civic
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What do 7th Day Adventists Believe ?
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Brakelite
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Also for @synergy (are you a Jesuit, honest question), @civic @charismaticlady
“Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt. And he was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron that were left, saying, Wherefore have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, seeing it is most holy, and He hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before Jehovah? Behold, the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary within: you should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.” Leviticus 10:16-18, A.R.V. Aaron and his sons had made the mistake of not eating the flesh of the sin offering. When a goat was offered, the blood was put on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and the flesh was to be eaten. In this case they had omitted the eating of the flesh. This made Moses angry. “You should certainly have eaten it,” he said. The reason for eating the flesh is stated to be: “God bath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation.” This is a clear assertion that the priest in eating the flesh took on himself the iniquity of the people. This statement has a definite bearing upon the question of the possibility of transfer of sin from one individual to another. The question is fundamental to Christianity. If sin cannot be transferred, then Christ, of course, cannot and does not bear our sins. And if He cannot and does not bear our sins, we are without hope. Christianity is built on the proposition that Christ is the Lamb that bears the sin of the world. Take that hope away from humanity, and all is lost.
We now inquire: Is there any parallel to this in the service of the sanctuary? Is any transfer of sin made there? Does one bear the sins of another? The answer is affirmative. Aaron comes to the sanctuary burdened with sin. When he leaves, the burden has fallen off; he has been forgiven, and goes away free and happy. What has happened? He has brought his sin offering, “a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering.” Leviticus 5:6. (See also 4:28, 31) He has put his hand upon the head of the offering and killed it. He has confessed “that he hath sinned in that kind.” Leviticus 5:5. After this the priest has taken, “of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering.” Leviticus 4:30, 31. As the last part of the ceremony the priest has eaten the flesh of the sin offering in the court of the tabernacle, by this act taking the sin upon himself, bearing “the iniquity of the congregation. (Leviticus 6:26; 10:17) In doing this the priest is symbolic of Him who “bare the sin of many,” upon whom the Lord laid “the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:1-12. “Surely He hath borne our grief, and carried our sorrows”; His soul has been made “an offering for sin.” Because He thus suffered, “My righteous Servant” shall justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.” Verses 4, 10,11. Who can fail to see the parallel? Of Christ it is said that “He shall bear their iniquities.” Of the priests it is said that “God bath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation.” As Christ took sin upon Him, so the priests took sin upon them. As Christ took our sins upon Him to “justify many,” so the priests took the sin upon them “to make atonement for them before the Lord.” Verse 11; Leviticus 10:17. There can be no doubt that in these cases there is a transfer of sin; in one case in type, in the other case in reality. When the priest ministered the blood and ate the flesh, he not only took the sin upon him but identified himself so completely with the sinner that the sins he took upon himself became his sins, and he became responsible for them. “God hath given it [the flesh] you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord.” Leviticus 10: 17. In the course of his week's service at the sanctuary the priest had eaten of many of the sin offerings, and thus carried the sins of many offerers. As he could not atone for these sins with his own life, and as he bore the sins for the avowed purpose of making atonement for them, it became necessary for him to bring a personal offering for all the sins he carried and for which he was responsible. As the sins which he carried were now his own, and as when a priest sinned, the blood was brought into the holy place, so he brought the blood into the sanctuary, an atonement for all the sins which he bore. That transfer of sin is possible is also taught in the services on the Day of Atonement. “Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgression, even all their sins. And he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a man that is in readiness into the wilderness.” Leviticus 16:21, ARN. This statement is clear and precise. The high priest lays his hands on the head of the scapegoat and confesses over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins, and puts “them upon the head of the goat.” Words could not be clearer than these are. Upon the evidence here presented we confidently hold that transfer of sin is a true Biblical doctrine, that it was prefigured in the sanctuary service, and that it was in actuality carried out in the life of Christ. We believe this doctrine to be vital to salvation, one of the foundation pillars in the atonement.
That blood cleanses is a distinct evangelical doctrine. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” is the belief and creed of every Christian. 1 John 1:7. Is the doctrine that blood also defiles as truly Biblical? This we shall now consider. If we should change the question to “Does sin defile?” all would agree. “Out of the heart,” says Christ, “proceed evil thoughts, (murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man.” Matthew 15:19, 20. This is a statement of principle which is confirmed by the general teaching of the Bible. Not only does sin defile a man, but it defiles whatever it touches. Adultery defiles the land and the sanctuary. (Ezekiel 23:37, 38) Murder defiles the land. (Numbers 35:33) Profanation of the Sabbath defiles both the Sabbath and the sanctuary. (Ezekiel 23:38) Uncleanness defiles the tabernacle. (Leviticus 15:31; 16:16) Worship of Molech defiles the sanctuary. (Leviticus 20:3) The ceremonially unclean, who does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle and the sanctuary of the Lord. (Numbers 19:13,20) In all these cases it is sin that defiles, whether it be a person, a thing, or a day. The land can be defiled, and so can the Sabbath, the tabernacle, the sanctuary, or the human heart. Sin defiles what it touches. The Cleansing of the Sanctuary When on the Day of Atonement the sanctuary was cleansed by means of the blood of the goat, Aaron was told to sprinkle the blood “upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat,” and make “atonement for the holy place” and “for the tabernacle of the congregation” and also “go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and . . . cleanse it, and hallow it.” Leviticus 16:15-19. In particular, he is to put the blood “upon the horns of the altar round about.” Verse 18. In the same manner the altar of incense should be cleansed. “Aaron shall make atonement upon the horns of it once in the year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year shall he make atonement for-it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto Jehovah.” Exodus 30:10, A.R.V.
These altars were cleansed each year, as also the holy and the most holy place. We may, therefore, rightfully inquire what had made these altars and places unclean? The reason for the defilement is said to be “because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel and because of their transgressions in all their sins.” Leviticus 16:16. This is confirmed by the statement that the blood was put “upon the horns of the altar round about” and also sprinkled upon it seven times to “cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” Verses 18,19. We therefore hold that the sanctuary was made unclean because of the sins of Israel, and that this was particularly true of the horns of the altars. 0n the golden altar it is emphasized that Aaron was to make “atonement upon the horns of it once in a year” and that this atonement was to be made “with the blood of the sin offering.” Exodus 30:10. He was also to put of the blood of the goat “upon the horns of' the altar [of burnt offering] round about. . . . and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” Leviticus 16:18,19.
It may be pertinent to inquire: If blood only cleanses and never defiles, why is it necessary to cleanse the horns on the Day of Atonement when blood had been placed on these horns every day of the year? If the blood placed daily upon the horns purified, then the horns must have been very clean on the Day of Atonement. But the contrary was the case. They were defiled; they were unclean. Blood had been placed upon them; sin had been recorded by the priest's placing his blood fingerprint upon them. They needed cleansing.
