The Ascension from a Speculum Humanae Salvationis ca 1430, see below

Typology is a theological doctrine of theory of types and their antitypes found in Scripture. Medieval allegory began as an early Christian method for synthesizing the discontinuities between the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the Christian Bible (New Testament). While both testaments were studied and seen as equally divinely inspired by God, the Old Testament contained discontinuities for Christians, for example, the Jewish kosher laws (see also Old Testament—Christian view of the Law). The Old Testament was therefore seen in places not as a literal account, but as an allegory, or foreshadowing, of the events of the New Testament, in particular how the events of the Old Testament related to the events of Christ's life. The events of the Old Testament were seen as part of the story, a prefiguration, with the events of Christ's life. The technical name for seeing the New Testament in the Old Testament is called typology. The doctrine is stated most succinctly by Paul in Colossians 2:16-17 - "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." It also finds expression in the Epistle to the Hebrews, see also New Covenant. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Jacobs Ladder from a Speculum of ca. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Many religions and spiritual movements hold certain written texts (or series of spoken legends not traditionally written down) to be sacred. ... Christs baptism in the bottom panel. ... 11th century manuscript of the Hebrew Bible with Targum Hebrew Bible is a term that refers to the common portions of the Jewish canon and the Christian canons. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The Christian... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... The circled U indicates that this can of tuna is certified kosher by the Union of Orthodox Congregations. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh to refer to its canon, which corresponds to the Protestant Old Testament. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ... The Epistle to the Colossians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistle to the Hebrews (abbr. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ...

The development of this as a systematic view of the Hebrew Bible was influenced by the thought of the Hellenistic Jewish world centered on Alexandria, where Philo and others viewed the Bible in Platonic terms as essentially an allegory. The system was Christianised by Origen, and spread by figures including Saint Hilary and Saint Ambrose. Saint Augustine recalled often hearing Ambrose say that "the letter kills but the spirit gives life" and he in turn was a hugely influential proponent of the system, though also insisting on the literal historical truth of the Bible. Isidore of Seville and Rabanus Maurus were influential as summarizers and compilers of works setting out standardized interpretations of correspondences and their meanings.^[1] 11th century manuscript of the Hebrew Bible with Targum Hebrew Bible is a term that refers to the common portions of the Jewish canon and the Christian canons. ... This article is about the city in Egypt. ... Philo (20 BC - 50 AD), known also as Philo of Alexandria and as Philo Judaeus And as Yedidia, was a Hellenized Jewish philosopher born in Alexandria, Egypt. ... Platonic idealism is the theory that the substantive reality around us is only a reflection of a higher truth. ... Allegory of Music by Filippino Lippi. ... Origen Origen (Greek: Ōrigénēs, 185–ca. ... Hilarius of Arles (St Hilary) (c. ... Saint Ambrose, Latin Sanctus Ambrosius, Italian SantAmbrogio (circa 340 - April 4, 397), bishop of Milan, was one of the most eminent fathers of the Christian church in the 4th century. ... St. ... Saint Isidore of Seville (Spanish: or ) (c. ... Rabanus Maurus (left) presents his work to Otgar of Mainz Rabanus Maurus Magnentius (c. ...

Jacob's Ladder from a Speculum Humanae Salvationis ca 1430, pre-figuring the Ascension above

Typology was very frequently expressed in art; many typolological pairings are found in sculpture on cathedrals and churches, and in other media. Popular illustrated works expounding typological couplings were among the commonest books of the late Middle Ages, as illuminated manuscripts, blockbooks, and incunabula (early printed books). The two most successful compilations were the Speculum Humanae Salvationis and the Biblia pauperum. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Jacobs Ladder may refer to: Jacobs Ladder (Bible) on which Jacob saw angels ascending and descending Crepuscular rays shining down a hole in the clouds Jacobs ladder (nautical), specialized ladders used at sea, especially a rope ladder with wooden steps for ascending from the deck to the... Jacobs Ladder from a Speculum of ca. ... An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript, often of a religious nature, in which the text is supplemented by the addition of colourful ornamentation, such as decorated initials, borders and the like. ... It has been suggested that Block printing be merged into this article or section. ... A page from a rare Blackletter Bible (1497) printed in Strassburg by J.R.Grueninger. ... Jacobs Ladder from a Speculum of ca. ... The Biblia pauperum (Paupers Bible) was a tradition of picture Bibles beginning in the later Middle Ages. ...

