A second type is the typological text. These are texts which refer to Christ or some event in the New Testament as a fulfilment of the same type of event or figure in the Old Testament (Matt. 2:15; 17-18; John 2:15). For example, God calling Jesus (i.e. My Son) out of Egypt in Matt. 2:15 is considered a fulfilment of the event when God called Israel (i.e. my son) out of Egypt in Hos. 11:1 even though the contexts are very different. In these texts the New Testament author has drawn out a second meaning by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (i.e. sensus plenior).

The third type is the apocalyptic text. These are New Testament texts which have a corresponding Old Testament text. The phrase “the abomination that causes desolation” is found in both Dan. 11:31 and Mark 13:14. The abomination that causes desolation in Dan. 11:31 refers to the altar set up for the pagan god Zeus Olympius by Antiochus Ephiphanes in 168 BC. This event prefigures the installation of Phanni by the Zealots in the winter of AD 67-68.

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Reasons for Preaching an Old Testament text from an Old Testament Perspective

Avoiding the temptation of preaching Old Testament texts solely from a New Testament perspective has several benefits.

First, it preserves the Jewish background of our Christian faith. By looking at the Old Testament , and in particular Old Testament prophecies, only through a Christocentric lens, we strip these texts of their historical significance and respective application. For example, Matt. 2:18 is a quote from Jer. 31:15, “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.” Preaching this Old Testament text only from a New Testament perspective will leave the listener thinking that the purpose of this text is simply to describe the event in which Herod killed all the boys in Bethlehem under two years of age. The congregation will miss the Jewish understanding of this text in Jeremiah.

Jeremiah writes these words to describe the desolation in Ramah because there are no children in the village since they have been exiled to Babylon. But hope soon follows as Jeremiah says in Jer. 31:16 that God will reverse this situation and bring the children back to Ramah, away from the land of their enemy. This text is predicting a time when Israel will return from Babylonian exile in 538 BC. This word is given to Jeremiah before Israel is exiled. This text is about being separated from God, repenting, experiencing God’s compassion and sovereignty as He uses our ‘exile’ experiences to lead us back to Him. What congregation doesn’t need to hear a message of hope like this?

Second, it gives the preacher permission to be more creative on the Christian festivals. Year after year we preach the story about Immanuel from Matt. 1:21. Think how creative and interesting it might be to look at this text from the perspective of Isaiah in the seventh century BC. Similarly listeners are used to hearing Isa. 40:1-11 as a reference to John the Baptist. What would it sound like to hear it through the experience of Hezekiah and Isaiah? I have done this in the subsequent sermon entitled, “God Our Hope in Ages Past.” (See the sermon on page __ of this issue.)