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Sacrifices Under the Law of Moses: Six Acts

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Sacrifices Under the Law of Moses: Six Acts
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The Jesus Christ Focused Old Testament

Donald W. Parry

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Contents

Introduction
Prophecies of Jesus Christ’s Mortal Ministry and Atonement
Symbols that Testify of Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ: Conquering Hero
Jesus Christ is the Lord of History: Nine Major Historical Eras
The Lord Jesus Christ: Potter, Captain, Shepherd, and More
The Lord Jesus Christ Controls the Nations: Book of Judges Case Study
Old Testament Passages Cited by Jesus Christ
Messianic Prophecies in the Psalms
Psalm 22 and Its Fulfillment in Jesus Christ
Isaiah’s Prophecies of the Mortal Messiah
The Messiah in Isaiah 53: Four Recurring Themes
Names, Titles, and Metaphors of the Lord Jesus Christ
Lord (Jehovah): The Most Frequently Used [Content] Word in the Hebrew Bible
Equivalent Designations of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old and New Testaments
God: Compound Names
Lord: Compound Names
The Lord Is Our Savior
The Lord (Jehovah) Is Our Redeemer
The Lord Is Our Atoner
Jesus Christ Is the Messiah
Jesus Christ Is the Lord
One, Three, and Seven: Sacred and Symbolic Numbers
Seven and Sacred Time
Prophets and Prophetesses: The Lord’s Messengers
Eve: Life and Help: A Type of Christ
Adam: “The Figure of Him that Was to Come”
Melchizedek: Type of Christ
Isaac: Type and Shadow of Christ
Joseph of Egypt: Foreshadow of Christ
Moses: Type and Shadow of Jesus Christ
Elijah: Symbol of Jesus Christ
Job: Suffering Servant, A Type of Jesus Christ
Hosea’s Family: Symbols of the Lord for Ancient Israel
The Sign of Jonah: Pointing to Christ’s Death
Priests and High Priests: Foreshadowing Jesus Christ
The Lord Reveals Cycles of Sacred Time
Striking Blood on the Doorposts: The Passover Anticipates Jesus Christ
The Day of Atonement: Messianic Foreshadowing
“A Feast to the Lord”: Sacred and Secular Meals
Parallelisms: Teaching About the Lord Jesus Christ Through Poetry
Chiasmus: Unique Presentations of the Lord’s Word
The Psalms: Praises to the Lord Jesus Christ
Lord: Focused Prophetic Speech Forms
Prayers: Mortals Seeking the Lord’s Divine Favor
Worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ through Music and Song
Law of Moses: Anticipated Jesus Christ and His Atonement
Manna: Symbol of Jesus Christ
Symbols of Christ in the Tabernacle of Moses
Sacrifices Under the Law of Moses: Six Acts
Sacrifices: Symbols of Jesus’s Atoning Sacrifice
Diet Code: Unclean and Clean Animals
God Is a Holy Temple: Temples and Sacred Space
The Atonement-Focused Earthly and Heavenly Temples
Jesus’s Royal Ancestry: Rulers of the Kingdom of Judah
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Contents

Introduction
Prophecies of Jesus Christ’s Mortal Ministry and Atonement
Symbols that Testify of Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ: Conquering Hero
Jesus Christ is the Lord of History: Nine Major Historical Eras
The Lord Jesus Christ: Potter, Captain, Shepherd, and More
1 2 … 10 Next »

Donald W. Parry, “Sacrifices Under the Law of Moses: Six Acts,” in The Jesus Christ Focused Old Testament: Making Sense of a Monumental Book (Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2022), 130–131.

The LDS Bible Dictionary explains, “Under the law of Moses, sacrifices were varied and complex, and a multitude of rules were given to govern the procedure, in keeping with the general character and purpose of the Mosaic law. . . . In all the animal sacrifices of the Mosaic law there were six important acts.” The entire six-part process of the animal sacrifices focused on Jesus Christ and His Atonement, because sacrifices were offered to direct worshippers’ thoughts to Jesus.

In act 2, for example, the offerer laid his hands on the animal’s head, thus transferring his sins to the animal. The symbolism of laying on of hands is explained in Leviticus 16:21, where Aaron lays his hands on the scapegoat: “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat.” After the offerer’s sins were transferred to the animal, it was slaughtered in act 3.

Acts 2 and 3 teach us about Jesus. He first took upon Himself our sins in Gethsemane and then was sacrificed when He died upon the cross. Each of the six acts held some significance with regard to the Atonement.

The accompanying chart lists these six acts, together with a brief explanation of each. Note that worshippers conducted acts 1–3, and the priests performed acts 4–5. Act 6, partaking of the sacrificial meal, pertained either to priests alone, to worshippers and priests, or to priests and their families.[1]



[1] Kurtz, Offerings.

Acts Conducted by the Offerer

Action Number

Action

Three Acts

1

Presentation of the Sacrifice

The worshipper presented the sacrifice at the door of the temple or on the north side of the altar (Lev. 1:3; 3:2).

2

Laying on of Hands

The worshipper laid his hands on the sacrifice to consecrate the offering to God and to make the sacrifice the offerer’s substitute (Lev. 1:4; 16:21; cf. Num. 8:10; 27:18, 20).

3

Slaughter of the Animal

The worshipper slaughtered the animal, an act that pointed to Jesus’s sacrifice; later in history, the priests performed the sacrifice.

Acts Conducted by the Priests

Action Number

Action

Three Acts

4

Sprinkling or Pouring of the Blood

For most animal sacrifices, the priest collected the victim’s blood and sprinkled a portion of it on the sides of the altar and poured the remainder at the altar’s base (Ex. 29:12; Lev. 1:5; 3:2; 4:7; 8:15; Num. 18:17; cf. Lev. 17:11).

5

Burning of the Sacrifice

Depending on the sacrifice, the priest burned all or part of the animal on the altar.

6

Partaking of the Sacrificial Meal

Participants of the sacrificial meal included (depending on the sacrifices):

1. Worshippers and priests (in the case of the peace offerings; Lev. 7:11–36)

2. Only the priests and their families (Lev. 10:14; 22:10–12; Num. 18:14)

3. Only the priests (Lev. 6:16, 26; 7:6; 24:9)

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