Saints' Discussion Forums

Question: "What is Biblical typology?"

Answer: Typology is a special kind of symbolism. (A symbol is something which represents something else.) We can define a type as a “prophetic symbol” because all types are representations of something yet future. More specifically, a type in scripture is a person or thing in the Old Testament which foreshadows a person or thing in the New Testament. For example, the flood of Noah’s day (Genesis 6-7) is used as a type of baptism in 1 Peter 3:20-21. (I got this from a site “gotquestion”…sorry, no links allowed :)  ) 

I first heard of typology from Scott Hahn (I hope I got the correct spelling of his name :) )  And the stuffs I heard from him about typology and examples are fascinating...and I thought it would be fun if I found or maybe even thought of some myself.  But of course, I'm not in any authority to make comparisons... I just thought to give it a try and just try to understand my faith better. :)

Typology...
   Abel as a shepherd prefigures Jesus.
   Cain tilling the soil prefigures “man”.

In a way, the story is like Jesus was killed by “Man”.  “Man” here is all of humanity (past, present and future).  All of us are guilty.

Genesis 4:13-15.  In this reading, although Cain knows he is being punished (and deserves it), he still calls to God for mercy and help.  A very human thing to do, and I guess one feels helpless and only God can help.  A father, no matter how bad his child is, there is that “pull” to help his child.  And in a way, that’s what God did for Cain.

Here’s something in the old testament that I think Jesus revised.  In Genesis 4:24 Lamech said, “If Cain will be avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”  Didn’t Peter ask Jesus how many times one is to forgive somebody?  And Jesus answered that instead of seven, it should be seventy times seven.

   For Jesus to break the cycle of violence, He taught us that one must forgive 70 times 7 more than the 77 times for Lamech’s vengence.  Of course, this doesn’t mean you get to count and tally the times you’ve forgiven somebody :)

I've always been interested in types. I learned about one example through the Audio Sancto (http://www.audiosancto.org) sermons.

A priest described the history of Julian the Apostate, and how his reign as Roman Emperor was a 'type' of the reign of Antichrist. The methods Julian used to oppress Christians remind me of the methods in use today.

This is so interesting!

I was reading a life of St. Vincent Ferrer (hopefully soon to be included in the Saints' Books library), and I think his life and preaching might be a 'type' too.