Christian
Churches of God
No.
CB121
Sacrifices and Offerings of Eloah during the Millennium
(Edition 1.0 20080205-20080205)
In this paper we will review how the spiritual sacrifices under Messiah will continue to be offered and see how the sacrificial system will be administered under the line of Zadok.
Christian Churches of God
E-mail: secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright ã 2008 Christian Churches of God, ed. Wade Cox)
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Sacrifices and
Offerings of Eloah during the Millennium
As we have seen from
the previous lessons on the sacrifices of Eloah, He clearly instructs us when
and how to worship Him.
Once Messiah was
ordained/appointed above his fellows (Heb. 1:9, Ps. 45:7), he became our High
Priest. The Church began in earnest from 30 CE when the Holy Spirit was poured
out from the day of Pentecost. From that time forward the spiritual Temple was
being built.
Though the Jews were
offering physical sacrifices, the Psalms tell us that God does not delight in
sacrifice, rather a poor and contrite heart (Ps 51:17).
We have learned that faithful priests are responsible (as
kings and priests, Rev. 1:6) and have responsibilities in four main areas in
relation to the Law of Eloah:
·
Keep or preserve
the Law of Eloah (Mal 2:7; Neh 18:18)
·
Teach and explain
the Law of Eloah (Deut. 33:10;
Lev.10:11; Ezra 7:10; Neh: 8:7)
·
Live by the word
of Eloah (Deut. 8:3; Mat. 4:4; Luke 4:4)
·
Judge by the Law
of Eloah (Deut. 17:2-13; 21:5)
Expectations under Messiah
As we have
already stated, the priesthood under Messiah functioned within a spiritual
Temple. The priests were to do the main tasks mentioned above and
including: praying, fasting, writing a
copy of the Law, offering spiritual gifts, and taking the Gospel to the world.
As we continue
to move forward in time we see from the Marriage Supper of the Lamb that people
who qualified in their physical life are made into spiritual beings at
Messiah’s return. They will be functioning as kings and priests under Messiah
during the Millennium.
Ezekiel’s description of the Millennial Temple
In Ezekiel, we
see a Temple yet to be built, functioning under Messiah the High Priest through
the line of Melchisedek. Here is a brief overview of the organization of the
last chapters of Ezekiel.
We see the
purpose of the Temple described in Ezekiel 43:9-13:
But if the
people and their kings stop worshiping other gods and tear down those
memorials, I will live among them forever. The people of Israel must suffer
shame for sinning against me, so tell them about my holy temple. Let them think
about it, then if they are truly sorry, describe for them the design and shape
of the temple, the gates, the measurements, and how the buildings are arranged.
Explain the regulations about worshiping there, then write down these things,
so they can study and obey them. The
temple area on my holy mountain must be kept sacred! This is the most important
law about the temple. (CEV)
So we see that
the pagan temples and ornaments must be truly, completely and totally
destroyed. People must repent of not obeying God’s Laws and then they can be
taught how to keep His Laws. For the first time in history we will see the Temple
functioning in a spiritual and physical sense. The mount will be completely
cleared of all idolatrous religious artefacts currently on the mount.
If we obey God,
He directs our thoughts (Prov. 16:3), then we can claim faith in Him and His
promises (Ezek. 43:7; 45:8) will come to pass.
Ezekiel 43:7 Ezekiel, son of man, this temple is my throne on earth. I will live here among the people of Israel forever. They and their kings will never again disgrace me by worshiping idols at local shrines or by setting up memorials to their dead kings. (CEV)
Imagine no more differences in religion and people all doing their own thing. Finally, in the not too distant future, we all will be obeying the One True God.
Ezekiel
45:8-10 In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no
more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house
of Israel according to their tribes. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Let it suffice
you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and
justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD. Ye shall
have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. (KJV)
Here we see
that once Satan is put away and Messiah is administering God’s Law, things will
be fair, right and just.
