Ordinances

A One of Bro Aaron’s favorites subjects was the New Testament ordinances for the church. He saw these as a part of God’s plan for His people in both dispensations. These meditations led to the creation of this chart which he had made for teaching purposes, a replica of which is in both the Eastern Testimony and the Instructions for Beginners in the Christian Life.

On the left is a diagram illustrating the Old Testament ordinances, the commanded observances that Israel was to keep for all of the Old Covenant. Each ordinance pointed back to an historical event, and pointed forward to a future fulfillment when the Messiah would come.

On the right is the period of time from the cross of Christ until the Rapture of the Church. Aaron highlighted the seven ordinances that Daniel Kauffman had expanded in his book, Doctrines of the Bible. Each ordinance was an outward ceremony of an inward experience, or an earthly symbol with a heavenly meaning. The large circles represent looking down on a tree trunk. The bark is dead but necessary to preserve inner life. The inner life is the driving force and must be present or the outer expression becomes lifeless and void of meaning. That is why the little tree is placed in the bottom of the illustration.

Aaron’s talent was dedicated to helping people visualize and comprehend the deep doctrine of the Word of God with the burden that mankind would live this doctrine in everyday life.