Biblical View Of Life, And . . . The State Of Perfection

Why there had to be Sacrifices

We’re going to add some content to my old file, "How Far Along Are We In God’s Plan" to greatly enlarge our understanding of how very great His plan really is. The awesomeness of this marvelous plan is absolutely stunning, and beyond words to fully explain!

God has revealed to us, in His Word, everything that we need to know to enable us to trust Him for our personal salvation and everything else in life. He has made us aware of some of what He has already done and also some of what He plans on doing. For instance we know that He created the heavens and the earth, and that He did it for His own good pleasure (Gen. 1:1, 31). We know that God sent His Son to purchase and redeem a sanctified and consecrated people with whom He can fellowship and reign with (Rom. 8:28-29; Gal. 4:3-6; Titus 2:14; 1 Jn. 1:1-4; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 22:1-5). We know the possibility of Jesus’s immanent return for the people He has redeemed (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-58), and a short time later to rescue the nation of Israel, bind the devil, and personally rule over all the earth for a period of one thousand years (Zech. 1:21; Rev. 20:1-6). After the millennium Satan will be released from confinement and will raise a rebellion against Christ and will be defeated and cast, along with all the rebellious, into the Lake of Fire where they will suffer continual anguish for all eternity (Rev. 20:7-10). Then God will create a new heaven and a new earth, and eternity will begin (Rev. 21-22).

In the following article we will try to establish where we are in this plan of God’s, and some of the details of it.

The Approximate Age Of Creation:

Most evolutionists would have us believe that there is no God, that all of existence is material and started with a big explosion in the endless past, that life evolved from the elements of that explosion over billions of years, and that there is no spirit or soul of man that exists after the death of the body. Many highly intelligent people have spent the majority of their lives trying, without success, to prove this theory as fact, which it is not. One of the tools that they often successfully use to deceive the unwary is a false application of geology, by which they try to verify their billions-of-years theory.

Dr. Henry Morris the founder of the Institute for Creation Research in California, has earned the title "The Father of Modern Creationism." In his book, The Biblical Basis for Modern Science, on pages 11 and 12 he states:

Men have too rapidly jumped to the conclusion that the Bible is unscientific) or "prescientific", as some would say). The biblical cosmology has never been disproved; it has simply made men uncomfortable and been rejected. Nevertheless the actual facts of observation and experience can be shown to correlate with the biblical view of the world and history in a highly satisfying way.

The Bible authors claim to have written the very Word of God, and it has been accepted as such by multitudes of intelligent people down through the centuries. This is more true today than ever in the past, and there are now thousands of qualified scientists around the world who quite definitely believe in the full verbal inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures. It is thus absurd for anyone to say that ‘science’ has disproved the Bible.

On page 420 of his book Henry Morris states: "Thus, both radiocarbon dating and tree-ring dating are unreliable. Yet these are the best methods developed so far for estimating dates in prehistoric human chronology. Once we get beyond the beginnings of actual written records, there is simply no way to determine dates with accuracy. There is, thus, no real reason to reject or even question the traditional Ussher chronology of the Bible. It does seem there is an inordinate desire on the part of evolutionists to stretch dates as far into the past as they can, almost as though they were consciously trying to discredit the Bible. . . . The objectivity of scientists is a nice image, but the facts often tarnish it."

The compressed chronology of Archbishop Ussher, who assumes unbroken succession of father son relationship in the genealogical lists of Gen 5 and 11, places the creation of man around 4000 BC. The following table is constructed from the years involved to the birth of each successive son named in God’s Word up to the birth of Joseph; added to this is the 430 years in Egypt, and then the two most likely dates for the exodus of Israel from Egypt, which are taken from Unger’s Bible Dictionary, are added to arrive at the B.C. date for creation.

