TLCBiblical.com

Accuracy In Biblical Education

126 The Scheme Of Redemption - 1: Mystery Of The Ages

Audio / Video / PDF

1. Intro

So far this series has covered the basics from getting a Bible to a summary of biblical history including the laws of God and their characteristics. In this video we're going to start taking a deeper look at how everything fits and works together. Stay with me as we discuss God's Scheme Of Redemption Part 1 - Mystery Of The Ages .

2. Some things to know before we get started

The big question that we need to answer is how do we connect all of the stories, prophecies and thousands of details that we find in the Bible and make sense out of them. This problem has presented itself to every student of the scriptures since they were written and has led to a number of different reactions. Some folks just shake their head and dismiss the Bible as a nonsensical collection of fables, stories and myths that might have some value but really don't carry any weight. On the other extreme are those who have diligently studied the scriptures but have done so with a lot of preconceptions or faulty guidance that caused them to come to conclusions that create more questions and problems than answers and solutions. Many of the most respected theologians fall into this category and their ideas about the scriptures have given rise to the multitude of doctrines and dogmas in the world today. But how do we connect all of these things? In this video we're going to begin exploring that by examining the single common element that ties the scriptures together - God's plan to save mankind.

On the surface there's a simplicity to the Bible. We can read about Christ, God and the things that are recorded and we can either believe them or reject them. The basic facts related in the scriptures aren't difficult to understand. We know that God created the world, loved us, sent Christ to save us and has given us a blueprint if you will on how to live and get to Heaven. There's really nothing hard to understand about that. Later when we talk about the Gospel plan of salvation we'll see that some believed and obeyed after hearing one sermon. Cornelius the Roman centurion, the Ethiopian eunuch and the Philippian jailer are good examples of this. That's the easy part. But after accepting the basics we need to go farther. We need to understand more about the wisdom of God and how this plan to save all of us came about. As we explore this I believe you'll see evidence of an intelligence that will challenge your comprehension and show that God is the author of the scriptures.

The idea that there's a central theme or thread connecting the scriptures is difficult to see. As students of the Bible reach the point that they want to explore deeper aspects of the scriptures confusion often sets in. Part of that's due to the fact that we just don't know how to sort it all out. In the last three videos I started the sorting process by defining the three dispensations or laws by which God interacted with mankind. Now we'll begin to take the next steps and see how they connect. In order to do that we need to familiarize ourselves with how God has relayed information, concealed his plan and then later revealed it.

3. A view from above

God isn't bound by time. He created it. The Lord sees the beginning from the end and made a provision for every contingency. If we place significant events on a timeline as we did when I reviewed Biblical history we can get a global view of how this fits. The world began in a perfect state for a time but then sin was introduced through the weakness of mankind. At that point, the relationship with God was severed and a need for reconciliation was necessary. We'll see that God's provision for bringing this about was set in place before the world was created and once sin became a reality, the plan was put in motion. Over time we see that God implemented His plan in stages. Beginning with the Patriarchal period God instituted laws that would preserve morality and stability. Over time God selected a family through Abraham whose descendants would provide the environment needed to bring redemption and reconciliation to reality. As time passes a specific Law is given to Moses that begins to target specific ideas and lay the groundwork for what is to come. Finally we see God's son come into the world in the form of a man to complete the work God began before anything was created.

The wisdom of God is seen in how He brings the final solution to sin and separation about. From the beginning we see that there are markers, or pointers if you will, that are set in place while God works patiently to accomplish his work. These markers are points that provide links we can use to connect the common thread weaving its way through the Bible. The eventual accomplishment of this will be a feat that will challenge the comprehension of mankind, display the depth of God's wisdom, patience and engineering, and leave an iron clad proof supporting His existence and role as Lord of all things. But there was an enemy who wasn't able to thwart God or stop him, but is able to prey on the mind and weakness of man in such a way as to draw us away from God. The Lord's plan however would be brought about in a way that couldn't be challenged, thwarted, delayed or stopped. The Lord would hide his work until such time as he chose to make it fully known.

