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I like pictures. Regular pictures to illustrate a point, or word-pictures to show my thinking. A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. Here are some pictures that illustrate what I have been thinking about lately. Maybe they will click with you, maybe not...
Christians saved by the blood of Christ and faith in His work upon the cross are released from bondage. Galatians 4 is a great essay on the liberation from the bondage of the Law and to sin, which the people were in early on, to the release from that bondage by Christ on the cross. Matthew Henry's commentary explains,
"He [Paul] acquaints us with the state of the Old-Testament church: it was like a child under age, and it was used accordingly, being kept in a state of darkness and bondage, in comparison of the greater light and liberty which we enjoy under the gospel. That was indeed a dispensation of grace, and yet it was comparatively a dispensation of darkness; for as the heir, in his minority, is under tutors and governors till the time appointed of his father, by whom he is educated and instructed in those things which at present he knows little of the meaning of, though afterwards they are likely to be of great use to him; so it was with the Old-Testament church-the Mosaic economy, which they were under, was what they could not fully understand the meaning of; for, as the apostle says (2 Co. 3:13), They could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished."
"But to the church, when grown up to maturity, in gospel days, it becomes of great use. And as that was a dispensation of darkness, so of bondage too; for they were in bondage under the elements of the world, being tied to a great number of burdensome rites and observances, by which, as by a kind of first rudiments, they were taught and instructed, and whereby they were kept in a state of subjection, like a child under tutors and governors. The church then lay more under the character of a servant, being obliged to do every thing according to the command of God, without being fully acquainted with the reason of it; but the service under the gospel appears to be more reasonable than that was. The time appointed of the Father having come, when the church was to arrive at its full age, the darkness and bondage under which it before lay are removed, and we are under a dispensation of greater light and liberty."
In other words, we are not in a pit. We are not in bondage. Sin is bondage. If we are born again and have the Spirit in us we have been released from the pit. But Beth Moore always talks about being in the pit. Being in bondage. And of using man-made methods to get out. Listening to her depresses me. There are so many pits and strongholds and bondages in Moore's mind the only solace is thinking that well, at least everyone else is in bondage too. Hey, misery loves company! In Beth Moore's world, we live not as co-heirs to Christ, as salt and light for His glory, we live in Prairie Dog Town. We're ALL in a pit!
I got out of my pit when I trusted the power of a risen Christ to release me from the power of sin.
On to termites. Have you ever seen those really big termite mounds in Africa or Australia? The termites, left untouched, make an underground city as large as London, relative to their size. Now, false teaching can be like a termite mound. The Way to heaven is narrow and the gate to get in is small, Jesus said. (Matthew 7:14) It is Jesus only. But false teaching will try to put you off the path.
If the false teaching of the termites is left alone, it grows to monstrous proportions. You try to enlarge the way around it to move forward, which puts you off the narrow path. The best thing to do is crush the termites when they are small and dig out the mound from the path so all who follow behind you can continue unimpeded.
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Christians saved by the blood of Christ and faith in His work upon the cross are released from bondage. Galatians 4 is a great essay on the liberation from the bondage of the Law and to sin, which the people were in early on, to the release from that bondage by Christ on the cross. Matthew Henry's commentary explains,
"He [Paul] acquaints us with the state of the Old-Testament church: it was like a child under age, and it was used accordingly, being kept in a state of darkness and bondage, in comparison of the greater light and liberty which we enjoy under the gospel. That was indeed a dispensation of grace, and yet it was comparatively a dispensation of darkness; for as the heir, in his minority, is under tutors and governors till the time appointed of his father, by whom he is educated and instructed in those things which at present he knows little of the meaning of, though afterwards they are likely to be of great use to him; so it was with the Old-Testament church-the Mosaic economy, which they were under, was what they could not fully understand the meaning of; for, as the apostle says (2 Co. 3:13), They could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished."
"But to the church, when grown up to maturity, in gospel days, it becomes of great use. And as that was a dispensation of darkness, so of bondage too; for they were in bondage under the elements of the world, being tied to a great number of burdensome rites and observances, by which, as by a kind of first rudiments, they were taught and instructed, and whereby they were kept in a state of subjection, like a child under tutors and governors. The church then lay more under the character of a servant, being obliged to do every thing according to the command of God, without being fully acquainted with the reason of it; but the service under the gospel appears to be more reasonable than that was. The time appointed of the Father having come, when the church was to arrive at its full age, the darkness and bondage under which it before lay are removed, and we are under a dispensation of greater light and liberty."
