The previous blog posts have talked about the Mosaic Law requiring eight sacrifices and each dealing with a specific heart or relational issue. Only through Christ can we be transferred from Satan’s kingdom into which we are all born and be able to enter Christ’s kingdom. This is the fulfilled symbolism of the burnt offering. By partaking and learning from him we can grow in him which is called the process of sanctification. This is the fulfillment of the grain offering. Christ’s sacrifice has restored the fellowship with God which was severed due to Adam’s sin. And this is the fulfillment of the peace or fellowship offering. And because we now have fellowship with him, our communication with him has been resorted—representing the need for the sin offering. And not only between God and us, but with each other with the guilt we suffered removed as symbolized by the guilt offering. God is pleased with being able to do this for us, which is represented by the drink offering, and he can be joyful because he no longer remembers any of our sins any longer, as the scapegoat represents. Even though he has paid for all our sins, past, present, and future, we still become unclean by living in a sinful world and because of our human nature, so he provides us continual cleansing if we only confess to him thereby making us clean again as symbolized by the ashes of the red heifer.

While the sacrificial system under the Mosaic Law was quite cumbersome, we can see through this that each was necessary because sin entraps us in more ways than one. Yet, Jesus Christ was able to untangle us completely, declaring us righteous, and thereby fit to be with him forever with the approval of the Father and with the enablement of the Holy Spirit.

So, what does all this mean for us? Christ is now fulfilling his second role for coming. We find this in Hebrews: “Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being. Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: ‘See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’ But in fact, the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises (Hb 8:1-7).”

What are these better promises? Let’s compare the promises from the Old and New Covenants. We could likely make a litany of promises to list, but here are a few key ones:

Old Covenant: Holy Spirit was not permanent; New Covenant: Holy Spirit is permanent. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come and go. This is one reason David prayed for the LORD to not take his Spirit from him. Today, once we accept Christ as our Savior, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us forever.

Old Covenant: justice was required by the Law because of one’s actions; New Covenant: mercy is applied instead. Because Christ paid for our sins, we can receive mercy rather than justice because Christ’s blood paid what justice required.

Old Covenant: there was no victory over death (all went to Sheol whether they were just or unjust, although there were different places within Sheol for each category); Yet neither were with Christ, their Messiah. Satan still controlled the keys to death and Sheol. New Covenant: we have received victory over death because, once we die, if we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we will be with Christ our Messiah at that moment and forever. Christ took the righteous to heaven and gained back the keys to death and Sheol.

Old Covenant: no power over sin; sacrifices were required and had to be repeated often; New Covenant: we have power over sin because Christ paid for our past, present, and future sins. We can have the mind of Christ and can operate within the same power that raised Christ from the dead because we have the Holy Spirit within us.

Old Covenant: people lived with a hope of their coming Messiah; New Covenant: we have an assurance of an eternity with Christ, our Messiah, forever.

What is Required? Romans 10:10 says, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and be saved.”

We must first realize something. What does that mean? It means to become aware of something as a fact. What is that fact? That we are wicked at heart. Jeremiah tells us the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jr 17:9).

We then need to believe. What does that really mean? It means we accept something as true. What do we need to accept? That Christ died on the cross for our sins and has freed us from the power of sin over us.

That leads us to confess. Meaning what? We must admit we are at fault in some way. We confess what we just realized: that we are a sinner and cannot change that fact on our own. Then we confess our belief in what Christ did for us knowing there is no other way or no other hope for us.

Next, we accept. And that means to take something offered to you. Christ paid the debt required for our sin and did so as a gift to us, but that does us no good unless we accept this gift. While it is free to us, it was quite costly for Christ. How can we not accept something so preciously obtained? By doing so, we receive the Holy Spirit which dwells within us, guides us, and helps us to be more like Christ as we walk with Him.

Then, we live with assurance. How is that done? One makes one’s home in a particular place with a particular person. By accepting this precious but free gift of salvation, we can know with certainty that our home will be with Christ forever. His presence dwells with us now and forever.

It has always been about the heart. The real question is: to whom does yours belong?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

All that occurs when Christ returns to this earth is in preparation for Christ’s Millennial Kingdom when He will reign over all the earth (Zc 14:9). However, before this, Christ’s kingdom will only include those righteous as Satan will not be loose during this time (Rv 20:1-3).

The beginning of the Millennium is almost like the antithesis of the earth after the Rapture. This time all those who have not accepted Christ as their Savior are removed.

There are two groups who enter the Millennium. One group is composed of those who were alive at the time of Christ’s return and who had accepted him as their Savior. They enter the Millennium in their current human bodies. The other group is composed of those who are part of the first resurrection and enter the Millennium in glorified bodies. These consists of the following:

·       Those who returned with Christ when He came to destroy the Antichrist and bind Satan (Rv 19:14). These are considered the church, i.e., those from Christ’s resurrection until the Rapture who put their faith in Him.

