Typology-Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns: How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ

by James M. Hamilton Jr.

Read the Bible with Fresh Eyes as You See Scripture's Promise-Shaped Patterns When you read the Bible, have you ever noticed parallels between certain people, events, and institutions? Should we understand Noah as a kind of new Adam, and if so, does that somehow point us to the second Adam? How are we to interpret these similarities? In Typology--Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns , author James M. Hamilton Jr. shows that the similarities we find in the Bible are based on genuine historical correspondence and demonstrates how we recognize them in the repetition of words and phrases, the parallels between patterns of events, and key thematic equivalences. When read in light of God's promises, these historical correspondences spotlight further repetitions that snowball on one another to build escalating significance. This book stimulates fresh thinking on the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and will help pastors, preachers, and students better understand the dynamics of inner-biblical interpretation. It explores several of the "promise-shaped patterns" we see in the Old Testament Hamilton shows that the prophets and sages of Israel learned to interpret Scripture from Moses and his writings. And by tracing the organic development of subsequent biblical patterns, he explains how these patterns created expectations that are fulfilled in Christ. Jesus himself taught his followers to understand the Old Testament in this way (Luke 24:45), and the authors of the New Testament taught the earliest followers of Jesus how to read the Bible through a typological lens. Typology--Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns equips pastors, bible teachers, students, and serious Bible readers to understand and embrace the typological interpretive perspective of the biblical authors. You will learn to read the Bible as it was intended by its original authors while cultivating a deeper love and appreciation for the Scriptures.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Biblical Studies, Religion, Christianity, Old Testament, Nonfiction

405 pages, Hardcover

Published February 22, 2022

About the author

James M. Hamilton Jr. (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of biblical theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and preaching pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church. He is the author of God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment and the Revelation volume in the Preaching the Word commentary series.

Reviews

[Matt Pitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a feast. I had the privilege of studying under Dr. Hamilton and learned a lot from his books even before that, but so much in this book was still new to me. Hamilton's approach to typology is text-driven meaning he looks for repeated words and phrases that indicate the biblical author's intention to draw attention to a connection between two or more people, events, or institutions (these three areas are each the focus of the three parts of the book). He spends the most time in Genesis (a book whose typology I thought I was sufficiently familiar with) exploring riches upon riches that only patient attention to the Hebrew text can uncover. But he ranges far and wide through the Scripture examining the exodus, the temple, correspondences between Elijah and Elisha, Isaiah, Hosea, the priesthood, marriage and much more. And of course he shows how all these things are filled up in Christ.

And chiasms. There are so many chiasms. Little chiasms and big chiasms. Chiasms in Scripture. The whole book is arranged as a chiasm. Inside the chapters there are smaller chiasms. If this book was not about typology it would be a about chiasms. If you aren't interested in typology (yet) but are interested in chiasms, this book is still for you.

Reading this book is not for the faint of heart. You will get more out of it if you can read Hebrew, but that is not required. Some books take you by the hand and lead you slowly through the fields the author wants you to explore. This one runs through the fields, calling you to run along too, pointing out wonders right and left that had somehow escaped your notice. It will cost you something to read this, but the feast Hamilton lays before us is more than worth the cost. Your efforts will be repaid in spades. (How's that for a combination of metaphors?) Take up and read. You may never read the Bible the same way again.

Note: I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of providing a fair review.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good treatment of biblical typology. Much of this is covered in other works, such as Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? and Exodus Old and New by Michael Morales; The Temple and the Church's Mission by G. K. Beale, as well as other works, especially by Hamilton himself. What Hamilton does here, however, is draw all this material together under the rubric of typology. The most important chapters are the first and the last, as they discuss the principles of typology at both the micro and macro levels. The material in between has a fair amount of repetition, but the student new to this will not regret it. Among other things, I found his treatment of Rahab's scarlet cord particularly helpful. Given his fascination with chiasm (the book itself is structured as a chiasm, I found it odd that he made no reference to David Dorsey's The Literary Structure of the Old Testament, which deals extensively with chiastic structures. As with the chiasms of Dorsey, not all of Hamilton's chiasm are convincing. However, I highly recommend the book itself.

