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Just to recap. One of the words for ‘pray’ is “tsela” meaning; to pray.

It has words that branch from the root word that means; to roast, shadow, to prosper, jar, bowl, to become dark, likeness, shadow of death, wound, first born, side (rib). This is first used in Scripture: Ezr 6:10. King Darius (Master) made a decree for the Temple to be rebuild. Anyone who was against this was hung from wood (tree) taken from his house. This is a picture of Y’shua’s sacrifice for paying the price spoken out by the king. He was hung from the wood from His Fathers House (Religion) and paid the price for the people that did not agree with the rebuilding of YHVH’s Temple according to His plan.

His Temple moved from the physical one to a spiritual one, inside each and every believer. He bore the curse spoken out by the King, for His people not accepting YHVH’s plan of His Temple. Prayer is connected to sacrifices from the words; roast, becoming dark, firstborn and shadow of death. All these point to the morning and evening sacrifices made every day in the Temple.

Prayer is a means of drawing closer to YHVH. In the same sense, sacrifices were for the people to draw closer to YHVH. For your prayers to be heard you need to have a sacrifice, we have Yeshua as our Sacrifice and through His blood our prayers are acceptable before the Father.The word for sacrifice and offering is related to the word “Qorban” that means; an offering, gift, to draw near. To pray is also a means to draw near to YHVH and is well understood among Jewish people today. One thing to remember is that prayer id not a substitute for sacrifices, prayer does not allow you to be atoned for, only the Sacrifice of Yeshua. We can now enter into the presence of teh Father through the Sacrifice of Yeshua and plead our case before Him. One day in the New Jerusalem, when there shall be a Temple again, there will be sacrifices unto YHVH. (Read "Do you believe the Prophets?"

Qorbanot or Sacrifices

Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of qorbanot was not to obtain forgiveness from sin. Forgiveness was only received from YHVH through His grace. The symbol of the animal dying, was to show the person that he was suppose to die, but could live by YHVH’s grace. Certain qorbanot are brought purely for the purpose of communing with YHVH and becoming closer to Him. Others were brought for the purpose of expressing thanks to YHVH, love or gratitude. Others were used to cleanse a person of ritual impurity (which does not necessarily have anything to do with sin). And many qorbanot were brought for purposes of atonement.

Five Types of Qorbanot

These five qorbanot in Leviticus describes our approach towards YHVH. We will start with the last one mentioned and work our way through to the first one, explaining the meaning it has for us.

1. Chatat: Sin Offering

A sin offering is an offering to atone for and purge a sin. It is an expression of sorrow for the error and a desire to be reconciled with YHVH. The Hebrew term for this type of offering is chatat, from the word chayt, meaning, "missing the mark." A chatat could only be offered for unintentional sins committed through carelessness, not for intentional, malicious sins. Some chatatot were individual and some were communal. Communal offerings represent the interdependence of the community, and the fact that we are all responsible for each others' sins. A few special chatatot could not be eaten, but for the most part, for the average person's personal sin, the priests ate the chatat.

The Chatat is the first step towards YHVH through Y’shua. He became the Chatat for us and we accept it through faith. This faith is similar to the person who brought his sin offering. He had to believe that his sin was transferred to the animal and receives grace through faith. Nothing is new; it is the same it was back then, as when the Israelites did it. This offering was a requirement and not voluntary. This first step is symbolized with the Brazen altar where this sacrifice took place. Your end goal is towards the Holy of Holies, where YHVH’s presence is. On you go to the next step, to the Asham or Guilt offering.

2. Asham: Guilt Offering

A guilt offering was an offering to atone for sins of stealing things from the altar, for when you are not sure whether you have committed a sin or what sin you have committed, or for breach of trust. The Hebrew word for a guilt offering is asham. When there was doubt as to whether a person committed a sin, the person would make an asham, rather than a chatat. Bringing a chatat would constitute admission of the sin, and the person would have to be punished for it. If a person brought an asham and later discovered that he had in fact committed the sin, he had to bring a chatat at that time. The priests ate the asham. The Asham is also known as the Purification offering.

