Types of Jesus in the Old Testament
The Old Testament is a rich tapestry woven with messianic prophecies, shadows, and types that point toward the person and work of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul affirms this typological reading when he writes, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (Colossians 2:17). Similarly, Jesus himself taught that the Scriptures testify about him (John 5:39), and after his resurrection, he explained to his disciples “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets” how the Old Testament pointed to him (Luke 24:27). This article explores several key types of Jesus in the Old Testament, demonstrating how these figures and institutions foreshadow the promised Savior and find their ultimate fulfillment in him.
The First Adam and the Last Adam
The apostle Paul explicitly identifies Adam as a type of Christ in Romans 5:14, writing, “Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.” Adam, as the first man, represented all humanity. His disobedience brought sin and death into the world (Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12). In contrast, Jesus is the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), whose obedience brings righteousness and life. Paul explains, “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). Adam’s failure in the garden is reversed by Jesus’ victory in the wilderness and ultimately at the cross. Thus, Adam serves as a foundational type, illustrating the representative nature of both sin and salvation.
Melchizedek, Priest and King
Melchizedek, the mysterious king-priest of Salem who appears briefly in Genesis 14, is another significant type of Jesus Christ. He blesses Abram and receives a tithe from him, described as “priest of God Most High” (Genesis 14:18). The author of Hebrews draws extensively on this figure to explain Jesus’ superior priesthood: “He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever” (Hebrews 7:3). Unlike the Levitical priests, whose service was temporary and hereditary, Melchizedek’s priesthood is eternal and based on righteousness and peace. Psalm 110:4 prophesies, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek,” a verse the New Testament applies directly to Jesus (Hebrews 5:6). In Melchizedek, we see a type of Christ who unites the offices of king and priest, mediating between God and man in a way that anticipates the Messiah’s eternal priesthood.
The Passover Lamb
The Passover event in Exodus 12 is one of the clearest foreshadowings of Jesus’ sacrificial death. God instructed the Israelites to slaughter a spotless lamb and apply its blood to their doorposts so that the angel of death would pass over their homes. This act of substitutionary atonement spared them from judgment and led to their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The New Testament explicitly identifies Jesus with this imagery: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). John the Baptist also declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Just as the blood of the lamb protected the Israelites from death, so the blood of Jesus delivers believers from the wrath of God and the bondage of sin. The Passover lamb is a powerful type of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross.
The Bronze Serpent
In Numbers 21, the Israelites complain against God and Moses, prompting God to send fiery serpents among them. When the people repent, God instructs Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole, so that anyone who looks at it will live (Numbers 21:8-9). Jesus refers to this event in his conversation with Nicodemus: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). The bronze serpent, though a symbol of judgment, becomes the means of healing when lifted up. Likewise, Jesus, though sinless, becomes sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) and is lifted up on the cross to bring salvation to all who look to him in faith.
Joseph, the Suffering Servant
The life of Joseph is recorded in Genesis 37-50. This man is betrayed by his brothers, sold for silver, falsely accused, and imprisoned–yet through his suffering, he rises to a position of power and becomes the means of salvation for his family and the nations. Jesus, too, was betrayed for silver (Matthew 26:15), falsely accused, and condemned, yet through his intense suffering and resurrection, he brings salvation to the world. Joseph’s words to his brothers encapsulate the redemptive purpose of suffering: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive” (Genesis 50:20). This echoes the gospel truth that God used the evil intentions of men to accomplish the greatest good through the death and resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:23-24).
Isaac: The Beloved Son and the Willing Sacrifice
Among the most poignant and detailed types of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament is Isaac, the son of Abraham. The narrative of Genesis 22, often referred to as the “binding of Isaac,” presents a father offering his beloved son in obedience to God’s command. Genesis 22:2 records God’s instruction: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering.” Though Abraham had another son, Ishmael, Isaac is called his “only son” because he is the unique child of promise (Genesis 17:19).
The parallels to Jesus are striking. Isaac, like Jesus, is a miraculously born son (Genesis 21:1-2; Luke 1:34-35) deeply loved by his father. He carries the wood for his own sacrifice up the mountain (Genesis 22:6), just as Jesus carried his cross to Calvary (John 19:17). Isaac submits to his father’s will without resistance, prefiguring Jesus’ willing submission to the Father’s plan (Philippians 2:8). At the climactic moment, God provides a substitute–a ram caught in a thicket (Genesis 22:13)–foreshadowing the substitutionary atonement of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
David, the Shepherd-King
David, the shepherd who became king, is perhaps the most prominent type of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. God promises David that his throne will be established forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16), a covenant that finds its fulfillment in Jesus, the “Son of David” (Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:32-33). David’s role as a shepherd who protects his flock (1 Samuel 17:34-36) and as a king who rules with justice and mercy points to Jesus, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and the King of kings (Revelation 19:16). While David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), he was still a sinner in need of grace. Jesus, however, is the perfect and sinless King who reigns in righteousness forever.
The Sacrificial System and the Tabernacle
The entire Levitical sacrificial system, along with the tabernacle and its furnishings, serves as a complex typology of Christ’s atoning work and heavenly ministry. The book of Hebrews explains that these elements were “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). The high priest entering the Holy of Holies once a year with blood prefigures Jesus entering the heavenly sanctuary with his own blood to secure eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-12). The veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn at Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:51), signifying that access to God is now open through him. The sacrifices, which had to be repeated continually, pointed to the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:1-14).
Conclusion
The biblical types of Jesus in the Old Testament are integral to the unfolding revelation of God’s redemptive plan. From Adam to David, from the Passover lamb to the tabernacle, the Old Testament is filled with shadows that find their substance in Christ. These types not only affirm the unity of Scripture but also deepen our understanding of the gospel. As believers, we are invited to read the Old Testament with Christ-centered eyes, recognizing that all of Scripture ultimately points to the one who came to fulfill the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17). In doing so, we see more clearly the wisdom, sovereignty, and grace of the God who orchestrated history to reveal his Son.