·       Those that put their faith in the Messiah prior to his resurrection (Dn 12:1-2). These are resurrected after Christ’s return and before the start of His reign (Rv 20:4).

·       Those martyred for their faith during the Tribulation period. These also are resurrected after Christ’s return and before the start of His reign (Rv 20:4).

Those of the Gentiles who are left will travel to Jerusalem each year to worship the Lord (Zc 14:16) and the punishment for not doing so will be lack of rain (Zc 14:17) and those of Egypt will receive plagues as punishment for not worshiping the Lord (Zc 14:18-19). Egypt here may be a metaphor for all the Gentile nations where lack of rain would not be devastating due to river irrigation and, therefore, more severe punishment will be instituted to show to all the world that nation’s disfavor with God. God will establish Jerusalem as the place from which He will reign and will become a holy city dedicated to the Lord (Zc 14:20-21).

A sacrificial system is reinstituted. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, death is abolished. There is no mention of another resurrection of believers after the first resurrection at the beginning of the Millennium (Rv 20:5-6). Sacrifices are the only way the people will know what death means. Those born during the Millennium will need to accept Christ by faith just as all who lived previously had to do. These sacrifices will help those born during the Millennium to understand the death Christ underwent to pay for their sins. The sacrificial system will be used threefold:

·       Sacrificial system depicts what Christ has done for every individual.

·       Sacrificial system depicts what death and separation from Christ looks like.

·       Sacrificial system shows that cleansing is needed to worship a holy God.

Four of the seven feasts will be observed: (Pesach) Passover, (Matzah) Unleavened Bread, (Bikkurim) First Fruits, and (Sukkot) Tabernacles. These represent the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, as well as his literal dwelling with his people. The other three feasts are fulfilled and not needed.

Israel will fulfill their original mandate to be the priests to the world. Israel will lead the world in worship of the Messiah. Just as the Church led to the final harvest prior to the Rapture, Israel is now leading the world to how to worship the Messiah under a sacrificial system. This will be led by an individual known as the Prince. Jesus Christ is the King of kings during this time and over all the other kings of the nations during this time with David serving as the king of Israel. The Prince will be a non-glorified human who will be of the tribe of Judah and lead all the world into the worship of Jesus Christ. It is thought he may be one of the 12,000 Jews of the tribe of Judah who served as evangelist during the Tribulation and Great Tribulation periods.

We have so much to look forward to! It is hard to believe how much he loves us and does for us—both now and in our future. If you accept him and put your faith in him for your future, you too, can be a part of all of this!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Over the last several posts, we have been talking about four strange verses of hope. In case you missed the beginning of this series of posts, you can access it here: Strange Verses of Hope. We then mentioned that Adam rebelled in the Garden and lost out by inadvertently turning his kingdom over to the Adversary, Satan. Despite this, God gave Adam’s descendants hope. Today, I want us to look at this hope.

So, what then was their hope?

The Sacrifices and the Law were given for the hope of what was to come. I know that may sound the opposite of hope because the sacrifices were burdensome and the Law restrictive. But God is not about convenience, but of truth. Let’s look at the five types of sacrifices:

1. Burnt Offerings (Lv 1) – dedication of oneself to God

2. Grain Offering (Lv 2) – offering one’s best to God and recognize God as sustainer

3. Fellowship Offering (Lv 3) – God wants a relationship with his people

4. Sin Offering (Lv 4) – Atonement for one’s sin against God

5. Guilt Offering (Lv 5) – Atonement for one’s sins against one’s fellow man

These had to be repeated continuously and thereby pointed to the One who was to come who would fulfill them all. How do we know they recognized these offerings as the need for one to come?

We find this verse in the Gospel of John: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29). Not only John, but many Jews understood the purpose of the sacrifices and their prophetic meaning. The nation and the people had been waiting for this moment. John the Baptist was announcing that their wait was over!

Not only the people, but the Jewish leaders were waiting as well. But if they were waiting, then why did they reject Jesus as their coming Messiah? For one, he did not fit their preconceived idea of their coming Messiah. They believe their messiah could come and free them from all oppression, especially Roman oppression, set up a kingdom, and make Israel the pinnacle of kingdoms on this earth. But instead of doing this, Jesus criticized the Pharisees and Sadducees for their teachings which were leading Israel astray from the intension and purpose of the Law God had given. Rather than asking questions to clarify, they dug deep into their resistance. Sometimes, it is easier to believe in something knowing it will not come true in your lifetime. When it is fulfilled in your lifetime, you may have to make changes and realize that the way God is working is not how you thought he would work. These Jewish leaders fell into this trap. Unfortunately, they were not willing so realize God may be working differently than they had thought.

