Ezekiel Bread

 
Here in America, grocery stores sell a bread called Ezekiel Bread. You may have bought it, or at least you're familiar with it. The package even quotes Ezek 4:9

Ezek 4:9 Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself.

 

 

The package also says "The Live Grain Difference" and "Sprouted 100% Whole grain Bread". Ezekiel nowhere says that the grains should be sprouted. We'll see later that would be a problem. Some people describe it like it's a Biblical superfood.

 

"Ezekiel bread isn't your average loaf. This is a homemade Ezekiel bread recipe packed with life-literally-because it's made from sprouted grains and legumes. The idea comes straight from the Bible." .smartestrecipes [1], superfoodly [2]

Not really. Ezekiel does not give a recipe, just a list four grains and two legumes, but nothing about sprouting them, or proportions of ingredients. I find ambiguity about the type of beans and conflicting translations of the word spelt.

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If you like this (or not), check out my other articles at the
Between The Ears BLOG INDEX, with titles and summaries.

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Context

While Ezekiel Bread may be good for you, the marketing misses the point of what the bread was for. It was the bread Ezekiel was to eat during a mock siege of Jerusalem. Let's look at the context.

Ezek 4:1 "Now you, son of man, get yourself a brick, place it before you, and inscribe a city on it-Jerusalem¹. 2 Then lay siege against it, build a siege wall, pile up an assault ramp, set up camps, and place battering rams against it all around. 3 Then get yourself an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city, and direct your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel².

¹ The brick was more like a clay tile 1ft x 2ft - esword [3] (Treasury of Scripture Knowledge), and Ezekiel probably drew a map or a picture of Jerusalem on it while it is still soft.

Mock Siege

² Then he created a diorama of a besieged city around the tile, complete with walls, ramps and camps, battering rams, etc.  It reminds me of boys playing soldiers with green plastic toy soldiers. As kids, we just called them army men.

Ezekiel himself takes the Lord's part in the drama, with an iron plate between him and the city, like an impenetrable barrier between Israel and God. crossway [4]

By commanding Ezekiel to live out the ration publicly, God turns the prophet into a living sermon-much like Hosea's marriage (Hosea 1:2) or Isaiah's children's names (Isaiah 8:18). The message is unavoidable: if the righteous prophet must live on (meager) bread and water, how much more will the unrepentant city? biblehub [5]

Continuing in verse 4.

Ezek 4:4 "Then you are to lie down on your left side and put the wrongdoing of the house of Israel on it; you shall bear their wrongdoing for the number of days that you lie on it. 5 For I have assigned you a number of days corresponding to the years of their wrongdoing, 390 days; so you shall bear the wrongdoing of the house of Israel. 6 When you have completed these days, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the wrongdoing of the house of Judah¹; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for each year. 7 Then you shall direct your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it. 8 Now behold, I will put ropes around you so that you cannot turn from your one side to your other until you have completed the days of your siege.

¹ "bear their wrongdoing (or punishment)" - This may not necessarily require the prophet to adopt this position twenty-four hours a day; very likely he laid down daily for a period of time in a public spot and then returned home in the evening - [4].

So Ezekiel is to bear Israel's wrongdoing and then Judah's wrongdoing for the number of days that he lies on on his side, 390 days for Israel, 40 days for Judah.

Back To Bread

Now returning to Ezekiel's bread in verse 9.

Ezek 4:9 "But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself; you shall eat it according to the number of the days that you lie on your side, 390 days. 10 Your food which you eat shall be twenty shekels a day by weight; you shall eat it from time to time¹. 11 The water you drink shall be a sixth of a hin by measure; you shall drink it from time to time². 12 You shall eat it as a barley cake, having baked it in their sight³ over [human] dung." 13 Then the LORD said, "In this way the sons of Israel will eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will scatter them." 14 But I said, "Oh, Lord GOD! Behold, I have never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by animals, nor has any unclean meat ever entered my mouth!" 15 Then He said to me, "See, I will give you cow's dung in place of human dung, so that you may prepare your bread over it." 16 Moreover, He said to me, "Son of man, behold, I am going to break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and drink water by measure and in horror, 17 because bread and water will be scarce; and they will tremble with one another and waste away in their guilt.

