You asked the right guy. I will give you the short clear concise first if I can lol well actually its probably a bit more complicated and involved than that. I have a few blogs on the law’s purpose for us Gentile Brit Chadasha followers of Yeshua and the Melchezidek priesthood which we are a part of and under.
First off Leviticus 16:28 is speaking of cuts in your flesh and tatoo’s for the dead which is not okay even now. If someone gets a tatoo of or for a dead person it is unlawful. I don’t have any tatoo’s because of that. I’m not against tatoo’s I’m against religious totem tatoo’s and tatoo’s for the dead. A religious totem is a tatoo of or for a demon or false god that is meant to invoke their power through omen’s. Our body is a temple we shouldn’t defile the temple with graphiti. People do, we don’t judge them but I would advise them not to.
Another key point is that Grace is an oft misunderstood term. The Greek word for Grace is Charis which means “God’s Ability” which isn’t the Sunday school definition. “Mata” is the Greek word for unmerited favor or free gift not Charis. Charis-mata means free unmerited-spiritual enablement. Yeshua was tempted in all ways as we are so that we can do what in our flesh we can not.
Yeshua makes us holy, clean, pure and forgiven. Then provide’s the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to enable us to live right, to keep us. I believe in Holiness as taught by John Wesley or Entire Sanctification as a work of the Holy Spirit at Salvation and a process we work to be “holy as He is holy.” Grace teaches us to do what’s right and gives us the time to work it out. Many teach sloppy grace, as license to sin, Paul said it should never be.
The Doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolatins teaches that once you saved you can sin since your the elect of G-d. The Leaven of the Pharisee’s is the Oral Teache’s that Yeshua said contradict Torah. We should avoid the Doctrine of Balaam and the error of the Leaven of the Pharisee’s. Their is a right use of the Talmud and Mishna just as there is a right use of the Gospels and Epistles.
I say this simply all the time “Yeshua abolished the sacrificial atonement system,” and “method of atonement” as well as He “changed the priesthood from Aaronic-Levitical to Melchezidek. He changes the priesthood,” not the law. The law remains, as our tutor, to show us our sin and lead us to Messiah. The laws of clean and unclean food remain. The vision Peter had was about Gentile conversion not food, read the whole passage and the later discussion of Gentile conversion by the Jerusalem council. Notice Peter goes to a “G-dfearer” or “Proselyte” a Gentiles who lives as a Jew. Some of us Gentiles choose to live as Jews.Paul said to be a Jew to the Jews, and a Gentile to the Gentiles, to be lawful to the lawful and appear unlawful to the unlawful. Most “Christian’s” only know unlawful. Wanting to be a Jew to a Jew, and lawful to the lawful started my pursuit into the Hebraic Roots of Foundation of “Christianity.” Most “Christians” are only Gentiles to Gentiles, and Lawless to the Lawless, never Lawful or Jewish to Jews. So in that I feel that lack balance. That’s my perspective. What caused me to search deeper.
By nature we Gentile’s are “wild vines” and “lawless.” When we get “saved” we should be brought into a lawful community to learn how to live Torah in the context of the Gospel’s and Epistle’s. The Brit (New-Renewed) Chadasha (Covenant) writes the “Law” on our heart. We who we’re “vessel’s of dishonor” are to become “vessel’s of honor” and law abiding kingdom citizens. The Ruling of the Jerusalem Council was about conversion, it was simplified for Gentiles. For the “New” movement of the Sect (way) of the Nazerene-Netzirim-Messianic believers in Yeshua it was necessary, as it was about to become a large group of Jews and more and more Gentile’s. The law has a place in Messiah, pointing us toward Messiah. Law does not save it shows our sin, its a tutor to teach right and wrong. Last I checked murder is wrong, adultery is wrong and Yeshua made it more stringent hate and lust equally wrong. Yeshua made more things sinful, not less, then He died to give up the Paraklete (Ruach HaKodesh) which rent the Paroket (the Veil in the Temple) so we have free access to the Holy of Holies through Yeshua. We should repent and put our faith in Messiah when we sin.
Most Christians and Messianic (Hebraic Roots) are confused on the topic of “priesthood” and “the laws function.” Some even believe they will come back under the Levitical even though they are under Melchizidek by accepting Yeshua as Savior and High Preist. If you under Melchezidek why would you come under Levitical which required sacrificial atonement. Its clear to keep the bible as our guide book the whole of scripture is authoritative for faith and practice. Faith without works is dead. Faith should have works, work do not save, they can acrews debt if you trust works to save. Love is obedient. If we love Him we obey Him.
