The Twice Daily Sacrifice—A Picture of Our Daily Prayer and Praise

Exodus 29:38–42, In the morning…at twilight. (See also Lev 1:1–17 and Num 28:1–15.) This twice daily offering was known as the continual burnt offering (Heb. olah tamiyd), and was offered at the door of the tabernacle (verse 42). The word continual (Heb. tamiyd) means “continually.” The Hebrew word for burnt offering is olah meaning “ascent, stairway or steps,” and derives from the basic Hebrew verb, alah, meaning “to go up, climb or ascend.”

Altar fo Sacrifice -1 632195

In this offering, the fire consumes the entire animal, and the word olah refers to the smoke of this whole burnt offering ascending to heaven, which is a “sweet aroma” to YHVH (verse 41). The olah was an offering or gift (Lev 1:2, Heb. qorban) to YHVH and could be a bull, goat, ram, turtle dove or a pigeon as long as it was a perfect specimen without defect (Lev 1).

If an Israelite sinned, he could bring this gift-offering to the door of the tabernacle where he would place his hands upon the head of the animal, after which the priests would slaughter it, and sprinkle its blood around the altar of sacrifice just inside the door of the tabernacle (Lev 1:2,4,5). The meat was then prepared and arranged on the altar and entirely burnt (Lev 1:6–17). When the sinner laid his hands on the animal, it was as if he were transferring his sins onto the innocent, blemish-free animal, where upon YHVH accepted it as an atonement for the person’s sin (Lev 1:4).

The writer of Hebrews clearly teaches that this offering (along with all the other offerings in the sacrificial system) pointed to Yeshua, our Great High Priest, whose atoning death on the cross fulfilled all the types and shadows of the Levitical, sacrificial system (Heb 4:14–5:7; 7:1–10:18).

Besides the obvious antetypes pointing to Yeshua’s death on the cross, what else can we learn from the olah tamiyd offering rituals? What are the spiritual implications and the lessons to be learned for the redeemed believer living in the twenty-first century? Matthew Henry in his commentary on Numbers 28:1–8 sums it up very nicely:

The particular law of the daily sacrifice, a lamb in the morning and a lamb in the evening, which, for the constancy of it as duly as the day came, is called a continual burnt-offering (v. 3), which intimates that when we are bidden to pray always, and to pray without ceasing, it is intended that at least every morning and every evening we offer up our solemn prayers and praises to God. (emphasis added)

This olah tamiyd sacrifice was connected to the rising and setting of the sun as implied by the words of the psalmist (Ps 113:3). At the same time, the priest was to burn incense on the incense altar (Exod 30:7–8) as part of the olah tamiyd sacrifice.

The biblical writers foresaw a time coming when either there would be no tabernacle or temple in which to offer the sacrifices and incense, or the designated place of worship would be inaccessible to the Israelite. In this situation, Hosea admonishes sinful Israel to return to YHVH and to offer up the sacrifices (lit. the calves or young bulls) of our lips, while expecting Elohim to graciously receive them and take away their iniquity (Hos 14:2). Paul embraced this idea when he admonished the saints to become as “living sacrifices…unto Eohim” (Rom 12:2). In John’s vision of heaven, he sees the prayers of the saints as being like sweet smelling incense before the throne of the Almighty One (Rev 5:8). Not only does YHVH view the prayers of the righteous as incense, but their praises of him as a sacrifice or a thanksgiving offering as well (Jer 33:11; Heb 13:15). The psalmist goes on to connect the dots between the olah tamiyd sacrifice, incense, prayer and praise when he writes,

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Ps 141:2)

How is the non-priest to offer incense before YHVH? This is done through prayer and worship. The prophet Malachi offers an answer:

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering, for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith YHVH of Hosts. (Mal 1:11)

The Torah prohibits offering sacrifices anywhere YHVH has not placed his name. What’s more, Yeshua has fulfilled the sacrificial system by his death on the cross once and for all, and has become our Great High Priest. So how then do the nations offer up sacrifices in every place as Malachi prophesies except by prayer and praise? The same is true, of course, for redeemed believers who are now part of Yeshua’s royal priesthood as Peter testifies:

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to Elohim by Yeshua the Messiah. (1 Pet 2:5)

However, since there is no longer either a temple or a Levitical priesthood, yet the saints are called priest of Yeshua (Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6), how shall we as the saints of the Most High fulfill our priestly duties if not by serving our Master Yeshua through our twice daily prayer and praise?