It would seem that the numbers given in Genesis chapter five should be taken at face value, because the age of the father is given at the time of the child’s birth. In this type of a listing it doesn’t seem reasonable to assume that there could be any gaps or individuals left out as there is in the first chapter of Matthew’s listing! Therefore the 2668 years from Adam to the Exodus as calculated above, and the 40 years in the Wilderness are correct according to God’s Word. The only date that is not accurately known is the time of the Exodus, and most scholars are within Unger’s 1441 B.C. date by plus or minus about 200 years; so Creation could not have occurred before 4300 B.C. nor after 3900 B.C. in round numbers. Unger’s second most likely date is 1290 B.C.

If we add the present date to the above calculated years from creation to the coming of Christ (4109 B.C. + 4 + 2008) we come up with 6,121 years of human history. If we were to use the second most likely date of the Exodus of the nation of Israel from Egypt (1290 B.C.) we would come up with (3958 B.C. + 4 + 2008) 5,970 years of human history. This second calculation brings up a very interesting thought; considering the frequent use of the number seven in the Bible, it is quite possible that man’s history, as God has given him to live it, will amount to 6,000 years, then Christ will reign for another 1,000 years, and then life will be changed and eternity will begin. The number of man is six, and the number for completion is seven. If the second calculation is right, then we have about 30 more years before Christ comes to rule and reign -- somewhere around 2038, which would mean that the rapture could occur in 2031 because Jesus will come for His Church before the tribulation. Of course these are only calculated assumptions, and there may be many more factors involved that we are unaware of, but it may be as close as one can get using the record that God has given to us.

I have made some changes on the following chart using Unger’s second most likely date for the exodus of the nation of Israel from Egypt, and then assuming that God has indeed allotted 6000 years for human rule before Jesus begins His 1000 year reign, and that all the information from the Bible and my calculations are correct. Of course, this leaves much room for error; this chart is only meant to be used to show the order of events and their probable time element.

God Cannot Tolerate Sin:

Psalms 5:4-6…. For You are not a God Who takes pleasure in wickedness; neither will the evil [man] so much as dwell [temporarily] with You. Boasters can have no standing in Your sight; You abhor all evildoers. You will destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors [and rejects] the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

Romans 1:18…. For God's [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.

And Without The Shedding Of Blood There Is No Forgiveness Of Sin:

God showed Adam and Eve that a covering of their sin required the sacrifice or shedding of the blood of an unblemished animal, and probably told them so. But we don’t have any record in the Bible about the details of God’s requirements until the Law was given to Moses, about 2700 years later according to the above chart.

Genesis 3:21…. For Adam also and for his wife the Lord God made long coats (tunics) of skins and clothed them.

Genesis 4:3-7…. And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions. And the Lord had respect and regard for Abel and for his offering, [Heb. 11:4.] But for Cain and his offering He had no respect or regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed. And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.

Cain tried to be accepted by his own labor or works, but God apparently told him that to do well there had to be the shedding of innocent blood. So, from the very beginning when sin entered the world, God began unveiling that the temporary sacrifice or shedding of the blood of unblemished animals was required in order for anyone to be acceptable to God; until, the time came for the perfect and sinless human sacrifice of Jesus, which would be the ultimate one-time sacrifice that would be good for all people that would receive Him as their personal Lord and savior. When they make that decision, God begins forming them, IN THEIR SPIRIT into the very image of Jesus! God’s Kingdom is not composed of male and female occupants, because we are all now being formed, IN OUR SPIRITS, into the very image of Christ Jesus as a SON and our new spiritual bodies will be neither male nor female, as Gal.3:28 below states.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18…. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). [Isa. 61:1-2.] And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

Matthew 22:29-30…. But Jesus replied to them, you are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor God's power. For in the resurrected state neither do [men] marry nor are [women] given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven.

Galatians 3:26-28…. For in Christ Jesus you are all SONS OF GOD through faith. For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed one, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ. There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:20-26…. For no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character]. But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets, namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives. [All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment. It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus.

