The Old Testament history is closely related to God’s economy in the way of typology; in the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament, we see a vivid portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in and for God’s eternal economy.
When we come to the matter of typology, many new and young saints may not be familiar with it, and among Christians in general there are different attitudes toward the matter of typology and how to apply the types in the Bible.
There are some Christians who consider that the types in the Bible are not important; they think that these are of the Old Testament, now we’re in the New Testament, so they don’t pay attention to them.
They pay little attention to what the types in the Old Testament represent, for they think that these are not related to us, they are of the Old Testament.
Some other Christians think that the types in the Old Testament have already been fulfilled, so there’s no need to talk about them.
Thirdly, some Christians consider that interpreting these types is too difficult and complicated, and this opens different people’s viewpoints, so they prefer not to worry about it.
They think that some interpret the types in this way, and some interpret them in that way, so they just don’t worry about the types.
Then, there are those who limit their interpretation of the types to what we see explicitly mentioned in the New Testament, such as what Paul mentioned in Galatians about Sarah and Hagar typifying the two covenants, etc.
So they think that, as long as Paul and Peter and John the apostles talked about the types, that’s it, we shouldn’t touch the other types in the Old Testament.
Some other Christians apply only certain portions, certain parts of the types and not the entire type; they may apply the Passover to our being saved and the implications, but they may not use all the types in the Passover except the lamb with its blood and the unleavened bread.
They may not apply the entire history of Israel to our history as children of God in spirit today.
There are many viewpoints concerning how to deal with the types in the Old Testament, and it is indeed true that one can be lost or misled when applying these types – unless one has the viewpoint of God’s eternal economy.
The Proper way to Understand Typology in the Old Testament in the Light of God’s Dispensation
Typology is actually very important, for if we don’t know typology and how to apply the types, we will miss a lot.
We want to see the intrinsic revelation in the books of 1 and 2 Kings concerning God’s economy unveiled and conveyed through typology.
We cannot disregard the types; we can’t just write them off, take them partially, or just neglect them. We can’t just take what we understand and disregard the things we don’t understand.
We need to be unbiased and impartial: as much as we take the whole New Testament as it is, so we need to take the Old Testament as it is.
We need to take the entire type. The proper attitude that we should have in coming to the book of types is that we should take the Old Testament in the same way that we take the New Testament; both the Old and the New Testaments are the Word of God.
Our God is not only the God of the New Testament; He is also the God of the Old Testament.
Therefore, we need to take the Old Testament just as we take the New Testament.
The Old Testament can be considered like a picture book, while the New Testament is the explanation; we need both. If we want to describe a person’s face, it is difficult to do so if we use only words; you need a picture, which is more than one thousand words.
We may be able to describe the skin colour, eye colour, hair colour, and some other features of one’s face, but it’s best to provide a picture than to keep talking about it.
God uses the Old Testament as a picture to show us His economy, what He is doing with His elect, and how He would gain what He desires.
In the Old Testament, we have a picture book, and in the New Testament we have the explanation; just as we accept the explanation, so we have to accept the pictures in the picture book.
Along with having a proper understanding of the typology in the Old Testament, we also need to have a proper understanding of God’s dispensation.
God does things according to dispensation.
For example, He gave the law in the Old Testament, and the law typifies the inner law of life in the New Testament dispensation.
We need to apply the type of the law according to the dispensation in which it was given.
We don’t take something literally and apply it, for there’s a difference in the dispensation.
Dispensation here refers to the different periods of time when God is carrying out His operation and work.
In the Old Testament, we see the dispensation of the fathers and the dispensation of the law, and then in the New Testament, we see the dispensation of grace and the dispensation of the kingdom.
We need to apply these types according to the proper dispensation, and we will be safe.
When we come to 1 and 2 Kings, we need to see how the entire Old Testament history is closely related to God’s economy in the way of typology (Eph. 3:9; 1 Cor. 5:7; 10:6).
The Old Testament is a figurative portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in God’s eternal economy, while the New Testament is the practical fulfilment of God’s eternal economy.
May the Lord enlighten us and cause us to see a vivid portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in and for God’s economy revealed in the Old Testament, and may we give ourselves to love this One!
Lord Jesus, remove the veils from our eyes so that we may see a clear vision of Your economy throughout the Bible! May we realize that the Old Testament gives us pictures, types, and figures according to Your dispensation in that time. May we see the fulfillment, full definition, and reality of these types and figures in the New Testament. Amen, Lord, we take Your word, both the Old and New Testament, as Your only and unique speaking, and we want to be in the central line of Your economy. Keep us open to Your divine dispensing today so that we may grow in life, be renewed in our mind, be transformed in our soul, and be conformed to Your glorious image for You to gain the Body of Christ, the corporate expression of Christ on earth!
