While understanding the dispensational distinctions between Israel (with it’s earthly prophetic program) and the Body of Christ (with her heavenly unprophesied program) answers most of the supposed soteriological and eschatological contradictions in the Bible, some questions remain. One of these questions which is brought up from time-to-time is regarding the purpose of the blood sacrifices which will be offered to God in the Millennial Temple. This question is usually asked along the lines of, “Since Hebrews 9:12 says that Jesus was the once-for-all sacrifice for sin, why will blood sacrifices again be offered during the Millennium?”

To better understand the answer to this question, we will first briefly look at the Mosaic sacrificial system. Then we will see what Scripture has to say about the Millennial Temple and its sacrificial system. And finally, we will compare the two to try to gain insight into the purpose of the Millennial blood sacrifices.

The Mosaic Sacrificial System

After Israel was freed from their Egyptian bondage, God gave the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 20-31; Lev. 1-25). The Mosaic Law was much more than just the Ten Commandments. God also gave Moses detailed instructions regarding the building of the Tabernacle (and all its furnishings), the Levitical priesthood (including their vestments, ordination, and how they were to carry out their priestly duties), and the requirements for the many sacrifices that the people were to give.

God went into great detail when He told Moses how to construct the Tabernacle, and He admonished Moses to be sure to construct it all according to the pattern which God had showed him (Ex. 25:9,40; Num. 8:4). What pattern did God show him? Hebrews 8:5 adds additional information and tells us that God showed Moses the pattern for the Tabernacle when he was on Mt. Sinai: “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”

While on Mt. Sinai, Moses was not only told, but also shown what to do. Moses was directed to build the earthly Tabernacle based on his vision of the heavenly Temple—it was a pattern to be copied. Thus, we see that the entire Levitical sacrificial system was a type or “shadow of heavenly things.”

What was the purpose of the blood sacrifices in the Levitical system in the Tabernacle and Old Testament Temple? Scripture tells us that they were to “make atonement” for sin (Ex. 29:36-37; 30:10; Lev. 1:4; 4:20; et al). The word “atonement” (Hebrew kâphar) means to cover. Interestingly, it is the same word translated as “pitch” in Genesis 6:14, “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.”

The ark was given a covering (an atonement) that protected it from the judgment of God’s flood waters upon the world. Likewise, the blood sacrifices of the Levitical system provided a covering over Israel’s sins and uncleanness which protected them from God’s judgment and allowed a holy God to remain in their presence. Thus, Noah’s ark, like the blood sacrifices of the Levitical system, is a type of Christ. The blood sacrifices of the Levitical system did not remove or expiate sin but only provided a covering—as we read in Hebrews 10:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Under the Mosaic Law, blood sacrifices were required to cover Israel’s sin both to avert God’s judgment and to allow God’s holy presence to remain with them. After years of hard-heartedness and rebellion, as evidenced by phony worship to God (offering sacrifices to Him without the right heart attitude, Isa. 1:11-14) and outright idolatry (worship of other gods, 2 Kings 17:13-18), we see that God had finally had enough and removed His glory from the Temple (Ezek. 10:18-22). Though Israel continued to offer sacrifice, God’s Shekinah glory never returned to Israel’s Temple (neither Solomon’s nor Herod’s).

The Millennial Temple and It’s Sacrificial System

Moving from the Levitical worship system of the past, we now want to look at the Millennial worship system of the future. The most extensive treatment of the Millennial Temple and its worship is given in Ezekiel chapters 40-46. The dimensions of the Temple and its surrounding area listed in Ezekiel chapters 40-42 show that it will be larger than before—just the Temple itself will be about one mile square (Ezek. 42:15-20). Ezekiel 44:15-16 shows that only Levitical priests who are descended from Zadok will serve there. And Ezekiel 45:13-17 (along with Isa. 56:7; Jer. 33:18) reveals that there will be blood sacrifices offered on the altar in the Millennial Temple.

Comparing the worship and sacrifices of the Solomonic and Millennial Temples, we see that both will require blood sacrifices. We previously saw that the reason for blood sacrifices under the old Levitical worship system was to provide atonement or a covering for Israel’s sin (Ex. 29:36-37; 30:10; Lev. 1:4; 4:20). What then will be the purpose of blood sacrifices in the Millennium?

Well, Ezekiel says that these sacrifices will be offered for the same reason that they were offered in the previous Temple—to “reconcile” or make atonement for Israel (Ezek. 45:15,17,20). But why is atonement still required for Israel if Christ has already offered Himself once-for-all (Heb. 9:12)?

