Usually when I see a shadow, I see the real object at the same time. When light comes into my living room through our bay window and casts a shadow of one of my chairs onto the floor, I know right away that the shadow is a picture of a chair because I can see the chair it is imitating.
But have you ever been sitting somewhere and seen a shadow approaching, yet were unable to see the source of the shadow? If you couldn’t see where that shadow was coming from you would probably pay close attention to it, either from curiosity or from fear. Finally, as it approached, it would come into view and you would see the reality, no longer just its shadow.
What you would have seen is called a foreshadow—a shadow that goes before the real thing! In other words, the real thing cannot be seen yet, only its shadow is in view.
That is what God does—His Light casts shadows of The Seed for us in the Old Testament. He didn’t necessarily allow people to see the substance of His shadows. People would see an imperfect form of the real thing. For example, Joseph and Moses were both foreshadows of the Deliverer, The Seed.
1 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 9:28; Mark 14:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19
This lamb that was killed by the Israelites was the lamb required for the Passover. Just as Moses was a “type” of deliverer, the lamb was a “type” of sacrifice. (Not the real thing but a picture or shadow of the real.) Moses was a picture of The Seed Who would deliver mankind from death. Of Whom was the lamb a type? As the Israelites celebrated Passover each year they were reminded over and over again of The Seed that had been promised to their ancestors but was still to come. They were given a picture of that Seed and what He would do for them.
Exodus 2:11; Acts 7:22-25
Joseph was a picture of the Deliverer because God used him to save the nation of Israel from starvation during the famine. Moses was also a type of deliverer. God used him to deliver His people, Israel, out of Egypt after God’s plagues. Moses was right that he was to be the deliverer of God’s people, Israel, from Egypt, but he was wrong on the timing and means. Jesus, however, being the reality and not just the type or shadow, performed the will of the Father perfectly. He delivered His people out of their sin at the exact appointed time. Oh, how wonderful He is!
The Old Covenant, with its Tabernacle, was a foreshadow of the New Covenant to come, a picture of The Seed. In fact, everything in the Tabernacle was a picture of Jesus, The Seed. If His people would look intently at the shadow though, they would be able to see the Christ.
The Old Covenant was a picture of the New Covenant! Everything in the Tabernacle was a picture of Jesus!
Door — Jesus is the Door! Jesus is the Way!
Altar — Jesus is the Lamb that was slain!
Laver — Jesus is the Living Water! We are washed by the water of the Word! Jesus is the Word!
Table of Showbread — Jesus is the Bread of Life!
Candlestick — Jesus is the Light!
Altar of Incense — Jesus ever lives to intercede for us!
Holy of Holies — Jesus is God!
God gave His people the Law to keep them locked up from the full influence of sin in their lives until the time The Seed would arrive. Galatians 3:23 The Law also served the purpose of leading God’s people to The Seed. Galatians 3:24 Everything in the Old Covenant was a picture of the Covenant to come—Jesus! Because of their deceitful and desperately wicked heart they were not able to keep the Law. Jeremiah 17:9; Hebrews 8:6-12
When the Israelites sinned, they made a sacrifice for their sin. Their sacrifice became the covering for their sin. Leviticus 17:10-11; Hebrews 9:13-14, 22 The Law required them to make their sacrifices in the Tabernacle. They were not allowed to have an altar or worship any other place.
When an Israelite would bring an animal to the Tabernacle for a burnt offering to atone for his sin, he would lay his hand on the head of the animal. Leviticus 1:1-9 This was a picture of his sins being transferred to the animal. And, more importantly, it was another foreshadowing of mankind’s sins being transferred to Jesus Christ, The Seed, the Lamb of God.
Study the Old Testament and pay attention to the shadows. God did not put them there in order to hide the Messiah—He put them there in order for His people to see their Messiah more clearly! The foreshadows announced the Coming One!
Study the New Testament and recognize the source of the shadows of old—Jesus, Who is the reality, Who was, and Who is, and Who is to come. Lay down your life before This One Who Came to lay His life down for the saints of the Most High.
Adapted from "HIStory—From Event To Event The Bible Is One Story"
