From: btiffany@pbs.org
Newsgroups: alt.messianic
Subject: Re: Lifdot & L'chaper
Date: 8 Oct 92 12:10:29 EDT
Organization: PBS:Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria, VA

#3346

Subject: Re: Lifdot & L'chaper (was: Re: Paradise
From: levene@aplpy.jhuapl.edu (Robert A. Levene)
Date: 27 Sep 1992 11:16:08 -0500

>Bill Carlson writes:
> 
>> RAL> There are no Jewish views requiring man-god sacrifice.  There are
>> RAL> plenty of Christian views which suggest this, which is fine with
>> RAL> me, as long as you call it Christianity.
> 
>>     There are plenty of Rabbinic quotes that state that HaShem shall
>>     send Messiah to give His life as an attonement for the sins of
>>     the entire house of Israel - and that those who reject it, will
>>     suffer for them themselves.
> 
>We learn that the death of a righteous man is "mechaper" - in the
>sense that when seeing how his life went, people will come to
>repent and seek atonement.

Not only that, but it is an Orthodox tradition that the death of the righteous
atones for the sins of the unrighteous, and for the sins of the world, which
is how they explain why tzadikkim suffer in this world.  This they tie in
with Isaiah 53!  Rabbi Beryl Wine has written on this.  "May his death be
an atonement for our generation" is an expression commonly heard at the
funeral of a rabbi.

Furthermore, Numbers 8:19ff portrays the Levites as a sort of living sacrifice
for the people.  One rabbinic source says that just as the bull is the
atonement for the Levites, the Levites are the atonement for Israel.  The
analogy of a lightning rod is given, attracting God's wrath upon themselves
and away from the people.  In fact, in Numbers 35 we see that blood was
required for blood, and the manslayer had to flee to a city of refuge.
According to Tractate Malkot it is not the banishment which makes atonement
or expiation for sin, but the DEATH OF THE PRIEST.  The priest served as
a mediator between sinner and God.

This is interesting because we often hear the Messiah would not have to die
for the people.  But Messiah is not only King but Priest as well, and as
our Kohen Gadol His death atones for us once and for ever, as He was raised
from the dead and ever lives to make intercession for us.

Let me include something from a post to Rob Strom from a while ago:

*******************************************************************************

God demonstrates His own love for us in that the Messiah died on our behalf
while we were still sinners.  Therefore, since we have now come to be
considered righteous by means of His bloody sacrificial death, how much
more will we be delivered through Him from the anger of God's judgment!
For if we were reconciled with God through His Son's death when we were
enemies, how much more will we be delivered by His life, now that we are
reconciled!  And not only will we be delivered in the future, but we are
boasting about God right now, because He has acted through our Lord Yeshua
the Messiah, through whom we have already received that reconciliation.

Here is how it works: it was through one individual that sin entered the
world, and through sin, death; and in this way death passed through to the
whole human race, inasmuch as everyone sinned.  Sin was indeed present in
the world before Torah was given, but sin is not counted as such when there
is no Torah.  Nevertheless death ruled from Adam until Moshe, even over
those whose sinning was not exactly like Adam's violation of a direct
command.  In this, Adam prefigured the one who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the offense.  For if, because of one man's
offense, many died, then how much more has God's grace, that is, the
gracious gift of one man, Yeshua, the Messiah, overflowed to many!  No,
the free gift is not like what resulted from one man's sinning; for from
one sinner came judgment that brought condemnation; but the free gift came
after many offenses and brought acquittal.  For if, because of the offense
of one man, death ruled through that one man; how much more will those
receiving the overflowing grace, that is, the gift of being considered
righteous, rule in life through the one man Yeshua the Messiah!

In other words, just as it was through one offense that all people came
under condemnation, so also it is through one righteous act that all
people come to be considered righteous.  For just as through the
disobedience of the one man, many were made sinners, so also through the
obedience of the other man, many will be made righteous.  And the Torah
came into the picture so that the offense would proliferate; but where
sin proliferated, grace proliferated even more.  All this happened so that
just as sin ruled by means of death, so also grace might rule through
causing people to be considered righteous, so that they might have
eternal life, through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord.

If it had been possible to reach the goal through the system of cohanim
derived from L'vi (since in connection with it, the people were given
Torah), what need would there have been for another, different kind of
cohen, the one spoken of as to be compared with Malki-Tzedek and not to
be compared with Aharon?  For if the system of cohanim is transformed,
there must of necessity occur a transformation of Torah.  The one about
whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one
has ever served at the altar; for everyone knows that our Lord arose out
of Y'hudah, and that Moshe said nothing about this tribe when he spoke
about cohanim.

It becomes even clearer if a "different kind of cohen", one like Malki-
Tzedek, arises, one who became a cohen not by virtue of a rule in the
Torah concerning physical descent, but by virtue of the power of an
indestructible life.  For it stated, "You are a cohen FOREVER, to be
compared with Malki-Tzedek" (Psalm 110:4).  Thus, on the one hand, the
earlier rule is set aside because of its weakness and inefficacy (for
the Torah did not bring anything to the goal); and, on the other hand,
a hope of something better is introduced, through which we are drawing
near to God.