Hebrews 10:4-14…. Because the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to take sins away. Hence, when He [Christ] entered into the world, He said, Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but instead You have made ready a body for Me [to offer]; in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no delight. Then I said, Behold, here I am, coming to do Your will, O God--[to fulfill] what is written of Me in the volume of the Book. [Ps. 40:6-8.] When He said just before, You have neither desired, nor have You taken delight in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings--all of which are offered according to the Law--He then went on to say, Behold, [here] I am, coming to do Your will. Thus He does away with and annuls the first (former) order [as a means of expiating sin] so that He might inaugurate and establish the second (latter) order. [Ps. 40:6-8.] And in accordance with this will [of God], we have been made holy (consecrated and sanctified) through the offering made once for all of the body of Jesus Christ (the Anointed one). Furthermore, every [human] priest stands [at his altar of service] ministering daily, offering the same sacrifices over and over again, which never are able to strip [from every side of us] the sins [that envelop us] and take them away--whereas this one [Christ], after He had offered a single sacrifice for our sins [that shall avail] for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, Then to wait until His enemies should be made a stool beneath His feet. [Ps. 110:1.] For by a single offering He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy.

The Old Testament animal sacrifices were not a delightful undertaking:

God did not take pleasure in the slaying of innocent animals, but it was absolutely necessary to provide a covering of their sin so that sinful mankind could approach their Holy Creator. And there was much labor involved for man to build and maintain the articles for the sacrifices, and to prepare the animals exactly as directed: The blood was used to sprinkle on certain things to make them acceptable to God, and the rest poured out at the base of the sacrificial alter (Lev. 8:14-17); it was not to be drank or eaten by the Israelites, because the life is in the blood (Deut. 20-25); neither were they to eat fat, because all the fat is for the Lord (Lev.3:16-17); some of the sacrifices were wholly burnt on the alter, some portions were disposed of outside the camp, and other portions were given to the priests to eat (Num. 18:8-14); the fire on the alter was to be kept burning continually (Lev. 6:12-13); 2 lambs were to be sacrificed every day, one in the morning and the other in the evening (Ex. 29:38-42); and there was a great number of other special sacrifices and duties.

Sin is very costly:

Sin is horrible to God beyond description, and must cost the life of the sinner or eventually a perfect substitute must pay it for him. Mankind, in the beginning, had no knowledge of sin or even what it was, and God apparently wanted us to realize just how terrible and costly disobedience really is, so He first initiated a system using unblemished animals as a temporary covering of the sin that separated them from God, in order to teach mankind the spiritual meaning of what Jesus’ perfect once-for-all sacrifice would fully and perfectly accomplish. This makes it understandable why there had to be sacrifices, and why Jesus often used parables, illustrations from the material world to teach spiritual content. But unfortunately for many, going from the material world mentality to the spiritual was a stumbling block that caused them to reject Jesus.

John 6:47-66…. I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me] has (now possesses) eternal life. I am the Bread of Life [that gives life--the Living Bread]. Your forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and [yet] they died. [But] this is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that [any]one may eat of it and never die. I [Myself] am this Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and also the Bread that I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (body).

⁵²Then the Jews angrily contended with one another, saying, how is He able to give us His flesh to eat? And Jesus said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, you cannot have any life in you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood [unless you appropriate His life and the saving merit of His blood]. He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has (possesses now) eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day. For My flesh is true and genuine food, and My blood is true and genuine drink. He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood dwells continually in Me, and I [in like manner dwell continually] in him. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me. This is the Bread that came down from heaven. It is not like the manna which our forefathers ate, and yet died; he who takes this Bread for his food shall live forever. He said these things in a synagogue while He was teaching at Capernaum.