¹ bread - 20 shekels a day by weight, from time to time. This is about eight ounces per day, maybe four slices of modern bread. "From time to time" means don't eat it all at once, space it out on a schedule.

Four of these

² water - a sixth of a hin by measure. This is about 2 1/2 cups per day, again space it out on a schedule. Toilets use 1.6 gallons of water per flush - that's 10 days water rations.

Ezekiel'sDaily Ration

³ barley cake - barley cakes were typically unleavened - barleycakes [6]. Remember the five barley loaves and two fishes (Jn 6:1-15)? Store bought Ezekiel bread is leavened, the ingredients include "fresh yeast". Only wheat has enough gluten to make a loaf that rises, which is why wheat was the preferred grain - it makes softer lighter bread. But barley and other grains grow in conditions that wheat cannot, and those grains have nutrients that wheat alone does not have. Barley is sometimes called the grain of the poor.

 

 

 

 

 

The word bake here means a round cake "baked" on a hearth or stone - lexiconcordance(H5746) [7], not in an oven.

(Skip 13 - 15. Finish reading 16 &17)

 

I got interested in Ezekiel Bread because I ran across YouTube videos about it, and they had recipes. But one of the videos (Grains and Grit) did caution why Ezekiel made this bread, so I began researching it - Brother Anselm [8], YT(Grains and Grit) [9] and Site(Grains and Grit) [10], Medieval Way [11].

 

 Ezekiel Bread is bread of starvation. Verse 17 says that bread and water will be scarce. The combination of grains and legumes provide more nutrients than any single grain, meaning it will sustain you, but just barely, and only if you ration it. The blend also stretches the supplies while Jerusalem is under siege, which is over a year.

Sprouting the grains may improve the nutrition level, but when water is also being rationed, I doubt they would use it to sprout grains*. Also, thick soft (leavened) loaves  require an oven, more time, and more firewood than a flat cake on a griddle, which can be cooked in a few minutes.

 

 

Sprouted Barley

*Sprouting grain is called malting, the most familiar example is barley malt used in beer or whiskey making, as well as malted milk. Other grains can be malted as well - wheat, millet, spelt, rye, oatmeal, corn. The grain is soaked in several changes of fresh water, then kept moist for about a week while it sprouts. Finally it is dried over low heat for a day or two. I doubt that a city under siege could spare the water and firewood to malt their grain.

Malted Milk

Mmm. Beer.

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

390 Days Plus 40 Days

One big aspect of chapter 4 is the repeated reference to Ezekiel lying on his left side for 390 days, then lying on his right side for forty days. Ezekiel is to bear their wrongdoing of Israel corresponding to 390 years of their wrongdoing, then bear the wrongdoing of the house of Judah 40 days; Ezek 4:6 actually says a day for a year.

Mock Siege 390 Days

It seems like we could map these years to events in Bible history. The problem is knowing what events to start and stop counting. No Bible events seem to line up 390 years apart. One logical time period would be from the division of Israel after Solomon until the northern kingdom went into exile.

The House of Israel, their kingdom lasted for only 207 years. The House of Judah was in existence for 344 years, but which 40 years of iniquity was Ezekiel referring to? Randy Nettles [12]

How about working backwards from the fall of Jerusalem? And why would the fall of Jerusalem be the fault of the northern kingdom?

Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 BC and Rehoboam's reign started in 931 BC -- 344 years, not 390. 2001translation [13]

One source says

The period of 390 years began in the time of Luther when he discovered a copy of the Holy Bible in 1500. bible-prophecies [14] (I'm not persuaded)

Another source says

The Septuagint gives 190 instead of 390, and that 190 years is in the future - Wulfstein [15].

The UCG Bible Commentary sums it up like this.

The meaning of the 390 and 40 years is not entirely clear. There are numerous difficulties here. For instance, we aren't told when the count of years begins or ends in either case. And it is not clear whether we should count backwards or forwards.
As for the 40 years for Judah, this too is uncertain. UCG-bible [16]

Final Remarks

I'm not saying don't buy grocery store Ezekiel Bread. Buy it if you like it. One point I want to make is that it is not a Biblical superfood, it is the bread of starvation. Looking at the context reveals a different picture than the marketing and advertising.

