Do Christians have to obey the laws God gave to Moses that are described as “a lasting ordinance / statute forever”?
Do Christians have to obey the laws God gave to Moses that are described as “a lasting ordinance / statute forever”?
As you know, many Christians believe that they do not need to follow the Mosaic Laws. So why did God mention that some laws would stand forever?
First of all, if God specifically described some laws as “forever,” it implies that most of the Mosaic Laws were temporary. Many Christians believe that most of Mosaic laws were accomplished by or pointed to Christ. That is why Christians are not prohibited from eating pork or required to perform some purification rituals. For Jesus brings true cleansing to people from a sinful(unclean) status.
2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” – Matthew 15:2,10-11
Then are the particular laws mentioned as “forever” also obsolete?
It seems not—that is why God emphasized them as “a lasting ordinance / statute forever.”
So which laws are called “forever”?
There are about three categories:
1. The Passover, Festival, and Holiday Ordinances
Exodus 12:24 – The Passover observance: “You shall observe this rite as an ordinance for you and for your sons forever.”
Leviticus 23:21 – The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost): “On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.”
Leviticus 23:31 – The Day of Atonement: “You shall do no work at all; it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.”
Leviticus 23:41 – The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): “Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month.”
2. Priestly Arrangements
Exodus 27:21 – The perpetual tending of the lamp in the tent of meeting: “It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the people of Israel.”
Exodus 28:43 – Aaron and his sons wearing specific garments when entering the holy place: “It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.”
Exodus 29:9 – The ordination of Aaron and his sons: “You shall gird them with sashes… and the priesthood shall be theirs by a perpetual statute.”
Exodus 31:16 – The Sabbath as a sign: “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.”
Leviticus 16:34 – The Day of Atonement: “This shall be an eternal statute for you, to atone for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.”
Leviticus 24:8 – The bread on the pure table before the Lord: “Every Sabbath day he shall arrange it before the Lord continually; it is an eternal covenant for the children of Israel.”
Numbers 10:8 – The blowing of the trumpets: “The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you for an ordinance forever [olam] throughout your generations.”
3. Dietary and Food Offering Laws
Leviticus 3:17 – The prohibition on fat and blood: “This is a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.”
Leviticus 23:14 – The offering of firstfruits: “You must not eat any bread, or roasted grain, or new grain until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.”
Leviticus 7:34-36 – The priests’ share of peace offerings: “The Lord has commanded that the Israelites give this to them [Aaron and his sons]… as a permanent share for the generations to come.”
Then how do these laws stand forever, or how were they fulfilled by Christ?
These laws that are described as “forever” will take effect in the New Heaven and New Earth and last eternally. There are two clear examples showing how they apply to the New Jerusalem—God’s Kingdom in the future.
Example 1: The Passover will be transformed int the Lord’s Supper, which will accomplish and stand forever in God’s Kingdom. The purpose of the Passover(angel save / pass over doorposts washed with lamb blood) is to commemorate and celebrate the ancient Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt.
In the same way, Jesus told His disciples to commemorate the Lamb (himself) who was killed to save people from sin (slavery), so that they might be truely free and have eternal life, the true celebration in the New Jerusalem(New Heaven New Earth). This arrangement will last forever with no expiration date, just as the New Covenant will stand forever, like the moon everlasting. Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.”
“6 On this mountain YHWH of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering(sin) that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever;
and YHWH God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for YHWH has spoken.” – Isaiah 25:6-8
“3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one(Jesus);
I have sworn to David my servant:
27 And I will make him the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever,
and my covenant will stand firm for him.” – Psalm 89:3,27,28
Some Christians believe the Lord’s Supper will end when Jesus returns, because He said: “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine “until” that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
However, Jesus was not saying he would never drink wine again; he said he would drink it “new” again in God’s Kingdom.
And it seems Jesus was speaking of the literal “fruit of the vine”. When He returned to heaven and took on a spiritual body, a spirit could never drink literal wine. But when He comes again as the “Son of Man”, he (the Lamb) will literally drink and rejoice at the marriage supper with the Bride (the 144,000) and a great multitude.