[Becky Pliego · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good even though I found it more difficult than the other books I’ve read by the same author
-though I am to blame, not him. However, I’m happy to say that I pressed on and finished it, and I’m glad I did.

[Jonathan Ginn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read a pre-publication copy of this book in the fall for a PhD seminar led by Dr. Hamilton. Review and rating to come following the book's publication.

*Update* 2/1/22
If I could, I'd give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. It's probably the best book on typology I've read. Hamilton lays out clearly defined criteria and guidelines for doing typology in a careful, responsible manner, and then proceeds to demonstrate his methodology with admirable gusto and compelling textual support. The approach he advances for discerning authorially intended typological patterns and developments is both persuasive and balanced, and the exciting typological connections he draws illustrate the beautiful interconnectedness of the Scriptures in an eye-opening way. More than anything else, Hamilton's earnest love for God's Word is impossible to miss and irresistibly infectious. This is an excellent book on a controversial and oft-misunderstood area of biblical studies. Highly recommended.

My one, minor complaint is that some of the chapters were structured in an odd way that didn't fully work or flow for me at times. I love chiasms as much as the next person, and many of the ones Hamilton offers are quite helpful and elucidating. But when they're applied to the organizational scheme of this book and its chapters, they can sometimes come off a bit forced.

[Gwilym Davies]

I'm totally on board with the project. Like everything I've read from Jim Hamilton, it's a great resource, gathering all sorts of excellent insights and exegetical hard work. The argument is that the typological structures in the Old Testament arise out of the self-conscious reflection of the Old Testament authors. I'm on board.

That said, I thought the execution was quite fussy. It's all structured in chiasms, and I'm not sure that they really served the argument (either of the individual chapters, or the whole book). The result that there were lots of detail level 'aha' moments, but it was hard to keep momentum in reading the book. Once or twice, the accounts of 'what the Old Testament authors were thinking' strayed into a slightly speculative register that would probably give a bit of ammunition to the opponents of intentionalism. And so although I'm enormously grateful for the book, and although I'll surely benefit from having it on my shelf as a reference guide to vast swathes of hard, compelling work, I didn't find it very easy to read.

[Brett McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to read it through once. And probably read it again. And then keep it on your shelf as a resource to consult often. When you grasp what Hamilton is doing in this book it will change the way you read the biblical canon forever. In a good way. 🙂

[Andrew Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Hamilton loves chiasms. He loves chiasms so much that he occasionally finds chiasms in places that I can’t even wrap my mind around. But when I can follow the chiastic structures that he proposes, it is both incredibly insightful and devotional.

I’m not going to lie, this book is dense. There’s a lot of content and it’s going to be really hard to retain all of the insights in this book. But it’s absolutely worth reading and keeping as a reference for a few reasons:
• Jim Hamilton does an excellent job of explaining macro and especially micro-level textual indicators that we can use to determine what the biblical authors were intending to communicate to their audience (which is just a super helpful skill to have in general when reading Scripture).
• There are incredible insights in this book concerning the motifs of prophets, priests, kings, righteous sufferers, creation, exodus, sacrificial system, and marriage. Spoiler alert: They all ultimately point to Christ.
• The devotional payoff of chewing through this book is well worth the effort.

[Josiah Schrodt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all the books I’ve read, this may be top 5. It was marvelous. We need more people that will love the Bible and the God of the Bible like our brother Jim Hamilton.

[Rui Cadima · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far the best book I've read on Typology. Hamilton REALLY knows his Bible and you can tell.

Just like with his other book, "God's Glory in Salvation Through Judgement", this book almost serves as a commentary on many books and passages in the Bible. It's a great fountain of biblical knowledge and wisdom. I am sure that many of his words will find their way into my sermons and chats.

