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Christian Chronicles, March 2000 - Volume 3, Issue 52

| The Editor's Pen | Perspectives: The Interpretation of Types in Scripture | Mid-East Update |
| Fruit of the Vine | Types and Shadows | Widely Accepted Types in the Bible | Types That Reflect the Rapture of the Church |
| The Chaste Bride of Christ | Abraham Seeks a Bride for Isaac | The Tabernacle in the Wilderness |

The Editor's Pen

Perhaps the most important distinction between conservative theologians and liberal theologians is the method used in interpretation of the Scriptures. Conservatives adhere to a literal interpretation, whereas liberals use what they term a spiritualized interpretation. They depend heavily upon symbols and spiritualized meanings, rarely paying any heed whatsoever to a literal rendering of the words of the Bible. They reason that, since the Bible is a spiritual Book, it must be "spiritualized" if it is to be correctly understood. Conservatives, on the other hand, contend that, since the Bible is a spiritual Book, it need not be further spiritualized by men.

The Bible does contain some symbolism. It also contains allegory, and shadowy meanings. However, the Bible does not leave us guessing as to the meanings of its symbols. Where symbols are used in the Bible, the Bible also interprets those symbols, so that we need never depend upon the fancies of human imagination to understand a symbol. This issue of Christian Chronicles will cover some of the symbols and types and shadows used in the Scriptures, as recognized among conservatives, and as explained by the Scriptures themselves. The study of Bible symbols and types is very rich indeed.

Perspectives: The Interpretation of Types in Scripture

Study to show thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.

Some pseudo-Christian religions teach that the entire Bible is symbolic, that nothing in it is to be interpreted literally. Others, somewhat less radical, teach that only certain parts of the Bible are to be taken literally, while other parts (usually including unfulfilled prophecies) must be spiritualized if they are to be properly understood. It’s funny how the only parts that must be spiritualized are those parts that do not literally agree with whatever position the teacher is espousing. Among those who believe that the Bible is to be interpreted literally, except where the Bible itself authorizes the application of some particular symbolism, there is broad agreement concerning virtually the entire text of the Bible. To the degree that a theological system allegorizes the Bible, that is the degree to which the adherents of the system disagree concerning various aspects of it. Everyone has an interpretation that is peculiar to himself. But among literalists, because the Bible is interpreted literally, there is a unity of doctrine and faith.

Having said that, let us be quick to point out that the Bible does indeed use some symbols, and that much of the Old Testament is a type, or shadow, of some New Testament truth. How then does one determine what is symbolic and what is not? The answer is simple. If the Bible authorizes the symbol, then it is a legitimate symbol. For example, the sea is often used as a symbol of the unorganized, teeming masses of humanity. It is so used in Daniel 7:2. How do we know this to be so? Because in Isa 60:5, Mt 13:47, and Rev 13:1 the meaning of the symbol is clarified by the Bible itself. Thus, we may accept the sea as symbolic of the general race of men on the earth. If there were no clear Biblical explanation or clarification of the symbol, then we would be left with no authority by which to interpret the symbol.

If we do not allow the Bible itself to become the authority by which we interpret God’s Word, then we are left in the improbable position of having the imaginations of men as our only authority. Where one man sees a passage one way, another might see it in a completely opposite way, and we have only confusion as a result. But where the Bible is its own authority, and all other interpretation is rejected, then we find a harmony that is impossible to resist. The wonder is not that the Bible is harmonious with itself; the wonder is that anyone ever thought to disagree with its clear teachings in the first place.

The Bible always interprets its own symbols and allegories. Jesus was quick to interpret the parables of Matthew thirteen. Daniel gave the interpretations of his prophecies (and thus, of the prophecies of the Book of Revelation also). Where there is symbol, there is a key to the symbol as well. But it is often the case that the key is not stored right next to the symbol. Who would hide a key right beside the lock?

If one is to interpret Bible symbols correctly and accurately, then Paul’s warning to young Timothy becomes all the more imperative. We must study. We must learn to rightly divide the Bible, so that our misunderstanding does not lead inexorably to our shame.

Mid-East Update

"The peace process is often described in dynamic terms as moving, stalled, or frozen. Actually, such terms are misleading, because the deliberate creation of a "crisis" or a "freeze" is a common tactic that is no less a part of the process than what happens at the negotiating table. Deadlines and threats are also part of this complicated mix of negotiating tools, but a distinction must be made between constructive catalysts and tactics that endanger the peace process as a whole."