4. Mystery of the ages

In his letter to Titus the apostle Paul clearly states that God promised eternal life before the world began ( Titus 1.2 ). Paul makes a similar statement in Ephesians 1.3-4 where he concludes that the end of God's plan would be to gather all things together in Christ ( Eph 1.10 ). In these statements Paul refers to the concealment of the Lord's work and defines it as the " mystery of his will " ( Eph 1.9 ). Although Paul indicates that this mystery has been made known many still hold to the idea that the scriptures are filled with mysterious things that haven't been revealed. From the passages that I've cited here and others that we'll take a look at later, we'll see that there's no mystery at this time. The concealment of God's purpose was in the past and served to demonstrate the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord. Studying these things will also provide ample proof of a greater intelligence at work. We can define the revelation of this mystery and what it is very simply. In Paul's first letter to Timothy he states, ".. .without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. " ( 1 Tim 3.16 ).

So why did God hide his work from the eyes of the world? The answer to that is twofold. First, the wisdom of God can be seen in how this was brought about. The power and knowledge of God is further defined by the fact that God used the weakness and ignorance of mankind to accomplish His purpose. Paul tells us why the Lord did things this way in his first letter to the Corinthians. " But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. " ( 1 Cor 1.7-8 ). The fact that this mystery has been revealed is further defined by Paul in his letter to the Colossians. Paul refers to the " ... mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints ..." ( Col 1.26 ). Paul also tells us that the mystery is revealed through the knowledge of Christ which was being preached in the first century and recorded in the pages of the New Testament. Paul states that, ".. .by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) . ( Eph 3.3 ). We have another statement of what this mystery is later in the same letter as Paul states that the mystery of which he spoke was concerning Christ and the church ( Eph 5.32 ). Let's summarize what we know about this:

So how do we recognize the work of God and identify these markers or bits of information to follow its path through the scriptures.

5. Symbols, types and prophecy

We need to be familiar with how God has concealed and then later revealed his plan but we need to make sure that we avoid a common mistake. There are those in the world that believe the Bible is filled with hidden mysteries, veiled truths and complex codes. Although that's dramatic and makes for good fiction, the truth is much simpler and clearer. From the time that reconciliation with God was needed the Lord hid his intentions in ways that later could be connected and understood readily. As we become familiar with these things we need to take care not to infuse these elements with mystical energies or hidden powers. The power resides in the mind and hands of God and once the full revelation was made in the first century, there was no longer a need for concealment. God hid his work, revealed it, explained it and provided a record of what he's done. Unfortunately man obscures the message by mystifying it, filling the word with shadows and innuendo and even going so far as to lead others to believe that we can't understand the word without divine intervention. One of the things that I want us to get out of this study is that none of that's true. God hid his work, accomplished his goal, explained it to us and has revealed everything we need to know ( 2 Pet 1.3 , Jude 3 ).

There are three terms that we need to understand for the rest of this lesson and those that follow. These are:

Let's take a look at each of these.

a. Symbols

The idea of a symbol may bring to mind things that are mystical, mysterious and dark. The fact is symbols are things that are common and we use them every day. Words, spoken or printed are symbols that represent ideas and allow us to communicate. Money is a symbol that allows us to conduct trade and take care of our needs. Symbols represent identities for individuals, corporations and organizations among other things. We understand that and don't assign strange connotations and meanings to everything we encounter. But somehow when we start talking about the Bible the idea of a symbol takes on new life and begins to cloud our perception as ideas and subjective interpretations are applied to things. Many of these applications are incorrect, obscure the true meaning of scriptures and create conflicts between passages. These conflicts are sometimes resolved by explanations that lead away from the truth and understanding. I want to emphasize that a study of symbolism in the Bible is actually very straightforward.

Symbols are used repeatedly throughout the scriptures in a number of ways. They're used to identify, mark boundaries, set limits or provide information regarding such things as inheritance and ways to remember things. There are other ways that these are used and appear but these functions will become clearer as we get into the study. I'm planning a second series that will discuss these in more depth but its important at this point that we have a grasp of what symbolism is and to demystify it.

