Connect the altar's function to Christ's sacrifice in the New Testament.

Setting the Scene: Solomon’s Bronze Altar

“He made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high.” (2 Chronicles 4:1)

• This massive, gleaming structure dominated the temple court.

• Every sacrifice Israel offered—morning and evening, for sin and for thanksgiving—burned on this altar.

• Its perpetual fire (Leviticus 6:12-13) reminded the people that only shed blood could bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity (Leviticus 17:11).

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Why an Altar at All?

• The altar declared that sin costs life.

• It stood as the first object worshipers met upon entering the temple precincts, showing that cleansing came before communion.

• Priests laid their hands on the animal, identifying it with the sinner (Leviticus 1:4); the animal died in the person’s place.

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Patterns That Point Forward

Old-covenant sacrifices were never ends in themselves; they were shadows (Hebrews 10:1). Notice three key patterns:

1. Substitution—an innocent takes the guilty party’s place.

2. Blood—“without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).

3. Continual repetition—daily offerings underscored that the real solution had not yet arrived.

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Christ, the True and Better Altar

Hebrews 13:10-12 bridges the gap: “We have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat… Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to sanctify the people by His own blood.”

• Jesus is both priest and sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12).

• The cross, like Solomon’s altar, is where judgment and mercy meet—but once for all.

• John the Baptist saw it coming: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

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Side-by-Side Snapshot

• Material: Bronze (lasting) vs. Wood cross (plain)

• Location: Temple court vs. “outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:12)

• Frequency: Daily flames vs. One decisive act (Hebrews 10:14)

• Access: Priests only vs. All who believe (Ephesians 2:13)

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Living in Light of the Ultimate Altar

• Rest—no more striving; Christ’s finished work satisfies God completely.

• Gratitude—offer “a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

• Purity—since we have been sprinkled clean, our lives become “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1), displaying the reality the bronze altar only anticipated.