The above quote was taken from The Jerusalem Post on March 6 of this year. As we observe the progress of peace talks in the Middle East, it is important to understand that many roadblocks will be raised and overcome along the road to peace. Extremist groups use violence as a means of stopping the talks, if only for a time. However, since the Gulf War in 1991, the movement has been steadfastly in the direction of a resolution of the long-standing animosities between the peoples of the region. Far too many Christians base their optimism regarding the rapture of the Church on the daily ups and downs of the peace process, becoming excited when it goes well, and feeling let down when it is not.

If the truth is told, Christians ought not let their hearts seek an early resolution of the talks. While it will be the ratification of a comprehensive peace that signals the beginning of the time of Jacob’s trouble, and while we believe that the rapture will occur sometime prior to the ratification of that treaty, our hearts ought to recoil at the thought of Israel giving up one square centimeter of the land that God gave them for the sake of a peace that cannot last.

Nevertheless, our hopes do soar when we see things shaping up for the events that follow the rapture of the Church. The rapture is called "that blessed hope" (Ti 2:13). Though we might cringe at the faithlessness of it all, we cannot help but hope. The point is, the momentary blips in the process cannot halt an inexorable process, nor prevent that which the Scriptures clearly declare shall come to pass. We should cheer for tiny Israel when she balks, even as we are also made hopeful when she acquiesces in the peace talks.

Fruit of the Vine

(Ezek 15:2) Scofield’s footnote: "The vine, as described by Ezekiel, symbolizes unregenerate man in general and sinful Israel in particular. Just as the vine wood is tough, twisted, unworkable, and fit only for fuel, so Israel, recalcitrant in sin, is fit only for judgment.

"Whereas in ch 15 (and in Isa. 5 also) the vine pictures only judgment, in Jn 15 Christ uses it to portray the living union between Himself and the believer. Here the intrinsic worthlessness of the wood is wholly subordinated to the single, positive function of the vine — that of bearing fruit. Thus our Lord takes the figure of the vine wood, representative in Ezekiel of humanity ruined in sin, and transforms it into the parable of Himself as the Vine and Christians as His branches, bearing fruit for Him."

Types and Shadows

Many people believe that the Old Testament has little relevance to the New Testament. This is especially true among Christians, who feel that the old Mosaic system of rituals and sacrifices are ended and, therefore, have little application today. It is true that we are no longer bound by any of the elements of the Jewish Law, but it is very enriching indeed to come to an understanding of the many ways that the Old Testament graphically illustrates New Testament truth.

In theology, this concept is expressed in the doctrine of types and shadows. Many passages in the OT have strong parallels in the NT, without any direct reference from one to the other. However, there is a special classification of references, called types, where the NT demands that a particular meaning be placed upon the OT passage, clarifying both. As will be explained elsewhere, marriage is a type of the relationship between Christ and the Church. The NT passage that gives authority to the type is found in Eph 5:25-31. For any type to have Scriptural authority, there must be a NT antitype, as in the case above. That is, the Bible itself must explain clearly the significance of the OT passage by the NT reference. In the example above, wherever we find marriage referred to in the Bible, we may know that there is a spiritual reference that is applicable to the relationship between Christ and the Church.

Where there is no clear NT antitype, there also is no authority to interpret in this manner. While the passages may share some form of spiritual congruity, one shadowing the other, there can be no type at all without a NT antitype. There is much of spiritual congruity between the testaments. The erratic walk of the nation of Israel is often used to foreshadow the erratic walk of the Christian, although no clear type is drawn in the Bible to identify Israel as a type of the chosen ones of this age.

There are many types and many shadows in the Bible, but one must be very careful in his studies, lest his desire to find hidden meanings in the Bible should find him slipping toward liberalism in his theology. A list of widely recognized types is found in the center article of this issue of Christian Chronicles.

On Continuity:

Wherever a type is identified, then the type is also applicable wherever the antitype is referred to in the Bible. For example, woman is a type of the Church. Therefore, wherever woman is referred to in the Bible, both the literal meaning of the passage is true, and there is also a spiritual application to the Church. The application of types is always consistent.

Widely Accepted Types in the Bible

"A type is a divinely purposed illustration of some truth. It may be: (1) a person (Rom 5:14); (2) an event (1 Cor 10:11); (3) a thing (Heb 10:19-20); (4) an institution (Heb 9:11-12); or (5) a ceremonial (1 Cor 5:7). Types occur most frequently in the Pentateuch, but are found, more sparingly, elsewhere. The antitype, or fulfillment of the type, is found generally in the NT.