Characteristics of symbols that are important to remember is that they're selected by God, demonstrate patterns of use in the scriptures and embody details that point to specific things. Symbols in the Bible represent people, events, procedures and identities that link and connect these things. One form of symbolism is very specific and is referred to as a Type .

b. Types

Type may be a term that's unfamiliar to some. This is simply a form of symbolism or representation that embodies the characteristics of what it represents. In other words a type has the same qualities of that which it stands for. In the Bible we can refer to these specific forms of symbolism as foreshadows of things to come and are found in the Old Testament. The New Testament reveals that these types were evident in the formation of the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, sacrifices and other elements that we'll discuss in another series. That being represented would one day become a reality serving as a foundation for what comes later. I'll explain some of the more obvious occurrences of these foreshadows as we go through the next several lessons and we'll see how they appear and where they're connected. This might sound vague and complicated but you'll see these at work shortly as we start following their path through the Bible. Whether we're discussing symbols in a general sense or specific things being foreshadowed, we have to also understand the vehicle or means used to convey them.

c. Prophecy

Biblical prophecy is another concept that brings to mind the idea of secrecy, mystery and mysticism. There are two ways in which the term is used in the scriptures. The first is to prophesy or proclaim the word of the Lord. This doesn't have to include anything about the future. It can be understood as a form of preaching or teaching God's word. The idea of prophecy to most however means that the future is being revealed and as with symbols, is usually perceived as dark and mysterious. Prophecy in the Bible isn't really like that and we need to view it a bit differently. In these lessons we'll be dealing with the aspect of revealing the future but let's make sure we understand the nature of these statements before we continue.

Biblical prophecy is specific and stated in ways meant to be understood clearly when that which is being spoken of occurs. Prophecy is the vehicle used to convey some symbols and types. There are two types of prophecy that we encounter in the scriptures. The first is verbal prophecy. This is the most common form and can be concrete, stating things clearly or expressed in symbols and figurative language. The second type is physical prophecy. This is more obscure and perhaps harder to understand. This is a nonverbal prophetic form and exists in the form of types or foreshadows. These forms can be expressed as objects or events and sometimes individuals are rendered as types in the way they're recorded or by focusing on specific traits and characteristics.

In both types of prophecy we also need to recognize what is being represented and its fulfillment. Types are fulfilled by the appearance of what is referred to as an antitype - the thing or process with identical attributes the type represents. Symbolic or figurative prophecies can be recognized by its fulfillment in an event, individual or process. Lets take a look at this so we understand the relationships. This chart demonstrates how we can recognize them in the scriptures.

Types of symbols
Types of symbols in the Bible

1. Here we see that symbols can be expressed in a variety of forms. We can connect these to their fulfillment in the scriptures by direct statements, comparisons and the inherent characteristics demonstrated. These generally don't just appear but are contained within a prophetic element that expresses them.

2. Types are later confirmed as they're used as figures describing what has been fulfilled. We'll see examples of this as the study develops.

3. God states that if a prophet uttered anything and it didn't come to pass, the people of God were not to fear that person. Prophecy wouldn't have any value without fulfillment. As we look at the scriptures we'll discuss the expression of various prophecies and how they're fulfilled.

Now let's look at how these appear from our high level view of the Bible.

d. Concealment and revelation

The power of the Bible is in the fact that things are prophesied by the means we've discussed and later fulfilled. The following chart simplifies this point.

how the Old Testament conceals what the New Testament reveals
Concealment (Old Testament) & Revelation (New Testament)

Understanding symbols, types and prophecies in light of the scriptures demonstrates that

1. The Old Testament conceals that which is to come while the New Testament reveals these things.

2. The Old Testament alludes to things, referring to them indirectly or expressing things obscurely while the New Testament explains these and clarifies them

3. The Old Testament raises questions that point to things that haven't happened or don't exist while the New Testament provides the answer to these proving that the Lord has spoken.

Now that you've had a crash course in Biblical symbolism, let's begin exploring what we've learned. Keep these points in mind because they're critical to the next several lessons. Also remember that these factors are proof of God's power.

6. Death & Salvation

In Genesis chapter three Satan tempted Eve to violate God's directive to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When that occurred it tore a hole in the fabric of the universe. A perfect world was spoiled. A benevolent loving God was ignored. Pride, arrogance and foolishness manifested themselves for the sake of an idea that was unfounded and could never be attained. God imposed the dire consequence of death on mankind but in the execution of that sentence the Lord extended hope and a promise.

