Three Prefigurations of the Resurrection

Joseph, Daniel, and Jonah

Among the most striking prefigurations in the Old Testament are stories which symbolically refer to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These themes involve all human beings and, in fact, all living things. The entire living earthly creation lives, dies, and resurrects in some manner. This truth is fundamental and cannot be escaped. Human beings know that they are going to die, and I think that many animal species also are aware of it. Such thoughts touch upon one of the most discussed philosophical issues in our time, namely the characteristics of consciousness.