2020-September/October

In the Beginning

September 1, 2020

The Priesthood Man’s relationship with God was broken when sin entered the human family. It has been a long difficult struggle as we have all inherited the imperfection that came with sin. As a result, disease, poverty, and man’s inhumanity to man have plagued the world. But God has designed a way for sin and its dire consequences to be erased, leaving only the benefits of memory and experience. God’s justice required payment of a corresponding price to release mankind from the […]

The Aaronic Priesthood

September 1, 2020

“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him’” (Numbers 3:5,6, all scriptures from the Revised Standard Version). Gleaned from an article by Jeffrey Earl There are a number of high priests named in the Old Testament, such as Mel­chizedek, Aaron, Zadok, and Joshua. This article focuses on the priesthood of Aaron, the first high priest under the Mosaic system. The Aaronic priesthood served the nation […]

Sin Offerings

September 1, 2020

Tabernacle Sacrifices “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who … offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13,14). by Tom Ruggirello In studying the sacrifices offered in Israel’s tabernacle, the student can be easily overwhelmed by the many occasions calling for different offerings. Sometimes […]

A Comparative Study Leviticus 8, 9 and 16

September 1, 2020

“So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses” (Leviticus 8:36). Three special ceremonies were instituted by God to convey essential elements of His plan to redeem the world: the consecration of the priesthood (Leviticus 8), the eighth-day ceremony following the consecration of the priesthood (Leviticus 9), and the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). Many similarities existed between them. For example, each service provided a sin offering, a burnt offering, and sprinkled blood on […]

News and Views

September 1, 2020

Religious The 25,000 fragments that make up the Dead Sea Scrolls are considered by many to be the archaeological discovery of the 20th century. They were found mostly in the decade following 1947, yet 21st-century techniques still have more to teach us about the Dead Sea Scrolls, and thus about Second Temple Judaism at the time of Jesus. A highly technical study released on June 11, 2020, in the Journal Cell examines the Dead Sea Scrolls by identifying the ancient DNA of […]