Satan opposed God with his hatred and struck at the Almighty by stealing his children. God was going to bring us back because He loved us but true to His divine nature imposed new conditions on humanity to remind them of what had been lost. God's anger was directed in such a way that death was now a reality but the final outcome would be realized far in the future. Because Satan had risen against God, the Lord lets him know that the final victory will be His.

We have a record of the first prophecy in the scriptures coming from God himself. Speaking to Satan, the serpent, the Lord states, " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel ." ( Gen 3.15 ). Note the singular nature of this statement. The seed of woman may include all mankind but in a spiritual sense God speaks of a singular presence that will come. He speaks of a time when Satan will seek to once more overthrow the Lord but will only find defeat.

Because of the influence of Satan and the failure of the first man, death was part of human existence. But a promise had been made before the world began that God would grant eternal life. Sin had been committed. Wrong had destroyed the relationship mankind had with God but the Lord would repair that breach. The price of that healing would involve death. A sacrifice to atone for the action and failure of man and to serve as the ultimate defeat of Satan. To that end God foretells of the time when Christ will be sent into the world for the purpose of delivering man from the power of Satan and the fear of death.

The writer of Hebrews draws on prophecy which details the way that this will be accomplished. " Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me... " ( Heb 10.5 ). Death had been brought into the world and the power of death would be defeated through death, the death of God's son who would give himself as a sacrifice to redeem those who would seek the Lord.

Paul draws a contrast between Adam and Christ, presenting Adam as a type or figure who stands as the opposite of Jesus. Paul states, " For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. " ( Rom 5.19 ). It only took one instance to change the nature of our relationship with God and by one instance the breach would be healed. In his sacrifice, when he was raised from the dead, Christ demonstrated that the power of Satan was destroyed. The writer of Hebrews states, " Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil..  ( Heb 2.14 ). Satan challenged the power of God knowing that death would be the result but the Lord shows that this victory will not be lasting and was defeated in the life and sacrifice of Christ.

This isn't just a symbolic connection. The power of the Gospel lies in the reality of the resurrection of Christ that destroyed the power of Satan. Paul discusses the significance of this in his first letter to the Corinthians. " Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. " ( 1 Cor 15.12-15 ). The resurrection of the dead is the proof of the reality of God's promise. The concealment of his plan to save us, the expression of this in the scriptures and its fulfillment are dependent on these realities. Let's summarize this so we can see the overall picture of the Bible.

So where's the proof for all this and how do we determine its credibility? We have two options. The Bible is either a well crafted and complex myth that has no real value, or, it's the truth and needs to be believed. So how do we validate this?

Some search ancient writings for proof while historians and archaeologists conclude that there isn't any substance to what the Bible claims. This is an attitude that exists in spite of the fact that the Bible has been proven to be historically accurate and has even been the basis for a large number or discoveries. Still, the search continues for iron clad proof of God, his people and everything else. While the search continues in a physical sense we can look a little closer to find what we need. The proof isn't found under layers of ruins, hidden in ancient manuscripts or buried in the sand, but in the pages of the Bible. Let's begin taking a closer look at these proofs.

7. The need for sacrifice

Early in the scriptural record we see that a blood sacrifice had been commanded. We discussed this in the review of the Patriarchal dispensation and will see that the practice of offering sacrifices continues throughout the scriptures. We're told that Abel was accepted before God because he brought of the firstlings of his flock ( Gen 4.4 ). The importance of this won't be apparent until much later but we can establish two things at this point and then fill in the gaps as our lessons continue. I noted that Abel's sacrifice was respected by God because it had been commanded by the Lord. Cain not only failed to offer an acceptable sacrifice but he rebelled against the command of God going so far as to kill Abel ( Gen 4.8 ). God's command wasn't arbitrary and Cain's actions were much more than sibling rivalry. There are deeper attachments to the practice of offering sacrifices which we can understand by reviewing what we find in the New Testament.

