Reading #414  Reflections

What have we read in the book of Daniel so far? – Some interesting facts of history and some wonderful details of the future.  But what use are they to us today, apart from head knowledge? We need to think on this prayerfully. 

First, let’s recap by looking back at the book.

In chapter one Daniel showed us that good wholesome vegetarian food is best for the Christian who wants to keep on top of the day-to-day experiences of living with God. Prophecy is also better understood when we eat the best available foods and do not cause the death of another creature.  In chapter two we saw that the rise and fall of nations is not due to the expertise of conquerors or rulers, or by chance, although it often appears that way, but is governed by the over-ruling providence of God.  We were shown that earthly men cannot build up a lasting empire because of selfishness, but God will one day set up a permanent kingdom made up of people who have had their selfishness replaced by love, and then learnt to obey His will.

Chapters three and four showed us how the king of Babylon, under Satan’s guidance, tried to frustrate the purpose of God as shown to him in the dream of the statue, but could not succeed.  We also learned that God looks after those who trust Him.  We then found out that the sin of pride brings its own punishment, and that the Son of God wants to save us from that, but needs our co-operation to be able to do it.

In chapters five and six the sin of rejection is shown as having a limit and once we reach that limit the Son of God can no longer help us, because we will consistently refuse His assistance from that point on. After that we were taught that although men may plot and scheme against those who are loyal to God, their efforts will be fruitless because God cares for those who walk with Him.

Chapters seven and eight traced the course of the controversy between Christ and Satan from the literal Babylon, the centre of Satan’s kingdom in the Old Testament, to the spiritual Babylon which is now the centre of Satan’s kingdom.  The elements of the controversy were repeated, Pagan Rome against the literal Jews, Papal Rome against the spiritual Jews, with the additional information that this would last for a long time because of the “faults” of God’s people. We were also told when the first judgment started, almost in an aside!

Then finally, in chapters nine and ten Daniel’s model prayer tells us that only righteousness comes from God, therefore any major problems we encounter have to be the result of our own courses of action, which God then uses to teach us lessons.  He has always warned us beforehand, but we have mostly ignored the warnings and chosen our own way, even though the veil was pulled back, and we could see the Son of God and His agents working on the rulers of the world to bring about His plans.

But what we should also have seen is that the New Testament interpretation of Old Testament prophecies and stories of the Messiah and His kingdom apply to us individually as well as to the whole church.  This is an important point because it will enable us to know when we have the correct understanding of a prophecy, for often, when applying the thoughts of the Old Testament in the New, the speakers have fleshed them out with fuller meaning.  In addition, from our new beginning, when we as Christians experience the protection of the Passover LAMB’s blood for the first time, to the moment when the results of our sins are placed on the scapegoat, all the ceremonies of the Sanctuary service are for us to individually partake of “by faith”. 

All Bible histories as well as the prophecies centre in the Son of God, and, rightly understood, will have a meaning for us too, TODAY.  For example:  the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt represents the sinner’s deliverance from the bondage of sin.  The safe crossing of the Red Sea illustrates the baptism of the believer; the eating of the manna and the drinking from the rock, tells us of eating His word and absorbing the Holy Spirit into our lives. See 1 Corinthians 10:1-4.  And there are many more.

What we need to learn now is that the blessings mentioned in the word regarding the future inheritance of the saints are also applicable to individuals today.  Here’s an example:  Paul quotes from one of the prophets, “ . . . it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him,’” (Isaiah 64:4), but then he says, “BUT GOD HAS REVEALED THEM TO US [right now] BY HIS SPIRIT: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God”.  1 Corinthians 2:9-10.  In another place it is written, “He that sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’, and also, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things ARE become new” [right now].  Revelation 21:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Therefore the Bible is a book alive with messages for the present. 

What has happened in the past, AND ALSO what is promised for the future, should be seen as happening to each one of us today.  The present life of the Christian is based on what God has revealed.  “The secret things belong to the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do [live] all the words of this law”. Deuteronomy 29:29.  From the very first chapter of the Book we may see this.  The record of the creation applies also to us each one as we come to Him for salvation.  The Holy Spirit works on us and brings order out of chaos; light instead of darkness (Psalm 112:4); He separates the clouds of difficulty into those of heaven (spiritual ones) and those of earth (2 Thessalonians 1:4); He sets boundaries past which temptations cannot come (1 Corinthians 10:13); then He gives us the food of life freely (John 6:58); He teaches us to trust in the two great lights in our life, His word and His providence (Deuteronomy 8:3); He shows us the creatures that move about heaven as well as those which stick to earthly ways amongst the peoples of the world (1 Corinthians 4:9); then to crown it all off, He brings to our attention the fact that there are many who claim to be His creatures, but who do not have the spiritual hearing to stick with Him (Revelation 2:11). Then in the last chapter of the Bible it is written, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’.  And let him that hears say, ‘Come’.  And let him that is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely”.  Revelation 22:17.  So from beginning to end we can see His work in us.

Throughout the Bible He gives us word-pictures to teach us spiritual things, but because of our earthliness we often misinterpret them. We tend to go either very literal (king of the south) or extremely fanciful (king of the north) when we need to stay in the middle (Israel). Here’s a quote from one of the books in my library:   “Undoubtedly our natural bias is in favour of the so-called “literal” interpretation of the prophecies . . . for to the natural man the things that are seen are the real things; and to that view we are disposed to cling tenaciously, notwithstanding the plain teaching of the New Testament that the seen things are fleeting shadows of things unseen [Hebrews 11:1], the latter being the spiritual and eternal blessings with which the promises of future blessing have mainly to do . . . Evidently, then, our difficulty in understanding prophecies of the class referred to above is due to our lack of faith and our spiritual dullness.”  (We need the “gold tried in the fire” and the “eyesalve” offered in Revelation 3:18.)  This comment simply means that many professed Christians today believe as do the Jews, that the prophecies must still be literally fulfilled through them, even going so far as to think that the temple services may be restarted; or that the twelve tribes of Revelation 7 are twelve of the literal tribes of Israel! 

We need to see that just as the Jews were representative people (not favourites), so the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament are representative, couched in Old Testament terms for New Testament fulfilment.  All those promises were always only for those who had an experience with God, for it is written, “If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land: but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it”, and there comes a time (at the end of a 490 year period, Matthew 21:43) when promises rejected cannot be renewed. Isaiah 1:19-20; Proverbs 26:11. The walls of spiritual Jerusalem are NOW being built (Psalm 51:17-18); the river of living water is NOW flowing from the city (Ezekiel 47:1-6); the gathering of God’s spiritual people is NOW taking place (Revelation 18:4).  Only as we can see the interpretation of a prophecy or promise as applying in our own lives can we be sure that we are rightly dividing the word of God. 

Let’s re-read the details of the Day of Atonement (the first Judgment Day) in the light of what we have just learnt.  However, we could profitably read the following article from my library first.

THE MORAL PURPOSE OF PROPHECY

by

Louis F. Were (1949).

Chapter Seven

PENTECOST BROUGHT LIGHT ON THE MORAL

PURPOSE OF PROPHECY

(The emphasis is in the original)

[35]

Even the disciples were slow to appreciate their Master's interpretation of the Old Testament kingdom prophecies. They, too, were looking for temporal deliverance from the Roman yoke, and thus they were not prepared for their terrible disappointment when they saw their Lord crucified. One writer states:

“Before His crucifixion, the Saviour explained to His disciples that He was about to be put to death, and to rise again from the tomb. ... But the disciples were looking for temporal deliverance from the Roman yoke. ... The words which they needed to remember were banished from their minds, and when the time of trial came, it found them unprepared. The death of Jesus as fully destroyed their hopes as if He had not forewarned them.” (“The Great Controversy,” p. 594.)

Had the disciples a correct understanding of the prophecies they could have had a praise service in recognition of the marvellous fulfilment of prophecy in the death and resurrection of their Lord. Even on the day of the resurrection the disciples did not know the true interpretation of the prophecies concerning Israel. Before Jesus revealed Himself to the two disciples of Emmaus, He explained the prophecies, for “it was necessary for them to understand the witness borne to Him by the types and prophecies of the Old Testament. Upon these their faith must be established. Christ performed no miracle to convince them, but it was His first work to explain the Scriptures. They had looked upon His death as the destruction of all their hopes. Now He showed from the prophets that this was the very strongest evidence for their faith. ... The miracles of Christ are a strong proof of His divinity; but a stronger proof that He is the world's Redeemer is found in comparing the prophecies of the Old Testament with the history of the New.” (“The Desire of Ages,” pp. 796‑799.)

Old ideas die hard, and even subsequent to the resurrection the disciples still held erroneous views regarding the fulfilment of the prophecies concerning the establishment of Christ's kingdom. [36] (Acts 1: 6.) Jesus had commanded them to preach: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 10: 7). But not until the time of Pentecost, not until they had spent weeks in prayer and the putting away of those things which were not in harmony with Christ, did the disciples really grasp the moral purpose of the prophecies.

“Just before leaving His disciples, Christ once more plainly stated the nature of His kingdom. He recalled to their remembrance things He had previously told them regarding it. He declared that it was not His purpose to establish  in  this  world a temporal kingdom.” (“The Acts of the Apostles,” p. 30.)

“Because of their selfishness and earthliness, even the disciples of Jesus could not comprehend the spiritual glory, which He sought to reveal unto them. It was not until after Christ's ascension to His Father, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believers, that the disciples fully appreciated  the  Saviour's  character and mission.” (“The Desire of Ages,” p. 506.)

Not until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit did the disciples understand the spiritual interpretation of Old Testament prophecies regarding the kingdom. After Pentecost, while teaching a literal, physical salvation of the future [the resurrection], they also taught that spiritual salvation was a present blessing. (See 1 Pet. 1: 5; 1 Thess. 5: 8; Rom. 13: 11; Heb. 9: 28; Isa. 25: 9, etc.) The disciples could not, at first, see “the spiritual glory” of Christ's work fulfilling the Old Testament predictions “because of their selfishness and earthliness.”

***************(Begin Quote)

1 Corinthians 2:

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

***************(End Quote)

P. S.  “Spiritual” does not mean less real, but simply “different”, as heaven is different from the earth. Now we should be able to see past the literal to the spiritual teachings of the ceremony, both for us as individuals, and for the church as a whole.

The Day of Atonement

as pictured in Leviticus chapter 16

*************** (Begin quote)

Leviticus 16:

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered [presumptuously] before the LORD, and died [because they had neglected His protection]; 2 and the LORD said to Moses, Speak to Aaron your brother, that he come not at all times [or in any loose manner] into the holy place within the veil before the Mercy Seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the Mercy Seat. 

 [The procedure]

3 Thus shall Aaron [first] come into the holy place [the second room]: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.

4 [After that] he shall put on the holy linen [white] coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments [different from his coloured ones]; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

[These were stored in the first room to be used for a few hours on the one day each year,

the Day of Judgment.]

5 And he shall take of [set aside for] the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

 

[The details]

6 And [but first] Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering [in his coloured robes], which is for himself [and confess all the sins which he is carrying for Israel over it], and make an atonement for himself, and for his house [with its blood].

[After this ceremony the priest and his family of Christians

stand “clean” of all their sins,

for the bull’s blood has recorded their “deaths” for all of them.]

7 And [then] he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering [God’s word decides. “This is My beloved Son”, Matthew 17:5].

10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement [cleansing] with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

[The particulars]

11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house [family], and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself [this is the first ceremony of the Feast, and the third time it has been mentioned.  This repetition is to draw our attention to the fact].

[Now we are told how he was to come into God’s presence safely.]

12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the [golden incense] altar before the LORD, and [with] his hands full of sweet incense beaten small [representing the powerful righteousness of the Son of God], and bring it within the veil [and place the censer on the Mercy Seat while he is wearing his coloured clothes]: 13 and he shall put the [extra] incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the [large] cloud of the incense may cover the Mercy Seat [God’s throne, the seat of mercy] that is upon [above] the testimony [the Ten Commandments], that he die not.

[Jesus used this thought in His parable of the ten virgins.

Five of those had EXTRA oil which they used at that time.

Matthew 25:4.]

14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the Mercy Seat eastward [the front of it]; and before the Mercy Seat shall he sprinkle of the blood [on the ground] with his finger seven times [signifying completeness].

[He is carrying God’s people on his shoulders and over his heart while he does this.  Exodus 28:12 and 21.  Through the blood, their “deaths” for their transgressions are shown directly to God.]

15 Then [after changing into the white clothes] shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people [without confessing any sin on to it], and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the Mercy Seat, and before the Mercy Seat: 16 and he shall make an atonement [a cleansing] for the holy place [the second apartment], because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation [the first room], that remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. [This repeated ceremony is now PICKING UP the record of death.]

17 And there shall be no man [no ordinary priests] in the tabernacle of the congregation [the first room] 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 [those near and far].

[The daily round of confession and cleansing has stopped

so we will need to have stopped sinning!]

18 And he shall go out [of the second room] to the altar that is before the LORD [the golden incense altar], 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 [incense] altar round about [one after the other, as he had done in the second apartment]. 19 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.

[After the “pick up” he was now carrying all the “deaths” on himself

as a picture of the Son of God carrying ours

after His “death” has been accepted for us.]

20 And when he has made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the [prayer] altar, he [the “fit” man] shall bring the live goat [to him at the front entrance of the tabernacle]: 21 and Aaron shall lay both his hands [through the curtain] upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him ALL the iniquities of the children of Israel, and ALL their transgressions in ALL their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat [which represents Satan], and shall send him away by the hand of a fit [capable] man into the wilderness.

22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities to a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness [where no man lives, but where a goat can find plenty of sustenance]. 

23 And Aaron shall come [back] into the tabernacle of the congregation [the first apartment], and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there.

24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in the [a] holy place [in the front room], and put on his [normal] garments [his coloured uniform], and come forth [as a picture of the second coming], and offer his burnt offering [the ram], and the burnt offering of the people [the second ram], and make an atonement for himself, and for the people [as a dedication for the next year, representing eternity].

25 And the fat of the sin offering [from the goat] shall he burn upon the altar.

26 And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat [the “fit” man] shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

27 And the [bodies of the] bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung [none of these were needed to cleanse the sanctuary]. 28 And he that burns them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

[Conclusion]

29 And this shall be a statute for ever to you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, [for the whole day] you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourns among you: 30 for 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. 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

[While the work of the day is being done by the high priest and the fit man,

the rest of the congregation were to check their lives to see

if there was any unconfessed sin in them!  

They were praying, “Search me, O God, and know my heart:

try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.”  Psalm 139:23-24.

On the real Day of Atonement (the great Judgment Day), however, by the time

the real “cleansing” ends, all the Christians except a special group

will be in their graves and helpless,

so we need to accomplish this experience BEFORE we die.  Hebrews 9:27.]

32 And the priest, whom He shall anoint, and whom He shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead [every subsequent high priest], shall make the atonement [every year], and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: 33 and he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary [the second apartment], and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation [the first apartment], and for the altar [of incense], and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.

[There is no atonement made for the brass altar, or the courtyard.

That will be done later,

when the earth is “cleansed” by fire at the very end of time.]

34 And this shall be an everlasting statute to you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. 

And he [Aaron] did as the LORD commanded Moses [as a picture of the Son of God’s work in the last period before the second coming].

*************** (End quote)

Bye for now,

Ron

P.S.  "The spirit of error will lead us from the truth; and the Spirit of God will lead us into truth. But, say you, a man may be in an error, and think he has the truth. What then? We answer, The Spirit and word agree. If a man judges himself by the word of God, and finds a perfect harmony through the whole word, then he must believe he has the truth; but if he finds the spirit by which he is led does not harmonize with the whole tenor of God's law or Book, then let him walk carefully, lest he be caught in the snare of the devil."

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