Two warnings are necessary: (1) nothing may be insisted upon as a type without explicit NT authority; and (2) all types not so authenticated must be recognized as having only the authority of analogy, of spiritual congruity." *

"A type is a divinely purposed anticipation which illustrates its antitype. These two parts of one theme are related to each other by the fact that the same truth or principle is embodied in each. It is not the prerogative of the type to establish the truth of a doctrine; it rather enhances the force of the truth as set forth in the antitype. On the other hand, the antitype serves to lift its type out of the commonplace into that which is inexhaustible and to invest it with riches and treasures hitherto unrevealed." L.S. Chafer, "SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY," Vol. III, pg. 116, © 1993, Kregel Publications (Eight Volumes in Four), Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501

These are but a few of the many types and symbols found in the Scriptures. Any student of the Bible who genuinely desires to see the full flower of the New Testament unfolded in the Old Testament ought to engage in a serious and determined study of Biblical types and shadows and symbols. Considered apart from an understanding of New Testament truth, the reading of the Old Testament does indeed place a veil over the heart of the believer (2 Cor 3: 15-16), but that veil is lifted when the glorious light of God’s grace is manifested in the many ways that God illustrated His wonderful New Testament truths in the rituals and activities of the Old Testament patriarchs of the nation of Israel.

Lack of space prevents us from presenting a full exposition of the wonderful truths of these types. However, a diligent study of the indicated passages, comparing the OT with the NT, will provide a much broader appreciation of the relevance of the former to the latter. New Testament truth is brilliantly illustrated as the details of the OT type are applied. And as the spiritual understanding of the NT is used to illuminate the Old Testament passages, the wonderful complexity of the mind of God is revealed in ways that no other exposition of the Bible can provide.

Like all of the other footnotes in the Scofield Bible, the notes on types are extremely valuable in broadening and deepening one’s understanding of the Bible. More conservative theologians use the Scofield Bible than any other reference or study Bible. If you do not already own and use a Scofield, we strongly urge that you acquire one for your personal study. Scofields are available in paperback, hardcover, bonded leather, and fine hides, and can be acquired through almost any Christian book store, in either the NIV, NASB, or KJV.

* This is a direct quotation from the Scofield Study Bible, (NKJV), Thomas Nelson Publishing, Nashville, TN, USA, 1989; Page 6, footnote 2. All types in this list are fully described in the Scofield Bible, a study tool highly recommended by the staff of Christian Chronicles.

Types That Reflect the Rapture of the Church

A type in Scripture can be a person, an object, a ceremony, an institution or an event. The entering of Noah into the ark and the departure of Lot from Sodom, both events, and the ark itself, an object, are all types, with the Rapture of the Church and Christ Himself being their antitype.

God judged the whole earth with a flood while Noah and his family were safe inside the ark. Hebrews 11:7 states, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." The Christian, who is also "heir of the righteousness which is by faith" and being in Christ will likewise be safe inside the Ark during the Tribulation. It could be no other way for, as God did not pour out His wrath on the man who found grace in His eyes (Gen. 6:8), how much more will He not pour out His wrath on the body and Bride of His dear Son. Our Lord Himself made this clear when He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all (Luke 17:26-27). Another reference may also be found in our Lord’s letters to the seven churches in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, where He said, "Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth" (3:10). And Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, "For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come" (1 Th 1:9-10). And he also wrote, "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Th 5:9).

All people were invited to enter the ark. Jesus said, "Come unto me, all you that labor....and I will give you rest" (Mt 11:28). All those dwelling on the earth drowned except the eight souls in the ark. The waters covered even the mountains so that the ark was the only refuge, the only way of deliverance. Jesus said, "I am the Way" (Jn 14:6). There was but one door in the ark. Jesus said, "I am the Door" (Jn 10:7, 9). There was one window, not for Noah and his family to look out but for light to shine in. Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world" (Jn 8:12, 9:5). It was the ark which delivered Noah and his family from the judgment of the flood and it is our Ark, Christ Jesus, "who delivers us from the wrath to come" (1 Thes. 1:10). The picture of the rapture of the Church as illustrated in the ark and Noah’s entering therein is one of great comfort to the Church today.

Jesus said of Lot, "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all" (Luke 17: 28-29). Just as Lot and his family left Sodom just prior to its destruction, so will the Church be "caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thes. 4:17) prior to the "time of Jacob’s trouble" (cp Jer 30:7).

And there is yet another type that portrays the Church as leaving the earth prior to the time that God’s judgment falls upon the Gentile nations for their partitioning of the land that God gave Israel, and upon Israel for their rejection of their Messiah. This type is not intended as much to portray the time of the rapture of the church as it is the nature of the rapture. Enoch was a man who "walked with God." His record is found in the fifth chapter of Genesis, where these words are written: "Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (Gen 5: 21-24).

