Introduction to the Sacrifices and Offerings of Eloah (No. CB119)

Eloah knows the end from the beginning. This means that before He started creating God knew that some of His creation would disobey Him and rebel. Even though He would create spirit beings and mankind perfect, some would sin and thus hurt each other, themselves and the planet.

God’s love, wisdom and mercy know no bounds; they are endless. Therefore, before He even started to create anything the Father set up a plan that would restore all the creation back to Him.

Revelation 13:8 speaks of the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. This is the perfect acceptable sacrifice Eloah offered through His only-begotten son, Joshua the Messiah or Jesus the Christ.

God also has infinite, or endless patience. He created spirit beings, the planets, and mankind all at the correct time. Just as when babies are born they go through various stages or changes, so too with the creation and God’s Plan. For more details on the plan of salvation see God's Plan of Salvation (No. CB30).

We know that in the beginning, Adam and Eve were created perfect and lived in peace under God’s Laws. When they broke God’s Law, sin entered into the physical creation and the land was cursed (Gen. 3:14-20). The Jubilee system began, and Adam and Eve were put out of the Garden of Eden. As the result of their rebellion and sin, death came upon all mankind (1Cor. 15:22; Rom. 5:12).

Sin is the breaking of God’s Law (1Jn. 3:4). We know what sin is by the Law of God (Rom. 3:19). For more information on God’s Law see The Law of God (No. CB25). All men have sinned (Rom. 5:12). The consequence (or wages) of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Jesus Christ came as the only-born god (Jn. 1:18) to pay the death penalty for all mankind and the fallen Host. Since Jesus was here as a man and led a sinless life, his death paid the price for all of us. His death became the perfect acceptable sacrifice to bring all of us back to the Father (Heb. 7:27,28; 9:12; 10:10-19; 1Pet. 3:18).

Psalm 32:1ff. is helpful in learning how God sees our sin.

Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. (KJV)

Psalm 32 is the first of 13 “Maschil” Psalms which are for instruction (see Comp. Bible fn. to Ps. 32 and App. 65. XI). We also see the text referenced in Romans 4:6-9.

In verse 8 of Psalm 32 we see:

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you, teach you in the way you should go: I will guide you with my eyes

Since God knew man would sin, He set up a system, known as His sacrificial system, to instruct people what to do if they broke God’s Laws.

In this series we will look at 3 phases of the sacrifices of God:

1. Creation through the coming of Messiah – the physical sacrifices offered.

2. Messiah’s perfect sacrifice - spiritual sacrifices offered.

3. The millennial sacrifices – physical and spiritual sacrifices to be offered.

We will see that in the first phase of sacrifices everything was physical; there were very few people who actually received God’s Holy Spirit and who could worship Him in spirit and truth.

Once Messiah came and offered himself as the perfect acceptable sacrifice to reconcile or restore the fallen Host and mankind back to the Father, God’s Holy Spirit was poured out or freely given from Pentecost 30 CE. At this point in time, the sacrificial system was no longer needed since we were to be offering spiritual sacrifices. We will talk much more of this in the paper Messiah the Perfect and Complete Sacrifice (No. CB120).

We know that the Millennium begins in 2027; this is referred to as the period of Just Rule (see the paper The Eternal Kingdom of God (No. 144)). During this time, Satan and the fallen Host are bound or put away. The planet will be ruled by God’s Laws under the direction of Messiah who returns to the Earth as King and High Priest. Ezekiel gives a lot of detail of how the Temple will be organized and administered. We see that the physical sacrifices will again occur. Yet, at this time, people will be offering spiritual and physical sacrifices to Eloah for the first time in history. We will go into much more detail of this age in the paper The Sacrifices and Offerings of Eloah during the Millennium (No. CB121).

Before we begin looking at things through the course of history, let us look at the meaning of the words sacrifice and offering.

Though many people use the words sacrifices and offerings interchangeably it is wise to look at exactly what each word means.

Sacrifice (SHD 2077): a) sacrifices of righteousness b) sacrifices of strife c) sacrifices to dead things d) the covenant sacrifice e) the Passover f) annual sacrifice g) thank offering.