Yes, Before Yeshua’s returns the temple will be rebuilt, the Levitical priesthood and animal sacrifice will be reinstituted many will Jews will come under that system again for a short time. But then the catching away (the Rapture-Harpadzo) of the Remnant will happen, followed by the abomination desolation in the Temple and the conversion of all the Jews who remain. Then Two Prophets possibly Enoch and Elijah, or Moshe and Elijah along with 144,000 saved Jews from all 12 tribes will be preaching the gospel-good news of Yeshua. We who are saved under Yeshua will not be required to come under the Levitical that would negate the sacrifice of Yeshua and dishonor our High Preist.
Paul said the Law is good. Yeshua said do everything that the Pharisee’s say just don’t do what they do since they we’re hypocrites and found ways to break the Torah but appear not to. Yeshua fulfilled the sacrificial atonement and changed the priesthood. Yeshua did rebuke and correct the Oral traditions.
In essence biblical “Christianity” is a Sabbatical religion based on the Sabbath, Biblical Festival’s (cycles of Messiah’s festivals). Yeshua said the Shabbat was made for us to rest not for us to observe Oral Torah that breaks the actual Torah.
The early Church, prayed daily at the Jewish Temple at the Hour of Prayer, went weekly to Shabbat at Jewish Synagogues, and on “the eve of the First day of the week” which is Saturday Eve after Shabbat. This is called Motzei Shabbat and Havdalah, basically the end of Shabbat at the start of the biblical week. This was and is a Jewish-Biblical tradition. The Bynzantine Roman “Catholic” “Church” started changed the day of worship to Sunday, took the Shabbat tradition in the home by family and had the Father-Priest do it instead. The Protestant Reformation and Puritan’s sought to throw off Catholicism, yet kept their Sabbath’s. We Messianic’s take it further and go back to the biblical Sabbath‘s.
To be a deacon or elder in the early Apostolic Community it was required to observe Passover on Nisan-Aviv 14 with the Jewish people. If you didn’t do it you were not allowed to be a deacon or elder until the next year or on the 14th day of the month after Nisan-Aviv if there was a death in the family.
Yeshua didn’t make any changes to the Law. If you do a study in the Jewish Encyclopedia you will see that the agree and though they don’t follow Yeshua they believe he didn’t teach anyone to break Torah.
Gentile Conversion was changed by the Jerusalem Council. Yeshua’s Bet Din (the Jerusalem Council) was created, in Luke 10 we see Yeshua anoint 70 followers to do what He was doing. This reflects the 70 elders who Moshe anointed and was the foundation of the Sanhedrin. The Jerusalem council led by James (Yeshua’s) brother, included Peter and John, among others, decided Gentile conversion would be simplified following the Noahide tradition. We are now the circumcision of the heart. I was circumcised as a child and so was my son. We bear the sign of the covenant in our flesh but are not required to.
Mikvah (water baptism) took the place of circumcision in the early “Church” for Gentiles. Jewish men still got circumcised and so did the “G-dfearers” or Proselytes by choice. Circumcision wasn’t required for conversion in the book of Acts or Paul’s writings. The Jewish believers we’re circumcised, even Timothy got circumcised to become a Rabbi under Paul. It seems that to become a Minister it was encouraged however for conversion it wasn’t required. For example in the Assemblies of God you must be baptized in the Spirit to become a minister but not to be a member of their congregations.
Mikveh’s in Jewish tradition were for purity and dedication. A Mikveh was a sign of repentance, rededication, ritual purity and conversion. Priests would take Mikvah’s daily. The idea of washings-Mikvah’s (bath’s and washing one’s hands) come from the command in Torah to take Mikvah’s or Bathes in cool running living water. Mikvah’s are done at frequently and often. Mikvah has also been apart of the Jewish Conversion process along with Brit Millah (Circumcision). Yeshua wore a Talit, Paul was a Talit (Tent maker), Peter prayed over a Talit (Prayer Shawl) and it healed someone. The Messianic believers observed the biblical Festival’s such as Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost), Hanukah, Sukkot, etcetera… According to Leviticus 23.
Yeshua said the foundation is the Law and the Prophets, Paul reflects this as well. Without it we don’t have a foundation.
Clearly Yeshua did away with the sacrificial atonement system. Yeshua also did away with the Levitical-Aaronic Preisthood. Yeshua is from the Tribe of Judah and could never be a Levitical Preist. Yeshua is our High Preist after the Order of Melchezidek. Melchezidek may have been Shem, Avraham’s uncle. There is some debate but that’s the Hebraic perspective. The Essene’s/Qum’ran community believed Messiah would come twice, once as preist and secondly as, reigning king. The Pharisee’s only wanted Messiah to come as reigning king. In the Mishna their is discussion on the time of Messiah and it goes something like this. Age of lawlessness was 2000 years from Adam to Moshe. Age of law or Torah was 2000 from Moshe to Messiah. And then age of Messiah is 2000 and then we have 1000 year millennial reign. The time Messiah was supposed to come was close to 2000 years ago. The Jewish calendar believe’s we are in the year 5771 from Adam to Now. We are in the Time of Messiah. Rabbinic (Pharasaic) commentary is confused that Bar Kokhba and Yeshua didn’t seem to fulfill the conquering king motif but we are living in the age of Messiah.