Ezekiel 48:35 and so the total length of the wall will be eighteen thousand measures; and the new name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there (KJV)
We see from the footnote to Ezekiel 48:35 in The Companion Bible the original Hebrew word is Yahovah Shammah (see App. 4.II for more details). We see the Father will not return to the Earth until sin is put away for good and all humans are spirit beings. In this text we see Messiah acting as King and High Priest in the Millennial Temple.
A brief outline of Ezekiel’s vision is provided below:
Outline of Ezekiel 40-48:
·
Ezekiel
43:13-46:24: the altar; Prince, Levites, Priests; division of land; offerings
and Holy Days.
·
The Temple
has palm trees (Ezek. 40:31,34; 41:19); Cherubim (Ezek. 41:18-21,19,25,26);
young lion (Ezek. 41:19); and a man’s
face (Ezek. 41:19). (Some of these
things appeared in Solomon’s Temple; see the series on the Temple Solomon
Built.)
·
Ezekiel
43:24: cast salt for the offering (cf. Lev. 2:13).
We will now
try to take an in-depth look at the sacrifices that are offered in the
Millennium.
Temple Sacrifices in the Millennium
For a quick and easy
overview of the changes in the sacrifices see Appendix A in paper No. CB119, which is a table
of the sacrifices and offerings as originally given, and the changes we see happen
in the Millennium.
The key points to the
millennial sacrifices are as follows:
·
Daily continual
burnt sacrifice occurs only in the morning at 9:00 a.m.; the quantity of grain,
and oil increases and there does not appear to be drink or sin offering.
·
The Sabbath
offerings go up to six lambs compared to two with the grain and oil also
increasing. A ram is added with a complete ephah of grain and hin of oil. Again
there does not appear to be a drink or sin offering.
·
The New Moon
offering appears to decrease from two bullocks to one, seven lambs to six
lambs, and there does not appear to be a sin or drink offering and the oil and
grain offerings increase. The New Moon of the First month begins the cleansing
of the Temple with a sacrifice of a young bullock without blemish. The same is
done on the Seventh day of the month for the Simple and Erroneous (Ezek.
45:19-20).
·
Passover offering
has a bullock for a sin offering on the day of the Fourteenth and for the Seven
days of the Feast he will prepare seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish
every day for seven days and a goat of the sin offering daily (Ezek. 45:21-23).
Full measures of grain and oil are also included.
·
Wave Sheaf: though
historically the offering for the Wave Sheaf is found in Leviticus 23:10-14
there does not appear to be any reference to the Wave Sheaf or other offerings
given in the Millennium for the other days of Trumpets and Atonement.
·
Pentecost does not
seem to have a projected offering represented in Ezekiel.
·
The Tabernacle
offering in the Millennium is the same as Passover; it is consistent: seven
bulls for seven days of the Feast, seven rams, one goat for a sin offering, and
full measures of oil and grain. This is different from the 70 bulls that were
offered in OT times, starting with the number 13 and decreasing to the number
seven.
·
The Last Great Day
does not appear to have a sacrifice described in the Millennial Temple.
The Calendar would
still be kept, as we understand it, as the New Moons are specifically kept each
month and the Sabbaths are kept. It appears that Ezekiel is mentioning the fact
that Tabernacles has the same sacrifices as Passover over the Seven days for a
purpose. The Last Great Day is not mentioned nor is Pentecost, and the Days of
Trumpets and Atonement are also not mentioned as the Feasts remain. These
changes for the millennial system refer to the Seven days of the Feasts and
they specifically alter the system previously established. Trumpets may indeed
be removed as the nation of Judah has profaned it with the Babylonian system of
Rosh Hashanah. We will await the judgment of Messiah on this section when he
arrives.
