The hidden and foreshadowing of the cross symbol and message in the Old Testament

 

The hidden and foreshadowing of the cross symbol and message in the Old Testament

 

Hebrews 1:1-2 "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son"

Daniel 12:9 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end"

Ephesians 3:10 "to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places"

 

Reason	Significance	Explanation	Examples	Application	Related Scriptures
Principle of Progressive Revelation	God reveals His salvation plan gradually according to human historical development	God did not reveal Christ and salvation all at once, but progressively	From "the seed of woman" to more specific prophecies	Helps us understand the timing and purpose of God's revelation	Hebrews 1:1-2 "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son"
Preparation of Hearts	Preparing for Christ's coming through types and symbols	Progressive revelation helps people gradually understand the Messiah's work	Passover lamb preparing Israelites to understand "the Lamb of God"	Strengthens faith, shows consistency in God's plan	John 5:39 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me"
Test of Faith	Requires people to seek and understand by faith	Hidden truths need to be sought by faith, not just surface understanding	Abraham's test of offering Isaac	Encourages deeper seeking of God	Hebrews 11  (Faith chapter)
Cultivation of Spiritual Insight	Encourages development of spiritual discernment	Hidden types require spiritual vision to identify	Moses lifting up the bronze serpent foreshadowing Christ being lifted up	Develops our habit of seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance	1 Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned"
Protection of Divine Revelation	Prevents revelation from being misinterpreted or misused before the right time	Protects God's plan from being disrupted by opposing forces	Sealed prophecies in Daniel	Reminds us to respect God's timing	Daniel 12:9 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end"
Historical and Cultural Context	Conforms to the historical and cultural context of the time	Crucifixion was not common in Old Testament times, requiring other forms of foreshadowing	Sacrificial system aligned with religious expressions of that time	Helps us understand the relationship between revelation and cultural context	Galatians 4:4 "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son..."
Display of God's Wisdom	Shows the depth and wisdom of God's plan	When types are compared with fulfillment, God's wisdom is revealed	Joseph's life foreshadowing Christ	Increases our reverence for God's wisdom	Ephesians 3:10 "to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places"
The Cross vs. Israel's Hope	Avoids conflict with Israel's political expectations of the Messiah	Direct revelation of a suffering Messiah might conflict with contemporary political Messianic views	The suffering servant in Isaiah 53	Reminds us that God's plan transcends political and secular expectations	Luke 24:25-27 "...Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?' And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself"
Examples Section
Sacrificial System	Prefigures Christ's atoning sacrifice	Spotless lamb slain and blood shed, foreshadowing Christ's sacrifice	Sin offerings and burnt offerings in Leviticus	Understanding the completeness of Christ's atonement	Leviticus 16 (Day of Atonement); Hebrews 9:12-14 "...with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption"
Passover	Prefigures Christ's redemptive work	Lamb's blood on doorposts causing death to pass over, foreshadowing Christ's blood's protection	Passover in Exodus	Recognizing Christ as our Passover Lamb	Exodus 12; 1 Corinthians 5:7 "...For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us"
Moses Lifting the Bronze Serpent	Prefigures Christ being lifted on the cross	People looking at the serpent for healing, as believers look to the lifted Christ for salvation	Bronze serpent incident in Numbers 21	Understanding the importance of looking in faith	Numbers 21:8-9; John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life"
Smitten Rock	Christ struck to become the fountain of living water	Moses striking the rock to bring forth water, prefiguring Christ struck to become living water	Water from the rock in Exodus 17	Recognizing Christ as our fountain of life	Exodus 17:6; 1 Corinthians 10:4 "...all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ"
Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat	Prefigures Christ as the meeting place between God and man	God meeting with man at the mercy seat, foreshadowing reconciliation in Christ	Ark design in Exodus 25	Understanding Christ as our mediator with God	Exodus 25:17-22; Romans 3:25 "whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood..."
Bronze Altar	Prefigures the cross as the place of sacrifice	Animals sacrificed on the bronze altar, foreshadowing Christ offering Himself on the cross	Bronze altar in Exodus 27	Understanding Christ as the perfect sacrifice	Exodus 27:1-8; Hebrews 13:10 "We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat"
Abraham Offering Isaac	Prefigures the Father offering the Son	Abraham willing to offer his only son, foreshadowing the Father giving His Son	Sacrifice in Genesis 22	Experiencing God's love and sacrifice	Genesis 22; John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."
Joseph's Story	Prefigures Christ's suffering and glory	Joseph betrayed by brothers but becomes savior, foreshadowing Christ's suffering and salvation	Joseph's life in Genesis 37-50	Seeing how God transforms suffering into blessing	Genesis 37-50; Acts 7:9-10 "And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him..."
David's Sufferings	Prefigures Christ's sufferings	David fleeing from Saul's persecution, foreshadowing Christ's sufferings	David's exile in 1 Samuel	Understanding the relationship between suffering and victory	Psalm 22 (quoted by Jesus on the cross)
Tabernacle and Temple	Prefigures Christ as the true tabernacle of God's presence with men	Tabernacle design and structure prefiguring Christ's body and work	Tabernacle design in Exodus 26-27	Understanding how Christ becomes our meeting place with God	Exodus 26-27; John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...";  Hebrews 9:11-12 "...a greater and more perfect tabernacle..."

  

Conclusion:

l   This comprehensive table analyzes why cross symbols and messages are hidden and prefigured in the Old Testament. The first part focuses on explaining why God chose to use hidden types and shadows to reveal the cross, including principles of progressive revelation, preparation of hearts, and tests of faith. The second part lists tthe major prefigurations of the cross in the Old Testament, such as the sacrificial system, Passover, and Moses lifting the bronze serpent, along with relevant scriptures and corresponding New Testament interpretations.

l   This table helps us fully understand God's wisdom and purpose in revealing His plan of salvation, enabling us to develop greater spiritual insight when reading the Old Testament and to see the consistency and continuity of God's redemptive plan throughout scripture.