Eschatology and Ecclesiology Kingdom of God – Part II

1. Eschatology and Ecclesiology Kingdom of God – Part II “For the concept of the Kingdom of God involves, in a real sense, the total message of the Bible. Not only does it loom large in the teachings of Jesus; it is to be found, in one form or another, through the length and breadth of the Bible....The Bible is one book. Had we to give that book a title, we might with justice call it “The Book of the Coming Kingdom of God’” (John Bright, The Kingdom of God, p. 197).

2. The Mediatorial Kingdom of God through History Northern Kingdom Rapture of the Church Descent of the Spirit Return of Christ 1051BC 722BC 931BC United King. New heavens & earth 7 Southern Kingdom 1000 years 586 BC Prophets “Mysteries of the Kingdom” (Matt 13)

3. Animal Sacrifices in the Millennial Kingdom

4. The Real Issue behind Future Animal Sacrifices: The Restoration of Israel • “It is true that the Old Testament predictions of the restoration of the temple and of the mosaic ceremonial law have occasioned them no little embarrassment....Literally interpreted, this means the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood and of the Mosaic ritual of sacrifices....The author to the Hebrews warns his readers most earnestly against returning to this system which has been done away” (O.T. Allis, Prophecy and the Church, pp. 243, 246-47).

5. What Deuteronomy Predicts • In the Book of Deuteronomy (and even before this in the Book of Leviticus) we have clear statements that: • Provide Choice • Predict Failure • Promise Restoration • This is exactly the storyline that plays out in the Old Testament!

6. The Millennial Sacrifices • The concept of a restored temple worship, complete with priests and sacrifices, is mentioned throughout the Latter Prophets (Isa 2:2-3; 19:21; 56:6-7; 60:7; 66:19-21; Jer 33:18, 21, 22; Hos 3:4-5; Mic 4:1-2; Hag 2:7-9; Zech 14:16-19), but most prominently in Ezekiel 40-48. • While there are significant differences between Ezekiel and the Law in the Torah, the core concepts are the same; they are modifications rather than something absolutely new and different.

7. N/A Passover – Lev 23:5 Unleavened Bread – Lev 23:6-8 Pentecost – Lev 23:9-22 Trumpets – Lev 23:23-25 Atonement – Lev 23:26-32 Tabernacles – Lev 23:33-44 New Year – Ezek 45:18-20 Passover – Ezek 45:21-24 Unleavened Bread – Ezek 45:21-24 N/A N/A N/A Tabernacles – Ezek 45:25 The Feasts: Levitical vs Millennial

8. Burnt – Lev 1:3-17 Grain – Lev 2:1-16 Peace – Lev 3:1-17 Sin – Lev 4:1-35 Trespass – Lev 5:1 – 6:7 Drink – Lev 23:13, 37 Burnt – Ezek 40:39 Grain – Ezek 45:15 Peace – Ezek 45:15 Sin – Ezek 40:39 Trespass – Ezek 40:39 Drink – Ezek 45:17 The Offerings: Levitical vs Millennial

9. Sacrifices are reminders of Christ’s work on the cross, just as the Lord’s Supper is. Thus they do not contradict the teaching of Hebrews. OT sacrifices pointed forwards; millennial sacrifices point backwards. Ezekiel nowhere even hints that these are memorials. Ezekiel teaches that they make “atonement” (45:15, 17, 20); same word as that used in Leviticus. Millennial sacrifices provide for cleansing of inanimate objects and temporal cleansing of the flesh, just as they did in OT. Memorial View Problemsof the Sacrifices

10. How Do We Reconcile Ezekiel 40-48 with the Book of Hebrews? • The real issue in Hebrews is the superiority of Jesus Christ to that which has come before, with repeated warnings of the consequences of turning away from Christ, going back to the Aaronic system, and joining forces with Christ’s avowed enemies. • This will not be the issue during the millennial kingdom! Christ will be on the Davidic Throne, the Shekinah glory will return to the temple and the nations will worship, according to the Prophets, in conformity to the Law of God (i.e. temple, priests, sacrifices, etc). Historical context is key! Man must live in the economy which God has placed him. • The animal sacrifices provide a temporal cleansing of the flesh (God is once again dwelling among His people) and in no way compete with the sacrifice of Christ (see articles by Hullinger and Whitcomb).

11. Hullinger on the Problem of Impurity • “This atonement cleansing was necessary in Leviticus because of the descent of the Shekinah in Exodus 40. A holy God had taken up residence in the midst of a sinful and unclean people. Similarly Ezekiel foresaw the return of God’s glory to the millennial temple. This will again create a tension between a holy God and an unclean people. The important point to be kept in mind is that uncleanness was treated as a contagion that had to be washed away lest it cause defilement. Quite often things such as animals (Lev 11), childbirth (Lev 12), swellings and eruptions (Lev 13–14 ), sexual misdeeds (Lev 18), and corpses (Lev 21) could cause one to be unclean” (Hullinger, “The Problem of Animal Sacrifices in Ezekiel 40-48,” p. 285).

12. Hullinger of the Purpose of Animal Sacrifices “Ezekiel 40–48 indicates that during the millennium God’s glory will return to the temple where sacrificial ritual will take place and in which offerings will make atonement. For Ezekiel the concept of atonement is the same as it was in the Book of Leviticus, namely, an act that wipes away and purges uncleanness. This purgation will be required because the divine presence will once again be dwelling in the land. As argued earlier, impurity is contagious to both persons and sancta. Further, impurity is inimical to Yahweh, who refuses to dwell among a people if uncleanness remains untreated. Because of God’s promise to dwell on earth during the millennium (as stated in the New Covenant), it is necessary that He protect His presence through sacrifice” (Hullinger, p. 289).

13. Next Week: Millennial Systems Part I Syllabus pp. 186-203 Benware pp. 81-120