|
Sinner-Saint -> RE: Millennial sacrifices (9/22/2008 9:47:02 AM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: mikeman2
is the sacrifice on the cross what these people are justified by or is it their animal sacrifices?
I think we have to look outside of the box.
Our "box" is the New Testament. This new covenant Jesus made with all of us defines the Church Age.
Certainly during this time, the only way to the Father is through Jesus and His sacrifice of Himself upon the cross. There is no justification through the Law. The Law does not bring Life.
Now at the end of this age, the Church Age; the fullness of the Gentiles will come in. We will be gathered up. Of this I have no doubt. This fulfills not only specific prophecy in the Gospel, the Epistles and Revelation, but it relates to Isaiah 49:6 and other OT prophecy as well that God will consecrate those He has invited (to the wedding feast of the Lamb).
The salient fact during this present Age is faith. We must come to Christ through faith. The greatest challenge the unbeliever has is having faith in what he cannot see. Thus we are like Abraham whose belief in God's promise to him was counted as righteousness (Gen 15:6).
Now let's throw away every rule we know now.
What happens when Jesus is a present reality in the world?
What happens when all the nations with their Roman style, hierarchal, pyramid governments are dissolved?
Twice a year all the nations will come to Jerusalem, Ezekiel foretells, to the presence of the Lord.
Will there be any need for faith when Jesus can be proved, indeed, known?
During the Church Age we have but one life to get it right (Heb 9:27).
During the Millennium certain people will get a second chance (Eze 44:10-16).
God changes the rules.
The Millennium is not a time of faith, but obedience.
Jesus rules with an iron scepter. That is in prophecy.
When faith is removed as a prerequisite; all that remains is obedience.
However, people in the Millennium will have a heart-changing experience.
This is what it means to look upon the one they had pierced and to weep (Zec 12:10).
I think, and I may be wrong, but I think that while faith is removed, the people will still come to Jesus in order to be saved. They will have a new heart attitude, and their obedience is made easier through a time of universal peace (until the end of the Millennial), but they will still come to the Father through Jesus.
Thus, I think the sacrificial system which Ezekiel spells out in literal detail is not the method by which the Jews (of which some lived before) are justified, but that they worship through the sacrificial system.
What Zechariah spells out is a heart-changing attitude. This same heartfelt worship defines the spiritual Israel which is the Church. Therefore, I think the people in the Millennium will come to trust Jesus as their Savior. I think they are the Sheep in the second Resurrection which happens after the Millennium.
|
|
|
|