The laws of what’s clean (healthy) and unclean (unhealthy), blessing (from obedience) and cursing (from disobedience), and the power of life (positive and encouragement) and death (the evil tongue) in the tongue remain. People still get sick from sin. All sickness is a result of the fall and acts of sin, some generational and some personal, all come through our fallen corrupted bodies. Whether you observe purity or kosher or not people get sick from doing unclean, impure and unkosher acts. Yeshua is the answers to ritual purity through animal sacrifice because He died so we no longer have to sacrifice an animal. We still must know what’s right and what’s wrong. Even if forgiveness is relatively easy it cost Yeshua everything. And He said “if” we love Him we obey His commands. Yeshua is Adonai HASHEM (the L-rd G-D) or D’var ADONAI (the Word of The L-RD), and the Father is HASHEM Elohim (the L-RD G-d) of the Tanakh. Yeshua spoke the world into existence, spoke to His prophets and came to people. If Yeshua is the L-rd G-D of the Tanakh He wouldn’t reject His own words would He? Read the article Does ADONAI have a Son it explains that further.
The covenant of Salt, fellowship in believers and each others sufferings, remain. The laws of right and wrong, clean and unclean remain. The way we get pure through sacrificial atonement has changed. Much more can be said and has been said. I’ve been teaching the Hebraic Roots of Christianity, and exposing the Pagan influence’s in Christianity since 1997. There is a lot of those articles, sermons and writings on my blog. Take time to search and feel free to ask questions. I hope this helps.
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Few may be aware of it, but Paul used the titles of the eleven tractates of Seder Zeraim as an outline for his epistles to the Qadoshim (‘saints’) at Rome. I believe this alone mandates that all take a closer look into these matters.
hmmmm that is interesting I would like see more about that any books, articles or blogs?
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Since I see that you are an ardent dispensationalist, I thought it would be nice for you to read my post about what fathers of your theology thought about Israel:
http://dailyminyan.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/fathers-of-dispensationalism-on-the-role-of-israel-and-jews/
“The Levites won’t lack a man to offer to the L-rd in Jeremiah 33:18. So where are they now?”
Real live Levites go up to read Torah in every synagogue every Shabbat , as they have done for the last 2K years. When the First Temple was destroyed and sacrifices stopped, you would have been right there claiming that G-d is now lacking a Levite to bring him sacrifice. Of course, you would then have to eat your words when the Second Temple was rebuilt and sacrifices resumed.
You thinking is clouded by Dispensationist Replacement Theology. You are contradicting the prophets about the future of Israel because it doesn’t fit in your theology. You don’t understand that the blood of animals NEVER took away sin and that Yeshua’s sacrifice is inherently different – and it was never it’s purpose to do so.
You can read more about it here:
http://dailyminyan.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/sacrifices-for-sin-in-the-messianic-kingdom/
I’m not a dispensationalist. As I said The temple will be rebuilt and for a time offerings will resume again. Offerings for atonement as Leviticus puts it. Then the rapture, then the abomination of desolation, then 144,000 Jews from all tribes will be prophecying the end, and the 2 prophets will be ministering until Judgrment day. I don’t claim there’s a lack of Levites. You miss characterization show lack of understanding.
“I say this simply all the time “Yeshua abolished the sacrificial atonement system,” and “method of atonement” as well as He “changed the priesthood from Aaronic-Levitical to Melchezidek. He changes the priesthood,” not the law. ”
Yeshua abolished NOTHING (didn’t he say that himself?). His sacrifice and everything he accomplished, was and is ON TOP of everything G-d has given. His priesthood does not replace the priesthood of priests and Levites – it’s on TOP of that, above and beyond that priests and Levites – but they themselves are not going anywhere.
“Levitical priests shall NEVER lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices FOREVER.” (Jeremiah 33:18)
Prophet Ezekiel (Chapters 40–47) in turn describes a rebuilt Temple, unlike ANY that existed at any time in the past, with G-d Himself giving instructions in every minute detail, how to built it, how to conduct ceremonies – and there we have priests and Levites, even the supposedly obsolete sacrifices for sin, on and on, etc..etc.
