Lesson 1

SYMBOLIC PICTURES - A STUDY 

Reading: 1 Cor.10 :1-10, Heb. 9:1-10

Memory verses: Heb. 1:1,2

Theme: To study the Old Testament writing keeping in mind the fact that the rituals,  incidents, personalities, structures etc.. are symbols or shadows of truth revealed in the New Testament.

Introduction:  Which are the two main divisions of the Bible? How many books are there in each division? What is the central topic of the Bible?

The central topic of the Bible is the redemption of mankind which is in the bondage of sin.  This topic is presented in the Old Testament through symbolic pictures. The true meaning of these pictures is revealed in the New Testaments.

IMPORTANCE OF THIS SUBJECT 

Jesus Christ while His earthly ministry taught divine truth to people through parables and examples. In the same way, God used to reveal His plan for the man in parts and in various ways. In Old Testament times, He unfolded His plan of salvation symbolically in the form of rituals like sacrifices, festivals, etc.., through certain incidents, through some structural forms and through the lives of certain individuals. Praise God for the full revelation that we have through Jesus Christ. Therefore, the study of the Old Testament should not be neglected. 

The symbolic pictures of the Bible can be divided into four groups. They are rituals of worship, individuals, incidents and structural forms. 

1. Rituals of worship 

Rituals like sacrifices, festivals, priestly duties, etc. stand as symbols of the great truth of the New Testament. For example, the killing of the Passover lamb is a shadow of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary for the salvation of mankind. "For Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us" (1 Cor.5:7-8).

2. Individuals 

Certain personalities in the Old Testament are types of Jesus Christ. Experiences of certain other individuals reveal spiritual truth associated with the lives of believers. We shall consider below a few examples.

Adam: Adam stands as the representative of mankind under the bondage of sin. On the other hand, Christ stands as the head of the redeemed man.

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior (Ephesians 5:23)

By one man, Adam, sin entered into the world and death by sin.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned (Romans 5:12)

By the obedience of the last Adam, Jesus Christ, the free gift came upon all man unto justification of life. 

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18,19)

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. (1 Corinthians 15:47-49)

Issac: Issac was born as a promised son.

Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. (Genesis 17:19)

1 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. (Genesis 21:1-3)

Jesus Christ also was born into this world as the promised seed of Abraham. It is in Jesus Christ that the promise of God to bless all nations of the earth through the seed of Abraham has been fulfilled.

through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. (Genesis 22:18)

Isaac obeyed his father unto death. Jesus Christ became obedient even unto death on the cross.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8)

The bringing of a bride for Issac be Eliezer, the steward of Abraham points toward the preparation of the Church as the bride of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. 

Joseph: Joseph the most loved son of Jacob is a type for Jesus Christ, the beloved son of God. Joseph started out in search of his brothers, but he was hated and persecuted by them. Jesus came unto His own people, Isreal, but they hated and persecuted Him. 

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (John 1:11)

Even as Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver, Jesus was betrayed by His own disciple, Judas, for 30 pieces of silver. Joseph, though innocent but put in prison, came out triumphant and became the ruler of Egypt. Jesus, though sinless, was crucified and buried. But on the third day, He rose from the dead. God highly exalted Him and gave him a name above every name. 

Besides these people Melchizedek in his priestly role, Moses in his faithful service, David in his royalty and Solomon in his wisdom stand as shadows of Jesus Christ.

3.Incidents: Many incidents recorded in the Old Testament are, symbolic of the truths of the New Testament. For example, Cain's offering to God from the fruits of his labor represents efforts of people to obtain salvation by works. On the other hand, Abels sacrifice of a firstling of his flock represents salvation through faith. It proclaims the truth the salvation is based on the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. (Hebrews 11:4)

The journey of Israel through the wilderness towards the promised land of Canaan after being delivered from the bondage of Egypt by the blood of the Passover lamb is a great example of the sojourn of believers towards heaven through the wilderness of this world. 

4.Structures: Structures which were built as per the instructions from God like the Noah's Ark. Tabernacle and the Temple of Jerusalem reveal spiritual truth. In the days of Noah, when the wicked world was judged by the flood, God provided a means of escape for those who entered into the Ark made according to His instructions. The Ark is a shadow of the means of salvation that God has provided through Jesus Christ. The Tabernacle and the Temple and the various articles kept inside them were symblic of many truths concering New Testament belivers.