Typology is a method of interpreting the Bible that looks for patterns in the Old Testament (the "type") that are later fulfilled or realized in the New Testament (the "antitype"). Typology assumes that God has a plan for human history and that patterns in the lives of individuals and events are part of that plan.
The origins of typology can be traced back to early Christian theologians such as Augustine and Origen, who saw deeper meanings in the Old Testament stories and characters that pointed forward to the coming of Christ and the new covenant. The method became more refined during the Middle Ages and was widely used during the Reformation.
In typology, a type is a person, event, or object in the Old Testament that prefigures or foreshadows something that is later fulfilled in the New Testament. An antitype is the person, event, or object that fulfills the type in the New Testament. For example, Adam in the Old Testament is a type of Christ in the New Testament, as both are seen as heads of humanity who bring new life to their followers.
Typology assumes that the Bible is a unified whole and that the events and people in the Old Testament are part of a larger story that finds its fulfillment in Christ and the New Testament. This assumes that the Bible is divinely inspired and that the patterns and connections between the Old and New Testaments are not accidental but intentional.