The entire Old Testament comprises prophecies, symbols, and figures. Their object is the Messiah and, along with Him, His mother. Let’s take a glimpse at some of them.
1.The Prophecies— A prophecy is the Word of God concerning something that is to occur in the future…. God alone can know the future; this is a sign of divinity.
a) The first prophecy regarding Mary was made directly by God Himself in the garden of paradise — “a woman will crush your head” — this is what He said to the hellish serpent. — Delve into the depths of these beautiful words. God is so good! He chastises and forgives all at once… in the same moment in which He condemns us to death, He prophesies a Messiah and a Woman who will crush the devil. — It is an amazing joy to know that the devil will always be under the feet of Mary! It is so assuring to know that neither She nor Her children can ever be hurt by him! Stop in order to give thanks to the Lord and to praise Mary for Her triumph and the grace She has thereby won for us. Come to the conclusion that, the more united your soul is to Mary, the more you will have Satan under your feet. — It will infuriate him to know that a Woman, and through this Woman, the rest of humanity will always crush his head!
b) In the same way, we can consider the great prophecy made by Isaiah centuries before, in which he said, “From the root of Jesse shall blossom a flower in which the Lord will rest”… Jesus is the blessed fruit, Mary the white flower. — In another part, Mary’s virginity is announced. A “virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” — These are the two crowns of Mary: Her divine maternity alongside Her Son’s divinity.
c) In the same way, we can discuss many other prophecies… and even entire books, such as David’s Psalms… the Song of Songs of Solomon… they all enclose magnificent Marian prophecies. God multiplied the prophecies concerning Her, as well as Her Son.
2. The Symbols — These are even more numerous! — The earthly paradise, with the tree that gave life, is the Most Holy Virgin. She is the true paradise in which Christ, the Tree of Life, blossomed. — Think of the ark that saved Noah from drowning. — Think of the dove that was on the ark. After the dove flew from the ark, it preferred not to rest in the mud of the earth but to return to the ark carrying a green twig in its beak. All of these images are beautiful reflections of Mary! — Remember Jacob’s ladder that joins together the heavens with the earth, and Aaron’s staff that blooms in the darkness of the Meeting Tent, and only in the presence of God. — The Ark of the Covenant was made of imperishable wood and enclosed the greatest mysteries. — The Burning Bush that burned with divine flames without consuming itself was surrounded by the majesty of God. — These symbols, and thousands, more that we find in the Sacred Scriptures, reveal the beauty, the dignity, the greatness and excellence of Mary… It seems like God took advantage of all these things only to remind mankind of His Mother, making them live in expectation of Her.
3. The Figures — All of the well-known women of the Old Testament are figures of Mary. — Eve was the mother of humanity… but for her own perdition… Mary will be the true Mother of our salvation. — Abigail, who with her beauty, infatuates David… is Mary infatuating God Himself. — Jael, who pierces with a nail the head of the enemy of God’s people… is Our Blessed Mother crushing the devil’s head. — Judith, who killed Holofernes and thus freed her people from this tyrant, is a figure of Mary through whom we are all freed from Satan. — Esther, who interceded before the king on behalf of her people… signifies the Blessed Virgin, who ceaselessly intercedes for us before the Throne of God. We could keep going on in this manner through all of the great figures of the Old Testament and we would see Our Blessed Mother in all of them.