Thursday, April 9, 2009

Solomon - The Brass Altar of Sacrifice

All through Scripture we have brief pictures of the altar of sacrifice that God’s people used in their worship of God. In Genesis 3:21 we have the intimation of the sacrifice of animals from which God made garments to clothe the nakedness of Adam and Eve and to introduce them to the concept that the ultimate sacrifice would come to die for their sins.

In Genesis 4:1-5 we see that in order for God to accept your offerings it requires an offering of blood, thus signifying the death of a substitute for the sins of the people. In this story of Genesis 4:1-5 God respects the sacrifice of Abel due to the death of the firstlings of the flock and the burning of the fat, thus indicating that an animal died symbolizing the death of a future Lamb for the sins of the people. God did not respect the offerings of Cain because there was no blood, thus no death of a substitute for Cain’s sins. This is a key issue in the worship services of the world – the death of a substitute for the sins of the person, or persons/church.

In Genesis 8:20 Noah builds and altar unto the Lord and on it sacrifices one of every clean animal and one of every clean fowl to testify to the care taking of God during the flood. This sacrifice also stated that the death of a substitute was required even for the blessings of life. Thus this indicated that all of the major principles of the sacrificial system had been established and in operation for many years prior the sacrificial laws written in the Law of Moses at Mt Sinai.

Abraham built altars in many places as he wandered around in the land of Canaan. Genesis 12:8; 13:4; 22:9. God’s people did these offerings on altars of either earth or stone. Exodus 20:24-26 These altars, of earth or stone were the primary places of worship until the time of the Sanctuary in the time of Moses.

When Jesus instructed Moses about how to build His sanctuary, so that He could dwell among them Exodus 25:8, God wanted to have an altar that was made out of Shittim wood overlayed with brass. Exodus 27:1-2 This altar was five cubits long and five cubits high (7.5 feet long and 7.5 feet wide. Exodus 27:1 It had four horns signifying the four directions of the world, and it had a grate in the bottom so that the ashes of sacrifices would be able to fall through the grate to the ground while other sacrifices were being offered. This altar was a significant and central part of the worship service of the Sanctuary that was built by Moses at the instructions of God.

When we get to the time of Solomon God had given David instructions (I Chronicles 28: 12, 18-19) as to how to build the Temple in such a manner that God wold be pleased. In the temple that Solomon built the altar was permanent, and considerably bigger than any other altar including the altar that Moses had built. This altar was 20 cubits (30 ft) wide and 20 cubits (30 ft) long and 10 cubits (12 feet high) was the height of the altar. Since it was square we can safely say that it had four corners and although not explicitly stated we can assume that it had four horns as well. In the Ezekiel Temple format the altar was to have four horns, just as in the Mosaic Temple, and the blood was to be placed on the horns of the altar. Ezekiel 43:18-20.

On the altar of sacrifice all the animals slain for the various aspects of the worship service were to be burned up. They were to be consumed in their task. We have no Bible statements indicating, that in the Temple that Solomon built for God, that there were any changes in the sacrificial system itself. The only changes were for the Temple to be built on a permanent basis with larger instruments and more space. So again, the sacrificial animals were a symbol of the death of the true Lamb of God and the altar was a symbol of the sacrifice and total consumption with the process of taking care of the sin problem.

When the temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar all of the furniture was taken to Babylon. When Israel returned to Canaan then they rebuilt the Temple again, but on a much smaller scale. However, the prophet Haggai stated that "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former (or Temple that Solomon built), saith the Lord of hosts…" Haggai 2:9 God had stated that the little Temple, built after the fall of the temple that Solomon built would be greater than that of Solomon’s temple. This was fulfilled when Jesus, the True Shekinah came to the Temple. His presence fulfilled this prophecy.

In the Temple that Herod built, John 2:20, the furniture was the same as in the Temple that Solomon built but much smaller in scale. However, there was the unique quality of the presence of Jesus. Jesus was the Lamb of God and it was His role to take away the sins of the world. John 1:29. Therefore, Jesus must fulfill the symbolism of the Temple service. He must have the sins of the world laid upon Him, He must die as a result of this transfer of sin from the world to the Lamb of God, and then He must be consumed on the altar of sacrifice.

