The Old Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom, Student Workbook, SW09

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T H E O L D T E S T A M E N T W I T N E S S T O C H R I S T A N D H I S K I N G D O M

unbelief and disobedience and so failed to enter the promised land, Christians for their part are exhorted to take warning lest they fall (1 Cor. 10.5–12; cf. Heb. 3.7–4.13; Jude 5). For these things befell the Israelites ‘as a warning ( typikos ), but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come’ (1 Cor. 10.11). This typology has an intensely ethical and paraenetic emphasis. New restoration. The very word ‘gospel’ ( euangelion ) and its cognates are probably derived by the NT writers from their occurrences in Is. 40–66 to denote the ‘good tidings’ of return from Exile and rebuilding of Zion (Isa. 40.9; cf. 52.7; 61.1). No stretch of OT prophecy has provided such a fertile ‘plot’ of gospel testimonia , from the ‘voice’ of Isaiah 40.3 through the ministry of the Servant in Isaiah 42–53 to the new heavens and new earth of Isaiah 65.17; 66.22. ~ F. F. Bruce. “Typology.” The New Bible Dictionary . 3rd ed. D. R. W. Wood, ed. (electronic ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996. pp. 1214-1215. This lesson focuses upon the role of character types, both in terms of the roles of Jesus as prophet, priest, and king in Moses, Melchizedek, and David respectively, as well as special character types of Adam, Joseph, and Joshua. These links with the experience and calling of the Messiah are remarkable and encouraging; these connections provide a comprehensive store of knowledge about the person of Christ all prefigured in the lives and experiences of characters in the OT . Review these concepts thoroughly through the principles listed below. The OT provides a solid and convincing witness to the life and ministry of Jesus through its character types of key figures in the history of Israel. Character types provide us with a full and rich presentation of the truth about Christ, spur great interest in the craftsmanship of the OT stories, cause us to worship God because of the richness of his salvation plan, and enable us to see the Bible as a whole, especially the connections between the testaments. The elements of a proper character-type study highlight the need to be careful and circumspect in our use of them to provide a witness to Christ. We must create a general outline of the character’s life, search for links and resemblances between the character and Jesus as the antitype, avoid over-concentration on details that fail to connect the type to its antitype,

Summary of Key Concepts

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