Now, let’s concentrate on what John meant when he said, “Lamb of God.” It means Christ became the ultimate sacrifice for their atonement. We need to understand the Hebrew and Greek words for atonement and what these words meant:

Old Testament: kipur (to cover)—This means the sacrifices did not take away their sin but just covered their sin for a time until they could be dealt with properly. They were taken out of view, but not taken away. These sacrifices and duties of the priests were symbolic of how their sins would be taken away sometime in the future, but these activities did not do that for them then and was the reason they had to be repeatedly performed.

As an example, I can give an incident from my childhood. Growing up, I hated green peas. While I love them now, I certainly did not then. One evening at dinner, my mother insisted that I had to finish eating my peas before I could get up from the dining table. Such a conundrum. What do I do? Well, it so happened that we also had mash potatoes that evening as well. I’m not sure why I didn’t eat all of them, as I loved mash potatoes, but it proved fortuitous for me that evening. I decided I would hide my peas under the mash potatoes. When my mother wasn’t looking, I would push a few peas under the potatoes. I couldn’t do them all at once, right? Can’t afford a suspicious mother. LOL. Well, when they were all under the mash potatoes, Mother let me get up from the table. Now, I had not complied with my mother’s demand, but they were no longer visible and thereby I was allowed to get up from the table. Now, I’m sure she discovered them when she cleaned the plate. But that is how kipur worked. The sins were just hidden but not taken away.

Now, sometimes, my father would eat my peas. This took care of the situation completely. They were not on my plate. They were gone. Not that I took care of them myself, but the problem was taken care of by my father. This is similar to the word used for atonement in the New Testament.

New Testament: katallage (to reconcile)

The writer of Hebrews gives us more information about this: He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption (Hb 9:12, NIV). And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hb 10:10, NIV).

As my father did for me, Jesus did for all of us. His actions solved the sin debt for us—not just hiding the problem, but reconciling the problem—making it no longer a problem at all.

But do we fully understand this sacrifice Christ made for us?

This is what I would like for us to explore further next time. It may amaze you to know the extent and length Jesus did for us so that we don’t have to face the judgment and consequence of our sin debt. It was truly not an act of cover up, but an act of reconciliation for which we should all be entirely grateful.

Come join me next time. Until then. God bless.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In our last post, we talked about the drink offering, how it was instituted, and how it was used in the various types of sacrifices mentioned in Leviticus. This time, we will talk more about this interesting type of offering.

In Leviticus, we see this offering pointed toward God’s completion of what these sacrifices in Leviticus pointed toward. Matthew, in the New Testament, tells us, “And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:27). Christ’s blood was a drink offering, meaning it was a completion of something which had been started earlier. His death was the completion of what the sacrifices in Leviticus pointed toward—i.e., the payment for mankind’s sin.

There is another interesting application for the drink offering. It was utilized in the fulfillment of a Nazarite vow (Nu 6:1-21). A Nazarite was a man or woman who separated themselves for a period of time from certain food and drink (did not drink wine or eat grapes), from dead bodies (even family members), and did not cut their hair. During this time of separation, they were considered holy to the Lord. When their vow was over, they brought their burnt offering, meal offering, peace offering, and drink offering to the tabernacle. His/her hair was shaved and offered with the peace offering. The shoulder of the peace offering and the cakes of the meal offering were waved before the Lord. Then, and only then, could the individual drink wine again.

This aspect of separation unto the Lord is also taught to us in the New Testament. God calls us to be separate: “…we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, go out from their midst, and be separate from them,’ says the Lord, ‘and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,’ says the Lord Almighty” (2Co 6:16-18). The separation is to be from all earthly joy (the fruit of the vine), from sin and the result of sin (dead bodies), and is to last for our entire life here upon earth. The allowing of the hair to grow uncut speaks of subjection to the Lord (c.f. 1 Cor.11:2-16); thus, we are to be separated unto God. This again points to completion: after the period of separate, fellowship is restored.

The drink offering was also used in most feasts Israel held, as it was used whenever burnt, meal, and/or peace offerings were made (Nu 29). In Lv 23, three feats were called out specifically: First Fruit, Pentecost (Shavuot), Tabernacles (Sukkot). Each of these feasts pointed to a fulfillment or a completion of what God would do in Israel’s future.

Here is a table that shows how all the offerings were used in relation to each other and in relation to the various types of sacrifices and feasts:

As we have seen, all these sacrifices point to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the feasts point to future fulfillments of what Christ has done for us or will do for us in our future. While the following adage is simplistic, it is really true: The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed; the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. It is a testament to the continuity of the Bible and how it is a very dynamic book and not just a collection of stories. Isn’t our God marvelous?!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens