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In Heb. 9: 9 another word is translated "figure", namely, parabole, parable or
continued simile:
"But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood,
which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: the Holy Ghost this
signifying, that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the
first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure (parabole) for the time then
present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did
the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks
and divers washings (baptismos), and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time
of reformation" (Heb. 9: 7-10).
This passage is followed immediately by the balancing revelation concerning Christ.
It is so important and so illustrative of the method we are here pursuing that we continue
our quotation, in order that this "parable" with its truth in the balance may be seen:
"But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building (ktisis,
creation); neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in
once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of
bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the
purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal
Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God" (Heb. 9: 11-14).
Here we have on the balance, the holiest of all that belonged to this creation, and the
Holiest of All, which being heaven itself, belonged to the spiritual realm. The earthly
high priest needed to offer to himself, whereas the heavenly High Priest was "holy,
undefiled, and separate from sinners", and needed not to offer for Himself as the earthly
types did, neither did He need to offer "daily".
"For this He did once, when He offered up Himself" (Heb. 7: 26, 27).
He needed not the blood of others (9: 25), He offered "His own blood" (9: 12). He
was a high priest of good things to come of which the "law" was but a `shadow" (10: 1).
The typical offerings never touched the conscience; the one offering of Christ did. So
the parallel advances, and so the Lord instructs us in this most precious truth.
If we are to spend as much time in examining every type, this series will grow beyond
reasonable dimensions, although it is possible, we may have to return to this fruitful
theme when dealing with the types alone. Here we are rather considering many and
varied examples of truth in the balance of which the types are but one important instance.
Let us consider some of the outstanding types in the Scripture, being guided in our
selection by the writers of the N.T. Firstly, let us tabulate a few typical men.
Adam, we have already seen was a "figure" of Him that was to come (Rom. 5: 14)
and the references to Adam in I Cor. 15: must be added.