The Lord instructed Israel,

“The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal” (Leviticus 16.27).

Initially, the Israelites would have had no idea why the

priests were to do such things, nor did the priests know, but as the Lord revealed more of the Scripture over the centuries, He also revealed many more prophecies of the coming Messiah.

Perhaps some Israelites figured out the symbolism of the sacrificial ministry, but, whether they did or not, we now have the interpretation of the Holy Spirit, who had the following written in the Bible,

We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach (Hebrews 13.10–13).

The animals burned outside the camp, prefigured the suffering of Jesus of Nazareth outside the city of Jerusalem, where the temple was, and His suffering was for our sins.

Praise God that over those centuries He had a system in place that showed what He would do to work out our salvation.

Related Articles

• Messianic Prophecy Number 23: Lev 16.15 – 17 – Entrance into the Holy of Holies with Blood (theoldtestamentandthenewtestament.com)
• Sermon: Jesus Christ on Trial (grantspasschurchofchrist.com)
• Messianic Prophecy Number 22: Exodus 17.5 – 7 – The Rock in the Wilderness (theoldtestamentandthenewtestament.com)