We’ve all read that Adam is a type of Christ, but some of us may still be wondering how. The differences between the Old and New Testaments should’t be emphasized to the point of conflict. They are the product of the same divine mind and interface at an organic level. This is more than evident in the connection between Adam and Christ. Below is a list that shows just how much a type of Christ Adam actually is. The list partly comes from Mark Driscoll’s current series on Ephesians and Watchman Nee’s classic The Glorious Church.
Adam… who is a type of Him who was to come.
-Romans 5:14
- The first Adam turned from the Father in the garden of Eden; the last Adam turned to the Father in the garden of Gethsemane.
- The first Adam was naked & unashamed in the garden; the last Adam was naked & bore our shame on the cross.
- The first Adam’s sin brought us thorns; the last Adam wore a crown of thorns.
- The first Adam substituted himself for God; the last Adam was God substituting Himself for us.
- The first Adam sinned at a tree; the last Adam bore our sins on a tree.
- The first Adam died as a sinner; the last Adam died for sinners.
- The first Adam lost the tree of life; the last Adam is the tree of life.
- The first Adam was the head of the old creation; the last Adam is the head of the new creation.
- The first Adam was created in God’s image; the last Adam is God’s image.
- The first Adam was to reign over all the earth; the last Adam will reign over all the earth forever and ever.
- The first Adam was the first husband; the last Adam will be the ultimate, eternal husband.
- The first Adam was alone & needed a counterpart; the last Adam is alone & needs a counterpart.
- The first Adam was seeking a wife; the last Adam is seeking a wife.
- The first Adam was put to sleep to produce Eve; the last Adam was put to death to produce the church.
- The first Adam came out from the ground; the last Adam fell into the ground.
- The first Adam became a living soul; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.
- The first Adam died & returned to the ground; the last Adam died & returned to heaven.
- The first Adam’s side was opened; the last Adam’s side was pierced.
- Eve was taken out of the first Adam; the church was taken out of the last Adam.
- Eve was built with the first Adam’s rib; the church is being built with the last Adam’s life.
- Eve was brought to the first Adam without sin; the church will be presented to the last Adam without sin.
- Eve was the same as the first Adam in life, nature, & expression; the church is the same as the last Adam in life, nature, & expression.
- The first Adam & Eve became one flesh; the last Adam & the church have become one spirit.
As long as this list is, I’m sure it isn’t exhaustive. Feel free to add to it in the comments.
conversant faith 
‘The first Adam lost the tree of life; the last Adam is the tree of life.’ Wow. Praise the Lord! Thank you for this list!
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The first Adam gave his life for Eve; the last Adam gave his life for The Church.
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I wholly agree… and many including well learned pastors miss this. Look at the words coming from Adam. They hid.. Adam says I hid. I ate. I heard. I knew.. and so on.. Adam chose to join the woman he loved in her predicament. Adam knew exactly what he was doing. Cross reference this elsewhere in scripture before laying the blame game.. He wasn’t blaming the woman nor was he blaming God. Just like Jesus didn’t blame his disciples or the Father in John 17. Adam confessed to what transpired but He disobeyed God. He could have let the woman die.. he had other ribs. No. He loved her that much. He loved the creation more than the Creator.
And God points that out in verse 17.. the Bible is a love story. Gods love. This is where Adam is a type of Christ, but Christ is the Creator and he loves his adopted children from which comes his bride whom He gives up His life, by becoming the last Adam. the kinsman. And the only one worthy. Adam was in the likeness of God, but not as a God. Jesus became man but not just man. His inconceivable emptiness and perfect obedience that only he could achieve. It took the death of God to redeem fallen man. Why would Adam eat the fruit, love of his wife, but in disobedience to the Father.. why would Jesus drink the cup. Love for his bride in obedience to the Father.
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The first Adam named the animals, the last Adam made the animals – Nicole
The first Adam worked up a sweat, the last Adam prayed up a sweat – David
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“The first Adam was created in God’s image; the last Adam is God’s image” Awesome list!