Also, I really appreciate Hamilton's respect for proper exegesis that takes into account both the divine and the human author of the Scriptures. It is quite easy to focus on one at the expense of the other!

Now, the book isn't perfect. It is quite dense in some places. And, similarly to "God's Glory in Salvation through Judgement", I feel like Hamilton sometimes assumes his point more than he proves it. I wasn't convinced by some of his typological links, perhaps because I haven't thought about them properly.

However, the biggest problem of the book is its structure. You can tell Hamilton loves chiasms because he structures his whole book as a chiasm and then each chapter itself is a chiasm and they sometimes have chiasms as their subpoints! I just found the whole thing somewhat bloated and confusing, particularly the last chapter. It is supposed to be a conclusion to the book but it's far from it. It's just a really long chapter that basically summarises the book of Genesis. It contains (you guessed it!) a chiastic structure and argues for a chiastic structure for Genesis itself. Argh, it just felt like such a chore to read that after 330 pages of dense material! I still don't really understand the reasoning behind finishing the book with this chapter apart from pandering to the supposed chiastic structure of Hamilton's book!
This has been a big rant. My point is this: DON'T structure an actual book as a chiasm!

All of this being said, I have learned a lot from Hamilton and he is one of my go-to theologians. Read this! It will help you immensely. But be ready for chiasms galore...

[Adam Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hamilton reverse engineers the acorn from the oak by arguing that God made promises and that the Bible was written with those promises in view. The result is promise-shaped patterns. Moses was the first to do this, and other biblical authors noticed the patterns and did the same. The culmination of this is Christ.

From having been a 1st grader in a church play called Acorns to Oaks to having finished Hamilton’s Typology, I can now say that I have a better understanding of the acorns and the oak, and it’s a beautiful thing.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! I can’t think of any better way to describe this book. For that matter, I’m glad to see it come along. It’s really needed. So many of the books on typology I’ve encountered have only been a listing and description of the author’s favorite types however fanciful they might be. Usually, for the record, they were extremely fanciful. In many cases, several of the types discussed had never been thought of by anyone else before. There’s you a red flag. Because of these excesses, many cast a suspicious eye at all types. What we needed was a work championing legitimate types while explaining some criteria to determine that legitimacy. This book steps into that gap and shines.

James Hamilton is an ideal author to tackle this subject. To be honest, I’ve become quite enamored with him since I was blown away by a recent commentary on the Psalms he did. His reverence and love of Scripture is almost an anomaly in the scholarly world. Others like him walk gingerly around these issues. Not him. For him, the Bible is a book to be trusted that can speak for itself.

Specific to this title, he sees clear authorial intent behind typology. These types weren’t random, nor were they worked out by us later. They were originally intended. Rather than finding them, we have more often lost them as we have gotten away from seeing the brilliant design behind biblical writings. In chapter one he shows these micro-level clues. Mainly we offers historical correspondence followed by escalation in significance as these types recur. He then tells us how to spot that historical correspondence by catching key terms, quotations, repeating of sequences of events, and similarity in salvation-historical or covenantal import ( his words). Finally, and I was expecting it all along, he adds “God-ordained” to his author-intended historical correspondence. I agree right down the line.

In something of a quirky design, he suggests that you read the last chapter next. You’d better. He organizes his material in this book as a chiasm. He rightly contends that that is a common design in the Bible and, I guess, he wants to show us what it looks like and that he knows how to do. Read the last chapter second and then go back to chapter two and the chiasm will be no detriment to you at all. That last chapter flips the promise-shaped typology discussion to the macro level.

Chapters 2-6 are types involving key persons while 7-10 are of key events. He takes what he showed us in chapters one and eleven and works out the clues that prove that these are the author-intended types in the Bible. The connections he mines are so rich that we finally get the types that will open up the Bible as God intended. Mark this book down as a must-have. You’ll, for sure, be the loser if you let this one get by you.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Lawson Hembree · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating book! In it, Hamilton makes the case that the biblical authors, beginning with Moses and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, intentionally wrote their material in line with certain “promise-shaped patterns.” This is commonly referred to as typology: “Typology is God-ordained, author-intended historical correspondence and escalation in significance between people, events, and institutions across the Bible’s redemptive-historical story.”

The book is structured as a chiasm, beginning and ending with evidence for and indicators of purposeful intent by Scripture’s authors to utilize typology: “If we are to read the Scriptures such that our readings are valid, our readings must align with the normative interpretations provided by the biblical authors themselves.” It then dives into typological examples in three categories: persons, events, and institutions. In doing so, each chapter provides depth to the connections between the Old and New Testaments. Hamilton’s careful scholarship and passion for helping his readers understand Scripture is evident on every page.

As you read this book, you can’t help but be in awe of the beauty and wisdom of God in how He has orchestrated human history and communicated to us through His Word. This book will not only help you to better appreciate the themes and arrangement of the Bible, but more importantly will fuel a deeper love for God and all that He has done for us in Christ—all of which was foreshadowed in the Old Testament and escalated in the New Testament.

[Parker Haines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typology is an incredible introduction to biblical typology. Before taking Hamilton's class and coming into contact with the ideas in this book, I think I had a pretty truncated view of typology and the bible's use of it. Hamilton here demonstrates how from Genesis to Revelation, we see certain patterns in the people, events, and institutions that God has used to bring about his redemptive purposes. Understanding these typological patterns is a critical tool for understanding the bible and provides a richness to the bible that is incredibly valuable.

For example, Hamilton labors to show how the theme of Exodus is a typological pattern, shown most clearly in the exodus from Egypt, promised again in the profits while the Jews are in exile, and finally fulfilled in Christ via his victorious death, burial, and restriction, setting free a host of captives and accomplishing the ultimate exodus from sin and death. (I will never read John chapter 6 the same).

The only thing holding this book back from 5 stars is that it is extremely technical. I don't imagine it will be accessible to most readers.

[Michael G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much liked this book, and enjoyed reading through it. It is something that in future I will come back to. I can see myself, if I suspect a pattern or a type in the Bible passages I am reading, opening up this book to the scripture references, and then seeing if there are patterns.

I have some criticisms. One is that I find the chiasm format of the book unnecessary and annoying, and a pale imitation of Biblical chiasms. The author did not need to do this, and arguably we would be better off if he had stuck to a typical format for modern day English readers (as in, introduction-point 1-2-3-4-5-summary).

The other is that I am not always convinced that a pattern or a type is at play. Sometimes there is. Perhaps often there is. But not always. This guy is far more of an expert than I am! But like chiasms, sometimes we think something is there, when it is not. I'm not convinced that every pattern he thinks is there, is in fact there. I'm just a bit cautious on this.

These criticisms do not devalue the book's worth and usefulness, which is considerable.

[Grant Carter]

Should be called, "I like to use chiasms for every facet of life." Scope too large imo. Happy to be done.

[Simon Ussher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional. Will read again.

[Cale Fauver · Rating 5 out of 5]

At times, I struggled to push through (due to my own comprehension). But like mining, you might find diamonds. And this remarkable book has plenty.

[Asher Hougo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely amazing, rad book! Hamilton's understanding of the Old Testament blew me away, and I enjoyed his analysis of promise-shaped typology. This book takes you on the wildest typological adventure, and I'm all for it!

[Daniel Lieber · Rating 4 out of 5]

My inspiration for reading this book began when my church began a series preaching through the Gospel of Matthew. If you know me, I am a very strong proponent of historical-grammatical hermeneutics which seeks to understand the original authorial intent of writing and speech. I would suggest that to the extent we attempt to communicate effectively with each other in everyday life, we all subscribe to this set of hermeneutics in daily life interactions. You could imagine in the opening chapters that when Matthew quotes several Old Testament verses as being “fulfilled” by Jesus, I was very disturbed to discover those passages were not speaking about the future at all and were instead alluding to Israel’s history. Was Matthew misinterpreting the OT and/or manipulating the original intent of the authors? Would this undermine our claim to his inspiration and consequently also undermine the infallible truth claims of the Bible?

