In this lesson we continue to examine the seven great foundation changes. You can review these seven great changes in the exercise below. The main idea to which this lesson progresses, is that the cross of Christ is the great simplifier regarding end time doctrine. That will become clear as you proceed.

The Seven Great Changes Reviewed

• Mosaic covenant was abolished, replaced by the new covenant of Jesus Christ.
• Levitical-Aaronic priesthood and sacrifices replaced by Christ’s priesthood and sacrifice.
• The reconciliation of Jew and Gentile in Christ removed all distinction and inequality.
• The Israel of God became a heavenly Kingdom with Christ as its king.
• The symbolic types or shadows were replaced by the real and true things.
• The Baptism of John was replaced by baptism in the name of Christ and into his death.
• The Patriarchal/Mosaical ages ended, and the Christian age commenced.

Questions About The Seven Great Changes

Certain extremely important questions arise concerning the seven great changes:

• Did these changes all happen at once, or were some made before others?
• Did these changes occur in a clear-cut fashion? In other words, did the old things completely pass away immediately, and did the new things completely take their place straight away? Or was there a fading out of the old, and a phasing in of the new, over a number of years?
• Were some of these great changes interrupted and postponed, and are we still waiting for the process of change to be resumed?
• Were some of these changes brought in as temporary or interim measures, and are we waiting for them to be reversed?

Before we look at any more questions, let's have a hard think about those four.

The Nature of the Seven Changes

The following points are of the utmost importance concerning the changes that Christ made.

• All seven changes occurred together and suddenly.
• There was no fade-out or phase-in period.
• No change was interrupted or postponed.
• All changes were permanent, none temporary.

Other Related Questions

The next set of questions considers how the great changes are related to the "Last Days." The answers to this set of questions are somewhat dependent upon the answers to the previous set, and vice versa. In other words, how one answers the questions above, will affect one's answers to the questions that follow, and vice versa.

• Were the "Last Days" the years immediately preceding the great changes --the period of preparation for the climax of change?
• Were the "Last Days" the years immediately following the great changes --the period of reaction to the climax of change?
• Were the "Last Days" a period in which the great changes were phased in?
• Are the "Last Days" a period yet future in which the great changes resume, having been interrupted and postponed for many centuries?
• Are the "Last Days" a period yet future in which the great changes approach their end, and begin to be reversed to some extent?
• Are the "Last Days" the entire period since the great changes occurred, the entire Christian Age as it were?

Obviously the answers to these questions cannot all be "Yes" and no one would answer "Yes" to them all. However all the questions would get a "Yes" from someone, albeit a somewhat qualified "Yes".

The Great Complexity

You probably did not expect matters to get so complicated, but don't worry: we will shortly make matters much simpler.

There is one thing which greatly simplifies the rather complex tangle of ideas we have encountered in the questions on this page. To help introduce this to you, please work through the next two exercises.

Every one of the items above is very important, and has some bearing on our understanding and discussion of "The Last Days" and the great changes.

There is one item, however, which stands out as the thing which, if we understand it well, will simplify and clarify our thinking and our study.

The Great Simplifier

The great simplifier is the crucifixion of Jesus, and his resurrection from the dead.

When we grasp a few simple facts about the cross, we find that we possess a great simplifier. The rest of this lesson introduces you to these facts about the cross. While this certainly simplifies the complexity we have encountered, you will still need to think hard about what follows.

Having promised to simplify matters, I am now about to annoy you with three rather long words: abrogation, consummation, and propitiation. The meaning of these is easy to grasp, however, and will be clearly explained.

The Cross Of Abrogation

To abrogate means to repeal, revoke, rescind, annul, cancel, abolish, make void, write off. For example, speaking of the old covenant-law, Paul says Jesus "took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross" (Col 2:14). Paul says of the distinction between Jew and Gentile, that it was "broken down... abolished... put to death... through the cross" (Eph 2:14-16). Regarding the priestly sacrifice for sins, we read that God "takes away the first that he might establish the second... through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb 10:9-10).

The Cross Of Consummation

To consummate means to complete, perfect, finish, fulfil, accomplish, bring to fruition, reach a climax. For example, speaking of the ages since the foundation of the world, the Hebrew writer says, "Now once, at the consummation of the ages, Christ has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Heb 9:26).

"In him we have redemption through his blood," says Paul and then goes on to describe how, "in the dispensation of the fullness of times" all things were gathered under Christ's feet (Eph 1:7-23).

The Cross Of Propitiation

To propitiate means to compensate, reconcile, satisfy, make atonement, make peace.

The Bible says that Christ "did this once and for all when he offered himself up" and that he "has been perfected for ever" in his appointment as High Priest. (Heb 7:25-28).

At the cross, the priesthood and temple sacrifices were changed, and there was "no more offering for sin" (Heb 10:14,18).

In Christian baptism, one is brought into the death of Christ and our old person, so marred by sin, is crucified and buried with him (Rom 6:3-6). Abrogation + Consummation + Propitiation = Simplification!

In future lessons, we will enlarge on many of the things introduced here. But even now, if you think it all through, you will see how the cross of Christ simplifies the way we understand the seven great changes and their relationship to "the last days."

The aim of this lesson was to make you think and help you think --not to do your thinking for you. The aim of this lesson was to give you things to think about. Whether you think about them, or forget about them, is of course a matter largely under your control.

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