Comparing Old Testament shadow to New Testament substance

Old Testament history as a roadmap to Christian history


It is hoped the reader can see at least a few parallels here between Old Testament history and Christian history. I hope to point these out in greater focus in each of the time categories under the heading "external support" or merely placing a date of the historical event.

Israelite history as a pattern for Christian history, 1 Corinthians 10:11

OLD TESTAMENT NEW TESTAMENT

The Exodus
Preface: Preparing for the Exodus from the bondage of Egypt
Exodus 1-12
Moses, the Prophet-Deliverer,
his special birth and early life,
burning bush encounter with God,
returned from the desert as miracle-working deliverer of God's Chosen People
(the Israelties)
from bondage
under the rule of Pharoah.
The last supper under the rule of Pharoah,
the sacrifice of the Passover lamb.

The Tribulation
Preface: Preparing for the exodus from the bondage of the Law
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Jesus, the Prophet-Savior like Moses,
His birth and early life,
baptismal encounter with God,
returned from the desert as miracle-working
deliverer of God's Elect People
(the Christians)
from bondage
under the Law of Moses.
The last supper under the Law of Moses,
the sacrifice of Christ our Passover.

The Journey of Transition

Exodus 13-40, Leviticus, Numbers, Dueteronomy -- The 40-year Exodus from Egypt through the desert to the Inheritance/Promised Land; Moses the promised deliverer; Moses returns after 40 days of fasting with the 10 commandments written on stone; Moses, the Law-giver, delivers the Law of Moses.

The Journey of Transition

30-70AD: The 40-year New Testament historical account: Acts-Revelation: The Second Exodus-Tribulation from the Law of Moses to the Kingdom of the Heavens; Christ our promised Deliverer/Savior, Christ our Passover, Christ returns from 40 days of fasting with the Gospel written on hearts with the Spirit; the Law of Christ; Jesus/Spirit, the Life-giver, delivers the Law of Christ; Christ our Rock for refreshing water, etc., "God has ordained that you should enter His Kingdom through much Tribulation."

The Promised Land
Entering the Promised Inheritance

Joshua 1-6
The miraculous crossing of the Jordan,
putting off the unprofitable flesh
through circumcision of the survivors
of the 40-year Exodus,
Manna ceases to be produced upon arrival at the Inheritance,
the promised land;
arrival of the Captain of the Lord's Armies
for conquest of the Land,
destruction of Jericho, the first conquest.

The Kingdom of God
The Millennium
Entering the Promised Inheritance

70AD: Jude 14-15, 1 Thess 3:13, 2 Thess 1:6-10, Rev 19:11-21, 2 Kings 6:15-17
The miraculous Rapture,
putting off the unprofitable flesh
through resurrection/transformation of the faithful
of the 40 year Tribulation (30-70AD),
Scripture ceases to be produced upon arrival of the Inheritance,
the promised Kingdom of God;
arrival of the Lord with 10,000's of His Saints
for conquest of the World,
destruction of Jerusalem, the first conquest.

Taking Possession of the Land for Israel

Joshua 7-24
taking initial possession of the Land for Israel;
conquering the primary cities,
subjuagating the kingdoms of Canaan,
the Perizites, Hivites, etc.

Taking Possession of the World for Christ

70-325AD Ante-Nicene Christianity:
taking initial possession of the World for Christ;
conquering the primary cities,
christenizing the kingdoms of the World,
the Romans, the Greeks (Byzantines), etc.

Establishing dominion over the Land

Judges, 1&2 Samuel, 1 Kings
simple, theocratic rule of the Land by judges, priests and prophets.
Worship still simple at the Tabernacle of Moses.
Establishing Israelite rule over the Land.

Establishing dominion over the World

325-590AD Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity
from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great
the simple, theocratic rule of Christendom by the great churches, the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople, and Rome, etc.
Establishing Christian rule over the World.

Extending the reach of the kingdom

2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, establishing the temple of God in Jerusalem, reigning with kingly glory over the Land. The height of outward show of Israelite reign. Solomon's world traveling fleets, his worldwide fame and outreach, sharing his wisdom. Some regression into Golden Calf idolatry, division and decline.

Extending the reach of the kingdom (Christendom)

590-1070AD: The regal rule of the Catholic Church in its glory. The missionary period from Gregory I. to Hildebrand or Gregory VII., A.D. 590-1073. The height of outward show of Christian reign. The conversion of the northern barbarians. The dawn of a new civilization. Later corruption & decline. Some regression into Islam (Old Testament style legalism). The schism of East and West.

The kingdom threatened with extinction

Isaiah (history accounts)
The divided kingdoms under one siege after another by the heathen nations. Northern kingdom of Israel is conquered and scattered by the Assyrians. The southern kingdom of Judah is beseiged, under threat of extinction by the Assyrians.

Divine Deliverance
The Southern kingdom is divinely delivered from the multitudes of beseiging Assyrian armies surrounding Jerusalem when an angel from heaven slaughters 185,000 Assyrians in a single night.

The kingdom threatened with extinction

1070AD-REFORMATION: Pope Gregory VII to Martin Luther, et al : Divided schism between Roman Catholic west and Greek Orthodox east; saints under seige on every side, heretics and false leaders within and Muslim Turks and without; the Black Death Plague, etc. Greatest challenges to the survivial of faithful, holy, true-believer Christians since the Tribulation of 30-70AD; many true-believers in hiding.

Divine Deliverance
REFORMATION-FOREVER: True Christians were divinely delivered from the threat of extinction by "fire from Heaven," the Reformation.

Decline, Exile, Return and final Destruction

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah (the historical portions) -- the decline in Jerusalem begins when Hezekiah asks for 15 more years to live. He then invites in the Babyloninan spies and begets evil Manasseh, to whom he leaves the kingdom. From there, it is a downhill decline into Exile, return, and struggle for existence as God reveals His will to destroy Israel beneath subjugation to four beastly (idol-worshipping) empires: Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman.

Israel is then to be resurrected into a new and living spiritual kingdom that shall have dominion over all and shall have no end. That account is given in the right column of this table.

*The analogy ends here*
Christ's Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom to which there shall be no end.

A Christian Exile (and return) never happens because our king, King Jesus, never makes the mistakes of King Hezekiah, (inviting in the Babylonian spies; leaving his kingdom to evil heirs like Manasseh and Amon). "His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom to which there shall be no end."

REFORMATION-FOREVER: The "fire from heaven" continues as Martin Luther & John Calvin institutionalize the Reformation; Protestant denominationalism is established; World missions & Bible societies; 24-hour preaching worldwide; the Word of God directly rules over the hearts of estimated 2.5 Billion people and growing; return to simplicity of the faith, worship & practice, free men freely serving Jesus from their free consciences, Government of the People, by the People, for the People to the glory of the God of Peace ....
Relevant Scriptures
1 Corinthians 10:1-11 ~penned around 53AD by Christ's persecuted Apostle Paul to the Christians at Corinth
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
NKJV

1 Corinthians 10:1-11 ~penned around 53AD by Christ's persecuted Apostle Paul to the Christians at Corinth
For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did — and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did — and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did — and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
NIV