By Dan Maines

The Physical Shadows And The Spiritual Fulfillment In Christ Part 1 of 3
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Introduction
† The Old Testament was never the final reality, it was a system of physical shadows pointing forward to Christ, and Scripture itself tells us this (Hebrews 10:1)
† God used real people, real events, and real systems, but they were incomplete by design, they pointed to something greater that would come in Christ (Colossians 2:17)
† What Moses began physically, Christ completed spiritually, and that is the pattern we will see throughout the entire Old Testament (Hebrews 3:5-6)
1 Corinthians 10:11
Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
† This verse explicitly says those events were types and written for us, this removes any argument that we are forcing symbolism into the text (1 Corinthians 10:11)
† It also proves fulfillment happened in their generation, because it says the ends of the ages had already come upon them (1 Corinthians 10:11)
† This anchors the entire sermon in direct apostolic teaching about types and fulfillment (1 Corinthians 10:11)
Hebrews 10:1
For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect.
† The Law was never the reality, it was a shadow, meaning it pointed forward to something greater that had not yet come (Hebrews 10:1)
† The repeated sacrifices prove it was incomplete, because if it had worked, it would not need to continue year after year (Hebrews 10:1)
† This sets the stage for Christ, who would not repeat sacrifice, but complete it once for all (Hebrews 10:10)
Colossians 2:17
things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
† The physical system was the shadow, Christ is the substance, the reality has now replaced the shadow (Colossians 2:17)
† Once the reality comes, the shadow is no longer needed, this is why the Old Covenant system passed away (Hebrews 8:13)
† This is the foundation for understanding every type in the Old Testament (Hebrews 10:1)
Moses As A Type Of Christ
Exodus 3:10
And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt."
† Moses was sent to physically deliver Israel from bondage in Egypt, this was a real event but also a type pointing to Christ (Exodus 3:10)
† The bondage in Egypt represents physical slavery, but Christ delivers from sin, which is the greater bondage (John 8:34-36)
† Moses began a deliverance, but it was incomplete and temporary (Hebrews 3:5)
Matthew 5:17
"Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
† Christ did not continue what Moses started, He fulfilled it, this confirms the movement from shadow to completion (Matthew 5:17)
† This proves the Law and everything tied to it had a completion point, not an ongoing role (Matthew 5:17)
† This shows the direction of all types, they move forward into fulfillment, not forward into repetition (Matthew 5:17)
Hebrews 3:5-6
Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the boast of our hope.
† Moses himself was a testimony, meaning his life and role pointed forward to Christ (Hebrews 3:5)
† Moses was a servant, Christ is the Son, showing the superiority of Christ over the type (Hebrews 3:6)
† The house Moses served was physical Israel, the house Christ rules is spiritual, made up of His people (1 Peter 2:5)
Hebrews 4:8-9
For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. Consequently, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
† The physical land under Joshua did not fulfill God's promise of rest, proving the land itself was not the final goal (Hebrews 4:8)
† The true rest was still future to them, showing that the Old Testament fulfillment was incomplete (Hebrews 4:9)
† Christ brings the true rest, not in a physical land, but in a spiritual reality fulfilled in Him (Matthew 11:28)
The Passover Lamb As A Type Of Christ
Exodus 12:13
The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will come upon you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
† The blood of the lamb provided physical protection from death, but it did not remove sin (Exodus 12:13)
† This was a clear type pointing to Christ, whose blood does not just cover, but takes away sin (John 1:29)
† The Passover had to be repeated yearly, showing it was not complete (Hebrews 10:3)
1 Corinthians 5:7
Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
† Christ is directly identified as our Passover, confirming the Old Testament type (1 Corinthians 5:7)
† The physical lamb pointed forward to the true Lamb, who would fulfill it completely (John 1:29)
† Once Christ fulfilled it, the physical observance lost its purpose (Hebrews 8:13)
The Manna As A Type Of Christ
Exodus 16:15
When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.
† Manna was physical bread that sustained physical life, but only temporarily (Exodus 16:15)
† It had to be gathered daily, showing it was not a permanent solution (Exodus 16:21)
† This was a type pointing to something greater (John 6:32)
John 6:32-33
Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world."
