What Happened in AD 70? What Happened at the Cross?
What Happened at the
Cross:
All of the
following accrued to the immediate benefit of men from and after
the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
AD 70 was irrelevant in terms of man’s salvation from the
power of sin: Our glory is all the cross!
Atonement
was made in full:
“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Rom.
The debt
of sin was expunged:
“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” (Col. 2:14).
[Here the verb tense is historical present, showing what
happened at the cross: viz., the debt of sin was blotted out.]
Sins were
remitted: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph.
1:7).
Sins were
washed away: “And
now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy
sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts
Men were
reconciled to God:
“And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind
by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body
of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable
and unreprovable in his sight” (Col. 1:21, 22). [Verb tense
is perfect, showing completed action in the past.]
The Old
Testament was annulled:
“For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment
going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
For the law made nothing perfect…which stood only in meats and
drinks, and divers washings imposed on them until the time of
reformation” (Heb. 7:17, 19; 9:10).
Having abolished in his flesh the
enmity, even the law of commandments contained in
ordinances” (Eph.
Believers
were freed from all obligation to the Old Testament:
“But if ye
be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Gal.
Circumcision, the
New
Testament became of force:
“For a testament is of force after men are dead:
otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth”
(Heb.
The New
Testament replaced the Old Testament:
“He taketh away the first,
that he may establish the second. By the which will we
are sanctified by the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb.
10:9, 10). [No man can
have two testaments in force at the same time.
The Old Testament was removed at the cross so that the
New Testament could come into force.]
Spiritual
resurrection (acquittal from guilt) occurred at conversion:
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of
your flesh, hath he quickened together with him,
having forgiven you all trespasses” (Col. 2:13). [Note: if
spiritual resurrection to heaven (Eph.
The veil
of sin separating man from God was removed:
“And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain
from the top to the bottom” (Matt. 27:51).
Saints
admitted into legal & covenantal presence of God:
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into
the holiest by the blood of Jesus…Let us draw near with a
true heart in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:19, 22).
Men stood
perfect and complete before God:
“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them
that are sanctified” (Heb.
What Happened in AD 70:
AD 70 was a
time of eschatological judgment and wrath, as Jesus took up his
reign from the right hand of God, putting his enemies beneath
his feet, including Hadean death.
The
kingdom came in power:
“Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand
here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the
The world
entered a time of judgment:
“Because he hath appointed a day,
in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that
man whom he hath ordained” (Acts
Jesus
demonstrated his omnipotence and divinity:
“That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable,
until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in
his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath
immortality, dwelling n light which no man can approach unto;
whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power
everlasting. Amen”
(I Tim.
Christ
came in judgment upon Daniel’s “little horn” [Nero]:
“And I beheld, and the same
horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
until the Ancient of days came and judgment was given to the
saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints
possessed the kingdom” (Dan. 7:21, 22; cf. II Thess. 2:3-9).
The image
of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was broken to pieces:
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set
up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom
shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces
and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever”
(Dan. 2:44; cf. Ps. 2:8, 9).
The
political powers of the heathen were subjected to Christ:
“I will shake the heavens and the earth; and I will
overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the
strength of the kingdoms of the heathen” (Hagg.
The
Jewish nation was destroyed:
“That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of
Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and
the altar” (Matt.
The
Hadean resurrection occurred:
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall
awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and
everlasting contempt…and when he shall have accomplished to
scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be
finished” (Dan. 12:2, 7; cf. Rev. 11:15-19).
What did Not Happen in AD 70
Question:
Does the fact that some prophecies and promises contained in the
Old Testament scriptures were not fulfilled until AD 70 mean the
ceremonial law was still valid, binding, and obligatory?
Answer:
No. The shadow ends
where the body begins; the body is of Christ (Col.2:17).
The temple ritual was a prophetic type and foreshadow,
pointing to the sacrifice of Jesus. Once Jesus came and
fulfilled the law’s demand, the law ceased. Not ONE verse can be
produced showing the Old Testament was binding from and after
the cross. To the
contrary, whole books (e.g., Galatians and Hebrews) are devoted
to the subject that men were NOT to obey the ritual and ceremony
of the Old law, including circumcision, which was the very
essence of the Old Testament.
If circumcision was annulled, the whole ceremonial law
was annulled.
Prophecies
concerning the destruction of
“He that
killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb
as is he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as
if he offered an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he
that burneth incense as if he blessed an idol. Yet, they have
chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their
abominations. I also
will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon
them; because when I called none did answer; when I spake they
did not hear; but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that
in which I delighted not.
Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word;
Your brethren that hated you, and that cast you out for my
name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall
appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise
from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that
rendereth recompence to his enemies” (Isa. 66:3-6).
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