Altar vs Church

[Classik]

I have seen many different altars with different designs, each having particular items.

Also, I have seen some churches (structures) with different shapes and unique designs. There are several rooms in some serving different purposes. Some contain sophisticated equipment and such things often found in expensive buildings.


There are two issues to discuss:

1.
* Biblically speaking, what and what should be found on the altar (Bible principles)
* And, traditionally, why what we have today?

2.
* Is it proper to give church structures any design of your choice: any biblical guideline?
* What and what should be found in a typical christian church?

 

[Jethro Bodine]

* What and what should be found in a typical christian church?

Believers.

Anything beyond that is optional and subject to the discretion of the people leading and supporting the church.

 

[farouk]

The fact is, as Hebrews says, 'Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many'; 'by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified'.

So, really, if by definition an altar is where someone performs sacrifices, then the need for such a physical object doesn't arise, following Hebrews' teaching of the sufficiency of the work of Christ at the Cross.

Regarding the design of the table on which the Lord's Supper, a remembrance feast, is observed, it is really very subjective.

 

[Classik]

This "altar" thing, it's design and construction has always been a big challenge to some churches. Some struggle and spend huge amount of money on it.

Some do the little they can.
Some look quite strange.

 

[Tina]

What kind of "altar" do you have in your church location, Classik?

I have never seen an altar in any Protestant church. We are the temple of God, we worship God in Spirit and in truth, why do we need an altar, what is the purpose of having an altar ?

 

[Classik]

I'm talking about the physical objects, decoration etc

 

[nmwings]

......why do we need an altar, what is the purpose of having an altar?

In general, the Altar is the Lord’s ownership mark over the whole earth.

Specifically, it is the Table at which men come to do business with God. Among many other things, the Altar explains and teaches us Table fellowship with the Lord, and that the hospitality of the Lord is the standard of hospitality in our own homes. The Altar is His Table and the Lord has instructed, “I want meat, bread and wine on My Table so that when men come to do business with Me I can show hospitality and receive them.”

We all can agree that Yeshua (Jesus) is our High Priest, but many people stop here, not wanting to think ahead because the implications are enormous. God explains the duty of the High priest very explicitly, and it revolves around sacrifices upon that Altar. I realize many argue that "sacrifices have been done away with" but they simply do not understand that of the 13 sacrifices instructed by God, ONLY TWO ARE FOR SIN. The other 11 sacrifices are for rejoicing and giving thanks to God.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Specifically, it is the Table at which men come to do business with God.

The altar is symbolically the place where God comes down to meet man.

We all can agree that Yeshua (Jesus) is our High Priest, but many people stop here, not wanting to think ahead because the implications are enormous.

What are the implications?

God explains the duty of the High priest very explicitly, and it revolves around sacrifices upon that Altar.

We are sacrifices on the altar, kept ablaze by the fire of the Holy Spirit. High Priest Jesus being responsible for not letting that blaze go out.

I realize many argue that "sacrifices have been done away with" but they simply do not understand that of the 13 sacrifices instructed by God, ONLY TWO ARE FOR SIN. The other 11 sacrifices are for rejoicing and giving thanks to God.

"5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:5 NIV)

 

[nmwings]

The altar is symbolically the place where God comes down to meet man.

You’re getting the Mercy Seat atop the Ark of the Covenant confused with the Altar. The Mercy Seat is where God sat and dwelled with man, while the Altar is where business was/will be conducted. And it was/will be literal, not symbolic.

What are the implications?

That the sacrifical system is STILL true today and forever. People think sacrifices were only for sin, but that is simply not the case. The vast majority of sacrifices were to include the Lord in our daily lives. We still have ordinations and dedications, we still memorialize, we’re still thankful, and we still make freewill contributions... and all of these principles come from this sacrificial system.

There is no sacrifice a man can bring for intentional sin. There is however (taught BEFORE the Law was given) that if God brings a lamb for you it WILL cover all your intentional sin, and it will pass you from death to life! It is called "The Lamb of God Sacrifice" and it is completly seperate from the offerings that MAN brings to the Altar.

