The End of the Jewish Economy of Types

and Shadows

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by
the law and the prophets. (Romans !"# $J%&

'or if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness
e(ceeds much more in glory. 'or e)en what was made glorious had no glory in this
respect, because of the glory that e(cels. 'or if what is passing away was glorious,
what remains is much more glorious. (" *orinthians !+,## -$J%&

The priest went through the ceremony of his official work. He took the child in his arms,
and held it up before the altar. After handing it back to its mother, he inscribed the name
"Jesus" on the roll of the first-born. Little did he think, as the babe lay in his arms, that it
was the a!esty of hea"en, the #ing of glory. The priest did not think that this babe was
the $ne of whom oses had written, "A %rophet shall the Lord your &od raise up unto
you of your brethren, like unto me' Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoe"er He shall
say unto you." Acts ()**. He did not think that this babe was He whose glory oses had
asked to see. +ut $ne greater than oses lay in the priest,s arms' and when he enrolled
the child,s name, he was enrolling the name of .ne who was the foundation of the
whole Jewish economy. That name was to be its /the Jewish economy0s1 death
warrant2 for the system of sacrifices and offerings was wa(ing old2 the type had
almost reached its antitype, the shadow its substance.
-esire of Ages, page .*. +rackets supplied.

3ere the temple ceremonies to last fore)er!
The gospel of /hrist reflects glory upon the Jewish age. 0t sheds light upon the whole
Jewish economy, and gi"es significance to the ceremonial law. The tabernacle, or
temple, of &od on earth was a pattern of the original in Hea"en. 4ll the ceremonies of
the Jewish law were prophetic, typical of mysteries in the plan of redemption. The
rites and ceremonies of the law were gi"en by /hrist himself, who, enshrouded in a
pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, was the leader of the hosts of 0srael'
and this law should be treated with great respect, for it is sacred. E)en after it /the
ceremonial law1 was no longer to be obser)ed , 5aul presented it before the Jews in
its true position and )alue, showing its place in the plan of redemption and its
relation to the wor6 of *hrist' and the great apostle pronounces this law glorious,
worthy of its di"ine $riginator. That which was to be done away was glorious, but it
was not the law instituted by God for the go)ernment of his family in 7ea)en and
on earth2 for as long as the hea)ens shall remain, so long shall the law of the 8ord
endure. 1igns of the Times, July *2, 3445.

3hat were the feast days to teach those who would study them!
Through the teachings of the sacrificial ser"ice, /hrist was to be uplifted before all
nations, and all who would look to Him should li"e. /hrist was the foundation of the
Jewish economy. The whole system of types and symbols was a compacted prophecy
of the gospel, a presentation in which were bound up the promises of redemption.
Acts of the Apostles, page 36.

/hrist was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy, and in all his specific
directions regarding the ceremonial obser)ances, these were distinguished from the
-ecalog. They /the ceremonial obser)ances1 were to pass away. Type was to meet
antitype in the one great offering of *hrist for the sins of the world.
1igns of the Times, July *2, 3427. +rackets supplied.

The Lord Jesus was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy. 0ts imposing rites
were of di"ine appointment. They were designed to make the worship of &od
impressi"e, and to teach the people that at the time appointed $ne would come to whom
these ceremonies pointed. But the Jews e(alted the forms and ceremonies, and lost
sight of their ob9ect. The traditions and ma8ims and enactments of men hid from them
the spiritual lessons that &od intended to con"ey. These ma8ims and traditions became
an obstacle to their understanding and practise of true religion. 4nd when the reality
came, in the person of *hrist, they did not recogni:e in 7im the fulfilment of all
their types, the substance of all their shadows. They re9ected the 4ntitype, and
clung to their types and useless ceremonies. 1igns of the Times, 9o"ember (, 3424.

%aul did not approach the Jews in a way to e8cite their pre!udices. He did not run the
risk of making them his enemies by telling them the first thing that they must belie"e on
Jesus of 9a:areth' but he dwelt on the prophecies and promises of the $ld Testament
1criptures, which testify of the essiah, of his mission and his work. He led them on
step by step, showing them the importance of honoring the law of &od. He also ga"e due
honor to the ceremonial law, showing that /hrist was the one who instituted the whole
system of sacrificial ser"ice. After dwelling upon these things, e"incing that he had a
clear understanding of them himself, he brought his hearers down to the first ad"ent of
/hrist, and pro)ed that in the crucified Jesus the specifications of the ceremonial
law had been fulfilled. He showed them plainly how the light from the cross of /al"ary
ga"e significance and glory to the whole Jewish economy. &ospel ;orkers <342*=,
page (>>.