Another point is that since we don't know the events that begin the 390 years or the 40 years, we don't know if this prophecy was fulfilled in ancient times, or whether it lies in the future. We do know the prophecy that Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies (Lk 21:20), maybe the siege will occur then.

Ezekiel "Crackers"

I've made some Ezekiel bread based on my current understanding.  I made flour from the four grains and two legumes, guessed at proportions, added salt and water, but no oil or leavening, and fried (baked) them dry on an electric lefse griddle, close to but not quite the Ezekiel way (I did not bake it over dung). I made a soft version and a crisp, cracker version. Many people sampled them after church one day, and to my surprise, nearly all of them liked it. They described it tasting like a whole wheat pita bread or whole wheat cracker. If you're curious to try Ezekiel bread, you'll have to make your own. The recipes on YouTube use a high percentage of wheat plus leavening, which I don't think matches the starvation bread described by Ezekiel. I have included  my recipe  (SEE BELOW), you can vary the ingredient ratios as long as you use all six grains/legumes.  You can also vary the amount of water to make a pancake batter consistency or a stiff dough. And I hope that no one EVER needs to know how to make Ezekiel bread.

 References

 

1. https://www.smartestrecipes.com/ezekiel-bread-recipe/
2. https://superfoodly.com/is-ezekiel-bread-gluten-free/
3. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/tsk/ezekiel-4.html
4. https://www.crossway.org/articles/did-a-prophet-really-lay-on-his-side-for-more-than-a-year-ezekiel-4/
5. https://biblehub.com/ezekiel/4-11.htm
6. https://biblehub.com/topical/b/barley-cake.htm
7. http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/5746.html
8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5vDLQeVecg             Brother Anselm
9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI9VqAj07Fg             YT(Grains and Grit)
10. https://grainsandgrit.com/ezekial-bread-recipe                 Site(Grains and Grit)
11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRG0vZNMKyg     Medieval Way
12. https://www.raptureready.com/2024/07/13/the-390-and-40-years-of-ezekiel-44-6-by-randy-nettles
13. https://commentaries.2001translation.org/390-years
14. https://www.bible-prophecies.org/from-the-prophecy-of-ezekiel-chapter-4/
15. https://wulfstein.org/2025/01/26/ezekiel-timeline-190-40-years-2/
16. https://bible.ucg.org/bible-commentary/Ezekiel/Mock-siege-against-Jerusalem/

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Ezekiel Bread Recipe

I looked at these two videos to get an idea of proportions of the six ingredients. They range from 45% to 60% wheat. I kept wheat as the largest proportion, but only about 30% by weight. Future experiments will use less wheat flour.

 
The Only Bread Recipe God Ever Gave -- Straight From the Bible
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5vDLQeVecg        Brother Anselm

Ezekial Fasting Bread Recipe | What the Bible ACTUALLY Says About Ezekial Bread (sic)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI9VqAj07Fg            Grains and Grit
https://grainsandgrit.com/ezekial-bread-recipe

This video gives flour to water ratio as 2 to 1, I found 3 to 1 was more workable. It also gives cooking instructions. 

The 2-Ingredient Medieval Flatbread You Cook in JUST 5 Minutes 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRG0vZNMKyg&t=3s

 

 

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Ingredients for 1 cup dough

28g - 4 Tbl wholewheat
16g - 2 Tbl barley
15g - 1.7 Tbl spelt
11g - 1 Tbl millet
11g - 1 Tbl lentil
7g - 1 Tbl Besan aka gram flour*
1+g - 1/4 tsp salt
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Total: 88g = 10.7 Tbl = 2/3 cup flours
60g - 80g (1/4 - 1/3 cup) water
____________________________________
Ingredients for 3 cups dough

84g - 3/4 cup (12 Tbl) wholewheat
48g - 6 Tbl barley
45g - 5 Tbl spelt
33g - 3 Tbl millet
33g - 3 Tbl lentil
21g - 3 Tbl Besan aka gram flour*
5g - 3/4 tsp salt
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Total: 264g = 32 Tbl = 2 cups flours
158g - 237g (2/3 - 1 cup) water

*Besam or Gram flour (not Graham flour) is made from chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, aka channa. It is available in Indian grocery stores. Store bought Ezekiel bread uses soybean flour.

