Old Testament Type

Christ is richly portrayed in the Old Testament in both prophecies and typology. In fact, this was the focus of one of the first conversations the Lord Jesus had with His disciples following His resurrection. When He appeared to the two disheartened disciples on the way to Emmaus, “beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, He explained to them clearly in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself ”(Luke 24:27). Similarly, He later appeared to the apostles and declared to them, “all the things written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and Psalms concerning Me must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44).

The Old Testament is replete with typology concerning Christ. The American Heritage Dictionary (1997) defines a type as “a figure, representation, or symbol of something to come, such as an event in the Old Testament that foreshadows another in the New Testament.” Some of the better-known types of Christ in the Old Testament include the Passover lamb (Exo.12, John 1:29), the manna (Exo. 16, John 6), and the smitten rock that flowed out water (Exo 17, 1 Cor. 10). However, perhaps the greatest, most comprehensive type of Christ in the Old Testament, the one that best exemplifies His all-inclusiveness, is unfamiliar to many Christians. This all-inclusive type of Christ is the good land of Canaan. (Witness Lee, All-Inclusive Christ, 18)

No other type in the Old Testament expresses Christ to the extent that the good land does.

 

No other type in the Old Testament expresses Christ to the extent that the good land does. The whole Old Testament can even be considered as a detailed account of God bringing His people to this good land to dwell in it, and to enjoy its riches in order to be built up as God’s kingdom. The children of Israel surely appreciated the redemption of the Passover lamb, the freedom from bondage in Egypt, and the supply of both the manna and the water in the wilderness. However they did not experience either a complete rest or full satisfaction until they had ceased their wandering in the desert and entered into the good land of Canaan. (Witness Lee, All-Inclusive Christ, 9-13)

God likewise had no rest or satisfaction until He was able to bring His chosen people into the promised land. To accomplish this He first called Abraham to “go from your land…to the land that I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). After Abraham had obeyed God’s calling and had entered into Canaan, God promised to give this land to his descendants (12:7; 17:8). God reiterated this promise to Abraham’s son Isaac (26:2-4), and Isaac blessed his son Jacob based on God’s promise of the land (28:4). Jacob, later named Israel, after moving his family to Egypt also faithfully passed on this promise, “Now I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers” (48:21, emphasis added). Finally, as Joseph was preparing to die he also prophesied to his brothers, “God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (50:24, emphasis added). Thus we see that from His earliest dealings with the patriarchs, God’s view and aim were steadfastly focused on the land.

Christ, the “Good Land”

The Old Testament refers to this land over ten times as the “good land” (Deut. 1:35; 3:25; 4:21). This land is good in many respects: it’s spaciousness, ascendancy, and its unsearchable riches of water, food and minerals. To God’s people the land was the unique source of their existence, enjoyment, dwelling and protection. All of these aspects reveal God’s intention that Christ be everything to His believers. Christ is God’s all-inclusive solution to our every need. Just as everything the Israelites needed was found in the good land, so can the believers find all they need in Christ. Whatever we may need—love, patience, peace or any other virtue—we can find it in Christ. Let us look at various aspects of the good land in detail, each of which should impress us with the all-inclusive riches of Christ. (Witness Lee, All-Inclusive Christ, 22-23)

Spaciousness | Ascendancy | Water
Food | Minerals | Hymn