The Purpose of the Millennial Blood Sacrifices

The problem is answered once we realize that we are asking the wrong question. The problem is that we erroneously equate blood sacrifices with the expiation of sin. But as Hebrews 10:4 says, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” The blood of sacrificial animals never took away sin. It did not purge sin in the previous Temple worship system and neither will it purge sin in the future Millennial Temple. Blood sacrifices have nothing to do with the forgiveness of sin. Rather, in both Temple worship systems, blood sacrifices cover sin—and that is the key to understanding their significance in both the past and the future.

A common reason given for the blood sacrifices in the Millennial Temple is that they are memorials that look back to Christ’s sacrifice—just as under the Law, the theory goes, they looked forward to Christ’s work on the cross. However, there is only one problem with this supposition: nowhere in Scripture are these sacrifices ever said to be “memorials.”

We previously mentioned that God’s glory had departed from the Temple (Ezek. 10:18-22). Now, let us go back to Ezekiel for a passage that we deliberately did not mention before. Ezekiel 43:2-5 reveals that in the Millennium, God’s Shekinah glory will return and once again fill the Temple. In the Millennium, “the glory of the God of Israel” (Ezek. 43:2), “the glory of the Lord,” (Ezek. 43:4), will “fill the house [Temple]” (Ezek. 43:5) just as it did in the days of Moses (Ex. 40:34) and Solomon (1 Kings 8:11).

God cannot abide in the presence of sin (Psa. 5:5; Hab. 1:13). Anything in His presence that is not 100% holy would be destroyed by His glory (Ex. 33:20). In the Millennial Kingdom, God’s glory will once again fill the Temple; so how will Jews and Gentiles in their natural bodies be able to worship Him in the Temple as required?

Provision must be made whereby unholy man can approach and worship a holy God. As in the Tabernacle and the old Temple, the blood of sacrificial animals in the Millennial Temple will provide a covering or atonement over their ceremonial uncleanness so God can be in their presence without destroying them.

The Book of Hebrews was written to Kingdom Jews to show them the absolute superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ over Moses, the Law, and their sacrificial system. The Jews had come to place faith in the wrong thing—the works of the Law (including blood sacrifices) for salvation instead of the work of their Messiah on their behalf.

Using the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ in Hebrews chapter 10 to question the purpose of blood sacrifices in the Millennium is to miss the point of both the Book of Hebrews and the Millennial sacrifices. The purpose of the Book of Hebrews is for Kingdom Jews to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ instead of the works of the Law. The purpose of blood sacrifices in the Millennium is to provide atonement (a covering) for man’s uncleanness so he can enter into God’s presence to worship Him.

The teaching of 1 Corinthians 8 deals with meat sacrificed to idols, but the broader application is that of our guidelines and actions regarding issues where there is liberty in the Christian life. This important chapter teaches us about our foremost responsibility to show love to others.

To Eat or Not to Eat

“Now as touching things offered unto idols…” (1 Cor. 8:1).

In Paul’s day, there were two places to buy meat: the market and the local pagan temples. Animals were sacrificed at these temples and their meat was offered to their gods and idols on pagan altars. Some of this meat was burned completely in honor of the god, and some was sold at the temple, where one could even sit and eat it (v. 10).

There was disagreement in the Corinthian church as to whether it was permissible to buy and eat meat from the pagan temple. There was also the issue of being served meat purchased at the temple as guests in someone else’s home. Some believers were against ever eating meat offered to idols and others did not have any problem with it.

One group of believers in Corinth said, “Don’t eat it! It’s unclean and wrong!” The other group said, “Looks good to me, and it tastes good too!” This might seem like a fight over steak or roast beef, but there was more to it; it was a doctrinal issue. The “unclean-and-wrong” believers thought that any animal offered to a pagan deity bore the taint of wicked idolatry. The “looks-good-and-tastes-good” believers did so knowing that pagan deities were not real, so the meat couldn’t be polluted, and these believers ate it with a clear conscience.

How about you? If you lived back then, would you have eaten meat that had been offered to an idol? Some of you might say yes; others might say no way. What Paul shows in this chapter is that neither answer is wrong, and the apostle’s greater interest was that the Church show love and grace, one to another, and not cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble.

Knowledge with Love

“Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of Him” (1 Cor. 8:1-3).

In verse 1, Paul wrote, “Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge.” The “knowledge” Paul referred to was knowledge about this subject. “Things offered unto idols” was not a subject about which the Corinthians were ignorant, and they each had their opinions and convictions (v. 7).

The Corinthians also had knowledge of their liberty in Christ. Previously, in 1 Corinthians (6:12), Paul had written of this liberty, that “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient,” or profitable. God has granted the Church great liberty in Christ, but that liberty can be misused. As Galatians 5:13 reminds us, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Paul did not want the knowledge of their liberty to lead the Corinthians to become proud rather than loving toward others. As Paul noted in verse 1 of our text, “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.”