At this time, I was introduced to a term I had heard before but never understood with clarity: typology. This seems to be what Matthew meant to communicate when speaking of the Old Testament verses in relation to Christ. Indeed, Matthew’s Jewish audience would have been far too familiar with OT scripture to be fooled into believing a new and inaccurate re-interpretation of authorial intent. The original authors did not intentionally speak those verses with Christ in mind. However, the verses do provide parallel imagery and connotations that Matthew adopts to accurately describe the life of Christ. This is not merely a presumptuous hypothesis, it is a practice explicitly explained by the other Apostles in their writings (Romans 5:14, 1 Corinthians 10:11) and littered throughout the entirety of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. This book explores with incredible detail and scope the examples and use of these parallels throughout scripture.

Basil of Caesarea’s definition of typology is cited in the book’s footnotes and I find it to be quite helpful when he says, “Typology points out what is to be expected, indicating through imitation of what is to happen before it happens.” This certainly appears to be how the historicity of “types” function in God’s providence. Hamilton alludes to a similar concept when he says, “When we understand the dynamic between the promises and the patterns, indeed, the way the promises shaped the patterns, we see that the patterns are understood to typify future fulfillment because they have been shaped by the promises.”

Still, I think the definition can be further simplified. While the author would likely argue that the definition involves more than I will state, I’d like to attempt to communicate this concept simply. I want to stick to creating a category that I can clearly and definitively substantiate. Therefore, I suggest the following definition: Typology is studying the use of the vocabulary/imagery of past events to describe a present or future reality. It is important to note that allusions to past types do not change what they were in history. They take what was true in history and use it as an illustration to make a point about a new truth.

So, when New Testament authors like Matthew enlist the imagery and connotations of Old Testament scripture, they are essentially telling the story of the New Testament through the lens of the Old Testament. Even in Old Testament prophecies like Isaiah 53, the future promise is proclaimed in old and familiar terms using imagery from the patriarchs, Torah and psalms.

While types are used to speak of many people, events or concepts in the Bible, they are very clearly used to speak to the truth and identity of Jesus. Jesus Christ is the ultimate man described as a new and better Adam (Romans 5:18-19). He is the ultimate prophet speaking for God as He is one with the Father (John 10:30) and as the very radiance of the Father’s glory (Hebrews 1:3) revealing the Father in himself (John 14:9) full of grace and truth (John 1:14,17). He is the ultimate Priest able to make complete intercession for us and save to the uttermost (Hebrews 7). He is the ultimate King who reigns over all of the creation being Himself referred to as the King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 19:16) and the one to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given (Matthew 28:18). He refers to himself and is referred to as a temple (John 2:19) which He embodies perfectly as the holy incarnate dwelling place of God, not by adoption of divinity but by veiling divinity in humanity for our sake. He provides the ultimate exodus from bondage, one first illustrated by Moses but ultimately illustrated by Christ’s provision of liberation from sin (Romans 6). We see this further illustrated when Jesus takes the Passover meal in remembrance of the exodus from Egypt and gives it a new meaning remembering our deliverance from sin through the sacrifice of His body and blood. These are all descriptions of the truth of who Christ is in biblical vocabulary and imagery.

