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The Bible consists of two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. What’s the respective role of the Old Testament and the New Testament?

who serve [that which is] a copy and shadow of the heavenly things… (ASV) (Hebrews 8:5)

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves [For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities: ESV]…  Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. (Hebrews 10:1-9)

The Old Testament is a shadow and the New Testament is the true form or the reality. In other words, the Old Testament and the New Testament are not irrelevant to each other, but the Bible is designed to understand the New Testament, which is the reality, through the Old Testament, which is a copy and shadow. For example,

Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast–as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7)

In the above verse, Christ is represented by the Passover lamb. It means that we need to find out the relevant verse(s) about the Passover lamb in the Old Testament in order to understand Christ.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept: KJV]. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

About the Resurrection of Jesus, it’s written that Christ became the firstfruits of those who have died. So we ought to study about the Day of Firstfruits, one of the feasts of the Old Testament. Christ Ahnsahnghong, who established the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG), unveiled the secrets and blessings of the Work of Christ Redemption contained in the New Covenant by revealing such profound and deep principle of the Old Testament and the New Testament hidden in the Bible.

However, some churches read the New Testament only. They insist that they do not need to read the Old Testament because the the time of the Old Testament ended. Even some criticize the World Mission Society Church of God, saying that the Church of God cobbles together various verses of the Bible by quoting a little here, a little here. But surprisingly, the Bible already prophesied that such argument would appear and they would be snared and fall backward.

“Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast? For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there.” Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people, to whom he said, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; and, “This is the place of repose”–but they would not listen. So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there [Learn a little here and learn a little there]–so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured. (Isaiah 28:9-13)

From the beginning, God planned the relationship between the Old Testament as a model (shadow) and the reality, and contained the lessons, a little here, a little there. Though each of the 66 books of the Bible was written by different authors and in different times, God made them interpreted consistently since  they were recorded by the prophets inspired by “one” Holy Spirit. Such profound principle of the Bible gives confidence in the Bible and in God to those who realize the secrets wherein. But, those who do not realize it will fall backward, be injured and snared and captured as prophesied.

Really, the Bible is the mysterious and wonderful Word of God.