One example of typology is the story of Jonah and the fish from the Old Testament. Medieval allegorical interpretation of this story holds that it prefigures Christ's burial, the stomach of the fish being Christ's tomb: as Jonah was freed from the whale after three days, so did Christ rise from His tomb after three days, see also Matthew 12:38–42, 16:1–4, Luke 11:29–32. Indeed, Jonah called the belly of the fish "She'ol," the land of the dead, translated "the grave" in the NIV. Thus, whenever one finds an allusion to Jonah in Medieval art or Medieval literature, it is usually an allegory for the burial and resurrection of Christ. Another common typological allegory entails the four major Old testament prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel prefiguring the four Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, or the twelve tribes of Israel foreshadowing the twelve apostles. There was no end to the number of analogies that commentators could find between stories of the Old Testament and the New. The Prophet Jonah, as depicted by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel Jonah (Hebrew: , Standard  Tiberian  ; Arabic: يونس, Yunus or يونان, Yunaan ; Latin Ionas ; Dove) was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh/Old Testament) and Quran who was swallowed by a great fish. ... In Hebrew, ²² Sheol (שאול, Shol) is the abode of the dead, the underworld, the common grave of humankind or pit.[1] In the Hebrew Bible, it is a place beneath the earth, beyond gates, where both the bad and the good, slave and king, pious and wicked must go at... Byzantine monumental Church mosaics are a crowning glory of Medieval Art. ... Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages (encompassing the one thousand years from the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. ... Isaiah the Prophet in Hebrew Scriptures was depicted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo. ... For other uses, see Jeremiah (disambiguation). ... Ezekiel, , IPA: , God will strengthen, from , chazaq, [ xazaq ], literally to fasten upon, figuratively strong, and , el, [ el ], literally strength, figuratively Almighty. He is a prophet and priest in the Bible who prophesied for 22 years sometime in the 500s BCE while in the form of visions exiled in... This article is about the Biblical figure called Daniel. ... Matthew the Evangelist (מתי, Gift of the LORD, Standard Hebrew and Tiberian Hebrew: Mattay; Septuagint Greek: Ματθαίος, Matthaios), most often called Saint Matthew, is an important Christian figure, and one of Jesus Twelve Apostles. ... Mark the Evangelist (מרקוס, Greek: Μάρκος) (1st century) is traditionally believed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark and a companion of Peter. ... Luke the Evangelist (לוקא, Greek: Loukas) is said by tradition to be the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, the third and fifth books of the New Testament. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Names of John. ... Alternate meaning: See Apostle (Mormonism) The Christian Apostles were Jewish men chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth (as indicated by the Greek word απόστολος apostolos= messenger), by Jesus to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, across the...

Other examples of types in the Bible:

• While in the wilderness, Moses put a brazen serpent (a symbol of evil) on a pole which would heal anyone bitten by a snake who looked at it (Numbers 21:8). Jesus proclaimed that the serpent, was a type of Himself, since "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up" (John 3:14) and "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2Co 5:21)
• In a battle with the Amalekites, Exodus 17:11 states that "[a]s long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning." Commentators interpret Moses' raised hands as a type of Jesus' raised hands upon the Cross, for when Jesus' hands were raised as He died, a figurative battle with sin was waged, the end result being victory - that "all will be made alive." (1 Cor. 15:22)

Moses with the Tablets, 1659, by Rembrandt This article is about the Biblical figure. ... This article is about the second book in the Torah. ...

See also

• Anagoge
• Allegory in the Middle Ages
• Showbread - early examples and background of the Temple Showbread as a type.
• Correspondence - typology of Emanuel Swedenborg.

One clarification about the serpent being a symbol of evil: The serpent raised up on Moses' staff is indeed symbolic of Christ. Furthermore, the serpent itself symbolizes Christ and not a symbol of evil. The account of the serpent appearing to Eve seems to have led the population to think that the serpent is of evil nature. However, as is recorded in the New Testament, the Serpent represents Christ and His power to save. In the Garden, the Father of Lies appeared to Eve with the purpose of deceiving her to believe he was Christ and had power to save, for she was told by partaking of the fruit she shall surely die. Satan deceived her by appearing as something good, symbolically as a serpent, and not coming to her as a form of evil. Hence, he deceived her. This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Noah and the baptismal flood of the Old Testament (top panel) is typographically linked (prefigured) by the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament (bottom panel). ... Showbread, shewbread, Schaubrot, lechem (hap)pānīm(לחם פנים) refers to the twelve cakes or loaves of bread which were continually present on the Table of Shewbread in the Jewish Temple as an offering to YHWH. // Composition and Presentation Biblical Data: Twelve cakes, with two-tenths of an ephah in each... Correspondence may refer to: In the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg, correspondence is the relationship between spiritual and physical realities. ... Emanuel Swedenborg, 75, holding the manuscript of Apocalypsis Revelata (1766). ...

One clarification about Moses raising his hands: In verse 9 of chapter 17 of Exodus, it states that Moses will take a rod in his hand and go to the place of battle. When Moses raises his hands, he is really raising the rod that he is holding in his hands. The rod symbolizes God's power or priesthood he has given to Moses as the prophet. As stated in verse 9 "the rod of God", translates to the power of God, or the Priesthood of God. It is by the power of the priesthood that the Children of Israel prevail.

References

External links

• Berkeley, Set of woodcut typological illustrations to the Speculum Humanae Salvationis
• A Study of Biblical Typology (Wayne Jackson, Christian Courier)
• Typology in American Puritan Literature at the Literary Movements site
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Types in Scripture
• Jewish Encyclopedia: ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION