Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Changes in the Temple


Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Mark 15:37-38

Jesus came to this earth…to die. To be the sacrifice for mankind…to restore them to a sinless state so that they could fellowship with God. One must be pure—holy—to stand before God. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb at the Passover. Jesus paid it all…to Him we owe our lives…our spiritual lives. He died physically…that we might live spiritually. In the New Testament book of Hebrews it explains the importance of Jesus’ sacrifice…His blood shed and sprinkled.
For after Moses had read each of God's commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God's law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. Then he said, "This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you." And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals. For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:19-28 (Unlined for emphasis.)
Read Hebrews chapters 8-10 for a more complete understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice for you.

The curtain…the veil…was torn from the top to the bottom. What become of that curtain? Was it replaced? Did the sacrifices continue? Did the custom of entering the Holy of Holies only once a year on the Day of Atonement continue? So many questions…and those are not really answered in the Bible or by Josephus, the great Hebrew historian.

Some things change…but not God. He is amazing. Forgiving. Loving. Unchanging.
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. Micah 7:18 NASB

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! Psalm 104:33
That is just what I will do…that is what I am doing. Praising God and singing to the Lord as long as I live…to my last breath. Can you praise Lord as long as you live?

Prayer ~ Lord God, I praise You for it is from You that all blessings flow…to all creatures here below. I praise You above all heavenly hosts…Praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 23-27

© 2018 Text and photo by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
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