The word atonement suggests that he paid our price. As a matter of fact it was our sin not his for which he died. 1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree. He was literally taking what our sinned deserved. His hanging on a tree was a curse, for what was he cursed if not our sin?. I think the term substitutionary atonement sums up what he did very well. Christ certainly did not die for his own sins (he had none). It is also recorded that Christ went to Hell. Is that not what our sin deserves and not anything he did. We can agree that Christ died, we can agree that he had no sin, we can agree that the act saves us if we believe. I think substitutionary atonement the best explanation for those facts.
So you think the only thing the crucifixion accomplished was to shock us so bad we quit sinning? that done at what level of perfection was the goal achieved or the standard met? Once you confirm exactly what it is you are claiming I can respond directly. I have never heard this concept before and need to ask questions and get the details of it before I evaluate it.
I read many commentaries about these verses and none of them claimed what you have. That does not prove your wrong but unless I have a revelation myself is the best that can be done. They all seem to agree that the armies surrounding Jerusalem is the abomination (they being pagans are standing on holy ground). The desolation is either the damage they caused or the wrath of God poured out at the same time. What the Romans did (Temple desecration and destruction is an example) is the most prevalent in commentaries. Do you have any respected scholars that support your interpretation.
I will ask a few more questions for clarity before I critique your salvation model. Do you believe that we must be born again and that occurs the moment we believe in what Jesus did and at that moment all sin is forgiven and the Holy Spirit enters our heart? Do you believe that we must merit salvation by works or lack of sin? That we can achieve a perfect sinless record? Please be brief but specific and address my questions directly as it will save much time.
It sure helps me understand what you are thinking but many questions remain. I do not think at this time it helps me understand the Bible message any better but that is only my opinion and I am not arrogant enough to dismiss something just because it does not agree with me. I dismiss things based on theological and philosophical impossibilities and inconsistency and that can only be examined once I understand what I have asked. Thanks for the info so far and I hope you can give a detailed description in the areas requested.
Hi 1robin, it might help if an overall view of what Elohim is doing would be presented.
What Elohim wants is for us to BECOME like Him, knowing good and evil, and reject the evil and choose the good. For that to transpire, Elohim had to FIRST create us FLESH, being CONSIGNED to sin, and THEN delivering us OUT from that consignment or slavery. Most feel Adam and Eve were sinless with no propensity toward sin, and they with full knowledge did choose to sin. That belief is most certainly false because Adam and Eve were created with the same sinful nature as their offspring (see 1 Cor 15:43-49). The Messiah IS the 2nd Adam or Last Adam, the Spiritual Man, and He did not come FIRST, but rather the sinful, corrupt, dishonoured, and WEAK natural or earthy/fleshly man (see v.46). So in Elohim's plan, man was created IN darkness (blindness) and sin, with a propensity to be AGAINST Him and not to obey Him, because of our naked flesh and it's desires.
Now, as a act of fair play, all according to Elohim's Grace, He is allowing us to use the disobedience that He created us under, to fulfill what the Law required us to do, which is "sinner, sacrifice for your sin." All have sinned and all have this righteousness (doing what the Law required for your sin--which is to sacrifice) as a free gift. In fact, where you increase sin, you increase this Grace for it is by each and everyone one of us sinning, that we did place Yeshua up on the cross as OUR sacrifice.
It takes faith to believe and accept that Yeshua is your offering for sin, but once "seen" a redemption and atonement FROM sin occurs. This redemption should be viewed as being redeemed OUT from the slavery of sin, and the atonement is in how we come up INTO a NEW LIFE without sin. Only doing what is right atones for evil, and ONLY in Yeshua can that atonement occur. This is why the Law requires that on the day of Atonement everyone was to "afflict" themselves. What is that "affliction" or "fast" that Yahweh requires (see Isa 58)? Isn't it to "loose" the bands of wickedness, and undo sinful burdens, and break the yoke of every sin? Entering INTO this FAST causes suffering, for anyone who desires to do Elohim's WILL, undergoes persecution (see 2 Tim 3:12). So LEARNING how to SUFFER as He suffered (see 1 Pet 4:13-19, 1 Pet 2:21) is the atonement and redemption FROM sin, and He suffered and died for us to bring us to that knowledge of the Truth.
Yeshua knew that what was going to happen to Him was THE Abomination which causes desolation, and that those who could SEE, would flee from their sin and no longer have anything to do with lifting Him up on the Cross. The Law and the Prophets specifically state that the shedding of Innocent blood is an abomination, and that putting the Righteous and Innocent to death is abominable. But Elohim knew that our killing of Yeshua would open our blind eyes to see the result of what our wickedness causes...the shedding of innocent blood, and bless us to TURN from our iniquity and have our blindness healed. Hopefully, 1robin you may start to see the difference between a substitutionary atonement and a true and living atonement. KB