THE CHURCH IN THE TABERNACLE
 

The Church in Types
by Fred Creel
VOL.  I THE CHURCH IN THE TABERNACLE
Copyright 2002

Introduction: Concerning Types and Shadows

Christ never intended to present ALL the details about the Kingdom in a single parable.
The story of Sarah and Hagar is an allegory of law or grace, yet it doesn’t presume to tell us all about either the law or grace.

Prophecy is filled with symbols. These add to its richness and to our understanding when rightly used, yet we must understand that one symbol, however vivid, cannot exhaust a subject.

Consider the seven headed ten horned beast of Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority

Though exciting and informative, this certainly can't tell us ALL about the end-time world kingdom.
Neither can all the truths about the Lord’s church be learned from the Tabernacle nor can all the past suffering and the present ministry of Christ be learned from the sacrifices and the priesthood. However these Old Testament pictures help immensely to illustrate New Testament truths.

God uses types, parables, similes, symbols and allegories as teaching aids to impart truth and knowledge to man. Certain rules apply to the use of each of these. For the present we shall concern ourselves only with the use of types.

There are two extreme schools of thought concerning types. One sees a type in everything and attempts to build entire systems of theology upon these 'spiritualized realities'. The other denies the use of types altogether and in doing so, is robbed of many helps in understanding New Testament truths. Both these extremes should be avoided.

There IS a scriptural basis for the use of types. But let us not be as the one who tried to spiritualize the donkey on which Christ rode into Jerusalem, or as the one who attempted to find significance in the piece of broiled fish Jesus shared with his disciples following his resurrection!
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Here is a clear statement that there is a present use for the Old Testament but other scriptures must be examined to find what this use is. Jesus reminded his disciples, "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." Lu.24:44.

Romans 5:14 presents Adam as a type [tupos] of Christ. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

The things, which happened to Israel, were types of us.
1 Cor 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1 Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

It has been said that every New Testament truth can be found pictured in some Old Testament type. Whether this be true or not, there can be found in the Law, the Tabernacle, priesthood and sacrifices, pictures which can enrich our studies of Christ and his church. These same principles of types can then be used to illustrate the Lord and his Bride during the millennial reign as shown forth in Solomon's temple.

SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES CONCERNING TYPES
These principles have been determined according to the four following rules of Biblical interpretation.
1. The Rule of Biblical Statement. When the Bible states a thing to be a type then it is in fact a type.

2. Rule of First Use or Mention. This is a very general rule, but one which can be helpful in various fields of Bible study. Simply stated; ‘the condition or application of a thing in its first mention in the Bible will often govern its subsequent use’.

3. The Rule of Pattern or Repeated Use. When something is mentioned or used repeatedly we search for consistency in the way it is used. A good example is FIRE. It is used often in the Law and long before the law.

If we apply rule #1, to I Cor.3:13-15 we see that fire tries our works at the judgment seat of Christ. "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
1 Cor 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1 Cor 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." Again, in Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Still again, 2 Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2 Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2 Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

According to Rule #1 then, it is quite easy to see that fire is indicative of, or pictures the judgment of God. It is by or through the medium of fire that he rejects, accepts or punishes. In any case his judgment is in action.

If Rule #2 is applied, we find fire first indicated in Gen 8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. Noah offered burnt offerings after the world had been destroyed in the flood. In accepting the offerings, God stated that he would not again curse the world because of man's sins. Gen 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

The second mention of fire is in Genesis 19:24. Here, God poured fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah because of the wickedness of those cities. "Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;"

According to Rule #2 then, it is clear that Fire indicates or pictures the judgment of God in acceptance, rejection or punishment.

When Rule #3 is tested, the same conclusion must be reached in the dozens of times fire is mentioned in Exodus and in Leviticus. Sometimes it shows the acceptance of a sacrifice; at others it manifests a rejection, as at the destruction of Aaron's sons for their offering strange fire on the altar. "Lev 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
Lev 10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD."

When Korah rebelled, God used fire to quell the insurgency. "Num 16:32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Num 16:33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
Num 16:34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
Num 16:35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
There seems to be no doubt that by this rule, fire is used to show forth the judgment of God as He accepts, rejects or punishes.

This brings us to Rule Number 4. This rule is of the utmost importance. It is the negative side of the positive in Rule #1. It is also the 'acid test' by which one can verify the conclusions reached in using rules #2 and #3.

The Rule of Scriptural Conformity. ‘ANYTHING USED AS A TYPE MUST CONFORM TO ALL REVEALED TRUTH’. When a decision is reached concerning fire as a type based upon rules 2 and 3, then the Word must be examined to see if that conclusion is in conflict with any clear teaching of any portion of the Scripture. If it is, then something was missed and one must start over.

There will be no attempt, at this point, to apply each of the rules to each of the following items, since to do so would make this work unnecessarily long. The reader is invited and even urged to do so, however.