By Edalat Hope from Virtue Books
If you’ve ever watched Dead Poets Society, you might notice something about that teacher.
He doesn’t dump all the information on the students at once.
Instead, he teaches them gradually, step by step. Only once they understand one concept does he move on to the next.
God teaches that way, too.
He doesn’t reveal the fullness of His plan all at once. That would be like teaching calculus to a five-year-old.
Instead, gradually, He builds truth upon truth to form spiritually mature people.
Even in the Old Testament, God uses this same method. He puts hints of who He really is and his future plans. When you realise this, it opens your eyes to an entirely new way of reading the Bible.
Many Jews didn’t fully understand Christ. But when they understood how verses from the Psalms, Law and Prophets quietly pointed to Jesus, then they converted.
The Apostles and Church Fathers understood this hidden thread that runs through scripture.
But Christ did not just appear on earth.
God’s plan to redeem humanity happened through Mary. It was through Mary that he chose to enter the world.
Mary’s life is inseparable from Christ’s mission. God’s perfect plan for redemption was that Mary, the sinless one, would bear the Redeemer.
What is less widely known, though, is that Mary herself is foreshadowed in the Old Testament. And it’s through a little something called typology.
What is Typology?
Typology may sound complicated, but it’s simple.
God often uses people, objects, or events from the Old Testament to foreshadow future realities or spiritual truths. These can be real and historical, but also carry symbolic meaning.
For example, Jonah spending three days in the belly of the fish is its own story. But at the same time, it hints at Christ’s death and resurrection on the third day.
The saints have read the Old Testament and saw little glimpses of Mary throughout it. Here are some famous examples of how Mary is foreshadowed…
Eve
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve cooperate with the serpent’s temptation, and through their disobedience, sin and death enter humanity.
St. Paul describes Christ as the ‘New Adam’. Adam incurred death through a tree, but Christ conquered death through a tree (the Cross).
Church Fathers extend this comparison to Mary as the “New Eve.”
St. Irenaeus wrote:
“…the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith.”
And then again, the great biblical scholar, St. Jerome, similarly observed:
“Death came through Eve, but life has come through Mary.”
Even more, God curses the serpent for tempting them to sin. He says;
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Gen 3:15)
The “woman” in this prophecy has long been interpreted as Mary. There is no cooperation with Satan’s plan at all from Mary’s part.
Christ strikes the serpent’s head through his death and resurrection. Yet at the same time, theologians have also interpreted this heel to also be Mary’s. She, who is free from sin, cooperates with God’s plan and grace to defeat Satan. This is why on the Miraculous Medal, Mary is depicted stepping on the serpent.
The Burning Bush
If you go into some Churches, you may find some surprising artworks…
Mary on fire!
This isn’t disrespectful. It is how the early and Medieval Church understood her. And it goes back to the Old Testament.
When Moses encounters the burning bush, it blazes with fire yet remains unconsumed. From that bush, the Lord spoke to Moses.
Many theologians, such as St Bernard, have wondered what this could mean. And these great thinkers saw the burning bush as symbolic of Mary.
Here’s why;
Fire in the Old Testament symbolises the presence of God (Exodus 24:17, Deut 4:24, Heb 12:29). The bush is the vessel that carried it without being harmed.
Similarly, Mary carried the divine Christ in her womb. Yet, her humanity was not consumed by his divinity. Her virginity was not tarnished by his birth.
In the 4th century, St Gregory of Nyssa summarised this beautifully;
“Just as on the mountain the bush burned but was not consumed, so also the Virgin gave birth to the light and was not corrupted. Nor should you consider the comparison to the bush to be embarrassing, for it prefigures the God-bearing body of the Virgin”
Mary becomes the true God-bearer, the living sanctuary of divine fire that does not destroy but sanctifies.
Jael and Judith
Amongst all the heroes and commanders praised in the Old Testament, there is a housewife…
Jael.
To save the Israelite people, she attacked the enemy and crushed his head. Whilst this is a bit gruesome, it does point to Mary.
In the story, the enemy of the Israelites reflects Satan. He is the enemy of the Church, the “spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12) that we struggle against.
But just as Jael crushed the head of the enemy, so too does Mary crush the head of the serpent.
The similarities between these two women are more obvious after this event. Jael is praised by the leader of Israel, Deborah, as she sings,
“Blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. And blessed is she in her tabernacle.”
Even with Judith, we see a very similar story. A woman defeats the enemy by striking the head, and is praised as “blessed by the Most High God above all women on earth.”
These words should ring a bell for Catholics. When Elizabeth saw Mary pregnant, she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
The similarities between these stories seem odd, but when you consider who exactly Mary is, it begins to make sense.
Pope Pius IX identifies Mary as the one who, united to Christ, will crush the serpent. He writes;
“…the most holy Virgin, united with him (Christ) by a most intimate and indissoluble bond, was, with him and through him, eternally at enmity with the evil serpent, and most completely triumphed over him, and thus crushed his head.”
The Ark of the Covenant
Even before Indiana Jones was written, the Ark of the Covenant was revered as sacred.
It was where the Ten Commandments, manna and Aaron’s staff dwelled. And since it carried the presence of God, it was treated with the utmost respect.
When the Ark of the Covenant was approaching David, he exclaimed, “Who am I that the ark of the Lord should come to me?”. (1 Sam 6:9) It was then moved to the home of Obed Edom, which was abundantly blessed for 3 months. After hearing about this blessing, David rejoiced and danced with all his might.
However, in the New Testament, it was Mary who carried the presence of God. For 9 months, Mary carried the Word of God in her body.