An important statement concerning the blood is found in Leviticus 17:11. The Authorized Version reads: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.” The American Revised Version translates: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.” Both of these versions stress the fact that “the life of the flesh is in the blood” and that “it is the blood that makes atonement.” The American Revised Version states that “the blood . . . makes atonement by reason of the life.” It is not the blood in and of itself that atones. It is the life in the blood that does it. It is the person's life that determines the value of the blood, and the blood has value only as the life has value. For this reason the blood of a sinful being has no atoning value. And for the same reason the blood of Christ does have infinite atoning value. His blood atones, but only “by reason of the life.” This meaning is inherent in the Hebrew construction. The preposition for in the sentence, “It is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul,” invariably denotes the means by which atonement is made, and hence may appropriately be translated “by reason of.” The plan of salvation is grounded in blood atonement. Because of sin, man has lost his right to life, which must therefore be forfeited to God, to whom it is due. As a merciful provision, God provides a way of escape and accepts another life in place of the life of the transgressor. As the life of the flesh is in the blood, so the blood of the substitute is shed and presented to God on the altar in the place of the blood of the real sinner. But before this is done, the sinner must identify himself with the substitute, must place his hand on the head of the victim, and “confess that he hath sinned in that thing” and is worthy of death. Leviticus 5:5. The very genius of the transaction being that the substitute takes the place of the sinner and dies in his place, of necessity the sin and guilt is transferred to the substitute, who submits to the penalty. After the sacrifice is slain, the blood symbol of the life is put on the horns of the altar, this act constituting an acknowledgment of a forfeited life and also of the justice of the law in requiring it. Concerning the blood used in the sin offering, is recorded thus: “The priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering.” Leviticus 4:30. Of this ceremony Jeremiah says, “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond. It is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars.” Jeremiah 17:1. As the priest with his finger solemnly marked the horns with the blood, the sin was recorded. He makes a fingerprint, a blood print, upon the horns, and this fingerprint constitutes a record as definite as though it were graven with the point of a diamond. The man has sinned. He has confessed his sin. The sin is recorded with the blood of the sacrifice which the man has brought. He has admitted his guilt. He has recognized the justice of death as the punishment for his sin, and in recognition of this he has with his own hand taken the life of the victim. A record of this transaction is, now placed in blood upon the horns of the altar. The blood that was put upon the horns of the altar was the blood of an animal to which sin had been imputed. The animal died because sin was placed upon it. The blood that was placed upon the horns of the altar was therefore sin-laden blood. It recorded the sin upon the horns as with a pen of iron. It also recorded the death of the sacrifice as his substitute. It recorded that a life which because of sin has been forfeited had been given back to Him who gave it. It recorded the payment to the law of that which was its due. It recorded that a misspent life, the life of one who realized and acknowledged his sin, had willingly been renounced and laid down. The life which the sinner thus laid down was not a perfect, pure life. It was a sinful, polluted life. Of that life the blood was emblematic, for the life is in the blood, and the life determines the value of the blood. If it were not a sinful life that was thus presented to God, there would be no ground for the confession of sin nor the yielding up of the life upon the altar. The broken law demands the sinner's life of which the sin-charged blood is the symbol-and the man willingly lays it down. The life demanded is the sinful life, not the perfect life, and this sinful life the man now renounces. He has already by confession placed his sin upon the innocent animal, which has become his substitute and is now counted a sinner. As such it must die and pay the penalty for sin, thus maintaining the dignity of law. It is this sin-laden blood which the priest takes and places upon the horns of the altar, thus recording the sin and also the fact that a payment has been made. Thus is fulfilled Jeremiah's statement that “the sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart and upon the horns of your altars.” Jeremiah 17: 1.
More to come...
Brakelite
Active member
Continuing...
In considering the atonement, many forget the part which the law plays. Yet it was the law of Ten Commandments around which all the services of the sanctuary revolved. Take the law away, and there would be no need of any atonement, for with no law there is no sin. Considered from this viewpoint, two things are necessary to atonement: First, an acknowledgment of the just claims of the law, which is another expression for the righteousness of God. This is given by the sinner's confession, and the consequent renouncing and giving back of the life which he has forfeited. This act satisfies the law and the penalty is paid by forfeiting the life. But while the law is thus paid, the sinner, in type, is dead. This is the first part of the transaction, and an important one. Second, there must be, in type, a freeing of the sinner from death, some transaction whereby a pure, sinless life is exchanged for the sinful, polluted life of the sinner. This sinless life not only must be sinless in itself but must not bear sin or have sins placed upon it or be made to be sin. It must be a pure, holy life, “without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke.” Numbers 19:2. Such a life is found only in Christ, and the perfect symbol of that life is found in the Lord's goat, which on the Day of Atonement died without having any sins confessed upon it, and the blood of which effected the cleansing of the sanctuary. (Leviticus 16)
These two phases of the ministry of Christ are not to be confused. They are distinct and separate; yet they found their expression in the one perfect Redeemer, who, sinless, yet Himself bore “the sin of many,” who was made “to be sin for us, who knew no sin,” who made “His soul an offering for sin” and "poured out His soul unto death.” Though “He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.” 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:10, 12, 9.
The Sin Offering Ritual
We are now ready to consider further the significance of what took place when a man brought his sin offering to the tabernacle and went away forgiven. We have already discussed this briefly, but shall add some further observations. When one of the people sinned and became aware of it, he was to bring “a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.” Leviticus 4:28, 29.
The laying on of the hand was an old custom in Israel, a symbolic act whereby something possessed by one was conveyed to another.
Thus Jacob wittingly laid his right hand upon Ephraim and his left upon Manasseh, and blessed them. (Genesis 48:14, 15) Thus also Jesus laid His hands upon the little children and blessed them. (Mark 10: 16) In the same manner Jesus healed people (Mark 6:5); Paul received his sight (Acts 9:12); men received the Holy Ghost (Acts 19:6); Joshua was dedicated to holy office by Moses (Numbers 27:18); and Stephen was ordained to the ministry (Acts 6:6). In each case something was conveyed from one to another by the outward sign of the laying on of hands. In the New Testament the laying on of hands is considered one of the fundamental doctrines of the church (Hebrews 6:2), and instruction is given not to be premature in the bestowal of the gift (1 Timothy 5:22). If we now inquire what the sinner possesses and what he can impart to another as he appears before God and places his hand on the sacrifice, we find that he is in possession of only one thing, sin, which he hopes and prays to be delivered from. And he is delivered from it. He lays his hand upon the head of the animal, and by this act conveys his sin to the innocent lamb, who now bears his sins. Then the same hand which conveyed the sins to the lamb slays it.
The priestly service now begins, and the blood is placed on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. This blood represents the sinner's forfeited life, which is shed to satisfy the law's demand. The law holds the blood, the life of the sinner, until the Day of Atonement, when redemption is accomplished. As noted before, the priest dipped his finger into the blood, and placed a mark on the horns, a blood mark, a fingerprint. By this mark the sin was recorded, as a fingerprint constitutes a record. This mark recorded the sin, and also the fact that a death had taken place for that sin. By this transaction the altar became defiled, and particularly the horns. For this reason it became necessary to make an atonement upon the altar once a year with the blood of a sin offering. This atonement was accomplished when the priest took the pure blood of the Lord's goat, upon whom no sins had been placed, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. “And he shall go out unto the altar that is before Jehovah, and make atonement for it; and shall take the blood of the bullock, and the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the children of Israel.” Leviticus 16:18, 19, A.R.V. As during the year these horns had been polluted by the sin-charged blood that had been placed upon them, so now they are cleansed with sinless blood used on the Day of Atonement. It is of interest to note that on the Day of Atonement the atoning blood was placed only on the objects that had previously been defiled. No blood was placed on the laver or the candlestick or the table of show bread, for no blood had previously been applied to them. But blood was applied to the mercy seat, where the blood of the bullock had been sprinkled. The altar of incense and the altar of burnt offering were also sprinkled, and blood put on the horns (Exodus 30:10; 16:18, 19), for these altars had previously been defiled in the daily service. Of the veil we have no clear record that any blood was sprinkled on it, either in the daily service or in the cleansing on the Day of Atonement. The Bible statement is that the blood was sprinkled “before” the veil, which is probably the correct reading. (Leviticus 4:6, 17) However, once a year the veil was taken down and a new one hung up.