† Jesus identifies Himself as the true bread, showing the manna was only a shadow (John 6:32)
† The manna sustained physical life, Christ gives eternal life (John 6:33)
† The physical provision pointed to a spiritual reality fulfilled in Christ (Colossians 2:17)
The Rock As A Type Of Christ
1 Corinthians 10:4
and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.
† Paul directly says the Rock was Christ, this is one of the clearest type to fulfillment statements in Scripture (1 Corinthians 10:4)
† This shows even physical provision in the wilderness pointed to Christ, reinforcing the entire argument (1 Corinthians 10:4)
† What appeared physical was always pointing to a deeper spiritual fulfillment in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4)
The Priesthood As A Type Of Christ
Hebrews 7:23-24
The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing; Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.
† The Old Testament priesthood was temporary because the priests died, showing it was incomplete (Hebrews 7:23)
† Many priests were needed, proving none of them could fully accomplish what was required (Hebrews 7:23)
† Christ's priesthood is permanent, because He lives forever (Hebrews 7:24)
Hebrews 10:11-12
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,
† The repeated sacrifices show the system never removed sin (Hebrews 10:11)
† Christ offered one sacrifice for all time, proving complete fulfillment (Hebrews 10:12)
† The contrast is clear, the physical system could not finish what Christ completed (Hebrews 7:27)
Hebrews 8:13
When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear.
† This confirms the Old Covenant system was not meant to continue, it was designed to pass away once fulfilled (Hebrews 8:13)
† This locks in the conclusion that the shadows are gone because the reality has come (Hebrews 8:13)
† You cannot go back to shadows once the substance has come, to do so is to deny the completion found in Christ (Colossians 2:17)
Historical References
† Justin Martyr taught that the Old Testament events were types pointing to Christ and found their fulfillment in Him (1 Corinthians 10:11)
† Irenaeus wrote that the Law and prophets were shadows, fulfilled and completed in Christ (Colossians 2:17)
† Eusebius recorded that early Christians understood the Old Covenant system as temporary and fulfilled in Christ (Hebrews 8:13)
How It Applies To Us Today
† We are not waiting for shadows to return, we are living in the fulfilled reality in Christ (Colossians 2:17)
† Our deliverance is not physical bondage, it is freedom from sin through Christ (John 8:36)
† Our rest is not a land on earth, it is the completed work of Christ that we now live in (Hebrews 4:9-10)
† We do not return to physical systems, because Christ has already fulfilled them completely (Hebrews 8:13)
Q & A Appendix
Q: Were the Old Testament events real or just symbolic?
A: They were real historical events, but they were also types pointing forward to Christ (1 Corinthians 10:11)
Q: Did the Law actually remove sin?
A: No, it could never take away sins, it only pointed forward to Christ who would (Hebrews 10:4)
Q: Why were sacrifices repeated?
A: Because they were not complete, they showed the need for a final sacrifice in Christ (Hebrews 10:11-12)
Q: Has the true rest already been fulfilled?
A: Yes, Christ brought the true rest that the physical land never provided (Hebrews 4:8-10)
Q: Are we still under any part of the Old Covenant system?
A: No, it has become obsolete and passed away with its fulfillment in Christ (Hebrews 8:13)
Q: If these were just shadows, why did God give them in the first place?
A: They were given to point forward to Christ and prepare the people for what was coming (Hebrews 10:1)
Q: Were the Old Testament people actually saved by these types?
A: No, they were saved by faith looking forward to Christ, not by the physical system itself (Hebrews 11:13)
Q: Does calling them types mean they were not real events?
A: No, they were real historical events that also pointed to a greater fulfillment in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:11)
Q: Why didn't Moses complete the deliverance into the true rest?
A: Because he was only a servant and a type, not the fulfillment, only Christ brings the true rest (Hebrews 3:5-6)
Q: If Christ fulfilled these things, why do some still try to practice parts of the Law?
A: Because they do not understand that the system has become obsolete and passed away (Hebrews 8:13)
† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †
© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.
Source Index
† 1 Corinthians 10:11, 4; Hebrews 10:1, 10; Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:13; Exodus 3:10; Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 3:5-6; Hebrews 4:8-9; Exodus 12:13; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Exodus 16:15; John 6:32-33; Hebrews 7:23-24; Hebrews 10:11-12; Hebrews 10:4; Hebrews 4:8-10
† Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho; Irenaeus, Against Heresies; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History