Within her womb, she contained the One who fulfilled Law, the true bread from Heaven and the eternal High Priest. It was she alone who had this singular privilege.
When Mary meets Elizabeth, her presence gives an exclamation similar to David: “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43)
Upon Mary’s visit, John the Baptist leapt for joy. Just as with the ark, Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months.
She is the one who carried the presence of God. She is the New Ark.
Virginity and Painless Birth
In Isaiah 7:14, a prophecy is given;
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Just two chapters later, Isaiah clarifies that He shall be called “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6)
Both the Hebrew and Greek translations of Isaiah point to a virgin miraculously giving birth.
In all of human history, there was only one person to give birth supernaturally as a virgin.
Mary.
Isaiah also describes a woman who gives birth before labour pains come:
“Before she was in labour she gave birth. Before her pain came upon her, she was delivered of a son. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?” (Isaiah 66:7-8)
The Church Fathers have typologically interpreted this woman to be Mary, who was free from the birth of pain of Christ.
According to St Gregory of Nyssa, a 4th-century Eastern theologian;
“His conception did not result from the union of two humans; his birth was not polluted in any way; there were no labor pangs”
Even St Thomas Aquinas wrote:
“There was no pain in that birth, as neither was there any corruption; on the contrary, there was much joy therein for that God-Man “was born into the world,” according to Is. 35:1,2: ‘Like the lily, it shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and praise.’”
Queen Mother
In modern society, the Queen is the King’s wife. But in Davidic Israel, the king’s mother held the title of Queen.
Based on the Old Testament, we can know three things about the Queen Mother
- She shared in the King’s authority.
- She was an advocate
- Honour was given to her
As she was so close to the King, she advocated for the people so that their needs could be heard. When Bathseba went to speak to Solomon, after saying that she had a request, he responded, “Make it my mother; I will not refuse you.” (1 Kings 2:20)
The Queen was honoured in such high regard that Solomon bowed down to her and offered her his right hand seat. In Israeli culture, the seat at the right hand is the seat of honour. It was this glory that Jesus has as he “sits at the right hand of God.” (Romans 8:34)
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is portrayed as a “King of Kings” (Rev 17:14) and occupying “the throne of his father, David” (Luke 1:33)
If Christ is truly King, then who shall be his queen?
Throughout the New Testament, we see hints of Mary’s queenship. When the angel Gabriel was speaking to her, there was a consistent tone of Jesus being the successor of David and having a kingdom “with no end.” (Luke 1:33)
Even at the wedding of Cana, it was Mary who noticed that the wine had run out. Despite Jesus saying that his time was not yet, he listened to her. St John Chrysostom says that one of the reasons Christ still performed the miracle of turning water into wine was to honour his Mother at this event. Just as Solomon would not refuse Bathsheba, so too did Christ not refuse Mary.
Christ freely performs His first sign, yet He chooses to honour His Mother’s intercession.
However, Christ tells us constantly that he is bringing about the “Kingdom of Heaven” (Matt 10:7). That would mean Mary’s proper place is the Queen of Heaven, and this is supported by scripture.
Revelations we read;
“And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child, and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery” (Rev. 12:1–2).
This newborn child giving birth is described as the Messianic King, who is certainly Jesus. Then, this Queen in Heaven can be interpreted as both the Church and Mary, as many of the saints have done.
Just as the Queen Mother wore a crown (Jer 13:18), so too does Mary wear a crown of twelve stars of the Heavenly Kingdom.
Daughter Zion
In the Old Testament, Daughter Zion throughout the Bible represents God’s people.
But the way Daughter Zion is described in the Bible is quite interesting…
As a spouse, a virgin and a Mother. Here are just a few Bible verses that portray her this way;
“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent… but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married” (Isaiah 62:1, 4)
“What shall I compare to you, that I may comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion?” (Lamentations 2:13)
“Yet as soon as Zion was in labor she delivered her children.” (Isaiah 66:8)
Yet, despite Daughter Zion being called to such an intimate relationship, God could not enter amongst them because of their sins.
But in Zephaniah, God speaks of another time. Zephaniah proclaims the joy of Daughter Zion because God will dwell within her.
It is Mary who fulfills this most fully. It is she who is completely conformed to the divine will and without sin. And it is she who is Virgin, Mother and Spouse. She represents the people of God and is the model of the Church.
She embodies Daughter Zion.
The Eastern Gate
In Ezekiel, we read about a gate that remains shut always and shall never go through it. The reason why this gate is shut is that “the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it” (Ezekiel 44:2), and the Prince dwells within it.
This has been interpreted by many saints, including the great St Bernard, to be foreshadowing Mary.
The gate symbolises Mary and her virginity. It is always preserved and never taken. Even when Christ, the Prince of Peace, enters the gate, it shall remain shut and undefiled.
St Ambrose writes, “Who is this gate (Ezekiel 44:1-4), if not Mary?… Mary is the gate through which Christ entered this world, when He was brought forth in the virginal birth, and the manner of His birth did not break the seals of virginity.” – Saint Ambrose of Milan (ca AD 390)
The Golden Gate of Jerusalem, as taken by David Castor
Mary is central to the life of the Church. Understanding how the Old Testament points to her enriches devotion to her and, through her, to Jesus. She is not worshipped, but she alone was deemed worthy to carry Him in her womb.
From Eve to the Eastern Gate, the Old Testament points to Mary: the New Eve, the Ark of the Covenant, the Queen of Heaven.
Let us honour her, and through her, deepen our devotion to Christ, fulfilling the prophecy:
“Every generation shall call me blessed.”