We are sacrifices on the altar, kept ablaze by the fire of the Holy Spirit. High Priest Jesus being responsible for not letting that blaze go out.

Your reference to 1 Pete 2:4 goes hand-in-hand with Paul’s teaching in Rom 12:1 “I beseech you therefore,brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.†The term “mercies of God†is a direct reference to the Altar service. The 13 sacrifices of the Altar match the 13 attributes of mercy of the Lord. And when we come to do business with God, we are APPEALING TO HIS MERCY. Therefore, “by the mercies of God†we are coming and appealing to the Living God through this sacrificial system, through His Altar (His Table) to do business with Him.
And Paul says that when you come to do your service to the Lord, you are to put ALL of you up there on that Altar- which is the EXACT SAME INSTRUCTION MOSES GAVE about how an animal sacrifice is to be presented.

Peter and Paul are explaining Lev 6:8-13, which covers the instruction of the morning and evening lambs, aka the Burned Offering (which is what the Antichrist will stop in the near future.)

"Command Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.

In the Hebrew it says: This is the law for the Burned Offering, he is the Burned Offering and he is to remain on the Altar all night...†The translators changed “he†to “it†in order to have a neutral pronoun, because they thought Scripture is talking about the lamb. Except the Hebrew doesn’t say that. What it says is when you go to present the lamb, YOU are the Burned Offering! The sages say when a priest presents this evening sacrifice, he is not just presenting a lamb, he is presenting HIMSELF! That it’s your soul you’re supposed to put up on the HEARTH of the Altar.

To emphasize this further, a scribal mark (aka “jot or tiddleâ€) has been made at the Hebrew word for “hearth†(mokedah.) The letter mem ("M" in English) is made much smaller than the other letters. Whenever a letter is made small like this, it means that something is diminished. So what does this scribal mark of a small mem mean after just saying “he is the Burned Offering?†The letter mem is in the shape of a womb, & mem means “waters†but more particularly “chaotic waters.†We all know that whenever a pregnant woman breaks water, "chaos comes to the house." It’s that kind of tension & excitement which the letter mem portrays. The womb is where the living soul is joined to the body by God. So the reason this scribal mark is saying “he is the Burned Offering†and the mem (womb) is made small is because the person who is presenting this sacrifice is supposed to understand that when they come to present the lamb, they’re supposed to put their SOUL upon this Altar!

That’s a very powerful concept on how to approach God! A man brings his animal & prepares his sacrifice by laying his hands on it, putting the burden on this innocent animal. He makes his confession & then the moment would come where its time to take the life of the animal (to capture its life, its SOUL) to present him to the Altar. Men who understood what this meant would fall down on their faces crying their eyes out before God knowing "it shouldn’t be this animal going up on the Altar, but IT SHOULD BE ME having MY throat slit, and I should be skinned, cut in pieces and put up there to be burned & consumed!â€

But in His mercy, God has made a way that man can come & do business with Him & we can present a substitute. But when you come, you are to come presenting YOU! “This is the la of the Burned Offering, the man who brings it, HE IS the Burned Offering!â€

 

[Jethro Bodine]

You’re getting the Mercy Seat atop the Ark of the Covenant confused with the Altar. The Mercy Seat is where God sat and dwelled with man, while the Altar is where business was/will be conducted.

The Temple was the appointed place of contact between man and God. As you well know, the common man was not allowed into the Holy of Holies. His contact with God was at the altar where he brought his sacrifice and where God responded with fire.

And it was/will be literal, not symbolic.

The symbolism of old covenant worship helps us understand present day spiritual reality in this New Covenant. And it's a reality that is not confined to, or governed by, literal lawful boundaries of old covenant worship.

That the sacrifical system is STILL true today and forever. People think sacrifices were only for sin, but that is simply not the case. The vast majority of sacrifices were to include the Lord in our daily lives. We still have ordinations and dedications, we still memorialize, we’re still thankful, and we still make freewill contributions... and all of these principles come from this sacrificial system.

And a person would be free to make those sacrifices, if there were a Temple and they lived close enough to it to use it. And had animals to sacrifice. The NT helps us understand what (spiritual) sacrifices are acceptable to God and are to be made which the literal old covenant sacrifices illustrated.

