From Heaven With Love

How They Perverted the Sanctuary Service

After the return from Babylon, all over the country synagogues were erected, where the law was expounded by priests and scribes. Schools professed to teach the principles of righteousness. But during the captivity, many of the people had received heathen ideas, and these were brought into their religious service. HLv 18.3

The ritual service had been instituted by Christ Himself. It was a symbol of Him, full of vitality and spiritual beauty. But the Jews lost the spiritual life from their ceremonies and trusted the sacrifices and ordinances themselves, instead of Him to whom they pointed. To supply that which they had lost, the priests and rabbis multiplied requirements of their own; and the more rigid they grew, the less of the love of God was manifested. HLv 18.4

Those who tried to observe the minute and burdensome rabbinical precepts could find no rest from a troubled conscience. Thus Satan worked to discourage the people, to lower their conception of the character of God, and to bring the faith of Israel into contempt. He hoped to establish the claim that the requirements of God could not be obeyed. Even Israel, he declared, did not keep the law. HLv 19.1