Once sin entered the world the writer of Hebrews states that there could be no redemption without the shedding of blood ( Heb 9.22 ). We find that the sacrifices offered under the Patriarchal and Mosaic laws were expressions of obedience by the faithful. Their faith in God justified them but wouldn't be completed until a time in the future when a better sacrifice was made. God acted toward those who obeyed and offered sacrifices as if Christ had already been crucified. The writer of Hebrews in the discussion of the superiority of the Law of Moses and the law of Christ states, " And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. " ( Heb 9.15 ). This passage clearly indicates that the final forgiveness of the faithful didn't occur until Christ offered himself as the perfect and final sacrifice. In this way the sacrifices represented Christ in the form of a type or foreshadow of the sacrifice to come. The wisdom of God was such that he credited those who followed his commands as forgiven even though Christ had not yet died. The presence of the sacrifices form a link to Christ through the shedding of blood reaching back to the beginning and moving forward to the end of time with Christ's cross at the center.

The writer of Hebrews states that the animal sacrifices weren't able to take away sins ( Heb 4.4 ). The law was a vehicle to justify God's people through remembering their sins each year. " For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year ." ( Heb 10.1-3 ). Animal sacrifices represented the sacrifice of Christ but weren't the equivalent of his sacrifice. Because of that they embodied a remembrance of sin, not forgiveness. The Law itself, stood as a shadow of something better that was to come. A new law built on a better sacrifice that would be paid for by purer blood. The price of the new covenant between man and God was the ultimate goal that the sacrifices, the Law and all that had been written pointed to. Instituting this law however required a sacrifice that was perfect. " For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. " ( Heb 9.16 ).

In this we can see that the defeat of Satan's power was to be brought about by a perfect sacrifice. Until the time that this sacrifice was offered there was a way for those who would be faithful to God to be linked to that event. That was through the animal sacrifices that represented the greater sacrifice. The final sacrifice would take away all sin, redeem man, defeat the power of Satan and accomplish what God said He would do in the beginning. As we proceed we'll continue to follow this link and explore other elements that serve as types of Christ, his law, the establishment of the eternal kingdom through the church and the salvation of all mankind.

8. All nations blessed

As we moved on from the time of Abel and Noah we came to that point in the Patriarchal period at which God selected a faithful man to fulfill his plan of redeeming man. Abraham was faithful to God and for this reason the Lord called him to leave his home. " Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. " ( Gen 12.1-3 ). We see this stated again when God revealed his intent to destroy Sodom ( Gen 18.18 ) and is based on Abraham's obedience to the Lord ( Gen 22.18 ). The promise to bless all families of the Earth would be accomplished through the establishment of a new kingdom with a new law sealed by the blood of Christ.

As we saw in the discussion of the Christian dispensation, the kingdom of Christ was established on the day of Pentecost. Isaiah foretold this stating, " And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it." ( Isa 2.2 ). Micah also speaks of this noting that all nations would be gathered to this house ( Micah 4.1-2 ). We can confirm this as we look to the New Testament. Paul states, " For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek ." ( Rom 1.16 ). The establishment of this kingdom removed the designation of Jew and Gentile spiritually. The promise to Abraham was fulfilled as the church was made a reality and open to any that will believe and obey God.

Putting the discussion together up to this point we see that

Now that we have a framework established let's add another piece of the puzzle and see where and how Christ fits in God's plan and the role he fills today.

9. Eternal High Priest

Following the battle of the kings in which Lot, Abraham's nephew, was taken captive, Abraham rescued him. " And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. " ( Gen 14.18-20 ).

I mentioned Melchizedek in the lesson on the Patriarchal age and noted that his appearance was significant. Remember that a type can be an object or person, but a type may also be constructed by the way in which information is presented. Melchizedek's appearance is used by God as a type, or foreshadowing, of Christ. Let's take a look at how that comes about.

Melchizedek is described as the king of Salem. Another name for Salem was Jebus and during the time of David was a stronghold held by pagans but during the time of Abraham the city was ruled by one who followed God. We'll recognize this area later by the name Jerusalem but this is long before the nation of Israel was established. Jacob hadn't been born and Abraham still had no children. Melchizedek appears in this instance as a priest and in that role he blesses Abraham. Abraham recognizes the priesthood of Melchizedek and pays him tithes. There's no other information describing him and except for a reference in Psalm 110.4, no mention of the priest is made until we reach the book of Hebrews. Let's see how the figure of Melchizedek is utilized to form another connection pointing to Christ.