Method

Boil water.
Weigh or measure flours and salt.
Add water to flours, start with lower quantity, add as needed.
Mix till dough comes together with no dry spots.
Knead a little to ensure thorough mixing, at 3:1 flour:water dough should not be sticky.
Let dough rest 15 minutes while heating griddle to 375F.
For soft cakes, divide into 3 oz pieces, larger than a golf ball.
        Roll out 1/8" thick, a 6" round.
        Docking with a fork will prevent large bubbles.
        Dry fry till brown spots appear on bottom (2-3 mins).
        Flip and do the same.
        Put cakes into a covered container like a tortilla warmer.

For crackers, divide into 2 oz pieces, smaller than a golf ball. 

        Roll out as thin as you can, large rounds are hard to handle.
        If you want triangular chips, cut before frying.
        Dry fry till brown spots appear on bottom (1-2 mins).
        Flip and do the same.
        Store vertically or on a rack to dry completely.
        You may have to bake them to dry completely, 8 mins @275F.
        Dry crackers will keep a long time.

Life 1AD

 

Genesis 1:1

The Bible teaches timeless universal truths. But it was originally written to specific peoples with their own cultures and customs. Although our cultures and customs today are different from Biblical times, we can still understand the meaning of the text, but many passages had more impact to that audience because the text spoke in terms common to their everyday life. And some passages have more meaning and impact to us if we understand the perspective of the audience that heard and experienced Jesus first hand. 

 

Let's look at daily living during the time of Jesus to help us see better the historical context He lived and taught in. 

Grain Harvest 

Let's start with the social structure. Ancient Judea was an agricultural society. 90% of the people were engaged in farming in some way - Nils Glen [1], HTS Theological Studies [2], Weebly [3]. In contrast. In the United States right now, 1% of the population are farmers, another 1% ranchers. In colonial times, the US population was 90% farmers, but the percentage of farmers has steadily declined since then, yet production has vastly increased, mostly due to farm related inventions. On average an American farmer produces enough food for 180 people In ancient Judea, many were subsistence farmers, only producing enough for the immediate family.

Biblical scholars tend to underestimate the overwhelming poverty that characterized the Roman Empire. One source estimates the majority were at or below subsistence level - [2].

 

In Judea 1AD, one’s status in life was thought to have been inherited by birth. The state did not show much concern for the poor - Researchgate [4]. The needy were despised more than pitied. There was no middle class, it was a case of rich vs poor, which leads us right to politics, because Rome ruled the region. The elite families consisted of the rulers and the governing class. Peasants had very little control over their political and economic situation. Remember when Joshua divided the land among the tribes of Israel? Not in 1AD. Herod, later called ‘Herod the Great’, had the power to distribute the land however he wanted and to whomever he wanted. The state granted ‘use ownership’ of the land to the peasants, but it claimed entitlement to tax the villages.

The majority of people in an agrarian society like the Roman Empire were peasants, living in villages that surrounded a city. The ancient city was largely parasitic on its surrounding villages. Cities extracted agricultural surpluses through taxes and rents.

Wealth was based on the ownership of land. Most land was controlled by a small number of wealthy, elite families. The landowners rented the land for tenant farmers, who – together with their families and possibly slaves – actually worked the land. The wealth and status of the elite families ensured their influence in politics, so that they were able to control both local and regional governance and also profit from taxation. [4]

Taxation

Rome, like all Governments, was creative at inventing taxes. In addition to imperial levies, cities derived revenues from capitation*, rents, tolls, salt taxes and sales taxes.

*Capitation, also known as head tax or  poll tax, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources - wiki [5].

 

 

Gleaning

The taxes kept the elite fed and the peasants poor. If the tax burden was too high or the harvest was poor, you could go into debt, and possibly lose your farm, and have to become a day laborer. Below subsistence level (estimated at 28%) you find some farm families, unattached widows, orphans, beggars, disabled, unskilled day laborers, criminals, and prisoners. I'll repeat - peasants had very little control over their political and economic situation.

