There are certain objections to this view
which must be considered. 1. Some insist that sacrifices reinstituted would
contradict Hebrews. It is emphasized in such passages as Hebrews 9:26; 7:27 and
9:12 that Christ once and for all offered an acceptable sacrifice to God, which
needs not be repeated. Such an alleged contradiction can only arise when one
fails to see the distinction, dispensationally, between God’s program for the
church and his program for Israel. Unger has well stated the necessary
distinction to be observed:
Regarding the imaged clash between the
teaching of the Epistle to the Hebrews and Ezekiel’s prophecy, it may be said
the whole conflict vanishes when the ground and position of the one are seen to
be entirely different from the ground and position of the other. One has in
view members of the Body of Christ, the Church, since their redemption while
Christ is on high. The other is concerned with earthly Israel, and embraces the
Glory of Jehovah once more dwelling in the land of Canaan. One concerns
Christianity where there is neither Jew nor Gentile, but all are one in Christ.
The other deals with restored Judaism, where Israel is blessed directly, and
the Gentiles only mediately or subordinately to the Jews—a state of things in
diametrical contrast with Christianity.
. . .
The particular difficulty in accepting the
literal-futuristic view is Christendom’s conceit (Rom. 11:15-26) in presuming
that the fall of the Jew is final, and that the Gentile as supplanted him
forever. When the truth of Israel’s recall to blessing is comprehended a
literal-futuristic interpretation of Ezekiel’s prophecy is the normal
explanation of the vision. (Unger, “The Temple Vision of Ezekiel,” Bibliotheca Sacra, 106:170-71)
In reference to the church, Christ stands as
One who has offered a completed eternal sacrifice. She looks to Him alone. Such
is the teaching of Hebrews. Yet, in dealing with Israel in their future
relation to Christ, in Hebrews 8:8-13 and 10:16 there is the anticipation of
the enactment of a new covenant. The new covenant of Jeremiah 31 served notice
that the old (Mosaic) order was to be supplanted, because of its insufficiency,
by a new order. Ezekiel’s temple vision gives detail concerning the new
priestly order to be inaugurated by God after the fulfillment of the new
covenant with Israel. Such an interpretation is in perfect harmony with the
teaching of Hebrews. (J. Dwight Pentecost, Things
to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans,
1964], 527-28; what is said about Hebrews in the above can also be said of 3 Nephi 9:9)
Old Testament Practices and Mormonism
