Shadows - Types - Things to Come
Seek the Truth with all your heart.
‘Shadows’ or ‘types’ were sacrifices, or feasts, or celebrations, which highlighted or pointed forward as a symbol and expectant reminder of things to come.
Following GOD’s perfect creation, Adam and Eve sinned, which sent the world plummeting into progressively sad and very compromised disrepair. The blood sacrificial system, which GOD instituted, was typifying the fulfilment - as a shadow - a type - of itself in what was to come, when Jesus own blood would be shed in His sacrificial death, would - and has - fulfilled the perfect sacrifice which was perfectly sufficient in keeping with GOD’s planned redemption and restoration of HIS children back into HIS family.
So the sacrificial animal’s blood system is no longer required; and to continue it, would be futile and would display un-belief; making a wasted exercise of Jesus’ life, sacrificial death, shedding His blood, defeating of death, and rising to life.
Jesus will never experience death again, and His faithful followers will inherit this reality.
The blood was always to be from a ‘perfect’ lamb which pointed forwards in time to when GOD gave HIS perfect SON JESUS, who, in becoming the perfect Lamb of GOD, fulfilled the whole system. Jesus Christ completed it.
So when the real purpose for the existence of the blood sacrificial system arrives, it is complete - it is finished. When this reality, towards which it was pointing, has been achieved, the real thing is fulfilled forever.
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.
Hebrews 10:1-10 ‘The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming --- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Therefore, when Christ came into the world He said:
“Sacrifice and offering YOU did not desire, but a body YOU prepared for Me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings YOU were not pleased.
Then I said, ‘Here I am – it is written about Me in the scroll – I have come to do YOUR will, My GOD.”
First He said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings YOU did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” – though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then He said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.’