Enoch was Noah’s great-grandfather. He lived to within sixty-two years of the time of Noah’s birth, and then "God took him." And he was not. That is, Enoch was on the earth, doing his thing, and God took him. This is very much a picture of the rapture of the church, for Paul writes to the church at Corinth, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Cor 15:51-53). The Bible is always consistent with itself, and proves sound doctrine in its types. May the wisdom of God be praised by all men everywhere.

The Chaste Bride of Christ

Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.

(Rev 21:9)

The reason that wives are to be submissive to their husbands is because the Church is to be submissive to her Husband, Christ. Woman is a type of the Church, and marriage is a type of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. Paul makes this type abundantly clear in Ephesians 5, where he gives very specific instructions to both husbands and wives, and closes those remarks by saying, "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church." Many husbands want their wives to be as submissive to them as the Church is to be toward Christ, but they do not wish to uphold the other side of the equation, loving their wives as Christ loves and nurtures the Church.

The Bible has much to say concerning the husband/wife relationship. And it also implies much that it does not directly state. The Song of Solomon portrays beautifully the love of Christ for His bride, and those tender affections also should be applied by the husband toward his wife today. The Book of Proverbs contains much instruction for wives, and those instructions are valuable to every Christian in his understanding of his relationship with Christ.

Since woman is a type of the Church, and since marriage is a type of the Christian relationship with Christ, then every word that the Bible says concerning both women and marriage are proper study for every Christian, both men and women. While women are instructed as wives, men are also instructed as the bride of Christ. Gentlemen ought not expect their wives to be one whit more submissive to them than they themselves are to Christ, and wives ought not expect to be loved disproportionately to their submission to Christ. Both husbands and wives ought to consider this typical aspect of the marriage relationship, both in the attitudes they hold toward their spouses, and in their service to a God who has espoused them to Himself. The instructions that apply to women in the Bible also apply to every Christian man, for the bride of Christ is composed of men and women.

Abraham Seeks a Bride for Isaac

The twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis is one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible, though it is not very clearly seen as such until its many types are revealed.

Jesus spoke of a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son (see Mt 22:1-14). Abraham is a type of this king, who sent his servant out to find a bride for his son. The servant, who is unnamed in the Genesis passage, is a type of the Holy Spirit, who does not speak on His own authority, but takes certain of the things of the bridegroom (Isaac) with which to win the allegiance and affection of the bride (Rebekah). Jesus uses this same description of the work of the Holy Spirit when He says, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (Jn 16: 13-14).

The servant is also a type of the Holy Spirit insofar as he makes the bride rich with the gifts of his master. The antitype for this is found in 1 Cor 12: 7-11 and Gal 5: 22-23.

Just as the servant in the Genesis passage brings Rebekah to meet Isaac, so does the Holy Spirit bring the bride of Christ to meet her Groom (cp. Acts 13:4; 16:6-7; Rom 8:11; 1 Th 4:14-17).

Rebekah is herself a type of the Church, who, having not seen her groom, she loved and accepted. Just as the servant called Rebekah to come with him to meet her groom, so also is the church (Gk., ekklesia) the called out bride of Christ (cp. Gen 24:16; 2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25-32). It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the sinner, opens his ears to hear the gospel, and imparts that saving faith by which he believes what he has heard. And it was the unnamed servant in Genesis who persuaded Rebekah to come to her husband.

Isaac is also a type in this passage. He is a type of the Bridegroom, not seen by the bride, yet loved through the testimony of the servant. It is also Isaac who gives of his own possessions to the servant to give to the bride, even as Christ gives us gifts through the Spirit.

And Isaac is also a type of the Bridegroom insofar as he left his home and went out to meet his bride, even as Jesus will Himself come to the clouds to meet His Bride in the air.

There is much of sublime beauty in the Old Testament for the one who views it through eyes steeped in sound New Testament doctrine.

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness

Almost every element of the tabernacle was either typical of symbolic, from the color of the entrance veils to the building materials themselves. A partial list must surely include the following:

Gold represents divine glory; silver is the metal of redemption; bronze is a symbol of judgment (cp the bronze altar and the bronze serpent); wood typifies Christ’s humanity; blue is symbolic of heavenly things; purple, of royalty; scarlet, of sacrifice. The ark was acacia wood, covered in gold — Christ in both humanity and deity. The ark was itself a type of Christ, containing: the Law, written in His (and our) heart; the golden pot that held the manna, bread of life; and Aaron’s rod, a symbol of resurrection. The ark was used as the mercy seat, a symbol of God’s throne. The Bible is God’s greatest miracle, and nothing is coincidental or accidental, but every word is written to demonstrate the wisdom and glory of our God.

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