What is more, God swore and oath.  For no oath was sworn in connection
with those who become cohanim now; but Yeshua became a cohen by the oath
which God swore when he said to Him, "Adonai has sworn and will not
change His mind, 'You are a cohen forever'" (Psalm 110:4).  Also this
shows how much better is the covenant of which Yeshua has become
guarantor.

Moreover, the former cohanim were many in number, because they were
prevented by death from continuing in office.  But because He lives
forever, His position as cohen does not pass on to someone else; and
consequently, He is totally able to deliver those who approach God
through Him; since He is alive forever and thus forever able to
intercede on their behalf.

This is the kind of cohen gadol that meets our need -- holy, without
evil, without stain, set apart from sinners and raised higher than the
heavens; one who does not have the daily necessity, like the other
cohanim g'dolim, of offering up sacrifices first for their own sins
and only then for those of the people; because He offered one
sacrifice, once and for all, by offering up Himself.  For the Torah
appointed as cohanim g'dolim men who had weakness; but the text which
speaks about the swearing of the oath, a text written later than the
Torah, appoints a Son who has been brought to the goal forever.

Here is the whole point of what I have been saying: we do have just such
a cohen gadol as has been described.  And He does sit at the right hand
of HaG'dulah in heaven (Psalm 110:1).  There He serves in the Holy Place,
that is, in the true Tent of Meeting, the one erected not by human
beings but by Adonai.

For every cohen gadol was appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices;
so this cohen gadol too has to have something to offer.  What the former
cohanim served was only a copy and shadow of the heavenly original; for
when Moshe was about to erect the Tent, God warned him, "See to it that
you make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the
mountain" (Exodus 25:40).

But now the work Yeshua has been given to do is far superior to theirs,
just as the covenant He mediates is better.  For this covenant has been
given as Torah on the basis of better promises.  Indeed, if the first
covenant had not given ground for faultfinding, there would have been no
need for a second one.  For God does find fault with the people when He
says, "'See!  The days are coming', says Adonai, 'when I will establish
over the house of Israel and over the house of Y'hudah a new covenant.
It will not be like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the
day when I took them by their hand and led them forth out of the land
of Egypt; because they, for their part, did not remain faithful to my
covenant; so I, for my point, stopped concerning myself with them',
says Adonai.  'For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of
Israel after those days', says Adonai:  'I will put my Torah in their
minds and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be
my people; none of them will teach his fellow-citizen or his brother,
saying, "Know Adonai!"  For all will know me, from the least of them to
the greatest, because I will be merciful toward their wickedness and
remember their sins no more.'"  (Jeremiah 31:30-33 [31-34])

*******************************************************************************

In the letter to the Messianic Jews, chapters 9 and 10, the author says:

*******************************************************************************

     Now the first covenant had both regulations for  worship  and  a  Holy
     Place  here  on  earth.   A  tent was set up, the outer one, which was
     called the Holy Place; in it were the menorah, the table and the Bread
     of  the  Presence.   Behind  the second parokhet was a tent called the
     Holiest Place, which had the golden altar for burning incense and  the
     Ark  of the Covenant, entirely covered with gold.  In the Ark were the
     gold jar containing the manna, Aharon's  rod  that  sprouted  and  the
     stone  Tablets  of  the  Covenant;  and  above  it  were  the  k'ruvim
     representing the Sh'khinah, casting their shadow on the lid of the Ark
     -- but now is not the time to discuss these things in detail.

     With things so arranged, the cohanim go into the outer  tent  all  the
     time  to discharge their duties; but only the cohen hagadol enters the
     inner one; and he goes in only once a year, and he must  always  bring
     blood,  which he offers both for himself and for the sins committed in
     ignorance by the people.  By  this  arrangement,  the  Ruach  HaKodesh
     showed  that  so long as the first Tent had standing, the way into the
     Holiest Place was still closed.  This symbolizes the present  age  and
     indicates  that  the  conscience  of the person performing the service
     cannot be brought to the goal by the gifts and sacrifices  he  offers.
     For  they  involve only food and drink and various ceremonial washings
     -- regulations concerning the outward life, imposed until the time for
     God to reshape the whole structure.

     But when the Messiah appeared as cohen gadol of the good  things  that
     are happening already, then, through the greater and more perfect Tent
     which is not man-made (that is, it is not of this created  world),  he
     entered the Holiest Place once and for all.

     And He entered not by means of the blood of goats and calves,  but  by
     means  of  His  own  blood,  thus setting people free forever.  For if
     sprinkling ceremonially unclean persons with the blood  of  goats  and
     bulls  and  the  ashes of a heifer restores their outward purity; then
     how much more the blood of  the  Messiah,  who,  through  the  eternal
     Spirit,  offered  Himself  to God as a sacrifice without blemish, will
     purify our conscience from works that lead to death, so  that  we  can
     serve the living God!

