Introduction
The book of Genesis is the first book of the Bible in chronological order. It is part of the Pentateuch written and compiled mostly by Moses. It is also often referred to as the Torah. The word Genesis is a Greek word, which means Origin. The Hebrew word of the word, Genesis (Raysheeth) means Beginning.
The purpose of Genesis is simply to record the handiwork of God. This is the foundational book for all books in the Bible, as most stories in the Bible can be traced back to this book. The book of Genesis has 2 major divisions.
4 major events (Chapter 1 – 11)
- Creation
- Fall
- Flood
- Nations
4 major people (Chapter 12 – 50)
- Abraham
- Isaac
- Jacob
- Joseph
A description on Types, Shadows, and Christophanies
- Types. A “Type” is a biblical person, place, or thing described in the Old Testament prefiguring a future biblical person, place, or thing the New Testament or “antitype”. Romans 5:14 – Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
- Shadows. A “Shadow” is a vivid term to explain about the former, and the thing, which is to come. In the sunlight, the shadow that is casted on the ground appears as an outlined image, but it isn’t the image itself. It may be fairly well detailed, but isn’t original. Colossians 2:17 – which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
- Christophanies. A “Christophany” is a term to describe the pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ before his actual birth as a God-Man in the Old Testament. It can also be used to describe the appearance of Jesus Christ after the resurrection.
There are many “Types” in the Old Testament.
Noah’s Ark
An example of a “Type” of Christ will be Noah’s Ark, which is recorded for us in between Genesis 6 – 8. Everyone living during the days of Noah was urged by Noah to enter the Ark, to escape to impending judgment of God. For God was disgusted with the wickedness of Man at that time.
Therefore anyone who is in the Ark will be spared from the judgment of God and will live in the new world, which will be cleansed by the global flood. In the same manner, whoever is in Christ, will be spared from the everlasting lake of fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his Demons for judgment.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he have his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. In Genesis 8:4, the word “rested” carries the idea that the Ark was finishing it’s work and labor. The work which the Ark carried out was to brave the storm and the Flood, which is the judgment of God, while Noah and his household rested in the Ark. After the work was finished, then it rested.
Jesus Christ came into the world, to seek and save that which was lost. Anyone who is in Him will thus inherit eternal life and be spared the eternal judgment. As God finished His work of creation, and as the Ark finished it’s mission, so Christ finished His works of salvation.
The set up for Noah’s Ark has only 1 door, 1 entrance. There is only 1 way into Noah’s Ark, which is through the main door. Jesus mentioned in John 10:9 that He is the door, and whosoever enters through him shall be saved! Another intriguing thought concerning the Ark is this.
In Genesis 7:1, the Lord instructed Noah, his family, and the creatures of the earth to “Come” into the Ark, which implies that God Himself was in the Ark. In Genesis 8:16, the Lord commanded Noah, his family and the creatures to now “Go” out from the Ark, to be faithful and multiply, once again to populate the Earth. In reference to Jesus Christ, we have the following verses. Matthew 11:28 – Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mark 16:15 – And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Isaac
Another example of a “Type” of Christ is the biblical person, Isaac. He was the Promised Son, which was formed in a supernatural way from the barren womb of Sarah. Jesus was born of a virgin birth, in a supernatural way. Isaac was considered “dead” to Abraham when he began the 3 days journey to the place of sacrifice. Jesus was in a borrowed tomb for 3 days.
Isaac was “raised” from the dead when God asked Abraham to stopped the act, upon seeing his faith. Jesus himself was also raised from the grave after the cross. Both Isaac and Jesus offered their lives up willingly for Abraham and God the Father respectively as a sacrifice. Because of all these examples, Isaac can be considered as a “Type” of Christ.
Adam
An example of a contrasting “Type” of Christ will be Adam. Through the side of Adam, Eve was formed. (Physical Life)
Through the side of Christ, all man receives salvation. (Spiritual Life). Adam representing Mankind was giving dominion over Earth,
Christ after resurrection was elevated to God’s right hand.
Adam experienced the judgment of God—he ultimately died and his body turned to dust. Christ experienced the judgment of God through death on the cross, but he didn’t stay dead, for he rose again.
The first Adam failed the test, and in doing so involved all humanity in his defeat, dragging the human race down with him As a result, in Adam we all stand condemned, spiritually bankrupt, enslaved to sin, and expelled from Paradise The last Adam, Jesus, was victorious over sin, the flesh, and the devil. As a result, in Christ, believers stand justified and redeemed, spiritually wealthy, liberated from sin, and included in the Paradise of God
Shadows
Hebrews 10:1 – For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
In many ways, a “Shadow” is similar to a “type”. An example of a “Shadow” is that of God’s law, which was given to Moses (Old Testament), which is a shadow of the New Law given by Christ (New Testament). Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac can also be considered as a foreshadow of all sacrifices that would happen in the subsequent books, which in turn were types and shadows of the one great sacrifice that would be offered with the life of Jesus Christ.
