For Other Parts In This Series:
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 6
Jeremiah 33 is another scripture the Jewish people use to support atonement without sacrifice. The Jewish people currently have no Temple to pray towards or to offer sacrifices to atone for their sin. This was much like the time of the Jewish exile into Babylon, when the Temple of God was destroyed.
Due to the similarity, the Jewish people draw comparisons to scriptures written during this time, namely from the book of Jeremiah. They refer to the book of Jeremiah to justify that they can receive forgiveness of their sins (iniquity) today, without their holy Temple of God.
Part 5 of this series will examine the 33rd chapter of the book of Jeremiah. This is the chapter the Jewish people refer to as confirmation that they can receive forgiveness of sins without a blood sacrifice and a Temple.
Jeremiah 33:4 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword 5 in the fight with the Babylonians: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.
It is clear from this scripture that God will hide his face from the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants because of their wickedness and rebellion.
6 Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.
During their exile, God is stating that they will not become slaves or be abused. Rather, they will increase in numbers and be treated well by their conquerors while in exile.
Jeremiah 29:4-7 – 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. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
The exile will be a spiritual one. God will not hear their prayers nor forgive their iniquity (sins) during this time of exile. This was their punishment. Although verse 7 says to pray to the Lord, it merely means to hope for the best for Babylon. This is because if Babylon suffers, the Jewish people will also suffer. It does not mean that God will hear their prayers and grant forgiveness of sins without a temple or atoning sacrifice. The exile was meant to be a punishment of separation from God due to their iniquity.
Isaiah 59:2 – But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
continued…Jeremiah 33:7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.
When the time of exile is complete (70 years), God states that he will then bring the Jewish people back from captivity. Then the second Temple and the city will be rebuilt as it was before. Once the second Temple is rebuilt, the Jewish people can make sacrifices and offerings again to atone for their iniquity (sins that were unknown to them) and finally receive forgiveness for their sins. There must be a blood offering to receive forgiveness of iniquity.
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.
Jeremiah 33 is clearly stating that when the time of exile is over, God will take the people back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of God and the city. Once this is done, the offerings and sacrifices can be reinstated and God will be able to hear the people’s prayers and forgive their sins (iniquity). This chapter in no way, supports the forgiveness of sins without a Temple or a blood sacrifice.
continued…Jeremiah 33:9 Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’
10 “This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord.
This scripture is referring to the building of the second Temple and the city of Jerusalem.
continued…Jeremiah 33:12 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate and without people or animals—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. 13 In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord. 14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. 15 “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’
17 For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, 18 nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’
This scripture is referring to the heavenly Temple system which is Jesus. Paul explains this in:
Hebrews 7:11-26 – If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.
14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
The Messiah is referred to being a new priest from the order of Melchizedek. This refers to there being a heavenly Temple system since Melchizedek was not a Levitical priest. Levites were part of the earthly Temple system. Just as Jesus was not a Levite yet he is our High Priest from the order of Melchizedek. Jesus became a priest based on the power of his indestructible life. He is a priest forever from the eternal heavenly Temple system, not the temporary earthly temple system.
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. 20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’” 22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
In order for the Jewish people to receive forgiveness of sins without their Temple, they must believe in the teachings of Jesus. Otherwise, they will die in their sins.
John 8:24 – I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
Hebrews 8:1-6 – Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.
The earthly Temple system was nothing more than a physical example of the heavenly Temple system that was to come which is through the teachings of Jesus.
Hebrews 10:1-18 – The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’” 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
Jesus is the final sacrifice. The Jewish people cannot have it both ways. They cannot reject Jesus, the heavenly Temple and not have an earthly Temple to offer sacrifices in (because of the Dome of the Rock mosque in its place). Then claim that they can still receive forgiveness of sins (iniquity). This is not possible as per the scriptures and the book of Jeremiah does not support this argument.
continued…Jeremiah 33:19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. 25 This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, 26 then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’
No one can stop the coming of Jesus and the fulfillment of the promise God made to King David. The promise was that his descendants shall always be king and remain on the throne and reign over the Jewish people. The Jewish people must accept Jesus as their Messiah in order to receive forgiveness of their sins (iniquity).
The prophet Jeremiah was speaking of the second Temple when referring to it being rebuilt. It is only the prophet Daniel who speaks of the current Temple ruins when he speaks of the lawless one (the Antichrist) building his seat of power in the place of daily sacrifices. This is the current Dome of the Rock mosque. When looking for prophetic words for our current situation and future, we must only look to the book of Daniel. Daniel is the only prophet that Jesus quoted when speaking of the future of the Temple and its sacrifices.
Matthew 24:15 – So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand.
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
