04.02 - Chapter 21 - The Historical Background of Redemption

Chapter 21 The Historical Background of Redemption The Desire of the Ages

Before the Covenant of Redemption was finally realized, there were long periods of preparation which came and passed. Hope arose and then subsided for another time. If our first parents expected the Redeemer in their immediate offspring, it was not to be (cp. Genesis 4:1). The centuries came and went. Finally, “when the fullness of time was come God sent forth His Son.” (Galatians 4:4) Part of the preparation for Christ coming to fulfill the Covenant of Redemption was the teaching that took place through the typology of rites and rituals of the Old Testament sacrifices, ceremonies, and symbols. The Typology of Rite and Rituals A type is a pre-figuration of spiritual things in visible form. From Genesis to Malachai the Scriptures abounded in types. For example, in Romans 5:4 the First Adam is made the type of the Last Adam, Christ. In the Garden of Eden, the Lord made Adam and Eve coats of skins typifying the need for blood atonement for sin. Abel brought the firstlings of his flock and the type was set forth of the Lamb of God who would one day come to take away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) The trial of Abraham’s faith in Genesis 22:1-24 illustrates the surrender of a beloved son, the submission of that son, and the fact of vicarious deliverance. (cp. John 3:16) In John 8:56 Jesus said plainly that, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day, he saw it and was glad.” In John 3:14, Christ represents the brazen serpent as a type of the crucifixion (cp. Numbers 21:9) In Matthew 12:40, Jonah is the type of Christ’s burial. (cp. Jonah 1:17) "Now all these things happened unto them as types, and they are written for our admonition" (1 Corinthians 10:11). The rites in regard to the sin-offering, the rites on the great Day of Atonement, and the Passover observances were also rich in typology. "Every smoking altar, every bleeding victim, every ascetic privation, every priestly intervention was a testimony to the guilt of sin and the need of remission. The whole mighty fabric of heathen religion, in all its variety, awfulness, and degradation was an age-long revelation of the need of a Saviour and salvation. And the hopelessness and ineffectiveness of it only enhanced the testimony. Man was learning the bitter lesson of apostasy from God. And the utter failure of all human plans and efforts to regenerate the human race showed clearly the helplessness of man without God and his revelation. The heathenism of the world was thus over-ruled by God to make preparation for the coming Redeemer. And when the fullness of time came, the Gentiles, from their experiences of failure and defeat, showed as much receptiveness for Christianity as the people of Israel, if not more." (David Clark) Preparation Through Prophecy

Prophecy also served to prepare the world for the Covenant of Redemption being fulfilled. From the first promise found in Genesis 3:15, “The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head,” till the announcement of John, “Behold the Lamb of God,” the whole scope of predictive prophecy was educational and preparatory. The world grew in knowledge and expectation through the centuries of a coming Messiah. Later, Roman historians would remember this spirit of anticipation and write of it. Suetonius noted that, "There had spread over all the Orient an old and established belief, that it was fated at that time for men coming from Judaea to rule the world" (Suetonius: Life of Vespasian, 4:5). Tacitus tells of the same expectation declaring that "there was a firm persuasion ... that at this very time the East was to grow powerful, and rulers coming from Judaea were to acquire universal empire." (Tacitus: Histories, 5:13) The Jew had the hope that "about that time one from their country should become governor of the habitable earth." (Josephus: Wars of the Jews, 6:5,4) And in the fullness of time, God brought forth His Son (Galatians 4:4).