Reasons for the changes in the sacrificial system
The prophecy in Ezekiel deals with the fact that the sacrifices in the Temple system pointed towards Christ and the Church. The sacrifices were fulfilled in Christ, but they pointed towards the Church as the full first-fruits of the wheat harvest at Pentecost. They were represented by the Feast and New Moon sacrifices as the 144,000, and the evening sacrifices pointed towards the Great Multitude (see the paper The Harvests of God, The New Moon Sacrifices, and the 144,000 (No. 120)). These are part of the First Resurrection and Marriage to the Lamb. Yet, not all people will be spirit beings at the beginning of the Millennium. The evening is followed by the day. Therefore, the morning sacrifices are to be representative of people still coming into God’s family at a future point in time. For more information on Ezekiel’s Temple see also the paper FAQs on Ezekiel Chapters 36-48 and the Sanctification of the Temple (No. 292).
Trumpets points to the coming of the Messiah and Atonement to the Reconciliation that has occurred by then. The explanation is dependent upon the Messiah and his instructions for the Millennium. However, the calendar of God remains as we see from the text in Ezekiel.
Interesting
points:
·
Measurements
of the Temple (Ezek. 40:5-49); Bullinger’s footnote to Ezekiel 40:5 says: “in
all the measurements the unit is one seventeenth longer than Solomon’s Temple,
pointing to the 8th day of God. Seven speaks to completion; eight to new
beginnings.
·
Ezekiel
43:18-26: Seven days are allowed to purge the altar and purify the priesthood.
The first day was with the bullock and the second day with the kid of the goats
to cleanse the altar as they did with the bullock, and after they had cleansed
it, then a bullock and a ram of the herd were offered up salted by the priest.
For seven days they shall offer the bullock and the goat and a ram from the
herd for the sin offering. Seven days they will purge the altar, purify it and
consecrate themselves. Then on the eighth day they can offer burnt offerings
(v. 27). That is done at the commencement and every year from then on from the
New Moon of Abib to the Seventh of Abib and from the Eight day onwards. By this
ceremony of sanctification, the priesthood is able to cleanse the sanctuary as
we are told and required to do under Ezekiel chapter 45:18-20. Each year, from
the New Moon of Abib, this sanctification process is to be undertaken by the
elect by spiritual sacrifices and prayers until Shiloh comes.
Comments from other papers:
The consumption of meat is regulated during the Temple period and the pots are holy to the Lord. The Tithe system will ensure that there is always enough for the Sabbaths of the Lord to provide for all in the nation. This is explained in the Prince’s Levy in Ezekiel chapter 45:13-17. The provision of the meat levy at the Feasts is explained in Zechariah 14:16-21.
This is called the Terumah levy and the nations must provide this tithe to the administration and not the priesthood, so that the Sabbaths New Moons and Holy Days and Feasts have enough to feed the nation on each of the days Holy to the Lord.
The translation of Zechariah 14:16-21 in the New Revised Standard Version carries the actual meaning by the use of the term rendered Canaanites in the KJV text, and says that: “There shall no longer be traders in the house of the Lord of Hosts on that day”.
The following section is taken from
paper No. 292 and clearly
states interesting facts about the Temple.
Section 4: The Temple:
Ezekiel 40–43 describes the Temple.
Q7. Is this the Temple that will be built
and operate throughout the Millennium?
Answer: Yes. The Temple described in Ezekiel is millennial and the practices
there will be carried out in the millennial system. The Temple is both physical
and spiritual.
Q8. Will the sacrifices be re-instituted?
If so, why?
Answer: One of the most puzzling aspects of this prophecy relates to the fact
that only the morning sacrifices are carried out here. The prophecy deals with
the fact that the sacrifices in the Temple system pointed towards Christ and
the Church. The sacrifices were fulfilled in Christ, but they pointed towards
the Church as the full first-fruits of the wheat harvest at Pentecost. They
were represented by the Feast and New Moon sacrifices as the 144,000, and the
evening sacrifices pointed towards the Great Multitude (see the paper The Harvests of God, The New Moon
Sacrifices, and the 144,000 (No. 120)). These are part of the First
Resurrection. Yet there is another aspect that the Great Multitude, represented
by the morning sacrifices, are not harvested until after the First
Resurrection, and so represent another aspect of the Temple system, which Temple
we are.
