The Relationship between the Old and New Testaments, a two-track approach.

It is no doubt that from a Christian reading of the Old Testament, that Jesus Christ fulfilled much of the Old Testament Law, as, for example, Jesus pronounces all foods clean in Mark 7:19 (Textus Receptus has a slightly different reading here, as reflected in the NKJV,  "because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, [thus] purifying all foods?)." This in essence, nullifies the role of the dietary and food laws in the life of the Christian community. In a similar manner, Christ's high-priestly sacrifice has fulfilled the sacrificial law for the forgiveness of sins (interestingly, Hebrews has little to say about peace and thank offerings), as illustrated in the book of Hebrews. As the sin offering at the Day of Atonement was given by limited, imperfect, sinful priests who needed to atone for their own sins first, it needed to be repeated year after year, and could not clean the conscience. Christ's self-sacrifice was once and for all, and could clean the conscience, as his sacrifice was perfect.

When we look from the vantage-point of the New Testament witness, then, the Day of Atonement sacrifice, as described in Lev 16, is of no longer any use for the forgiveness of sins, the perfect has replaced the imperfect. When we look from the vantage-point of Leviticus 16, however, and explore what Leviticus has to say about what was accomplished in the Day of Atonement, our view of what Jesus has done is enriched.

We will explore this further tomorrow. God bless.