The history of God's redemptive plan is a beautiful thing! Perhaps no one has had more of an influence on the way it is perceived than the great French reformer John Calvin. The following is a brief quotation that sums up the flow of redemptive history (from Adam to Christ) masterfully!

...at the beginning when the first promise of salvation was given to Adam it glowed like a feeble spark. Then, as it was added to, the light grew in fulness, breaking forth increasingly and shedding its radiance more widely. At last - when all the clouds were dispersed - Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, fully illumined the whole earth. (Institutes II. 10. 20, cited in "Calvin's Covenantal Response to the Anabaptist View of Baptism" by Peter Lillback" in Christianity & Civilization Vol. I: The Failure of the American Baptist Culture, eds. Jordan & North)

Until we begin to understand that the Old Testament scriptures taught as much of the salvation in Christ as the New Testament we will continue to drink only half of the wonderful spirits God has richly supplied for his people in his word!

Food for thought.

Michael