Old Testament Type

The stories of the Old Testament are a type and shadow of the Last Days. First we see the higher covenant being given to Abraham. The covenant continues through Isaac and Jacob. However, we then see Joseph sold into Egypt. While in Egypt, Joseph serves to save the rest of the house of Israel from the famine. Safe in Egypt, it seems that Israel doesn't take long to fall into a period of apostasy. If Israel had remained faithful to the Lord, I am sure that God would have not suffered that His covenant poeple would fall into captivity. After a period of apostasy and captivity in Egypt, then we see the rise of Moses who leads Israel out of Egypt and promises to renew with them the coveants that God made with Abraham. However, the people rebell and are hard-hearted. Consequently, instead of renewing the higher Abrahamic Covenant, God gives Israel a preparatory Law of Moses which was to point them and prepare them to receive Jesus Christ who would later renew the Abrahamic Covenant to His people. lsrael would be required to wander in the wilderness in Sinai for 40 years, and then wait over one thousand more years for Christ's coming.

How does the Old Testament Story relate to the Last Days? In my mind, there is a clear parallel here. Abraham is a type of Christ. So, God's establishment of a higher covenant with Abraham is akin to God's establishment of the same higher covenant through His Son Jesus Christ. That covenant continues for a short time until the people quickly fall into apostasy. Hundreds of years later, God would raise up a Moses to save the people from spiritual bondage. In the Last Days, our Moses is Joseph Smith. However, like the Israelites at the time of Moses, the Latter-Day Saints needed some time to grow in faith and obedience. The Latter-Day Saints enjoy the blessings of the higher Abrahamic Covenant and the fullness of the gospel of Christ, but we were not strong enough to establish a perfect Zion society at the time of Joseph Smith. So, the Latter-Day Saints are wandering through a metaphorical wilderness awaiting the coming of Jesus Christ who will ushur in a thousand-year period of peace on the Earth. However, like Joseph in Egypt, we have and will continue to see the saving of the remnant of the House of Israel from spiritual famine by modern day Ephraim.

And, through the power of God and direct assistance of heaven, the LDS Church has been and will continue to lay the foundations of the Kingdom of God on the Earth. Isaiah likened Zion to a tent. His instructions for Israel to prepare for the coming of the Messiah was for Zion to "put on righteousness", "expand her boarders", and "strengthen her stakes." Modern spring-bar tents are set up by placing the poles first. However, when pitching a tent in ancient times, you started by driving in the stakes first before you placed the center pole. If you were to place the poles first in an ancient tent without first having placed the stakes, the center pole wouldn't have any opposing force to keep it standing and the the pole and tent would immediately fall. This is why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints refer to groups of congregations as "Stake of Zion." Christ is the center pole, Zion or the Kingdom of God is the tent, and the LDS Church is rolling out and expanding the borders of the tent, and preparing and strengthening the stakes before the Second Coming of Christ when finally the Kingdom of God will be fully and gloriously realized.

Old Testament
Abraham
Egyptian Captivity
Moses
Law of Moses
Babylonian Captivity
Jesus Christ First Coming

New Testament
Jesus Christ
Great Apostacy
Joseph Smith
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
[Babylonian Captivity?]
Jesus Christ Second Coming