This book is extremely helpful to the extent that it points out biblical narrative parallelisms, word repetitions, and allusions that reveal the biblical authors’ messianic expectations and the historically contextual lens by which they communicate/describe those expectations and their fulfillment. Some examples of these remarkable patterns include but are nowhere near being limited to the following:

• Melchizedek means “King of Righteousness”. He is also King of Salem (early Jerusalem) which means King of “Peace”. He is also said to be a King-Priest. He also brings out bread and wine to pronounce a blessing over Abram in honor of God delivering him in battle over the Kings who took Lot captive. Jesus is also said to be a King who is righteous and brings peace. This parallel is explicitly made in Hebrews 7:1-3. Jesus is our King and High Priest who has been given all authority by the Father and mediates with Him on our behalf. The bread and wine seemingly parallel the Passover supper remembering God’s deliverance in the Exodus and also the Lord’s Supper in which we remember the triumphal deliverance from sin through atonement Christ made by the sacrifice of His body and blood.

• The repetition of “be fruitful and multiply” and “I will establish my covenant” language as indication of God’s reaffirmation of the promised seed of the woman destined to “crush the head of the serpent” through the line of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Israel as a whole. The continuation of blessing and promise through them all recalls the prior blessings and promises and anticipates their ultimate culmination in Jesus Christ who fulfills the criteria of all the promises.

• Cursing as identification of the seed of the Serpent. Just as the Serpent is cursed, so too is Cain. So too is Canaan who is the son of Ham who sinned against Noah. So too are all who are opposed to Abraham (Genesis 12:3).

• A pattern of priestly function whereby Adam “mediates the knowledge of the creator God to all creation” which is then taken up by Israel who is said by God to be a “kingdom of priests” in Exodus 19:6 which then finds ultimate completion in the sanctified body of Christ which we call the church and the Apostle Peter refers to as a royal and holy “priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5,9). Again, Christ is the High-Priest of this priesthood as alluded to in Hebrews.

• Prior to the Kings, only priests were anointed with oil, so the anointing of Saul and David according to the command of God as well as David’s wearing of the ephod (a garment of the high priest) seemingly indicate an inauguration of a priest-king office (albeit one separate from and respectful of the Levitical temple priest office) that is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

• Zechariah’s prophecy of the coming future King (9:9) says that he will be righteous and having salvation. He will also be humble and to illustrate this point he says he will be mounted on a donkey. This illustration of humility appears to be drawn from King Solomon’s coronation when David commands Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah and their servants (1 Kings 1:32-35) to have Solomon ride David’s mule down to Gihon to be anointed and declared King. However, we see this illustration repeated and culminated in Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem upon a donkey on Palm Sunday emphasizing the coming of the humble King to the City of Peace.

• The line of the seed of the woman/seed of promise is a long line of shepherds. Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David are all shepherds and Ezekiel 34 speaks of a day when God will raise up a good Shepard for his people. Jesus Christ who comes from this same line of men says that He is that good shepherd (John 10).

• In Numbers 21:4-9, God has Moses make a bronze serpent set on a pole. After having sinned and being plagued by serpents, the Israelites are instructed to look upon the serpent to live after being bitten. In John 3:14, Jesus makes the explicit connection with this story and says so too “must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” While the phrase “lifted up” calls back to the event in the wilderness with Moses, it looks forward to what would take place when Jesus was lifted up on a cross.

I will note, some of the connections identified in this book are more inferential than others and then further conclusions are made of those inferences. Consequently, there are a lot of sections in this book where I will read about a connection and think it is interesting but lack confidence to apply it in some significant way to my theology. This is usually because I’m not as ready to use these spiritual parallels alluded to in one text as a hermeneutic (interpretive rule) for interpreting the meaning of another text where the allusion is not as explicit (IE: when Isaiah makes allusions that imply the new creation is like God’s temple, Hamilton then says Ezekiel’s vision of a physical temple with precise measurements must be interpreted symbolically). I think the author does a good job of defining his methodology and setting boundaries for himself in the beginning of the book, but a book of this length and scope probably inevitably pushes those boundaries from time to time. When studying these patterns with such minute detail, it is difficult to restrain oneself from beginning to interpret patterns that aren’t actually there which is why a strict set of hermeneutics is important.

