Christian reading

Why is the Old Testament obsolete? (part 3)

In conclusion, there are signs that show that God has forsaken the Jews.

- God stopped speaking through prophets. After a certain point in history, the Israelites had no more prophets; God stopped speaking to the Jewish people through prophets. Christians, however, had the gift of prophecy manifested in believing saints.

- The Ark of the Covenant was lost. The Ark that served as a sign of the Covenant, had long been lost. As Jeremiah said: «They shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more» (Jer 3:16). «The same document [Jeremiah scripture] also describes how the prophet, warned by an oracle, gave orders for the tent and the ark to go with him, when he set out for the mountain which Moses had climbed to survey God's heritage. On his arrival, Jeremiah found a cave-dwelling, into which he put the tent, the ark and the altar of incense, afterwards blocking up the entrance. Some of his companions went back later to mark out the path but were unable to find it. When Jeremiah learned this, he reproached them, "The place is to remain unknown", he said, "until God gathers his people together again and shows them his mercy. Then the Lord will bring these things once more to light, and the glory of the Lord will be seen, and so will the cloud, as it was revealed in the time of Moses and when Solomon prayed that the holy place might be gloriously hallowed"» (2 Macc 2:4-8). It will happen at the end of the age: «And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever... And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail» (Rev 11:15, 19).

- The Jews were cut off from grace. When Jesus was crucified, after he gave up His spirit to the Father, «behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many» (Mt 27:51-53; compare Mk 15:38; Lk 23:45).

(to be continued)