Around 2000 B.C., God told Abraham to offer his “only son” Isaac on a mountain in Moriah (Gen. 22:2). Abraham was stopped before he offered his son, but in many ways, this was a foreshadowing of God giving His only Son to save man. About 1000 years later, God told David to build an altar and make sacrifices there, and Solomon would also build the temple in that same location! “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah…” (2 Chr. 3:1; cf. 2 Sam. 24:18-25).
Many lambs would be sacrificed in Solomon’s temple in Moriah, at least two every day (Ex. 29:38). Another 1000 years later, the Lamb of God was taken on the very night the Jews were to slay the passover lamb, and after trials He was put to death in the same general location where Abraham, David, and Solomon had been commanded to offer their sacrifices! (Ex. 12:18-23; Mt. 20:18). He would rise again and become “the firstfruits from the dead” on the first day of the week, just as Leviticus 23:10-12 had foretold (1 Cor. 15:20, 23).
Friends, for 2000 years God foretold exactly where His “only Son” was going to be slain for the salvation of men! It is no coincidence that Abraham called the place of the sacrifice a special name: “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen” (Gen. 22:14). Today we look back and see it!
This is just the tip of the iceberg regarding Messianic prophecies that reveal in great detail the events surrounding the Christ (cf. Psa. 22:16-18; Isa. 2:1-4; 53; Dan. 2; Mic. 5:2; Zech. 12:10; 13:1, 7, etc.). Abraham’s son Isaac was a “type” or “foreshadowing” of Christ, and the following are some similarities between them:
- Both were sons of promise (Gen. 3:15; 17:16-ff; Isa. 7:14).
- Both births were by divine intervention (Gen. 18:9-15; Mt. 1:18-25).
- Both were named by God before birth (Gen. 17:19; Mt. 1:21).
- Both had their times of birth set by God (Gen. 21:2; Gal. 4:4).
- Both were surrendered by their loving fathers (Gen. 22:1-12; Jn. 3:16).
- Both fathers knew their sons would return (Gen. 22:5; Psa. 16:10).
- Both bore the lumber for their own sacrifices (Gen. 22:6; Jn. 19:17; Lk. 23:26).
- Both were bound before being sacrificed (Gen. 22:9; Jn. 18:12).
- Both willingly submitted to death (Gen. 22:9; Mt. 26:53, 54; Jn. 10:17, 18).
- A ram was offered instead of Isaac (Gen. 22:13); God’s Lamb was offered instead of man (Lev. 16:8-10; Mt. 26:28; Jn. 1:29; Heb. 2:9; Rev. 13:8).
- Both were to be sacrificed in Moriah (Gen. 22:2, 14; 2 Chr. 3:1; 2 Sam. 24:18-ff; Mt. 20:18).
- Isaac was figuratively resurrected (Gen. 22:5; Heb. 11:17-19); Jesus was literally resurrected! (Lk. 24:1-9; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4).
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