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M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #20 on: December 26, 2005, 01:19:00 PM »
"And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Daniel 8:14.

Those who were looking for the return of Christ to this earth on October 22, 1844 were disappointed, to say the least, when He did not return on that date. The few Advent believers who remained after that date knew that their calculations were correct. They concluded that what was not correct was the event that took place on that day. They had originally believed that the earth was the sanctuary that was to be cleansed as per Daniel 8:14. But upon further examination of the Word of God, they discovered in the Book of Hebrews that there is a Heavenly Sanctuary "not made with hands" (Heb. 9:11) where Jesus Christ is the Minister of this Sanctuary "which the Lord pitched, and not man" (Heb. 8:2). Christ serves in the Heavenly Sanctuary as our High Priest (Heb. 9:11):

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Hebrews 9:24.

With this Bible information and being led of the Holy Spirit, the few remaining Advent believers came to understand that it was the Heavenly Sanctuary that was to be cleansed beginning in 1844, and not the earth.

Daniel 9:24 very clearly points out in no uncertain terms that Christ has entered into the Holy Places (The Holy and The Most Holy) of the Heavenly Sanctuary to appear in the presence of God for us. Since we have already established above from Scripture that the earthly sanctuary was but a copy of the Heavenly, it stands to reason that the function of the earthly high priest in the earthly sanctuary was but a representation of what Jesus would do in the Heavenly Sanctuary as our High Priest.

When Christ ascended into Heaven in Acts 1:9-11, whenever He entered into the Heavenly Sanctuary, it would have to be the First Apartment (Holy Place) because this is where the earthly high priest began his earthly ministrations. Only once a year, on the day of atonement, did the earthly high priest enter into The Most Holy Place (Lev. 23:27). This is when the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary took place (Lev. 16:15). Since we have already established that the Sanctuary to be cleansed mentioned in Daniel 8:14 was the Heavenly and not the earthly, THE EXACT DATE as to when this cleansing was to begin was at the conclusion of the 2300-day prophecy, or in 1844.

"Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the the mercy seat and before the mercy seat." Leviticus 16:15.  

Cleansing of the earthly sanctuary was done symbolically with the blood of bulls and goats. The mercy seat "within the vail" (vs. 15) is located in The Most Holy Place. Christ therefore entered The Most Holy Place to begin His Work of cleansing the Sanctuary in 1844. This was the momentous event prophecised in Daniel 8:14 that took place on October 22, 1844 at the conclusion of the longest time prophecy in the Bible.

"And on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you. and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord." Leviticus 23:27.

The Day of Atonement was a day in which individuals were to "afflict" their souls, or confess their sins, before the Lord. For whosoever did not afflict his soul was "cut off" from among God's people (vs. 29). The antitypical Day of Atonement, here in the time of the end, shall also be a time when men and women shall confess their sins before the Lord and claim they are followers of Christ. How is it to be determined that these last-day confessions are genuine?

"Let us here the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14.

We will continue our study of how Christ cleanses the Heavenly Sanctuary of sin on next time.

M.A.              

M.A.

M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #21 on: December 28, 2005, 10:47:00 AM »
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13.

The Bible makes it very clear that EVERYTHING about our salvation can be summed up in the fact that OUR ENTIRE BEING should first of all be consumed with the neverending desire to reverence or respect and honor God and give unto Him the glory for the great things He has done in our lives. Second, we are to keep His Commandments and so order our lives BY EVERY WORD that proceeds out of the Mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). Every human being who is saved in God's Kingdom will have made up in his or her mind to accept the fact that whatever God asks of us to do (don't miss this), He only asks because He has our well-being and very best interest at heart, and because His Way is the best way of all possible ways.

Lucifer had problems with believing in and living by every Word of God. Sin began in Heaven with him who was a liar and a murderer:

"...He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it." John 8:44.

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole world...." Revelation 12:7-9.

"How art thy fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning...how art thy cut down to the ground?...." Isaiah 14:12.

Adam and Eve had problems with believing in and living by every word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God. God told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17) UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, but they ate of it anyway.

Cain had problems with ordering his life according to every Word of the Lord when he brought a fruit offering unto the Lord (Gen. 4:3) which God did not accept (vs. 5). Whereas Abel brought a lamb offering which God did accept (vs. 4). Both men were to bring a lamb offering because God accepted Abel's offering which was a lamb offering and rejected Cain's offering which was not. The lamb offering of Abel represented The Lamb Offering that God Himself would make one day to save mankind from the penalty of sin through Jesus Christ, which is death (Rom. 6:23).

And some of us today have problems with truly believing in and living in accordance with every word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God. This is why THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY to separate the counterfeit from the genuine, as we shall see on next time.

M.A.    

M.A.

M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #22 on: December 30, 2005, 09:39:00 AM »
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY to separate those who "Fear [reverence] God, and keep his commandments" (Eccl. 12:13) from those who do not:

"For the Lord shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14.

In order to determine the counterfeit from the genuine, the Bible makes it very clear in no uncertain terms that the Lord is going to bring EVERY WORK--what we say and do--and every secret thing--EVEN OUR THOUGHTS--into judgment:

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4:17.

JUDGMENT IS GOING TO BEGIN WITH US who claim to know and follow Jesus Christ. It begins with us because those who "obey not the gospel of God" ARE ALREADY LOST!!! And have a special time of judgment reserved for them:

"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." 2 Peter 2:9.

And the Bible is also clear as to when the judgment of the wicked shall take place:

"And I saw thrones, and they that sat on them, and judgment was given unto them...and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished...." Revelation 20:4, 5.

From the first lost sinner to the last, the righteous shall go over the Books of Heaven which contain the life's record of every lost human being explaining or showing why he or she is lost. Many individuals who were thought to be in this life perfect examples of "model Christians" will not be among those who are saved. This is why the Lord has declared that judgment must begin with the house of God. It must be clearly understood by all the redeemed why some we thought we knew would be in Heaven will be numbered among the lost.        

"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." James 2:12.

Those of us who claim to be followers of Christ--IRREGARDLESS OF THE DENOMINATION--will be judged by the Law of liberty--The Word of God. IT WILL BE THE LITMUS TEST that determines if we will be saved. (Please don't miss this) ONLY JESUS IS WORTHY!!! But the Word of God will determine IF WE HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL unto Christ by believing in Him and living BY EVERY WORD that proceeds out of the Mouth of God. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY we can prove our loyalty and fidelity unto Jesus Christ: By doing what He asks us to do in His Word. WE MUST HAVE FAITH AND WORKS!!! (James 2:14, 17, 20, 26).

Therefore the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary IS A WORK OF JUDGMENT as we shall continue to see on next time.

M.A.    

M.A.

Richard Myers

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« Reply #23 on: December 30, 2005, 08:28:00 PM »
Amen, Brother Crawford.

The heavenly sanctuary will be cleansed and is today being cleansed. All sin will be dealt with. Soon, no more sin will enter heaven. There will be no more opportunity for forgiveness. Today we are to put away our sin by confessing it while we still have a mediator. When Jesus leaves the Most Holy Place all opportunity for salvation will have passed. Those who are still alive must live without sinning if they are to enter heaven. Now, that is a thought that few have entertained.

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

JimB

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« Reply #24 on: December 31, 2005, 09:37:00 AM »
Brother Richard, that is a thought that use to scare me to death when I first learned that there will be a segment of time here on earth that we will have to live without a mediator. However, as I've come to understand things, I believe a bit more clearly, it is not so scarey.

Please correct me if you think that I'm wrong in my understanding. In the time which there is no mediator. God's children will be sealed.

quote:
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.


The character of God will be perfected in them and because of this they will not sin and therefore will not need a mediator.

By communion with God in nature, the mind is uplifted, and the heart finds rest.  {DA 291.1}

Richard Myers

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« Reply #25 on: December 31, 2005, 11:27:00 AM »
Brother Jim, I can understand why some would fear this time. The ones living through it will have some deep reflections on their past. It is something to consider. Sin has a hold on man. But, praise God that He loves us enough to give us His only Son that we might be changed into His image. The truth regarding the condition of man is very interesting and important. None will go to heaven without first learning to live a life of obedience. This can only come by abiding in Jesus. Only the man who allows Christ to control his life can overcome sin.

Living without a mediator needs a little explanation. Some may think this is living without Jesus, but not so. Those who live through the time of trouble such as never was and meet Jesus without dying will depend upon Christ for all things. They no longer need the things of this world, but know their need of Christ, moment by moment.

Then what does it mean to live without a mediator? As you point out this time comes when God says "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still."

A mediator is one who mediates. Jesus is our mediator in the heavenly sanctuary today. He stands between us and our heavenly Father when we sin. He pleads His blood that we might have more time to learn of Him. It is good that we have one who will plead for us when we have nothing to bring in exchange for our sins. Not only does Jesus plead for us for more time, as long as we have not fully rejected Him, but He also stands for us during the investigative judgement. We may be in the grave or we may still be living, but when our name comes before the universe that all might know our status, if we are His, Jesus will present our record and blot out our sins, thus cleansing the record of sins in heaven. When this process is finished, then there will be no more mediation for sinful man. No more forgiveness of sin. If one sins after the heavenly sanctuary is cleansed, there is no one to forgive Him. This is what it means to have no mediator.

It may sound arbitrary, but it is not. God has given all a chance to know Him and to form a righteous character. All who remain filthy do so because they have rejected the light that came to them. God does not leave them until they have hardened their hearts against the truth. They are left without a mediator because they chose to reject light sent from God. They wanted the things of this world more than the things they could not see that are eternal.

[This message has been edited by Richard Myers (edited 01-01-2006).]

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Randy S

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« Reply #26 on: December 31, 2005, 02:41:00 PM »
Brother Richard, could you expand more on these statements:
quote:
Jesus is our mediator in the heavenly sanctuary today. He stands between us and our heavenly Father when we sin.

I have always been under the impression that the Father and the Son are essentially the same in attitude, that all three members of the Godhead are on our side, working for the salvation of man.  In what way, specifically, does Jesus' attitude towards us differ from the Father.  Is Jesus able to accept the repentant one while the Father needs more convincing?  In other words, can you expand on the nature of Christ's mediation in our behalf?


Liane H

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« Reply #27 on: December 31, 2005, 06:40:00 PM »
Matthew:

28:20   Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

Though He may have ended His ministry in the Most Holy Place in Heaven, Jesus is always with us, right to the end.  Who will be with us when the forces of the world come against us? Jesus. Who is it that comes and gets us and takes us home? Jesus.  

Randy S:

He stands between us and our heavenly Father when we sin.

“God loves them as He loves His Son. Christ, Emmanuel, stands between God and the believer, revealing the glory of God to His chosen ones, and covering their defects and transgressions with the garments of His own spotless righteousness.”  {OHC 53.2}

This is necessary until we are sealed. Once sealed there is no need of a mediator. We stand righteous before God because we are sealed. Because we have been made righteous by Christ living in us, and the Holy Spirit guiding us.

Liane, the Zoo Mama  

Liane, the Zoo Mama
Romans 8:19   For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Richard Myers

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« Reply #28 on: January 01, 2006, 09:28:00 AM »
Brother Randy, that is a very good question. God has proved His love for us by sending His Son at great expense and risk. So, we do not question that love. Let me ask a question of you before I answer and maybe you can come to an answer yourself.

When man sinned, did God the Father end His communion with man? And, has not Jesus been the ladder between heaven and Earth. So, why the distance between God the Father and man? If not His love for us, then why the distance? I believe if you can answer this, then you may be able to answer the other.

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #29 on: January 03, 2006, 09:30:00 AM »
The work of cleansing the Heavenly Sanctuary is a work of Judgment:

"And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven.... Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come...." Revelation 14:6, 7.

On October 22, 1844, The Second Coming of Jesus Christ did not take place on this earth as many had believed. Therefore, quite a few left the ranks of those who had become known as believers in the advent of Christ on that day. Many thought this was the end of the movement, when, in actuality, GOD WAS JUST BEGINNING!!! In His Supreme Wisdom and Mercy, God used October 22, 1844 AS THE STARTING POINT for the calling out of a remnant people--which included (among others)--Joseph Bates, Ellen Harmon, and James White--who would proclaim THE LAST MESSAGE OF WARNING to a dying world to "Fear God, and give glory to him," for the hour, or the time, of His Judgment had come!!! This little remnant of "those who were left over" would form the nucleus of what would later become known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They would begin on a mission, which is carried out to this very day, of proclaiming to the world that "THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME!!" Jesus is soon to return to this earth to gather the redeemed, AND WE NEED TO BE READY if we expect to go back home with Him.

"And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:12.

The Bible makes it very clear that when the Lord returns in the Clouds of His Glory, HIS REWARD WILL BE WITH HIM. Those who will be numbered among the righteous WILL HAVE BEEN ALREADY JUDGED AS SO!! And likewise with the wicked. This is why judgment will begin with the House of God (1 Peter 4:17). IT IS GOING ON NOW!!! Jesus says He is coming quickly, and His reward will be with Him when He comes. This is why THIS IS THE GETTING READY TIME to get our "spiritual houses" in order if we expect to be saved.

God has been very patient with us. He has given us MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME to prepare ourselves by the Power of The Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ to be ready for His soon coming. The end-time warning has been sounding at least since 1844 (actually before), and continues to this day.

Jesus has not yet returned to this earth a second time BECAUSE GOD IS IN THE SOUL-SAVING BUSINESS!!! And some of us who are slower to understand than others the message of His Saving Grace and what is required of us would be lost if He returned too soon. DON'T YOU SEE HOW GOOD GOD IS!!! Many of us who are saved will be saved ONLY because God in His Mercy and Lovingkindness HAS GIVEN US MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME to be saved. But the Lord is not going to wait much longer:

"For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth." Romans 9:28.

M.A.            

M.A.

Randy S

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« Reply #30 on: January 03, 2006, 11:25:00 AM »
 
quote:
When man sinned, did God the Father end His communion with man? And, has not Jesus been the ladder between heaven and Earth. So, why the distance between God the Father and man? If not His love for us, then why the distance?

I'll do my best to answer that question.  I don't see anywhere in the Bible that indicates that Adam had direct communion with God the Father prior to his sin, so I am not sure that the "distance" changed between the two.

My understanding is that God the Son has always been the link between God the Father and man.  The problem with sin is that it causes death.  I don't believe that sin caused any change in God the Father, I believe that sin damaged human beings.

Ellen White wrote that if the Father had come to this earth rather than the Son, that history would have been excatly the same.  I believe that Jesus said essentially the same thing when he said told his disciple that if he had seen him (Jesus), he had seen the Father.  

That's why anything that implies that the Father stands in different relationship to the sinner versus the Son has always bothered me.  It seems to imply that either the Son is less "God" than the Father, or that sin changed something in the Father as well as the sinner, neither of which I believe.

I believe that the Father is just as willing and able to save man as the Son, and that there is complete unity within the Godhead on this subject.


Liane H

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« Reply #31 on: January 05, 2006, 07:59:00 AM »
Hi Randy:

Sin caused separation between man and the Godhead. I believe that God did at one time in the Garden walk with man through the Son. I also believe that even after sin from Adam through the time of Christ God did speak to man in the Sanctuary and the prophets. I believe God still does speak to in another form as that is the Comforter and the more we are with the Holy Spirit the more we hear when spoken to.

As you said if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. All Three are the same in character, love and purpose.

It was impossible for the whole Godhead to come down in the flesh so the work of bringing man back into harmony with the Godhead gave each part of the Godhead a job that would do this work.  So the role of Jesus was the light given to the world to show them the Father’s love. We read this again and again from the Holy Word when Jesus walked among us.

I have said this many times and will say it here. When Jesus came two thousand years + ago the people were looking and expecting a King and they got the Carpenter. Today they want the Carpenter, but do not realize that He is coming as the King.

When we understand this the whole picture of our times comes into focus.

Liane, the Zoo Mama    



Liane, the Zoo Mama
Romans 8:19   For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #32 on: January 11, 2006, 11:38:00 AM »
"And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Daniel 8:14.

If the earthly sanctuary was but a copy of the Heavenly (Heb. 9:11, 24), then it stands to reason that the work of the earthly high priest in the earthly sanctuary was a representation of what Jesus is doing in the Heavenly Sanctuary as our High Priest. The earthly high priest entered the Most Holy Place only once a year on the Day of Atonement. We have already seen in previous posts above that Christ entered the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary to begin the work of cleansing the Heavenly Sanctuary on October 22, 1844 at the conclusion of the 2300-day prophecy. We must understand the correlation between the two before we can understand what Christ is doing in the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary.