Seeing a Vivid Portrait of the All-inclusive Christ in and for God’s Eternal Economy in the Old Testament
The Old Testament with its thirty-nine books presents us a figurative portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in God’s eternal economy.
May the Lord open our understanding and cause us to see a vivid portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in and for God’s eternal economy as unveiled in the Old Testament! The Old Testament has four main sections: types, history, poetry, and prophecy.
The section of types is from Genesis to Deuteronomy, five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).
The section of history is of twelve books, from Joshua to Esther (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther).
The section of poetry is of five books, from Job to Song of Songs (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs).
The section of Prophecy is of seventeen books, from Isaiah to Malachi (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadia, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi).
We need to see the intrinsic significance of these four sections of the Old Testament, praying that the Lord would unveil us to see a vivid portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in and for God’s eternal economy in the Old Testament.
Genesis to Deuteronomy: Christ is the Centrality and Universality of God’s Eternal Economy and the Divine Blessing to all of God’s Chosen People
The books of types, from Genesis to Deuteronomy, unveil the Triune God embodied in Christ as the center and circumference of God’s eternal economy.
In these books, we see Christ as the centrality and universality of God’s eternal economy, and also Christ as the divine blessing and everything to all of God’s chosen people.
All this is revealed in the types seen in the books of Genesis to Deuteronomy. The subject of Genesis is, God Created, Satan Corrupted, Man Fell, and Jehovah Promised to Save.
The subject of Exodus is, Christ is the Redemption, Salvation, and Supply of God’s People and the Means for Them to Worship and Serve God So That in Him They May Be Built Up with God Together for Them and God to Meet, Communicate, and Dwell Mutually.
The Subject of Leviticus is, Christ is Everything in the Fellowship, Service, and Life of God’s Redeemed.
The subject of Numbers is, Christ is the Meaning of Life, the Testimony, the Center of God’s People, and the Leader, the Way, and the Goal of Their Journey and Fighting.
The subject of Deuteronomy is, Christ is the Instructor and Leader of the People of God That They May Be Able to Enter into the Heavenly Territory and Participate in His Riches.
Joshua to Esther: the All-inclusive Christ is the God-promised good land for God’s People to Enjoy and Possess to the Uttermost
In the twelve books of history, from Joshua to Esther, we see the Triune God’s move in His chosen people to possess, inherit, and enjoy His promised all-inclusive Christ as the good land.
Also, these books show us the failures of God’s chosen people, and the record of these failures are a warning to us, the church people today in the New Testament.
In the books of history, we see that the all-inclusive Christ (the reality of the good land) is the God-promised good land, which all of God’s chosen people should take, possess, inherit, and enjoy to the uttermost, even to the level of kingship.
The subject of Joshua is, Israel’s Occupying and Possessing the Good Land for the Carrying Out of God’s Economy.
The subject of Judges is, Israel’s Forsaking God, Suffering Defeat by Their Enemies, and Becoming Rotten.
The subject of Ruth is, A Complete Prefigure of the Gentile Sinners’ Being Brought, with Israel, God’s Elect, into the Divine Inheritance through the Redemption of Christ in Their Union with Him.
The subject of 1 and 2 Samuel is, The Illustrations of the Way to Enjoy the God-given Good Land.
The subject of 1 and 2 Kings is, God’s Governmental Dealing in God’s Economy with the Devastation and Ruin of the Divine Kingship on Earth by the Kings and the Tragic Issue of the Just Dealing of God.
The subject of 1 and 2 Chronicles is, Full Chronology of God’s Move in Man’s History from Adam through Samuel to Israel’s Return from Their Captivity, with a Presentation of Some of the Important Details of God’s Dealing with the Kings of Judah.
The subject of Ezra is, The Return of the Children of Israel from Their Captivity and the Rebuilding of the House of God as the Initiation of God’s Recovery among His Elect for His Testimony on the Earth according to His Economy.
The subject of Nehemiah is, The Rebuilding of the Wall of the City of Jerusalem as a Continual Recovery among God’s Elect for His Testimony for the Accomplishment of His Economy.
The subject of Esther is, The Very God Who Chose Israel as His Elect Becoming a Hidden God to Them to Take Care of Them Secretly and to Save Them Openly While Acting in Secrecy during Their Captivity among the Gentile Nations.
Lord Jesus, grant us to see a vivid portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in and for God’s eternal economy in the Old Testament. Bring us into the full possession, enjoyment, and inheritance of the all-inclusive Christ as our God-allotted portion. We want to be strong, take courage, and enter into the full enjoyment and experience of our allotted portion of Christ with all the saints in the light. Increase and deepen our enjoyment of Christ until we participate in the kingship, ruling and reigning with Christ!
