Figure
What Is a Biblical Figure?
In biblical terminology, a 'figure' refers to a symbolic representation, pattern, or type that points to a greater spiritual reality. Unlike modern usage where 'figure' might simply mean a shape or number, the biblical concept carries theological weight, indicating something that stands for or corresponds to something else, particularly in the relationship between Old Testament shadows and New Testament fulfillment. The term appears in various forms throughout Scripture, translated from Hebrew words like cemel (likeness), tabhnith (form), and miqla'ath (carving), and Greek words like tupos (type/pattern) and antitupon (corresponding to a type).
Figures in the Old Testament
The Old Testament contains several categories of figures that establish patterns for understanding God's revelation. First, there are physical figures or images, such as the carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers that adorned Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:29). These artistic representations served as visual reminders of God's presence, creation, and heavenly reality. Second, there are prophetic figures where persons or events prefigure future realities. For example, Moses as deliverer prefigures Christ as the ultimate deliverer, and the Passover lamb prefigures Christ as the Lamb of God (Exodus 12:1-13; John 1:29).
God specifically warned against creating figures for worship, stating in Deuteronomy 4:16-18 that Israel should not make "the likeness of any figure" for idolatrous purposes. This prohibition highlights the distinction between legitimate symbolic representation and illegitimate idolatry. In Isaiah 44:13, the prophet critiques idol makers who shape wood "after the figure of a man," exposing the emptiness of human-made representations compared to the living God.
Figures in the New Testament
The New Testament develops the concept of figures more explicitly, particularly through the Greek word tupos (type). Paul establishes one of the most significant theological figures when he writes that Adam "is a figure of him that was to come"—that is, Christ (Romans 5:14). This typological relationship shows how the first Adam's disobedience brought sin and death into the world, while Christ (the second Adam) brought righteousness and life through his obedience.
The book of Hebrews extensively uses figurative language to explain how Old Testament institutions pointed forward to Christ. The earthly tabernacle is described as "a figure for the time then present" (Hebrews 9:9), with its structure and rituals serving as "figures of the true" heavenly reality (Hebrews 9:24). The author explains that the high priest's annual entrance into the Holy of Holies prefigured Christ's once-for-all entrance into heaven itself. Similarly, Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac becomes a figure of resurrection, as Abraham "in a figure" received Isaac back from the dead (Hebrews 11:19).
Peter continues this typological interpretation when he describes baptism as "the like figure" corresponding to Noah's ark (1 Peter 3:21). Just as eight souls were saved through water in the ark, believers are saved through the waters of baptism—not as mere physical washing but as an appeal to God for a clean conscience through Christ's resurrection.
Interpreting Biblical Figures
Proper interpretation of biblical figures requires recognizing the divinely established correspondence between type and antitype. A type (from Greek tupos) is an Old Testament person, event, or institution that God designed to prefigure a New Testament reality (the antitype). This relationship isn't merely allegorical or based on superficial resemblance but reflects God's intentional pattern of revelation throughout salvation history.
Key principles for interpreting figures include: (1) The correspondence must be divinely intended, not arbitrarily imposed by the interpreter; (2) The New Testament explicitly identifies many figures (like Adam as type of Christ); (3) Figures help illustrate theological continuity between Testaments; (4) The antitype (fulfillment) is always greater than the type that foreshadowed it.
The Significance of Figures for Biblical Understanding
Understanding biblical figures enriches our reading of Scripture by revealing the unity of God's redemptive plan. The concept shows how God prepared for Christ's coming through centuries of history, using tangible realities to point toward spiritual truths. This approach guards against both extremes of interpreting the Old Testament only literally (missing its Christ-centered fulfillment) and interpreting it only allegorically (imposing arbitrary meanings).
Figures also demonstrate God's pedagogical method—using familiar, concrete realities to teach abstract spiritual truths. The tabernacle's physical layout taught about approaching a holy God. Sacrificial rituals taught about atonement for sin. Historical events like the Exodus taught about redemption from bondage. All these served as figures that found their ultimate meaning in Christ's person and work.
For contemporary readers, recognizing biblical figures deepens appreciation for Scripture's complexity and coherence while providing a framework for understanding how the entire Bible points to Jesus. As Augustine noted, "The New Testament is in the Old concealed; the Old Testament is in the New revealed." Biblical figures represent one of the primary ways this concealment and revelation operates throughout Scripture.
Biblical Context
The concept of 'figure' appears throughout Scripture, beginning with warnings against making figures for idolatry in Deuteronomy 4:16-18. In the historical books, figures appear as carved representations in Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:29). The prophets critique idolatrous figures while using figurative language themselves. The New Testament develops the theological dimension most fully, with Paul establishing Adam as a figure of Christ (Romans 5:14), the author of Hebrews explaining how the tabernacle served as a figure of heavenly realities (Hebrews 9:9, 24), and Peter presenting baptism as a figure corresponding to Noah's ark (1 Peter 3:21). Stephen's speech in Acts 7:43 references 'figures' (images) made for worship, continuing the critique of illegitimate representations.
Theological Significance
Theologically, biblical figures demonstrate God's consistent pattern of revelation throughout salvation history. They show how God uses tangible, historical realities to point toward spiritual truths, particularly how Old Testament persons, events, and institutions prefigure Christ and New Testament realities. This establishes the unity of Scripture and reveals God's pedagogical method of preparing humanity for the fullness of revelation in Jesus. Figures teach about God's sovereignty in history, his intentional design in revelation, and the Christ-centered nature of all Scripture. They also highlight the relationship between shadow and substance, promise and fulfillment, and preparation and realization in God's redemptive plan.
Historical Background
The concept of figures or types was well-established in Jewish interpretive traditions before the New Testament era. Jewish exegetes recognized patterns (called 'typoi' in Greek-speaking Judaism) in Scripture where earlier events prefigured later ones. The New Testament authors, writing in a Greco-Roman context, used terminology familiar to both Jewish and Gentile readers—'tupos' was commonly used for patterns, models, or impressions in seals. Archaeological discoveries of ancient Near Eastern art show the kind of carved figures mentioned in 1 Kings, while findings related to Jewish synagogues reveal how figurative art was sometimes used in religious contexts despite biblical prohibitions against idolatrous images. Early Christian writers like Justin Martyr and Irenaeus further developed typological interpretation, seeing it as essential for understanding Scripture's unity.