Monthly Archives: November 2015

Did the Law End With Christ?

Romans 10:4: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Does this mean that Christ ended or stopped the Law? No. Let us look at the word end.
The Greek word here is #5056 in Strong’s Concordance. It means “to set out as a goal, a purpose, a point aimed at.” Christ is the goal and purpose of the Law.

Galatians 3:24-25 shows this purpose: “Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” The ‘schoolmaster’ has brought us to Christ, the goal, and purpose of the Law.

Jesus said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled,” Matthew 5:17-18.

The Old Covenant of the Law was with the Fleshly Israel, and was broken by them thereby making it obsolete.

Jeremiah 31:31: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Jeremiah 31:32: “Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord.”

The promise of the New Covenant was: “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel ; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people,” Jeremiah 31:33, quoted in Hebrews 10:16 and in Hebrews 8:8-10.

The New Covenant was to exceed the Old Covenant, not to nullify it.

Whereas the Old Covenant was about external, fleshly actions and works, the New Covenant was to exceed it by also being internalized, a matter of the heart, a spiritual reality in motive, in thought and in intent. The born-again Spirit finds it a delight, not burdensome.

It is more serious to transgress the New Covenant than the Old: Hebrews 10:26-31:

26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” – Hebrews 10:26-31 KJV.

Hebrews 6:4 “For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.” – Hebrews 6:4-6 KJV.

How God Judges A Nation

The Lord spoke to Ezekiel and pronounced His judgments upon the false prophets of that nation, Israel, and the vain women and their seductive practices, (chapter 13). In chapter 14, the message is to the elders of the people for leading the people into idolatry. Then He describes the judgments that are coming upon the wicked nation, Israel, and its capital city, Jerusalem:

Ezekiel 14:12-21: “The Word of the Lord came again to me, saying,

“Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it.

“Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.

“If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

“Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

“Or, if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land so that I cut off man and beast from it:

“Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

“Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast;

“Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

“For thus saith the Lord God; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?”

This happened upon Judah in 605 BC.

But even in such a time as this, God had a faithful remnant who would save themselves by faithful obedience, Ezekiel 14:22. This principle held true in the Old Testament destruction of both Israel and Judah. Daniel also had prophesied that a faithful remnant would return from the Babylonian captivity after seventy years, and the nation would be allowed another seventy weeks of years to repent and turn to their God, after which, God’s final judgments would fall upon the wicked.

That time came in the New Testament era.

We find that there was indeed again a faithful remnant, Romans 11:5. But the wicked nation was to be destroyed, Matthew 23-24. The four sore judgments were poured out upon the apostate nation and City, as recorded in Revelation chapters 17 and 18, and historically in 70 AD as recorded by Josephus and other secular historians.

Again, the faithful remnant in Christ, the Church, His Body, the Bride, the New Jerusalem, became the restored nation, the elect, Revelation 19:1-9. The four sore judgments were poured out upon the wicked, 19:11-20:15.

In Revelation 21 and 22, God Himself is dwelling in the midst of His purified people. This is the reason that sin must be destroyed. The Holy God desires to dwell with His people.  But cannot dwell with sinful people for His holiness will destroy sin and the people who refuse to accept His cleansing salvation.

Will our nation turn from its wicked ways? Will we be the faithful remnant?

Let this nation and every nation of the earth be warned by the Biblical examples of God’s decreed judgments.

“Unto Him be glory in the Church throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”