The narrative of Genesis fourteen captures an instant in time. In that event we see Melchizedek, learn that he's the king of Salem and a priest of the most high God. The absence of detail concerning Melchizedek preserves him in the scriptures in an iconic moment. The writer of Hebrews draws on this as he compares Christ with Melchizedek. The following chart will help us understand these comparisons.

comparison of Melchizedek & Christ
Comparison of Melchizedek & Christ

Melchizedek is identified as a priest of the most high God at a time before Jacob, before Moses, before there was an Israel. I noted in the discussion of the Patriarchal dispensation that the knowledge of God wasn't completely gone in the world as shown by Melchizedek's appearance. The most important thing to note is that he wasn't a priest descended from the tribe of Levi. Levi hadn't been born. Under the Law of Moses only those of the tribe of Levi could serve as priests. As Christ comes into the world he's born into a family of the tribe of Judah. This is significant as it indicates that the law not only had to change, but was changed by the direction and order of God. The writer or Hebrews brings this out very clearly stating, " For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. " ( Heb 7.14 ). The figure of Melchizedek therefore is a type of a coming change in the priesthood that would occur when Christ came into the world.

Another lesson that we see from the appearance of Melchizedek is the way in which the text presents him. The writer of Hebrews states, " And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec ." ( Heb 7.15-17 ). A key word here in the description is " similitude ". Some think that Melchizedek was an eternal being who appeared to Abraham to restate God's blessings. The statement here is that there's no record of his parents. There's no information regarding his life or the end of his days. In this manner he's preserved in a moment of time, a literary device, signifying an endless priesthood. Once more the writer compares the priesthood of Christ as he states that this was " made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life ...". Melchizedek then serves as a type pointing to an eternal priesthood that shall never end. Although we have a record of Christ's birth we understand that he was conceived and brought into the world through the Holy Spirit who created the body that would one day be offered on the cross. John gives a perfect description of this in the opening verses of his Gospel. " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth ." ( John 1.1-3, 14 ). Christ was with the Father from before the beginning. He came into the world, inhabiting a body created for the purpose of being offered as the only sacrifice capable of removing the sin of man from the mind of God. Christ was raised by God and therefore lives today, just as Melchizedek forever remains frozen as a type in his encounter with Abraham representing the eternal nature of Christ.

Although the record omits details of Melchizedek's birth, life and death we see that he's human. As we look at the comparison between Melchizedek and Christ the writer of Hebrews makes we see that the humanity of Christ is represented. " For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people ." ( Heb 7.16-17 ). This comparison tells us that Melchizedek wasn't angelic, but human, and was therefore a type representing Christ. Jesus was also human, a divine being who came into the world to offer himself as a sacrifice. But that wasn't all. Christ's life demonstrated that it's not necessary to sin against God. He lived in such a way as to let us know that we can overcome the influence of the Devil who's been leading humanity astray and preying on our weaknesses since the beginning. Christ had the ability to choose as we do, but he did the will of God, demonstrating that we can overcome the world through him. Christ also understands what it feels like to be human and battle the trials and desires of life. " For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin ." ( Heb 4.15 ).

Finally we see that in Abraham's meeting with Melchizedek the patriarch recognized his priesthood and honored it by giving tithes to him. Christ's excellence is shown in the New Testament as he returns to his place at the Father's side. On the day of Pentecost Peter stated, " This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. " ( Acts 2.32-33 ). Abraham, the friend of God, holder of the blessings for all of mankind, recognized and respected the greatness of Melchizedek. In the same way the excellency of Christ and his superiority over all is shown in his return to the Father and his role given to him by God.

Let' summarize the discussion of Melchizedek as a type to review what we've learned:

10. Let's review what we've learned

We've discussed

This is a lot of information but we'll come back to these points as we continue to build our study.

11. Next

In our next video we'll take a look at the significance of the firstborn, types pointing to Christ as a king and deliverance symbolized by the Passover. Join me in the next video for The Scheme Of Redemption Part 2 - Delivered By The Firstborn King

     Top   /   Home   /   Sitemap  /   Updates  /   Contact