The Old Testament Shadow vs The New Testament Reality

The Bible is one unfolding story of God’s redemptive purpose, and at the centre of that story stands Jesus Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture ultimately directs our attention to Him.

By Tatenda Hwari

The Old Testament does not merely record the history of Israel; it lays the foundation for the revelation of God’s eternal plan in Christ. What was concealed in types, shadows, promises, prophecies and symbols in the Old Testament is unveiled in the New Testament through the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:1 declares, “For the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things…” A shadow is real in the sense that it points to something, but it is not the substance itself. In the same way, the Old Testament contained pictures and patterns pointing towards a greater reality. That reality is found in Jesus Christ.

When we understand this, we begin to read the Old Testament differently. We do not approach it merely as a collection of ancient stories, laws and historical events. We begin to recognise the fingerprints of God’s redemptive plan throughout its pages. Christ is not an addition to the biblical story; He is at the heart of it. Consider the Passover in Exodus. Israel was instructed to take a lamb without blemish and apply its blood to the doorposts of their houses. The blood became a sign of deliverance, and judgment passed over those who were covered by it. Centuries later, the New Testament reveals Christ as the ultimate fulfilment of this picture. Paul declares, “For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The Passover lamb was a shadow; Christ is the reality. The tabernacle also points us towards Christ. God instructed Moses to build a sanctuary where His presence would dwell among His people. The priests ministered there, sacrifices were offered, and the Holy of Holies represented the sacred presence of God. Yet these things pointed towards something greater.

Through Christ, we have access to God. Jesus is the true meeting place between God and humanity, and through Him we can approach the Father with confidence. The Old Testament priesthood provides another powerful picture. The priests stood between God and the people, offering sacrifices on behalf of the nation. However, their ministry was limited and their sacrifices had to be repeated. The New Testament reveals Jesus as our perfect and eternal High Priest. Hebrews teaches that He entered once for all, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. The shadow pointed towards Him; the reality is found in Christ. The sacrificial system itself points to the cross. Bulls, goats and lambs were offered under the Old Covenant, but their blood could not ultimately remove sin. They pointed towards the sacrifice that would accomplish what animal sacrifices could never accomplish permanently. Jesus offered Himself once for all, dealing decisively with sin and bringing redemption to humanity.

The Day of Atonement in Leviticus is another profound example. Once a year, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies with blood on behalf of the people. This pointed towards the greater work of Christ, who entered the heavenly sanctuary on our behalf and obtained eternal redemption. The bronze serpent raised by Moses in the wilderness also points towards Christ. When the Israelites were bitten by poisonous snakes, God instructed Moses to lift up a bronze serpent, and those who looked at it lived. Jesus later applied this event to Himself, saying, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up” (John 3:14). The event in Numbers was historical, but it also carried a prophetic picture of salvation through Christ. The Passover, the tabernacle, the priesthood, the sacrifices and the bronze serpent are not isolated religious practices. Together, they form part of a larger biblical pattern that directs us towards God’s ultimate answer to the problem of sin: Jesus Christ. Even the lives of individuals in the Old Testament can help us understand God’s redemptive plan. Joseph’s suffering, rejection and eventual exaltation provide a remarkable pattern of God’s ability to bring purpose out of suffering.

David’s kingship points towards the greater King who would come from his lineage. Abraham’s faith points towards justification by faith. The Exodus points towards deliverance. The promised land points towards God’s rest. These realities find their ultimate fulfilment and meaning in Christ. The prophets continued this revelation. Isaiah spoke of the virgin-born Immanuel and the suffering Servant who would bear the sins of many. Micah identified Bethlehem as the birthplace of the coming ruler. Zechariah spoke of the King coming to Jerusalem. The Psalms contain remarkable prophetic references concerning the Messiah’s suffering, death, resurrection and kingship. Jesus did not appear unexpectedly in the New Testament as though God had changed His plan. Rather, He was the fulfilment of a plan that had been unfolding throughout Scripture. Luke 24:27 says that beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Jesus explained to the disciples the things concerning Himself throughout the Scriptures. After His resurrection, He showed them that the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms all spoke concerning Him. This is why Jesus said in John 5:39–40, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” Scripture is designed to lead us to Christ. Bible study should therefore not end with information; it should lead us into a deeper revelation of the person and work of Jesus. Luke 16:16 says, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” John the Baptist marked a significant transition in God’s redemptive programme. The long-awaited Messiah had arrived. The One whom the Law and the Prophets anticipated had come. Even Genesis, the book of beginnings, points towards Christ.

The creation account reveals God’s sovereign purpose. The fall of humanity introduces the problem of sin and separation from God, while God’s promise concerning the seed of the woman points forward to the ultimate defeat of the serpent. As the biblical story progresses, the promise becomes clearer until it finds its fulfilment in Jesus Christ. Romans 15:4 (MSG) reminds us that what was written in Scripture long ago was written for our learning. The Old Testament therefore remains valuable to the Church. We do not discard the Old Testament because Christ has come. Rather, we read it in the light of Christ and understand its fulfilment through Him. The relationship between the Old and New Testaments is therefore not one of contradiction, but fulfilment. The Old Testament establishes the promise; the New Testament reveals its fulfilment. The Old Testament gives us the shadow; Christ gives us the substance. The Old Testament points forward; the New Testament announces that the promised One has come. This understanding should also transform the way we approach our Christian faith. Christ must remain at the centre of our preaching, teaching, Bible study and personal devotion. We must not become so occupied with the shadows that we fail to recognise the One to whom they point. Beloved, we must see Him.

We must see Christ in the Scriptures. We must see Him in the promises. We must see Him in the prophetic writings. We must see Him as the fulfilment of God’s redemptive plan. Above all, we must recognise that the same Christ revealed throughout Scripture now lives in us through the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is therefore not merely an attempt to reproduce the practices of the Old Covenant. We live in the reality of what Christ has accomplished. His finished work gives us access to God, forgiveness of sins, righteousness, hope, victory and new life. The shadow was pointing somewhere. The ceremonies were pointing somewhere. The sacrifices were pointing somewhere.

The prophets were pointing somewhere. The entire redemptive story was moving towards Someone. That Someone is Jesus Christ. Let us therefore search the Scriptures with spiritual understanding. Let us move beyond merely knowing biblical stories and discover the Christ revealed through them. Let us move beyond the shadow and embrace the reality. For in Christ, God’s promises find their fulfilment, God’s redemptive purpose is revealed, and humanity is invited into the life of God. Christ is not simply part of the story. He is at the centre of the story.

By Tatenda Hwari

Christian Teacher | Author | Columnist | Faith-Based Leadership Voice Email: tatehwari@gmail.com

Source: The Old Testament Shadow vs The New Testament Reality

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