Will the Jews be judged for not keeping the ceremonial law?

[MarieP]

So tonight we had dinner at my grandparents for my mom's birthday, and a discussion came up of funerals and seeing dead people in caskets (I assure you, this is not normal conversation at our birthday parties!) My cousin's husband, Jamie is a Jew (and my cousin doesn't have any particular religious belief- though her parents grew up in church and she would attend with my family at times when she was younger and knows the basics of the Gospel). Well, Jamie was saying that his family never looked at the body after death, and he said he wasn't exactly sure why. I mentioned that the Torah said that if someone touched a dead body, they'd be unclean for a time and would have to ceremonially clean themselves. He basically said, "Well, that could be the case" and changed the subject. And went back to eating his non-kosher lasagna. It was a bit weird, and quite sad too...

Which brought me to thinking about this question: On the last day, will those Jews who don't observe the ceremonial law (which would be all of them, actually, since Jerusalem was destroyed) have this brought up by God? Maybe not, since the reason for those laws has finished its course. Or would it really matter because Paul says that he who wants to live under law is a debtor to keep the whole thing?

Of course, it would be a little like "You forsook your husband and committed adultery. Oh yeah, you also dissed your babysitter too."

 

[earl40]

I do know that their Judgment of whether they go to hell or not will not be based on any works done or not done. Now the degree of punishment is different, and I shudder to even think a person could do anything good enough to merit heaven by any work. I also know the hottest part of hell are reserved for those who carry Bibles and Torahs to church or synagogue on the weekend......well may be not for that is reserved for lawyers.

 

[CalvinandHodges]

Hi:

Yes, because Christ kept both the judicial and ceremonial law, and they do not believe in Christ.

Blessings,

Rob

 

[TimV]

I vote no because the ceremonial laws are done away with. When Paul says without excuse in Romans he's talking about natural law. The illiterate cannabil in New Guinea will be judged for murder and theft, but not for not being circumcized or eating pork. So, how would a Jew be different, especially after Christ fulfilled the ceremonial law?

 

[Esther W.]

I vote N/A because all will be judged on their faith in Christ alone~

 

[Edward]

Point made. Post deleted by author.

 

[Scott1]

Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter XIX
Of the Law of God

I. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which He bound him and all his posterity, to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience, promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it.[1]

II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables:[2] the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man.[3]

III. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits;[4] and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties.[5] All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament.[6]

As I understand it, the Jew in the Old Testament had to observe the civil law given Israel, the ceremonial law, and the moral law as a standard of righteousness. All of it.

That civil law expired with that nation, the ceremonial with its fulfillment in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.... the moral law continues as moral perpetual command upon all.

So today anyone whether Jew, mixed Jew and Gentile or Gentile are only under the moral law and judged by that.

Anyone who was under the ceremonial law given "the church under age" would also be judged by that standard.

As much is now explicit in Christ in the New Testament was implicit, reflected by the ceremonial law of the Old Testament.

In fact, anyone today who would use the ceremonial law as a standard of righteousness today is repudiating Christ. But that was not at all true in the Old Testament.

 

[Bill The Baptist]

I'm pretty sure that all Jews who are not in Christ will be judged for that, so I wouldn't sweat the ceremonial laws if I were them.

 

[earl40]

I do know that their Judgment of whether they go to hell or not will not be based on any works done or not done. Now the degree of punishment is different, and I shudder to even think a person could do anything good enough to merit heaven by any work. I also know the hottest part of hell are reserved for those who carry Bibles and Torahs to church or synagogue on the weekend......well may be not for that is reserved for lawyers.

I'm not taking your flamebait on the Lord's day. I'll have to think about Monday. My response might not be irenic.

I apologize if you are a lawyer. I should realize there are many fine people in that profession. It really was just a joke.

 

[Mushroom]

If present-day Jews kept the ceremonial law, they would only be compounding their sin, as it would deny the efficacy of Christ's fulfillment of that which the shadows represented.

 

[TimV]

Exactly, Brad!

 

[CalvinandHodges]

Hi:

So, Tim, have you changed your vote to "yes" then?

Blessings.

Rob

 

[TimV]

So, Tim, have you changed your vote to "yes" then?

Why would I want to believe that the Jerusalem Council applied to everyone except non Christian Jews? Or that Christ didn't fulfil the ceremonial laws for everyone? You honestly lost me. Are you saying the Jewish lady up the street from me will be judged by God for not killing a dove after her kid was born? Serious? I rather agree with Brad and killing the bird would be just another sin.

 

[KMK]

If present-day Jews kept the ceremonial law, they would only be compounding their sin, as it would deny the efficacy of Christ's fulfillment of that which the shadows represented.

Agreed. But, just for clarification, this does not imply that there is any righteousness in the Jews abstaining from ceremonial laws either.

 

[Notthemama1984]

If present-day Jews kept the ceremonial law, they would only be compounding their sin, as it would deny the efficacy of Christ's fulfillment of that which the shadows represented.

Unless you are alive during the 1,000 year reign of Christ and God brings back the sacrifices.

 

[timmopussycat]

Yes, because Christ kept both the judicial and ceremonial law, and they do not believe in Christ.

Actually, Christ kept all the law; ceremonial, judical and moral.
And since Christ said that
1) until heaven and earth disappear, not one stipulation would disappear from the law, until everthing was accomplished (Matt.5:18), and since
2) the Jews reject the postulate that Christ accomplished the promised replacement of the Sinai Covenant by completing (the most likely meaning of the word translated "fulfill" in Matt. 5:17) it and superseding it with the New Covenant, (NB: a Jew who believes the Pharisaic interpretation and rejects Jesus' institution of the new covenant must therefore regard the Sinai covenant as still operative.)
3) then the Jews will indeed be judged by the Law as Paul says (Rom. 2:12).

 

[J. Dean]

Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, and that alone. Now, as to whether or not the ceremonial law will be compounded into their final judgment, the official doctrinal answer is.... I don't know.

But as I've said with other people regarding the unbelieving on the final Judgment, I don't know a lot of things, and I don't want to find out, either.

 

[TimV]

the Jews reject the postulate that Christ accomplished the promised replacement

Wouldn't that make someone's opinion sin rather than something rooted in God's nature? It's an interesting point, but I wonder if trimming your beard is only sin until you change your mind about it being sin.

 

[rbcbob]

The OP raises the question:

On the last day, will those Jews who don't observe the ceremonial law (which would be all of them, actually, since Jerusalem was destroyed) have this brought up by God?

Taking the lesson from Christ’s words as recorded in Luke 12

Luke 12:47-48 47 "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

I would then ask, Will the non-elect Jew who died 100 B.C. and did not keep the ceremonial law be more severely punished in hell than will the non-elect Jew who died in A.D. 100 and did not keep the ceremonial law?