We therefore hold that blood both pollutes and cleanses. What the blood does, depends upon the value of the of blood used. The life measures the blood, and the blood the life; for “the life of the flesh is in the blood.” Leviticus 17:11. If it is a sinful life, the blood pollutes; if it is a sinless life, it cleanses. In harmony with this is the fact that while sin was confessed over the sacrifice in the daily service, there is no record that sin was confessed over the Lord's goat in the yearly service. In the first instance the sacrifice was made to bear sin, was made sin, and, as a sinner, must die. In the second instance Christ died as the Sinless One-an innocent, sinless life was given in holy consecration for us. Failure to distinguish these two phases in the work of redemption, shown clearly in the type, makes impossible a true evaluation of the atoning work of Christ. As our Substitute, Christ took our sins upon Him and died in the sinner's place and for sin. As sinner He ought to die-we say it reverently-and thus pay the penalty. But as the Sinless One He was under no obligation to die; but He willingly died for us, and “over and above the call of duty” redeemed us from death and the grave, and set us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
To be continued...
In considering the atonement, many forget the part which the law plays. Yet it was the law of Ten Commandments around which all the services of the sanctuary revolved. Take the law away, and there would be no need of any atonement, for with no law there is no sin. Considered from this viewpoint, two things are necessary to atonement: First, an acknowledgment of the just claims of the law, which is another expression for the righteousness of God. This is given by the sinner's confession, and the consequent renouncing and giving back of the life which he has forfeited. This act satisfies the law and the penalty is paid by forfeiting the life. But while the law is thus paid, the sinner, in type, is dead. This is the first part of the transaction, and an important one. Second, there must be, in type, a freeing of the sinner from death, some transaction whereby a pure, sinless life is exchanged for the sinful, polluted life of the sinner. This sinless life not only must be sinless in itself but must not bear sin or have sins placed upon it or be made to be sin. It must be a pure, holy life, “without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke.” Numbers 19:2. Such a life is found only in Christ, and the perfect symbol of that life is found in the Lord's goat, which on the Day of Atonement died without having any sins confessed upon it, and the blood of which effected the cleansing of the sanctuary. (Leviticus 16)
These two phases of the ministry of Christ are not to be confused. They are distinct and separate; yet they found their expression in the one perfect Redeemer, who, sinless, yet Himself bore “the sin of many,” who was made “to be sin for us, who knew no sin,” who made “His soul an offering for sin” and "poured out His soul unto death.” Though “He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.” 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:10, 12, 9.
The Sin Offering Ritual
We are now ready to consider further the significance of what took place when a man brought his sin offering to the tabernacle and went away forgiven. We have already discussed this briefly, but shall add some further observations. When one of the people sinned and became aware of it, he was to bring “a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.” Leviticus 4:28, 29.
The laying on of the hand was an old custom in Israel, a symbolic act whereby something possessed by one was conveyed to another.
Thus Jacob wittingly laid his right hand upon Ephraim and his left upon Manasseh, and blessed them. (Genesis 48:14, 15) Thus also Jesus laid His hands upon the little children and blessed them. (Mark 10: 16) In the same manner Jesus healed people (Mark 6:5); Paul received his sight (Acts 9:12); men received the Holy Ghost (Acts 19:6); Joshua was dedicated to holy office by Moses (Numbers 27:18); and Stephen was ordained to the ministry (Acts 6:6). In each case something was conveyed from one to another by the outward sign of the laying on of hands. In the New Testament the laying on of hands is considered one of the fundamental doctrines of the church (Hebrews 6:2), and instruction is given not to be premature in the bestowal of the gift (1 Timothy 5:22). If we now inquire what the sinner possesses and what he can impart to another as he appears before God and places his hand on the sacrifice, we find that he is in possession of only one thing, sin, which he hopes and prays to be delivered from. And he is delivered from it. He lays his hand upon the head of the animal, and by this act conveys his sin to the innocent lamb, who now bears his sins. Then the same hand which conveyed the sins to the lamb slays it.
The priestly service now begins, and the blood is placed on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. This blood represents the sinner's forfeited life, which is shed to satisfy the law's demand. The law holds the blood, the life of the sinner, until the Day of Atonement, when redemption is accomplished. As noted before, the priest dipped his finger into the blood, and placed a mark on the horns, a blood mark, a fingerprint. By this mark the sin was recorded, as a fingerprint constitutes a record. This mark recorded the sin, and also the fact that a death had taken place for that sin. By this transaction the altar became defiled, and particularly the horns. For this reason it became necessary to make an atonement upon the altar once a year with the blood of a sin offering. This atonement was accomplished when the priest took the pure blood of the Lord's goat, upon whom no sins had been placed, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. “And he shall go out unto the altar that is before Jehovah, and make atonement for it; and shall take the blood of the bullock, and the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the children of Israel.” Leviticus 16:18, 19, A.R.V. As during the year these horns had been polluted by the sin-charged blood that had been placed upon them, so now they are cleansed with sinless blood used on the Day of Atonement. It is of interest to note that on the Day of Atonement the atoning blood was placed only on the objects that had previously been defiled. No blood was placed on the laver or the candlestick or the table of show bread, for no blood had previously been applied to them. But blood was applied to the mercy seat, where the blood of the bullock had been sprinkled. The altar of incense and the altar of burnt offering were also sprinkled, and blood put on the horns (Exodus 30:10; 16:18, 19), for these altars had previously been defiled in the daily service. Of the veil we have no clear record that any blood was sprinkled on it, either in the daily service or in the cleansing on the Day of Atonement. The Bible statement is that the blood was sprinkled “before” the veil, which is probably the correct reading. (Leviticus 4:6, 17) However, once a year the veil was taken down and a new one hung up.
We therefore hold that blood both pollutes and cleanses. What the blood does, depends upon the value of the of blood used. The life measures the blood, and the blood the life; for “the life of the flesh is in the blood.” Leviticus 17:11. If it is a sinful life, the blood pollutes; if it is a sinless life, it cleanses. In harmony with this is the fact that while sin was confessed over the sacrifice in the daily service, there is no record that sin was confessed over the Lord's goat in the yearly service. In the first instance the sacrifice was made to bear sin, was made sin, and, as a sinner, must die. In the second instance Christ died as the Sinless One-an innocent, sinless life was given in holy consecration for us. Failure to distinguish these two phases in the work of redemption, shown clearly in the type, makes impossible a true evaluation of the atoning work of Christ. As our Substitute, Christ took our sins upon Him and died in the sinner's place and for sin. As sinner He ought to die-we say it reverently-and thus pay the penalty. But as the Sinless One He was under no obligation to die; but He willingly died for us, and “over and above the call of duty” redeemed us from death and the grave, and set us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
To be continued...
Brakelite
Active member
Continuing...
