Future “Good Things”
It is important to note that the law did not simply represent “good things”, but rather, good things to come in the future. In other words, the law did not embody blessings that existed during the Old Testament period or under the Old Covenant. While God's people were still worshiping under the system of the law, the good things had not yet arrived. This is a foundational truth for understanding the difference between the two covenants.
Many believe that the blessings Christ brought were always available throughout human history, even from the time of Adam and Eve. They often cite Revelation 13:8, which says Jesus was "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." However, this verse has been misunderstood due to how it was translated in the King James Version:
“…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8, KJV)
Now compare it with the New American Standard Bible:
“Everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” (Rev. 13:8, NASB)
According to the NASB, what happened at the foundation of the world was not Christ's death, but the writing of names in the book of life. This interpretation is confirmed by Revelation 17:8, which says:
“…whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world…” (Rev. 17:8, KJV)
So while Christ’s sacrifice was planned from the beginning, it had not yet occurred, and its benefits were not accessible until He came, lived, died, and rose again. There was a promise from the beginning, but the actual life and blessing of salvation did not exist yet—it awaited fulfillment.
The Reality vs. the Shadows
Paul affirms this in Hebrews 10:1:
“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those same sacrifices… make those who approach perfect.”
The law pointed forward to better things that had not yet arrived. It was not the reality—it was a shadow, a symbolic system designed to prepare the way for Christ. If the full blessings of salvation were already available under the law, then Christ’s coming and death would have been unnecessary. But Paul shows clearly that until Christ came, the promises remained unfulfilled.
This is why Jesus had to come in person—not just to declare salvation, but to create it through His life. He overcame sin, defeated the flesh and the devil, and formed a perfect human life—a new identity, the basis of a new humanity. This is why the Bible says:
“But now is come Christ an high priest of good things to come…” (Hebrews 9:11)
He did not merely bring information—He brought life, the very saving life we now receive when we are born again.
More Than a Legal Status—It’s New Life
People who view salvation only as a legal change often miss this truth. They believe God simply declares someone righteous in His heavenly records. But salvation is far more than a legal status. It is a new birth—a real transformation where we receive the actual life of Christ. He becomes our spiritual Father, just as Adam was the father of the old human race.
That’s why Paul calls Jesus “the last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45). All who are born again now receive life from Him—not just a change in record, but a change in nature. This is not fiction or symbolic. This is how a new creation begins (2 Cor. 5:17).
Jesus said:
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
He didn’t come to hand out documents of righteousness, but to give us life—something we did not previously possess. Only after He came, died, and rose again, could this new life be offered to anyone.
So when Paul says the law was a shadow of good things to come, he means that salvation, righteousness, and new birth through Christ were not yet available. The law offered images, types, and promises—but not the substance. It’s like comparing a photograph to the person: the photo reflects the shape, but not the life, power, or presence.