sacrifices in the Millennium?

Originally posted on August 15, 2009 – by Andre Piet

From a visitor of the goedbericht site I received the following question:

Why will sacrifices be brought in the future Messianic kingdom? Why a temple, as Ezekiel describes it extensively (Ezek.40-48)? The great SACRIFICE has been brought, has it not? Sacrifices cannot take away sins, can they?

ANSWER:
Indeed, the Bible says: “… it is impossible that the blood of bulls and of he-goats should be taking away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). All sacrifices, prescriptions, rituals as they functioned under the Old Covenant, are “a shadow” of all the good things which have become reality in Christ (Hebrews 10:2). Of the old prescriptions it is said that they in themselves were “unprofitable,” that is, without benefit (Hebrews 7:18). The sacrifices even then had no practical use whatsoever except to serve as a “shadow,” that is, to refer to the reality.
What the epistle to the Hebrews does from beginning to end is explain how all prescriptions of the Old Covenant are fulfilled (or will be fulfilled) in Jesus Christ. The described rituals are many pictures of His work and person.

When in the near future the covering of the face of Israel will be taken away and they will recognize their own Messiah in the Tenach (2 Corinthians 3:14-16; Deut.30:6), God will make a New Covenant with this people. Instead of being burdened “UNDER the law,” God will write His laws “IN their hearts” (Jer.31:31-34). They will dis-cover (literally!) that all prescriptions have found their fulfillment in detail in the promised Messiah and will also proclaim this to the nations. Just as a Bible teacher today uses illustrations or a model of the tabernacle to demonstrate how everything is fulfilled in Christ, so in the future a complete temple service will come to life as an educational model.

And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the house of YHWH shall be established (…) And all the nations shall stream to it, and many peoples shall go and say: Come, and let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, to the house of the God of Jacob, THAT HE MAY TEACH US concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of YHWH from Jerusalem.
-Isaiah 2:2,3-

Delen: