by Mindi Popovich-Schneider

When taking up any study of the Bible, it is good to consider the types of God’s plan for our salvation that we see throughout the Old Testament. Typology, the “study of types,” is defined as: “an approach to the interpretation of the Scriptures found in the New Testament itself, and in the writings of the Church Fathers, which sees certain people and events in the Old Testament (Types) as foreshadowing things fulfilled in the New Testament (Antitypes).” You might think of types as a non-verbal, material kind of prophecy!

Many types of Christ, the Theotokos, and the Church appear throughout the Book of Exodus. In this lesson, we will explore some of them.

Begin by first reading, then paraphrasing the definition to your students. Offer a few examples from other books of the Old Testament: Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28:10-12) as a type of the Theotokos, who was the ladder on which Christ descended to earth; the Rod of Aaron (Numbers 17:1-11) as a type of the Holy Cross, which budded with eternal life; etc. Next, make a list of as many types you can think of–specifically ones that appear in the story of Exodus. Finally, read through the following verses and have students identify the types and antitypes in them. For younger children, print off the attached cards and have them choose the one that matches the verses you are reading.

2 – Moses, like Christ, left his position as royalty and became a shepherd
3:1-11 – The Theotokos held Christ in her womb, yet was not burned
16:4 – God fed the Hebrews in the desert with manna; Christ is the bread of life (John 6:31-35)
17:6 – Christ is the living water (John 4:10)
25:10-22 – In the Gospels, the angel Gabriel announces to the Theotokos: “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). In the same way, the Glory of God sits on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.
25:31-40 – The Theotokos held within herself the Light of the world (John 1:4-5)
27 – These descriptions of the construction of the temple are a type of the Christian life
28 – This chapter details how the priestly garments should be constructed. Christ is the true high priest (Hebrews 4:14), who “clothes Himself in light as in a garment” (Psalm 103:2) and “is clothed in majesty” (Psalm 92:1)

These are just a few examples…how many more can you come up with!? You might also consider where in our liturgy these types are highlighted.

Check out the next section for more information about these and other “types”!