The Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible) is appropriated by both Christianity and Judaism. The Jews accept these scriptures as their physical and spiritual history, as well as prophecy of a Messiah and restoration of their nation. Christians see them as their roots and history, as well as being fulfilled in Jesus Christ and the church. That being the case, let’s look at the Old Testament with its commands and rituals to see their fulfilment as types and antitypes in the spiritual realities of New Testament church.
We’ll start with a thumbnail sketch of Old Testament history. It needs to be noted that the biblical account is based in reality, but is also a mythological history of a segment of humanity experiencing divine intervention. Over time, as oral tradition and old records had been viewed from a retrospective perspective, the present Old Testament record, much of which started being compiled during and after the Babylonian exile in the sixth century B.C., had been embellished by imagination and modified by new insights. However, myth and metaphor can be as powerful to present spiritual truths as are literal facts.
The material presented sometimes takes different turns to what is traditionally taught, providing alternatives of interpretation. So as we proceed, let’s remain open-minded and prayerfully consider whether the information in this booklet resonates as truth or not.