The word is taken from SHD 2076: 1) to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice a) (Qal) 1) to slaughter for sacrifice 2) to slaughter for eating 3) to slaughter in divine judgment b) (Piel) to sacrifice, offer sacrifice.

The word offering is SHD 5930: 1) whole burnt offering 2) ascent, stairway, and steps.

In The Companion Bible at Appendix 43, Bullinger makes the following comment about the burnt offering:

'Olah = the burnt offering: so called from the Hiphil of the verb 'alah, to cause to ascend [as the flame and smoke ascend by burning]. In Greek holocausta, which conveys its meaning as being wholly burnt.

It is interesting to note that the meaning of the word means totally burnt or consumed and going up.

The following quote is also from Appendix 43:

There are some twenty-four Hebrew words, more or less synonymous, which are translated "offer" and "offering" in the Hebrew Old Testament. These Hebrew words are also translated in other ways, so that it is important for the truth-seeker to know, in every passage, which word is used. The various words are noted in the margin, except when they are clearly translated by their distinctive meanings, such as burnt-offering, peace-offering, heave-offering, etc.

In the paper Messiah the Perfect and Complete Sacrifice (No. CB120) we will look at the concept of offerings in more detail.

From paper The Sacraments of the Church (No. 150) and The Companion Bible we see the four main sacrifices are as follows:

1. Burnt offering (Lev. 1:3-17)

2. Meal offering (Lev. 2:1-16)

3. Peace offering (Lev. 3:1-17)

4. Sin offering (Lev. 4:1-6:7)

The Law of the Offerings was placed in order:

1. Burnt Offering (Lev. 6:8-13)

2. Meal offering (Lev. 6:14-23)

3. Sin Offering (Lev. 6:24; 7:10)

4. Peace offering (Lev. 7:11-34)

We see from the structure above, the Peace Offering comes before the Sin Offering, but the Law of the Offerings has the Peace Offering last. The distinction is made because it relates to the communion of the offerer, and this follows at the end of the process. Communion is thus shown to represent the process which flows from a full knowledge of all that which the types foreshadow. Not until we have dealt with our sin and ourselves can we delight in Christ (see fn. to Lev. 7:11 in The Companion Bible).

So let us start looking at some of the sacrifices the patriarchs and prophets of old offered prior to the Tabernacle in the wilderness.

Sacrifices and offerings prior to the Tabernacle in the Wilderness

First recorded biblical sacrifices offered by Cain and Abel

In Genesis 4:1ff. we find the story of Cain and Abel. Here we see that some sacrifices are acceptable to God and others are not. We also see what the root of bitterness and hatred grows into.

The pastoral sacrifice of Abel was more acceptable to God and it symbolised the personal sacrifice of Christ. The rejection of Cain’s sacrifice is similar to Satan being rejected for his pride and greed and then banished to the Earth. See the paper Cain and Abel: Sons of Adam (No. CB7).

Even the names of the sons of Adam help to convey what these men did. Cain is SHD 7014, which means possession; Abel is SHD 1893, which means breath.

The Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia makes the following comments:

It is evident that the Bible does not record all that was Communicated to man; however, the careful student sees that sacrificial Worship was a Divine revelation. The statements that Cain BROUGHT and Abel BROUGHT their respective sacrifices, may indicate that there was a Specific time and place where offerings were presented to God (Genesis 4:1-4). In addition to this, we learn that Abel offered his sacrifice by faith, (Hebrews 11:4), and that faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17); that Cain sinned (Genesis 4:7; is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4).

Altars and sacrifices over time

Gen. 8:20 Noah offered burnt offerings

Gen. 22:2ff. Abraham was to offer Issac and offered a ram instead. For more information see the paper Abraham and Isaac: A Faithful Sacrifice (No. CB11)

Gen. 31:54 Jacob offered sacrifice

Gen. 46:1 Israel offered sacrifice

Ex. 10:25 Moses requested to make sacrifice and offering

Ex. 18:12 Moses and Jethro offered burnt offerings

There are many other examples of sacrifices and offerings listed in the Old Testament.

Let us look at some the facts and qualities of sacrifices before we move into the concepts associated with the Tabernacle in the Wilderness.

Facts about Sacrifices:

Sacrifices are to be offered to God alone (Ex. 22:20; Jdg 13:16; 2Kgs. 17:36). When sacrifices are offered they are offered to God as an acknowledgement of His Being (2Kgs. 5:17; Jn. 1:16). Sacrifices were always clean animals (Gen 8:20); must be salted (Lev 2:13; Ezek. 43:24; Mk 9:49); and without leaven (yeast) (Ex. 23:18; 34:25). The Pentecost loaves and the thank offering must contain leaven (yeast) (Lev. 7:13; Amos 4:5).

The offerings are to be perfect (Lev. 22:21); the best of their kind (Mal 1:14); offered willingly (Lev. 22:19) in righteousness (Mal. 3:3); in love and charity (Mat. 5:23,24); brought in a clean vessel (Isa. 66:20) to the place appointed of God (Deut. 12:6; Psa 27:6; Heb. 9:9); without delay (Ex. 22:29,30) at the appointed time; laid before the altar (Mat. 5:23,24) and presented by the priest (Heb. 5:1).

Guidelines for the sacrificial system

In the paper The Garments of the High Priest (No. CB61) and the detailed lessons on each piece of clothing in the papers CB63-67, we saw the significance of the High Priest’s garments and the duties the High Priest were also discussed.

In the series on the Priesthood we reviewed what tasks the priests are responsible for. In the paper The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons (No. CB43) we saw the process of the ordination of a priest being reviewed.

In our study The Tabernacle in the Wilderness (No. CB42) we reviewed in detail the physical pieces of furniture and Tabernacle layout.

Offerings of the Tabernacle are found in Leviticus 1:3; 3:2; 17:4,8,9.

Numbers 28 and 29 have the laws for the offerings for the Feast days listed in the text. Leviticus 23:16-21 reflects on the Pentecost offerings. The Atonement offering is found in Leviticus 23:26-32 and Tabernacles’ offerings are listed in Leviticus 23:34-38. The Last Great Day offerings are listed in Leviticus 23:36 and Numbers 29:35-38. See Appendix A for more detailed information.

The offerings of the Temple can be found in 2Chronicles 7:12 and 1Kings 8:62; 12:27.

Scripture is clear on what type of animal was to be offered when, with what type of drink or meal offering and for what reason. See the paper Messiah the Perfect and Complete Sacrifice (No. CB120). We will go into much more detail of the various kinds of sacrifices and how Messiah fulfilled all components of the sacrificial system.

In closing…

Let us attempt to think about the meaning of the sacrifices and strive to do what Psalms 32 is referring to.

Psalm 32:1,21 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (NASV)

Let us all be about our Father’s business and strive to be found without iniquity or sin and with no guile or deceit in our spirit so we can offer our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is our spiritual service of worship (Rom. 12:1).

Appendix A:

Comparison Tables of Sacrifices in the Old Testament and Ezekiel

Type of

Offering

Old Testament

Projected in Ezekiel

Daily

Offerings

Continual Burnt (Num. 28:3-8; Ex. 29:38-41)

One at 9.00 a.m. and one at 3:00 p.m.

2 lambs without defect at least one year old.

1/10 of an ephah of fine flour per lamb

¼ hin beaten oil per lamb

¼ strong drink per lamb

Continual Burnt (Ezek. 46:13-15)

One at 9.00 a.m.