This offering is done to purify you when you had been in contact with sin, death of unclean things. This is the offering that a woman brought after having a child or after her menstruation. It was not a sin she committed but it was to cleanse her. When a person wanted to do a Nasserite Vow he would bring an Asham. This offering is associated with the Laver, coming from the Brazen Altar, you need cleansing before you can go into the Holy place. This offering is also a requirement and not voluntary. It falls in the same bracket as the sin offering. Y’shua’s blood cleanses us from the blemishes on our garments; it is a sign that we are being washed clean and now can come into the father’s presence. This forms part of Salvation because it is associated with the Sacrifice and Blood of the Messiah. The following three offerings are voluntary offerings. These gives you access to the Holy place and later eventually to the Most Holy Place. If you do not enter the Holy place and is content staying in the outer court, you are saved but you will not know YHVH. This is symbolic of the New Jerusalem where there will be people outside the City and people inside the City walls.

3. Zebach Sh'lamim: Peace Offering

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A peace offering is an offering expressing thanks or gratitude to YHVH for His bounties and mercies. The Hebrew term for this type of offering is zebach sh'lamim (or sometimes just sh'lamim), which is related to the word shalom, meaning "peace" or "whole." A representative portion of the offering was burnt on the altar, a portion is given to the priests and the rest were eaten by the person who offered and his family; thus, everyone got a part of this offering. This category of offerings includes thanksgiving-offerings (in Hebrew, “Todah”, which was obligatory for survivors of life-threatening crises), free will-offerings, and offerings made after fulfillment of a vow. You being thankful of what Y’shua did at the previous two offerings is the reason you do this offering. You have been restored back into relationship with Him.

The word “shalom” also means “an offering for friendship”, and this is the meaning of what Y’shua did when He gave Himself. He restored the potential for having a relationship with Him. The choice is yours and you can voluntarily decide to be in relationship with Him. This offering has to do with the Menorah in the Holy place and is the sequence of truth that needs to be followed to be restored back into relationship with Him. This sequence is stated in Isa 11. You have to gain knowledge and learn to fear and respect Him. You have to gain strength (Spirit) to be able to follow His council (Instructions). You have to gain wisdom to truly understand Him. Lastly, you will know Him. This offering is about giving yourself (blood involved). It is about you giving your time so that you can get to know YHVH.

4. Mincah Food and Drink Offerings

A meal offering (minchah) represented the devotion of the fruits of man's work to YHVH, because it was not a natural product, but something created through man's effort. A representative piece of the offering was burnt on the fire of the altar, but the priests ate the rest. This offering was associated with the Table of Showbread. Here you get fed spiritually so that your spirit man can grow up and surpass your fleshly man. This offering is also voluntary and is a step closer to YHVH. This is walking in the Spirit, learning YHVH’s ways out of His Word (Bread). This is called fellowship with YHVH, like eating a meal with a good friend, establishing and making your relationship strong. I like to associate this with the Shabbat meal of fellowship with YHVH in your home, giving the foundation for a good relationship with Him. This offering falls in the same bracket as the Peace Offering and both are situated in the Holy place. The meal offering has to do with your possessions that you make available in serving Him, making your house and your resources available so that He can reach people through your service.

5. Olah: Burnt Offering

Perhaps the best-known class of offerings is the burnt offering. It was the oldest and commonest sacrifice, and represented total submission to YHVH’s will. The Hebrew word for burnt offering is “olah”, from the root “Ayin-Lamed-Heh”, meaning ascension. It is the same root as the word “aliyah”, which is used to describe moving to Israel or ascending to the podium to say a blessing over the Torah. An “olah” was completely burnt on the outer altar; no part of it was eaten by anyone. Because the offering represents complete submission to YHVH's will, the entire offering is given to YHVH (i.e., it cannot be used after it is burnt). It expresses a desire to commune with YHVH, and expiates sins incidentally in the process (because how can you commune with YHVH if you are tainted with sins?).

