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To: crystalk
I think you are going much too far, and you are making the new Covenant exactly what its worst enemies have always contended.

At the most fundamental level, the new Covenant's worst enemies despise the new Covenant because they despise the fact that Jesus claims to be the Messiah, the Son of God, and the only hope for salvation. Their contention that Jesus claimed to be the Christ and the fulfillment of Old Testament messianic prophecy is absolutely correct. That they despise him for this is their problem.

Of course, these people would also say that those who hold such an absolutist view of the new Covenant must necessarily despise and persecute the Jews and Israel. There may seem to be some truth here when you look at the historical persecution of Jews by Christians, but these Christians are debased and out of line with scripture, and they're certainly out of line with the love that Jesus has for all people, which he demonstrated by his death on the cross.

Jesus commands us to "love your neighbor as yourself", therefore I will do my best to love my fellow man, including those who happen to be Jewish. Jesus made his best effort to give the Jews the Good News, even having his disciples go to the Jews first, and so I will do what I can to help point the Jews back to their Messiah.

Does this sound anti-Jewish? If anything, you're harming the Jews when you stand between them and their Savior. Being a stumbling block to them by encouraging their rejection of Christ and his atoning blood (and a rejection is exactly what renewd animal sacrifices would be) is the last thing someone who loves the Jewish people should do.

Its far more numerous balanced statements, you are ignoring.

There are no scriptures that "balance" the first three scriptures that I included in my last post. In them, the Son of God is declaring with unmistakable clarity that, under the new Covenant, there is no salvation apart from Him. Less-clear scripture must be interpreted in the light of clear scripture; if in your interpretation the Jews are saved by animal sacrifices, then it's time to revise your interpretation (I am correct in thinking you believe the Jews are saved by something other than Jesus' sacrifice, aren't I?) Similarly, if the Son of God claims to be the rebuilt temple, but your interpretation of the temple involves people stacking stone in Jerusalem, then there needs to be a revision, it seems to me.

The clock is not only ticking on your outmoded stance, it has done ticked out, and your time is up.

The irony here, of course, is that you are the one advocating a return to the outmoded old Covenant.

...welcome Israel back to full loving fellowship with us as not only full members of God's family, but with a unique eschatalogical role...and that involves the Temple

According to Jesus, those who reject God's firstborn Son will be rejected, but he also said that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life, and that includes the Jews. It is therefore imperative to share the Gopel with the Jews in order for them to become our brothers in Christ. And:

I did not see a temple in the City, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

144 posted on 11/09/2001 11:39:46 AM PST by Yardstick
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To: Yardstick
No, no, of course not advocating a return to the Old Covenant for salvation. The fact that the Temple must be brought back into operation, and its actually BEING in operation, will no more save anyone without Christ's blood to which it points forever as an object lesson, than the old temple did which WAS IN FACT IN CONTINUED OPERATION for 37 years after Jesus' death, without that preventing anyone from coming to salvation in Him, nor by its operations SAVING anyone. But what a grand illustration, a passion play enacted daily, of the seriousness of sin and of God's plan for this world, for salvation!

You remain like so many Christians, you just canNOT get your mind off of your own personal salvation, not for one little moment, not even after you may have been saved and sure for 50 years or whatever. Sometimes I think that if I advocated a new public toilet downtown, the Christians would tell me that was not essential to salvation, and that I was trusting in porcelain and concrete instead of Jesus! With all due respect, POPPYCOCK!

I am perfectly free to advocate this temple's reconstruction and reopening, and if its closing helped Christianize hundreds of millions in the West, so its reopening and doubtless constant televising of its operations...and miracles, yes, daily miracles...what a glorious passion play, illustration of God's love and Christ's sacrifice that will be! Until one understands the sanctuary (temple) services, one may trust in Jesus as a child and obtain personal salvation for ones SELF, but will never really come to any communicable adult understanding of Scripture or the mysteries of Godliness: -- have you no view at all for Israel and the world, for something that will impress them more than all the sermons ever preached?

145 posted on 11/09/2001 12:14:40 PM PST by crystalk
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