# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1928_S25
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1928. 25

And yet it has value, because it points to the gold or silver that is deposited
in the treasury at Washington or elsewhere and guarantees the payment. So those
sacrifices had in and of themselves no power to help the sinner in and out of his
distress; but because they pointed to the one great sacrifice of reconciliation
that lay in the future and can atone for all sins, it could be said of them that
they cleansed from sins. When the high priest on the great Day of Atonement
went into the Most Holy Place to reconcile God, he undertook something for which
he was far, far too weak. And yet the LORD was reconciled by this holy act,
because through it the work of the true High Priest was prefigured, who
satisfied the righteousness of God completely.

Nowadays the Old Testament sacrifices are so often mocked. People call them a
piece of primitive superstition or heathenism that was still found in Israel.
All who so scoff and blaspheme should know that they trample on the Word of
God, which clearly teaches that the sacrifices occupied a high place in the
economy of salvation of the Old Testament. We do not want to let such
blasphemous talk disturb us.

To the interesting question whether the children of Israel were conscious of this
prophetic (typical) character of their sacrifices, Scripture gives us no direct
answer. But we may well assume that the true Israelites who hoped for the
Messiah possessed the right understanding in this respect also.

VI.

Christ is our only High Priest; this we want first to set before ourselves.
This truth is powerfully attested in the New Testament. We turn again to the
Epistle to the Hebrews, because in it Jesus' high priesthood is treated at
length. There Jesus, the one, is set over against the multitude of the high
priests of the Old Covenant. What they, the many, could not do, he, the one,
has accomplished. He holds his office in eternity, this is attested to us
repeatedly; and in this lies that no one else will hold this office. In the Old
Covenant too it was the rule that at one and the same time only one man
administered the high-priestly office. True, the many high priests of the Old
Covenant are spoken of, but only because one after another of them departed
with death and the place had to be filled by a successor. Heb. 7:23, 24 says:
"And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue
by reason of death. But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an
unchangeable priesthood." Jesus has neither predecessor nor successor. Nor
will he ever have to share his office with anyone else. Because he is the only
High Priest, we are also warned not on any account to reject him. Very
earnest are the words in Heb. 10:26, 27: "For if we sin wilfully after that we
have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for
sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation,
which shall devour the adversaries." With this the whole New Testament agrees.
Out of the great number of relevant passages, a few shall be cited. Peter
cries to the Jews in Acts 4:12: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for
there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved," namely the name of Jesus. Christ himself says: "I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but