antitypes

Antitypes are concepts in biblical typology referring to the fulfillment or counterpart of a type. The word derives from Greek anti-, meaning opposite or counterpart, and typos, meaning a figure or image. In this framework, an event, person, or institution in the Old Testament is seen as a type that prefigures a corresponding fulfillment in the New Testament, the antitype.

In practice, the relation between type and antitype is one of prefiguration and fulfillment. The type contains symbolic meaning that is clarified or completed by the antitype, which is typically understood as the historical or theological realization in Christ or the early Christian church. The process involves interpretive assumptions about continuity between covenants and about how specific symbols function across testaments.

Commonly cited examples include the Passover lamb as a type, with Jesus described as the ultimate antitype, the Lamb of God who takes away sin. Another frequently cited pair is the bronze serpent in the wilderness and Jesus’ crucifixion, where lifting up the Son of Man is paralleled with lifting up the serpent. Joseph and Moses are also discussed as types who prefigure aspects of Christ’s suffering, salvation, and leadership. Critics of typology warn against overreading texts or reading Christian meaning into Hebrew scripture demasiado confidently, emphasizing historical context and literary analysis.

See also typology; biblical exegesis; covenant theology; Christology. Further discussion can be found in works on the New Testament interpretation of Old Testament narratives.