Job to Song of Songs: Christ is the Unique Perfection for God’s Chosen People to Pursue and the Unique Satisfaction for them to Obtain and Enjoy
The books of poetry in the Old Testament, from Job to Song of Songs, unveil that the Triune God Himself should be man’s pursuit as his perfection, and He is the unique satisfaction for His people to obtain and enjoy.
The book of Job shows that the Triune God Himself – and not ethics or morality – should be our pursuit as our perfection.
The subject of Job is, The Purpose of God’s Dealing with His Holy One.
The Psalms show us that God was incarnated to be a man in the flesh to be His Anointed, His delight, and God exalted this One; we should receive Him, treasure Him, and exalt Him.
The subject of Psalms is, The Expressions of the Sentiments, Feelings, Impressions, and Experiences of Godly Men Seeking and Contacting God through Their Praises, Prayers, and Singing with Exultation.
The subject of Proverbs is, Words of Wisdom Teaching People How to Behave and How to Build Up Their Character in the Human Life. Ecclesiastes shows us that all things in the human life under the sun are vanity of vanities.
The subject of Ecclesiastes is, The Teachings of Solomon, Showing That the Human Life in the Corrupted World Is a Vanity, a Chasing after the Wind.
Song of Songs shows that Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God is our unique satisfaction, and we should just give ourselves to love Him and pursue Him.
The subject of Song of Songs is, The History of Love in an Excellent Marriage, Revealing the Progressive Experience of an Individual Believer’s Loving Fellowship with Christ. It is good to take these matters to the Lord in prayer and tell Him,
Lord Jesus, we love You! We take You as our unique perfection and satisfaction. We don’t want to seek to be perfected in ourselves in ethics and morality; You are our perfection. We pursue after You as our unique satisfaction, for we want to obtain and enjoy only you! Oh Lord, unveil us to see that everything under the sun is vanity of vanities. Draw us to run after You so that we may have a progressive experience in our loving fellowship with You until we become Your reproduction!
Isaiah to Malachi: the Triune God became a God-man to Accomplish His Full Redemption for the Fulfillment of His Eternal Economy, Consummating in the New Heaven and New Earth
The seventeen books of prophecy, from Isaiah to Malachi, show us something marvellous.
They unveil that the Triune God embodied in Christ will come to be the God-man (Isa. 7:14; 9:6) to accomplish redemption (ch. 53) for the fulfilment of God’s eternal economy! Hallelujah!
This redemption is for the fulfilment of God’s eternal economy, the accomplishment of which will consummate in the new heaven and new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1). Wow!
May the Lord unveil us to see a vivid portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in and for God’s eternal economy in the Old Testament.
The subject of Isaiah is, The Salvation of Jehovah through the Incarnated, Crucified, Resurrected, Ascended, and Coming Christ.
The subject of Jeremiah is, Christ Being Made the Righteousness of Jehovah to God’s Elect as Their Center and Circumference, in God’s Dealings with Israel and the Nations.
The subject of Lamentations is, The Expression of Jeremiah’s Sorrow and Love over the Holy City and the Holy People of God.
The subject of Ezekiel is, God’s Appearing to Man in Glory, His Judgment upon Both His People and the Nations, and His Recovery of His Chosen People for the Building Up of a Dwelling Place as a Mutual Abode and Complete Expression for and of Himself.
The subject of Daniel is, The Destiny of Israel Apportioned Out by God — The Contents of the Seventy Weeks.
The subject of Hosea is, Jehovah as Salvation to the Adulterous and Apostate Israel in Receiving Her Back and Restoring Her.
The subject of Joel is, The Devastation of the Human Government on Israel in Four Stages and Christ’s Destruction of the Devastators and His Reign among Israel in the Restoration.
The subject of Amos is, Jehovah’s Judgments on Israel and the Surrounding Nations, with the Issue of Restoration.
The subject of Obadiah is, Jehovah’s Dealing with Esau, and Jacob’s Victory for the Kingdom of Jehovah.
The subject of Jonah is, Jehovah’s Salvation Reaching Even unto the Gentile City Nineveh.
The subject of Micah is, Jehovah’s Reproof on Israel and His Restoration of Israel.
The subject of Nahum is, Jehovah’s Judgment on Nineveh as the Capital of the Evil Assyria.
The subject of Habakkuk is, The Righteous Judgment of God First on Israel by the Chaldeans and Then on the Chaldeans by the Nations.
The subject of Zephaniah is, Jehovah’s Judgment on Israel and on the Nations and His Salvation to the Gentiles and to Israel.
