How Are Types And Shadows Fulfilled?

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Jesus did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets. He came to fulfill them. In the following verse He contrasts abolishing with fulfilling. Abolishing the Law is not the same as fulfilling and accomplishing the Law.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18 ESV).

Circumcision is not abolished, but is fulfilled by baptism. Circumcision of the heart is the same as the new birth. Believing parents requires both baptism in water and circumcision for infants in order to put the sign of the covenant on them. Adults must believe before they can be baptized.

“This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. [11] You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. [12] He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, [13] both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. [14] Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” (Genesis 17:10-14 ESV)

Since Christ was circumcised, then all who are baptized into His body are too.

“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands… in baptism…” (Colossians 2:11-12 ESV).

Types And Shadows

“Now all these things happened to them as examples [tupikwv tupikos, types], and they were written for our admonition…” (1 Cor 10:11).

         The Old Testament was written in hidden types and shadows, but the hidden meaning is revealed in Christ by the Apostles, “according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began…(Rom 16:25). “The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints” (Col 1:26).

How is each of these Old Testament Types not abolished but fulfilled?

Circumcision - (See Col 2:11-12 above.)

New Moon Sabbaths

So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Col 2:16-17).

Passover -  “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor 5:7). It is fulfilled in Communion.

Pentecost -  The Jews celebrated Pentecost for the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. It was/is fulfilled by the giving of the Law in our hearts in Acts 2 (the Holy Spirit fulfills the promise of Ezek 36:27).

Tabernacles- This feast included “The Feast of Trumpets” which signifies the Great Commission, “The Day Of Atonement,” fulfilled by Christ and the suffering of the Church, and “The Feast of Booths” that signify our pilgrimage until Christ comes.

Unclean foods- Were a shadow of Gentiles. When God sent Peter to include the Gentiles He said, “Don’t call unclean what I have made clean.” (Acts 10 “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”)

The Promised Land- was a type and shadow of the whole world. “For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13 ESV).

            “…the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours” (1 Cor 3:22).

Jerusalem- was a type of the church.  “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…”(Hebrews 12:22 ESV)

Israel is God’s people, the Church.  “And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God” Gal 6:16.

How Was Israel Baptized?

“For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, [2] and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, [3] and all ate the same spiritual food [Communion], [4] and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness” (1 Corinthians 10:1-5 ESV).