 

Diet

 

Baking Bread in a Tannur Clay Oven

So, what did these subsistence farmers plant? And eat? You probably already know they ate bread. A lot of bread. In ancient Israel, bread was the primary food at every meal, other items were secondary, whereas today in our culture, bread is secondary, if served at all. For the Israelites, it wasn't a meal without bread (some sources add “and wine”) – Biblehistory [6], crivoice [7]. It is estimated that bread provided 50-70 % of the ordinary person’s calories - Womenfromthebook [8]. To make that more relatable, in 19th century America, manual laborers consumed about one pound of bread per day – flourfacts1 [9]. Some sources say two pounds or more – Amycookseats [10], flourfacts2 [11]. That is at least a loaf of bread per day. So, what did they plant? Grains to make bread, wheat or barley. They also grew grapes, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. 

 

 

Grinding the grain was a difficult and time-consuming task…it is estimated that it required at least three hours of daily effort to produce enough flour to make sufficient bread for a family of five. The grain, barley or wheat, was ground by hand in a giant stone mortar and pestle called a quern. They could not buy ready made loaves, or even ready ground flour, or instant dried yeast. The point is that bread was a BIG deal to them – [8]. When Jesus taught them to pray “Give us this day our daily bread”, they would understand how important that was. They would agree with Paul Harvey who said “Man — despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication, and his many accomplishments — owes his existence to a six inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains” - Harvey [12].

Barley vs Wheat

 

Barley harvest by hand

Barley and wheat are not interchangeable. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Barley could be grown in poor soil and could be broadcast into unplowed ground. Barley was a dependable, disease-resistant crop, easier and less expensive to grow than wheat. Also, barley has some nutritional benefits compared to wheat. But barley has less gluten than wheat, so it doesn't make big raised breads, so wheat became the preferred grain. Barley became known as the grain of the poor - [8], and remember, most people were poor, so they grew barley - Jewishlink [13]

These days, people in different churches are becoming familiar with the  Biblical Holy Days. During my youth, the Jews (and the Church of God) were the only ones keeping the Holy Days, which are structured around three harvests, barley (think wave sheaf day), then the wheat harvest (think Shavuot), and the great fall harvest, which goes by the name Feast of Ingathering or Succoth (booths). Ingathering emphasizes the agricultural nature of the Feast, rejoicing that the big harvest is gathered in for another year.

 

Hebrew Calendar

 

 

Pilgrimage

Since 90% of the population were farmers, they would be keenly aware of the harvest seasons, not just for agriculture, but as religious observances. Three of the Feasts were called pilgrimage feasts, and those feasts coincide with the three harvest seasons.

Dt 16:16 Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths.

We know the story of 12 year old Jesus going to Jerusalem at Passover with his parents. Luke records that they did it every year.

Lk 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.

Joseph and Mary may have been able to make the pilgrimage three times a year but it is unlikely all the peasants farmers in Galilee could do that. Galilee is about 100 miles from Jerusalem, on foot or by cart, the travel time is up to a week each way. Today, Nazareth to Jerusalem is a 2 hour drive - Google_maps [14]. Attending all three pilgrimage Feasts would mean 8 or 9 weeks away from home each year, too much time and money for the poor. “It is probable that most Palestinian Jews made at least one pilgrimage a year, the most popular festival being Passover” – Reddit [15]. When they made the pilgrimage, most traveled together caravan style.

During the Second Temple period these verses were not understood to mean that one was obliged to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year, but rather that pilgrimage was associated with these festivals. Thus, the commandment to “go up” to Jerusalem might be observed once every few years or perhaps only once in a lifetime - Jerusalem_perspective [16].

Enter Jesus

In general, the Jews in Galilee were religiously observant, that is Sabbath keepers, ate a kosher diet, attended synagogue, and made the pilgrimage Feasts when they could.

