Types and Shadows of the Old Testament

by Patrick D Degn, David S. Christensen

Some things simply matter more than others. In the eternal scheme of things, the Lord's system of salvation is the most profound and important truth for us to know and understand. Central to that plan is the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Ultimately, every type, shadow, and symbol in the gospel plan points our souls to Christ, as He points our souls to the Father," write religious scholars Patrick D. Degn and David S. Christensen. That is true even of the types and shadows in the Old Testament, which the authors explore in this thoughtful book. Skillfully complementing Old Testament insights with other Restoration scriptures and teachings from modern-day prophets, the authors show how these truths apply to us today. Each chapter is tied to specific books and stories of the Old Testament, making this volume a helpful resource for gospel teachers as well as anyone who wants to better understand the plan of salvation and the scriptures.

Genres: Religion

288 pages, Hardcover

Published January 2, 2018

Reviews

[Brett Folkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors do an excellent job of selecting a number of well know Old Testament stories and providing thoughtful insights on how they can be related to our Savior Jesus Christ, our journey here through mortality and personal understanding and teachings from the types and shadows in scripture. It's written at a fairly basic level, so it's accessible to a broad range of readers. You'll find some real gems and insights that you likely haven't considered before. As with all types, shadows, metaphors and myths, there is no right or wrong interpretation and in fact, there are usually multiple layers of interpretation based on where we are in our own quest for God. I really enjoyed the book and pondering on other possible meanings sparked by the text.

[Heather S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book helpful for teaching the Old Testament to a Gospel Doctrine class this year. It’s helped keep the class discussion focused on seeing Christ in the scriptures, as well as adding insight into Hebrew culture and history, and symbolism of numbers.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very well done: well-researched, well written, and clearly explained. The author highlights a character or two or three from the Old Testament in each chapter as well as gives ample historical background, religious tradition, and Hebrew translations to help us understand the text more fully.
Degn's main theme is how the Old Testament symbolizes Christ, which he refers to consistently throughout his discussions. In his discussions, he also draws on insight from modern LDS church leaders' comments on various biblical stories.
Degn does admit, in the conclusion, that his book is not the definitive say on the symbols of the Old Testament or complete in its coverage.
I enjoyed learning about the Jewish feasts, parallels between Old Testament and New Testament, and the insight we get from Hebrew versions of the text. This book is hard to summarize so I wasn't able to add much to the notes in my scriptures but I hope to remember the more salient points!

[Darin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Don’t know, like another reviewer mentioned, that I necessarily learned anything new, but I like how the book was organized. I probably would have gotten more out of it by buying the book, and then looking up each scripture and marking passages and making notes, but I checked it out from my library, and needed to return it. A worthwhile read!

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Not my favorite format. Too much regurgitation of scriptures and very little authentic writing. Some interesting facts came to light but most of this was not new to me.

[Lynette Doelling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The chapter of Ruth has given me a whole new meaning of women in the scriptures. The symbolism ideas of this book are beautifully illustrated.