Biblical Typology

CCC 115-118 and 128-130

Biblical typology refers to when a person, event, thing, etc.—usually from Old Testament times—foreshadows someone or something or event, etc., in the New Testament/New Covenant era. For example, in the Old Testament, Jonah’s three days in the belly of a whale prefigure Jesus Christ’s three days in the tomb (Matt. 12:38-42). In addition, Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine (Gen. 14:17-20) prefigures Jesus’ offering of his body and blood, soul and divinity under the appearances of bread and wine in the New Covenant (Matt. 26:26-28; Heb. 5:7-10).

So we see that a similarity must exist between the type and the archetype, and yet the latter is always greater. In addition, the destruction of the Jerusalem in 70 A.D., which Jesus prophesied, prefigures the end of the world.

In order to understand Jesus’ relationship to the Old Testament, or to fully understand the sacraments or the Virgin Mary, it is crucial that we understand typology, which “discerns in God’s works of the Old Covenant prefigurations of what he accomplished in the fullness of time in the person of his incarnate Son” (CCC 128).

This way of understanding Old Testament events dates back to the New Testament itself. The book of Hebrews’ description of the Mosaic Law as “but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities” (10:1) succinctly captures the heart of typology. Likewise, St. Paul speaks of Adam as a “type” (typos) of Christ (Rom. 5:14) and of Christ as the “last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45). When we speak of the Passover as foreshadowing the Eucharist, or of Mary as the “New Eve,” or of Naaman’s washing as prefiguring baptism, we’re using typology.

This is more than a simile. When St. Peter describes how Noah and his family “were saved through water,” and says that “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you” (1 Pet. 3:20-21), he’s not simply making an analogy. He’s saying that Noah’s Ark foreshadowed something greater: our salvation through baptism. The events of the Old Testament are significant as in their own right, but also as foreshadowing and prefiguring greater realities in the New Testament. St. Paul reads Exodus the same way, describing the Israelites as “all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Cor. 10:1-2). These Old Testament events are not mere history, but “were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Cor. 10:11).

Old Testament typology, viewed through a Catholic lens, sees Holy Week as the fulfillment of ancient covenants and events, with Jesus as the ultimate reality prefigured in Jewish history. Key types include the Passover Lamb, the binding of Isaac, and the Wilderness Covenant, which foreshadow Christ’s sacrifice, the Eucharist, and his passion. 

Key Typologies Pointing to Holy Week:

• The Passover Lamb (Exodus 12): Jesus is the New Testament "Lamb of God," unblemished and sacrificed on Good Friday (the 14th of Nisan) to save humanity from spiritual death.

• The Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22): Abraham sacrificing his beloved son, who carried his own wood, prefigures God the Father offering His only Son, Jesus, who carries the wood of the Cross.

• The Blood of the Covenant (Exodus 24): Moses sprinkling blood on the people to seal the covenant foreshadows Jesus at the Last Supper (Holy Thursday) saying, "This is my blood of the covenant".

• The Manna and Rock (Exodus 16-17): The supernatural bread and water in the desert prefigure the Eucharist, which Jesus instituted during Holy Week.

• The Bronze Serpent (Numbers 21): The serpent lifted on a pole to heal Israelites prefigures Christ lifted on the Cross for salvation.

• Melchizedek’s Offering (Genesis 14): King Melchizedek's offering of bread and wine prefigures Christ's priesthood and the Eucharist.

• The New Adam and New Eve (Genesis 1-3): As Adam fell in a garden (Eden) and through a tree, Jesus (the New Adam) rises from a garden tomb, with Mary (the New Eve) standing at the cross, reversing the Fall. 

Holy Week Fulfillments:

• Palm Sunday: Zechariah 9:9 ("Lowly and riding on a donkey").

• Spy Wednesday: The betrayal by Judas, foreshadowed by Joseph being sold by his brothers.

• Holy Thursday: The Last Supper is the new Passover, fulfilling the Old Covenant with a new sacrifice.

• Good Friday: The crucifixion brings to life the bronze serpent, the paschal lamb, and the binding of Isaac.

• Holy Saturday: Jonah in the belly of the whale (three days) prefigures Christ in the tomb.