Jesus Christ is both the King of righteousness and the King of peace, as well as our Priest who offered himself as the sacrifice for our sins.
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An introduction in short: The Bible furnishes abundant evidence of the presence of types and of typical instruction. The New Testament attests this fact. It takes up a large number of persons and things and events of former dispensations, and it treats them as faint sketches or brief representations and prophecies of the future. A generation ago a widespread interest in the study of typology prevailed but the interest has largely subsided.
The word “type” occurs more than a dozen times in the New Testament. The word is variously translated as print, figure, pattern, fashion, copy and shadow. The New Testament writers use the word “type” with one general idea which is common to all, namely, “likeness.” A person, event or thing is so fashioned to resemble features of another. The two are called type and antitype. The link that binds them together is the corresponding similarity.
So, types and shadows are pictures, object-lessons, by which God taught his people concerning his grace and saving power. The Mosaic system was a sort of kindergarten in which God‘s people were trained in divine things, by which they were led to look for better things to come. God was teaching them to put the letters together. After finding the letters and arranging them the letters will spell “Christ”.
Bloodshed by animal sacrifice
The Old Testament is filled with bloodshed because of the ritual of animal sacrifice. The animal sacrifice points to the Christ and the cross. No animal sacrifice is sufficient to atone the sin of the world. Only the blood of the sinless Christ can fulfill the demand for blood for the forgiveness of sin.
1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
In the order of Melchizedek
Hebrews 7:1-4 NIV This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!
Melchizedek is a type or shadow of Christ. The historical or Old Testament account of Melchizedek is found in Genesis 14:17-20. Melchizedek was a king and a priest. He brought bread and wine, blessed Abraham saying that Abraham owed his military victory to God.
1) Melchizedek was called a man without father and mother because there was no record of his parents or his genealogy.
2) He received tithes from Abraham.
3) He blessed Abraham.
4) Even Levi, the great grand-grandson of Abraham paid him tithes.
5) He was both a king and a priest.
6) His name means “king of righteousness”.
Melchizedek, king of Salem, was a type of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is both King and Priest. The blessings of his priesthood come to those who worship him as their King. Salem means “peace”. Jesus Christ is both the King of righteousness and the King of peace. What the kingship and the priesthood of Melchizedek cannot achieve under the Law was accomplished by Jesus Christ. The greatness of a king and the Levitical priesthood was weak but Christ is greater. Levitical priesthood was temporary and imperfect. This priesthood cannot save sinners. It was annulled and set aside by the priesthood of Christ which was established by God and not received by descent. The kingship and priesthood of Melchizedek was necessary only for a moment of time, but that of Christ is forever.
Our supreme need is a priest who can stand for us in the presence of God. We have what we need in Christ. He became our Priest. The Priest offered sacrifices in the tabernacle on behalf of the people. Jesus Christ our Priest offered himself as the sacrifice for our sins. Through his blood we are made righteous and can boldly approach God’s throne of grace.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
The Sabbath rest in Christ
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
“Shadow” implies dimness but it also implies a measure of resemblance between the one and the other. The Sabbath and other rites of the Old Testament were shadows pointing to the real Christ.
Hebrews 4:9-10 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.
The Sabbath was a type of rest in Christ. The man who has believed in Christ Jesus has entered into his rest. He has entered the state of happiness which is found in Christ and which is the forerunner of eternal glory. The person no longer depends on the observance of Mosaic rites and ceremonies for his justification and final happiness. He rests fully from all the works of the law as fully as God rested from his works after six days of creation. The Sabbath typifies the state of blessedness in the life beyond this world.
The temple veil was torn into two, from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50-51). The curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple no longer exist. Through Christ we now have direct access to the Almighty and Holy God. As in Melchizedek, the tabernacle with its services was also a type of the blessed reality which was to come. Types and shadows of the old point to the new in Christ.
Selie Visa
The writer can be reached at: selievisa@rediffmail.com