A word from J. Nathan Lawrence, the author

It is highly doubtful that you have before you a clearer and more succinct explanation of how the Old Testament Levitical priesthood and sacrificial systems prophetically pointed the way forward to Yeshua the Messiah and were fulfilled by him, or why the Old Covenant failed and why the new covenant was necessary for man’s ultimate redemption. Although this is a long article (about 12 pages), it is a short and comprehensive look and this often confusing and difficult subject including a complete overview of the Epistle to the Hebrews, which from its beginning to its end is a step-by-step explanation of the whole message of the Bible. Please read on…

The journey from the Old Testament Book of Leviticus to the New Testament’s Epistle to the Hebrews is an epic one spanning several thousand years. The spiritual trek of the Christian church started, not on the day of Pentecost in chapter two of the Book of Acts as is commonly taught, but with the children of Israel leaving Egypt, and then their building of the Tabernacle of Moses with its Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system. This is the saga of a people—the children of Abraham—in search of their God (Yehovah Elohim), their struggles to draw near to him by obeying him, and then their failure to do so with the ensuing cataclysmic and horrific consequences as a result thereof. The Old Testament, which is the story of that ensuring struggle, will, however, have a glorious ending where the King and his children will live happily ever after—and this is no mythical fairy tale! This is the way, the truth and the life, and life more abundantly, to boot, where each recipient is more than a conqueror having defeated death itself as they pass through that thin veil between life and death into something much better in the world beyond. 

But there is a larger and deeper backstory to this ancient historical chronicle that has astounding ramifications for the present time, since the roots of the world’s greatest religion that has touched more lives than any other are anchored deeply in the soils of the land of Israel where our story begins. To understand this and its present day implications is to understand one’s own personal, spiritual journey in knowing oneself and, more importantly, in knowing one’s Creator. 

Under the lens of our present microscope is the leg of this journey that starts in the Book of Leviticus with the children of Israel building a sanctuary so that Yehovah (YHVH) might dwell among them (Exod 25:8). This journey then ends with the utter destruction of the third iteration of that same sanctuary some 1,500 years later. This seemingly left YHVH’s chosen people high and dry spiritually and without a locus around which to orbit their spiritual quest for the Creator. What then? Enter the Epistle to the Hebrews, written either just before are slightly after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in a.d. 70. In this book of the Bible, the author lays out line-by-line how the Creator’s had not been caught unawares vis-à-vis his people by this calamitous event. Rather, all along he had been orchestrating a grand and elaborate plan to redeem his people from the spiritual sin pit into which man initially fell in the Garden of Eden. From then until now, every descendent of Adam and Eve has fallen into that same pit, trapped and unable to extricate himself. What was the initial step in heaven’s multi-millennial plan to redeem man from the wages of his sin? We discover it in the Book of Leviticus. 

The Old Testament Book of Leviticus with its sacrificial system as administered by the Levitical priests illustratively explains the divinely inspired progressive step-by-step plan to teach sinful man the gravity and high cost of sin, and then to show man the way back to his Creator. The first step in this supernatural process involved teaching man about the destructive, calamitous and eventual lethal consequences of sin. The next step involved transforming man’s heart away from being inclined toward sinful rebellion against YHVH’s commandments resulting in disobedience (Jer 17:9; Rom 8:6–7; 1 John 3:4), and becoming willingly inclined to obeying heaven’s laws of life, love and happiness. It was the failure to achieve heaven’s ultimate aim of transforming the human heart into compliance with the Creator’s commandments where this covenantal agreement (commonly referred to as the old or Mosaic covenant) with the chosen people—the children of Israel—missed the mark. The weakness of the old covenant was not with the terms of the covenant itself that required the people’s obedience to YHVH’s Torah-law resulting in divine favor and blessing, but with the people themselves who promised to obey YHVH, but then failed to do so. This is the message of the writer of the Book of Hebrews as he echoes the same complaint against YHVH’s hapless and rebellious people as had many of his biblical antecedents. It is this failure on the part of the YHVH’s people onto which the author assiduously shines the light of truth (Heb 8:7–13). This is why a new covenant between YHVH and his people was necessary. Why? Because the ancient Israelites had violated the terms of the first or former covenant thus nullifying the agreement between man and Elohim.

Eventually, the larger lesson of the sacrificial system that YHVH Elohim imposed on his children of Israel after their rebellion in the wilderness of Sinai was that man cannot achieve a spiritual transformation from sinner to saint sans outside help from above. Ultimately, this is where Yeshua the Messiah enters the picture. To be reconciled to the Creator—our Father in heaven—each of us needs a transformation of our heart (or a spiritual heart transplant) through the sin atoning and cleansing blood of Yeshua, the Lamb of Elohim, coupled with the subsequent help of the Holy Spirit to give each of person a new heart that willingly complies with YHVH’s will as expressed through his Written Torah. This is what the new covenant is all about.