“You are to give a young bull as a SIN OFFERING to the priests, who are Levites, of the family of Zadok, who come near to minister before me, declares the Sovereign L-RD.” (Ezekiel 43:19)
The Levites Job is to serve in the temple and officiate Temple sacrifices. There Job is done. Yeshua died once for all sin, so that we will never offer another animal sacrifice. If Levites come back and the temple is rebuilt again then Jews who don’t believe in Messiah will offer sacrifices. Those who accept Yeshua can not offer an anmal for our sin that would be blasphemous. The Levites don’t exist now do they. Apparently there are conditions to the promises of G-d. Will the temple be rebuilt will Levite’s sacrifice again as I said in the article Yes for a period of time before the rapture, up until the abomination of desolation, which some say happened with Niro in 70 AD, I don’t believe that because that wasn’t the tribulation, it was a period of great tribulation but not the end one.
Yeshua is our High Preist if we are under Him, saved by Him and submitted to Him, we accept His blood atoning Sacrifice we are under the Melchezidek priesthood. When the temple existed the Messianics believers, Peter, Paul & John prayed at the temple at the hour of prayer. They didn’t make sin offerings. Paul did take a vow and made and offering to show Jews and Pharisee’s that He was a Jew and explained that to the Jew he sought to appear as a Jew, though he being without Law. It was done to keep the Pharisee’s who were coming to judge him from falsely accusing him of not being a Jew.
The point remains our High Preist is Yeshua, apart of the Melchezidek priesthood of which we are priest under. We can not go back to animal sacrifice for our sins Yeshua is our sacrifice. To do so is blaspemous. We can’t exchange our High Preist of the order of Melchezidek for one under Levi and Animal Sacrifice.
Yeshua died once for all forever abolishing the sacrificial system. If Levite’s have a future kingdom function after the final judgment it will not be to sacrifice animals. Yeshua died for our sins. We who believe in Yeshua should never offer a animal for sin. We can make offerings made by fire but we can not make sin atonement by animal sacrifice.
Yeshua died to become our High Preist. The sacrifice of a human is an abomination to Levitical law and would defile the temple and the offering. That is why Yeshua was crucified outside the city. The Book of Hebrews and Galatians clearly show that Yeshua’s priesthood after the Order od Melchezidek replaced The Levitical.
Yes Ezekial said they were going to rebuild the temple (Ezekiel 40–47). The people were taken in to captivity the temple was destroyed, in Daniels time he called on the L-rd their were allowed to return and rebuild the temple. That was the second temple. Thus the rise of Second Temple Judaism that lasted until after Yeshua died, saying my body is the Temple and in three days I will destroy and rebuild it. That is why the paroket was rent as Yeshua give up spirit and many people rose from the dead. Adonai no longer dwells in temples of me. Our bodies are the temples of the L-rd. He dwells in us. This is the New Covenant Yeshua made with us.
What you are advocation is the doctrine of the Judaizers who seek to bring us under the full Levitical Law. The law at Sanai is for us, the promise to Avraham is for us, the Levitical Preisthood serve’s no purpose for those who are under our High Preist Yeshua. Yeshua was from the Tribe of Judah. He couldn’t be a Priest of Levi. Yeshua changed or predisposed the preisthood.
You need to understand who Melchezidek is. Avraham came under him, Yeshua became a High Priest after Him, Yeshua make’s us a royal nation of priests in the Melchezidek order. We have no business being involved in an order that isn’t ours.
The temple will be rebuilt for a short time, Levitical sacrifice will be restored again. It is blasphemous for anyone who accepts Yeshua’s atoning death for sin to sacrifice an animal for sin, its an abomination.
The Levites won’t lack a man to offer to the L-rd in Jeremiah 33:18. So where are they now? There not making offerings now in the temple and apparently they haven’t for almost 2,000. Coincidence I think not Yeshua’s death changed that. How about the Seed of David will always be on the Throne Israel didn’t exist for almost 2,000 years but Yeshua fulfilled that. Yeshua fulfilled a lot that resides in Him. It is nearing the end of the age this is why we are coming back to see Israel restored, plans to rebuild the temple and reinstitute animal sacrifice. I for one will never offer a animal sacrifice for my sins. Yeshua died for me so I do not have to. The prime function of the Levite’s is to mediate sacrificial atonement. In Messiah Yeshua He is our atonement. If the Levite’s exist it is for Jews who do not believe in Messiah.
The Levitical Priesthood has been gone for 2000 years, they have went away, there are plans to bring them back, before the rapture and the abomination of desolation, and then all of Israel will believe with 144,000 saved jews from all 12 tribes will preach the gospel joined by two Prophets possibly Elijah and Enoch, or Moshe and Elijah.
Yeshua did away with animal sacrifice for sin once and for all in His body. It will never have a place in the life of those who accept His death or Priesthood. For those who don’t accept His death and priesthood it will serve a purpose for a short time before the end of days, final judgment.
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