Once again, would like to stress the significance of the image from which the shadow was casted. The image is far greater than the shadow; therefore we should be focusing more on the image, than the shadow.
Christophanies
In the Old Testament, Christ made numerous appearances to the saints, particularly in the book of Genesis. There are 3 persons in the Trinity. God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Both God the Father, and the Holy Spirit are not in a physical form, for they are both in the Spirit. Both being omnipresent, are not limited by the physical form at any time. John 1:18 – No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Therefore with this basis, all physical appearances of God in the Old Testament and after resurrection are the appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ. These verses tell us of Hagar’s encounter with the pre-incarnate Christ after Sarah cast her out while having Ishmael in her womb. In many instances, the angel of Lord is a reference of Jesus in the pre-incarnate form. When Hagar called upon the Lord, the word is translated as “Yahweh”, speaking of the intimacy Christ has with her at the moment of time.
These verses tell us of an encounter between Abraham and 3 men in the plains of Mamre. In the first verse, the word “Lord” is being used, which can be translated as “Jehovah” in Hebrew. Since these 3 men are in the physical
form, it can be seen that 2 angels were accompanying the pre-incarnate Christ.
It is interesting to note in verse 2, that when Abraham saw them, he “ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground”, which shows the superiority of these 3 men as compared to Abraham, who was a well-known and wealthy Man of God in those day and age.
Verse 4 talks about Abraham address the leader as my “Lord”, which is being translated as “Adonai” in Hebrew. This is a spoken in place of Yahweh, in Jewish display of reverence. In these verses, it tells us of a wrestling encounter between Jacob and the pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. It was a physical encounter, as described in the verses. The duration was long, as they were both wrestling till the breaking of the day. In verse 25, we can see that the “man” was superior in terms physicality, when he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh and it was out of joint.
Even though Jacob continued to wrestle, and seemed to be gaining the upper hand, it didn’t mean that Christ was weak and Jacob was prevailing in the wrestling match. In fact, God in His grace was allowing Jacob to hang on, seeing that Jacob’s faith and understanding were growing as he continued to hang onto God. If Jacob didn’t cling unto Christ, he will not be victorious and blessed at the end of this chapter.
Another significant part of this passage being a Christophany is found in verse 30, when Jacob acknowledged that he met with God face to face, and his life is preserved. Just at the point when Christ touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, he recognized the superiority of Christ with this verse.
Conclusion
In conclusion, after writing on the Types, Shadows and Christophanies, it simply leaves an individual in a sense of awe when one is able to see the Lord in this perspective. Our knowledge of God is always limited by our finite brain and mind, for His ways will always ne higher than our ways. – Isaiah 55:8
I’ve learnt that throughout time, God is always faithful to his saints. The time span from Adam, to Noah’s Ark, Isaac, and Jacob, God is consistent in the Scriptures.
I am thoroughly blessed while studying the Christophanies in Genesis. Most of the time, the people (Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Jacob) who managed to engaged with Christ were people who were at their wits end. The Lord never fails to encourage them, and lift them out of their trials and challenges. This tells me that I need not attain a level of spirituality before God is willing to meet with me. I can simply come just as I am, a wretched sinner, and have a life changing relationship with Jesus. Through this relationship, He will then empower me to face up with the challenges that this life will bring.
I also learnt that it’s all about grace in this walk in life. We received grace upon Salvation (Ephesians 2:8, 9), and need to bring it along for Everyday Living (John 1:16, Acts 20:32, Romans 1:5, 5:2, 2 Cor 4:14, 15, 2 Tim 2:1, Titus 2:11, 12, Hebrews 12:28, 13:9) Like the saints that walked before us, they found favor, and grace in the sight of the Lord. It wasn’t their ability or wealth that earned the blessing of God. It is all about grace. His grace is sufficient for us; it is all that we ever need.
But in order for us to receive grace, we need to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. Proverbs 3:34 – Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6 – But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:” God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
A cup that is filled cannot be filled again. With this in mind, in order for us to receive the grace from God, we need to empty ourselves from pride, and the ways of the world, to fully appreciate the grace that God is giving unto us.
Ephesians 2:8 – 9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Grace and humility are accessed through the medium of faith. With this, it really challenged me to trust God in a whole new level. Jesus rebuked Peter for having little faith while sinking in the midst of walking on water (Matthew 14:29 – 30). May our faith be renewed as we discussed the Types, Shadows, and Christophanies in this study.
Bibliography
- Morris, Henry M. The Genesis Record, A scientific and devotional commentary on the book of beginnings, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1976.
- Grigg. R. (n.d) First Adam – Last Adam. Retrieved October 26, 2013 from http://creation.com/first-adamlast-adam
- What are Shadows, Types and Antitypes? Retrieved October 26, 2013 from http://www.rmcoc.com/types_antitypes/what_are_shadows_types_and_antitypes.htm
- Driscoll. M. Jesus in the Old Testament, Part 4: Christophanies. (2012). Retrieved October 26, 2013 from http://pastormark.tv/2012/05/14/jesus-in-the-old-testament-part-4-christophanies
