How was church prefigured in the old testament?

Answer 1

In a spiritual sense, the children of Israelprefigured Christ's church of the New Testament in numerous ways. Indeed, the Old Testament refers to Israel as a "congregation" close to one hundred times. The word "assembly" is also used an almost equal number of times in reference to Israel.

Numbers 14:5 -Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

Consider: The literal meaning of the Greek word ekklesia, translated "church" in the New Testament, is:

"A gathering of citizens called outfrom their homes into some public place, an assembly."

With this in mind, take into account what God told the Israelites:

Exodus 6:6, 7 - "Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 'I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.'"

Deuteronomy 7:6 -"For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth."

And compare this to the words the apostle Peter wrote to the Christians of the dispersion:

1 Peter 2:9, 10 -But you are a chosen generation,a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Just as God "called out" the Israelites from Egypt to be separate from the nations around them...

Leviticus 20:26 -'And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, andhave separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.'

1 Kings 8:53 - "For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God."

...Jesus "called out" His followers from "darkness" to be separate from the world itself.

John 15:18, 19 - "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

James 1:27 - Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The Israelites were said to have been "baptized into Moses," and all partook of the same spiritual food and drink:

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 - Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

One is "added to the church" (Acts 2:47) by being "baptized into Christ," and Christians all partake of the same spiritual food and drink:

Galatians 3:27 - For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

John 6:54, 55 - "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed."

1 Corinthians 10:15, 16 - I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Perhaps the most striking direct comparison/contrast of all is this passage:

Hebrews 12:18-24 - For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. (For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow." And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.")

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

[Quotes from NKJV]

The prefigured church in the Old Testament is congregation. The old testament is from The Bible.

Answer 2

In a spiritual sense, the children of Israelprefigured Christ's church of the New Testament in numerous ways. Indeed, the Old Testament refers to Israel as a "congregation" close to one hundred times. The word "assembly" is also used an almost equal number of times in reference to Israel.

Numbers 14:5 -Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

Consider: The literal meaning of the Greek word ekklesia, translated "church" in the New Testament, is:

"A gathering of citizens called outfrom their homes into some public place, an assembly."

With this in mind, take into account what God told the Israelites:

Exodus 6:6, 7 - "Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 'I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.'"

Deuteronomy 7:6 -"For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth."

And compare this to the words the apostle Peter wrote to the Christians of the dispersion:

1 Peter 2:9, 10 -But you are a chosen generation,a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Just as God "called out" the Israelites from Egypt to be separate from the nations around them...

Leviticus 20:26 -'And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, andhave separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.'

1 Kings 8:53 - "For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God."

...Jesus "called out" His followers from "darkness" to be separate from the world itself.

John 15:18, 19 - "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

James 1:27 - Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The Israelites were said to have been "baptized into Moses," and all partook of the same spiritual food and drink:

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 - Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

One is "added to the church" (Acts 2:47) by being "baptized into Christ," and Christians all partake of the same spiritual food and drink:

Galatians 3:27 - For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

John 6:54, 55 - "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed."

1 Corinthians 10:15, 16 - I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Perhaps the most striking direct comparison/contrast of all is this passage:

Hebrews 12:18-24 - For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. (For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow." And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.")

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

[Quotes from NKJV]

The prefigured church in the old testament is congregation. The old testament is from The Bible.