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Three Glorious Moments When Jesus Appears in the Old Testament
- Blake Barbera
- 5 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Long before the manger in Bethlehem or the cross at Golgotha, the Scriptures were already telling His story.
One of the most remarkable claims made by Jesus in the Gospels is that the entire Old Testament ultimately points to him.
“These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” (John 5:39)
For many readers, the Old Testament can feel distant from the story of Jesus. Yet the New Testament repeatedly shows that certain people, events, and symbols in Israel’s history foreshadowed Christ. These are often called types—real historical moments that anticipated the greater work God would accomplish through the Messiah.
Here are three fascinating examples where the Old Testament quietly anticipates Jesus long before his birth. In all three examples, the New Testament tells us that Jesus is at the center of these stories.
1. The Rock at Meribah — Christ the Source of Living Water
One of the most intriguing messianic foreshadowings occurs during Israel’s wilderness journey. In Exodus 17, the Israelites arrive at a place called Rephidim with no water to drink. The people complain against Moses, fearing they will die in the desert. God instructs Moses to strike a rock with his staff, and water miraculously flows out to sustain the people. The location becomes known as Meribah, meaning “quarreling” or “testing,” because Israel tested the Lord there.
A similar event occurs decades later in Numbers 20, when the people again complain about thirst. This time, God instructs Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses angrily strikes it not once, but twice. Though water still flows, Moses is disciplined for his disobedience.
At first glance, these stories simply appear to be accounts of God providing water in the wilderness. But the apostle Paul later reveals that something deeper was at work.
In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul writes: “They drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.” Paul sees the rock as a representation of Christ himself.
The imagery becomes striking when we consider the parallels. First, the rock is struck, and life-giving water flows out. When Jesus was struck on the cross for our sins, the living water of the Holy Spirit was made available to all who put their faith in him. From him flows the water of life that sustains God’s people.
John 7:37-39 “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
In the wilderness, Israel survived because God brought water from the rock. In the same way, humanity finds life only through Christ, who is the rock on which we build our lives.
2. Melchizedek — The Mysterious Priest-King
Few figures in the Old Testament are as mysterious as Melchizedek. He appears suddenly in Genesis 14, after Abraham rescues his nephew Lot from invading kings. As Abraham returns from battle, he is met by a man described as, “Melchizedek king of Salem, priest of God Most High.” (Genesis 14:18)
Melchizedek blesses Abraham and brings out bread and wine, and Abraham gives him a tenth of the spoils of war. Then, just as suddenly as he appears, Melchizedek disappears from the biblical narrative.
Yet this brief appearance becomes enormously significant later in Scripture.
In Psalm 110, a royal psalm widely understood as messianic, David writes, “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’” This is striking because Israel’s kings normally came from the tribe of Judah, while priests came from the tribe of Levi. But Melchizedek uniquely holds both roles: king and priest.
The New Testament book of Hebrews picks up this theme and applies it directly to Jesus. Hebrews explains that Melchizedek foreshadowed Christ in several ways. First, he was both king and priest, just as Jesus is. Second, his name means “king of righteousness.” He ruled a place called Salem, meaning “peace,” which most scholars believe to be the earliest known reference to Jerusalem. Lastly, his priesthood appears without a recorded genealogy, symbolically pointing to an eternal priesthood.
The writer of Hebrews concludes that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this pattern—a priest not according to the Levitical system, but according to the timeless order represented by Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:15-16 “This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life."
In other words, long before the Levitical priesthood even existed, Scripture introduced a figure who foreshadowed Christ's eternal priesthood. A priesthood based not on paternal lineage, but on righteousness.
3. Jacob’s Ladder — The Bridge Between Heaven and Earth
Another remarkable foreshadowing occurs in the story of Jacob’s dream at Bethel. In Genesis 28, Jacob is fleeing from his brother Esau and sleeping in the wilderness when he experiences a vision. He sees a ladder (or stairway) reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending upon it. At the top of the ladder stands the Lord, who reiterates the covenant promises originally given to Abraham.
When Jacob wakes, he is overwhelmed: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Genesis 28:16) He names the location Bethel, meaning “house of God,” because it represents a place where heaven and earth meet. For centuries, Jewish readers understood this passage as a symbol of divine communication between heaven and earth. But in the Gospel of John, Jesus reveals a deeper meaning.
When Jesus calls Nathanael as a disciple, he tells him: “You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:51)
This statement directly echoes Jacob’s vision. But notice the difference. In Jacob’s dream, angels ascend and descend on a ladder. In Jesus’ statement, they ascend and descend on the Son of Man. Jesus is claiming that he himself is the ladder—the true connection between heaven and earth, between God and man.
Through him, God comes down to humanity, and humanity gains access to God. The imagery fits perfectly with the central message of the Gospel of John: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) Where Jacob once saw a symbolic bridge between heaven and earth, Jesus reveals that he is that bridge.
Seeing Christ in the Story of Scripture
When we step back and look at the broader story of the Bible, passages like these remind us that the Old Testament is not merely background material for the New Testament. It is a story filled with patterns, symbols, and promises that anticipate Christ.
The rock in the wilderness, the mysterious priest-king, and the ladder connecting heaven and earth all point forward to the same reality: God’s ultimate plan to bring salvation through Jesus. Long before the manger in Bethlehem or the cross at Golgotha, the Scriptures were already telling His story.
Three Glorious Moments When Jesus Appears in the Old Testament
Blake Barbera is the founder and Lead Teaching Minister at That You May Know Him. He has been teaching the Bible for more than two decades, and has served the Church in various capacities during that time, including as a missionary and pastor.
For more about our ministry, visit our About Page: https://www.thatyoumayknowhim.com/about
