In Spirit and In Truth— Part 2
Types and Shadows
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. [Hebrews 10:1]
Let no man therefore judge you in food, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ. [Colossians 2:16-17]
The Bible teaches that the law, the tabernacle, rituals and feasts, and many other things were shadows of what Jesus would eventually represent when He arrived in the earth. The Bible calls them a shadow of good things to come.
A shadow is defined this way: a mere semblance, something insubstantial, trace or hint.
We understand that natural shadows are not reality, but they portray or represent reality in part; and this is what the Old Testament accomplished. Understanding the truth about shadows is a struggle for many Christians because many Christians do not have proper revelation and understanding that Jesus represents the fullness of God.
God gave me a great illustration of this truth: In order to see a shadow one needs light. Therefore, in order to correctly comprehend a shadow, you must have a revelation of the Light.
We can clearly see how God does not desire us to relate to Him through the Old Testament shadows first with the splitting of the veil in the temple at the moment of Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:51), and later through the actual destruction of this temple in 70 A.D. The true tabernacle is Jesus and worship of God is no longer done in a physical temple, but through the Spirit in Christ. In the Old Testament, God’s presence dwelt in the Ark of the Covenant. Now in the new, God’s presence is within Christ and whosoever is in Christ (John 17:20-21).
The Old Testament even foreshadowed the destruction of these physical things in light of what Jesus would accomplish. In 2 Kings 18:1-5, King Hezekiah not only destroyed pagan images the people of Israel were worshipping, but he also destroyed the brazen serpent that Moses built. The brazen serpent was a type of Christ, which represented His atonement that brought remission of sins and healing of sickness while they were still in the wilderness (Numbers 21:8-9; John 3:14-15). However, this type of Christ was only a temporary solution to a problem that the reality of Christ would eventually resolve through His blood and body.
To confirm the righteousness of Hezekiah’s actions, the Bible says that Hezekiah did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. [2 Kings 18:3]
Another example of this was the miracle of manna for the children of Israel in the wilderness. The Old Testament Scriptures called it “bread from heaven” (Exodus 16:4; Nehemiah 9:15) and the Jews referred to it when they were seeking a sign from Jesus. However, Jesus said, Truly, truly I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who has come down from heaven, and gives his life for the world. [John 6:32-33]
Once again, Jesus directs the people away from the shadow (or darkness) to the true light that He alone represents. According to Joshua 5:12, the miracle of the manna ceased once Joshua led them into the Promised Land. Here we have two pictures of Christ, with Joshua being a type of Christ (Yeshua or Joshua is Jesus’ Hebrew name) and the Promised Land is a shadow of the rest that we have in Christ (Hebrews 4:1-11).
All the pictures, types, and shadows of Christ in the Old Testament were incomplete and temporary until the Truth could come, which was Jesus Himself. Referring to the Old Testament law, the Bible says, It was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made. [Galatians 3:19]
In the Old Testament, people could only relate to God through the law of sacrifices and offerings, but now through Jesus, we have a new way. The Bible says, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. [Hebrews 10:16-20]
Sadly, many Christians are still clinging to the old way of relating to God, which is through the law of observances, sacrifices, and performance, which were only a shadow or picture of things to come. The reality of those pictures, however, is Christ. Although no one is making animal blood sacrifices and most are not observing the feasts of the Old Testament, this bondage is subtle, and at the heart level, they are doing the very same thing.
Relating to God through the Old Testament shadows actually diminishes the atonement Jesus has made for us, because if we have the reality of Christ, why would we continue to have relationship with a shadow. Here’s a natural illustration of why this is a problem: A husband goes off to war and stays gone for three years. During the years he was away, his wife kept her husband’s picture by her bedside, and talked to it as if it were really him. Relating to his picture minimized her feelings of loneliness for her husband. It helped her.
When he returned home from the war, she immediately embraced her husband and for a few days they spent many hours together. After a week, however, the wife then began communicating with her husband’s picture again even though her husband was home. This is not representative of true relationship. You cannot have relationship with a picture.
This kind of thing would be like a husband, instead of having intimate relations with his wife, he chooses to read a love letter she wrote to him years ago. It’s perverse! The same is true when Christians relate to God through the Old Testament types and shadows.
Dark Shadows
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shone in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. [John 1:4-5]
In addition to a shadow being a mere semblance of the truth, shadows also represent darkness. In the movies, shadows are often portrayed in a sinister way that produces fear of impending danger. We see the young victim hiding from her stalker, only to see his menacing shadow approaching before his perilous arrival.