The subject of Haggai is, Jehovah’s Dealing with the Returned Captives for the Building of His House.
The subject of Zechariah is, Jehovah’s Hearty Consolation and Promise to His Chastised Chosen People through the Redemption of Christ, Who in His Humiliation Became Their Suffering Companion in Their Captivity.
The subject of Malachi is, Jehovah’s Dealing with the Sons of Levi (the Priests among Israel) and with the Sons of Jacob (the People of Israel).
Amen, may we bring all these to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to unveil us to really see a vivid portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in and for God’s eternal economy in the Old Testament.
May we see not only doctrines and subjects or topics but Christ!
Dear Lord Jesus, we love You and we love Your word, the Bible! Unveil us to see a vivid portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in and for God’s economy! May we see that the Triune God was embodied in Christ to be a God-man for the accomplishing of redemption so that He may fulfil God’s eternal economy! Hallelujah, Christ as the all-inclusive One is everything to us, the people of God, for us to live a God-man life on earth for the fulfilment of God’s purpose! Praise the Lord, the accomplishment of the processed and consummated Triune God in Christ will consummate in the new heaven and new earth! Praise the Lord!
Note: all the Old Testament book subjects quoted above are taken from the Recovery Version Bible; you can read them all via the Recovery Version Bible website.
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother James Lee in the message, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The Triune God’s Revelation and His Move,” chs. 2-3, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-study of 1 and 2 Kings (2022 summer training), week 1, entitled, The Intrinsic Revelation in 1 and 2 Kings concerning the Economy of God Unveiled and Conveyed through Typology.
- Hymns on this topic:
– Lord, the ancient types and symbols / As our all Thyself portrayed; / As was shadowed in those figures, / Real to us Thou now art made. / Contemplating such a picture, / As we on its wonders gaze, / How we marvel at Thy riches / And our song of worship raise. (Hymns #196)
– Did you know that all the Bible / Is a will, a testament? / Everything that Christ accomplished / Is for all God’s children meant. / As His child you are included, / For His word stands fast and true; / So by faith you now inherit / All that He has done for you. (Hymns #1332)
– All types and figures of the ancient time, / All things we ever need, both great and small, / Only are shadows of the Christ of God, / Showing that He must be our all in all. / All things are vanity of vanities, / Christ, the reality all things to fill; / Though everything we may enjoy and own, / If we’re devoid of Christ we’re empty still. (Hymns #496)
About aGodMan
The poetry in the Old Testament is of only five books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. They unveil that the Triune God Himself, not ethics or morality, should be man’s pursuit as his perfection. This one sentence covers the central, intrinsic revelation of Job. The Psalms unveil that this God was incarnated to be a man in the flesh to be His Anointed, who is His delight, who has been exalted by Him, and who should be received, treasured, and exalted by His chosen people. Ecclesiastes unveils that all things in the human life under the sun are vanity of vanities, and Song of Songs shows that Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God is the unique satisfaction to God’s chosen people. Thus, we should pursue God as our perfection, and we should pursue Christ as our satisfaction. Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The Triune God’s Revelation and His Move,” pp. 74-75
How amazing it is to see an intrinsic view of the Old Testament with the glasses of God’s economy on!
May the Lord show us a vivid portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in and for God’s eternal economy in the Old Testament!
Aaaaameeen! Hallelujah! Oh Lord more unveiling of the all-inclusive Christ for our experience and enjoyment for the building up of the Body of Christ and the preparation of the Bride of Christ!
Blessings of His chosen people, the all way journey of His chosen people to inherit the land, the incarnation of God-man to be anointed, and the whole process to fulfill His eternal economy are the expression of the triune God through the Lord Jesus Christ in the dispensation of the old Testament.
What a revelation of the word of God considering Jesus as the center of God’s eternal economy !
Amen! Yes Lord may we see everything in the Old Testament with your glasses, make us those who kiss the Son! And above all as we go through this Morning Revival may we eat those words and live by them!
Psalm 2:12 —Kiss the Son lest He be angry and you perish from the way; for His anger may suddenly be kindled.
Blessed are all those who take refuge in Him.
In the Old Testament composed of 39 we have the figurative portrait of God’s eternal economy and in the New Testament we have its practical fulfillment.
Hallelujah!
Brother praise the Lord brother we have the intrinsic view of the old testament in the bible we see that
What a figurative portrait of God’s eternal economy seen and unveiled to us in the 39 books of the Old Testament through types, history, poetry, and prophecies.
Then we have the 27 books of the New Testament as the definition and practical fulfillment of God eternal economy. Oh how vivid the pictures and how clear are the definitions.
Oh what an ECONOMY!!!