---
product_id: 135457214
title: "Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness"
price: "563 kr"
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url: https://www.desertcart.dk/products/135457214-reading-backwards-figural-christology-and-the-fourfold-gospel-witness
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---

# Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness

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Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness [Hays, Richard B.] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness

Review: Illuminating the Gospels Through the Lens of the Old Testament - In Reading Backwards, Richard B. Hays offers a compelling exploration of how the four Gospel writers interpreted Israel's Scriptures to reveal the identity of Jesus. Hays demonstrates that the Evangelists did not merely use the Old Testament to support their narratives but engaged in a figural reading that saw the events and figures of the Hebrew Scriptures as prefigurations of Christ.​ Each chapter delves into one of the Gospels, uncovering the unique ways in which the authors employed Old Testament texts to portray Jesus as the embodiment of Israel's God. Hays's analysis is both scholarly and accessible, making complex theological concepts understandable for a broad audience. His approach encourages readers to appreciate the depth and richness of the Gospel narratives and to see the continuity between the Testaments.​ This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in biblical studies, theology, or the interpretive methods of the New Testament writers. It challenges readers to reconsider how they read Scripture and to recognize the profound connections that the Gospel authors saw between Jesus and the sacred texts of Israel.​
Review: A masterpiece! - The purpose of this work is to provide us with a perspective of the testimony that the four Gospels give us of the Deity of Jesus, "viewed in light of the intertextual engagement with Israel's Scripture" (ix). The author takes as his starting point the illustration of Martin Luther, who in defense of the Old Testament, affirms: "Here you will find the swaddling cloths and the manger in which Christ lies" (1). Richard Hays proposes in this book the figurative reading of the Gospels, showing us the ways how the four evangelists "unwind the swaddling cloths" in which the Law, the prophets and the Writings involve Christ in the Old Testament. His thesis is that the four canonical Gospels show us that throughout the Old Testament, Christ is mysteriously prefigured, something we can discern by reading the Old Testament retrospectively, in the light of the Gospels. In this way, the Gospels teach us "how to read the OT, and - at the same time - the OT teaches us how to read the Gospels" (4). In other words, we must learn to read the Old Testament "by reading backwards from the Gospels" (4). This means, not only that we must correctly interpret the fulfilled predictions about Jesus in the New Testament, but rather that we must learn to listen to the echoes of the Old Testament Scriptures in the Gospels, since often the scriptural references "are woven seamlessly into the fabric of the story"(17). Starting from that premise, the author convincingly demonstrates his thesis, starting with the Gospel of Mark, followed by that of Matthew, Luke and John. Guiding us through well-known passages - such as Mark 4:35-41; 6:30-44; Matt. 18:15-20; 28:18-20; Lk. 13:10-17; or Jn. 10:22-30 - Richard Hays helps us sharpen our ears to hear the echo of the Old Testament Scriptures, allowing us to acquire a much richer understanding of many passages that, despite being so familiar, we can now read them in a fresh and deeper way. Although its content was originally exposed orally, and its content was only slightly revised for publication, its reading is fascinating. I greatly appreciate the concise manner in which the author expresses himself. In just 109 pages, if we exclude the bibliographical notes and the works cited, the author is able to take us through the four Gospels and show us true gems of biblical interpretation in unexpected passages. In that sense I can only agree with the review of Books & Culture when referring to this book as "a masterpiece".

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #507,138 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #989 in Jesus, the Gospels & Acts (Books) #2,012 in Literary Movements & Periods #8,258 in Christian Theology (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 143 Reviews |

## Images

![Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51HxFAjFD0L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Illuminating the Gospels Through the Lens of the Old Testament
*by B***Y on May 1, 2025*

In Reading Backwards, Richard B. Hays offers a compelling exploration of how the four Gospel writers interpreted Israel's Scriptures to reveal the identity of Jesus. Hays demonstrates that the Evangelists did not merely use the Old Testament to support their narratives but engaged in a figural reading that saw the events and figures of the Hebrew Scriptures as prefigurations of Christ.​ Each chapter delves into one of the Gospels, uncovering the unique ways in which the authors employed Old Testament texts to portray Jesus as the embodiment of Israel's God. Hays's analysis is both scholarly and accessible, making complex theological concepts understandable for a broad audience. His approach encourages readers to appreciate the depth and richness of the Gospel narratives and to see the continuity between the Testaments.​ This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in biblical studies, theology, or the interpretive methods of the New Testament writers. It challenges readers to reconsider how they read Scripture and to recognize the profound connections that the Gospel authors saw between Jesus and the sacred texts of Israel.​

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A masterpiece!
*by S***N on January 22, 2020*

The purpose of this work is to provide us with a perspective of the testimony that the four Gospels give us of the Deity of Jesus, "viewed in light of the intertextual engagement with Israel's Scripture" (ix). The author takes as his starting point the illustration of Martin Luther, who in defense of the Old Testament, affirms: "Here you will find the swaddling cloths and the manger in which Christ lies" (1). Richard Hays proposes in this book the figurative reading of the Gospels, showing us the ways how the four evangelists "unwind the swaddling cloths" in which the Law, the prophets and the Writings involve Christ in the Old Testament. His thesis is that the four canonical Gospels show us that throughout the Old Testament, Christ is mysteriously prefigured, something we can discern by reading the Old Testament retrospectively, in the light of the Gospels. In this way, the Gospels teach us "how to read the OT, and - at the same time - the OT teaches us how to read the Gospels" (4). In other words, we must learn to read the Old Testament "by reading backwards from the Gospels" (4). This means, not only that we must correctly interpret the fulfilled predictions about Jesus in the New Testament, but rather that we must learn to listen to the echoes of the Old Testament Scriptures in the Gospels, since often the scriptural references "are woven seamlessly into the fabric of the story"(17). Starting from that premise, the author convincingly demonstrates his thesis, starting with the Gospel of Mark, followed by that of Matthew, Luke and John. Guiding us through well-known passages - such as Mark 4:35-41; 6:30-44; Matt. 18:15-20; 28:18-20; Lk. 13:10-17; or Jn. 10:22-30 - Richard Hays helps us sharpen our ears to hear the echo of the Old Testament Scriptures, allowing us to acquire a much richer understanding of many passages that, despite being so familiar, we can now read them in a fresh and deeper way. Although its content was originally exposed orally, and its content was only slightly revised for publication, its reading is fascinating. I greatly appreciate the concise manner in which the author expresses himself. In just 109 pages, if we exclude the bibliographical notes and the works cited, the author is able to take us through the four Gospels and show us true gems of biblical interpretation in unexpected passages. In that sense I can only agree with the review of Books & Culture when referring to this book as "a masterpiece".

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Impotance of Knowing the OT
*by K***K on February 14, 2026*

This will help those who want to properly get an understanding on the mindset of how the Gospel writers put pen to parchment. By taking a look backwards and give understanding of what the OT spoke about.

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*Last updated: 2026-03-09*