However, Jesus was not slain by an individual, He was slain by the Gentiles, the Roman governor, at the request of the Jewish leadership. The Father laid all of the sins of the world upon Jesus, in Gethsemane. Isaiah 53:6 Jesus was taken to the Temple by God’s own people in fulfillment of the prophecy of the High Priest Caiaphas in John 11:49-52. And then He was taken to the judgment seat of the Roman governor Pilate. Pilate stated that Jesus was the King of the Jews and proclaimed Him as such. Both Jew and Gentile chose to have Him die. As the sin bearer Jesus was lead to Calvary and was nailed to a tree and lifted up as a criminal and as a cursed one. Deuteronomy 21:22-23.

Having received the sins of the world, Jesus died on the cross. But where was the altar of burnt offering. When Jesus went to Calvary His life was consumed by the fires of this affliction. Calvary was the altar of burnt sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed His life and He was consumed as the ultimate offering by His obedience to the will of His Father. Jesus, as the Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for us. I Corinthians 5:7. Jesus, the Lamb of God, "…hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." Ephesians 5:2

The ultimate text on the sacrifice of Jesus on the altar of obedience is found in Hebrews 10:4-10:

4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
5Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The obedience of Christ, His willingness to live a perfect life for us, His willingness to take the sins of the world upon Him, His willingness to die for us, and His willingness to be a High Priest to mediate His blood for our sins, are all signs of His total sacrifice for us. Thus He fulfilled, in symbol, all of the functions of the altar of sacrifice on Mt. Calvary for us.

The next question is whether there is still an altar of burn offering still in existence. The answer to this question is literally no, spiritually yes. Romans 12:1 states the following:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

We are to each come to God and be willing to have Him cleanse us from sin, for no imperfect sacrifice is acceptable to Christ. Then we are to be willing to sacrifice ourselves to him through obedience to His will. Then we are to be willing to die to self every day for Him and be willing to put our total lives on the altar of service for Him. When we are willing to do this we will have entered into the full experience of the symbol of the Brass Altar of Sacrifice, just as the Lamb of God did for us.

In the book of Revelation we see that much of what is said is couched in Sanctuary language. We see that there is no official Brass Altar of Sacrifice in the book of Revelation for all of the symbolism is in reference to the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place with the exception of the Sea of Glass in Revelation 15:2. But there is a reference to the Altar of Sacrifice in Revelation 7:3,9,14,15,17. In these verses God’s people are symbolized as having been sealed in v.3 thus the saint has died to self and totally surrendered to Jesus. In v. 9 the saints have been clothed with white robes which symbolizes the acceptance of the life, death, and High Priestly ministry of Jesus in their lives and have received the palm fronds in their hands symbolizing victory over sin. In v.14 they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb thus symbolizing their acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus, and have allowed Jesus to wash their lives out with His life and behaviors, thus symbolizing the altar of sacrifice and the washing in the laver. In v. 15 the saints are symbolized as serving Him as priests day and night in His temple, which means they have sacrificed their lives for the life of service. And finally He shall lead them to the living fountain of waters, which means He has led His saints to the throne of God. All of these things are accomplished through the ministry of the Brass Altar of Sacrifice. Please come and accept of these wonderful gifts through the Sanctuary service implemented by God.
 
 
 
 
 

1 comment:

  1. Wonderful history of the typical sacrifices that lead the way of man's thinking to the Ultimate Sacrifice. Great study Greg and thank you for your diligence that we may all benefit compiling thoughts that exist through a very large Book.

    I wanted to add to Cain's sacrifice not being accepted since it was his agricultural endeavors that his offering consisted of...and what not of Faith...it is like attempting salvation through works without Faith... just as the Fire built to offer it... and we all know what happens when we offer Strange Fire to God...

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