham was about to make the offering, God sent a ram caught in a thicket to take Isaac’s place.

Now, in the Passion, God offered his only son, Jesus, as a willing sacrifice for all of humanity’s sins. Jesus also carried a wooden cross up a mountain to his crucifixion.Hebrews adds another amazing connection: Abraham received Isaac back from the "figurative"dead, which foreshadows the resurrection that was fulfilled when God’s only Son, Jesus, literally rose from the literal dead.

Huh? Nah, you get this one...

5 Joseph Saving Egypt is a Typology of Christ the Savior

Joseph’s life was a rollercoaster: he was adored by his father, but his brothers turned on him, sold him as a slave, falsely accused him, and imprisoned him. But then, he rose to nearly supreme power in Egypt, and was used by God to save many lives (even those who had once rejected him) during a terrible famine.

The similarities to Jesus are striking: Jesus was the beloved Son of God, he was rejected by His own people, including some of his brothers (John 1:11). Jesus was sold/betrayed for silver, suffered unjustly at the hands of authorities, and became the means of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. Joseph’s words to his brothers—“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good”—resonate with Jesus’ greater purpose on the cross. The Romans and Jews meant evil against Jesus, but God uses it for good to save all who believe. And Jesus later ascended to the highest place in Heaven.

Huh? Yeah, you'll be fine from here on out.

6. Passover Lamb is a Typology of Christ (Exodus 12; 1 Corinthians 5:7; John 1:29, 1 Peter 1:18-19)

On the night Israel was freed from Egypt, every family was supposed to pick a perfect male lamb, kill without breaking a bone, and put its blood on the doorposts. If the blood was there, the Angel of Death would "pass over' their home and not kill their first born.Then, everyone would eat the lamb.

Paul makes it super clear: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Jesus is that perfect Lamb of God whose blood makes judgment skip over those who are covered in it. The lamb represents substitution, the need for blood, and getting free from slavery (to sin). We remember Him by eating his body and drinking His blood when we take Communion. , Jesus even died during Passover, which really highlights how connected everything is.

John 19:36 even says that not one of Jesus's bones were broken, just like the sacrificial Passover Lamb.

7. Manna is a Typology for Christ as the Bread of Eternal Life (Exodus 16; John 6:31-58; 1 Corinthians 10:3)

When the Hebrews wandered in the wilderness, God gave them daily bread from heaven to keep them alive. It was a wonderful, miraculous gift, but it didn't keep. It fell from Heaven daily, and they learned to rely on God's provision.

In John 6:51, Jesus clearly says He’s the the better manna: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” The wilderness manna kept the Hebrews alive for a while, but Christ offers to keep up alive eternally. This typology reminds us how God provides, how we need to keep accepting it. Daily.

8. The Bronze Serpent is a Typology of Christ Being Lifted Up on the Cross (Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:14-15)

After the Hebrews' constant complaining in the wilderness, God sent fiery serpents into their camp. Many people were bitten and died. God then told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Anyone who looked at the raised pole would live.

Jesus uses this story as a direct example: “Just like Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross] so that anyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” The serpent (a symbol of the curse) points to Christ, so that those who look to Him in faith are healed from the deadly poison of sin.

Trivia Night Note: This is why you see the Rod of Asclepius—a serpent wrapped around a pole—on many ambulances. Biblical references are everywhere if you take the time to look.

9 Jonah is a Typology of Christ's Death and Resurrection (Jonah 1-2; Matthew 12:38-41)

Not wanting to prophesy/save pagan Ninevites, Jonah took a ship to the farthest corner of the known world. But a storm from the Lord erupted, and the sailors threw Jonah into the sea to calm the weather. It worked, but Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish, and was then delivered onto dry land. He then travelled to Ninevah and delivered God's prophecy. They repented and were spared God's judgement.

Jesus calls this “the sign of Jonah.” he type focuses especially on the death-and-resurrection pattern and the subsequent preaching of repentance to the Gentiles (Nineveh). Just as Jonah was in the whale for three days before being restored, the Son of Man would be in the heart of the earth three days and nights before also rising and sending the Gospel to Gentiles everywhere.

Final Thoughts I hope this lighthearted walk through Biblical Typology has shown how inspiring and fascinating Systematic Theology can be. But typology not a parlor trick. These examples come from decades if not centuries of serious Biblical scholarship. Typologies should be undertaken with reverence and serious consideration. Without this frame of mind and due diligence, you can see typologies everywhere, and some might not hold up. Get lazy and you can end up in some crazy late-Beatles Paul is dead territory. For example:

Next Time: No idea but I'll update this page so it looks like I had a plan.

During Covid, the author rediscovered cityonahilldfw.com. Post-vaccination he snuck into a service and felt zero social pressure. He's a member now and everyone knows he sucks at small talk. They don't care: it ain't that kind of church.