Revelation 19:9: “And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’”
But didn’t the apostle Paul say this in 1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
Does this mean Paul viewed the Lord’s Supper as ending when Jesus comes? It seems Paul is saying that the proclaiming of the Gospel—His death—will no longer be needed once Jesus returns, because “every eye will see him”. So Paul’s meaning is the end of proclaiming the Gospel, not the end of the Lord’s Supper.
The purpose of commemorating the Lord’s Supper is so that humanity will remember that they once suffered death and were slaves to sin, and so that the NEW BORN generations will know that this grace was paid for at a great price. If people enjoy eternal life yet stop commemorating this event, they and future generations will gradually forget this grace.
This is the same reason why God commanded the ancient Israelites to commemorate the Passover “forever” after they entered the Promised Land – Don’t unmemorize how they are saved.
The unchangeable commandment confirms its lasting meaning: Exodus 12:24 – “You shall observe this rite as an ordinance for you and for your sons forever.”
Example 2 is also stands forever and related to the Passover / Lord’s Supper—the blood.
Leviticus 3:17: “This is a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.”
Why can we not eat blood? Because the blood is reserved for the holy purpose as a sacrifice to God to ransom humanity from sin, cleanse them, and save them. This commandment is very clear and will apply in God’s Kingdom forever.
The apostles said: “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain… from blood… If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” (Acts 15:28-29)
“Blood” acts as the symbol of the Lamb’s blood, reserved for saving people and for confirming God’s covenant—both of which stand forever.
Revelation 1:5: Jesus Christ “has freed us from our sins by his blood.”
Therefore, people should respect and gratitude the “blood” as the symbol of God’s salvation, similar to the Passover / Lord’s Supper.
So all the Mosaic Laws specifically called “forever” follow the above pattern and will apply to the New Heaven and New Earth—God’s Kingdom—lasting forever. Originally, the laws God gave to the Israelites also pointed to the heavenly Kingdom. The earthly ones were shadows; the reality is in heaven.
Just as the ancient tent, which was built with such a simple structure as a symbol, pointed to the most glorious place—New Jerusalem, God’s true dwelling place. Have you ever wondered why God commended Moses built the tent, His dwelling place, is so rudimentary? Now you know it is only a symbol, pointing to the real one in the future.
In the same way, when the Israelites were saved and entered the Promised Land, they rejoiced and celebrated special days to remember their freedom. These also point to the everlasting true rejoicing and celebration of “days” / “festivals” in the real Promised Land—the New Heaven and New Earth. The Levitical priests likewise point to the true 144,000 priests who will serve the true God in New Jerusalem, they will see God face to face and worship Him.
The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) will apply to the New Heaven and New Earth. They refer to the celebration of people being saved from the old sinful world, who will joyfully attend the festivals every year.
All priestly arrangements concerning the Sabbath, the lamp (Jesus) in the tent, the priests blowing the trumpets, and the firstfruits also refer to the priestly arrangements in New Jerusalem. All laws mentioned as “forever” find their fulfillment in New Jerusalem.
“Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads… These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb.” — Revelation 14:1, 4
“6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” — Revelation 20:6“
And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” — Revelation 22:5
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” — Revelation 21:23
The priests’ share of the peace offerings and the command, “… until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live,” find their true fulfillment in the New Jerusalem forever.
“By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.” — Revelation 21:24–26
“It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house(New Jerusalem) of YHWH
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of YHWH,
to the house(New Jerusalem) of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of YHWH from (New) Jerusalem.” – Isaiah 2:2,3
“22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth
that I make
shall remain before me, says YHWH,
so shall your offspring and your name remain.
23 From new moon to new moon,
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
declares YHWH.” – Isaiah 66:22,23
As you see, the Passover was not terminated or made to disappear, but was accomplished by the Lord’s Supper; also, the sustaining “blood” will not expire. So, all the Laws that have been described as “a lasting ordinance / statute forever” will last forever and will be fulfilled in the New Heaven and New Earth. The simple and basic truth is: If God says “forever”, it will be forever.
Therefore, we will celebrate and commemorate “forever” the laws concerning priests, “days,” and “festivals” in the New Heaven and New Earth; those laws will be accomplished when the New Jerusalem comes. As you see, the Passover was not terminated disappeared, but accomplished by the Lord’s Supper, also substain “blood” will not expire. So, all Laws have descripted “a lasting ordinance / statute forever” which will last forever in the New Heaven and New Earth. Glory and worship to the Father God!
Amen.
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