The consumption of meat is regulated during the Temple period and the pots are holy to the Lord. The Tithe system will ensure that there is always enough for the Sabbaths of the Lord to provide for all in the nation. This is explained in the Prince’s Levy in Ezekiel chapter 45. The provision of the meat levy at the Feasts is explained in Zechariah 14:16-21.
The translation of Zechariah 14:16-21 in the New Revised Standard
Version carries the actual meaning by the use of the term rendered Canaanites
in the KJV text, and says that: “There shall no longer be traders in the
house of the Lord of Hosts on that day”.
Q9. Are these sacrifices simply a reminder of the sacrifice of Christ, or
do they have more significance?
Answer: The whole aspect of these sacrifices deals with the restoration of the
system of worship in Israel, and to show that the system given by God was just
and correct. The killing of all meat required a blood debt and was atoned for
in being part of the Temple system. Once again the priesthood will take charge
of all animal slaughter.
The question of atoning for sin as a debt will also be restored with
the Law. These aspects are covered in the series The Law of God (No. L1).
The system as applied within God’s Calendar, and the livestock provided
ensure that the correct functioning of the system takes place and the Festivals are able to be kept with adequate resources.
Ezekiel 44 deals with the running of the Temple.
Q10. Who can enter the Temple?
Answer: The entry to the Temple is regulated.
No one except the Prince can enter by the outer gate facing east. He and only he enters by the east gate and goes out the same way.
Others enter by another gate and go out by the opposite gate, i.e. from
the south to the north. Only foreigners in Israel who are circumcised of heart
and flesh shall be able to enter the Temple.
Because the Levites caused the people to go astray they are not allowed
to go near God as priests. However, they will be appointed to slaughter the
burnt offerings and attend to the people. This means that the Levites are not
part of the First Resurrection as spirit beings and will serve in the physical
system of the Temple.
On the other hand, the Zadokite priesthood is able to go before God
because they were faithful in Levi. Consequently they will be spirit beings in
the First Resurrection.
Q11. What are the duties of the Levites and
Priests?
Answer: The unfaithful are restricted to the physical duties of the Temple
system. They perform the slaughter and the distribution there. They keep charge
and do its chores.
The faithful enter the Sanctuary. In other words, the Spirit-begotten
sons of God are able to come before God in ministry as spirit beings. This text
is a total condemnation of the Levitical priesthood that failed to accept Messiah, and also of the Melchisedek priesthood that failed to
uphold their place and thus failed the First Resurrection.
The faithful priesthood is responsible (as kings and priests, Rev. 1:6; cf. 2Chr. 8:14) to perform certain duties before God. Among these duties is prayer (Joel 2:17) for the people, even this whole nation. They are to set a personal example (Lev. 10:8-10); and to know the Law (Mal. 2:7) well enough to teach it to the nation (Lev. 10:11).
Q12. What are the apparel, behaviour,
sacrifices and judgments of the priesthood?
Answer: The faithful priesthood enters the Inner Court wearing linen
vestments. This has two meanings.
The faithful priesthood alive in the Millennium performs the functions
of the Messiah in the rituals of Atonement.
The holy ones of the elect who succeeded enter in linen before God, as
the Messiah entered on his acceptance as the Wave-Sheaf Offering (see the paper
The Wave Sheaf Offering
(No. 106b)). Thus the elect shall see God as sons of God, and
make atonement for Israel and the nations brought into it, as its priests and
kings.
The tithe system will be enforced and the priesthood will administer it
(Ezek. 44:28-31).
Ezekiel 45 deals with the restoration of Israel, with the specific
tribal areas of land being described in chapter 48. Ezekiel 45:1 states
that when the land is divided by lot for Israel’s inheritance, then an
oblation is to be offered to the Lord. This oblation consists of portions of
land of specific dimension.
