In the religious practices of ancient Israel, sacrifices played a central role in the worship and covenant relationship between God and His people. Among the various types of sacrifices, those offered on a yearly basis held significant importance, particularly in the context of the Day of Atonement and other annual feasts.

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur):

The Day of Atonement, described in Leviticus 16, was the most solemn day in the Hebrew calendar, occurring once a year on the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishri). On this day, the high priest performed a series of sacrifices to atone for the sins of the nation. The ritual included the offering of a bull for the high priest's own sin offering and two goats for the people—one as a sin offering and the other as the scapegoat, which was sent into the wilderness, symbolically carrying away the sins of the people.

Leviticus 16:29-30 states: "This is to be a permanent statute for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you must humble yourselves and not do any work—whether the native or the foreigner who resides among you—because on this day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you, and you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD."

The Feast of Passover:

The Passover, commemorating the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt, was another significant annual event involving sacrifices. Each family was required to sacrifice a lamb without blemish and apply its blood to the doorposts of their homes, as a remembrance of God's protection during the final plague in Egypt (Exodus 12). This sacrifice was not only a memorial but also a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God.

Exodus 12:14 instructs: "This day is to be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD. You are to celebrate it as a permanent statute for the generations to come."

The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost):

Fifty days after the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, was celebrated. This feast included the offering of new grain to the LORD, along with burnt offerings, sin offerings, and peace offerings. It was a time of thanksgiving for the harvest and a reminder of God's provision.

Leviticus 23:16-18 details the offerings: "You shall count fifty days until the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. Bring two loaves of bread from your dwellings as a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. Along with the bread, present seven unblemished male lambs a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD."

The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot):

The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, was a week-long celebration that included numerous sacrifices. It commemorated the Israelites' journey through the wilderness and God's provision during that time. The sacrifices offered during this feast were extensive, including daily offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs, along with grain and drink offerings.

Numbers 29:12-13 describes the offerings: "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work. You are to celebrate a feast to the LORD for seven days. Present as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD, thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished."

These yearly sacrifices were integral to the spiritual life of Israel, serving as a means of atonement, thanksgiving, and remembrance of God's faithfulness. They pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law and the prophets through His death and resurrection, offering a once-for-all atonement for sin.Leviticus 16:3
Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 1:3,21
And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 20:6
If your father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

In his Temple
... Many were unable to bring with them the sacrifices that were to be offered up as ...
For the convenience of these, animals were bought and sold in the outer ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 16 in his temple.htm

And Now Let us Proceed to Explain the Reasons for which this ...
... At Heliopolis three victims were daily offered to Juno ... in Tenedos, a man was slain
and offered up to ... Crete they did likewise, offering human sacrifices to Saturn ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter xiii and now let.htm

What is the Sanctuary?
... heavens;" that the priests who offered gifts according ... heavenly things themselves
with better sacrifices than these ... The sins of Israel were thus transferred to ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /23 what is the sanctuary.htm

What is the Sanctuary?
... heavens;" that the priests who offered gifts according ... heavenly things themselves
with better sacrifices than these ... The sins of Israel were thus transferred to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the great controversy/chapter 23 what is the.htm

The New Covenant.
... a necessity of conscience, and yet that the gifts and sacrifices there offered cannot
satisfy ... All we can say of them is that they were the requirements ...
/.../chapter viii the new covenant.htm

John Chapter ii. 21-Dec
... to keep them from falling away to idols: and they offered there for sacrifices oxen,
sheep ... three days I will rear it up?" Flesh they were, fleshly things ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate x john chapter ii.htm

Interpretation of Prophecy.
... There all the sacrifices were to be offered, there was the ... thither all the males
among the people were required to ... But all sacrifices are done away for ever in ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxviii interpretation of prophecy.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... ritual, and a temple wherein sacrifices were then offered ... or liable to be misinterpreted,
are offered, and supposed ... the mouths of all animals were closed, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

Relation of the Pharisees to the Sadducees and Essenes, and to the ...
... on purification; their opposition to sacrifices, and notably ... that among these mystical
sects were preserved views ... spirit of the age, assuredly offered no point ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 15 relation of the.htm

The Temples and the Gods of Chaldaea
... gods and gifts made to them"Sacrifices, the expiation ... rather easy-going good-nature,
which were the primary ... thenceforth, however large the sum offered to her ...
/.../chapter iithe temples and the.htm

Will there be animal sacrifices during the millennial kingdom? | GotQuestions.org

What were the various sacrifices in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org

Why did God require animal sacrifices in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org

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