Question: Hi
Greg,
It seems that Jeremiah 33:18 indicates that sacrifices will be ongoing
when Christ returns. Is this a
correct understanding of this passage?
Jim
Answer: Dear
Jim,
Some thoughts:
1.
This passage is a promise of restoration.
Some believe that such a restoration
will
only occur at the second coming of Christ.
While restoration will occur at the Second Coming, it is also true that
restoration also took place at the first coming of Christ.
Almost 2000 years ago reconciliation with God was made possible by the
cross of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).
2.
This passage cannot be read in a wooden, strictly literal way, for it
says that
Levites
will never fail to have a man to stand before God to burn offerings and present
sacrifices. While the argument that
Levites still exist can be made, there is no temple—and has not been since
69-70 AD.
3.
What does this passage imply then? There
are many Old Testament passages
that
use Old Testament and old covenant imagery to depict New Testament and new
covenant realities. That was the
only way such a communication could have taken place.
In his written revelation God has always inspired his authors to use the
historical context and culture to speak of the future.
Thus, while speaking of restoration to true worship, the only kind of
worship that Jews would know would be that of the old covenant.
Therefore,
the future reality is often depicted using symbols, practices and
traditions of that day that might not be literally and specifically
applicable to a future time—but the meaning of restoration is conveyed to the
original audience.
You
might want to take a look at Zechariah 14:16-19 with this principle in mind.
Zechariah may appear to say that the Hebrew holy days will be observed—in
fact enforced—after the Second Coming. But
again, the author
is
using symbols and cultural realities to depict a glorious future.
As
Christians
we know that the New Testament clearly teaches that the Hebrew
worship calendar is unnecessary
for Christians.
The
original audience of a passage is always just that—the priority audience. We read over their shoulders, as it were.
Thus, a passage in the
Bible
that we seek to understand must always be understood in the light of
the
original meaning, context and reality—before it has meaning for us.
4.
God does not primarily desire sacrifice, but a broken and contrite heart.
That
message
is contained within even the old covenant.
Sacrifices for Christians are
certainly not necessary, for Christ was our sacrifice, once and for all (Hebrews 10:1-8).
Christ, in fact, fulfilled and then abolished the sacrificial system and
the priesthood Jeremiah has reference to (Hebrews 8:8-10).
Sacrifices and offerings that are spoken of in Jeremiah 33 are of the Old
Testament economy—and there is no need for Christians to return to that
economy, as we are given the new covenant, which is much more glorious than the
old covenant (2 Corinthians 3:7-18).
In Christ,
Greg Albrecht