Ⅲ
The Old Testament history is closely related to God’s economy in the way of typology—Eph. 3:9; 1 Cor. 5:7; 10:6:
A
The Old Testament is a figurative portrait of God’s eternal economy, and the New Testament is the practical fulfillment of God’s eternal economy.
B
The types from Genesis to Deuteronomy unveil the Triune God embodied in Christ as the center and circumference of His eternal economy and also unveil Christ as the blessing and everything to the Triune God’s chosen people—Deut. 8:7-11.
C
The twelve books of history from Joshua to Esther unveil the Triune God’s move in His chosen people to possess, inherit, and enjoy His promised all-inclusive Christ as the good land—Josh. 1:1-9, 13; Esth. 4:13-14.
D
The books of poetry—Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs—unveil that Christ is the unique perfection for God’s chosen people to pursue after and the unique satisfaction for God’s chosen people to obtain and enjoy—Job 42:1-5; Psa. 2:6-12; 8:1; S. S. 1:2-4; 6:1, 10, 13; 8:1, 14.
E
In the seventeen books of prophecy from Isaiah to Malachi, we see that the Triune God has become a God-man to accomplish His full redemption for the fulfillment of His eternal economy, which will consummate in the new heaven and new earth—Isa. 9:6; Rev. 21:1.
Morning Nourishment
Psa. 2:6 But I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.12 Kiss the Son lest He be angry and you perish from the way; for His anger may suddenly be kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in Him.
The figurative portrait of God’s eternal economy presented in the Old Testament spans thirty-nine books, but it is only in four sections—in types, in history, in poetry, and in prophecy. The section of types is of five books, from Genesis to Deuteronomy. The section of history is of twelve books, from Joshua to Esther. The section of poetry is of five books, from Job to Song of Songs. The section of prophecy is of seventeen books, from Isaiah to Malachi ...The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament can be divided into three “fives” and two “twelves.” There are five books of types, twelve of history, five of poetry, five of the major prophets, and twelve of the minor prophets... We want to see the intrinsic significance of these four sections of the Old Testament. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The Triune God’s Revelation and His Move,” p. 74)
Today’s Reading
The types from Genesis to Deuteronomy unveil the Triune God embodied in Christ as the center and circumference of His eternal economy. They also unveil this Christ as the blessing and everything to the Triune God’s chosen people. The twelve books of history from Joshua to Esther unveil the Triune God’s move in His chosen people to possess, inherit, and enjoy His promised all-inclusive Christ as the good land. They also unveil the failures of God’s chosen people... The record of this in the Bible is a warning to us, the church people today in the New Testament.The poetry in the Old Testament is of only five books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. They unveil that the Triune God Himself, not ethics or morality, should be man’s pursuit as his perfection. This one sentence covers the central, intrinsic revelation of Job. The Psalms unveil that this God was incarnated to be a man in the flesh to be His Anointed, who is His delight, who has been exalted by Him, and who should be received, treasured, and exalted by His chosen people. Ecclesiastes unveils that all things in the human life under the sun are vanity of vanities, and Song of Songs shows that Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God is the unique satisfaction to God’s chosen people. Thus, we should pursue God as our perfection, and we should pursue Christ as our satisfaction.
The seventeen books of prophecy from Isaiah to Malachi unveil that the Triune God embodied in Christ will come to be the God-man (Isa. 7:14; 9:6) to accomplish redemption (ch. 53) for the fulfillment of God’s eternal economy according to the preceding three categories of the books in the Old Testament. They also unveil that the accomplishment of the processed and consummated Triune God in Christ will consummate in the new heaven and new earth (65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1).
All the above points present a vivid portrait of the all-inclusive Christ in and for God’s eternal economy in the Old Testament. In types we see that Christ is the centrality and universality of God’s eternal economy and the divine blessing to all of God’s chosen people. In history we see that the all-inclusive Christ is the God-promised good land, which all of God’s chosen people should take, possess, inherit, and enjoy to the uttermost, even to the level of kingship. In poetry we see that Christ is the unique perfection for God’s chosen people to pursue and the unique satisfaction for God’s chosen people to obtain and enjoy. Then in prophecy we see that the Triune God has become a God-man to accomplish His full redemption for the fulfillment of His eternal economy, which will consummate in the new heaven and new earth. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The Triune God’s Revelation and His Move,” pp. 74-75)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The Triune God’s Revelation and His Move,” chs. 2-3