This is the world that Jesus was born into, these were his neighbors growing up. It was a religious society, poor, mostly peasant farmers, oppressed by Rome, whom Israel hated. And it was foretold by Isaiah. Remember when Jesus got up to read in His home town of Nazareth? (Is 61:1) Does this sound like his neighbors in Nazareth?

Lk 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

 

When Jesus gave a parable using farming or poverty or debt as a backdrop, He spoke from lived experience, and they understood from lived experience. Ironic that He spoke in parables to hide the meaning from them.

 

38 parables of Jesus are recorded in the NT - 38Parables [17], as well as other stories. Of those 38 parables, about half draw on the culture of Galilee – farming, poverty, debt, etc. Here are a few highlights you will probably recognize from one line.


Mt 13:3 A sower went out to sow.
Mt 13:25 his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat
Mt 13:31 The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed
Mt 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

Not parables, but also familiar verses reflecting the culture of Jesus' day.


Lk 21:1-4 He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites
Jn 6:1-15 There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish

Conclusion

To review, we saw that life in Galilee in 1AD was hard, the people were mostly peasant farmers, with nearly everyone involved in agriculture. They were poor, virtually prisoners in their own land – fbcclassroom  [18]. Ancient Israel was ruled and oppressed by Rome. Many people were driven into debt, often due to the tax burden. Yet they were also a religious people. When they heard Jesus' message of “good news to the poor” and “liberty to the oppressed”, they were ready to hear it, though they probably expected something or someone else.

When we read the gospels, let us consider the historical context of the times, the perspective of the audience that heard and experienced Jesus first hand in the first century AD. 

 

References

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEihnWAcN9o&t=3s
2. http://www.hts.org.za
3. https://geographyof1stcenturyisrael.weebly.com/agriculture.html
4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309254500_Poverty_in_the_first-century_Galilee
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poll_tax
6. https://www.bible-history.com/isbe/b/bread
7. https://www.crivoice.org/biblestudy/bbproverbs3.html
8. https://womenfromthebook.com/2013/04/14/barley-the-grain-of-the-poor/
9. https://flourfacts.blog/average-bread-consumption-per-day-history
10. https://amycookseats.com/how-much-bread-did-most-people-eat/
11. https://flourfacts.blog/historical-bread-consumption-statistics
12. https://www.azquotes.com/quote/936642
13. https://jewishlink.news/barley-the-second-grain
14. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Jerusalem,+Israel/Nazareth,+Israel/
15. https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/comments/1biuyxh/how_often_would_an_observant_jew_travel_from/
16. https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/2392
17. https://biblevise.com/38-parables-of-jesus/
18. https://fbcclassroom.com/courses/gospels-and-acts/lessons/judaism-in-the-first-century-palestine-philosophies-parties
xx. https://bestofchristianity.com/why-did-jesus-talk-so-much-about-agriculture/

Gospel Gospel Everywhere

When I came into the Church of God, I read the Bible cover to cover. I imagine that many people did that when they were new believers. Some still read the Bible through  every year. Anyway, I found the book of Leviticus hard to understand, especially the chapters on the sacrifices. Apparently I'm not alone in that opinion.

For many believers, Leviticus feels distant and difficult, filled with sacrifices, feasts, and laws that seem far removed from modern Christian life.  Seeing Christ [1]

Maybe not so distant and difficult for those of us in the Church of God – we already accept the holy days and quit eating unclean meats, but the sacrifices still seemed very foreign to me. Why so much detail about something that was supposedly “done away”? “Fulfilled in Jesus”?

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If you like this (or not), check out my other articles at the
Between The Ears BLOG INDEX, with titles and summaries.

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Sometime later, I read “The Law of the Offerings” by Andrew Jukes (1815-1901). It showed me the symbolism in the sacrifices. Then those chapters in Leviticus made a lot more sense, and became almost interesting. 

(The offerings) are a type of Jesus Christ and a description of His sacrifice for us. messianiclearning [2]

The word “type” has a specific meaning here. It isn't just a word invented by academics. Basically, type means the same as symbolism, prefigure, or foreshadow. A type in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament, very often in the person of Jesus Christ. The fulfillment is called the anti type. And my reference for that is the Bible itself – we just have to look past the English into the Greek behind these verses.

