He alone is known to all men throughout the entire world as Christ; that He is acknowledged and witnessed to by all men under this title . . . and that to this day He is honored by His devotees throughout the world as King, revered more than a prophet, and glorified as the true and only High Priest of God, and in addition to all this as the Word of God, pre-existent, having His being before all ages and having received from His Father the right to be worshipped; and that He is adored as God.¹Eusebius, The History of the Church, 1.3.

Three offices in the Old Testament were signified via anointing/chrism:²Chrism is derived from the Greek word, χρϊσμα, which simply means anointing and is connected to the Greek word, χρίστος. prophets, priests, and kings. As evidenced by the quote from Eusebius above, from its earliest days, the church confessed Jesus to be the fulfillment of all three. As the Christ or anointed one, Jesus is the Prophet greater than Moses, the High Priest greater than Aaron, and the King greater than David. He alone fulfills each of these offices perfectly so that we might be saved. As Ian McFarland reports John Calvin’s view on the munus triplex:

Christ’s saving work incorporates all three offices: he is prophet as the definitive teacher of sacred doctrine (Inst. 2.15.1; cf. Heb. 1:1–2); he is king as the sole, eternal ruler of the Church (Inst. 2.15.3; cf. John 18:36); and he is priest as the one whose death made expiation for human sin, and who continues to intercede with God on our behalf (Inst. 2.15.6; cf. Heb. 9:22).³Ian A. McFarland, “Threefold Office,” in The Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology, ed. Ian A. McFarland et al. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011).

However, thousands of years before the events of the incarnation, there was another who occupied all three of those offices: Job. In the unlikely land of Uz, I contend that we find a type of the threefold office of the Messiah.

Although typological connections between Job and Christ, generally speaking, remain a contested point,⁴Lindsay Wilson, Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 317. it is not novel to see Job as foreshadowing Christ despite the New Testament not making such a connection explicit.⁵Mitch Chase, “Seeing Christ in Job: An Exercise in Typological Reading,” June 18, 2024, https://www.logos.com/grow/hall-typology-in-job/. Chase’s helpful article was published in the final editing stages of this piece. For instance, many, such as Christopher Ash, see Job foreshadowing Christ’s role as the suffering servant of the Lord.⁶Christopher Ash, Job: The Wisdom of the Cross (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2014), 21. Additionally, it’s not uncommon to see each of themes appear in discussions on Job.⁷Ash, 31; Chase, “Seeing Christ in Job.” Nevertheless, I’ve yet to come across an explicit connection to the concept of the munus triplex. This connection is important, however, for in Job we see how his experience of suffering elevates his exercise of the three offices in such a way that would not have occurred had he not suffered. Through his suffering, Job is vindicated as a true prophet, his priestly function extends beyond his family to his friends, and his kingly authority is restored and increased as the peoples flock to him for a banquet in his home. In this, Job foreshadows the glories of Christ’s threefold office that were achieved through, not apart from, his suffering: his vindication as a true prophet in the resurrection, his once and for all sacrifice for sins, and his ascension to the throne of David to which all nations will flock to take part in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In what follows, I make the case for each of these connections, hopefully shedding light on the Christological beauty to be discovered in the Book of Job.

Job as Prophet

Prophets, as Philip Ryken noted, “gave God’s Word to God’s people, boldly speaking truth to power in contemporary situations and perceptively foretelling the future.”⁸Philip Ryken, The Messiah comes to Middle Earth: Images of Christ’s Threefold Office in the Lord of the Rings (IVP Academic: Downers Grove, IL, 2017). Such prophets did not speak on their own authority but spoke from God—often receiving revelation via dreams (i.e. Joseph, Daniel) or personal interactions with manifestations of God’s presence (Moses, Elijah). Prophets in the Old Testament had distinct encounters with the Living God not common to all, and they were tasked with speaking accurately about God. Job fits this description in a few ways.

First, Job had a direct and revelatory encounter with God. As Eleonore Stump highlights:

While God has been talking to him, Job has been, somehow, seeing God. The communication between God and Job is thus, in some sense, face-to-face communication. I am not claiming here that Job’s visual system, either functioning normally or in some non-normal way, is actually giving information about an embodied face. Rather, I mean that, in the course of the divine speeches, God has been somehow directly present to Job, where the presence at issue produces the kind of cognition that would require the literal sight of a human face if the cognition in question were of a human being.⁹Eleonore Stump, Wandering in Darkness: Narrative and the Problem of Suffering (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), 192.

Whatever the nature of Job’s vision of God, his experience was unique. Not only did it set him apart from most of the faithful saints of old, but it even set him apart from most of the prophets. Job had lengthy, face-to-face communication with God who revealed his character and the nature of his benevolent care for his creation—truths that were ultimately shared in some shape, form, or fashion.¹⁰Stump, 191.

