Leviticus 2, “Typology”

“Typology” is the study of Old Testament “types” that foreshadow New Testament truths (the “antitype”).  In Rom. 5:14 Adam was a type of Him who was to come.  The Greek term is tupos and is used in John 20:25 when Thomas would not believe Christ was alive unless he saw the “print of the nails.”  The print is not the nails but tells you the nails were there.  So, Adam is not Christ; yet in some way he foreshadows Christ.  He is a pattern or an example of Christ.

Let’s draw from Bernard Ramm’s Protestant Biblical Interpretation to understand this aspect of interpretation.  It is critical to Leviticus.

·       Why do we expect to find types/antitypes in Biblical structure?

o   The relation of the OT, which contains a major prophetic element, to the NT where we see those prophecies fulfilled.

o   Christ invites us to find Him in the OT.

o   There are several words in the NT that suggest this to be the case.

§  Heb. 8:5: copy, an example.

§  Heb. 8:5: shadow, an image cast by an object showing the object’s form.

§  Heb. 8:5: pattern (this is the Greek tupos mentioned above).

§  Matt. 22:20; Heb. 10:1: image, an icon, a figure or likeness of something.

§  Heb. 7:15: likeness, something that is similar to something else.

§  Gal. 4:24: symbolic, an allegory, a story using earthly images to explain spiritual or heavenly truths.

§  Matt. 13:3: parable, a story that illustrates spiritual truth.

·       How can we avoid the extremes of denying “types” or overstating “types?”

o   There are many instances where the NT designates something a “type.”  Adam in Rom. 5:14 would be one of many of these.

o   There are other instances where the NT infers something to be a type, giving permission to use the OT situation.  For example, Heb. 3-4 uses the wilderness wanderings of Israel to illustrate NT truth.

o   Dissimilarities are to be expected.  For example, Heb. 11:17-19, Isaac is a type of Christ.  Isaac did not actually die on Mt. Moriah, yet Hebrews says Isaac was resurrected in a figurative sense.

·       Here are different kinds of types, most of which are found in Leviticus:

o   Persons: Abraham is a type of believers; Joseph a type of Christ, as is David.

o   Institutions: Sacrifices are a type of the cross; Passover is a type of salvation.

o   Offices: Moses the prophet is a type of Christ; Aaron and Melchizedek are types of Christ, our High Priest.

o   Events: The wilderness wanderings are types of the walk of the Christian.

o   Actions: The bronze serpent is a type of Christ on the cross.

o   Things: The Tabernacle is a type of the Incarnation; the incense burned in the Tabernacle/Temple is a type of prayer.