 

14 thoughts on “The Twice Daily Sacrifice—A Picture of Our Daily Prayer and Praise

  1. Great article! I’m studying the tabernacle right now and this article is very helpful! Thanks, Laina 🙂

  2. Romans 15:16…states that the as a minister to Yeshua Messiah to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of Elohim, That the offering up of the gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
    Points to gentiles being saved by the gospel and sanctified by the Holy Spirit ( as by the fire on the altar) , Laying down their lives for Yeshua , denying themselves, taking up their cross to follow HIm. The sacrifice, the pure offering, the spiritual sacrifices are the people saved. The priestly duty is to minister the gospel of Yeshua Messiah. Otherwise you are empty handed. the Incense will rise only when coals from the altar of the burnt offering are placed in the censer and taken in to the altar of incense. That’s when the sacrifice is accepted and that’s when we lift up hands and praise and thank Elohim.

    • This is certainly another and valid way to look at the concept of sacrifice. We are all to be living sacrifices to YHVH on the altar of Yeshua’s cross (see Rom 12:1 and 1 Cor 15:29-31 where Paul links baptism [a metaphor for dying to the old carnal man, see also Rom 6:3–14] and dying daily for Yeshua.

    • I have written much and published many videos on these subjects. Search the Hoshana Rabbah YouTube channel and website as well as this blog and you will find these free resources.

  3. Great article! It was very helpful and certainly encouraging. I’m right now studying Acts 3:1, and it was this sacrifice that was taking place when Peter and John saw the crippled man and prayed for him to be healed.

  4. Hello. Does scripture state that the priests would slaughter the animal or would the sinner slaughter it himself?

    • Sometimes it was the person who sinned who killed the animal whether that person was lay person, a priest or a ruler and sometimes the priest killed the animal for the sinner. It depends on the type of offering that was made. The priests then offered the blood on the altar. This information is found in Leviticus chapters 1–5.

  5. Thank you for this insight. A friend and I are doing the Torah Class study with Tom Bradford. Your resources will be quite helpful as well.
    I am still trying to wrap my head around how many people showed up each day at the temple to make sacrifices. I understand the categories fairly well. I understand that they were done at certain times and had certain names. I get that they were for different reasons. I don’t understand how, let’s say, the Reuben family knew when to go. Surely they didn’t go every morning and evening, or even randomly. Was there a particular family schedule? Did they go once a week? It seems that if approximately 1.2 million animals were slaughtered daily, that would have been too long of a line to stand in twice a day.(I’m not being serious, but at least you can see how my brain is processing. ) I hope this makes sense. Thanks for any clarity you can bring.

  6. TOTALLY AWESOME AND RIGHT ON! THANK YOU! Let us keep that fire burning, that oil, our prayers as incense before our Father and His Son Yeshua!!! God’s plan is unfolding and molding and shaping us into Himself! Come Lord Yeshua!!!

  7. Yeshua did not “fulfill” or “do away with” any of the temple service or sacrifices; these services will be reinstated as active and authoritative rites in the Millennial temple as per Ezekial. Yeshua did what the Torah could NOT do. Through his blood, and by him defeating death, he has offered atonement and “remission” for sin. The sacrificial system offered forgiveness of unintentional sin, yet the sin still remained. Yeshua “blotted out” our sins from existence and no record of them remains to stand against us (nailing our sins to the cross). Also, if you have repented and are now obedient, even your willful and rebellious sins are blotted out, “those” are what the Torah/Temple sacrifices could not cover at all, as they brought the sentence of death. Yeshua came to do what the Law could not do… he did not “fulfill/replace” it. That dogma is part of the false Christian-Replacement-Theology mindset.

    • A word to you Mr. Apaulogetics. I commend you on your zeal to defend YHVH’s precious Torah against the attacks of Christian churchianity, and your desire to instruct our Christians brethren on their sorry, if not blasphemous, misinterpretations of the words of Paul. That said, I strongly caution you to be careful about aiming your theological guns at those who are in your camp. Militarily, this is called “friendly fire.” In a war, this is uncalled for, unwarranted and, quite frankly, inexcusable. In your comment, you not only overshot your target, but you falsely accused me of things I have never taught, written or said. In your zeal to uphold Torah, you have crossed the line.

