Thanks for starting my day in the right direction. 8~)
1st mail
**** "Upon His breastplate he is now bearing our names; and in His authoritative pleadings at the throne He remembers our persons and pleads our cause." ****
I think you need to make a correction on the thread and flag everyone you can.
You emphasized "NOW bearing our names." The Bible's emphasis is DIFFERENT.
Look at Exodus 28, especially verses 12, 28, 29, and 30. (See if you can figure out what I am driving at.)
Particular redemption cheers,
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I requested clarification and this is the response
My point is that the names of the chosen people were on the Lord's shoulders and their precious souls were on His heart **when He MADE ATONEMENT.** Our High Priest was not even ALLOWED to make a strictly vague, general atonement. This is clearly presented in the typology of the "chosen people."
Exodus 28:12 and 28:28-30 required that the High Priest of the OT make an atonement which was absolutely specific to the "chosen people." The OT's High Priest was not even **allowed** to go into the Holiest of Holies to present the meritorious blood (and thereby consummate the Atonement) unless he was **wearing** the epaulets with the specific names and the precious stones!
When you see that the Church is the fulfillment of the OT's chosen people idea (symbolized by the Jews as a race), the doctrine of particular redemption (limited atonement) is a slam dunk. The High Priest did NOT atone for the sins of the non-chosen. AT ALL. Then where does the free offer of the gospel fit in?
It consists in the fact of the mystery which the secret will of God entails in tension with the revealed will of God. When the High Priest was officiating at the brazen altar--for all to behold--he was wearing only a plain tunic, not the special ephod or breastpiece. But this non-specific garb merely represents the revealed will of God in the free offer of the gospel. Ah, but there is more to the gospel of the cross than the free offer!
This is what the Calvinist has noticed and what the Arminian simply refuses to notice!
What I mean is that the public ritual at the brazen altar was only the first part of a ritual involving three altars, the other two of which were not on public display!
That is the Calvinist's point.
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Now of course I agree ...whatcha think??