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Part of the list seem to be a contrast between the old Adam and Last Adam, which is an even stronger support of why Christ is called the Last Adam, but not so much for Adam being a type of Christ.
The rest of the list, however, clearly does the job.
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Ricky, you’re absolutely right. The image really only conveys half the story- how Christ succeeded where Adam failed and dealt with all the problems Adam brought in. But God wants more than a remedy for what came in through Adam. Adam is more perfectly a type of Christ BEFORE the fall. To me, this is where the real impact lies. It would be more accurate probably for the second half of this lost to draw the parallel with the first man and the second man, like Paul does in 1 Cor 15. Thanks for catching that distinction.
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I didn’t notice the distinction of the contrast and the type until I’ve read this comment. Thanks for pointing it out.. I enjoyed the list though!
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1. God had to put Adam to sleep which is a symbol of God having to kill His Son in order to create his bride.
2. God had to open the side of Adam to take a rib, and in doing so blood was shed. Jesus was pierced between the 5th and 6th ribs, which means that Jesus was pierced in the Heart, and blood was shed to save His bride.
3. When Adam arose from his sleep and he saw his bride, it was like Jesus rising from the dead and the graves opening and His bride hearing His voice and coming forth.
4. When Adam arose from his sleep like Jesus arose from the grave, he saw his bride for the first time, who was perfectly beautiful without any spot or blemish.
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Thanks for adding to the list Kevin. Although I must point out that there is no blood mentioned in Genesis 2 when God took the rib from Adam’s side. I think this is significant because it reveals an aspect of Christ’s death that transcends the need of redemption. That is, there was a life-releasing aspect in Christ’s death that was for God’s eternal purpose, not merely to solve the problem of man’s sin.
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Yes! Hallelujah for that “Life releasing”. Sometimes in our gospelizing we omit that there are two problems…. being forgiven is great, but we would still be DEAD! WE need the Divine life to complete the job.
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So, when God made them coats of skin…would there not be blood? Is it not safe to believe that there would be blood especially if we are speaking of Adam the father of the “human” race?
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The first Adam took and ate, and died. The last Adam says to us ‘Take and eat, and life.’
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The first Adam brought sin into the world. The second Adam saved us from sin. So Jesus was the second Adam. That makes it easy to understand. Adam and Jesus have a few similarities. Like their not blood related to anyone. we’re all related to Adam though. If Adam was Christ. I’m curious to know if they had the same finger print or not.
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Interesting how Adam started his life as a fully grown man nineteen year old man. Jesus started life off as a baby like “MOST” of us?
Having known that Christ is the “second Adam”, makes me want to ask the question. “Did Adam and Jesus look exactly the same as men?”
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The first Adam was created without a father or mother. The second Adam was born without a father in His humanity and without a mother in His divinity.
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The first Adam did not let his bride die alone in her sin (eating the fruit), the second Adam bore his Bride’s (church) Sin for the Ultimate Sacrifice of all who believe.
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The first atom saved woman by taking on sin and dying with her. The last adam did the same. We are types of Eve as the church. Adam did the same as Christ did yet he wasn’t able to because he was human he saved the woman by taking on her sin she got to stay with him. If he did not take the fruit she would have died without a savior. Yet ultimatelr it was the second adam, that saved them both. This is why scripture says , what the first Adam could not do the second Adam did but the first Adam tried but couldn’t
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Tim, praise God for your comments. Praying that more people would see it this way. God revealed this to me via scripture > 10 years ago but I get brickbats everytime I shared it.
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Adam was commanded to replenish the earth with his (physical) offspring, which he did. Christ is replenishing the earth (and someday heaven) with his spiritual offspring.
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Adam quite possibly ate because of his love for Eve, not wanting to be separated from her, he sacrificed everything. Christ, because of His love for the church, not wanting to be separated from her, sacrificed everything and restored what Adam lost.
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