Typology (theology)

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For other types of typology see typology.

Typology is a theological doctrine or theory of types and their antitypes found in scripture. Medieval allegory began as an early Christian method for synthesizing the discrepancies between the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the Christian Bible (New Testament). While both testaments were studied and seen as equally divinely inspired by God, the Old Testament contained discontinuities for Christians -- for example the Jewish kosher laws. The Old Testament was therefore seen in places not as a literal account, but as an allegory, or prediction, of the events of the New Testament, in particular how the events of the Old Testament related to the events of Christs life. The events of the Old Testament were seen as part of the story, a prefiguration, with the events of Christs life. The technical name for seeing the New Testament in the Old Testament is called typology.

One example of typology is the story of Jonah and the whale from the Old Testament. Medieval allegorical interpretation of this story is that it prefigures Christ's burial, the stomach of the whale as Christ's tomb: Jonah was freed from the whale after three days, so did Christ rise from his tomb after three days. Thus, whenever one finds an allusion to Jonah in Medieval art or Medieval literature, it is usually an allegory for the burial and resurrection of Christ. Another common typological allegory is with the four major Old testament prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. These four prophets prefigure the four Apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. There was no end to the number of analogies that commentators could find between stories of the Old Testament and the New.

Other examples of types in the bible:

• While in the wilderness, Moses put a brazen serpent on a pole which would heal anyone bitten by a snake who looked at it (Numbers 21:8). Jesus proclaimed that the serpent, as a symbol of saving faith, was a type of himself, since "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildemess, even so must the Son of man be lifted up" (John 3:14).
• Paul uses the wanderings of the Hebrews as a type of the Christian life (1 Cor. 10:1-6). Although commentators disagree over the exact details, Paul seems to use the crossing of the Red Sea as a type of baptism and the provision of food and drink in the desert as a type of the Lord's Supper. The striking of the rock (Num. 20:1-13) appears to be a type of the Crucifixion, with Christ as the rock being struck in anger but bringing forth healing streams for his people.

See also

• Allegory in the Middle Ages - provides more detailed discussion and examples of typology.
• Typology - other types of typology.
• Showbread - early examples and background of the Temple Showbread as a type.
• Correspondence - typology of Emanuel Swedenborg.

External links

• [A Study of Biblical Typology] (Wayne Jackson, Christian Courier)
• [Typology in American Puritan Literature at the Literary Movements site]

 

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