The Bible says that God has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. [Colossians 1:13]
Light has always represented God and darkness has always represented evil. While the shadows of the Old Testament were not evil in that they gave them a picture of Jesus and what He would eventually accomplish in His flesh, they are still not clear representatives of God. If we were to see these shadows as what they are—dark and cloudy images of what has already come, maybe we would not be as inclined to cling to them so tightly. In the light of Christ, they are darkness because all of those things are dark in comparison to the light of Jesus.
Therefore, we must ask this important question: Why do we do this? Why do we seem to hold onto dark and cloudy images and shadows of Christ? Why do we gravitate toward the old ways and traditions and not toward the reality that is in Christ?
The Bible has the answer, And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [John 3:19]
Although in context, the Lord is referring to the world’s rejection of Him because of sin, we can relate a truth to the point I’m making. Although the Bible says, There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [Romans 8:1] the vast majority of Christians are living in gross condemnation. Because they have been taught that they must observe and adhere to the Old Testament shadows, laws, and rituals, they are sin conscious, which brings condemnation.
And you may have to swallow hard with this one, but the truth is clear: Men love the darkness rather than light. In my ministry experience, most Christians prefer a level of condemnation in their lives because they truly believe that it keeps them honest and on the “right track.” They see it as a discipline that is designed to help them. I know people who are actually comfortable with condemnation because it’s all they know. Although in their minds (intellectually) they would never admit that they prefer condemnation over grace, but in their hearts, many just can’t believe fully in grace. They may say, “Yes, we’re saved initially by grace, but we’ve got to maintain it by living holy, coming to church, praying, etc.”
To give you an example of this, here is a statement made by the pastor of a church concerning a conference he attended: “I looked forward to a special time of worship and having God convict me of my sins and lead me to areas in my life where I need to change.”
Doesn’t that sound like something to look forward to, to be excited about? Would you travel a great distance to worship a person for the sole purpose of him or her telling you all the wrong things in your life and how you need to change? Sadly, this is the way our Father who loved us enough to become a man and die for us, is perceived by His children. Ironically, one of the most common marital problems is that of one spouse nagging and being overly critical of the other, and yet we wonder why divorce is so common among Christians—they are simply reflecting who they believe their Father is, and the son/daughter always does what he sees his father do (John 5:19)
Did the multitudes that came from afar to hear Jesus come to hear how badly they were missing it, to be condemned and made to feel rotten? Was this His ministry? No, they came because through teaching, preaching, and healing, Jesus revealed God’s goodness that leads a man to repentance (Romans 2:4). The only people the Lord scolded were the self-righteous and the unbelieving, and the sad truth is that most Christians are self-righteous in the sense that they believe that God relates to them according to their actions—good or bad—which is why they’re condemned.
I know many people who believe they wouldn’t get anything out of a sermon if they don’t feel condemned or having had their toes stepped on. I’ll go over this in the section about the Holy Spirit called “The Comforter” but it appears that most people have misinterpreted the Lord’s words (John 16:7-16) when He taught about the Holy Spirit in that He would convict us of the sin of unbelief, and at the same time convict us of righteousness (not unrighteousness). I doubt anyone reading this article has ever heard a person proclaim that during a church service, the Lord convicted them of being righteous. Conversely, I know all of you have heard at one time or another (and have been one to say it) the exact opposite—just as this pastor.
I was talking with an old friend of mine a few years ago. He and I had gone to college together and were reunited after I got born again. One of the first messages God had given me to write was an article entitled “Who Killed Jesus?” This article was in response to all the controversy surrounding the material in Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ” where people were arguing who was responsible for the death of Jesus.
What the Lord revealed to me was that no person was responsible for Jesus’ death. Jesus laid down His own life to give us eternal life. Instead of seeing ourselves in the light of blame, God desires us to see ourselves in the position of receiving. Blame most always produces condemnation and the Bible teaches that God does not want us to be condemned. This is why Jesus died—so we wouldn’t be condemned.
After explaining this to my friend, his response was shocking to me, but reveals the attitude of many Christians. He said, “I’m actually comfortable with being responsible for His death.” Comfortable with condemnation? Talk about perverse.
In Spirit and In Truth Part 2
The Purpose of the Law Part 1
The Purpose of the Law Part 2
Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life Part 1
Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life Part 2
Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life Part 3
The Comforter Part 1
The Comforter Part 2
God is Love Part 1
God is Love Part 2
God is Love Part 3