There is no sacrifice a man can bring for intentional sin. There is however (taught BEFORE the Law was given) that if God brings a lamb for you it WILL cover all your intentional sin, and it will pass you from death to life! It is called "The Lamb of God Sacrifice" and it is completly seperate from the offerings that MAN brings to the Altar.

ALL sacrifices are from God. Who among us ever created a lamb, or a goat, or a bull, or a fruit tree, or a shock of grain? Just to have something to sacrifice as God requires is an element of God's grace. God provided every grain and meat offering ever made on a Mosaic altar just as surely as he has provided Jesus for us to offer up to Him. So to think the Lamb of God is somehow different than other sacrifices he required based on the fact that he provided it is a little misguided IMO. What is common to all sacrifices is the fact that we have to bring it to him in faith.

Your reference to 1 Pete 2:4 goes hand-in-hand with Paul’s teaching in Rom 12:1 “I beseech you therefore,brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

I actually had 'living' in parentheses just before the word 'sacrifice' in my last post, but I deleted it at the last moment to avoid confusion.

The term “mercies of God” is a direct reference to the Altar service. The 13 sacrifices of the Altar match the 13 attributes of mercy of the Lord. And when we come to do business with God, we are APPEALING TO HIS MERCY. Therefore, “by the mercies of God” we are coming and appealing to the Living God through this sacrificial system, through His Altar (His Table) to do business with Him.

Maybe so, but I've always understood Paul saying, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice..." in Romans 12:1 to be in reference to what he just said four verses before that in Romans 11:

30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." (Romans 11:30-32 NIV)

What do you say?

And Paul says that when you come to do your service to the Lord, you are to put ALL of you up there on that Altar- which is the EXACT SAME INSTRUCTION MOSES GAVE about how an animal sacrifice is to be presented.

Peter and Paul are explaining Lev 6:8-13, which covers the instruction of the morning and evening lambs, aka the Burned Offering (which is what the Antichrist will stop in the near future.)

"Command Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.

In the Hebrew it says: This is the law for the Burned Offering, he is the Burned Offering and he is to remain on the Altar all night...” The translators changed “he” to “it” in order to have a neutral pronoun, because they thought Scripture is talking about the lamb. Except the Hebrew doesn’t say that. What it says is when you go to present the lamb, YOU are the Burned Offering! The sages say when a priest presents this evening sacrifice, he is not just presenting a lamb, he is presenting HIMSELF! That it’s your soul you’re supposed to put up on the HEARTH of the Altar.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the burnt offering an offering for sin, being completely burnt up and not allowed to be consumed by the worshiper?

To emphasize this further, a scribal mark (aka “jot or tiddle”) has been made at the Hebrew word for “hearth” (mokedah.) The letter mem ("M" in English) is made much smaller than the other letters. Whenever a letter is made small like this, it means that something is diminished. So what does this scribal mark of a small mem mean after just saying “he is the Burned Offering?” The letter mem is in the shape of a womb, & mem means “waters” but more particularly “chaotic waters.” We all know that whenever a pregnant woman breaks water, "chaos comes to the house." It’s that kind of tension & excitement which the letter mem portrays. The womb is where the living soul is joined to the body by God. So the reason this scribal mark is saying “he is the Burned Offering” and the mem (womb) is made small is because the person who is presenting this sacrifice is supposed to understand that when they come to present the lamb, they’re supposed to put their SOUL upon this Altar!

No offense to you personally, but I'm not edified at all from extra-Biblical things like this. I've found the Bible itself to be full of many, many secret truths that point to spiritual truths. I suggest the Bible is more than sufficient to teach us all we need to know and be edified by about the secret hidden things of God and his ways. We really don't need Hebrew sages to know these truths.

But in His mercy, God has made a way that man can come & do business with Him & we can present a substitute. But when you come, you are to come presenting YOU! “This is the law of the Burned Offering, the man who brings it, HE IS the Burned Offering!”

