Prophecies and types both point forward to Christ, but they do it in two distinct ways. Prophecies do it by directly predicting and promising the coming of Christ. Types do it by symbolizing Christ. 

Prophecies as Predictions

Prophecies and types are related to each other. How?

Let us begin with prophecy. In the Bible, the prophets speak the Word of God—they say whatever God gives them to say. One component of the contents of prophetic speech is prediction. Old Testament prophecies include predictions concerning the coming of the Messiah. He is the great descendant of David who will accomplish the salvation of his people. One of the famous prophecies is found in Isaiah 9:6:

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

This promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Luke 1:32–33).

Types as Predictions

In addition to predictions, the Old Testament points forward to Jesus Christ in other ways. One of these ways is the use of types. A type is a symbol pointing forward to a fulfillment. One example is the tabernacle of Moses. The tabernacle symbolizes that God dwells with his people (Ex. 25:8). The final dwelling of God with his people is in Christ: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

Prophecies and types both point forward to Christ, but they do it in two distinct ways. Prophecies do it by directly predicting and promising the coming of Christ. Types do it by symbolizing Christ. So types are like indirect predictions. They function on two distinct levels. The level of the symbol is the level of a concrete object, such as the tabernacle. The level of the meaning consists in what the symbol symbolizes. The tabernacle symbolizes the principle of God dwelling with his people.

Prophecies and Types Together

Prophecies and types, though distinct, function together. The message of the prophecies overlaps and harmonizes with the message of the types. But in addition, some prophecies unfold their meaning over time partly by means of types. What does this mean?

A good illustration is the prophecy in Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between you [the serpent who deceived Adam and Eve, a manifestation of Satan] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This is a predictive prophecy. It is the earliest prediction of the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah is “her offspring,” who “shall bruise your head.” He will defeat the serpent. The defeat will be total, as the mention of the “head” indicates. This defeat takes place in the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ, as Hebrews 2:14–15 indicates:

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