Rom 5:14 ESV Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come - type is Greek typos, meaning pattern

1 Co 10:6 ESV Now these things took place as examples for us -  examples is Greek typos  -  Literal translations use types

1 Peter 3:21 Berean Standard Bible And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also -  symbolize is Greek antitypon

Consider this type from "The Law of the Offerings".

Christ is the offering, Christ is the priest, Christ is the offerer.  Jukes [3] (p. 31)

It is possible that in time I might have figured this out on my own, after all there are clues in the New Testament. 

Heb 10:12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God

Heb 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. 

I'm not sure when I would have realized that Jesus is both High Priest AND the sacrifice in the same offering.

Jukes breaks down the five kinds of sacrifices described in Lev 1-7, comparing them, contrasting them, with details like who can eat them, which parts are burned, what animals or grains can be sacrificed. All of these things point to aspects of Jesus' sacrifice, His life and His death. In Jukes' own words:

The varieties in the Typical Offerings represent different aspects of Christ’s One Offering: the different offerings giving us different aspects of His Offering [3] (p 143)

My point is not to go into depth on the offerings, but to show that the Old Testament is full of types, especially types that point to Jesus, hence the Gospel. For me, Jukes' book was an introduction to the idea. Studying types reminds me of this saying from the Bible Project.

The Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. bibleproject [4]

We see types very early in Genesis. The quote earlier Rom 5:14 says that Adam is a type of the one to come, meaning Jesus. 

1 Co 15:45 Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit.

In Gen 2, the Sabbath is introduced. Is it not a type of the 7000 year plan of God?

Of course, there are many Old Testament verses that are actual prophecies of Christ, the kingdom, and the Gospel, these are not types. The earliest is Gen 3:15.

Gen 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 

This verse even has its own name - “Protoevangelium” which means first gospel as it is the first promise of redemption and victory over sin and Satan. biblehub [5]

But I'm talking about types, types which prefigure Jesus. Some Old Testament characters prefigure or “typify” Jesus, not necessarily their whole life, but maybe in one aspect, like Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days typifies Jesus being in the grave for three days. But Jonah also tried to run away from God, not a type of Jesus.

Not Every Detail is Typological: Types should not be over-analyzed to extract hidden meanings from every detail of the OT text. homaibiblestudy [6]

Of the dozens of figures in the Old Testament that typify Jesus in some way, I've picked three to talk more about – Joseph, Joshua, and Boaz.

Joseph

It is the sheer number of parallels that makes Joseph a fascinating type of Jesus. Many of these follow the same order in both of their lives. These came from  John Ross [7]

Beloved sons sent by their fathers.

Jacob gave Joseph a special coat. Then he sent him alone, into hostile territory, to check on his brothers.

The Father set Jesus apart, and sent Him alone, into hostile territory, to His people.

Both hated by their own brothers.

"His (Joseph's) brothers hated him and could not speak a kind word to him." Genesis 37:4.

"He (Jesus) came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." John 1:11.

Both stripped of their clothes.

The brothers tore Joseph's coat off his back before they sold him. 

The Roman soldiers stripped Jesus of His robe before they crucified Him.

Both sold for silver.

Joseph was sold by his brother Judah to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
Jesus was sold by His disciple Judas to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver.
Note the same name — Judah, Judas. 

Both placed in a pit.

Before he was sold, Joseph was thrown into an empty cistern, a grave for the living.

Before His resurrection, Jesus was placed in an empty tomb. 

Both were falsely accused.

Potiphar's wife accused Joseph of a crime he did not commit.

The Sanhedrin produced false witnesses against Jesus.

Both were imprisoned with two criminals.

In prison, Joseph met Pharaoh's cupbearer and Pharaoh's baker. He interpreted their dreams. One was restored to life. The other was executed.

On the cross, Jesus hung between two criminals. He spoke to both. One was promised paradise. The other was not.

Both were raised up after suffering.

Joseph spent years in prison before he was elevated to power.

Jesus spent three days in the tomb before He was raised to glory.

Both were given all authority.

Pharaoh placed Joseph over his entire kingdom. Genesis 41:44.

Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth  Matthew 28:18.

Both provided bread that saved the world.

