Shadow and Image

Heb 10:1a  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things.

Shadows don't tell you much about the object throwing the shadow.  Depending on distance from and the angle of the light, it can be either small or big.  The shadow blends into the surroundings at dusk and at night.  As for what the object looks like, you can't usually tell its parts.

The Bible says the law is a shadow of heavenly things.  The law tells us right from wrong, but it does not tell what to do in a specific situation where there are many choices.  The law talks about praise offerings, but it doesn't tell us what songs we'll be singing in heaven.

What we do see is like a painting by an artist.  In a landscape, features are left out because the land is just too big to include everything.  The tree in the painting may be just a brush stroke, but it isn't the exact image of leaves.

Just as the picture is not the exact image of the land, the law is not the exact image of what it is like in heaven.  Jesus added some details when he said to love our enemies and the thought of lust is the same as doing it.

We are only getting a glimpse into the plan God has for us.  When we see answered prayer (especially several at one time), we are getting a peek into God's will in heaven.