In general, I'm more inclined to see the grain offerings as representing us on the altar of sacrifice and the meat offerings representing Jesus' sacrifice. We are the dust of the earth raised up into plantings of the earth harvested for God's pleasure and use. We present the (crushed) grain of our bodies to him in humble sacrifice through the worship of our service . I see lot's of value in that understanding of the sacrifices.

The sacrifices is an interesting study for sure.

 

[nmwings]

The symbolism of old covenant worship helps us understand present day spiritual reality in this New Covenant. And it's a reality that is not confined to, or governed by, literal lawful boundaries of old covenant worship.

And in our present day spiritual reality, the Temple should be in our HEART, (just like the commandments as Jer 31 describes the RENEWED Covenant) and we need to keep that fire on our Altar blazing. Messiah warns us in Rev that when He returns and our fire has been allowed to dim, He will light it with a consuming fire and we will NOT like it.

ALL sacrifices are from God…..Just to have something to sacrifice as God requires is an element of God's grace.

Everything we have is a gift from God. However, whatever we bring to Him has to be the BEST from our possessions. If we give something that doesn’t really mean that much to us, then it is a worthless gift. It has to“hurt the pocketbook” so to speak, otherwise it wouldn’t be a “sacrifice.”

So to think the Lamb of God is somehow different than other sacrifices he required based on the fact that he provided it is a little misguided IMO. What is common to all sacrifices is the fact that we have to bring it to him in faith.

We did not bring the Lamb of God sacrifice, He brought the very best that He had….Himself, and He did it willingly. That makes all the difference in the world.

Maybe so, but I've always understood Paul saying,"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice..." in Romans 12:1 to be in reference to what he just said four verses before that in Romans 11:30. What do you say?

Scripture doesn’t say “in view of God’s mercy” it says, “by the mercies of God”… a very clear reference to the sacrificial system. Another good example of people thinking they know what Scripture says is this: how many pairs of animals went into Noah’s ark? Most people will answer 2 pair. But Scripture actually says 2 pair of every unclean animal and 7 of every clean animal.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the burnt offering an offering for sin, being completely burnt up and not allowed to be consumed by the worshiper?

The Whole Burnt offering is NOT a sin offering. In Hebrew it is the “Olah” which literally means “that which the shepherd brings forth.” To make this offering you would go to the shepherd and tell him to select one for you and he would make the judgment as to which one would be the best for you and bring it to you. This offering is also called an Elevation Offering because it elevates the holiness of the giver. It is one of the Freewill Offerings, meaning it is not required, but if you wanted to include the Lord in a special celebration, or remembrance, etc, this is what you would bring. You are correct in that it is given exclusively to the Lord and none of it is eaten. Hence the name “Whole-Burnt Offering.”

No offense to you personally, but I'm not edified at all from extra-Biblical things like this. I've found the Bible itself to be full of many, many secret truths that point to spiritual truths. I suggest the Bible is more than sufficient to teach us all we need to know and be edified by about the secret hidden things of God and his ways. We really don't need Hebrew sages to know these truths.

Except this isn’t extra-Biblical. These scribal marks are in EVERY Torah scroll, and the MESSIAH HIMSELF told us that these“Jots and tiddles will not pass away.” Without at least a basic understanding of Hebrew culture, idioms and LANGUAGE, one gets a VERY distorted view of Scripture in its entirety. The single greatest catasrophe that happened to the church occured when they abandoned their Hebrew roots. And in the absence of the teachings of the Torah they have to make all kinds of substitutions & explanations to make sense of what the Scripture says! If they would just let it be what it is (let it be the foundation that lifts things up) then everything would be properly structured & supported.

In general, I'm more inclined to see the grain offerings as representing us on the altar of sacrifice and the meat offerings representing Jesus' sacrifice.

Actually, ALL of the sacrifices represent the Messiah. The Meal offering (also called the Grain offering because of the wheat and barley) consists solely of flour, bread or cakes. Thus the KJV’s translation as “meat” offering is completely wrong. On a side note: does the Messiah not say that He is the “True Bread from Heaven?” Is He not likened unto the Showbread? The grain offerings that are brought into the Temple….are they not formed into loaves and into Showbread, and is it not a picture and symbolism of who the Messiah is?

