It's not replacement. The Israel of God has always been the Household of Faith.
On the Contrary, if that were the case then the Israel of God would not have come under the Judgment of God and gone into captivity.
If we try to nullify the fact that there was and is an Israel on a National Basis who were the People of God under the Economy of the Covenant of Law...we deny some pretty basic teachings in Scripture.
For example, it was not to the "Israel of God" that the Covenant of Law was established with, but to Israel as a Nation. And we would have a hard time trying to show, from Scripture...that this Nation kept the Covenant of Law.
That is why the New Covenant was promised, specifically because they did not.
That would be, not "Replacement Theology," but Denial Theology."
The Temple, the Priesthood and the Offerings are over.
Some of us happen to think there will be a Temple, Levitical Service, and yes, animal sacrifice...in the Millennial Kingdom.
These services are a matter of heritage, not salvation. Those services never brought about life or remission of sins on an eternal basis, and in the Millennial Kingdom, the sacrifices will have no eternal value either.
It is similar to Communion, and memorial, rather than salvific.
The Covenant of Law is what is done, which doesn't justify making obsolete everything in the Law. The Writer of Hebrews exhorts them to leave the first Principles of Christ, and to go on unto perfection, but does not imply they had to abandon those first principles. That would be like removing the first floor of a skyscraper, and the results equally disastrous.
Christ is the real seed of Abraham,
So was Isaac, Jacob, David, and Judas Iscariot.
Completely different context when we speak about "spiritually being Jews."
We don't nullify the fact that there is a National Israel.
now the real High Priest,
So were the Priests who rendered service to the God Who appointed them to that service.
It's not a matter of Christ being the "real" High Priest, but the Superior High Priest. His Priesthood does not invalidate Levitical Service.
It simply replaces it because Levitical Service is no longer required not that Christ has made Sacrifice and Remission of sins complete.
not according to the Law,
Agreed, but not contrary to the Law either. The First Principles foreshadow, but do not contradict the Priesthood of Christ.
Christ Himself was made under the Law, and fulfilled the Law in such a manner that no charge of failure on His part could ever be levied.
which commanded a descendant of Aaron, but according to the power of an endless life.
Also agreed.
Christ is our real High Priest,
Christ is our only High Priest, but that does not change the fact that in the First Century there were those who grew up under the legitimate and God ordained culture which could be considered a Religion. For them...the Levitical Priests were "real" Priests.
So we do not cancel out the History of Scripture just because God has made the Covenant of Law obsolete.
after the real order (Melchisedek),
Melchisadec is not the "real order."
Christ is.
Melchisadec simply illustrates and foreshadows Christ, but should not be considered as one that Christ followed, or that Christ adopted characteristics of Melchisadec's Priesthood.
The point is that Christ's Priesthood is contrasted with Melchisadec's, not the Levitical Priest. Which for some Jews could be offensive, particularly for the very religious, who were dedicated to Judaism.
We cannot make a comparison between Melchisadec and Christ when we consider it from an eternal perspective. We can make a comparison to show differences between Christ's Priesthood and the Levitical.
standing in the real Holy of Holies, making real intercession
Agreed, this is a very important issue, for Christ did not enter into the tabernacle made with hands, but into the true, that is, Heaven itself.
for the real Israel, those who are children of Abraham by Faith.
That does not make the Children of Israel who were unbelievers not of Israel.
I might debate that one too, from an Eschatological position: I believe that during the Tribulation, and possibly prior to the Tribulation, the Law will be practiced by many Jews. I believe there will be a Temple rebuilt, and that this is the Temple in which Antichrist will stand and declare himself god.
As far as being "done" in reality, though, yes, I agree...it is done.
The Levitical priesthood is done.
Maybe. You may be right, and I may have my Prophecy all wrong.
As far as being done in terms of bringing atonement for sins, yes, that is replaced through the Work of Christ.
I will say that there is never any call for Jews to abandon their heritage, though, and whether there might be Levitical Service in the Millennial Kingdom, well, that is a highly debated issue. I think there will be, but can understand why some do not.
The temple made with hands? Done.
Does not preclude the Temple of the Tribulation or Millennial Kingdom.
Geographical and political Israel? Done.
Not even close, lol.
THAT was the Parentheses.
No, it was a picture of what God would ultimately do in Redemption of mankind.
Israel as a Nation is seen as active in the Tribulation, which can be seen in Prophecy.
The creation of Israel was not a parenthetical event, the Law was. Israel is still the People of God, and while she has been blinded in this Age, some of us see a fulfillment of the promises made to her coming.
Sorry for not including Scripture, this post is simply for the purpose of raising points that could be discussed, and depending on which points might raise discussion, the appropriate Scripture will be then introduced.
God bless.