In other words, we are not in a pit. We are not in bondage. Sin is bondage. If we are born again and have the Spirit in us we have been released from the pit. But Beth Moore always talks about being in the pit. Being in bondage. And of using man-made methods to get out. Listening to her depresses me. There are so many pits and strongholds and bondages in Moore's mind the only solace is thinking that well, at least everyone else is in bondage too. Hey, misery loves company! In Beth Moore's world, we live not as co-heirs to Christ, as salt and light for His glory, we live in Prairie Dog Town. We're ALL in a pit!
I got out of my pit when I trusted the power of a risen Christ to release me from the power of sin.
If the false teaching of the termites is left alone, it grows to monstrous proportions. You try to enlarge the way around it to move forward, which puts you off the narrow path. The best thing to do is crush the termites when they are small and dig out the mound from the path so all who follow behind you can continue unimpeded.
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I really like that termite analogy!
ReplyDeleteThanks Glenn!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd another thing, termites chew away at the foundations of the structure in which it lives, unseen until the whole thing collapses!
ReplyDelete(Please note, This is not written in anger, antagonism or trying to "trick" you somehow.)Elizabeth, I am flummoxed by your example, using Matthew Henry's comments. I would think that his comments would be anathema to you - he is calling Believers in the Old Testament (Israelites, and a relatively few Gentiles, who believed in the promised Messiah to come) the Church. From what you have posted before I thought you seperate completely the Church from the Old Testament and most of the Revelation, and that the Church was not in existence before Christ's resurrection and will not be on earth after His second coming. Could you explain your thinking on this? Are not Matthew Henry's comments the same as what is being called "Replacement Theology" (a new term to me)? Because it is a new term to me, maybe I do not understand what it is.
ReplyDeleteOne other thing that still does not make sense to me - why are living animals sacrificed in the 3rd Temple? Was not Christ's blood shed on the cross at His death the only means of salvation? The Church before the cross looked forward to the cross, the Church after the cross looks back at the cross. What does the blood of the shed animals do since it cannot atone for sin? Where is this practice commanded in the Bible for the future? I truly am confused about this. It still sounds for all the world to me like two ways of salvation and that the book of Hebrews is being ignored (7:11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” 18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God."
Christ, not animal sacrifices, no matter that the last week of Daniel may still need to be accomplished and that God is not done with the Jews yet - so why animal sacrifices? Why is a new temple needed? I guess that you might need to explain to me, if you will, what your thinking is on the Old Testament sacrifices as well - did those 1000's of gallons of shed blood actually forgive sin or was it representative of what was to come which was/is the blood of Christ shed on the cross for the remission of sins? If we Gentiles AND Jews have Jesus Christ now, why is this killing of animals needed in the future? How can the blood of an animal ever compare to the precious blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and His death on the cross which paid the penalty for our sin?
I'm not trying to be antagonistic, I am simply confused and appalled at this point, but maybe I do not understand your belief on this. As you have said, heresy is rampant in the Church today, and we are often blind to our own personal heretical beliefs, especially if others that we trust hold to them as well.
Hello, thanks for asking for clarification!
ReplyDeleteGalatians 4 which I mentioned is a great essay on the liberation from the bondage of the Law and to sin, which the people were in early on, to the release from that bondage by Christ on the cross.
Henry's comments to my mind expands on Paul's comparison. The Old Covenant and the New Covenant are separate. There was the Law, designed to show us the futility of attaining heaven on our own acts. We were liberated from that onerous effort (which was impossible to fulfill) by the cross. The two ARE separate.
As for sacrifices, yes The Lamb's blood covers us. But don't forget that the Tribulation is the last 7 years of the Old Testament, paused so Jesus could build His church. Romans 11:25 says
"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved."
God hit the pause button, partly hardening their hearts while He was at it, built the church, and when the number He has in mind for the church is reached, He calls us to Him in the rapture and they resume the last 7 years.
Since the last 7 years is a resumption of the OT, they will sacrifice. (Dan 9:27).
It isn't till the very end of the Trib, at Armageddon,(Zechariah 12:10),that they finally call on Jesus as Messiah, and the blood is applied. (Joel 3:21, Matt. 27:25)
This fulfills Jesus' proclamation in Matthew 23:37-39 when He said "“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
so to answer your question directly, at the rapture everything changes. It's not the church age any more. It is the last 7 years of the OT. In your mind, if it helps, take that last 7 years, cut it from history, and glue it to the end of Malachi in the OT.
Why is a new temple needed, as Daniel 9 tells us there will be? So they can sacrifice. That hardening He put on their heart I mentioned in Romans 11:25 will be removed, and the Romans 11 verses continue with verse 26: "After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things—
18 things known from long ago."
you see?
In this dispensation God, through the Church is making Gentiles part of Spiritual Israel, at the end of this age He will make National Israel part of The Church--The two becoming one and National Israel remaining distinct as a national entity.
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