None of the sacrifices represent us. However, the smoke coming off of the Golden Altar of Incense does represent our prayers (see Rev 8)

 

[Jethro Bodine]

And in our present day spiritual reality, the Temple should be in our HEART, (just like the commandments as Jer 31 describes the RENEWED Covenant)

It's a New Covenant. New Priesthood, new Sacrifice, new Temple.

Hebrews makes it very clear that the old has been laid aside in favor of the New.

We did not bring the Lamb of God sacrifice...

God provided it, we bring it...by faith.

Scripture doesn’t say “in view of God’s mercy” it says, “by the mercies of God”… a very clear reference to the sacrificial system.

Actually it's not so clear. Maybe he is doing that, but what is clear Paul is saying 'by the mercies of God' in regard to the specifics of those mercies he just spoke about 4 verses before. Look and see for yourself.

Another good example of people thinking they know what Scripture says....

Thinking? Just read the passage.

The Whole Burnt offering is NOT a sin offering.

I checked. It is.

Hey, it's okay. The law is very detailed. It's not a fast read. It takes years to get all the details down. I'll let you know when I get there.

It is one of the Freewill Offerings, meaning it is not required, but if you wanted to include the Lord in a special celebration, or remembrance, etc, this is what you would bring.

Not too sure about that. It's an offering for atonement. That makes it required.

Except this isn’t extra-Biblical. These scribal marks are in EVERY Torah scroll, and the MESSIAH HIMSELF told us that these“Jots and tiddles will not pass away.” Without at least a basic understanding of Hebrew culture, idioms and LANGUAGE, one gets a VERY distorted view of Scripture in its entirety. The single greatest catasrophe that happened to the church occured when they abandoned their Hebrew roots.

Maybe so, but not for the reason you are saying. All one has to do is read and study the law and the prophets and you'll have all the Jewish foundation a Christian needs. The wisdom of the sages tends to be a little misguided and irrelevant.

And in the absence of the teachings of the Torah they have to make all kinds of substitutions & explanations to make sense of what the Scripture says!

You're certainly right, but all one has to do is read and study what God himself gave the Israelites to know the foundational truths by--the law.

Actually, ALL of the sacrifices represent the Messiah.

They do. In general, the meat offerings represent Christ's work in redemption on our behalf, while the grain offerings represent the sanctified life of service to God which Christ also exemplified.

None of the sacrifices represent us.

I think if you studied it you'd see that is not true at all. After all, didn't Paul call us 'living sacrifices'?

 

[nmwings]

It's a New Covenant. New Priesthood, new Sacrifice, new Temple.

Jeremiah was VERY specific in his prophecy of the RENEWED Covenant and he says nothing of the sort. In fact, he says this Covenant is one in which the Torah will be written in our hearts instead of in stone. (See Jer 31:31-40)

Hebrews makes it very clear that the old has been laid aside in favor of the New.

And Hebrews is the ONLY book in the entire Bible that says that, being in complete contradiction to Jeremiah and the rest of Scripture. No one knows who the author is, he REPEATEDLY MISQUOTES Scripture to “prove†his theology, he has no idea how the furniture is arranged in the Holy of Holies, he blasphemes the Altar and the sacrifices… so if you want to get your point across to me on this one, you’ll have to find it somewhere else in Scripture because Hebrews was NOT written by the hand of a man led by the Spirit of God.

I checked. It is.

At first glance the two SEEM to be similar, but they are not. Lev 1 covers the Burnt Offering while Lev 4 covers the Sin (or Trespass) offering.

There are 4 main differences:

1. The Burnt offering is a freewill offering (Lev 1:3) while the Sin offering is mandatory.

2. The blood of the Burnt offering is either sprinkled or daubed with the finger on the horns of the Outer Altar, while some of the blood from a Sin offering is sprinkled 7 times on the Golden Altar of Incense, and the rest is thrown (or poured out) at the base of the Outer Altar

3. The whole animal of the Burnt Offering is burned on the Outer Altar. Only the kidneys and all the fat of the Sin offering is burned on the Outer Altar, while the rest is burned outside the camp

4. The aroma of the Burnt offering is pleasing to the Lord, while the Sin offering is not

Maybe so, but not for the reason you are saying. All one has to do is read and study the law and the prophets and you'll have all the Jewish foundation a Christian needs. The wisdom of the sages tends to be a little misguided and irrelevant.