While this book takes some perseverance to get through due to its wide scope and extensive cross-referencing, it is a rewarding read. It primes our mind to look out for familiar images — particularly in the Apostles’ writings — to give us a more rich and accurate understanding of what they intend to teach us. I also think that while there are numerous objective arguments in favor of biblical truth (IE: the incredible unity and consistency across many authors over +1,000 years, its necessity and consistency with logic as explored greatly by Aquinas, the unparalleled transmission and preservation of manuscripts, the logical inconsistencies/impossibilities of alternatives), this study of typology provides a comforting and powerful subjective argument in its favor. The complexity and interconnectedness of people, places and events throughout the biblical narrative is absolutely stunning. Either these biblical writers were unquestionably the most brilliant storytellers who have ever lived, or they were providentially guided in beautifully communicating the truth of God’s purpose and work in the world. My conviction is that both are actually true.

[Jon Cheek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. See my full review here.

[Mike Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is incredibly helpful to give a more extensive treatment of how the main themes in the Bible develop from Old to New Testament. Every Christian believes in this pattern of development or change between the testaments, which is why none of them sacrifice animals for their sins. Hamilton does a great job showing how other themes evolve: temple, king, land, priests, exodus, etc. A knowledge of this trajectory in the Bible is an essential tool for understanding the OT.

I do feel as though some of Hamilton’s discussions were a bit too lengthy. Also, in true Hamilton fashion, each chapter is structured as a chiasm. The problem with this approach is that he puts the christological fulfillment in the middle of some chapters, and at the end of others, which may not aid the readers in each case. As an academic book, expect some Hebrew and Greek to be mentioned, but it is not necessary to understand the book.

[Joas van Dis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prachtig boek!
Hamilton gaat uitvoerig in op de gelaagde literaire structuur van herhaalde thematiek, beloften en profetieën in de Bijbel. De verschillende vooruitwijzingen naar Jezus — als de Tweede Adam, priester naar de orde van Melchizedek en de Lijdende Knecht — worden vanuit diverse invalshoeken belicht en zorgvuldig onderbouwd. De chiastische structuur die Hamilton hanteert, brengt de boodschap op indrukwekkende wijze naar voren.
Een boek om vaker naar terug te komen.

[Joel King · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who are non-scholars, the reading at some points can feel a bit daunting. Regardless, Hamilton is a wonderful teacher, and his passion for the Old Testament is evident. This would certainly be helpful for anyone wanting to see Christ throughout the Old Testament.

[Jordan Payne]

“The one to whom the Scriptures point, whose coming we await, is the true and better Adam, bridegroom and beloved. He is the great priest over the heavenly house of God, giving us the new and living way by which we draw near. Our prophet like Moses, by whom God accomplished the fulfillment of the exodus. The king of God’s creation, he is the righteous sufferer, who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree. His praise will know no end.”

[Allen Mandap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth every page! Easily one of my favorite books. Definitely will read it again.

[Matthew Bonzon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent!

[Connor Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[George Mayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamilton gave me a lot of new insight into typology and I greatly appreciate his perspective that the biblical authors understood and built upon the scriptures that were written before them. Given the perspicuity of scripture I think this is correct. I still think Hamilton stretches a little in points and makes some connections that might not be there. He's also a little too infatuated with chiasms. For maximum benefit definitely read this with a Bible in front of you.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whereas many books draw from the Scriptures to produce a thoughtful consideration of life and doctrine, this book leads the reader back into the Scriptures to savor the glorious promise-shaped patterns found within. Although I find many reasons to recommend this book, the recommendation I find myself giving to my friends is that this book heightens your delight of God's Word. Hamilton does not just walk the reader through these types, he walks the reader through the text, highlighting the textual correspondence and escalation so that the typological connections come exploding off the pages of Scripture. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

[Lucas Bradburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal. Treasures on every page. Hamilton's discussion of the levitical priesthood in Jeremiah 33:18 is worth the price of the book. Found his discussion of Proverbs 30:4 to be extremely insightful as well. Highly recommended!