A long time ago in the land of Israel, an innocent man in the prime of life was led up the side of a hill to die a sacrificial death. He had led an interesting life. The circumstances surrounding his birth were especially unusual. He was miraculously conceived, and his parents had been visited by an angel who foretold the event. The Lord even provided the surprised parents-to-be with a name for the child.
Now, as he strained under his wooden burden, this man trusted completely in his father and subjected himself to his father’s will. He was to be laid upon the wood, pierced, and slain as a sacrifice.
But it was not yet Isaac’s time to die, for an angel stepped in at the last moment and stayed Abraham’s hand. This event must have perplexed Isaac. But little did he realize the remarkable way in which the defining moments of his life resembled defining moments in the life of the Messiah, who was to come some two thousand years later.
The events recounted above are taken from Genesis chapters 17, 18, and 22. However, their resemblance to the gospel accounts of Jesus’s life is striking. It seems God had much more in mind than testing Abraham’s faith. By working through the events in Isaac’s life, God presented His redemptive nature in a prophetic portrait of Jesus Christ.
This is one of many sets of astounding parallels between the lives of the Old Testament heroes of the faith and Jesus Christ. It is as if the image of Jesus Christ were holographically imprinted throughout the Old Testament. Sadly, many churches have ignored or forgotten this teaching. The result has been a very shallow view of the Old Testament held by many Christians.
Would you like to enrich your understanding of the Old Testament? Would you like to learn how to see Jesus Christ on every page, from Genesis forward? My book, Decoding Bible Messages, was written as a labor of love to help people do just that.
It is available via this website, and also through all major online bookstores, including Amazon.
For readers in India, it is available through the increasingly popular Amazon India Kindle Store.
Steven White
October 29, 2015 at 12:28 amThe book arrived in my mailbox yesterday and have started into the first chapters. I am in awe of Abraham’s faith and glad that Isaac’s life was spared. Do you believe in this account from a literal perspective and as a typology? BTW – nice writing style on some very complex topics.
John Mapp Jr.
October 29, 2015 at 1:24 amHi Steve, it’s great to hear that you got the book. Yes, I believe in this account as both literal and typological. I believe Abraham was a real man who actually spoke with God. The earlier I go in Genesis, however, the less certain I am as to the literal interpretation. My physics training compels me to believe that the universe is extremely ancient. If this were not so, then light from distant galaxies would not have had time to reach us. Regardless, I know that Christ is woven typologically into the text from Genesis 1 forward, so it is all inspired. Second Peter 3:8 states that “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” This implies that time, as we know and experience it, was created by God, along with space. And God could create as much of it as He needed, so 13 billion years is not a problem for Him. I may have told you more than you asked for, but this area excites me. When a physicist confronts the issue of God’s existence, he must either “go big” or “go home.” I chose to “go big.” Thanks for commenting, and let me know if you have additional thoughts or questions!
Steven White
October 29, 2015 at 2:52 amI hear you John – the Creation narrative taken literally could be problematic from a scientific perspective. One must have Faith to be able to see God’s presence manifest in all things. Denial of nature and science is not needed because God authored and uses nature and science for His purpose. Looking forward to reading about Adam, Eve, and Eden. Thanks for writing and sharing.
motoapk I love it
April 30, 2017 at 2:07 amA round of applause for your blog post.Much thanks again. Really Great.