Laws of the Old Covenant
The Agreement
Let us first consider the covenant itself. In AD34, God withdrew His allegiance from the Jewish people. The prophetic probationary time had run out. Israel no longer has any claim on God’s special protection or to the land they had been given.
It is true the United Nations has granted portion of the land as the State of Israel, but this has nothing to do with it being their God-given right. Many believe it to be so, even quoting Bible prophecy to prove it, but a correct understanding shows this to be false. The agreement is over.
Today, and for all time, true Christians are God’s special people, those who are “children of God by faith in Christ Jesus… and if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26.27.29.
This includes anyone who claims the blood of Christ -- Jews, Moslems, atheists, agnostics -- for in Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek… bond nor free… male or female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28.
It is commonly believed that Christians will be ‘raptured’ to heaven and the Jews will once again become God’s people. But this can never happen.
When the Jewish nation played its part in the crucifixion of Yeshua ha Mashiach, the priesthood was cut off and the temple was no longer a holy place. Before He departed the temple precincts, Jesus said to the priests and rabbis, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” Matthew 23:38.
Three and a half years later, the nation of Israel was severed completely from its position as God’s chosen nation.
The Sacrifices
The sacrifices enjoined by the Mosaic Covenant have been completely fulfilled in Christ, and all laws relating to sacrifice have finished.
Never again must Christians obey the Old Covenant and sacrifice animals to receive forgiveness. Commands such as the following are no longer binding.
“And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance… and be guilty, or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge, then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar… and the priest shall make an atonement, and it shall be forgiven him.” Leviticus 4:27-31.
Clearly every part of this ceremony is now void, however the ritual contains many lessons Christians do well to meditate upon.
1. We can sin in ignorance.
2. When it comes to our notice, we realise we are guilty.
3. We must confess our sin.
4. We must claim the shedding of blood our own responsibility.
5. We must have a priest officiate on our behalf.
6. We can be forgiven and cleansed.
The Bible will reveal sin to us, although it may be a brother or sister who will point it out. It might be the Spirit of God alone as we read the Word.
Once we recognised our guilt, we must acknowledge and confess it, but instead of sacrificing an animal, we can claim the shed blood of Christ.
Likewise, instead of confessing before an earthly priest, we bow before the Lord Jesus Christ, who officiates as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary.
And, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.
“Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession, for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16.
The Ceremonies
Unfortunately, the ceremonies became a wall of separation between the Jews and the Gentiles, causing enmity.
However, when Christ became the supreme sacrifice, He “abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace, and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby…” Ephesians 2:15.16.
That “middle wall” has been broken down. Ephesians 2:14.
Christ gathered together every ceremony, ritual, ordinance, and with the sins of the world and the death penalty of every human being, He nailed them to the tree in His own flesh. And now, “Through him we both (Jews and Gentiles alike) have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Ephesians 2:18.
Other ceremonial laws have lapsed, such as those commanded for ritual cleansing – after childbirth, illness, touching the dead and other everyday activities that rendered the person unclean or defiled. (Example, Leviticus 15) Male children no longer need to be circumcised.
Today there is no wall of separation, as ceremonies, rituals, washings, sprinklings, purgings, meats and drinks are all fulfilled in Christ. They were “a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands…. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Hebrews 9:9-12.
The Sanctuary
Although the earthly sanctuary has ceased its operation, this does not mean the details should be ignored. It was designed “according to the pattern” shown to Moses in the mount. Its ministration was to be a “shadow of heavenly things”. Exodus 25:40. Hebrews 8:5. Christ now ministers in the heavenly sanctuary, “the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 8:2.
The more we study the Mosaic Covenant alongside the book of Hebrews, the clearer will be our perception of the work of our High Priest in the sanctuary above. The book of Hebrews would be a complete mystery without the books of Moses.
Christians no longer need to look towards Jerusalem where the temple stood, because we have “no continuing city, but we seek one to come”, the New Jerusalem. Hebrews 13:14.
The Festivals
The festivals of the sanctuary consisted of six feasts to be held in the first, third, and seventh month of the year. They were Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacles. (There are other feasts held by the Jews such as called Purim and Hannukah, commemorating important events in Jewish history)
Most of the feasts looked back to the Exodus from Egypt and were great days of rejoicing, however, they also looked ahead to the great anti-type. Of the six feasts, four have been fulfilled, one is in the process of fulfilment, and the last one yet to be fulfilled.
The feast of Passover was fulfilled at the death of Jesus Christ. In the evening of the Passover (Abib 14), after having eaten the Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus instituted another service to take its place in the Christian era. It is called the Lord’s Supper or the Communion service.
(The term Eucharist is not the same service. It is the name of the doctrine of Transubstantiation, believed to be a mysterious change of the bread and wine into the literal body and blood of Jesus. Unlike the Lord’s Supper, which is a symbol of reality, the Eucharist is a regarded as a mystery)
“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you; this do is remembrance of me’. Likewise also the cup after supper saying, ‘This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you’.” Luke 22:19.20.
As with the feast of Passover, this service is holy. “Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord… let a man examine himself.” 1 Corinthians 11:27.28.
In the old service, no leaven was to remain in the house, as it represented sin. Diligently it was searched out and removed. In the same manner, we are admonished to “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:7.8. The new feast has a spiritual purging, and the removal of sin from our lives.
The Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated more frequently than the Passover festival, “to keep fresh in the memory the solemn scenes of Christ’s betrayal and crucifixion for the sins of the world.” 3 Spiritual Gifts p227.8.
In AD31, on the first day of Unleavened Bread, Jesus rested in the tomb. In the Jewish economy, this was to be a ceremonial Sabbath and could fall on any day of the week. It was a “holy convocation” and no “servile work” was to be done. Leviticus 23:6.7. (Other ceremonial Sabbaths were – the last day of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the first and last days of the feast of Tabernacles. All were holy convocations)
After Jesus died, He lay in the tomb on the first day of Unleavened Bread, a ceremonial Sabbath. As it was also a seventh-day Sabbath, it was called a “high day.” John 19:31.
On the second day of Unleavened Bread, a sheaf of barley was waved before the Lord in thanksgiving for the barley harvest. This act was in thanksgiving for the firstfruits of the crop, but it also symbolised the resurrection of Christ and those who were raised with Him. Matthew 27:52.53.
On the day of Pentecost, fifty days from the second day of Unleavened bread, a loaf of wheat bread was waved before the Lord in thanksgiving for the wheat crop already harvested. In AD 31, on this very day, Jesus chose to pour out His holy Spirit upon His disciples. His inaugural celebrations were over and by this act, He confirmed to the waiting disciples, that His Father had accepted those raised at His resurrection as the firstfruits, and that the harvest of the wheat was assured. Acts 1:8. 2:1-47. The gospel could now go to the world.
Of the remaining feasts, Trumpets has been fulfilled as a warning to the world that the Day of Atonement would shortly commence. It began, according to Bible prophecy, on October 22, 1844. From this moment, the message has sounded to every nation, tongue and people, “Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come….” Revelation 14:7.
In Israel, the Day of Atonement was a day to afflict the soul, for it was the day of judgment for God’s people. The Hebrew who did not have his sins confessed and in the sanctuary, was cut off from the congregation. It was a solemn day.
Likewise, in the final stages of this earth’s history, those who do not have their sins confessed and in the heavenly sanctuary, will be cut off at the return of Christ. Today we must have our sins transferred to our High Priest, for He will soon remove all sin from the sanctuary. Then it will be too late.
“Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28.
The return of Christ will be the climax to the Day of Atonement for God’s people, although there are still important events relating to the judgment of the lost. In triumph the saints will cry, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us… we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:9.
The final feast of Tabernacles will begin when the holy city descends from heaven to this earth. This anti-typical feast will be consummated when God “tabernacles” with His people in the glorious kingdom. Revelation 21:3.
In Israel it was a joyous festival -- eight days of rejoicing. Men and women praised God that they had been delivered from Egyptian bondage and sealed in the judgment. This will be the experience of God’s people in reality, deliverance from sin and full justification before the judgment seat of Christ.
The six festivals were a panorama of the history of the world from the cross to the new earth. As we progress through their fulfilment, we rejoice that soon the faithful will be with their Saviour for eternity.
The Agricultural Laws
God gave specific instructions as to when a field should be sown and when it should lie fallow. Leviticus 25:18-22. Allowing the land to rest gives the soil opportunity to rejuvenate to its full potential.
Every seventh year was to be a Sabbatical rest when nothing could be sown. But God provided a bumper crop in the sixth year, enough to last until the end of the 8th year when the next harvest could be gathered. He promised seedtime and harvest, and grass for the cattle. He also promised rain in its due season, the early and the latter rain. Deuteronomy 11:14.
These laws are for the benefit of man and if there is no rain today, it would be well to go to the Bible and see which laws are being violated, for God has said, “If ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments…. I will give you the rain of your land in his due season….” Deuteronomy 11:13.14.
The Health Laws
These laws are very controversial, mainly because they affect appetite, the sin over which Adam and Eve stumbled and fell. God made it very clear which animals were not to be eaten, giving guidelines to distinguish between them. Leviticus 11:1-30. 41-47. Deuteronomy 14:1-20.
It is interesting that the creatures God says are unfit for food are in many cases regarded as delicacies, such as the lobster, crayfish, even frogs legs. Probably the most popular meat is the swine, eaten as pork, ham or bacon. However, of all the animals, this is the one known by scientific research to be unclean, not only for its ‘piggish’ ways, but because it harbours many different kinds of parasites.
The late Dr Parrett of the US Department of Agriculture said, “Name a parasite and it seems the hog has it”. He listed some of these: the trichina worm, stomach worm, intestinal thread worm, the anascarid worm, thorn-head worms, nodular worms, whip worms, kidney worms, three types of lung worms, to mention a few. When he was asked how many hogs have parasites, he replied, “All of them.”
At present we do not have scientific research on the other creatures listed as unclean, but for those who trust the God of heaven to make their choice of meat, it should not be a concern. If God said the swine, the rabbit, the horse, the bear, the kangaroo, the monkey and others are unclean, why not believe Him? When he said lobster, crayfish, crab, mussels, flake and others are not fit for food, why not trust Him? The list goes on, the swan, eagle, stork, vulture, bat, mouse, rat!
Even before the Mosaic covenant, God made the distinction clear. “And the Lord said unto Noah, ‘Come thou and all thy house into the ark…. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female; and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.” Genesis 7:1.2. Only clean animals were to be offered in sacrificial worship, and only clean animals were permitted as food. The rest were either for domestic use or scavengers.
Another command is not to eat fat. Leviticus 7:23-25. 3:14-16. The reason is obvious today, as scientific research shows that saturated fat (animal source) is harmful for health, especially relating to cholesterol and hardening of the arteries.
But even clean meat, without the fat, must not contain the blood. “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require it…” Genesis 9:4-6. Leviticus 7:26.27.
This command is not only for health’s sake, but it has a spiritual meaning. “And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Levicitus 17:10.11
Shed blood is the symbol of atonement, even of animals eaten for food. It is true animal’s blood could not atone for sin, however, it symbolised the shed blood of Christ. That symbol stands today, and eating blood is still forbidden. Acts 15:19.20.
(The only meat that does not contain the blood is that slaughtered by the Jewish and Moslem slaughter houses. Both faiths still follow the command given to Noah when clean meat was permitted as emergency rations. Those who have never tasted Kosher or Hallal meat would not realise that it is the blood that gives it the taste!)
In the twenty first century, many men and women have decided not to partake of any meat at all, simply because the animal kingdom, both clean and unclean, is very sick Some have become vegetarians, but still eat dairy products and eggs. Others refuse these also, and are known as vegans. Instead, they partake of God’s original diet of fruit, nuts, grains, seeds and vegetables.
The Civil Judgments
The Civil Laws of Israel related to the breaking of the Ten Commandments. Each had explicit instructions on how to deal with the offender. The principle of each is still valid today. Every violation of the Law of God has its consequences, but as we are no longer under Israel’s Civil Laws, God’s punishment has been deferred until the final execution for sin.
For instance, the man or woman who murdered his father or mother was sentenced to death. Exodus 21:15. This is breaking the 5th and the 6th commandments. It is sin, and still has a penalty of death. Earthly governments may or may not administer the death penalty according to their earthly laws, but God is withholding His until the second death.