3hat ceremony was to ta6e the place of the 5asso)er after Jesus0 death!
/hrist was standing at the point of transition between two economies and their two
great festi"als. He, the spotless Lamb of &od, was about to present Himself as a sin
offering, that 7e would thus bring to an end the system of types and ceremonies that
for four thousand years had pointed to His death. As He ate the %asso"er with His
disciples, He instituted in its /the 5asso)er0s1 place the ser"ice that was to be the
memorial of His great sacrifice. The national festi)al /the 5asso)er1 of the Jews was
to pass away fore)er. The ser)ice /the 8ord0s Supper1 which *hrist established was
to be obser)ed by 7is followers in all lands and through all ages.
-esire of Ages, page 5.*. +rackets supplied.

3as the 5asso)er meal the only thing that changed about the 5asso)er after the
*ross, or could the 8ord0s Supper be celebrated at any time during the year ; that
is, not only at the appointed time of the 5asso)er, which was the first feast of the old
co)enant ; because it was a completely new ser)ice which Jesus instituted 9ust
before 7is death to ta6e the place of the 5asso)er!
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the
new testament ?co"enant@ in my blood) this do ye, as oft as ye drin6 it, in remembrance
of me. <3 /orinthians 33)*. #JA= +rackets supplied.

<n instituting the sacramental ser)ice to ta6e the place of the 5asso)er, /hrist left for
His church a memorial of His great sacrifice for man. "This do," He said, "in
remembrance of e." This was the point of transition between two economies and their
two great festi"als. The one /the 5asso)er1 was to close fore)er2 the other /the 8ord0s
Supper1, which 7e had 9ust established, was to ta6e its place, and to continue
through all time as the memorial of 7is death. Be"iew and Herald, June **,
3427. +rackets supplied.

-ow of the things which we ha)e spo6en this is the sum! 3e ha)e such an high
priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the =a9esty in the hea)ens2 a
minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the 8ord pitched, and
not man. 7eb. >!#, ".
The Cuestion, ;hat is the sanctuaryD is clearly answered in the 1criptures. The term
"sanctuary," as used in the +ible, refers, first, to the tabernacle built by oses, as a
pattern of hea"enly things' and, secondly, to the "true tabernacle" in hea"en, to which
the earthly sanctuary pointed. 4t the death of *hrist the typical ser)ice ended. The
?true tabernacle? in hea)en is the sanctuary of the new co)enant. The Eaith 0 Li"e
+y, page *>*.
He thus tried to allay pre!udice, and win souls to the truth. He refrained from
urging upon the Jews the fact that the ceremonial laws were no longer of any force.
He cautioned Timothy to remo"e any occasion for them to re!ect his labors. He
complied with their rules and ordinances as far as was consistent with his mission to the
&entiles. He would not mislead the Jews nor practice deception upon them' but he
wai"ed his personal feelings, for the truth,s sake.
With the Gentiles his manner of labor was different. He plainly informed them
that the sacrificial offerings and ceremonies of the Jews were no longer to be
observed, and preached to them /hrist and him crucified.
The apostle in his labors encountered a class who claimed that the moral law had
been made "oid, with the precepts of the ceremonial system. He vindicated the law of
ten commandments, and held it up before the people as a rule of life. He showed that all
men are under the most solemn obligation to obey that law, which /hrist came to make
honorable. He taught that /hrist is the only one who can release men from the
conseCuences of breaking the di"ine law' and that it is only by repentance for their past
transgressions, faith in the atoning sacrifice of /hrist, and a life of obedience, that men
can hope to recei"e the fa"or of &od. Sketches from the Life of Paul, pages 353 to
35*. Fmphasis supplied.
He ?%aul@ did not find fault with their obser"ance of forms and ceremonies ?open
criticism was not his method in dealing with Jewish rituals@, but showed that while they
maintained the ritual service with great exactness, they were rejecting Him who was
the antitype of all that system. Sketches from the Life of Paul, page *75. +rackets
supplied.
5aul did not bind himself nor his con)erts to the ceremonies and customs of the
Jews, with their "aried forms, types, and sacrifices' for he recogni:ed that the perfect
and final offering had been made in the death of the 1on of &od. The age of clearer
light and 6nowledge had now come. And although the early education of %aul had
blinded his eyes to this light, and led him to bitterly oppose the work of &od, yet the
re"elation of /hrist to him while on his way to -amascus had changed the whole current
of his life. His character and works had now become a remarkable illustration of those of
his di"ine Lord. 7is teaching led the mind to a more acti)e spiritual life, that carried
the belie)er abo)e mere ceremonies. GEor thou desirest not sacrifice, else would 0 gi"e
it. Thou delightest not in burnt-offering. The sacrifices of &od are a broken spirit. A
broken and a contrite heart, $ &od, thou wilt not despise.H Sketches from the Life of
Paul, page 3>..
0n addition to the tables of testimony which were gi"en to oses in the mount, he
there recei)ed the ritual or ceremonial lawI
<t is this law of ceremonies, which was to find its fulfillment in the death of
*hrist, when type should meet antitype, that is so fre@uently in our day confounded
with the moral law of ten commandments, which was engra)en by the finger of
God upon stone, and which is as enduring as the throne of Jeho)ah. 1igns of the
Times, July 3., 344>.