When the famine came, Joseph distributed the grain he had stored. 

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life."

Their own brothers did not recognize them.

When Joseph's brothers came to Egypt for grain, they stood face to face with him and did not know it was him.

After the resurrection Mary thought Jesus was the gardener. The disciples walked seven miles with Him on the road to Emmaus and did not recognize Him.

When they finally recognized them, someone wept.

Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. They were terrified — they knew what they had done. But Joseph wept loudly enough that the entire household heard him. He embraced them.

When the disciples recognized the risen Jesus, they wept. 

Joseph and Jesus forgave their betrayers.

Joseph's brothers were terrified. Joseph wept and said: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." Genesis 50:20.

Jesus, from the cross, said: "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do."

Joshua

After the death of Moses, God chose Joshua to lead Israel to the Promised Land, securing rest for the nation - Josh 1:1-2 . Christ is the greater Joshua  leading His people into the eternal rest of God’s kingdom - explainingthebook [8]. The name “Jesus” is derived from “Joshua”, spelled “Yehoshua” or sometimes “Yeshua”. And the names Joshua and Jesus mean “Yah Will Save”, Yah is God's shortened name as in "Hallelu Yah" -wiki(Joshua) [9], abarim-publications [10]. All of which makes this verse make sense.

Mt 1:24 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for HE WILL SAVE his people from their sins.”

Boaz

Boaz and Jesus belonged to the tribe of Judah.

Boaz and Jesus were from Bethlehem.

Boaz performed deeds of kindness toward Ruth.

Jesus performed deeds of kindness toward Israel and beyond - blind, lame, lepers, demon possessed, tax collectors, beggars, and the Samaritan woman.

But the most important type pictured by Boaz is that of kinsman redeemer. The redemption by Boaz is a picture of what God had done by redeeming Israel from bondage in Egypt, and would do for Israel. At incredible cost to Himself, Jesus redeemed sinners (Rom 3:24; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14). Not just anyone could redeem the person in distress, it had to be family. This is a type of Jesus coming in the flesh to be a family member to all mankind. He is our Redeemer, AND a kinsman. kinsman-redeemer [11]

Boaz is the only human kinsman-redeemer featured in the whole Old Testament. greater_boaz [12]

Conclusion

We see many many Old Testament people who typify Jesus in some aspect of their lives. We also see stories like the Exodus which point to the great work that Christ will do in delivering  His people and establishing His kingdom. We see Jesus' redemption of mankind in the story of Boaz and Ruth. We see the Holy Days repeatedly point to aspects of Jesus' ministry – He is the Passover lamb, He is the Wave Sheaf offering, accepted by God,  He is the King who returns on the Day of Trumpets, He is the goat “for the LORD” on the Day of Atonement. We see the life of Jesus foreshadowed in the Tabernacle, in its furnishings, and in Tabernacle rituals like sacrificial offerings. We see types in the seventh day Sabbath, and in the phrase “the third day”, as in the story of Jonah, or when Abraham lifted up his eyes on the third day (the binding of Isaac) – Gen 22:4. In other words, we see the Gospel everywhere in the Old Testament. Jesus Himself told the disciples as much on the road to Emmaus (that time when they didn't recognize Him).

Lk 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

You can find MANY more examples by searching for “old testament types of Jesus”.

References

1. https://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Christ-Leviticus-Gospel-Gospels/dp/B0GBD6LZS4 by Marvin McKenzie (Author)

2. https://www.messianiclearning.org/commentary/torah/leviticus/five_major_offerings.html#gsc.tab=0

3. https://www.amazon.com/The-Law-of-the-Offerings/dp/B08B47GB5J

4. https://bibleproject.com/about

5. https://biblehub.com/genesis/3-15.htm

6. https://homaibiblestudy.wordpress.com/2025/01/04/types-and-shadows-2

7. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585039940410

8. https://explainingthebook.com/2024/12/06/old-testament-people-as-types-of-christ

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeshua

10. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Joshua.html

11. https://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-kinsman-redeemer.html

12. https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/journals/journal-of-theology/sbjt-211-spring-2017/true-greater-boaz-typology-jesus-book-ruth