1 lamb without defect at least one year old with: grain

1/6 ephah

1/3 hin of oil to moisten the fine flour

Does not appear to be drink offering

Does not appear to be sin offering

Sabbath

Offerings

Sabbath Sacrifices (Num. 28:9-10)

2 male lambs

1/10 flour per lamb (total 2/10 of an ephah of flour)

¼ hin beaten oil per lamb (total ½ hin oil)

¼ strong drink per lamb (total ½ hin drink offering)

Continual Burnt

2 lambs

1/10 flour per lamb

¼ hin oil per lamb

¼ hin wine per lamb

Sabbath Sacrifices (Ezek. 46:4-5)

6 lambs without blemish

Grain as much as able go give

And a hin of oil to an ephah

Ram without blemish

1 ephah

Hin of oil

Again appears no drink and no sin;

continual burnt, yes

New

Moons

New Moons (Num. 28:11-15)

2 x Bullocks

3/10 flour mingled with oil

½ hin wine

1 x Ram

2/10 flour

1/3 hin wine

7 x Lambs

1/10 ephah per lamb (total 7/10 ephah)

¼ hin oil per lamb (total 1 ¾ hins)

1 x goat offering for sin

Continual Burnt

2 x lambs

1/10 flour per lamb

¼ hin oil per lamb

¼ hin wine per lamb

New Moon (Ezek. 46:6-7)

1 x Bullock

1 ephah

1 hin of oil to an ephah

1 Ram

1 ephah and 1 hin to an ephah

6 x lambs

Does not appear to be sin offering or drink

Continual Burnt

1 x lamb

1/6 ephah

1/3 hin of oil

Does not appear to be a drink offering

Sanctification of the Temple

In Ezekiel

The first day

Ezek. 43:19: one bull for a sin offering.

On the second day

Ezek. 43:22: male goat for a sin offering.

Finished cleansing present: a bull, ram, salted then they are a burnt offering for the Lord.

Ezek. 43:25ff.: for seven days a goat for a sin offering, a bull and a ram, to purify it, the altar, so they can consecrate it. And on the 8th day onward they may offer burnt offerings, peace offerings and God will accept them.

First Day, first month (Ex. 45:18)

1 x bull and cleanse the sanctuary

Seventh Day of the first month (Ezek. 45:20)

Feast offerings

Passover

(Ex. 12:18; Num. 28:16-25)

2 x Bulls without blemish daily (14 total)

3/10 flour per bull (total 14 x 3/10 flour)

¾ hin oil (total 14 x ¾ hins = 10½)

½ hin drink (total 14 x ½ = 7 hins)

1 x Ram without blemish

2/10 ephah daily (total 7 x 2/10)

½ hin oil (total 7 x ½ hins = 3½)

1/3 hin drink (total 7 x 1/3 hins)

7 x lambs without blemish daily (= 49 lambs)

1/10th ephah per lamb daily (total 49 x 1/10)

¼ hin oil per lamb daily (total 49 x ¼ hins)

¼ hin drink per lamb daily (total 49 x ¼ hins)

1 x goat offering for sin

Continual Burnt

2 lambs

1/10 flour per lamb

¼ hin oil per lamb

¼ hin wine per lamb

(Ezek. 45:22-24)

7 x Bullocks daily for the 7 days of the feast (49 total)

1 ephah for a bullock (7 total)

1 hin for an ephah (7 total)

7 x Rams without blemish (49 total)

1 ephah for a ram (7 total)

1 hin for an ephah (7 total)

Goat daily for a sin offering? Yes

{Simplified Daily

7 x bullocks

7 x Rams

98 ephahs of flour

98 hins wine

1 x goat daily for a sin offering}

Wave Sheaf

Wave Sheaf (Lev. 23:10-15)

Sheaf that priest waves the day after the Sabbath

Male lamb one year old without blemish for a burnt offering

2/10 ephah of flour

½ hin oil

¼ hin of wine

After offered can eat new grain

Wave Sheaf

The common offerings were not listed in Ezekiel. Only the major feasts and variation were listed in Ezekiel.

Pentecost

Pentecost (Lev. 23:16-21)

2 x loaves of bread for a wave offering

2/10 flour baked with leaven

7 x lambs 1 year old

1 x bull

2 x rams

Sin offering

Peace offering

2 x lambs

1 male goat for a sin offering

Pentecost (Num 28:26-31)

2 x young bulls

3/10 flour mixed with oil and its drink offering

1 x ram

1/10 ephah flour with its drink

1 x male goat for a sin offering

Continual Burnt

2 x lambs

1/10 flour per lamb

¼ hin oil per lamb

¼ hin wine per lamb

Pentecost

Remains as specified in the Law and is completed at the First Resurrection of the risen Church

Trumpets

Trumpets (Lev. 23:24-25)

Blowing of the trumpets

Offering by fire

(Num. 29:1-6)

1 x bull

3/10 flour per bull

¾ hin oil

½ hin drink

1 ram

2/10 flour

½ hin oil

1/3 hin wine

7 Lambs

1/10 ephah per lamb daily (total 49 x 1/10)

¼ hin oil per lamb daily (total 49 x ¼ hins)

¼ hin drink per lamb daily (total 49 x ¼ hins)

Continual Burnt

2 x lambs

1/10 flour per lamb

¼ hin oil per lamb

¼ hin wine per lamb

Trumpets

Trumpets is completed with the Second Advent of the Messiah.

Atonement

Atonement Lev. 23:26-32

Present an offering by fire

Numbers 29:7-11

1 x bull

3/10ths flour per bull

¾ hin oil

½ hin drink

1 x ram

2/10 flour

½ hin oil

1/3 hin wine

7 x Lambs

1/10 ephah per lamb daily (total 49 x 1/10)

¼ hin oil per lamb daily (total 49 x ¼ hins)

¼ hin drink per lamb daily (total 49 x ¼ hins)

Continual Burnt Offering

2 x lambs

1/10 flour per lamb

¼ hin oil per lamb

¼ hin wine per lamb

Lev. 16 text

Atonement

Completed in the Reconciliation of the planet to God prior to the Millennium.

2 goats of Atonement one sacrificed and one released into the wilderness

Tabernacles

Tabernacles (Lev. 23:34-36)

Offering by fire

Num. 29:12-34

Starts with 13, and goes each day of the Feast

13,12,11,10,9,8,7 =70

(70 x bulls total for the Feast)

3/10 fine flour per bull (70 x 3/10 ephahs total)

2 x rams daily (14 rams total)

2/10 deal fine flour (14 x 2/10 or 2 4/5 ephah)

14 x lambs daily (98 lambs total)

1/10 per lamb (98 x 1/10 ephah)

1 x male goat for a sin offering

Continual Burnt

2 x lambs

1/10 flour per lamb

¼ hin oil per lamb

¼ hin wine per lamb

Feast total:

70 x bulls

14 x rams

98 x lambs

7 x goats

189 or plus the continual burnt 203

Tabernacles (Ezek. 45:22-25)

7 x bulls daily for the 7 days (49 total)

1 ephah for a bullock (7 ephahs daily 49 ephahs for the Feast)

1 hin for an ephah, 7 hins daily (49 for the Feast)

7 x Rams daily for the Feast (49 for the Feast), therefore increase in 35 rams

1 ephah for a ram 7 ephahs daily (49 ephahs for the Feast)

1 hin for an ephah, 7 hins daily (49 for the Feast)

1 x goat for a sin offering (7 total)

{Simplified Daily

7 x bullocks

7 x Rams

98 x ephahs of flour

98 x hins wine

1 x goat daily for a sin offering}

Feast total:

49 x bulls

49 x rams

7 x goats

105 total plus continual burnt 112

Last Great

Day

Last Great Day

(Lev. 23:36) present an offering by fire

(Num. 29:35-38)

1 x bull

3/10 flour per bull

¾ hin oil

½ hin drink

1 x ram

2/10 flour

½ hin oil

1/3 hin wine

7 x Lambs

1/10 ephah per lamb daily (total 49 x 1/10)

¼ hin oil per lamb daily (total 49 x ¼ hins)

¼ hin drink per lamb daily (total 49 x ¼ hins)

1 x male goat for a sin offering

Continual burnt

2 x lambs

1/10 flour per lamb

¼ hin oil per lamb

¼ hin wine per lamb

Last Great Day

Stands as per the law.

PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA

Guidelines for the sacrificial system

Appendix A:

Comparison Tables of Sacrifices in the Old Testament and Ezekiel

Continual Burnt