"Wasn't Jesus the Ultimate Sacrifice?" - What many Christians misunderstand about Leviticus

Williams is asking this from Orlando. And Williams asks, I know that Christ did not abolish the laws. He said he didn't. But I'd like some insight on the temple sacrifices. Specifically, if the temple was still standing, would the expectations be to continue with those sacrifices until his coming? That's one thing I haven't been able to reconcile considering Christ being the ultimate sacrifice. Very, very, very good. Well phrased. Thank you, Williams. I really appreciate the question. And so let's just lay some groundwork before we get to the question. And I'll also start off by saying that the temple sacrificial system is in my opinion, the most complex part of the Bible. I really am always careful. I'm always a little nervous talking about it because people are so quick to get their pitchforks and divide. People even disfellowship over some of these issues really quickly when they shouldn't. There are things to divide over, don't get me wrong. But sometimes I think because people so easily misunderstand one another, they start dividing over disagreements that they don't actually fully grasp themselves. So this time we're gonna have here is going to be about really laying, giving you some context, background and education about what the Levitical system purposes truly were. Because I think that's very misunderstood. And then we will see where that leads us. Okay, so first off, Williams, you mentioned that the biggest hurdle that you have that you can't reconcile regarding sacrifices, Levitical sacrifices, are the fact that it's the fact that Christ is the ultimate sacrifice. Okay, now let's begin there because this is a very common phrase, that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. And so of course he is the most precious lamb of God who has died for our sins. But I want to submit to you that he wasn't the ultimate sacrifice, but rather the only true sacrifice for our sins. And the reason I say that is because of what we read in the book of Hebrews chapter 10. I believe that the biblical understanding for us is laid out here where what the purpose of the Levitical sacrifices truly were is explained to us. And we see in Hebrews 10:1. For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come, instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Now this word perfect is going to be our key for understanding the book of Hebrews, believe it or not. You'll see why soon. Remember how he uses the word perfect, that it is that these sacrifices of The Levitical system that these priests are making every year, they cannot make us perfect. Otherwise, it says, would they not have ceased to be offered since the worshippers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins. But in these sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year, for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and ghosts to take away sins. Whoa, okay, so he says, one of the purposes of these sacrifices is to remind us of our sins every year. Now, if they could take away our sin, why are they reminding us of our sin? And why do we keep needing to do these things if they could take away our sin? But then he concludes, and he says, it is actually impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away our sin. This is foundational because there are so many Christians who do not grasp this. Somehow we have come to think that in the time of the Torah and prophets, right in the time of Moses and the First Temple and Second Temple periods, when the temple were standing, right, we have come to think that, okay, back then people were coming and they were doing these blood sacrifices, and these sacrifices was the thing that cleansed the people and took away their sins. And they had to keep doing it to, you know, to make sure that their sins are always covered, you know, that the latest sins are always covered. But no, here we read in the book of Hebrews, guys, that's not what that's about. That rather, it's impossible for the blood of bulls and ghosts to deal with any of our sins, any of at any point. It could have never happened. Because if it could have, I mean, it would have been a done deal and there would be no reason for God to send the Lamb of God for Yeshua to come. See, Christ has always been the only way for our sins to be dealt with, the only way for us to be made perfect. As the author of Hebrews used that word, see. To be made perfect means we are cleansed so that when God sees us, we are seen as white as snow, Perfect so that we can have salvation. Come into his presence. Be in the Garden of Eden if you will, yet again. And so, you know, this misunderstanding causes people to immediately feel strange when we talk about the Temple and even the possibility of a third Temple or a fourth temple or whatever being set up again. Because immediately they say things like, well, you know, that's a really crazy idea because Jesus is our ultimate sacrifice. Yes, that is true, but Jesus is not the ultimate sacrifice. He is the only sacrifice. Because the liberty call system has never been able to deal for sin and that's not its purpose. That's not what it's about at all. That's never what God intended the Levitical system offerings to accomplish. If you've never heard this, it may sound strange, it may sound like a shock. So what is the purpose of the Levitical priesthood and system and offerings? We had just read one of those purposes already in Hebrews 10:1. He said, in these sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year. Okay? So when I come and I bring an animal that back then, you know, you had a relationship with your animals, you raised them, they're dear to you. You're bringing this animal and you recognize this animal is going to die because of what I have done, because of my lying, my stealing, my thinking, the way I think, my adulteries. And there's a real reminder of how serious my sin is, that something has to die because of my actions. Okay? That's the first purpose. The second purpose is given us in Hebrews chapter 8, verse 4. And we read, for if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all. Since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law, they serve a copy of the and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God saying, see that you make everything according to the pattern that is shown on the mountain, right? So here's our next purpose of the Levitical system that it is a copy, a shadow, a picture of the heavenly thing, of the real thing, of what God actually plans to do to deal with our sins. What is that, Yeshua? It is Jesus becoming our high priest, not continually offering anything but once and for all, him being the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. But the earthly Levitical system was a picture of that once and for all sacrifice of the Lamb of God. So it teaches us more about what he would come and do, right when we're thinking about back then when they were making these offerings. Okay? And then the third purpose of these offerings was that it was to offer gifts to God. I mean, this sounds really simple, but, you know, if you've ever wondered, how can I give God a present? How can I give God something? Of course God wants our life. He wants our attention, he wants our worship, he wants things from us. And we are a living sacrifice. Amen. Right? There is a spiritual sense to all of these things. But God also would delight in me bringing him literally something that is of value to me and giving it as a sacrifice to him, something that cost me something that's what a sacrifice means, right? It costs me something. And that's what it simply was is people brought gifts of many types to God by visiting the temple. Even Paul. Paul the apostle, the guy who we all know he, after Jesus resurrected from the dead, after the veil and the temple was torn, after all these things were accomplished, Paul still in the book of Acts, comes and brings an offering to the temple, to the Lord. Let's read about that. People are always like, shocked when they hear that this happened. But it's right here. Here we see. Then Paul took the men and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple giving notice when the day of purification will be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them. He's bringing an offering to the Lord as in worship and in thanks to the Lord. In worship and in thanks for what? For the fact that Yeshua has come, for the fact that he has atonement in Christ. And there's many other things to just praise God for, right? And that's what Paul did. And the reason he did it was to prove to everyone that he is keeping the law of Moses, that he still believed that it is important and that it is still an important part of a believer's life. And so remember, Paul said, imitate me as I imitate Christ. Paul keeps the law, and he's coming to prove it now. He says, I mean, this is where this all comes from. Remember there was a dispute. Does Paul teach against the law of Moses or does he not? And then they settle this once and for all. And they say to Paul, take these men, purify yourself along with them, pay their expenses so they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing what they've been told about you, but that you also live in observance of the law. And so what does the law teach? Well, one thing is the Nazarite vow teaches that when you do this vow, at the end of, you know, you grow your hair, you don't shave it. And then at the end of the vow, you cut off your hair and you make an offering to God at the temple. And that's what they did in order to prove that they still keep the law of God. Okay, so why is Paul doing all of this? I mean, you know, we saw earlier with the question of, you know, should we be doing offerings? You know, I mean, Paul did it before that temple was destroyed, but yet after Christ was resurrected. So Paul was doing an offering. But we have to recognize that there are different types of Offerings. When you read through the book of Leviticus, you'll see this all over the place. God gives very meticulous instructions for all of these different types of offerings. People for some reason think they're just like an offering for sin. But there's many more. We have burnt offerings, we have grain offerings, we have peace offerings, we have guilt offerings and we have sin offerings, we have drink offerings, we have other. And there's other offerings of unleavened bread and other things that are also done. But my point is there are many types. And so Paul coming to the temple is doing it according to the law. And numbers 6, 13 tells us how Paul would have done it. He would be bringing an offering that is a burnt offering. He'll be bringing a peace offering. He'll bring an offering of unleavened bread and a few other things and also a sin offering. Now I want to submit that I don't believe that Paul in that case would be bringing a sin offering. He would have been bringing a burnt, perhaps a peace offering. Right. But a sin offering Paul would not be bringing. And the reason for that is what we're going to get into next. And it is regarding what the Book of Hebrews outlines as this change in the law. Now Greg wrote in to the ministry and he is from Wichita and he asked this question which leads perfectly into this. And he said, Yeshua said whoever keeps the least of the commandments of the Torah will be called. Great. Okay, he's talking about Matthew 5, 19. But Hebrews says there is a change in law because of the Melchizedek priesthood trumping the Levitical one. Basically, how do we reconcile this? Ah, great question. So the Book of Hebrews is all about highlighting the inferiority of the Levitical priesthood compared to the Melchizedek priesthood, which is the priesthood of our Messiah Yeshua. He is a priest of Melchizedek. Right. And the reason that this is important for the writer of Hebrews to do is because you've got all these people who've been so familiar with the Levitical sacrifices and offerings and you don't want anyone to think that those offerings of those sin offerings, or any type of offerings for that matter, are what deals with their sin or is what perfects them before God so that they can have salvation, come into God's face to face presence and so forth. And so this is now what the writer of Hebrews writes about in Hebrews chapter seven. I'm going to. There's a lot to go through. I'm not going to read through all the chapters. But go read Hebrews chapter 7 through 10. I'm going to take some key verses for us to highlight for us what's going on. We see in verse 11 the following. Now, if perfection. Okay, here's that word again. This is the context, and we have to really, really see this word. Now, if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law, what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek rather than the one named after the order of Aaron? Okay, he's basically saying, hey, if you could have been made perfect by Aaron and the Levitical priesthood and the sacrifices, in what further need would there be for Jesus for Yeshua to come? And then he says in the next verse, for when there is a change in priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. Okay, now this really confuses people. And this is what was the question, right? Greg asked this whole thing of, what is this change in the law? Because in Matthew 5:17, Jesus comes and he says, do not think I've not come to. Do not think I've come to abolish the law. I've come to fulfill it. And anyone who teaches that the least of the commandments have, teaches against the least of the commandments will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Right? So now we're seeing a change in the law being referenced here. What is this about? Is this some contradiction? No, if we read a bit further in verse 18, we read about it some more as well. He says, for on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness. What? What is he talking about? Well, next verse. For the law made nothing perfect. Again, that word. But on the other hand, a better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God. What is the better hope, Yeshua? So see, we need to understand that as we've discussed, the offerings of God, the Levitical priesthood, the sacrifices, they were to remind people of sin. They were to serve as a shadow. And they also pointed then people to the reality that was coming, which is Christ the offering, once and for all for our sins. And now we have to then ask, what is it? What law is it that is set aside? What is this former commandment? Well, you will find that out if you just keep reading. In Hebrews chapter 10, we see the answer to that question as he expounds on different things like the covenants, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, and so forth. And then he comes and he tells us, for this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord, I will put my law on their hearts and write them on their minds. He's talking about the Holy Spirit. He's saying, just like as Ezekiel prophesied, that the Holy Spirit's going to be poured out, the Holy Spirit is going to write the law on our hearts. He's going to change our natures and we are going to become law keepers, Torah keepers, obedient to God, just as Jesus was. We're going to be like Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, not our own strength, not by just reading stone tablets, because we on ourself, on our own strength cannot do it, but we in power by the Holy Spirit can. And then it says, he adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more. And where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Guys, we have just reached an amazing revelation. Because Christ has come, we can now see that the law, the sin offerings and all these things were always pointing to Him. And now that he has come and he has forgiven us, as it is said, where there is a forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. And so there's no need for us to go and do a sin offering. Let's just say there's a temple standing, right? I there's no need to do a sin offering if my sins, if I've been perfected and if my sins have been done away with, if I have been made white as snow. But remember that throughout the book of Hebrews we are talking about being perfected. The salvation is what we are dealing with here now. And that is what is this offering for sin, which is one of the types of offerings that is connected to the Levitical system. This is the one that has now, this is where the change in the law has now come, where the Melchizedek priest, Yeshua Jesus steps in as our sin offering and the Levitical priest no longer makes a sin offering because there's no need. And so before Christ has come, we see that the Levitical priesthood serves the role to remind the world of the sin problem through sin offerings. But after Christ comes, now we see the Levitical priesthood celebrates and memorializes the solution to the sin problem. Basically, everything before pointed to Christ's coming. And now after he has come, everything points and celebrates to what he has done, memorializing it as worship to God and thanks to God. Okay, so where does this all leave us? You know, considering all These things that are written. If there was to be a temple again one day. Right. Which biblical prophecy states there will be, by the way, it will be during turbulent times, according to prophecy, and it will also likely be set up by a leadership that may not be messianic. Right. And so the answer. It's really hard to give this answer as to how we should respond to something that is not here. Right. How should believers respond if we do not even know what policies would surround that Levitical system? And I believe that this is a case where the Father will, by His Holy Spirit, give us the revelation on how to properly respond when it arrives. And so I can't really tell you what we should think or do before it's even here, because we don't even know what we're dealing with. That's really what I'm saying. But what I can tell you is what the Bible speaks of regarding a temple that surely will come and that we surely will participate in. Yes, in Zechariah 14, we read about that. And it says the following. On that day, his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that the one half of the mount shall move northward, the other will move southward. Okay, who is it talking about? Who is this person that is going to be standing on the Mount of Olives? Who is the one whose feet we are reading about? It's Yeshua. Right? This is the Second Coming. He's coming at the place of his return, and he is splitting this mountain. And it says in verse nine. I'm just gonna go on. It says a few things about what's gonna happen, but I want to get to the crutch of it here, since our time is short. It says, the Lord will be king over all the earth, and on that day, the Lord will be one and his name one. Okay, this has not happened yet. He has not returned splitting the Mount of Olives. He has not come to be king over all the earth in the way that's described here. Whereby. Which the. I mean, it says that it will be inhabited and there will never be a decree of destruction. Jerusalem will dwell in security. We all know if you've watched the news, Jerusalem is not dwelling in security. This has not taken place yet. So this is where I want to get at. Now that we've placed ourselves on the timeline, we read what also will be established, and every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice that. Let's read that again. So that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a traitor in the house of the Lord of hosts in that day. So they're gonna. There's gonna be a temple again whereby which the Lord is the Lord and king over all the earth, Jerusalem. It will be a millennial reign of Christ again. It will be not again. It will be the millennial reign of Christ. And we will. Of course with that goes the resurrection and everything else. But we see that there is a institution of a sort of offering system again. And you can read more about this in Ezekiel chapter 40:47, where Ezekiel goes in detail on about this new temple that is coming. So remember that as we've established, this does nothing to the perfect sacrifice of Yeshua. He is holy and perfect. And none of what we are talking about now is in contradiction to that. It is not trying to contend with his sacrifice. We are not talking about sin offerings because remember what we've read about this change in the law regarding sin offerings. We have read about other types of offerings and I will theorize that those are the other types of offerings that we are reading about in the book of Zechariah that will be instituted. That we can come to Yeshua and to God and we can bring him a gift. We can give him a present, right? To make it simple for you to understand. And I'm just full of joy, like I want to give the Father something. And as for in this time, we can still give the Father things. We can give him our life, our worship, to worship him in spirit and truth. We can give him by blessing others. We can bless him by loving others. We can love him, right? There's many ways we can give to the Lord in this time, but there's also going to come a new way that we can give to him an old way that is re established, that is. Okay, so that's that part. We will see how it all plays out. But this is what I see, the context of the scriptures. If you have disagreement, that's all right. You know, we're. We're wrestling all of this together. Let me know in the comments what you think. Okay, so how is that all gonna look? We'll see. We don't really have to worry about that. We don't have to fight over it. We don't have to dispute. We don't have to break fellowship with one another. Over this, if you have disagreements or whatever, because Yeshua is going to be on the throne and he's going to set it all straight. And we're just going to. We're just going to hear how beautiful, how amazing. I can't wait. Right? But we get a little bit of a glimpse of some of the things that he's going to do, and this is what's written.