Law's End

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Robert Brown addressed the issue of NT references to the 
temple and holyplace in his thoughts concerning
prophecy.

The following is a study I made several years ago regarding
Old Testament Fulfillment in general.  ALthough it was part
of a study regarding the Sabbath, nonetheless it 
fits my thoughts in regards to a rebuttal to Bro. Brown's
ideas of a literal temple to come.
	
-- 
In Christ,
Mike Blume
mfblume@ns.sympatico.ca
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/mfblume/mblume.htm

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        The statement has often been made saying that
Christianity is based 
upon the Ten Commandments.  Such a declaration is evidence of a
great lack of 
understanding the Word of God.  

        We must realize that Christianity is not based upon the
Ten 
Commandments, but upon Christ!  The Ten Commandments are based
upon Christ!  In 
fact, the whole Word of God is based upon Christ and His work for
the 
reconciliation of man with God.  

        The Old Testament pointed ahead towards Christ.  The
Gospels wrote of 
His time on earth and the Epistles look up to Him, Who is now on
the right hand 
of the Father. The whole Bible is Jesus - Jesus - Jesus!  

        The old covenant of Moses was not destroyed by the coming
of Christ in 
the sense that something completely new had come.  Christ,
though, has 
FULFILLED the old covenant (Matthew 5:17).  In other words, its
whole purpose 
was to prepare men for the work the Son of God would do in this
world.  It took 
approximately one thousand, five hundred years to accomplish this
preparatory 
work.  

        The covenant we now have with God is that which the Old
Testament was 
designed to FORESHADOW.  

        This idea is also brought forth in another New Testament
Scripture: 

        "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto
Christ, that 
we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we
are no longer 
under a schoolmaster." Galatians 3:24,25 

        We have a new covenant now, but it is one which had to be
prepared for 
mankind to accept by the old covenant.  We do not have to offer a
lamb upon the 
altar in order that our sins be covered each year.  Our atonement
was made once 
and for all.  Jesus was sacrificed on the altar of the cross, and
our sins were 
not merely covered, but taken away.  Our sins have been
eradicated if we have 
believed on Jesus Christ for salvation.  

        It was not as though Jesus had looked back at the
institution of the 
law's sacrifice and intended to personally act them out.  It is
not true that 
He declared, after careful planning, that He was the final
sacrifice.  Before 
time immemorial God planned that He would walk the earth in human
flesh and be 
amongst men.  He prepared an event that would come to pass and
bring mankind 
back into fellowship with Him.  

       God would incarnate Himself into flesh, and that flesh
would die as a 
sacrifice to redeem the human race.  To ready man for this event
God taught 
humanity the heavenly principles which concerned man's return to
God, in 
physical representations.  Man was, after all, flesh and very
materially 
minded.  God would have to relate to man the heavenly plan
through material 
illustration, for man would completely miss the spiritually
related truths if 
given in spiritual language.  And though man would not completely
perceive the 
long-range plan by observing these representations, they would be
referred to 
them in times ahead once God had given men His Spirit.  This is
the reason that 
the Gospel was referred to as the Mystery of God spoken by the
prophets.  

        It was a mystery because man was carnal and the truths of
God are 
spiritual.  Therefore, it was hidden from man's understanding. 
Yet it was 
spoken by the prophets.  This lets us know that the prophecies of
old, and even 
the law given by the prophet Moses, were the principles of the
kingdom of 
heaven man would be inducted into through the Gospel.  

        Moses' law consisted of the mystery of God translated
into physical 
representations.  The Holy Ghost would be poured upon men that
they might 
perceive these TYPES and FIGURES given to man in the past.  The
pouring out of 
the Spirit occurred when God's time was fulfilled in having man
live under the 
law as long as he did.  The reason God has given man the length
of time to live 
under such legislation can only be known by God, Himself.  Today
we have His 
Spirit.  If we grow in allowing the Spirit to clearly speak to us
it will teach 
us all the truths we need to learn in order to reach this goal of
God for mankind.  

        "But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit:" 1
Corinthians 2:10a 

        We need the Holy Ghost resident in our lives that we
might fulfill our 
spiritual journey.  

        Typology is the study of those aspects of the biblical
past which God 
has designed to ready mankind for His purpose of redemption. It
is the study to 
perceive the spiritual truths to which these analogies pointed.
We must be able 
to discern the spiritual truths hidden in the TYPES.  

        Note the context of Colossians 2:16-17: 

        "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or
in respect of 
an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days; WHICH
ARE A SHADOW OF 
THINGS TO COME; BUT THE BODY IS OF CHRIST." 


                      GLIMPSES OF GOD'S FUTURE MASTERPIECE 

        The old rituals spoken of in this verse of Colossians
were shadows cast 
back upon the years before Calvary. The object that cast these
shadows back was 
the Body of Christ. The light which cast these shadows was the
wholeness of the 
truths of the redeemed life!  

        The people of Israel in these "pre-Calvary" days saw
something that lie 
ahead for all mankind.  The prophets in tune with God knew that a
great mystery 
was about to be revealed to the world from God, Himself!  

        Even the Prophet-King David was inspired to speak such
truths such as 
the true desire of God. He told men that God did not desire
ritual sacrifice or 
burnt offerings. He then spoke of the coming of Christ.  

        "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears
hast thou 
opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
then said I, 
Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I
delight to do thy 
will, O my God..." Psalm 40:6-8 

        This explains that Christ would be the true sacrifice to
which those of 
old merely pointed towards.  

        The Apostle Paul, through revelation of the Holy Ghost,
quoted this 
Psalm and was able to perceive that it referred to the body of
Christ, in 
Hebrews 10:5-10.  

        "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering
of the body 
of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:10 

        The verse in Colssians concerning meats, holy days and
sabbaths tells 
us that the SABBATHS were also shadows of that which would be the
key element 
in redeeming mankind -- the body of Christ.  

        "...sabbath days; which are a shadow of things to come;
but the body is 
of Christ." Colossians 2:17 

        Each shadow spoke of a different truth that is a part of
the redemption 
of man.  The sabbath days spoke of a certain truth, whereas the
meats spoke of 
another. The sabbaths were figures of the REST found in the
redeemed life!  



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