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Levitical Offerings – “Types” Of Christ

The study of the Old Testament (Levitical) offerings is a great safeguard against erroneous views on holiness, sanctification, sin, etc. It is impossible to have a low estimate of what sin really is as we study God’s requirements, and the provision He has made. The order of the Levitical offerings is from the Godward aspect (order of God). In this article, let us look at each of the five offerings required under the Old Testament regime and its corresponding “type” under the New Testament law of Christ.

1) Burnt Offering

There is no mention of “sin” in the burnt offering (Isaiah 53:11), for it speaks of justification rather than forgiveness; and thus is a foreshadowing of the truth (Acts 13:39). “By Him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” In the burnt offering, God views the sinner, in Christ (Gal. 3:26-27), as justified, or as though he had not sinned. We see in the burnt offering the “type” of Christ in His life and death, perfectly accomplishing the will of God (Leviticus 1; Leviticus 6:8-13; Ephesians 2:1-6; Hebrews 10:7). Through the animals offered for burnt offerings, we see the divine characteristics of Christ:

(a) the bullock = strength (Proverbs 14:4).
(b) the lamb = submissiveness (Isaiah 53:7).
(c) the dove = mourning innocence (Isaiah 59:11; Isaiah 38:14; Matthew 10:16).

The ashes of the burnt offering also speak of accepted sacrifice. David prayed, “The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble …. Remember all thy offerings and accept [marginal reading, “turn to ashes”] thy burnt sacrifice” (Psalm 20:1-3). God showed His acceptance of the offering by sending fire; and the ashes proved that the had said, “It is enough” (Proverbs 30:16). Through His suffering on the cross, God accepted the offering of our Lord and Savior “By the which we are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:10; cf. John 17:19; 1 Corinthians 1:2).

2) Meal Offering

In the meal offering (or the meat offering), there is no mention of death as such, for it speaks rather of the spotless life of Christ as presented to God (Leviticus 2; Leviticus 6:14-23; Isaiah 53:3,10; Hebrews 5:8-9; Hebrews 7:26). In the aforementioned passages, we see the bruising, beating, and crushing of the various substances that were required and offered in the meal offering as a “type” of Christ’s suffering on the cross.

3 & 4) Sin And Trespass Offering

The sin offering and trespass offering (Isaiah 53:6,10,12) differed from the other offerings in that the body of the animal was burned, not on the brazen altar, but “outside the camp” (RSV); a “type” of Christ’s offering (Hebrews 13:11-13; cf. Leviticus 4:12; Leviticus 6:11). Everything burned upon the altar of the burnt offering was “a sweet savour unto the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9; 2 Corinthians 2:15); but God hid His face from the Lord Jesus as the sin offering, Christ crying out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34). In Leviticus 4, there are sin offerings mentioned for four classes of people:

(a) priest (Leviticus 4:3).
(b) whole congregation (Leviticus 4:13).
(c) a ruler (Leviticus 4:22).
(d) common people (Leviticus 4:27).

These classes of people speak to us of the provision (through Christ) that God has made as an offering for sin in our various relationships; i.e., (1) the sin offering for the priest would meet sin in our position as priests before God; (2) that for the whole congregation would represent our collective position as the assembly of God; (3) that for the ruler, our position relative to those whom we may influence; and (4) that for one of the common people, our individual position. God made Christ, “to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21; cf. Leviticus 4; Leviticus 6:24-30). By His sacrifice, Christ became answerable for our sins and transgressions against God and man (Leviticus 5; Leviticus 6:1-7; Leviticus 7:1-7; Colossians 2:13-14; 1 Peter 2:24; cf. Isaiah 53:5).

5) Peace Offering

Christ as the peace offering is brought before us in Colossians 1:20; Ephesians 2:13-17; feeding in communion on the peace offering in John 6:51-57; and in 1 Corinthians 10:16; and offering the peace offering in 2 Corinthians 9:15; Hebrews 13:15; cf. Leviticus 7:12 for it was the thanksgiving sacrifice. The peace offering is a “type” of Christ in that by His death, Christ “becomes” our peace and the ground of our communion with God (Ephesians 2:13-19; cf. Leviticus 3; Leviticus 7:11-13; Romans 5:1).

In Isaiah 53, we have all the offerings listed in the work of Christ upon the cross:

1) Burnt Offering – Isaiah 53:11; cf. Leviticus 1.
2) Peace Offering – Isaiah 53:5; cf. Leviticus 3.
3) Sin Offering – Isaiah 53:6,10-12; cf. Leviticus 4-5.
4) Trespass Offering – Isaiah 53:5; cf. Leviticus 5:15-19; Leviticus 6:1-7.
5) Meal Offering – Isaiah 53:3,10; cf. Leviticus 2.

In John’s Epistle, we see the five-fold view of the work of Christ in the same order as in the offerings beginning in Leviticus 1, with the Godward side, and ending with the provision for our sinfulness.

1) Burnt Offering (1 John 1:1-3) – The offering that was all upon God’s altar (Leviticus 1), of which the priests might not partake, but which they could only “look upon” and their “hands handle.”

2) Meal and Peace Offering (1 John 1:3-7) – The thought of fellowship and joy (i.e., the priest partook of “the food of the offering,” (Leviticus 3:11,16); “the bread of his God,” (Leviticus 21:6) so we can say, “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).

3) Sin and Trespass Offering (1 John 1:7-10) – Here we have God’s provision for sin through “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Conclusion

Under the law of Christ (Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Gal. 6:2; James 2:8), we are all “priests” of God (Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:6; cf. 1 Peter 2:5) and thus are priviledged to “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15; cf. Ephesians 5:19-20; Psalm 34:1).

Source: Ada H. Habershon, “The Study Of The Types” (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1983), p. 85-94).