     It is because of this death that He is mediator of a new covenant  [or
     will]  {Jeremiah  31:30}.   Because  a  death  has occurred which sets
     people  free  from  the  transgressions  committed  under  the   first
     covenant,  those who have been called may receive the promised eternal
     inheritance.  For where there is a will,  there  must  necessarily  be
     produced  evidence of its maker's death, since a will goes into effect
     only upon death; it never has force while its maker is still alive.

     This is why the first covenant too was inaugurated with blood.   After
     Moshe  had proclaimed every command of the Torah to all the people, he
     took the blood of the calves with some water and used scarlet wool and
     hyssop  to  sprinkle both the scroll itself and all the people; and he
     said, "This is the blood of the covenant which God  has  ordained  for
     you"  {Exodus  24:8}.   Likewise, he sprinkled with the blood both the
     Tent and all the things used in its ceremonies.  In fact, according to
     the  Torah,  almost everything is purified with blood; indeed, without
     the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

     Now this is how the copies of the heavenly things had to be  purified,
     but  the  heavenly  things  themselves  require better sacrifices than
     these.  For the Messiah had entered  a  Holiest  Place  which  is  not
     man-made and merely a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, in
     order to appear now on our behalf in the very presence of God.

     Further, He did not enter into heaven to offer Himself over  and  over
     again,  like the cohen hagadol who enters the Holiest Place year after
     year with blood that is not his own; for then he  would  have  had  to
     suffer  death many times -- from the founding of the universe on.  But
     as it is, He has appeared once at the end of the ages in order  to  do
     away  with sin through the sacrifice of Himself.  Just as human beings
     have to die once, but after this comes judgment; so also the  Messiah,
     having been offered once to bear the sins of many {Isaiah 53:12}, will
     appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to deliver  those  who
     are eagerly waiting for Him.


     For the Torah has in it a shadow of the good things to come,  but  not
     the  actual  manifestation of the originals.  Therefore, it can never,
     by means of the same sacrifices repeated endlessly  year  after  year,
     bring  to  the  goal  those who approach the Holy Place to offer them.
     Otherwise, wouldn't the offering of those sacrifices have ceased?  For
     if  the  people  performing the service had been cleansed once and for
     all, they would no longer have sins on their conscience.   No,  it  is
     quite  the contrary -- in these sacrifices is a reminder of sins, year
     after year.  For it is impossible that the blood of  bulls  and  goats
     should take away sins.

     This is why, on coming into the world, He says,

          "It has not been Your will to have an animal sacrifice and a
          meal offering; rather, You have prepared for Me a body.  No,
          You have not been  pleased  with  burnt  offerings  and  sin
          offerings.   Then  I said, 'Look!  In the scroll of the book
          it is written about Me.  I have  come  to  do  Your  will.'"
          {Psalm 40:7-9 [6-8]}

     In saying first, "You neither willed  nor  were  pleased  with  animal
     sacrifices, meal offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings", things
     which are offered in accordance with the Torah;  and  then,  "Look,  I
     have come to do Your will"; He takes away the first system in order to
     set up the second.  It is in connection with this will  that  we  have
     been  separated  for  God  and  made  holy,  once for all, through the
     offering of Yeshua the Messiah's body.

     Now every cohen stands every day doing his service, offering over  and
     over  the  same  sacrifices, which can never take away sins.  But this
     One, after He had offered for all time a single  sacrifice  for  sins,
     sat  down  at  the  right  hand of God, from then on to wait until His
     enemies be made a footstool for His feet  {Psalm  110:1}.   For  by  a
     single  offering He has brought to the goal for all time those who are
     being set apart for God and made holy.

     And the Ruach haKodesh too bears witness to us; for after saying,

          "'This is the covenant which I will  make  with  them  after
          those  days,'  says  Adonai:   'I will put my Torah on their
          hearts, and write it on their minds,'" {Jeremiah 31:32[33]}

     He then adds,

          "'And their sins and their wickednesses I will  remember  no
          more.'" {Jeremiah 31:33[34]}

     Now where there is forgiveness for these, an offering for sins  is  no
     longer needed.

     So, brothers, we have confidence to use the way into the Holiest Place
     opened  by the blood of Yeshua.  He inaugurated it for us as a new and
     living way through the parokhet, by means of His flesh.  We also  have
     a  great  cohen  over God's household.  Therefore, let us approach the
     Holiest Place with a sincere heart, in the full assurance  that  comes
     from trusting -- with our hearts sprinkled clean from a bad conscience
     and our bodies  washed  with  pure  water  {Ezekiel  36:25}.   Let  us
     continue  holding  fast  to the hope we acknowledge, without wavering;
     for the One who made the promise is  trustworthy.   And  let  us  keep
     paying  attention  to  one  another, in order to spur each other on to
     love and good deeds ...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
		Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried;
     /\		... He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was
____/__\____	crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being
\  / || \  /	fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.  All of us
 \/--++--\/	like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own
 /\  ||  /\	way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on
/  \ || /  \	Him. ... By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will
----\--/----	justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.
     \/							-- Isaiah 53
		Bruce Tiffany