There's a difference between a type and prediction, and the way they are 'fulfilled'.
A type was a real historical event first; it is an event in the past which illustrates and is 'fulfilled' by a current spiritual truth;
whereas prediction is a prophecy which needs a real historical event to happen in order to fulfil it.
Once a prediction was fulfilled in history, the history could then be seen as a type of present-truth - but the history had to follow the prediction first.
The present truth fulfils the type - but the prediction was fulfilled first of all by the history.
So the order often is: prediction > history (type) > present truth
Ezekiel's vision of the Temple was written as prediction, not as history. So the prediction had to be fulfilled in history first - before the history could then be understood as foreshadowing present truth.
Notice that in the New Testament whenever the hermaneutic of 'typlogy’ was used, it was always with reference back to a real historical event only, and never with reference back to mere prediction directly.
For example Noah's flood. It had been predicted first, then it became a real historical event. Peter used that historical event as a type - of baptism, and of judgment - but he never said the prediction of the flood was directly fulfilled by Christian baptism and not by Noah's flood.
Another example. Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac. Certain things were promised them and predicted about them. Those things then came to pass in history, in their experience. Then Paul used the things that happened to them as an allegory of present truth - an allegory of the faith-life versus works of the Law. Paul never treated the predictions about them as fulfilled directly by present truth. Rather, it was the history which happened in fulfilment of the prediction that he saw as a type, he didn't use the prediction as type directly.
Another example is Israel's time in the wilderness. That was a period of Israel's history which had been predicted. Paul then said that the things which happened unto Israel during that time were written for us as ensamples upon whom the ends of the world have come. The 'things which happened to them', in fulfilment of the prediction about it, were the type - it was not the prediction itself that was used as the type directly. The prediction needed its historical fulfilment first - then the history was the type.
Just because Ezekiel's vision included symbol as well as prose doesn't mean all of the symbols were types - many of his symbols were just another form of prediction. Prediction which had to happen in history first - and then the history certainly foreshadowed present truth.
Yes the functioning Levitical priesthood, after Israel's return from captivity, complete with animal sacrifices, in the rebuilt Temple - the functioning Old Covenant system - foreshadowed New Covenant realities brought to us in Jesus Christ. But Ezekiel's prediction was largely about the then-imminent restoration of that Levitical system, not only about present truth directly.
There may be components of Ezekiel's vision which apply more directly to present realities too. But I think we need to not overlook the overwhelming place his vision had in predicting Israel's return from Babylon most directly.
Israel's redemption from Babylon was to include the fuller redemption which came by Jesus Christ - but before that there was a return to proper Old Covenant function.
While in captivity, Israel needed all the prophetic encouragement they could get - because a rebirthing of their nation would require a miracle second only to their Exodus from Egypt! That's why the prophecies about it employed such grandiose imagery.
Another reason the prophecies employed imagery, unlike Moses who gave instructions in straight prose, was because these prophets were not leading the reconstruction as directly as Moses did - they were mainly just inspiring it.
It's important to understand such prophecies (concerning Israel's restoration) as fulfilled historically, because it establishes a case for Jesus being Messiah.
The Messianic prophecies described Messiah coming in the historical context of a rebuilt Temple and restored Levitical priesthood. If we spiritualise or futurize the setting, then we lose the passages as proof-texts for Jesus.
But by seeing how history (history concerning the restored Temple and sacrificial system) fulfilled the predictions, we see that the stage was set for Messiah to come and remained set only until Jesus' generation when the whole system to which Messiah was to come was again destroyed (by Rome).
Thus understanding Ezekiel's vision as largely predictive of what is now Old Covenant history establishes our faith in present truth, in New Covenant realities, in Jesus - in the Gospel of grace.
A type was a real historical event first; it is an event in the past which illustrates and is 'fulfilled' by a current spiritual truth;
whereas prediction is a prophecy which needs a real historical event to happen in order to fulfil it.
Once a prediction was fulfilled in history, the history could then be seen as a type of present-truth - but the history had to follow the prediction first.
The present truth fulfils the type - but the prediction was fulfilled first of all by the history.
So the order often is: prediction > history (type) > present truth
Ezekiel's vision of the Temple was written as prediction, not as history. So the prediction had to be fulfilled in history first - before the history could then be understood as foreshadowing present truth.
Notice that in the New Testament whenever the hermaneutic of 'typlogy’ was used, it was always with reference back to a real historical event only, and never with reference back to mere prediction directly.
For example Noah's flood. It had been predicted first, then it became a real historical event. Peter used that historical event as a type - of baptism, and of judgment - but he never said the prediction of the flood was directly fulfilled by Christian baptism and not by Noah's flood.
Another example. Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac. Certain things were promised them and predicted about them. Those things then came to pass in history, in their experience. Then Paul used the things that happened to them as an allegory of present truth - an allegory of the faith-life versus works of the Law. Paul never treated the predictions about them as fulfilled directly by present truth. Rather, it was the history which happened in fulfilment of the prediction that he saw as a type, he didn't use the prediction as type directly.
Another example is Israel's time in the wilderness. That was a period of Israel's history which had been predicted. Paul then said that the things which happened unto Israel during that time were written for us as ensamples upon whom the ends of the world have come. The 'things which happened to them', in fulfilment of the prediction about it, were the type - it was not the prediction itself that was used as the type directly. The prediction needed its historical fulfilment first - then the history was the type.
Just because Ezekiel's vision included symbol as well as prose doesn't mean all of the symbols were types - many of his symbols were just another form of prediction. Prediction which had to happen in history first - and then the history certainly foreshadowed present truth.
Yes the functioning Levitical priesthood, after Israel's return from captivity, complete with animal sacrifices, in the rebuilt Temple - the functioning Old Covenant system - foreshadowed New Covenant realities brought to us in Jesus Christ. But Ezekiel's prediction was largely about the then-imminent restoration of that Levitical system, not only about present truth directly.
There may be components of Ezekiel's vision which apply more directly to present realities too. But I think we need to not overlook the overwhelming place his vision had in predicting Israel's return from Babylon most directly.
Israel's redemption from Babylon was to include the fuller redemption which came by Jesus Christ - but before that there was a return to proper Old Covenant function.
While in captivity, Israel needed all the prophetic encouragement they could get - because a rebirthing of their nation would require a miracle second only to their Exodus from Egypt! That's why the prophecies about it employed such grandiose imagery.
Another reason the prophecies employed imagery, unlike Moses who gave instructions in straight prose, was because these prophets were not leading the reconstruction as directly as Moses did - they were mainly just inspiring it.
It's important to understand such prophecies (concerning Israel's restoration) as fulfilled historically, because it establishes a case for Jesus being Messiah.
The Messianic prophecies described Messiah coming in the historical context of a rebuilt Temple and restored Levitical priesthood. If we spiritualise or futurize the setting, then we lose the passages as proof-texts for Jesus.
But by seeing how history (history concerning the restored Temple and sacrificial system) fulfilled the predictions, we see that the stage was set for Messiah to come and remained set only until Jesus' generation when the whole system to which Messiah was to come was again destroyed (by Rome).
Thus understanding Ezekiel's vision as largely predictive of what is now Old Covenant history establishes our faith in present truth, in New Covenant realities, in Jesus - in the Gospel of grace.
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