Second, Job accurately predicted the future on a few occasions. I will briefly highlight two of those. First, in the short term, Job insisted upon his innocence—a truth we knew from chapters one and two but was not known to his friends. Job predicted that the Lord would not dismiss him coldly but vindicate him in the presence of his friends. For Job says, Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; he would pay attention to me. There an upright man could argue with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge. (Job 23:6-7 ESV) By the end of the book, both realities come to fruition when Job’s friends are rebuked for not speaking rightly about God as Job had done (cf. Job 42:7).

In the long term, Job prophesied of Christ and the bodily resurrection of the just. In chapter nineteen, Job proclaims: For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! (Job 19:25-27 ESV) I believe John Gill accurately captures the meaning of this text when he comments:

By my Redeemer, he means not any mere man that should rise up and vindicate him; for the account of his then living, and of his standing on the earth in the latter day, will not agree with such an one; nor God the Father, to whom the character of a Redeemer is seldom or ever given, nor did he ever appear or stand on earth, nor was his shape seen at any time, John 5:37. but the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Goel, the word here used, our near kinsman, and so our Redeemer, to whom the right of redemption belonged; and who was spoken of by all the holy prophets, from the beginning of the world, as the Redeemer of his people, who should redeem them from all their sins; from the law, its curses and condemnation; from Satan, and his principalities and powers; from death and hell, and everlasting destruction; and that by giving himself a ransom for them; all which was known in the times of Job, ch. 33:24 and known by him, who speaks of him as living. . . . God of his grace gives both interest and knowledge: and such a knowledge as here expressed is a peculiar favour; it is owing to . . . to the spirit of wisdom and revelation.¹¹John Gill, Job 19:25. Contra Barry G. Webb, Job, Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2023), 239–42.

Through a dim mirror, Job prophesied of and hoped for the incarnation of Christ and the joy he would know in his resurrection.

Lastly, the book commends Job’s speech about God on multiple occasions. After the dust settles, Job does not curse God or sin with his lips (cf. Job 1:22; Job 2:10). In the dialogues with his friends, Job accurately perceives God’s providential design in his sufferings. Without denying God’s sovereignty over the trial, Job rightly understood that his sufferings were not a providential judgment for sin and that temporary circumstances were not sufficient evidence to demonstrate God’s providential favor or judgment. Lastly, in the final chapter, God commends Job as having correctly spoken of God. Unlike Eliphaz, the wisest of Job’s friends who built his case on the revelation of a mysterious spirit is effectively condemned as a false prophet who failed to adequately test the spirits (cf. Job 4:15–21; 1 Jo 4:1). Thus, given Job’s direct encounter with God along with his accurate foretelling of future events and the commendation his speech received from the author of the text and God personally, I believe the title of “prophet” could rightly be assigned to Job.

Job as Priest

In the Old Testament, priests functioned as mediators who would approach God on behalf of the people offering sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins.¹²Such forgiveness was not secured through such sacrifices but exclusively through the sacrifice of Christ, of which these sacrifices were a type. As the author of Hebrews stated, For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. (Hebrews 5:1 ESV) Again, I believe Job is presented in the text as a priest of God per Hebrews 5:1. In fact, the image of Job as a priest forms the opening and closing picture of the Book of Job.

In the opening verses, Job is described as a prosperous man of wisdom and virtue who walks with God and intercedes on behalf of his family. Job had seven sons and three daughters who would periodically hold week-long feasts. Such feasts appeared on its face to be righteous enjoyments of God’s bountiful gifts; however, Job would still offer sacrifices on their behalf in case they had sinned in a way that was hidden from his human perception. The text says,

And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. (Job 1:5 ESV)

Now, there is no doubt that Job is operating as a priest here, but he could be operating as a priest unlawfully—i.e. without God’s authority—as Saul would later do (cf. 1 Samuel 13:8–23). While God’s immediate commendation of Job’s character would suggest otherwise, perhaps more is needed to identify Job as a true priest. This is not a problem because the strongest evidence comes at the conclusion when Job is recognized by God as one of his priests.

After God rebuked Job’s friends for not speaking accurately, he spoke the following words to Eliphaz:

“Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer. (Job 42:8-9 ESV)

Here God gives explicit instructions to Job’s friends who had spoken foolishly and opposed Job throughout the dialogues. They were to approach Job as a priest so that he might offer burnt offerings and pray on their behalf that they might receive mercy from God. Thus, Job is tasked by God to function as a priest for his friends who knew not what they were doing to God’s righteous servant. As a priest who was also a suffering servant, Job displayed a more noble priestly function toward those who had set themselves against him, unjustly adding to the harm he had already experienced. After this priestly mediation, God accepted Job’s prayer, unquestionably marking Job as one of his as one of his priests.

Job as King or Ruler

According to Deuteronomy 17, God expected kings in Israel to execute justice according to the Word of the Law. Likewise, the ultimate King, Jesus, was prophesied by Isaiah as the one who “will bring forth justice to the nations” and the one who would be given by the Lord “as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” (Isaiah 42:1, 6-7 ESV) In other words, godly kings promote justice in the land. While much is unknown about Job’s specific role in his community, I argue that the text presents Job as one who possessed king-like authority and generally executed such authority in a just manner. I make this case on three pieces of textual evidence.¹³My typological connection coheres with many such as Webb and Christopher Ash who note the significant authority Job possessed in his day. Cf. Christopher Ash, Trusting God in the Darkness: A Guide to Understanding the Book of Job (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2021), 76.