But until YHVH actuated a new covenant with man through Yeshua the Messiah, man had a few lessons to learn to solidify in the collective conscience of his people the fact that the human heart is so defiled and bent toward sin that nothing can rectify the situation save the intervention of heaven’s mercy and grace itself. Because of man’s pride, arrogance and failure to recognize his own fallen and sinful state, the Levitical sacrificial system was a step-by-step process for YHVH’s people to become collectively aware of this reality. Like a loving father teaching his children how to walk, talk, read and to live life, YHVH began by teaching the children of Israel the ABCs of sin and redemption through the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system. Shortly thereafter, it became clear to the more spiritually enlightened Israelites like Moses, David the psalmist and the Old Testament prophets that these systems were insufficient to accomplish in man what was necessary for him to come into a right relationship with his Creator. In reality and according to heaven’s ultimate plan, these systems were merely prophetic stepping stones pointing humans toward a permanent fix to the problem, and were part of a larger plan that the Almighty, the Holy One of Israel, was working out among his people including us as example and for our admonition and learning upon whom the ends of the earth are come (1 Cor 10:11; Rom 15:4).

Let’s now explore the transitional steps from Leviticus to Hebrews that paved the way for the formation of a new and better covenantal agreement between YHVH and his people that would achieve the desired results of reconciling man to his Creator and ensuring that he would have a forever family—glorified and immortalized children created in his own image. 

Overview of the Sacrificial System?

All the animals slaughtered in the old covenant or Mosaic sacrificial system were similar, in modern terms, to the minimum amount due on a credit card bill that is so huge that one cannot possible pay the balance; therefore, one can only afford to pay the minimum amount due until somehow, miraculously, someone will step in to pay the full amount. Yeshua the Messiah came to man’s rescue and paid that monstrously huge sin debt for each of us at the cross. All of the sacrifices in the Tabernacle of Moses were merely tiny down payments on the vast sin bill that each sinner owed for his sins, and which would ultimately be paid by Yeshua’s death on the cross. The penalty for sin is death, and this debt can only be paid by the death of the sinner. However, once he is dead, then what? This is why Yeshua had to pay the price for man, so that humans might live forever and not die forever. How could Yeshua’s death pay for all of humanity? After all he was only one man. This is possible only because the Bible reveals in numerous places that Yeshua was the Creator of man (John 1:3, 10; Heb 1:2, 10; Col 1:16) thus making his death life more valuable than all that he ever created, even as the builder of the house is more valuable than the house he constructs (Heb 3:6).

The following points give us a quick overview of the Levitical sacrificial system.

• The laws pertaining to the sacrificial system were added to the rest of YHVH’s Torah because of sin, and were in force until the time of Yeshua the promised Seed (Gal 3:19; Heb 9:10). When and why did YHVH add the sacrifices making this system incumbent upon the Israelites? This occurred after and because of Israel’s sin of idolatry when they built the golden calf. It was then that YHVH established the Levitical priesthood and subsequently gave Israel the sacrificial system not only to impress upon them the seriousness and grave consequences of sin, but to point them toward the One who would come to offer ultimate redemption and salvation from sin.
• The Levitical system foreshadowed and pointed to the Messiah’s ultimate sacrifice (Heb 9:11–12).
• The tabernacle offerings were specifically designed to draw the offerer near to Elohim through the sacrifice of a prescribed animal (Ps 51:16–17; 50:12–15 cp. 1 Pet 2:21).
• Elohim commanded offerings to assist the offerer to understand himself better; his attitude, and his personal relationship with Elohim (e.g., Gen 3:21; 4:3–5; 8:20; 22:1–2 cp. 1 Cor 11:28).
• As a historical precursor to the Levitical sacrificial system, the patriarchs erected altars in order to honor Elohim through sacrifice after having had direct contact with him (Gen 12:6–8; 13:18; 26:24–25; 35:1; 35:2–4; Exod 17:13–16; cp. Exod 20:12). This presaged the purpose of the Levitical sacrifices.
• Proper and regular sacrificial offerings kept the children of Israel in direct contact with the Elohim of the patriarchs (Exod 5:3; 10:25; cp. 1 Tim 2:5).
• To make the offerer holy (set-apart) so that he would be allowed to approach and commune with the Set-Apart Elohim of Israel (Isa 43:15; 57:15; Lev 19:2 cp. 2 Cor 6:16–18).
• The blood of the animal sacrifices served to cover the offerer’s sins, thereby allowing him to draw near to the holy Elohim of Israel. However, the offerer could only be forgiven for specific sins through full repentance and by returning to Elohim’s way of life as outlined in the Torah (Lev 1:4; 4:35; 23:27–28; Heb 10:3–4; cp. Rom 4:7–8).
• Under certain circumstances, blood, as used in the Levitical system, could serve as a sin purification agent for both people and objects (Heb 9:18–23 cp. Luke 2:22–24).
• The purpose of the animals sacrificially offered by the Levitical priesthood served as a prophetic shadow picture and antetype of the blood of Messiah, which covers or atones for the sins of the person who accepts Yeshua’s free gift of atonement for one’s sins (Heb 9:11–12, 24–28; 1 Pet 1:18–19; Eph 5:25–27; Lev 25:47–49; Rom 5:11; John 1:29 cp. Heb 13:10–13).