"A few illustrations of the use of the word 'atonement' in the Old Testament will suffice to clarify its meaning. The sanctuary and its equipment were made out of common materials, and it was necessary to 'cover,' or 'make an atonement' for them, before they could be put to holy use (Ex. 29:36, 37; 30:10; Lev. 8:15; etc.) Aaron and his sons were common people, and they likewise had to be 'covered' when set apart for the priesthood (Ex. 29:35; Lev. 8:34). A blood covering was also prescribed for the sins of the entire congregation (Lev. 4:20; Num. 15:25).... At the close of the annual round of ceremonial services, on a special 'day of atonement' (Lev. 16:21-28; Heb. 10:1-3), a final 'covering' for the accumulated uncleanness of the year was made for Aaron and his sons, the priests (Lev. 16:6, 11, 24), for the sanctuary and its furnishings (vs 16-20, 33, 34), and for the people of Israel (vs. 30, 34). This typified the final and complete removal of sin from God's universe" (SDA Bible Dictionary, pp. 97, 98).

To be continued.

M.A.

M.A.

M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #33 on: January 13, 2006, 11:06:00 AM »
"And he shall put forth his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him." Leviticus 1:4.

The Bible makes it very clear the the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). When Adam sinned, it was passed on to the entire human race. For that which is clean cannot come from that which is unclean (Job 14:4). Therefore, ALL HAVE SINNED and have come short of the Glory of God (Rom. 3:23). The "at-one-ment" between God and man had been broken. The initiative to reunite this broken relationship came from God (Jer. 31:3, 4). How this would be done was prefigured in the animal sacrifices offered in the earthly sanctuary services.

"When a sinner brought a sacrificial animal to the door of the courtyard, a priest handed him a knife and a basin. The sinner laid hands on the animal's head and confessed his sins. This symbolized the transfer of sin from the sinner to the animal. At that point, the sinner was considered innocent and the animal guilty. Since the animal was now symbolically guilty, it had to pay sin's wages--death. By slaying the animal with his own hands, the sinner was thus graphically taught that sin caused the innocent animal's death and that his sin would cause the death of innocent Jesus" (AFBSG, "God Drew The Plans," p. 8).

"For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

GOD TOOK THE INITIATIVE to save mankind. GOD SO LOVED US until He was willing to give NOT ONE OF MANY, but His only Begotten Son to save us. Herein again, this is the very heart of the Gospel. As I have stated before, when It is taught correctly, IT WILL MELT THE REBELLIOUS HEARTS of sincere men and women who want to be saved in God's soon-coming Kingdom, causing them to cry out: "Here I am Lord!! Take me, and make me whole!!!"

Every time an innocent animal was brought to be sacrificed by slitting its little throat and catching the blood in a basin, it taught the shocking truth that our sins would one day cause the shedding of blood and death of the innocent Son of God.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.... For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Romans 5:8, 10.

Not when we were His friends, but WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES OF THE THRONE, Christ died for us!! THIS IS THE GOSPEL!! This is what the sinner struggling with the problems and the vicissitudes of this life needs to know!! He or she needs to know that IN SPITE OF OURSELVES--no matter how evil we are, or have been--JESUS STANDS READY RIGHT NOW to save us from the "gutter"most to the utmost!!! If we would but invite Him into our hearts and permit Him to bring about the change in our lives THAT HE ALONE CAN BRING.

M.A.    

M.A.

M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #34 on: January 16, 2006, 08:24:00 AM »
"And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord: and the priests...shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into his pieces." Leviticus 1:5, 6.

"Burnt offerings were of two kinds, obligatory and voluntary. Certain of the obligatory burnt offerings came at stated times and were presented by the priest on behalf of the entire nation. These included the daily burnt offerings (Ex. 29:38-42; Num. 28:3-8), the Sabbath burnt offering (Num. 28:9, 10), the festal burnt offerings at the new moon, the Passover, Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Num. 28:11 to 29:39).... Voluntary burnt offerings might be presented by an individual at any time, but must conform in all respects to the same regulations that governed the obligatory burnt offerings (see Num. 7; 1 Kings 8:64)....

"The daily burnt offerings were burned on the altar, but over a slow fire so that one sacrifice would last until the next was put on (Lev. 6:9). The evening sacrifice lasted until morning, and the morning sacrifice until evening. Thus there was always a victim on the altar to provide provisional and temporary atonement for Israel. When a man sinned, though he was unable to appear at the sanctuary immediately, or even for weeks and months, he knew that there was a sacrifice on the altar for him, and that he was 'covered' until he could bring his own offering and confirm his repentance....

"Four kinds of animals were used as burnt offerings: bullocks, sheep, goats, fowls. The offerer might choose whichever he wished. The rich who could afford a bullock would naturally bring one. The poor who could afford only a turtledove or a pigeon would bring one of these. Significantly, Mary, the mother of Jesus, bought two turtledoves to the Temple as her gift after childbirth. (see Lev. 12:8; Luke 2:22-24). Joseph and Mary were poor people. The lion and the eagle, kings among beasts and fowls, being unclean, were not used in sacrifice, but rather the lamb and the dove. God does not regard a high and lofty spirit, but the meek and the lowly, He will accept." (1BC 712-714).

M.A.

M.A.

Richard Myers

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The Gospel In The Old Testament
« Reply #35 on: January 16, 2006, 09:21:00 PM »
"Not when we were His friends, but WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES OF THE THRONE, Christ died for us!! THIS IS THE GOSPEL!! This is what the sinner struggling with the problems and the vicissitudes of this life needs to know!! He or she needs to know that IN SPITE OF OURSELVES--no matter how evil we are, or have been--JESUS STANDS READY RIGHT NOW to save us..."

Amen, Brother Crawford! Amen! This is the gospel.

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

M.A. Crawford

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The Gospel In The Old Testament
« Reply #36 on: January 20, 2006, 08:10:00 AM »
"And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord: and the priests...shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar...." Leviticus 1:5.

"We cannot believe that a normal individual would take pleasure in plunging a knife into an innocent victim, even though that victim be only an animal. Yet God required this act of the offerer. In later times the priests did the slaying, though it was God's original intent that the sinner himself should do so. This must have been a painful and distressing experience for the sinner, because he knew that it was his sin that made the death necessary. It must have impressed him with the determination to 'go, and sin no more.' He saw vividly before him the result of sin. It meant not only death, but the death of an innocent one....

"The first lesson God wanted to teach Israel through the sacrificial system was that sin means death.... Day after day the people brought their sin offerings and their burnt offerings to the sanctuary. In each case an animal was slain and the blood ministered in the appropriate place. On every ceremony and on every service was stamped the lesson: SIN MEANS DEATH [Author's emphasis]....

"The offerer had finished his work. He had brought his sacrifice, confessed his sin, and slain the victim. Now the ministration of the blood began. A priest stood by as the blood gushed forth, and had caught it in a vessel. He now ministered the blood by sprinkling it round about upon the altar of burnt offering.... According to the Talmud the officiating priest scattered the blood against the altar at two places, the northeastern and southwestern corners, in such a way that it would touch all four sides of the altar....

"God sought to impress upon Israel that forgiveness of sin can be obtained only through confession and ministration of blood. They were to realize the infinite cost of forgiveness. It is more than overlooking faults. IT COST GOD SOMETHING [Emphasis mine] to be able to forgive; it cost a life, even the life of His own Son." (1BC 714-715).

M.A.

M.A.

M.A. Crawford

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The Gospel In The Old Testament
« Reply #37 on: January 27, 2006, 09:24:00 AM »
"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood there is no remission." Hebrews 9:22.

In Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Random House, the word "remission" is defined as "pardon; forgiveness, as of sins or offenses." Therefore, the Bible in Hebrews 9:22 makes it very clear that without the shedding of Jesus' Blood on Calvary, there would be no remission, or forgiveness, for our sins. In order to understand why, we must understand the atonement as it relates to God and us.

"Atonement. [Heb. KIPPURIM, 'a covering,' literally, 'coverings,' from the verb KAPHAR, 'to cover,' 'to make atonement'....]

"...As noted, the root ideas of KAPHAR and KAPPURIM, the Hebrew words translated 'to make atonement' and 'atonement,' are 'to cover' and 'covering.' When using these words in connection with the ceremonial system, the Bible writer assumes that the persons or things for which a 'covering' is made--the persons or things 'covered'--were common, 'unclean,' or sinful in the sight of a righteous God, and thus not acceptable to Him. By reason of sin in general, and at times because of specific sins in particular, men are assumed to be in a state of estrangement from God. But the Bible writers present God as anxious that there shall be a reconciliation and show that He has provided the means by which it may be accomplished. No change is necessary on His part in order to effect the reconciliation, but man in his natural state is a sinner who does not even desire to be reconciled, and a change is therefore necessary on his part. It is the sinner who must be 'covered,' or reconciled to God, not God with respect to the sinner.

"The ritual system provided an objective illustration of how men may become reconciled to God. The blood of the sacrificial animals provided the objective covering (Lev. 17:11), but this blood could not, in and of itself, actually cover the sinner (Heb. 10:1, 4, 6, 8, 11). Only as by faith he saw in it a type of the blood of Christ and accepted the promise of divine grace thus represented was he actually 'covered' and so reconciled to God (vs. 10, 12, 14-18). Forgiveness of sin and acceptance with God always accompanied the 'covering' thus provided (Lev. 4:20; Num. 15:25; etc.). God was satified with the sincerity of purpose of the person or persons on whose behalf the 'covering' was made, and entertained no further claims against them so long as they remained in accord with Him." (SDA Bible Dictionary, p. 97).

To be continued.

M.A.  

M.A.

M.A. Crawford

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The Gospel In The Old Testament
« Reply #38 on: February 01, 2006, 09:26:00 AM »
"...without the shedding of Jesus' Blood on Calvary, there would be no remission, or forgiveness, of our sins."

"A few illustrations of the use of the word 'atonement' in the OT will suffice to clarify its meaning. The sanctuary and its equipment were made out of common materials, and it was necessary to 'cover,' or 'make atonement' for them, before they could be put to holy use (Ex. 29:36, 37; 30:10, Lev. 8:15; etc.). Aaron and his sons were common people, and they likewise had to be 'covered' when set apart for the priesthood (Ex. 29:35; Lev. 8:34). A blood covering was also prescribed for the sins of the entire congregation (Lev. 4:20; Num. 15:25), for those of individuals (Lev. 4:27-35; Num. 15:25), and for various forms of ritual uncleanness (Lev. 12:7, 8; 14:18, 20, 53; 15:28). At the close of the annual round of ceremonial services, on a special 'day of atonement' (Lev. 16:21-28; Heb. 10:1-3), a final 'covering' for the accumulated uncleanness of the year was made for Aaron and his sons, the priests (Lev. 16:6, 11, 24), for the sanctuary and its furnishings (vs. 16-20, 33, 34), and for the people of Israel (vs. 30, 34). This typified the final and complete removal of sin from God's universe." (SDA Bible Dictionary, "Atonement," pp. 97, 98).

M.A.    

M.A.

M.A. Crawford

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The Gospel In The Old Testament
« Reply #39 on: February 03, 2006, 12:47:00 PM »
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.

When Adam sinned, it caused humankind to be separated from God because that which is clean cannot come from that which is unclean (Job 14:4). Sin created an impassable chasm that was impossible for man to bridge. BUT GOD WAS ANXIOUS to make it possible for mankind to be once again reconciled with Him. This is why the Bible reminds us:

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man would one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8.

WHEN IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE for us to be reconciled to God on our own, Christ, in due time, died for us. God loved us. He PROVED that He loved us when He gave The Second Person of The Godhead to die in our stead in order that we might have another chance at eternal life. We are "covered," or reconciled unto God, WHEN WE ACCEPT BY FAITH the Sacrifice Christ made for us on Calvary.

The sacrificial system of the Old Testament prefigured, or pointed forward to, the Lamb of God who one day would take away the sins of the world by way of His Sacrifice (John 1:29). The killing of an animal and the shedding of its blood very graphically and emphatically drove home the point in the mind of the sinner that IT WAS HIS SINS that would one day cause the shedding of the Blood and the death of the innocent Son of God in order to save him from the penalty of eternal death he was under.

"For this is the blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Matthew 26:28.

Why not just death? Why is the shedding of Jesus' Blood so important for the forgiveness of our sins? We hope to undertake looking into the fascinating answer to these questions on next time.

M.A.  

M.A.