Tuesday, February 4, 2014

JM + T: Tangled Typologies

Justin takes an interesting twist in sections 131-140.  I also think I'm nearing the end of this dialogue and about to enter into his next work on CCEL.

He starts with Jacob's marriages to Rachel and Leah and how they also point to Christ.  I know a lot of Old Testament things point to Christ.  There may be reference to Christ in this, too.  However, I cannot see it pointing to Jesus the way Justin describes.  He claims that Leah symbolizes Israel and Rachel symbolizes the complete church.  There is so much wrong with that.  Judah, the tribe that Jesus is from, came from Leah.  The beginning of the Christian church came through Leah's line.  Rachel was the one who loved Jacob but kept stealing fertility idols in order to get pregnant, not trusting in Jacob's providence.  This action eventually got her cursed unwittingly by Jacob when Laban was looking for the idols, and she died the next time she bore a son. 

Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah first when he wanted Rachel.  God was never tricked.  He created Israel, according to Justin, named the nation for Jesus himself, the overcomer of power.  Then Jesus was physically born on earth as a man, lived all of God's laws, suffered the punishment for his fallen people, and then rose from the dead.  The Church is now the completion of Israel.  I just don't see how Leah and Rachel's marriages to Jacob could be a typology of the church the way Justin would envision.

He then wanders into talking about Noah.  He and Jesus were both saved through water, faith, and wood.  God saved Noah from his destruction from water, Noah obeyed him in faith, and the ark was made of wood to typify the cross.  Baptism, faith, and the cross are all drawn from this.  Jesus came, was circumcised, let John baptize him, then he began his mission to tell all Israel about faith in God and now to be saved, and he died on a cross of wood.

After the flood, Noah proclaims blessings on his sons Shem and Japhath, but he curses Ham.  Justin ties this to Rachel and Leah's servants that they gave Jacob as concubines.  Rachel and Leah symbolize Shem's blessings to the people officially living in the promised land.  Bilhah and Zilpah symbolize Japhath's blessings.  He doesn't officially live in Israel but he is still blessed as part of God's family.  This shows that Jesus married Israel, and because of Israel, the gentiles are included in the blessing.  I feel this is a more accurate analogy thought it is also very twisted.  Marriage to Jesus is so much more than marriage to a man such as Jacob.  The latter is riddled with sin and perversion.  The former is pure, and all people have equal standing with the Lord.

3 comments:

  1. Hi, I would just like to add some things. Your comment "I feel this is a more accurate analogy thought it is also very twisted. Marriage to Jesus is so much more than marriage to a man such as Jacob. The latter is riddled with sin and perversion. The former is pure.." shows a misunderstanding of typology. Types are "shadows," imperfect pictures of the perfect. For example, Moses is a "type" of Christ who led his people into the Promised Land. Moses however, didn't make it because of his disobedience.
    I agree with the Leah/Rachel type. Jacob loved Rachel as God love Israel. Israel was cursed by God for continuing in idolatry. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin, which means "son of my sorrow."
    National Israel is a "type" of the Church, the Woman clothed with the Sun (Clothed in Christ, he Light of the World, wearing his robes of righteousness) with the Moon (the Mosaic Law which dimly reflects Jesus righteousness, under her feet as she walks in God's laws and statutes) and a Crown of twelve Stars on her head (believers which shine as stars in the universe as they hold onto the Word of Life; Paul says those who accepted his Gospel are his crown and glory).
    Just as Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin, National Israel died giving birth to Jesus, the suffering Servant at his first coming, who will rule the nations with a rod of iron at His second coming. Interestingly, Isaiah says that at Jesus first coming, the Woman's birth pains come AFTER the birth of the male child.

    "BEFORE she travailed, she brought forth; BEFORE her pain came, she was delivered of a Man Child. (Isaiah 66:7)."

    National Israel gave birth to Jesus, before she suffered for her idolatry is 70 AD.

    Then, Isaiah goes on the say that after the nation of Israel is born in a day (1948), another birth will occur. Through the Tribulation, another child, a remnant of faith from National Israel, will be born.

    "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. (Isaiah 66:8)."

    In other words, as Paul says, just as the death of National Israel at Jesus' first coming meant riches for the Gentile, so the death of spiritual Israel through the witness and martyrdom (the Greek for "witness" μάρτυς is martys ) will mean salvation for the remnant of National Israel at Jesus second coming when He returns.

    "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
    And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob (Romans 11)."

    So National Israel died, but one day, just as we died with Christ and are raised up and seated with Him in heavenly places, she will be resurrected again along with the rest of her brethren.

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  2. ...continued from precious.
    This can be seen in the typology of Joseph. Joseph is sold out and betrayed by his brothers just as Jesus was. After his suffering he is exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh. The sons of Jacob (the remnant of National Israel) come to Joseph (Christ) for grain (the Word of God) during a famine (the Tribulation when a famine of the Word of God occurs - Amos 8:11). When this occurs, Joseph already has a Gentile Bride, Asenath, a type of the Church.

    And yes, Noah represents Christ. But his family in the boat with him (seven of them), represent the seven churches of Revelation, which represent ALL of the Church. We died with Christ also, were baptized into His death, and rose with Him above the waters of judgement. Interestingly, the Ark came to rest on Ararat on the 17th day of the month of Nisan, which happens to be the Feast of Firstfruits, the day Jesus rose from the dead.

    The Ark also represents the Temple of God, Christ's body, our bodies, and the Body of Christ, for it also had three compartments - 1) the Body, the Outer Court, the lower level of the Ark 2) the Soul, the Holy Place, the middle level of the Ark 3) the Spirit, the Most Holy Place where God resides, the upper lever of the Ark with windows opened to the heavens.

    "And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
    And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
    God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant (Genesis 9)."

    Shem represents True Israel made up of those saved by faith from all ages. Canaan represents unbelievers. Japhetph, Bilhah and Zilpah represent Gentiles who dwell in the tents of Shem, those who are grafted into believing Israel, the Olive Tree.

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