Quote:
Originally Posted by Berkeley
Didn't Jesus fulfill that? lol
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Yes He did! You find this same occurance mentioned in
Daniel 9:24.
Daniel 9:24
(24) Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and
to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Some scholars feel this word "reconciliation" should have been "atonement" instead. That really doesn't matter since they both mean "to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent." Since the fall of Adam, mankind has been born into this world with a nature to sin. Such sin makes man a natural-born enemy with his Creator. To change this status and to regain a close relationship with their Creator, mankind needed an atonement that could reconcile their nature back with God's. The blood of Jesus was that atoning sacrifice that brought mankind that opportunity, for His sacrifice brought to man a new nature that was not born after their natural father Adam, but rather one born after their heavenly Father Jesus!
Notice in these verses how "atonement" and "reconciliation" are spoken of as taking place at Calvary, and was now made available to all through the gospel message.
Romans 5:8-11
(8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
(10) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
(11) And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Colossians 1:20, 21
(20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
(21) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
2 Corinthians 5:17-20
(17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
(18) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
(19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
(20) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Hebrews 2:17
(17) Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
In his notable commentary, Adam Clarke indicates that Jesus fulfilled the requirements for biblical "atonement" and "reconciliation."
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleTo make reconciliation (ulechapper, "to make atonement or expiation") for iniquity; which he did by the once offering up of himself.
Colossians 2:14
(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
In the next comments, Earl L Henn (1934-1997) offers a great explanation as to what Paul meant by "handwriting of ordinances." The following are Henn's words:
"In their struggle to find a New Testament scripture that supports their misconception that God's law is ‘done away,' antinomians point to Colossians 2:14 to 'prove' that Christ nailed the law of God to the cross. Proponents of such a teaching say that the ‘handwriting of requirements [ordinances, KJV]' refers to the law ‘that was against us.' They further claim that Christ ‘took it out of the way' or abolished the law.
The phrase ‘handwriting of requirements' is translated from the Greek phrase cheirographon tois dogmasin. Cheirographon means anything written by hand, but can more specifically apply to a legal document, bond, or note of debt. Dogmasin refers to decrees, laws, or ordinances, and in this context means a body of beliefs or practices that have become the guidelines governing a person's conduct or way of life.
What Paul is saying is that, BY HIS DEATH, CHRIST HAS JUSTIFIED US—BROUGHT US INTO ALIGNMENT WITH HIS LAW—AND WIPED OUT THE NOTE OF GUILT OR DEBT THAT WE OWED AS A RESULT OF OUR SINS. Before repentance, our lives had been governed by the standards and values of this present, evil world—the ‘decrees, laws and ordinance' of the society in which we lived. AFTER REPENTANCE AND ACCEPTANCE OF CHRIST, WE EMBARK ON A NEW WAY OF LIFE AND LIVE BY GOD'S STANDARDS AND VALUES. CONSEQUENTLY, GOD WIPES OUT THE DEBT WE ACQUIRED AS A RESULT OF OUR SINS AND IMPUTES RIGHTEOUSNESS TO US.
Also notice that the phrase 'handwriting of requirements' restates the phrase immediately before it. ‘Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us' parallels ‘having forgiven you all trespasses.' Thus, Paul could not be referring to the law itself but rather to the record of our transgression of that law—sin!
The last sentence in verse 14 reads: 'And He has taken it out of the way...' In this sentence, the word 'it' is a singular pronoun and refers back to the singular word 'handwriting.' 'Requirements' could not be its antecedent because 'requirements' is plural. So, some kind of handwriting—a note, a record, or a citation—was affixed to the cross.
Historically, only two objects were nailed to the stake of crucifixion: 1) the condemned person and 2) an inscription naming the crimes for which he was being punished. Thus, when Jesus was crucified, only His body and Pilate's inscription ('This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews'; see
Matthew 27:37;
Mark 15:26;
Luke 23:38;
John 19:19) were nailed to the cross. Normally, the inscription would be more accusative, saying something like, 'This is Jesus of Nazareth, who rebelled against Caesar.' Pilate's complimentary inscription replaced the customary note or record of guilt—the 'handwriting of requirements' that would have been found nailed to the crosses of the two malefactors crucified with Him.
Just before He died, when He said the Father forsook Him (
Matthew 27:46), our sins were symbolically nailed to the cross in His body. 'Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed' (
I Peter 2:24). At the time of His crucifixion, Jesus Christ became sin for us. ‘For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him' (
II Corinthians 5:21). Our note of debt that we owed God as a result of our sins is what was 'taken out of the way' and 'nailed . . to the cross."
It is easy to see this point is not referring to a coming 7-year tribulation where the breaking of a covenant by some antichrist causes animal sacrifices to cease; but is instead referring to Jesus Christ's death on Calvary, which satisfied man's payment for sin and offered him a way to walk in close fellowship with his God.
Jesus' sacrifice stopped animal sacrifices from being acceptable to God, since there is now no scriptural reason for them to ever occur again. Jesus' sacrifice also occurred 3½ years into His ministry, which fits perfectly the description of the cutting off in the midst of Daniel's final 70th week (See
Daniel 9:27).
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