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Jewish sacrifices, atonement and the Gentiles

Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:07 am
by Christian2
The Jews had all kinds of sacrifices to atone for sins. These sacrifices along with repentance, etc. made atonement for their sins.

But what provision did God make for the Gentiles to atone for their sins in the Old Testament?

Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:10 am
by IRQ Conflict
This is a good question. I suppose the gentiles that were worthy went to abrahams bosom with the rest of the believers until the ultimate sacrifice for all had been accomplished. And also Jesus preached the Gospel in hell for three days so that anyone who believed would be saved. Really good question.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their (the Jews) unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Parenthesis mine.

Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:49 pm
by led
There was no atonement for the Gentiles sins in the Old Testiment. They had to wait til Jesus preached the Gospel in hell for three days so that anyone who believed would be saved.

Led

Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:38 pm
by bizzt
Was Balaam a Gentile?

Num 22:5 And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.

Then I would say he had the same type of Sacrifice as the Jews had.

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 5:57 am
by Christian2
To all,

I found the following that answers my question:

Exodus 19:4-6 declares the Jewish nation as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. They were to be the means of intercession and atonement for the nations of the world.

See the view of Talmudic rabbis in b. Sukkah 55b and Pesikta deRay Kanana, Buber edition, 193b-194a. You will see that 70 bulls were offered each year during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot; see Num. 29:12-34). Rashi explains this to mean, "to make atonement for them, so that rain will fall throughout the world."

According to ancient Jewish tradition, and based on the so-called Table of Nations in Genesis 10, there were a total of seventy (Gentile) nations in the world. See, e.g. Nahum Sarna, Genesis, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1989) 67-70. Note the sacrifices were offered up for seven days, beginning with thirteen on the first day, then twelve, then eleven, etc., until the last seven were offered on the seventh day. Then, on the eight and final day of Sukkot, one sacrifice was offered. According to George Foote Moore in his classic work "Judaism: In the First Centuries of the Christian Era: The Age of the Tannaim (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1997), 2:43, n.2. "These burnt offerings were made, according to an often repeated explanation, in behalf of the seventy heathen nations; the one on the eight day for the unique people of Israel. When the heathen destroyed the temple, they destroyed the atonement that was made for them."

Also see: the Talmud and the words of Rabbi Yohannan: "Woe to the nations who destroyed without knowing what they were destroying. For when the Temple was standing, the altar made atonement for them. But now who will make atonement for them?" Blood sacrifices were indispensable.

"Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus," Volume Two, by Michael L. Brown, copyright 2000, Baker Books, Baker Publishing Group. (written permission received for posting)

The explanation above comes from a former Jew/now Christian.

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:55 pm
by ruth
Hello,
In Numbers 15, it speaks about "gers". They are believers in YHVH who are not of the nation of Israel. You will see that Israel was commanded to allow them to also give sacrifices. Note verses 30 and 31 also that says these gentile believers must keep the Law.
Another interesting Scripture is Luke 1:5-6,
Lu 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
Lu 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless.
The animal sacrifice system was an example of the mercy of the Father. Under it Elizabeth and Zacharias were blameless in the eyes of YHVH. But they had sinned. There were not as Adam before the Fall. They were forgiven sinners but not able to return to Paradise.
The only way to escape the death penalty is to never have sinned or to believe on the Promised Seed of Gen.3, Yeshua. There is only one way! Those who lived before Yeshua came and died, had to believe that the Promised Seed of Gen.3 and Is.53 would come. Neither their good deeds or their giving of animal sacrifices, ever promised eternal life.
But the animal sacrifice system was necessary because whenever we sin, we separate ourselves from God and we need to restore that fellowship by repentance. When the Temple was destroyed, that way of restoration was withdrawn. But Yeshua promised that He would forgive those who accept Him as their Lord if they asked Him. Those without Yeshua and the animal sacrifice system, do not have that assurance.
We must reach them.
Ruth