Knowledge is important in the Christian life. We need to know God’s Word (Psa. 119:125; Rom. 4:3), but mere intellectual knowledge that stands alone is incomplete. Knowledge without love produces pride because it can delude one into a sense of superiority. The words “puffeth up” mean to inflate, blow up, to cause to swell up with pride.

Knowledge without love can be a weapon that destroys and tears others down. One can be strong and mature in knowledge but weak and immature in love, or vice versa. To have knowledge without love or to have love without knowledge are both problems. Knowledge with love, knowing the Word and applying it to one’s life, is the call for the believer.

Paul’s point in this chapter is that it’s one thing to have knowledge of one’s liberty in Christ and to practice it, but knowledge by itself is not a sufficient guide in this matter of meat offered to idols because love is needed in consideration of the convictions and walk of fellow believers.

Paul added, “And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.” If we think we have mastered the Scriptures or any subject in it, we can count on the fact that they have not. A mature believer is one who recognizes how little he or she does know. And the more we know, the humbler it can make us, because we know that we do not know completely and that there is always more to know, to grow in, and to understand in the depths of the wisdom of God’s Word.

The Apostle Paul tells us that, if one supposes that he knows anything of divine matters without love, he has not yet known and understood as he ought to know. We must subject what we know in God’s Word to love. Knowledge with love opens true understanding.

God knows them that love Him, Paul wrote in verse 3. Our relationship with God is about both knowledge and love. And the person who knows God and loves Him has true knowledge of Him. Likewise, in turn, if we are to treat believers with an edifying love, it stems from knowing God and loving Him and then loving others with the love of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.

One True God

“As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him” (1 Cor. 8:4-6).

Concerning the eating of foods that were offered in sacrifice to idols, Paul wrote, “we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.” An idol is not real and alive. Since there is one God, then anything else that is called a god is not one. Idols are not competing gods. The stone, precious metal, or wood are real, but they are just a representation of a god that is a myth and the figment of man’s imagination. These fake gods exist only in the minds of their worshippers and not in reality (Isa. 37:19; Jer. 16:20). For example, if meat was offered to Zeus, there was and is no Zeus. Idols are nothing, and the meats offered to them therefore mean nothing and are entirely inconsequential.

There is not a god in or behind any idol; however, there are satanic, spiritual forces at work in idolatry (1 Cor. 10:20). The idols themselves are nothing, but the danger with idolatry lies in the demons working behind the scenes to deceive and to keep people from faith in the one, true, living God.

While there is only one God, Paul wrote there are many “that are called gods” (1 Cor. 8:5). Some of these gods were presumed to live in heaven, and others here on earth. The world then and the world today worship and serve these many fabricated, mythological “gods…and lords.”

“But to us,” Paul contrasted, “there is but one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ.” While the world has its polytheism, we are monotheistic. While “there be gods many, and lords many,” we know that there is one true God and one true Lord. “An idol is nothing” (v. 4), but the one true God is everything, and by Him, the Almighty Creator, everything in creation was made.

For Better or For Worse

“Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse” (1 Cor. 8:7-8).

Some in the Corinthian church felt free to eat the meat that was offered to idols based on their liberty in Christ and their knowledge that idols are nothing. However, others did not have that knowledge and understanding of liberty and the nothingness of idols. They were conscious of the idol. For them, to eat the meat would be done with the thought that it had been sacrificed to the idols, which grated and upset their conscience. It was not just regular meat like any other meat for these believers.

Paul explained that “their conscience being weak is defiled.” Their conscience was weak, not because their conscience didn’t work, but because it overworked, and they put stipulations on themselves that were not necessary. Their conscience was still operating with the knowledge that there was something to idol worship that contaminated the meat and made eating it to be wrong. Thus, their weak conscience was defiled, and a defiled conscience is one that has been disregarded and transgressed, resulting in guilt and shame.

Paul added, “But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him.” 1 Corinthians 8:6 the worse.” In other words, you aren’t more spiritual if you know idols are nothing and you know you have the personal freedom to eat meat sacrificed to idols, and you do it. But also, you are not less spiritual for abstaining from eating meat sacrificed to idols. One didn’t gain or lose anything by eating the idol meat, and one didn’t gain or lose anything by refusing it.

What we do or do not choose to eat, does not make us more or less pleasing to God. Food is spiritually neutral. Those who enjoyed their liberty in Christ and ate meat sacrificed to idols did not make God more pleased with them. Those who abstained from it, thinking it unclean, did not make God less pleased with them. Before God, we are no better or worse if we partake or abstain from eating certain foods.

As the writer of Hebrews put it, “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein” (Heb. 13:9).

Love Limits Liberty

“But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend” (1 Cor. 8:9-13).