Q13. When we now have a priesthood of the
Order of Melchisedek, who are the Levites and why have they been reintroduced?
Answer: There is a division in the priesthood and the Order of Melchisedek is
not mentioned here. We know the faithful of Levi are placed within the 144,000
and the Great Multitude of Revelation chapter 7. The Book of Hebrews tells us what
the Order of Melchisedek is under Christ. The Prince is mentioned, and the
allocation of areas for the priesthood is laid out in both symbolic and literal
dimensions.
Q14. Who is the Prince in this context? Is the Prince Christ or is it David?
As there is land set aside for him, one would think this would be David, as
Christ is a spirit being and can manifest himself at will.
Answer: It is both, in that Christ is King of Israel
and David rules under him. We are all of the Household of David and shall be as
elohim and the Angel of the Lord at our head. Namely, we shall be gods, as
Jesus Christ, in the Millennial Restoration. The City of Jerusalem shall be the
centre of our administration of the planet, and we will rule as Satan and the
demons should have ruled the Earth but failed (cf. Zech. 12:8).
See the paper FAQs
on Ezekiel Chapters 36-48 and the Sanctification of the Temple (No. 292).
We see the sacrifices will be re-instituted though modified. We see that only the morning sacrifices will be reinstated or started.
This
following section is taken from paper No. 300.
From 2028 the Temple system will be under the new priesthood of Melchisedek. The place of worship in Jerusalem will be commenced. This will be the millennial Temple and focal point of worship for the entire world.
The New Temple System
The nations have to be brought to the stage of repentance and
sanctification. That process covers twenty-one years to the Jubilee in 2027.
That includes the entire priesthood of the planet purporting to speak
for God and Christ.
The next phase is the sanctification of the Temple system in Jerusalem
under the new priesthood. That process will involve the same procedures under
the Key of David as experienced under David and Solomon (see the paper Rule of the Kings Part III:
Solomon and the Key of David (No. 282C)).
The next forty-year period in the Golden Jubilee, from 2028 to 2068,
involves the building of the Temple and the administration in Jerusalem for the
Reading of the Law in 2069, and in 2076 and 2077 in the Jubilee. The Temple
itself will be built before that period and the refurbishment and the
administration will end by those dates. The Law will be read each Sabbath year
for the Sabbaths over the twenty-one years from 2028, i.e. in 2034, 2041, and
2048 in the sanctification process (cf. the paper Sanctification of the Nations
(No. 77)).
From 2026 onwards the Law will be read every Sabbath year throughout the world in accordance with the command of God.
The Temple will be rebuilt in accordance with the spiritual and
physical instructions laid down by God through Ezekiel.
Restoring the Earth
It is difficult to comprehend the devastation, much less envisage how
the Earth is to be restored.
The Bible is very specific about the extreme violence and the
catastrophes that overtake the Earth. Christ says that Scripture cannot be
broken (Jn. 10:34-35).
Yet there are a series of opportunities given to mankind to repent of
their errors and they do not repent. Many species pay the penalty for this
obstinacy. The problems are outlined in the paper The Seven Trumpets (No. 141).
These activities cover the phase called the seven vials of the wrath of God
and none of this sequence needs to happen.
Over the Golden Jubilee the world will be restored, the rivers and waters renewed, and the Earth will be at peace.
There will be trees to plant, water to be stored and harvested, and
food to be grown and livestock raised.
The same healing that comes through the City of God starts with the restoration
in Jerusalem under Messiah, with and through the resurrection of the elect.
Revelation 22:2-4 Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2: through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3: There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him; 4: they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. (RSV)
The restoration of the planet is mentioned in Ezekiel chapter 47. The
spiritual power that emanates from Christ in the Temple of God will heal the
nations and the land and the seas.
(See the paper The Golden Jubilee and the
Millennium (No. 300)).
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