The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
November 21, 2004
In
This Issue:
Is
There a Difference?
author
unknown
Through
the Veil
by
Steve Klein
Is There a Difference?
Experts who study the world's population have concluded that there were about 200 million people living during the lifetime of Jesus. Now that's a lot of people, but relatively speaking it is a fairly small number. For instance, the United States alone presently has nearly 300 million residents.
If you want to talk about some really big numbers, think of this: by 1850 the world's population had grown to 1 billion. That's 5 times more than lived in Jesus' day. But wait! Just one century later, in 1950, there were 2.5 billion people on earth. And there's more: sometime during 1987, just 37 years later, the 5 billionth person was born on planet earth. Now that's a truly BIG number. Today, estimates place the world's population at 6.5 billion and growing.
One more fact may help to put this all in proper perspective. Over half of the people who have ever lived on earth are still living today! That's right! Think of it this way - if you added up all the people who have lived and died throughout history, the number would be smaller that the number of those who are living right now!
Our purpose in discussing these numbers is not to frighten you about food shortages, over crowding, pollution, etc, etc. There may be reason for alarm in these areas, but we have something much more serious in mind. Think of the incredible responsibility before us in teaching lost souls the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Is it an impossible task? No!
Imagine this: assume that you are the only Christian in the world and it takes you a full year to make one convert. Then each convert proceeds to do the same thing - converting another person each following year. In just slightly over 33 years the entire world would be won for Christ! And that's if each Christian just converts one other person each year - certainly not an impossible task! "He that winneth souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30).
The above dialogue could well be a conversation between many couples regardless of which was a "church member." This same conversation could be held between many friends or neighbors, regardless of which is a "Christian." Can anyone see that Christian distinctiveness in you? If they cannot, then, is there any difference between being or not being a Christian? God said, "come out from among them, and be ye separate" (II Cor. 6:17). We are to be "a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Tit. 2:14).
Author Unknown
In the wilderness of Sinai, the Lord commanded Israel to construct a Tabernacle or tent in which they were to conduct sacred rituals. Everything in the Tabernacle was to be made according to a pattern determined by God (Exodus 26:30). Among the interesting features of the tabernacle were two rooms. One called the Holy Place, and the other the Most Holy Place. A veil was hung between these two rooms, and the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat were hidden behind the veil in the Most Holy Place (Exodus 26:31-35). The Mercy Seat represented the very presence of God, and access to it was limited. Only the high priest could go there, and even then only at certain times. In Leviticus 16:2, "the LORD said to Moses: 'Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.'" Note that the veil served as a divider between men and the presence of God. None had free access.
Later in the history of the nation of Israel, Solomon built a permanent structure for worship. Like the tabernacle, it was built according to the plans of God, and had a special place in the inner chamber for the mercy seat (cf. 1 Chronicles 28:11). Of course the Babylonians destroyed this temple (2 Kings 25), but a poor facsimile of it was rebuilt by those who returned from Babylonian captivity (Ezra 3).
In the days of Jesus, the temple underwent major reconstruction and renovation under the direction of Herod the Great. This temple took 46 years to build (John 2:20). It too had an inner sanctuary, but since the Ark and the Mercy Seat no longer existed, the Most Holy Place was empty. The Jewish historian Josephus said of the inmost part of Herod's temple, "In this there was nothing at all. It was inaccessible and inviolable, and not to be seen by any; and was called the Holy of Holies" (Wars of the Jews 5, 5). It was also separated from the outer part by a veil. Josephus describes the veil as being four inches thick, and so heavy and strong that horses tied to each side could not have pulled it apart.
The arrangement of the Tabernacle and Temple demonstrated that ancient man did not have a way into the presence of God (Hebrews 9:1-9). Yet something incredible happened the day of Jesus' crucifixion that changed that. The veil of the temple was torn in two when Christ died on the cross; Matthew and Mark both say that it was torn from top to bottom. Mark 15:37-38 describes it this way: "And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Luke 23:46 tells us what Jesus cried -- " And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.'" Having said this, He breathed His last." It is as if the Father reached down from heaven and ripped open the door into His presence to welcome home His Son, and us.
Christ's death made a way into the presence of God. He is there as our Intercessor and Mediator. "For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24). And because He is there, we ourselves have access into God's presence. "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:19-22).
Jesus paid an awful price to open up the way to God for us. Those who want a relationship with God can now have it. We may draw near through the veil.
.by Steve Klein