Why Sacrifices in The Millennium?-Part 1

A common objection to the consistent literal interpretation of Bible prophecy is found in Ezekiel's Temple vision (Ezek. 40-48). Opponents argue that if this is a literal, future Temple, then it will require a return to the sacrificial system that Christ made obsolete since the prophet speaks of "atonement" (kiper) in Ezekiel 43:13, 27; 45:15, 17, 20. This is true! Critics believe this to be a blasphemous contradiction to the finished work of Christ as presented in Hebrews 10. Hank Hanegraaff says that I have "exacerbated the problem by stating that without animal sacrifices in the Millennium, Yahweh's holiness would be defiled. That, for obvious reasons, is blasphemous." He further says that such a view constitutes a return "to Old Covenant sacrifices."[1]
"Is it heretical to believe that a Temple and sacrifices will once again exist," ask John Schmitt and Carl Laney? "Ezekiel himself believed it was a reality and the future home of Messiah. Then, it becomes not heresy to believe that a Temple and sacrifices will exist; rather, it is almost a heresy to not believe this, especially because it is a part of God's infallible word. The burden on us is to determine how it fits-not its reality."[1] At least four other prophets join Ezekiel in affirming a sacrificial system in a millennial Temple (Isa. 56:7; 66:20-23; Jer. 33:18; Zech. 14:16-21; Mal. 3:3-4), which supports a literal and thus futurist understanding of Ezekiel.
New Covenant Sacrifices
We do not believe that reinstituting sacrifices in a future dispensation will be a return to the Mosaic system of the Old Covenant. The Mosaic Law has forever been fulfilled and discontinued through Christ (Rom. 6:14-15; 7:1-6; 1 Cor. 9:20-21; 2 Cor. 3:7-11; Gal. 4:1-7; 5:18; Eph. 2-3; Heb. 7:12; 8:6-7, 13; 10:1-14). The millennium will be a time in which Israel's New Covenant will become the ruling jurisdiction (Deut. 29:4; 30:6; Isa. 59:20-21; 61:8-9; Jer. 31:31-40; 32:37-40; 50:4-5; Ezek. 11:19-20; 16:60-63; 34:25-26; 36:24-32; 37:21-28; Zech. 9:11; 12:10-14). Therefore, it will not be a time of returning to the old but of going forward to the new. "For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also" (Heb. 7:12).
The new millennial Law will contain a mixture of Mosaic-type laws with totally new non-Mosaic laws not found in the 613, under the jurisdiction of the New Covenant. Jesus the Messiah will be physically present instead of the Shechinah glory presence in conjunction with the ark of the covenant; a new priestly order from the sons of Zadok (Ezek. 40:46; 43:19; 48:11) instead of the Levites; a new Temple measuring one mile square (Ezek. 40:48-41:26) instead of the much smaller Solomonic model. Randall Price tells us:
The previous section concerning the design of the altar of burnt offering (43:13-27) introduced the reinstitution of the sacrificial service, which continues in the subsequent chapters (44-46) with regulations for the Levitical priests and the various sacrifices to be offered for Israel's atonement. Although detailed instructions concerning the institution of the sacrificial system appear for the first time in these chapters, frequent references to the practice have been made since the beginning of the prophecy (40:38-43, 46-47; 41:22; 42:13-14). Moreover, these references are not incidental, but intrinsic to the entire presentation of Ezekiel's vision in chapters 40-48. For example, there is a statement concerning the sacrificial system in every chapter but one (chapter 47). These references include: "new moons and Sabbaths . . . all the appointed feasts" (Ezek. 44:24; 45:17; 46:3, 11-12), "daily offerings" (Ezek. 46:13-14), "burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the libations" (Ezek. 45:17; 46:2, 4, 11-15), "blood sacrifices" (Ezek. 43:20), an "altar" for burnt offering (Ezek. 40:47; 43:13-27), an "altar" for incense offering (Ezek. 41:22), "boiling places" to "boil the sacrifices of the people" (Ezek. 46:23-24); a "Zadokite" priesthood to "offer Me the fat and the blood" (Ezek. 40:46; 42:13-14: 43:19; 44:15-16; 48:11), a "Levitical" priesthood to "slaughter the burnt offering" (Ezek. 44:10-11; 48:22). Furthermore, the offerings are stated to be for "a sin offering" (Ezek. 43:22, 25; 44:24, 29) and to "make atonement" (Ezek. 43:20; 45:25). Since the sacrifices and sacrificial personnel are so prominent throughout these chapters, the treatment of the sacrifices cannot be avoided.[2]
To be continued
By Dr.Thomas Ice
http://www.pre-trib.org/article-view.php?id=320
[1] John Schmitt and Carl Laney, Messiah's Coming Temple: Ezekiel's Prophetic Vision of the Future Temple (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1997), p. 181.
[1] Hank Hanegraaff, The Apocalypse Code (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007), pp. 268-69.
[2] Randall Price, Unpublished Notes on The Prophecies of Ezekiel, (2007), pp. 70-71.

As in the days of Noah...