Definition and Concept
Foreshadowing in the biblical context refers to the use of events, symbols, or figures in the Old Testament that prefigure or anticipate future events, particularly those fulfilled in the New Testament. This literary and theological device serves to reveal God's sovereign plan and the continuity of His redemptive work throughout history. Foreshadowing underscores the unity of Scripture and the unfolding of God's covenant promises.

Biblical Examples

1. The Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22:1-14)
The account of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac is a profound foreshadowing of God's own sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. In Genesis 22:8, Abraham tells Isaac, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." This statement prophetically points to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The ram provided by God as a substitute for Isaac prefigures Christ's substitutionary atonement.

2. The Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:1-13)
The Passover event, where the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and apply its blood to their doorposts, foreshadows Christ's sacrificial death. The blood of the lamb spared the Israelites from the angel of death, just as the blood of Christ spares believers from eternal death. 1 Corinthians 5:7 states, "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."

3. The Bronze Serpent (Numbers 21:4-9)
When the Israelites were bitten by venomous snakes, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Those who looked at it were healed. This event foreshadows Christ's crucifixion, as Jesus Himself explains in John 3:14-15: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life."

4. The Tabernacle and Temple
The tabernacle and later the temple served as the dwelling place of God among His people and foreshadowed the coming of Jesus, who is described as the true temple. John 1:14 states, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." Jesus' body is the ultimate temple, as He declared in John 2:19, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," referring to His resurrection.

5. The Priesthood and Sacrificial System
The Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial system foreshadow the ultimate High Priest, Jesus Christ, and His once-for-all sacrifice. Hebrews 9:11-12 explains, "But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He entered the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not of this creation. He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption."

Theological Significance

Foreshadowing in the Bible highlights the divine orchestration of history and the fulfillment of God's promises. It demonstrates the consistency and reliability of God's Word, as prophecies and types find their fulfillment in Christ. This continuity affirms the belief in the inspiration and authority of Scripture, as well as the centrality of Jesus in God's redemptive plan. Through foreshadowing, believers gain a deeper understanding of the Old Testament's relevance and its connection to the New Testament revelation.

The Foreshadowing of the Cross
... The DESIRE of AGES Chapter 45 The Foreshadowing of the Cross. [This chapter
is based on Matt.16:13-28; Mark 8:27-38; Luke 9:18-27.] ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 45 the foreshadowing of.htm

A Foreshadowing
... Chapter 1 A FORESHADOWING. THE Patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt was expecting
company. He stood at the window of his palace looking ...
//christianbookshelf.org/forbes/saint athanasius/chapter 1 a foreshadowing.htm

Scriptural Types.
... history of God's people, moreover, as well as of the world which he governs with
reference to them, the present is continually foreshadowing something higher ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxvii scriptural types.htm

The Fact of the Redeemer's Return was Typified in the Lives of ...
... offerings (Lev.1-6) we find five"the Burnt, the Meal, the Peace, the Sin, and the
Trespass offerings"were required to give a complete foreshadowing of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/4 the fact of the.htm

Whether after Christ, it was Proper to the Blessed virgin to be ...
... on one and not on another, yet there seems to be a certain fittingness in both of
these being sanctified in the womb, by their foreshadowing the sanctification ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether after christ it was.htm

"In the Volume of the Book it is Written of Me" (Heb. . .
... and wonderful typical significance, yet who with anointed eyes can fail to see in
the experiences of Jacob's favorite son a remarkable foreshadowing of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/in the volume of the.htm

The Destroyers and the Restorer
... I find in them, first, an enigmatical forecast of our Lord's own history; second,
a prophetic warning of Israel's; and last, a symbolical foreshadowing of His ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/the destroyers and the restorer.htm

The Desire of Ages
... Chapter 43 Barriers Broken Down. Chapter 44 The True Sign. Chapter 45 The Foreshadowing
of the Cross. Chapter 46 He Was Transfigured. Chapter 47 Ministry. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/

Letter to Veranus
... There are those who think that allegory is thrown in the fourth place in the class
of knowledge, and they would confirm this by foreshadowing of future deeds ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/letter to veranus.htm

Introduction.
... Butler and Secker inquired actively, and there was foreshadowing of his future in
the fact that in 1713, at the age of twenty-one, Butler was engaged in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/butler/human nature/introduction.htm

Foreshadowing (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Foreshadowing (1 Occurrence). Romans 5:14 Nevertheless
death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those ...
/f/foreshadowing.htm - 6k

Nevertheless (153 Occurrences)
... Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose
sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who ...
/n/nevertheless.htm - 37k

Offense (44 Occurrences)
... Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose
sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who ...
/o/offense.htm - 18k

Weren't (25 Occurrences)
... Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose
sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who ...
/w/weren't.htm - 13k

Foreship (2 Occurrences)

/f/foreship.htm - 7k

Foreseeth (2 Occurrences)

/f/foreseeth.htm - 6k

Reigned (206 Occurrences)
... Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose
sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who ...
/r/reigned.htm - 37k

Esau (89 Occurrences)
... There was a prenatal foreshadowing of the relation his descendants were to sustain
to those of his younger brother, Jacob (Genesis 25:23). ...
/e/esau.htm - 41k

Disobedience (49 Occurrences)
... Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose
sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who ...
/d/disobedience.htm - 23k

Pattern (28 Occurrences)
... Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose
sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who ...
/p/pattern.htm - 19k

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