In the biblical context, the bullock, or young bull, holds significant symbolic meaning, often representing strength, sacrifice, and atonement. The bullock is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, particularly in the context of sacrificial offerings, where it serves as a symbol of submission and devotion to God.

Sacrificial Symbolism

The bullock is prominently featured in the sacrificial system established by God for the Israelites. In Leviticus, the bullock is prescribed as a sin offering for the atonement of sins, particularly for the priests and the congregation. Leviticus 4:3 states, "If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without blemish as a sin offering for the sin he has committed." This highlights the bullock's role as a symbol of purification and reconciliation with God.

Symbol of Strength and Service

Beyond its sacrificial role, the bullock is also a symbol of strength and service. In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, the bullock was a valuable asset for plowing fields and performing laborious tasks. This association with strength and productivity is reflected in biblical passages that use the bullock metaphorically. For instance, Proverbs 14:4 states, "Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of the ox." Here, the bullock symbolizes the strength and diligence required for fruitful labor.

Representation of Idolatry and Apostasy

Conversely, the bullock also appears as a symbol of idolatry and apostasy in the Bible. The most notable instance is the golden calf incident in Exodus 32, where the Israelites fashioned a calf from gold and worshiped it, violating God's commandments. This event underscores the bullock's potential to symbolize false worship and the turning away from God. In 1 Kings 12:28 , Jeroboam's creation of golden calves for worship further illustrates the bullock's association with idolatry: "After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.'"

Messianic Foreshadowing

In a messianic context, the bullock can be seen as a foreshadowing of Christ's ultimate sacrifice. The repeated use of the bullock in sin offerings points to the need for a perfect and final atonement, which Christians believe is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:4 states, "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." This verse highlights the insufficiency of animal sacrifices and the necessity of Christ's redemptive work.

In summary, the bullock serves as a multifaceted symbol within the biblical narrative, representing strength, sacrifice, and atonement, while also cautioning against idolatry and foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.Ezekiel 1:10
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
Nave's Topical Index

Revelation 4:7
And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
Nave's Topical Index

The Trial by Fire
... And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in nieces, and laid him ... The selection
of the twelve stones was symbolical of the unbroken unity of the nation ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the trial by fire.htm

Letter cxxxviii. (AD 412. )
... of offerings, and in the latter period another, therein ordering the symbolical
actions pertaining ... and in another place he says: "I will take no bullock out of ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter cxxxviii a d 412.htm

The Burnt Offering a Picture and a Prophecy
... to make atonement for him.5. And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord ... the Jewish
sacrificial system, it is important to distinguish the symbolical from the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the burnt offering a picture.htm

The Book of Enoch
... animals are symbolical"white for purity and righteousness, black for wickedness
and disobedience. Thus concerning primitive man we read, a white bullock (Adam ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of enoch.htm

Introduction.
... The Book of Enoch adumbrates the Messiah in symbolical language ... and I saw that a
white Bullock was born, having great horns, and all the beasts of the field and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/introduction.htm

Letter Lv. Replies to Questions of Januarius.
... to spiritual mysteries, has been pleased to appoint that the feast symbolical of
the ... called both a Lamb, [1772] and by the prophet a young bullock; [1773] nor ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lv replies to questions.htm

The Epistle to the Hebrews.
... a high order of Greek culture, profound knowledge of the Greek Scriptures, and the
symbolical import of ... [1224] Lardner, Thiersch, Lindsay, Bullock (in Smith's B ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 100 the epistle to.htm

And ii.
... We have thus here before us an imperfect symbolical action, similar to that more
finished one which occurs in Isaiah 20:3, 4, and which can be explained only ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i and ii.htm

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