First, Job possessed king-like prosperity. The opening chapter presents Job as a man of great possession and authority. He has much land, cattle, and innumerable servants and is described as “the greatest of all the people of the east.” (cf. Job 1:3 ESV) Such prosperity indicates a patriarch with significant authority in the land of Uz.

Second, Job possessed king-like honor and authority. Read Job’s description of his life before his trials in his closing speech:

When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square, the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose and stood; the princes refrained from talking and laid their hand on their mouth; the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. … Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them. They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down. I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners. (Job 29:7-10, 21-25 ESV)

Assuming Job accurately details his past life—and the text gives no indication that we ought to doubt him—one sees the significant honor Job was previously shown. Importantly, this all occurs at the city gate. As Barry Webb notes in his commentary:

The ‘city gate’ and its adjacent square was the place where the most senior and influential citizens met to discuss community affairs, settle disputes, and do business. The honorific titles of those involved in this instance—especially ‘officials’ and ‘noblemen’ suggest that the ‘city’ concerned was a place of some importance, rather than a mere town or village. To belong to this elite group was no small honor.¹⁴Webb, Job, 329.

At this place of prominence, Job is shown the utmost honor by everyone involved. His rulings are presented as the final say on the matter. Job sat as chief and operated like a king amongst them.

Third, he used his authority to promote justice as a king ought to have done. Again, in Job’s closing speech, we see the nature of Job’s authority, when he says:

When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved, because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him. The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth. (Job 29:11-17 ESV)

In whatever role Job exercised his authority, he did so justly. He used his wealth and power to help the needy, the orphan, and the widow—the weakest members of the Ancient Near East societies. It did not matter that those whom he served could not repay him; he pursued what was just nonetheless. For the blind and the lame, he was their eyes and feet. He extended familial protection to the needy and worked diligently to defend the stranger. And like any good king, he took his stand against the forces of evil and shattered their oppressive grip on the people. Job’s characterization of his rule is truly beautiful and strikes at the heart of what for which all of humanity longs: a just and righteous king. While the specific office in which Job held might have been something other than a king, I contend the above evidence justifies the interpretation of Job as a type of the kingly office of Christ.

Conclusion: The Greater Job

Like Christ, Job was a prophet shown no honor by those closest to him (cf. Mark 6:4), a priest who made mediation for his three friends who offered no help in his anguish (cf. Mark 14:47), and was a kingly figure mocked by the rabble of society amid his greatest trial (cf. Mark 15:16–32).¹⁵Ash, Trusting God in the Darkness, 43. Like Christ, also, Job arrived at his greatest expressions of those offices through becoming God’s suffering servant. Yet Job is not the Christ, but Job sheds light on who Christ is and the depths of the anguish he experienced as the truly innocent one suffered, body and soul, as if he were guilty in the stead of sinners. Job can be a difficult book to traverse. However, seeing the Greater Job in his prophetic, priestly, and kingly office and his restoration in the land of Uz adds another layer of comfort for the one who mourns this present evil age and whose hope is in the one who will restore all things and tells us: “Surely I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20 ESV).

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

[1] Eusebius, The History of the Church, 1.3.

[2] Chrism is derived from the Greek word, χρϊσμα, which simply means anointing and is connected to the Greek word, χρίστος.

[3] Ian A. McFarland, “Threefold Office,” in The Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology, ed. Ian A. McFarland et al. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011).

[4] Lindsay Wilson, Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 317.

[5] Mitch Chase, “Seeing Christ in Job: An Exercise in Typological Reading,” June 18, 2024, https://www.logos.com/grow/hall-typology-in-job/. Chase’s helpful article was published in the final editing stages of this piece.

[6] Christopher Ash, Job: The Wisdom of the Cross (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2014), 21.

[7] Ash, 31; Chase, “Seeing Christ in Job: An Exercise in Typological Reading.”

[8] Philip Ryken, The Messiah comes to Middle Earth: Images of Christ’s Threefold Office in the Lord of the Rings (IVP Academic: Downers Grove, IL, 2017).

[9] Eleonore Stump, Wandering in Darkness: Narrative and the Problem of Suffering (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), 192.

[10] Stump, 191.

[11] John Gill, Job 19:25. Contra Barry G. Webb, Job, Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2023), 239–42.

[12] Such forgiveness was not secured through such sacrifices but exclusively through the sacrifice of Christ, of which these sacrifices were a type.

[13] My typological connection coheres with many such as Webb and Christopher Ash who note the significant authority Job possessed in his day. Cf. Christopher Ash, Trusting God in the Darkness: A Guide to Understanding the Book of Job (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2021), 76.

[14] Webb, Job, 329.

[15] Ash, Trusting God in the Darkness, 43.