Under grace, it is not wrong for a believer to eat pork. With the change in dispensations, Paul tells the Church, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving” (1 Tim. 4:4). However, eating pork was wrong under the law of Moses, which prohibited it. Today, a believer is at perfect liberty to partake of pork chops, pulled pork, barbecued ribs, ham, pork roast, and
best of all, bacon.

However, suppose a Jewish person gets saved under grace and comes out of Judaism. He or she might still struggle with this liberty and might feel that it is still wrong to eat pork. It may take time to understand and come to live in the full enjoyment of the liberty that is in Christ, or the person may never eat pork.

A believer could possibly hinder the spiritual growth of one like this by flaunting the liberty today under grace and purposely eating pork in front of them. That’s the sort of thing Paul is teaching
about here.

Paul goes on to show that while there is nothing to gain with God by eating meat sacrificed to idols, there might be much to lose. There was nothing wrong with eating the meat offered to idols, and there was also nothing wrong with refusing to eat the meat offered to idols. However, a believer does wrong if he understands his liberty but, by practicing it, causes someone whose conscience is against it to stumble in his or her faith.

The practice of one’s liberty under grace can trip others up in life, and God does not want members of His church to cause other believers to stumble in their walk due to insensitive actions. Instead, in love, we are called to edify and build each other up (1 Cor. 8:1).

Those “which hast knowledge” (v. 10) that idols and the meat sacrificed to them were nothing were eating the meat hot off the altars and sitting at the temple to eat it. They saw idolatry for what it was. They did not participate in the pagan practices of the temple, but in their liberty and faith, they could associate with pagan people and eat a juicy steak at the temple with a completely clear conscience. And this was not wrong.

Where this became a problem, however, was “if any man see thee…sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols…?” These brethren had not yet come to a place where they could say, “This is just meat, and it tastes good!” In their minds, it was still connected to the false worship of false gods, and it violated their conscience to eat it.

The trouble with a brother with a weak conscience seeing another Christian dining at a pagan temple, Paul says, was that the brother might be “emboldened” to join in and eat meat offered to idols and be encouraged to do what his conscience condemned. The believer who has a firm grasp on his liberty but does not use that liberty with care and love may give the weaker believer the boldness to run the red light of their conscience. And this was wrong.

The knowledge of one’s liberty was not to be the only factor that determined whether one ate idol meat or not. Love for a brother in Christ was an additional and significant factor to consider. Thus, love limits our liberty. In love, we are to always consider what effect our actions might have on others in the church.

Paul asked, “And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?” The word “perish” means to destroy another’s well-being and peace or render useless. This is not speaking of the loss of one’s salvation, but rather the ruination or destruction of the working of God in one’s life. Our actions can impede the spiritual progress of other believer’s or even cause them to slip back into a lifestyle they had left when they got saved.

Paul reaches for the heart when he adds, “for whom Christ died.” That is how we are to view our brothers and sisters in Christ, as those who are deeply loved by Christ, for whom He shed His precious blood. And if Christ loved that brother enough to die for him, then we are to show him love by not putting any stumbling block in his way and not doing anything that might hinder his walk with the Lord. Paul further stated in verse 12 that causing a brother to stumble is more than just an offense against him; it is an offense against Christ and a sin against Him.

In light of these things, Paul concluded by putting himself in the place of the person who might cause another brother to stumble. Paul shows how far he would go, out of love, for the sake of not harming someone’s spiritual growth. And he said that if eating meat would harm a brother’s spiritual life, he would never eat meat again as long as the world stands! He would choose to abstain from eating meat forever if doing so would set a fellow believer back in his walk. In this matter of meat offered to idols, the spiritual well-being of other believers was the most important thing to Paul.

Although the subject of meats offered to idols is not a problem for most believers today, the principles that the Holy Spirit gives us in this section are valuable for this entire age. There are many things in our current world today which, while not expressly forbidden in God’s Word, might still cause believers with a weak conscience to be offended.

Our culture in the United States strongly promotes our personal rights. However, we need to remember that there is something more important than exercising our rights in the liberty we have under grace, and that is the work of God in the life of other believers.

Our actions in the Christian life are never to be based solely on what we know to be permissible for ourselves. Out of love, we also need to take the important, additional step of carefully considering how our actions will affect others in the Church, and then do what is best for them, not us.

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When sharing about Christ, what is the the Best words to accomplish this?

The concept of a “remnant” is an important biblical theme that emerges throughout Scripture. The failure of many is that the Jews are gone. No way. Gods promises to them will be fulfilled.

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The Transformed By Grace television program of the Berean Bible Society is on the air! For many years, the Lord bore fruit through the ministry of our Bible Time radio broadcasts. Pastor C. R. Stam and my father, Paul Sadler, both faithfully shared the Word, rightly divided,

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to Show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Read it again

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