The Higher or Ultimate Sacrifice of Yeshua Messiah Prophesied

The Scriptures clearly teach that the sacrificial system that YHVH imposed upon Israel was temporary—it was never intended to be a permanent fixture in the spiritual economy of the people of Israel. Unlike the ten commandments that formed the cornerstone of the rest of YHVH’s Torah-law and from which the rest of the Torah emanates, the sacrificial system was temporary and was to last until “the time of reformation,” that is, until the time of Yeshua the Messiah (Heb 9:9–10).

The Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Messiah being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building. (Heb 9:8–11)

Moreover, these verses reveal another truth that the mainstream Christian church system from the time of the early church fathers until now has overlooked. The church’s teaching that the Sabbath along with YHVH’s feasts were a subset of these rites and ceremonies is based on a false reading of Hebrew 9:10, for the former predates the latter—an inconvenient truth that church leaders prefer to overlook and, therefore, fail to teach. The Sabbath and feasts were never part of the Levitical priesthood or sacrificial systems! The context of these verses is clearly speaking of the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial systems, and YHVH’s entire Torah is not even remotely in view in the author’s mind. Again, this is because both the Sabbath and biblical feasts long predate YHVH’s commands to Israel concerning the Levitical and sacrificial systems (Gen 1:14; 2:1–3; Exod chapters 12 and 13; 16:23–30 and YHVH’s giving of his Torah-law on the Feast of Shavuot or Pentecost (Exod 19:1ff). Jeremiah confirms this fact:

For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: but this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your Elohim, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. (Jer 7:22–26)

Jeremiah informs us that YHVH had (and still does) little interest in animal sacrifices, and that his real interest was in the condition of the heart of his people toward him. Isaiah echoes this truth as well:

Thus saith YHVH, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith YHVH: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. (Isa 66:1–4)

Again, the eyes of YHVH are on those whose hearts are inclined toward him, and who possess a contrite heart and tremble at his word, rather than on outward hypocritical religiosity and heartless performance. Hollywood is full of many excellent actors who can play a scripted role, but such acting is no indication of who the person really is in his or her heart 

Thus, we see that YHVH added the sacrificial and Levitical systems to the rest of his Torah law for a limited time until the arrival of the Messiah to which this added system pointed like a highway milage sign or map points a traveler to their final destination. After the advent of Yeshua, what need was there now of this system since the destination to which pointed had been reached? Paul understood this.

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. (Gal 3:19)

But long before Paul arrived on the scene, and longer still before the advent of the Messiah, many Old Testament writers realized the ineffectiveness of the Levitical and sacrificial systems to transform the human heart. They had come to the realization that these systems never were the ultimate intent of YHVH, for they were temporary and only pointed to the higher form of worship that was most pleasing to the Father.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in YHVH. (Ps 4:5)

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto YHVH. (Ps 27:6)

I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto Elohim thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Ps 50:8–15)

The sacrifices of Elohim are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O Elohim, thou wilt not despise. (Ps 51:17)

I will praise the name of Elohim with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please YHVH better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek Elohim. (Ps 69:30–32)

And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. (Ps 107:22)

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same YHVH’s name is to be praised. (Ps 113:3)

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of YHVH. (Ps 116:17)

Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O YHVH, and teach me thy judgments. (Ps 119:108)

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

Prov 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to YHVH: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to YHVH than sacrifice. (Prov 21:3)

And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of YHVH. (Jer 17:26)

The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise YHVH of hosts: for YHVH is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of YHVH. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith YHVH. (Jer 33:11)

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of Elohim more than burnt offerings. (Hos 6:6)

Take with you words, and turn to YHVH: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. (Hos 14:2)

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of YHVH. (Jon 2:9)

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)

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Matt 9:13)

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. (Matt 12:7)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Elohim, which is your reasonable service. (Rom 12:1)

And walk in love, as Messiah also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to Elohim for a sweetsmelling savour. (Eph 5:2)

But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to Elohim. (Phil 4:18)

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Heb 9:26)

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to Elohim continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Heb 13:15)

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)

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. (Rev 5:8)

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. (Rev 8:3)

The Epistle to the Hebrews and the New Covenant

The Israelite’s failure to live up to the terms of the covenant that YHVH made with them at the foot of Mount Sinai necessitated a solution to this human sin problem if YHVH was ever to have a nation that would be a spiritual light to the world. In their present condition, how could he use this rebellious and sin-bent people to bring the message of redemption to the rest of the world and in the process create an everlasting spiritual family? This necessitated a permanent solution to the age-old problem of sinful inclination of the human heart. YHVH began to reveal to his prophets the necessity of a new covenant that would address the stubborn, rebellious, disobedient faithless, sin-bent and hard heart of man. Perhaps no other scripture passage expresses this idea more than one found in the ancient writings of Jeremiah the prophet.