      For the record, few on the internet have been more zealous proponents of Torah and have combatted the lies of the Christian church in this regards than yours truly. The several thousand articles I have posted on this blog over the past 12 to 15 years attest to this, not to mention the hundreds of videos on our YouTube channel. I do not and never have proposed any form of replacement theology. This is an unfounded and bogus accusation on your part.

      Next, I teach that no part of Torah has ever been done away. Yeshua simply took certain aspects of it, including the Levitcal priesthood and sacrificial system to the higher level, that is, to its intended and prophesied level from the beginning. This is what the writer of Hebrews tells us. Certainly, you don’t disagree YHVH’s Word in this book of the Bible.

      As far as what you have said about Yeshua fulfilling the law, again, you have missed the mark. Yeshua himself contradicts your statement. In Matthew 5:17 Yeshua said that he came to fulfill the Torah, not to destroy it. Fulfill, as you must certainly know, is the Greek word pleroo which means “to make replete, that is, (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.: – accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.” Thus, the word fulfill does not equate with “doing something away with” as you incorrectly state by juxta posing these two concepts in the first sentence of your comment.

      As far as the sacrifices being reinstated in the Millennium, knowledgeable Bible students know that these will be for memorial, instructional and illustrative purposes only and not for redemptive purposes. Again, the writer of Hebrews clearly states that Yeshua atoned for our sins once and for all and no further sacrifices will be needed to accomplish this. That’s why the sacrificial system in the Millennium will, again, will simply be for illustrative, instructional and memorial purposes.

      As far as there being forgiveness for willful sin, the writer of Hebrews would take acception with your statement (see Heb 6:4–6; 10:26). Who am I to believe? You or the Word of Elohim. I think you know the answer.

      As an elder, teacher and shepherd in Israel for decades, and as one who has been studying Torah for more than 55 years and obeying it to the best of my ability for the better part of that time, I strongly suggest that you step back from teaching for a season, find someone who has more knowledge of Scripture under whom you can be accountable, and gain some more understanding before becoming a teacher in Israel. You are teaching some things that are not scriptural and could lead people astray. This is serious! Again, I commend you for your zeal, but human passion must submit to the Word and Spirit of YHVH or else it is just that—human, soulish passion. Selah.

      YHVH’s richest blessings on all who read and understand these important concepts.

      Shalom

      • Mr. Lawrence, I apologize for any misunderstanding on my part. I WHOLE HEARTILY agree with the “true” meaning of fulfill/pleroo, of which I have been promoting for years. When I state that Yeshua did not come to fulfill/replace the Law it is in the Christian definition that “fulfill” means to “end, finalize & replace”. As far as “willful sin”, again I apologize for the misunderstanding. I’m not sure exactly what you think I meant; where do you disagree with me? Didn’t Yeshua redeem us from our willful sin and rebellion if we have confessed and repented? Lastly, the main point I disagree with you on is that we are priests on earth, when Hebrews 8:4 states correctly that not even Yeshua can be a priest on earth. So how can you or I be one? If the Son of God cannot be a priest on earth no mere human can either, unless they are of the line of Aaron through Zadok, Ezek. 43. The “Melchizedekian-movement” is wrong, and only the direct blood-line of Aaron can be priest on earth today. El Shaddai said it is gift to Aaron and his sons forever, Exodus 28,29,40. Today, right now, only the Aaronic Priesthood is valid on earth. The Melchizedekian-movement is the replacement theology that I am referring to… there is not one verse anywhere that states any human is a “Melchizedekian” priest today; Only Yeshua is “like” Melchizedek, and only in the “heavenly tabernacle”. That was my only concern with your comments; that people/believers today may think they are Melchizedekian priests, which will make them think the Aaronic priesthood has been replaced, as Christianity preaches today.

        Respectfully,

        Rich Wheeler

      • Thank you for your response.

        First, I someone repents of their so-called willful sin, then I don’t believe that this was willful disobedience in the first place. Willful sin, as I understand it, is someone who shakes their fist in the face of Elohim and refuses to repent. So in this, we don’t disagree.

        Second, Yeshua was not a high priest on this earth, even as we are not high priests on this. We are, however, low-level priests because Peter refers to the saints as “a royal priesthood” in 1 Peter 2:9. We are not high priests, though. That designation only belongs to Yeshua. Therefore, I have to agree with Peter on this subject.

        Blessings.

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