Unfortunately, with a delay in administering the penalty, men and women think they can commit sin with impunity. Solomon, the wise man said, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Ecclesiastes 8:11.
God’s warning still stands.
Cities of refuge were placed in strategic positions so that those who committed manslaughter could flee from the avenger. Today there are no cities of refuge, but the principle of showing a difference between premeditation and an accident is still important.
In British Imperial Law (also called Common Law), there is what is called ‘the spirit of the law’. This separates the crime of premeditated murder from accidental manslaughter. It is absolutely vital in gaining a true verdict in a court of law, and is based on a true understanding of the Old and New Covenants in the light of the cross.
(Common Law is true of the Constitution of Australia, Britain, the United States and other countries that practise the same principles. It is known as “the unwritten law, the law that receives its binding force from immemorial usage and universal reception, in distinction from the written or statute law.” Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.
In reality, it is the eternal Spirit of divine mercy operating in the hearts of those who framed these Christian Constitutions, and whose descendants understood and practised the same unwritten ‘spirit of the law’)
The New World Order law is based on a literal interpretation of the Old Covenant criterion of “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe”. (Exodus 21:24.25) In Israel, this ‘law of equity’ meant “the responsible party must pay monetary value” for the loss. However, he “cannot find atonement merely by making the required monetary payments; he must also beg his victim’s forgiveness.” (Rambam) Jewish Tanach, Stone edition. The New World Order ‘rule of law’ will be harsh and cruel, as it does not have the ‘spirit’ of the law.
In the Old Testament, the death penalty stood for many offences, such as adultery, vexing an orphan or widow, cursing one’s parents, for a stubborn son, being a witch, sacrificing to idols, murder, bestiality and other forbidden acts. (Leviticus 20:10. Exodus 22:22-24. 21:1. Deuteronomy 21:18-21. Exodus 22:18. 22.20. 21:12. 22:19. Leviticus 15.16)
The sentence may seem incredibly hard for some of these sins, but during the time of Israel’s early years, the nation was a true Theocracy. God directly ruled His people, and every verdict was personally sanctioned by the Creator of heaven and earth. To safe-guard the well-being of Israel as a nation, sin must be dealt with immediately. Once the verdict was passed, the witnesses were to cast the first stone, then the people must follow.
When the World Court is in full operation, the death penalty will be brought in, and all countries must comply or face the penalty themselves. At that time the majority of Christians will believe these laws are Biblical and they will side with the world government for the eradication of the remnant people who obey all God’s requirements. Revelation 12:17. 13:14.15.
Just before the second coming of Christ, the law enforced by the “image to the beast” will be a combination of the New World Order law and Canon Law, a union of Church and State. (Canon Law is the law of the Vatican)
Legislation adopted by apostate Protestant United States of America, according to the dictates of the “Man of Sin”, will form the “image to the beast”, and persecution will be revived as foretold by John in the apocalypse.
“And all the world shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world…. and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” Revelation 13:8.15.
There are many other civil laws that do not apply today, such as those relating to slavery. Exodus 21:1-11. Every seven years, slaves were to be released, properties returned to the original owner, and debts forgiven. Deuteronomy 15:1-3.9. 12-15. After seven Sabbatical releases, there was held a special year of release called a Jubilee. It was a time of rejoicing and freedom. Leviticus 25:8-17.
It was forbidden to charge usury or interest to the poor. Leviticus 25:35-37. Deuteronomy 23:19.20. To take interest from a brother would be to make a profit at his expense. This God still forbids. It was permitted to charge interest to someone of another race, so long as they were not a convert to Israel or one who sojourned among the people.
Today we see this avaricious spirit of usury chaining men, women, and nations to debt for the rest of their lives. Sadly there is no Jubilee to forgive the debts. These ever-increasing interest rates are instigated by the international bankers through the International Monetary Fund, making them the wealthiest men in the world.
But God’s Jubilee with take place at the second coming of Jesus Christ. It will be a time when all the faithful, in bondage of any kind, will be released. They will be glorified and delivered from debt, hardship, sickness, especially from death, “and when this mortal shall have put on immortality… then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’.” 1 Corinthians 15:53.54. It will be the beginning of eternal rejoicing.