The Day of Atonement
The Day of Atonement was the great day in Israel. It was peculiarly holy, and on it no work was to be done. The Jews called it Yoma, The Day. It was the keystone of the sacrificial system. Whoever did not on that day afflict his soul was cut off from Israel. (Leviticus 23:29) The Day of Atonement occurred on the tenth of the seventh month, Tishri, which corresponds to our September-October. The special preparation for this day began on the first day of Tishri. Of this the Jewish Encyclopedia, article “Atonement,” says: . “The first ten days of Tishri grew to be the ten penitential days of the year, intended to bring about a perfect change of heart, and to make Israel like newborn creatures. . . . the culmination being reached on the Day of Atonement when religion's greatest gift, God's condoning mercy, was to be offered to man.” “The idea developed also in Jewish circles that on the first of Tishri, the sacred New Year's Day and the anniversary of creation, man's doings were judged and his destiny was decided; and that on the tenth of Tishri the decree of heaven was sealed.” Volume 2, page 281. A Jewish conception of what took place on that day is given in the same encyclopedia, article “Atonement, Day of,” as follows: God, seated on His throne to judge the world, at the same time judge, Pleader, Expert, and Witness, opens the Book of Records; it is read, every man's signature being found therein. The great trumpet is sounded; a still, small voice is heard; the angels shudder, saying, this is the day of judgment: for His very ministers are not pure before God. As a shepherd musters his flock, causing them to pass under his rod, so does God cause every living soul to pass before Him to fix the limit of every creature's life and to foreordain its destiny. On New Year's Day the decree is written; on the Day of Atonement it is sealed who shall live and who are to die, etc. But penitence, prayer, and charity may avert the evil decree.” - Ibid., Page 286. One week before the tenth day of the seventh month the high priest moved from his house in Jerusalem to the temple precincts. There he spent the week in prayer and meditation, and also in rehearsing the ritual for the Day of Atonement, so that no mistake would be made in any of the ceremonies. There was with him also, at least in later years, another priest who could go on with the service of the day should he become sick or die, or any accident befall him. There was also, generally, an older priest, who instructed and helped the high priest, and made sure that he understood each step of the ritual and was thoroughly familiar with all that should be done. The night before the Day of Atonement the high priest was not permitted to sleep, lest some defilement should come to him. On the Day of Atonement all were up early. The high priest himself officiated in the daily morning sacrifice, which was conducted on this day as on other days. (Numbers 29:11) After this service was over the special services began. The record of what was done is found in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus. A study of this chapter yields the following information: Aaron is told that he may not come at all times into the most holy place, “that he die not,” for God “will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.” Leviticus 16:2. When he does come into the most holy place on the Day of Atonement, he is to wear “the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen miter shall he be attired: these are holy garments.” Verse 4. Before putting them on he is to bathe. As he begins the service the high priest receives from the congregation two goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, which, together with his own sin offering, a bullock, are presented before the Lord. (Verses 3, 5) He kills the bullock, which is for himself, and with it he is to make “an atonement for himself, and for his house.” Verse 11. After the bullock is killed, but before any of the blood is ministered, the high priest is to “take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil.” There he puts the incense upon the fire he has brought, and the cloud of incense covers “the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.” Verses 12, 13. The high priest is now ready to minister the blood of the bullock, which he does by sprinkling “It with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy scat shall he sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times.” Verse 14. Before the bullock is killed, another ceremony has taken place. Lots are cast over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. (Verse 8) The goat upon which the lot falls for the Lord is to be offered as a sin offering. The other, the scapegoat, is to be presented alive before the Lord “to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.” (Verses 9, 10) Of both these goats it is stated that Aaron shall “present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” Verse 7. This means that both of them were taken near the door of the tabernacle and tied to rings placed in the ground or pavement, and left standing there while the other part of the service with the bullock went forward. They were thus presented “before the Lord,” to await the conclusion of the services of the incense and the bullock. After the high priest came out of the most holy place, having performed the ritual with the blood of the bullock, he killed the goat of the sin offering which was for the people. He then entered the most holy place and sprinkled the blood of the goat, as he had sprinkled the blood of the bullock, upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. (Verse 15) By this act he made atonement for the most holy place “because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins.” Verse 16. He then did the same thing for the tabernacle of the congregation, that is, the holy place. There was a special regulation that while the high priest was doing this work, there must be no one in “the tabernacle of the congregation when he goes in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.” Verse 17. We are not told the reason for this prohibition, but it seems reasonable to believe that as the veil which separated the holy from the most holy was drawn aside during the special services of the Day of Atonement, thus revealing the ark and the mercy scat with the Shekinah, anyone not specially appointed to enter the sanctuary would be in serious danger of intruding into God's presence unprepared, which encroachment, of course, would mean instantaneous death. Cleansing the Tabernacle and Altar Having made atonement for the holy place and for the tabernacle of the congregation, that is, for the most holy place and the holy place (verse 16), Aaron “shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord,* and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” Verses 18, 19. Aaron had now “made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar.” Verse 20. It is worthy of notice that the second apartment is called the “holy place” in this chapter, as indeed it is elsewhere in the Bible. But this need not cause any confusion, for it is contrasted with the “tabernacle of the congregation,” which is the common name for the first apartment. The reading of this verse, as we would understand it, is, therefore, that Aaron had now “made an end of reconciling” the most holy place, the holy place, and the altar. When Aaron offered the bullock, he made “an atonement for himself, and for his house.” Verses 6, 11. On the other hand, the goat of the sin offering was for the people. (Verses 8, 15.) However, in the administration of the goat's blood Aaron is not said to have made atonement for the people, but “for the holy place,” and “for the tabernacle of the congregation.” Verse 16. We do not deny, but affirm, that an atonement was effected for the people, for this is stated definitely elsewhere. (Verses 30, 34.) We are merely calling attention to the fact that the blood of the bullock makes atonement for Aaron and his house, while the blood of the goat makes atonement for and cleanses the holy places of the sanctuary. (Verse 18.) It is almost incidentally that the atonement for the people is mentioned. This study leads us to the conclusion that there were two distinct purposes in the cleansing accomplished on the Day of Atonement: one, the cleansing of things-such as the two holy places and the altar; the other, the cleansing of priests and people. Uncleanness is removed from things, and uncleanness is removed from the people. Both are cleansed. (Verses 16, 19, 30.) Also, atonement is made for things, and atonement is made for the people. (Verses 11, 16, 18, 30, 33, 34.) These two purposes are closely connected; one is dependent on the other, and yet they must be kept separate in our thinking as they are in the record. The holy places were cleansed, not because of any, inherent sin or evil in the sanctuary or altar, but “because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of the transgression in all their sins.” Verse 16. This is true of the altar also. The priest is to “cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” Verse 19. These statements make it clear that it was the sins of Israel that defiled the sanctuary and the altar.
This defilement had taken place throughout the year in the daily ministration. Each morning and evening a lamb had been slain and its blood sprinkled upon the altar “round about.” This had defiled the altar. Offenders had brought their sin offerings, and the blood had been sprinkled in the holy place and put on the horns of the altars. Other offerings had been brought, and the blood had been sprinkled on the altar “round about.” Through these means the sanctuary as well as the altars had been defiled. The services of the Day of Atonement were to dispose of all these sins and to cleanse both the sanctuary and the priesthood as well as the people.
To be continued...
The Day of Atonement
The Day of Atonement was the great day in Israel. It was peculiarly holy, and on it no work was to be done. The Jews called it Yoma, The Day. It was the keystone of the sacrificial system. Whoever did not on that day afflict his soul was cut off from Israel. (Leviticus 23:29) The Day of Atonement occurred on the tenth of the seventh month, Tishri, which corresponds to our September-October. The special preparation for this day began on the first day of Tishri. Of this the Jewish Encyclopedia, article “Atonement,” says: . “The first ten days of Tishri grew to be the ten penitential days of the year, intended to bring about a perfect change of heart, and to make Israel like newborn creatures. . . . the culmination being reached on the Day of Atonement when religion's greatest gift, God's condoning mercy, was to be offered to man.” “The idea developed also in Jewish circles that on the first of Tishri, the sacred New Year's Day and the anniversary of creation, man's doings were judged and his destiny was decided; and that on the tenth of Tishri the decree of heaven was sealed.” Volume 2, page 281. A Jewish conception of what took place on that day is given in the same encyclopedia, article “Atonement, Day of,” as follows: God, seated on His throne to judge the world, at the same time judge, Pleader, Expert, and Witness, opens the Book of Records; it is read, every man's signature being found therein. The great trumpet is sounded; a still, small voice is heard; the angels shudder, saying, this is the day of judgment: for His very ministers are not pure before God. As a shepherd musters his flock, causing them to pass under his rod, so does God cause every living soul to pass before Him to fix the limit of every creature's life and to foreordain its destiny. On New Year's Day the decree is written; on the Day of Atonement it is sealed who shall live and who are to die, etc. But penitence, prayer, and charity may avert the evil decree.” - Ibid., Page 286. One week before the tenth day of the seventh month the high priest moved from his house in Jerusalem to the temple precincts. There he spent the week in prayer and meditation, and also in rehearsing the ritual for the Day of Atonement, so that no mistake would be made in any of the ceremonies. There was with him also, at least in later years, another priest who could go on with the service of the day should he become sick or die, or any accident befall him. There was also, generally, an older priest, who instructed and helped the high priest, and made sure that he understood each step of the ritual and was thoroughly familiar with all that should be done. The night before the Day of Atonement the high priest was not permitted to sleep, lest some defilement should come to him. On the Day of Atonement all were up early. The high priest himself officiated in the daily morning sacrifice, which was conducted on this day as on other days. (Numbers 29:11) After this service was over the special services began. The record of what was done is found in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus. A study of this chapter yields the following information: Aaron is told that he may not come at all times into the most holy place, “that he die not,” for God “will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.” Leviticus 16:2. When he does come into the most holy place on the Day of Atonement, he is to wear “the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen miter shall he be attired: these are holy garments.” Verse 4. Before putting them on he is to bathe. As he begins the service the high priest receives from the congregation two goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, which, together with his own sin offering, a bullock, are presented before the Lord. (Verses 3, 5) He kills the bullock, which is for himself, and with it he is to make “an atonement for himself, and for his house.” Verse 11. After the bullock is killed, but before any of the blood is ministered, the high priest is to “take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil.” There he puts the incense upon the fire he has brought, and the cloud of incense covers “the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.” Verses 12, 13. The high priest is now ready to minister the blood of the bullock, which he does by sprinkling “It with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy scat shall he sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times.” Verse 14. Before the bullock is killed, another ceremony has taken place. Lots are cast over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. (Verse 8) The goat upon which the lot falls for the Lord is to be offered as a sin offering. The other, the scapegoat, is to be presented alive before the Lord “to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.” (Verses 9, 10) Of both these goats it is stated that Aaron shall “present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” Verse 7. This means that both of them were taken near the door of the tabernacle and tied to rings placed in the ground or pavement, and left standing there while the other part of the service with the bullock went forward. They were thus presented “before the Lord,” to await the conclusion of the services of the incense and the bullock. After the high priest came out of the most holy place, having performed the ritual with the blood of the bullock, he killed the goat of the sin offering which was for the people. He then entered the most holy place and sprinkled the blood of the goat, as he had sprinkled the blood of the bullock, upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. (Verse 15) By this act he made atonement for the most holy place “because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins.” Verse 16. He then did the same thing for the tabernacle of the congregation, that is, the holy place. There was a special regulation that while the high priest was doing this work, there must be no one in “the tabernacle of the congregation when he goes in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.” Verse 17. We are not told the reason for this prohibition, but it seems reasonable to believe that as the veil which separated the holy from the most holy was drawn aside during the special services of the Day of Atonement, thus revealing the ark and the mercy scat with the Shekinah, anyone not specially appointed to enter the sanctuary would be in serious danger of intruding into God's presence unprepared, which encroachment, of course, would mean instantaneous death. Cleansing the Tabernacle and Altar Having made atonement for the holy place and for the tabernacle of the congregation, that is, for the most holy place and the holy place (verse 16), Aaron “shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord,* and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” Verses 18, 19. Aaron had now “made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar.” Verse 20. It is worthy of notice that the second apartment is called the “holy place” in this chapter, as indeed it is elsewhere in the Bible. But this need not cause any confusion, for it is contrasted with the “tabernacle of the congregation,” which is the common name for the first apartment. The reading of this verse, as we would understand it, is, therefore, that Aaron had now “made an end of reconciling” the most holy place, the holy place, and the altar. When Aaron offered the bullock, he made “an atonement for himself, and for his house.” Verses 6, 11. On the other hand, the goat of the sin offering was for the people. (Verses 8, 15.) However, in the administration of the goat's blood Aaron is not said to have made atonement for the people, but “for the holy place,” and “for the tabernacle of the congregation.” Verse 16. We do not deny, but affirm, that an atonement was effected for the people, for this is stated definitely elsewhere. (Verses 30, 34.) We are merely calling attention to the fact that the blood of the bullock makes atonement for Aaron and his house, while the blood of the goat makes atonement for and cleanses the holy places of the sanctuary. (Verse 18.) It is almost incidentally that the atonement for the people is mentioned. This study leads us to the conclusion that there were two distinct purposes in the cleansing accomplished on the Day of Atonement: one, the cleansing of things-such as the two holy places and the altar; the other, the cleansing of priests and people. Uncleanness is removed from things, and uncleanness is removed from the people. Both are cleansed. (Verses 16, 19, 30.) Also, atonement is made for things, and atonement is made for the people. (Verses 11, 16, 18, 30, 33, 34.) These two purposes are closely connected; one is dependent on the other, and yet they must be kept separate in our thinking as they are in the record. The holy places were cleansed, not because of any, inherent sin or evil in the sanctuary or altar, but “because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of the transgression in all their sins.” Verse 16. This is true of the altar also. The priest is to “cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” Verse 19. These statements make it clear that it was the sins of Israel that defiled the sanctuary and the altar.
This defilement had taken place throughout the year in the daily ministration. Each morning and evening a lamb had been slain and its blood sprinkled upon the altar “round about.” This had defiled the altar. Offenders had brought their sin offerings, and the blood had been sprinkled in the holy place and put on the horns of the altars. Other offerings had been brought, and the blood had been sprinkled on the altar “round about.” Through these means the sanctuary as well as the altars had been defiled. The services of the Day of Atonement were to dispose of all these sins and to cleanse both the sanctuary and the priesthood as well as the people.
To be continued...
Brakelite
Active member
Continuing...
The question may well be raised, Why did the people need cleansing? Had they not brought their sacrifices from time to time throughout the year, confessed their sins, and gone away forgiven? Why would they need to be forgiven twice? Why should “a remembrance” be “made of sins every year”? Should not “the worshippers once purged have had no more conscience of sins”? Hebrews 10:3, 2. These questions demand an answer. It may be pertinent to remark that salvation is always conditioned upon repentance and perseverance. God forgives, but the forgiveness is not unconditional and independent of the sinner's future course. Note how Ezekiel puts it. “When the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he bath sinned, in them shall he die.” Ezekiel 18:24. This text states that when a man turns away from the right, all his good deeds “shall not be mentioned.” The converse is also true. If a man has been wicked, but turns from his evil way, “all his transgressions that he bath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him.” Verse 22. Note also how Christ in the parable dealt with the man who owed ten thousand talents. When he begged for mercy he was forgiven. (Matthew 18:27) However, when the same servant was unmerciful to his fellow servant who owed the small sum of a hundred pence, and had him cast into prison, his lord said unto him, '0 thou wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because thou desired me. Should not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?' And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Matthew 18:32-35.
God keeps an account with each man. Whenever a prayer for forgiveness ascends to God from a true heart, God forgives. But after men have been forgiven they at times change their minds. They repent of their repentance. They show by their lives that their repentance is not permanent. And so God, instead of forgiving absolutely and finally, marks forgiveness against men's names and waits with the final blotting out of sins until they have had time to think the matter through. If at the end of their lives they are still of the same mind, abhorring their sins in sincere repentance, God counts them faithful, and in the day of judgment their record is finally cleared. So in Israel of old. When the Day of Atonement rolled around, each offender had an opportunity to show that he, was still of the same mind. If he was, the sin was blotted out, and he was completely cleansed.
The Day of Atonement was the day of judgment to Israel, as evidenced by the quotations at the beginning of this chapter. Day by day during the year the transgressors had appeared at the temple and received forgiveness. On the Day of Atonement these sins came in review before God, or as Hebrews puts it, there was “a remembrance again made of sins.” Hebrews 10:1 On that day every true Israelite renewed his consecration to God and confirmed his repentance. As a result, he was not only forgiven but cleansed. “On that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.” Leviticus 16:30. It must have been with happiness in their hearts that Israel went home in the evening of that day.” Clean from all your sins.” Wonderful assurance! The same promise is given in the New Testament: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Not only forgiven, from “all unrighteousness,” but cleansed! Cleansed from “all your sins”! “0h, the bliss of the glorious thought my sin, not in part, but the whole.” Of the final judgment the revelator says: “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:12. “The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books.” The Day of Atonement was a type of that day. While there were no books kept in the sanctuary, there was, nevertheless, a record of sin. Every drop of blood sprinkled on the altar of burnt offering in the morning and evening service constituted a record of sins committed. On the horns of the same altar, and also on the altar of incense, a record of sins forgiven was made by the blood put on the horns by the officiating priest as sinners came with their personal sacrifices to obtain forgiveness. On the Day of Atonement the sins of those who had already obtained forgiveness were blotted out. The unrepentant sinners were “cut off.” Thus the sanctuary was cleansed of the record of sin accumulated through the year. The sins no longer remained as a witness against the people. Atonement had been made, and the people were not under condemnation. Even the record existed no more.
The question may well be raised, Why did the people need cleansing? Had they not brought their sacrifices from time to time throughout the year, confessed their sins, and gone away forgiven? Why would they need to be forgiven twice? Why should “a remembrance” be “made of sins every year”? Should not “the worshippers once purged have had no more conscience of sins”? Hebrews 10:3, 2. These questions demand an answer. It may be pertinent to remark that salvation is always conditioned upon repentance and perseverance. God forgives, but the forgiveness is not unconditional and independent of the sinner's future course. Note how Ezekiel puts it. “When the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he bath sinned, in them shall he die.” Ezekiel 18:24. This text states that when a man turns away from the right, all his good deeds “shall not be mentioned.” The converse is also true. If a man has been wicked, but turns from his evil way, “all his transgressions that he bath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him.” Verse 22. Note also how Christ in the parable dealt with the man who owed ten thousand talents. When he begged for mercy he was forgiven. (Matthew 18:27) However, when the same servant was unmerciful to his fellow servant who owed the small sum of a hundred pence, and had him cast into prison, his lord said unto him, '0 thou wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because thou desired me. Should not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?' And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Matthew 18:32-35.
God keeps an account with each man. Whenever a prayer for forgiveness ascends to God from a true heart, God forgives. But after men have been forgiven they at times change their minds. They repent of their repentance. They show by their lives that their repentance is not permanent. And so God, instead of forgiving absolutely and finally, marks forgiveness against men's names and waits with the final blotting out of sins until they have had time to think the matter through. If at the end of their lives they are still of the same mind, abhorring their sins in sincere repentance, God counts them faithful, and in the day of judgment their record is finally cleared. So in Israel of old. When the Day of Atonement rolled around, each offender had an opportunity to show that he, was still of the same mind. If he was, the sin was blotted out, and he was completely cleansed.
The Day of Atonement was the day of judgment to Israel, as evidenced by the quotations at the beginning of this chapter. Day by day during the year the transgressors had appeared at the temple and received forgiveness. On the Day of Atonement these sins came in review before God, or as Hebrews puts it, there was “a remembrance again made of sins.” Hebrews 10:1 On that day every true Israelite renewed his consecration to God and confirmed his repentance. As a result, he was not only forgiven but cleansed. “On that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.” Leviticus 16:30. It must have been with happiness in their hearts that Israel went home in the evening of that day.” Clean from all your sins.” Wonderful assurance! The same promise is given in the New Testament: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Not only forgiven, from “all unrighteousness,” but cleansed! Cleansed from “all your sins”! “0h, the bliss of the glorious thought my sin, not in part, but the whole.” Of the final judgment the revelator says: “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:12. “The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books.” The Day of Atonement was a type of that day. While there were no books kept in the sanctuary, there was, nevertheless, a record of sin. Every drop of blood sprinkled on the altar of burnt offering in the morning and evening service constituted a record of sins committed. On the horns of the same altar, and also on the altar of incense, a record of sins forgiven was made by the blood put on the horns by the officiating priest as sinners came with their personal sacrifices to obtain forgiveness. On the Day of Atonement the sins of those who had already obtained forgiveness were blotted out. The unrepentant sinners were “cut off.” Thus the sanctuary was cleansed of the record of sin accumulated through the year. The sins no longer remained as a witness against the people. Atonement had been made, and the people were not under condemnation. Even the record existed no more.
charismaticlady
Active member
Hi Brakelite, I scanned your book and it seems you are trying to say that sin defiles the man and that is why God gave mankind through Israel the Ten Commandments, and that was to teach us until Jesus's blood thoroughly cleansed us of all the sin that made the commandments necessary. Jesus' blood cleansed us and took sin out of our nature so that we may walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
Brakelite
Active member
God's law of ten commandments was given to point out sin, for without the law there is no knowledge of sin. Because of sin, the law of Moses was given. The last of Moses was given to point out the remedy for sin, that remedy being the sacrificial services that pointed to Christ. When Christ came, the law of Moses was fulfilled. The law of God is eternal, is still and always will be a transcript of His character, a promise of righteousness to those that believe, and the standard by which all men will be judged. The law written on the heart is the exact same law that was written on stone. We receive the righteousness of the law as we receive Christ in us, the hope of glory.
charismaticlady
Active member
The Ten Commandments are still needed for sinners. But a Spirit filled Christian that has those laws supernaturally written on our conscience means our new nature given to us by Jesus called being born again of the Spirit, doesn't desire to murder, steal, commit adultery or any of the others, and by obeying our conscience we abide In Christ, and there is no sin IN Christ. 1 John 3:4-5. We don't need written commandments to point out sin, as we no longer desire to sin in the first place any more. But the worldly criminals need them.
Jesus defeated the influence of Satan on a born again Christian who stays abiding IN Christ and it is written doesn't commit sin. 1 John 3:8-9. You really need to focus on the NEW COVENANT instead of the old which you know so well. It seems you believe the covenant we are in is the Old Covenant plus the death of Jesus. You have no ideal that we rose again with Christ and are living a victorious life when sin was killed in us and nailed to the cross. Keep studying. Romans 6:5-7.
Abiding In Christ is the Spirit of the Sabbath rest. Jesus is the true substance of the Sabbath. It is too bad that Messiance Jews and SDA still want to keep the letter of the law that we are commanded not to do, but to keep the Spirit of that law which is abiding in Jesus continually, not just one day a week.
To get to heaven we must be sinless, which is righteous. Then comes maturing in the fruit of the Spirit which also requires abiding in Jesus. Maturity in all the fruit of the Spirit is perfection where we will never stumble, which is holiness.
1 John 3:21-24
John 15:1-4
2 Peter 1:2-11
Brakelite, you do no one any favors by telling us that we are sinners when we are not. Read Romans 6:5-16. We are dead to sin, and we must continue to reckon ourselves dead to sin, telling ourselves the truth, because as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. See how what you are preaching can be deflating and even weaken one's resolve?
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Brakelite
Active member
Mmmm. It's interesting that your version of what Sabbath means differs so markedly from Bible scholars and Christian apologists in previous centuries. Until the beginning of last century, the debate was always between Sunday and Saturday. This "rest replacement concept" is relatively modern, because previously everyone recognised that Sabbath observance was always about keeping a day holy. Which day? Maybe we could debate that. But spiritualizing God commandments in an attempt to do away with actual obedience in quite frankly absurd. It is no different from killing people and using the excuse, "I wasn't unreasonably angry with them".
charismaticlady
Active member
Brakelite, as long as you abide IN Jesus and He is in you, and you feel in your heart you want to keep Saturday holy, go ahead. For you, it would be a sin not to. Just know in your brain it is the letter of the old law. Sunday is just a holy tradition now; never a law. Even in the first century when they weren't under the Mosaic laws and not Sabbath keepers anymore so no synagogue to go to, especially for Gentiles, or church building, (the first church buildings were abandoned pagan temples) some stopped even meeting together ever. Heb. 10:25.
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
They only had "home" churches which if there was one around, they met on Sundays according to the oldest writers we have. If you practice being anxious for nothing because you are trusting God, you are keeping Sabbath. The time of testing is upon us. The Great Tribulation is now! Just look at the morality of the world. The United States is not even in Revelation and Russia and China are both armed with nuclear weapons. We have two parties and the one in office now is Isaiah 5:20 to a 't.' Stop arguing about which day to worship on, and be IN Christ every moment of every day and put your whole trust IN Him.
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Purify yourself: 1 John 3:1-3
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
BTW if you think a born again of the Spirit Christian is going around killing people because the law is written on our heart and not on stone, abiding In Christ is unknown to you. Repent, and ask God to write his laws of love on your own heart.
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Brakelite
Active member
It isn't about feelings. It's about obedience to the authority of God.
It is. You've been out of Adventistism too long and you've forgotten. Or you weren't listening.
You missed the point, but stumbled on it anyway by accident. You are right. A born again person is not going to go around killing people. The letter of the law is kept by those who truly accept in their heart the spirit of the law. My point exactly.
charismaticlady
Active member
Just love Jesus with every fiber of your being, and don't take the mark of the beast just because you think you are safe because you keep Saturday when the real mark is something else that you are not expecting. Keep your eyes open! And yes, I know that SDA believes America is Revelation, I didn't forget, but at the time a long time ago, I thought it a bit hooky. Maybe I should take a second look. What is the text again? And tell me how you see its relevance. Thanks.
I always thought America will be safe because we honor Israel and are "under God." But starting with Obama and now his stooge, their whole focus was to destroy America and everything it stood for, and it has been brought down so low, God has to take His protective hand away. I focus on purity. I don't expect to be living much longer, but when that happens, I'll open my eyes and see Jesus.
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Brakelite
Active member
CL, the reference for America in prophecy is the second beast of Revelation 13. Remember that Adventists are historicists. Prophecy we believe, wasn't designed in order to turn us into clairvoyants, predicting the future, but contrariwise, we focus more by a principle of looking into the past, because Jesus said,
KJV John 13:19
19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
KJV John 14:29
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
That doesn't mean we remain completely ignorant as to what tomorrow may bring, but we do not search scriptures to pull out texts here and there to fit what we imagine the future to look like. We study history. History repeats... There is nothing new under the sun...history can tell us a great deal about tomorrow, because the philosophies and dogmas and principles by which the main actors in history have operated, remain the same. And Satan has not one original idea in his head. Everything He does is a counterfeit to truth, for He is utterly familiar with truth, He knows what is truth, and cannot deny it. He cannot defeat truth by changing it, so he counterfeits it. In Revelation we have a counterfeit Christ, and a counterfeit trinity, and a counterfeit gospel.
Back to Revelation 13. The first beast had a specific life span in its first phase. All beasts in scripture are powers/kingdoms/empires. In the OT they were literal and local. Daniel 2,7, and 8 deal with those local literal beast powers. Those prophecies of Daniel began to be fulfilled the moment he spoke them. And they go to the end of time. Babylon, Meda-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The iron component of Rome continues to the second coming but in a mix of clay. This designated a change from pagan Rome to papal Rome. Papal Rome lasted for 1260 years. From the defeat of the Ostrogoths in 538 by Justinian's general, Belissarius, to 1798 when the French general Berthier captured the Pope and declared Rome a republic. He disbanded the college of Cardinals and papal Rome, until then a union of church and state, became a church only.
That was seen throughout Europe as a mortal wound. And most nations celebrated.
In 1929, Mussolini have the church the Vatican. Once again they became a union of church and state, and that wound has been healing ever since. This is important. Because the second beast, another political power, is said to make an image of the first beast. Another union of church and state. But obviously a different church, because this power directs the world to submit to the first beast's authority by taking the mark.
Why the US? Because at the time when the first beast was being wounded and it's leader going into captivity and exile, that being 1798, the second beast was rising. A2 horned beast with the distance of a lamb. The 2 horns initially not intended as weapons like predators such as all the former beasts had, but reflection of innocence and peace. A new way of governance, with qualities intended to reflect a genuine profession of faith in Christ. Lamb like. Such was the US. Before and after 1798 were the constitution, bill of rights, declaration of independence. The constitution designed to directly counter the politics and religious Tyranny of Europe from which the Pilgrims and the forefathers of America had endured. Protecting minorities. Supporting the underdog. Religious liberty. No union of church and state such a the papacy was during the dark ages. But, the US was to speak as a dragon. Satan. The US would deny it's place in history, by turning away from its Christian roots, turning away from its secular governance, and become a persecuting power and submitting itself and the nations of the world to the authority once again of the papal power. Apostate Protestantism would deny the reformation and everything it stood for, and "return to Mother".
This is precisely what had been taking place, particularly in the last 20 years.
KJV John 13:19
19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
KJV John 14:29
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
That doesn't mean we remain completely ignorant as to what tomorrow may bring, but we do not search scriptures to pull out texts here and there to fit what we imagine the future to look like. We study history. History repeats... There is nothing new under the sun...history can tell us a great deal about tomorrow, because the philosophies and dogmas and principles by which the main actors in history have operated, remain the same. And Satan has not one original idea in his head. Everything He does is a counterfeit to truth, for He is utterly familiar with truth, He knows what is truth, and cannot deny it. He cannot defeat truth by changing it, so he counterfeits it. In Revelation we have a counterfeit Christ, and a counterfeit trinity, and a counterfeit gospel.
Back to Revelation 13. The first beast had a specific life span in its first phase. All beasts in scripture are powers/kingdoms/empires. In the OT they were literal and local. Daniel 2,7, and 8 deal with those local literal beast powers. Those prophecies of Daniel began to be fulfilled the moment he spoke them. And they go to the end of time. Babylon, Meda-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The iron component of Rome continues to the second coming but in a mix of clay. This designated a change from pagan Rome to papal Rome. Papal Rome lasted for 1260 years. From the defeat of the Ostrogoths in 538 by Justinian's general, Belissarius, to 1798 when the French general Berthier captured the Pope and declared Rome a republic. He disbanded the college of Cardinals and papal Rome, until then a union of church and state, became a church only.
That was seen throughout Europe as a mortal wound. And most nations celebrated.
In 1929, Mussolini have the church the Vatican. Once again they became a union of church and state, and that wound has been healing ever since. This is important. Because the second beast, another political power, is said to make an image of the first beast. Another union of church and state. But obviously a different church, because this power directs the world to submit to the first beast's authority by taking the mark.
Why the US? Because at the time when the first beast was being wounded and it's leader going into captivity and exile, that being 1798, the second beast was rising. A2 horned beast with the distance of a lamb. The 2 horns initially not intended as weapons like predators such as all the former beasts had, but reflection of innocence and peace. A new way of governance, with qualities intended to reflect a genuine profession of faith in Christ. Lamb like. Such was the US. Before and after 1798 were the constitution, bill of rights, declaration of independence. The constitution designed to directly counter the politics and religious Tyranny of Europe from which the Pilgrims and the forefathers of America had endured. Protecting minorities. Supporting the underdog. Religious liberty. No union of church and state such a the papacy was during the dark ages. But, the US was to speak as a dragon. Satan. The US would deny it's place in history, by turning away from its Christian roots, turning away from its secular governance, and become a persecuting power and submitting itself and the nations of the world to the authority once again of the papal power. Apostate Protestantism would deny the reformation and everything it stood for, and "return to Mother".
This is precisely what had been taking place, particularly in the last 20 years.
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Brakelite
Active member
A couple more points. I said that the OT beast powers of Daniel were local literal powers. In the NT however the symbols are global, and they are spiritual. For example. There is a conflict in the NT between 2 women. These 2 women were in the OT Israel, and Babylon. In the NT the woman of revelation 12 is the church, and the harlot of later chapters, Mystery Babylon the Great, is a spiritual power that has grown unfaithful to God through adultery with the kings of the earth. This apostasy was spoken of elsewhere in scripture, eg the falling away in Thessalonians, and the rise of the Antichrist, those that came out from among the churches, spoken of by the apostle John.
The Antichrist is also described by Daniel as a little horn that would grow great, and challenge even God Himself. In the first phase, pagan Rome, this was met by Pilate's crucifixion of Jesus, in the second papal phase, by the Catholic church's claim to having the power to forgive sin.
Again we are reminded of Paul regarding the man of sin, sitting in the temple of God claiming to be god. The temple of course being the church. Remember again, we are talking about a beast...a political religious power, a union of church and state, that grew from the head of pagan Rome after 476 and uprooted 3 of the other 10 horns. This the papacy did. Of course, there's a great deal more detail I could go into that matches prophecy 'to a T', but this is a quick summary. It's as much history as it is future. And through history we can gain more understanding about how those powers will behave tomorrow. The Catholic church has not changed. It is still the tyrant of old, but wearing different clothes. But prophecy tells us she will return to her old ways the moment she has opportunity. That first beast is described as having the appearance of a leopard. That tells us two things. One, she still retains the philosophy of Greece. (Daniel 7:6, 8:21,22) and 2, she cannot change her spots. Once a leopard, always a leopard.
The Antichrist is also described by Daniel as a little horn that would grow great, and challenge even God Himself. In the first phase, pagan Rome, this was met by Pilate's crucifixion of Jesus, in the second papal phase, by the Catholic church's claim to having the power to forgive sin.
Again we are reminded of Paul regarding the man of sin, sitting in the temple of God claiming to be god. The temple of course being the church. Remember again, we are talking about a beast...a political religious power, a union of church and state, that grew from the head of pagan Rome after 476 and uprooted 3 of the other 10 horns. This the papacy did. Of course, there's a great deal more detail I could go into that matches prophecy 'to a T', but this is a quick summary. It's as much history as it is future. And through history we can gain more understanding about how those powers will behave tomorrow. The Catholic church has not changed. It is still the tyrant of old, but wearing different clothes. But prophecy tells us she will return to her old ways the moment she has opportunity. That first beast is described as having the appearance of a leopard. That tells us two things. One, she still retains the philosophy of Greece. (Daniel 7:6, 8:21,22) and 2, she cannot change her spots. Once a leopard, always a leopard.
charismaticlady
Active member
You said the woman in Revelation 12 is the church. Look at the last verse. Who are the other offspring that keep the commandments of God and have faith in Jesus.
I looked at Rev. 13. Are you saying America is the Antichrist? I've got some old notes about where America is located in Rev. and I thought it was something other than chapter 13.
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Brakelite
Active member
The remnant of her seed: note here...
KJV Genesis 3:15
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Who was the seed of the woman? Eve also was a type of the church. Jesus was that seed. And we are the remnant of that seed. The final generation I believe, who keep all of God's commandments and have the faith of Jesus.
No. The second beast is not the Antichrist. That's the first beast, the Papacy. The second beast, the apostate Protestant church/state union of the US, becomes a spokesperson for the dragon, speaking like him, a false prophet leading the church into submission to the Antichrist.
charismaticlady
Active member
I'm thinking the opposite. The Antichrist has to be political for all the religions of the world to follow him. The false prophet is probably the Pope. At lease Babylon is probably Vatican City.
I don't understand how the church is in hiding, yet there is a remnant being persecuted? That doesn't make any sense. The offspring are nominal Christians who have to overcome and make a stand for Christ as per the 7 letters.
Brakelite
Active member
You have forgotten already whyAdventists believe the way they do regarding prophecy. History. You are guessing about the future without any substantial foundation. Adventists identify the papal church as the Antichrist for precisely the same reason the reformers did. History. The papal church met every criteria in scripture and thus passed inspection on the basis of biblically inspired prophecy being accurately and fully met by history. What more could anyone ask? What are you waiting for that could possibly be any more convincing? Jesus said, " I told you before so that when you see it come to pass, you might believe". He said this twice. The Papacy met certain criteria which is impossible for any other entity in the future to meet. For example. How can any individual grow from the head of pagan Rome and uproot 3 barbarian nations that became extinct 1500 years ago?
charismaticlady
Active member
I do think the Pope is one of the two, just not the Antichrist. He is the false prophet. I also do not believe the "woman" is the Church, but Israel. And the "offspring" are Gentile Christians.