You would do well to follow your own advice. It is so sad that most Christians do not tap into the vast knowledge of the sages because the thousands of years of lifetimes in intense study open the Scriptures in ways you cannot possibly fathom.

<o:p</o

In general, the meat offerings represent Christ's work in redemption on our behalf, while the grain offerings represent the sanctified life of service to God which Christ also exemplified.

You haven't even begun to scratch the surface.

I think if you studied it you'd see that is not true at all. After all, didn't Paul call us 'living sacrifices'?

And I already covered what Paul told us and WHERE he got that idea from. It seems you only skimmed over my response on that and didn't really read it. I do hope you will go back and read it.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

The Burnt offering is a freewill offering (Lev 1:3)...

"3 If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf." (Lev. 1:3-4 NASB)

I don't see where it says the burnt offering is a freewill offering. And I see where it says the burnt offering is for atonement.

 

[nmwings]

I don't see where it says the burnt offering is a freewill offering. And I see where it says the burnt offering is for atonement.

KJV
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. Lev 1:3

NKJV
'If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord.

Although one could offer a Burnt offering any time they wanted, to offer one after a Sin offering is made brings a restoration of friendship between people and harmony with God. If the sin committed was against God, it takes us away from God, while a sin against our fellow man leaves bad or hurt feelings. Once a person has received forgiveness for their mistake through a Sin offering, they can bring an Elevation (Burnt) offering because it acts as a “cleansing†agent. As I mentioned earlier, the Burnt offering is also called the Elevation offering, and it is used to elevate oneself to a higher level of holiness. This serves to bring us near to God again and to bring about a sense of closure for the injured party, and all those involved in the situation can walk away with a “clean heart†so to speak.

Atonements are not exclusively for people because it also extends to the Altar. Ex 29:37 specifically talks about making an atonement for the Altar of God. Since the Altar is an inanimate object, and it is HOLY to the Lord, it cannot sin. In this case it brings about a sense of harmony. How, I do not know, but Messiah will explain it to us when we’re in the Kingdom!

 

[Jethro Bodine]

KJV
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. Lev 1:3

NKJV
'If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord.

Although one could offer a Burnt offering any time they wanted, to offer one after a Sin offering is made brings a restoration of friendship between people and harmony with God. If the sin committed was against God, it takes us away from God, while a sin against our fellow man leaves bad or hurt feelings. Once a person has received forgiveness for their mistake through a Sin offering, they can bring an Elevation (Burnt) offering because it acts as a “cleansing” agent. As I mentioned earlier, the Burnt offering is also called the Elevation offering, and it is used to elevate oneself to a higher level of holiness. This serves to bring us near to God again and to bring about a sense of closure for the injured party, and all those involved in the situation can walk away with a “clean heart” so to speak.

Atonements are not exclusively for people because it also extends to the Altar. Ex 29:37 specifically talks about making an atonement for the Altar of God. Since the Altar is an inanimate object, and it is HOLY to the Lord, it cannot sin. In this case it brings about a sense of harmony. How, I do not know, but Messiah will explain it to us when we’re in the Kingdom!

What I'm getting at is a person cannot be atoned for unless they offer up the burnt offering. Just as a person cannot be atoned for who does not bring the sacrifice of Jesus to God by faith, even though it is done willingly. It is mandatory in that sense. Unlike other 'freewill' offerings made in the Temple.

And I can see how making atonement for the literal temple illustrates how we ourselves, the Temple of God's presence, are atoned for through the work of Christ.

 

[Bonairos]

"Biblically speaking, what and what should be found on the altar (Bible principles) . . . "

Perhaps it should be me.

My will, my thoughts, my plans, my life.

Yet that requires absolute surrender.



Be blessed, Stay blessed, and be Bold!

 

[Classik]

Perhaps it may be me.

My will, my thoughts, my plans, my life.

Yet that requires absolute surrender.



Be blessed, Stay blessed, and be Bold!

Fantastic