charles brough
Member
It is no longer popular in churches to emphasize BLOOD, but it most certainly was emphasized in churches until a generation or so ago. Why? The reason comes right from the scripture. There is so much emphasis on it that people indoctrinatede with it feel vacant without it and "thirst for blood." That does not mean they want to cut up people, nothing like that. It is just difficult-to-describe lust for blood.
Keep in mind that the Old Testament in a Jewish book. Before their Temple was torn down by the Romans, their whole worship centered around the ritual slaughter of animals in that Temple. The Temple itself was regarded as "the house of God." Does that explain why the blood emphasis? Not quite. Lets go back for an explanation of why all the animal slaughtering.
In the earliest forms of the Near Eastern religious heritage was the belief that if you conquer another people, slaughter them and take their land, it was a 'BLOOD SACRIFICE." It is like the god wanted that blood and giving it to him made him happy. It occurred in early India before the Buddha and still happened in the Mayan/Aztec world until the Spanish arrived. That is why whole army contingents were sacrificed in early China. Some human sacrifice even survived into the society of Ancient Crete.
below are some of the blood sources in the Scriptures:
"When I see the Blood, I will pass over you." Exodus 12:13
"It is the Blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." Leviticus 17:11
"The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." I John 1:7
"We have redemption through His Blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Colossians l:14
Below is a vivid description of the "blood lust" common to Judaism, Christianity and Islam:
Day and night one verse would ring in my ears: "It is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul." I knew I had broken the law. I needed atonement. Year after year, on that day, I beat my breast as I confessed my need of it; but it was to be made by blood, and there was no Blood! In my distress I at last opened my heart to a learned and venerable rabbi. He told me that God was angry with His people the temple was destroyed, and a Mohammedan mosque was reared up in its place. The only, spot on this earth where we dare shed the blood of sacrifice, in accordance with Deuteronomy 12 and Leviticus 17, was desecrated and our nation scattered. That was why there was no blood. God had Himself closed the way to carry out the solemn service of the great day of atonement. Now we must turn to the Talmud, and rest on its instructions, and trust in the mercy of God and the merits of the fathers.
I tried to be satisfied but could not. Something seemed to say that the law was unaltered, even though our temple was destroyed. Nothing else but the blood could atone for the soul. We dare not shed blood for atonement elsewhere than in the place the Lord had chosen. Then we were left without atonement at all. The thought filled me with horror. In my distress I consulted many other rabbis. I had but one great question, "Where can I find the blood of atonement?"
I was over thirty years of age when I left Palestine and came to Constantinople, with my still unanswered question ever before my mind, and my soul exceedingly troubled about my sins. One night I was walking down one of the narrow streets of that city, when I saw a sign telling of a meeting for Jews. Curiosity led me to open the door and go in. Just as I took a seat I heard a man say: "The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." I was my first introduction to Christianity, but I listened breathlessly as the speaker told how God had declared that "Without shedding of blood is no remission," but that He had given His only begotten Son, the Lamb of God, to die, and all who trusted in His Blood were forgiven all their iniquities. This was the Messiah of the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah; this was the Suffering Servant of Psalm 22. Ah, my brethren, I had found the blood atonement at last. I trusted it, and now I love to read the New Testament and see how all the shadows of the law are fulfilled in Jesus. His Blood has been shed for sinners. It has satisfied God, and it is the only means of salvation for either Jew or Gentile.
Keep in mind that the Old Testament in a Jewish book. Before their Temple was torn down by the Romans, their whole worship centered around the ritual slaughter of animals in that Temple. The Temple itself was regarded as "the house of God." Does that explain why the blood emphasis? Not quite. Lets go back for an explanation of why all the animal slaughtering.
In the earliest forms of the Near Eastern religious heritage was the belief that if you conquer another people, slaughter them and take their land, it was a 'BLOOD SACRIFICE." It is like the god wanted that blood and giving it to him made him happy. It occurred in early India before the Buddha and still happened in the Mayan/Aztec world until the Spanish arrived. That is why whole army contingents were sacrificed in early China. Some human sacrifice even survived into the society of Ancient Crete.
below are some of the blood sources in the Scriptures:
"When I see the Blood, I will pass over you." Exodus 12:13
"It is the Blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." Leviticus 17:11
"The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." I John 1:7
"We have redemption through His Blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Colossians l:14
Below is a vivid description of the "blood lust" common to Judaism, Christianity and Islam:
Day and night one verse would ring in my ears: "It is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul." I knew I had broken the law. I needed atonement. Year after year, on that day, I beat my breast as I confessed my need of it; but it was to be made by blood, and there was no Blood! In my distress I at last opened my heart to a learned and venerable rabbi. He told me that God was angry with His people the temple was destroyed, and a Mohammedan mosque was reared up in its place. The only, spot on this earth where we dare shed the blood of sacrifice, in accordance with Deuteronomy 12 and Leviticus 17, was desecrated and our nation scattered. That was why there was no blood. God had Himself closed the way to carry out the solemn service of the great day of atonement. Now we must turn to the Talmud, and rest on its instructions, and trust in the mercy of God and the merits of the fathers.
I tried to be satisfied but could not. Something seemed to say that the law was unaltered, even though our temple was destroyed. Nothing else but the blood could atone for the soul. We dare not shed blood for atonement elsewhere than in the place the Lord had chosen. Then we were left without atonement at all. The thought filled me with horror. In my distress I consulted many other rabbis. I had but one great question, "Where can I find the blood of atonement?"
I was over thirty years of age when I left Palestine and came to Constantinople, with my still unanswered question ever before my mind, and my soul exceedingly troubled about my sins. One night I was walking down one of the narrow streets of that city, when I saw a sign telling of a meeting for Jews. Curiosity led me to open the door and go in. Just as I took a seat I heard a man say: "The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." I was my first introduction to Christianity, but I listened breathlessly as the speaker told how God had declared that "Without shedding of blood is no remission," but that He had given His only begotten Son, the Lamb of God, to die, and all who trusted in His Blood were forgiven all their iniquities. This was the Messiah of the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah; this was the Suffering Servant of Psalm 22. Ah, my brethren, I had found the blood atonement at last. I trusted it, and now I love to read the New Testament and see how all the shadows of the law are fulfilled in Jesus. His Blood has been shed for sinners. It has satisfied God, and it is the only means of salvation for either Jew or Gentile.
