Thank you for the kind words, but I have to confess I cannot take any credit for it, lol. Praise God for His Word, and...teaching us.
Scripture speaks for itself, sometimes it's just a matter of allowing God to place the pieces together for us.
This is very true. And you point out something that many do not really stop to consider, and that is the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament. We see animal death from the very beginning for the covering of sin, and is traced through Abel, Noah, Job, Abraham, and then included in the Law, which was the last economy before Christ came.
On the last forum I was on, a fellow denied that those sacrifice brought about atonement and remission of sins, despite being shown God stating they were commanded to offer up sacrifice for their sin. He would not be convinced, yet, this is simply basic to the Old Testament, so you can imagine trying to approach understanding the Sacrifice of Christ and not understanding that which was basic.
And the major difference between the two has to be established, which is, those sacrifices could not take away sins (which is why they were continually offered), but Christ's does. And this on an eternal basis.
We can say they were "saved the same way," that is, by grace through faith. But we don't negate the fact that promise is promise until fulfilled. And those saints received not the promise.
It is true that modern liberal theology has sought to spiritualize the Bible to the point where the very teachings which generated the fear of God in yesteryear are now explained away. There are numerous very popular false teachers which go so far to deny there will be a Hell in which the lost will be eternally separated from God in.
The teaching of the Rich Man and Lazarus can be seen to fit into the Age of Law, for Abraham does not direct the brethren of the Rich Man to Christ, but to Moses and the Prophets (and He was speaking about the Hebrew Scriptures).
I take the position that men did not go into the presence of God at death, because their sins had not yet been atoned for. A few verses to support that, if I have not already given them, would be...
Hebrews 9
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]6 [/SUP]Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
[SUP]8 [/SUP]The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
("was a figure" is a link)
This speaks of man's entrance to God, it is earthly, and is contrasted with the "Holiest of All," the way into which was not yet present.
[SUP]23 [/SUP]It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Our Great High Priest did not take an offering into an earthly Tabernacle, but into Heaven itself.
Hebrews 10:19-20
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]19 [/SUP]Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
[SUP]20 [/SUP]By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Man's entrance to God in truth is through the Blood (Death) of Christ. So we see in two ways where man's entrance to God is said not to take place prior to the Cross. We see that because there was an earthly Tabernacle intended for services meant to bring atonement, and we see it in that entrance to the Holiest of all is credited to Christ's death, and this is contrasted with the death of animals numerous times.
And we see that the veil of the Tabernacle represented the "good things to come," that is, the Incarnation:
Hebrews 10:19-20
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]19 [/SUP]Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
[SUP]20 [/SUP]By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Under the Law men entered into the only representation of God's presence available to them in these days, and this was through the veil. The veil we go through is the flesh of Christ, which refers to the Cross.
In other words, if someone wants to come into God's presence, they must go through Christ, and this means specific trust in His death in our stead for the remission of sins.
Hey thanks for participating. This is, in my view, one of the most rewarding studies we have.
God bless.