An “olah” could be cattle, sheep, goats, or even birds, depending on the person's means. This was an offering where the skin was removed from the animal, and then belonged to the Priest. He then used the skin to write Torah on. This was the offering Paul referred to when he said that we must become living sacrifices. The end result will be that you have Torah written on your body (actions) and you become the Voice walking. This offering is pictured of you entering the Holy of Holies, in the presence of the Father. This is the goal of the process you started at the brazen Altar and YHVH gave us these symbols to help us to approach Him. With this offering, you give yourself totally and fully, your mind, soul and body, and everything evolves around Him. He is then the center of everything you do and this is the place He wants us all to get.

Daily Prayers

Daily sacrifices, the “olah”, took place twice a day, once in the morning, about the third hour, and once at sunset, at the ninth hour. These sacrifices were done with a one year old lamb, combined with a meal and drink offering. This is a picture of Y’shua’s sacrifice for us. He was put upon the stake on the third hour, and died on the ninth hour. He perfectly fulfilled these sacrifices and is a perfect picture to us on how to approach YHVH, taking up the “cross” daily. He did not take sacrifices away, but showed us how to do these sacrifices with our selves.

The “Olah” sacrifices links up with the daily prayers YHVH commanded us to do. These daily prayers took place at exactly the same time the sacrifices took place and is found in Scripture in various places. Dan 6:10: when Israel was in captivity, Daniel prayed three times a day, the first two lines up with the daily sacrifices and the third time for prayer was added by the people to devote themselves to YHVH in the evening as well. Acts 3:1: Peter and John went up to pray on the ninth hour, proving that they still honored it. Acts 10:1: Cornelius, the gentile, prayed at the ninth hour and saw the vision.

This proves that he, being a gentile, did the customs of the Jews at that time. Remember what the “Olah” is; it is a complete surrendering of you, fully unto YHVH and is related to praying twice daily. Is this a ritual that binds you up under the Law? I believe not, it is the highest form of getting into the presence of YHVH and is proved by the visions Daniel and Cornelius saw. Daily praying is most properly the hardest thing for us to do, especially getting up at sunrise to start your day with YHVH.

This is that total, freewill offering that you can bring in exchange for valuable precious time spend with Him. The morning prayers that were prayed, comes from the book of Psalms. Each day has it’s own prayer to intercede for Israel.

1. First day of the week – Sunday - Psalm 24
2. Second day of the week – Monday - Psalm 48
3. Third day of the week – Tuesday - Psalm 82
4. Fourth day of the week – Wednesday - Psalm 94
5. Fifth day of the week – Thursday - Psalm 81
6. Sixth day of the week – Friday - Psalm 93
7. Shabbat – Saturday - Psalm 92

Fire for the Offerings

All of these offerings require fire to consume and transfer the Physical into the Spiritual. If there were no fire, there would have been rotten decaying flesh lying on the Altar, with a very bad smell. YHVH smells the offerings and experiences them as a lovely aroma unto Him. You may wonder what the fire represents. The fire is the drive and desire inside your heart towards YHVH and is given by His Spirit. Without the help of the Spirit you will have no drive and desire and all that you offer then will be a rotten stench in the face of YHVH, which He hates. Open up your hearts and receive His Spirit so that He can light the fire on your altar so that your offerings can be acceptable unto YHVH and that you can grow in intimacy and knowledge of Him.

The Two Altars

One Altar was found outside the Tabernacle and one Altar inside. The Altar on the outside was meant for all offerings to be performed on and is associated with the work of the Messiah. This altar was made of bronze, representing mixing, and the purpose of this Altar was to purify all things that were made by mixing. Like a silver smith, burning the silver on a flame to remove all impurities, the same way Y’shua deals with our lives, purifying us from the world’s mixing effect on our lives. Being purified on the outside, gives us access to the Holy place where we can experience YHVH’s presence.

The Altar on the inside is the Golden Incense Altar and Gold represents shining or Glory. This was found inside the Holy place, where only the priest and YHVH were present. This is a picture of the altar of Prayer that we use in the presence of YHVH. It is the place where we perform all the five sacrifices in the form of prayers, so that we can be restored to a relationship with Him. Y’shua used the Altar on the outside to perform the perfect sacrifice for us, containing all five sacrifices. We must now use the Altar on the inside to perform these five sacrifices to be restored back into His presence and Glory. The sacrifices did not seize, only the Altar moved from outside to inside!


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