For Other Parts In This Series:
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5 Part 6
Since the destruction of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, the daily sacrifices have been stopped. For more than 1900 years, the Jewish people have been unable to perform the required sacrifices and ceremonies to receive forgiveness of sins.
Animal sacrifices can only be made in the Temple according to God’s commandment.
The atonement of iniquity (sin that is unknown) can only be made through a blood offering.
Leviticus 17:11 – For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement.
Hebrews 9:22 – Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
As a result of there no longer being a Temple, Judaism has made revisions to the way they receive forgiveness from God. Judaism now believes that the ceremonies and rituals that required an animal sacrifice and could only be performed in the Temple, can still be done without the Temple. The animal sacrifices, which are instrumental in atoning for sins, have been eliminated and replaced with prayers. The Jewish people believe that prayers achieve the same result as a blood sacrifice.
To support their claim that God grants forgiveness without the need for a sacrifice, one of the books the Jewish people refer to is the book of Esther.
When the Jewish people were exiled into Babylon, Esther, a Jewish woman, married Ahasuerus (Xerxes), the King of Persia. Esther became the Queen of Persia. At this time, Haman, the King’s ‘right-hand man’ was planning to destroy the Jewish people who were in Babylon because Mordecai, a Jew (who was also Esther’s adoptive father), refused to bow down to him in homage. As the decree went out to kill all of the Jewish people, Mordecai, asked Esther to intercede on behalf of the people and ask the King for protection.
Esther was afraid to do this, because it was not customary to approach the King without being invited. The punishment was death. Mordecai tells his daughter that this may have been the reason she has been put in the position of a queen. However, if she decides to keep silent, God will send deliverance from another place.
Esther 4:15-16 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”
Through this story, it is clear to see that Esther was asking the Jewish people to fast for her sake so that she may be protected when she goes to speak to the King.
However, the Jewish people believe Esther was asking for forgiveness for the sins of Israel, without there being a sacrifice. This is impossible, as the scriptures state that God does not allow forgiveness of sins or an offering of sacrifice without the Temple.
It is also important to understand that God would have saved the Jewish people regardless of their fasting and prayers as Mordecai pointed out in
Esther 4:12-14 – When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
The deliverance of the Jewish people from exile was already prophesied through the prophet, Jeremiah. Jeremiah had written a letter to the exiles explaining that God would preserve them and bring them back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. The fast was not necessary to achieve deliverance from exile. Esther merely requested the fast for her own sake and peace of mind for the task she was about to undertake.
Jeremiah 29:4-6 & 10-14 – This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease….
10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
A third Temple of God will never exist in Jerusalem. This is because in the new covenant, which Paul explains in Hebrews 9 (see below), the Temple of God will be a spiritual one through Jesus Christ. God has specifically made it this way so that the Jews can only be saved by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus (the heavenly Temple). Jesus’ message uncovers all unintentional and unknown sin (iniquity). God forgives iniquity when we accept Jesus’ teachings. There is no longer any need for sacrifice as Jesus is the everlasting and eternal sacrifice.
If the Jewish people do not accept the teachings of Jesus (the heavenly Temple) and if they refuse to believe that they cannot receive forgiveness of sins (iniquity) without an earthly Temple, they will as Jesus said “die in their sins”.
John 8:24 – I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
Paul explains the earthly and heavenly Temple system in Hebrews 9.
Hebrews 9:1-27 – Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.
20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.
25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
The events in the book of Esther took place during the Persian rule. At this point, the second Temple had been already rebuilt and sacrifices at the Temple were reinstated. Atonement for sins was being made at the Temple in accordance with God’s commandments and instructions. Not all Jews returned to Israel after the exile was over. Esther’s people were among the Jews who remained.
Therefore, it makes no sense to use this story as a reason to suggest that forgiveness of sins can be made without a Temple or sacrifice. The story of Esther does not validate the Jewish argument that somehow the fast of Esther brought forgiveness of sins (iniquity). Esther’s fast was just a random fast done for her own motives of having to go before the King uninvited. It had nothing to do with the forgiveness of sins. It was independent of the Temple.
A Temple, along with its sacrifices and offerings, is always needed to be able to atone for sins for both Jews and Christians alike. For the Jewish people, the Temple has been destroyed and there is no way to receive forgiveness of sins. For Christians, we have Jesus, the eternal, heavenly, spiritual Temple and eternal sacrifice!
Read Next:
Jonah: The Jewish Argument For Atonement In The Absence of Sacrifices Part 2
Jeremiah 29:The Jewish Argument For Atonement In The Absence of Sacrifices Part 3
Esther: The Jewish Argument For Atonement In The Absence of Sacrifices Part 4
Jeremiah 33: The Jewish Argument For Atonement In The Absence of Sacrifices Part 5
Why Do Jews Believe There Will Be A Third Physical Temple Of God? Part 6