⁶⁰When His disciples heard this, many of them said, this is a hard and difficult and strange saying (an offensive and unbearable message). Who can stand to hear it? [Who can be expected to listen to such teaching?] But Jesus, knowing within Himself that His disciples were complaining and protesting and grumbling about it, said to them: Is this a stumbling block and an offense to you? [Does this upset and displease and shock and scandalize you?] What then [will be your reaction] if you should see the Son of Man ascending to [the place] where He was before? It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life.

⁶⁴But [still] some of you fail to believe and trust and have faith. For Jesus knew from the first who did not believe and had no faith and who would betray Him and be false to Him. And He said, this is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him [unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father. After this, many of His disciples drew back (returned to their old associations) and no longer accompanied Him.

Jesus gave us the only perfect and final solution to our sin problem:

Hebrews 10:1-18…. FOR SINCE the Law has merely a rude outline (foreshadowing) of the good things to come--instead of fully expressing those things--it can never by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year make perfect those who approach [its altars]. For if it were otherwise, would [these sacrifices] not have stopped being offered? Since the worshipers had once for all been cleansed, they would no longer have any guilt or consciousness of sin. But [as it is] these sacrifices annually bring a fresh remembrance of sins [to be atoned for], because the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to take sins away.

⁵Hence, when He [Christ] entered into the world, He said, Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but instead You have made ready a body for Me [to offer]; in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no delight. Then I said, Behold, here I am, coming to do Your will, O God--[to fulfill] what is written of Me in the volume of the Book. [Ps. 40:6-8.] When He said just before, You have neither desired, nor have You taken delight in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings--all of which are offered according to the Law--He then went on to say, Behold, [here] I am, coming to do Your will. Thus He does away with and annuls the first (former) order [as a means of expiating sin] so that He might inaugurate and establish the second (latter) order. [Ps. 40:6-8.] And in accordance with this will [of God], we have been made holy (consecrated and sanctified) through the offering made once for all of the body of Jesus Christ (the Anointed one).

¹¹Furthermore, every [human] priest stands [at his altar of service] ministering daily, offering the same sacrifices over and over again, which never are able to strip [from every side of us] the sins [that envelop us] and take them away--Whereas this one [Christ], after He had offered a single sacrifice for our sins [that shall avail] for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until His enemies should be made a stool beneath His feet. [Ps. 110:1.] For by a single offering He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy. And also the Holy Spirit adds His testimony to us [in confirmation of this]. For having said, this is the agreement (TESTAMENT, covenant) that I will set up and conclude with them after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their hearts, and I will inscribe them on their minds (on their inmost thoughts and understanding), He then goes on to say, And their sins and their lawbreaking I will remember no more. [Jer. 31:33, 34.] Now where there is absolute remission (forgiveness and cancellation of the penalty) of these [sins and lawbreaking], there is no longer any offering made to atone for sin.

So, although the sacrifices weren’t pleasant for either God or man; we can see how God used them to purchase our redemption and reconciliation and to make us capable of living with Him forever. We can also see how God uses our continual reading of His Word, which is also necessary, to form us into the very image of Jesus. "And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18).

Praise the Lord!

How did all this affect all those who had died before Jesus’ resurrection?

Ephesians 4:7-10…. Yet grace (God's unmerited favor) was given to each of us individually [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ's [rich and bounteous] gift. Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men. [Ps. 68:18.] [But He ascended?] Now what can this, He ascended, mean but that He had previously descended from [the heights of] heaven into [the depths], the lower parts of the earth? He Who descended is the [very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things (the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest).

1 Peter 3:18-20…. For Christ [the Messiah Himself] died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous (the Just for the unjust, the Innocent for the guilty), that He might bring us to God. In His human body He was put to death, but He was made alive in the spirit, in which He went and preached to the spirits in prison, [the souls of those] who long before in the days of Noah had been disobedient, when God's patience waited during the building of the ark in which a few [people], actually eight in number, were saved through water. [Gen. 6-8.]

From the two above passages of Scripture we can see the marvelous grace of God that has and will extend His magnificent salvation to all mankind on the very same basis of, whosoever will trust, accept and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ!