Ezekiel 46 is replete with information/instructions about the many “sacrifices” that will be offered (to the Lord) during the Millennium. (These are not redemptive in nature, but serve as a “memorial” of the Lamb of God, Jesus the Son of God, His Death on the Cross. Sort of like “The Lord’s Supper” does today.)
In noticing these sacrifices, offerings, I spotted a truth. An exciting one! Let me share it with you this Wednesday morning.
The word “morning” occurs in Ezekiel chapter 46 three times. Consecutively in verses 13 and 14 and 15. In fact, the word occurs in this chapter of Ezekiel more than anywhere else in his whole Book, in all 48 chapters!
Here are all three:
“Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every MORNING.” Verse 13, the daily morning sacrifice, no doubt. Really, Israel was supposed to have been practicing this ritual since the days of Moses!
“And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every MORNING, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the LORD.” Verse 14, the meal offering, every MORNING!
Then verse 15: “Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every MORNING for a continual burnt offering.” Repetitious perhaps, but summarizing the whole scheme.
“EVERY MORNING,” we can’t miss that, can we?
But now notice this. Not a single “hint” at an evening sacrifice!
An evening sacrifice that was equally binding under the Law of Moses!
(As in Exodus 29:39-41 … “The one lamb thou shalt offer in the MORNING; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at EVEN: and with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering. And the other lamb thou shalt offer at EVEN (EVENING), and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.” Word for word, King James Version. If the morning offering was given … so would the evening offering follow near sunset!
Amazing!
So, clearly … in the Millennium, the morning offering continues.
Yet in the same Millennium, the evening sacrifice does not continue! It’s not mentioned anywhere in the Book, that I can find anyway. And I have looked diligently.
WHY?
Here’s the reason.
Although a limited form (or at least a different form … than Moses’ Law … at least in some ways) of sacrifice is instituted for the 1,000 year Millennium … NO EVENING SACRIFCES WILL BE HELD … because that’s precisely when Jesus paid for our sin debt on Calvary!
Yes, Jesus died on Calvary at the very hour the “evening sacrifice” would have been prepared and offered! “And about the NINTH HOUR Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 … around 3:00 pm, the very time of the “evening sacrifice!”
Mark 15:34 agrees. “And at the NINTH HOUR Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Wow!
Let’s read Mark 15:34-38. To get the whole context. “And at the ninth hour (time of evening sacrifice) Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost (exhaled His last Breath). And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.”
Jesus died (exactly) at the time of the evening sacrifice, folks!
And the (unbelieving) Jewish priests on duty (at the Temple) the day our Lord died … would have been near that Veil (some of the priests, anyway) when it “was rent (torn) in twain!”
What a testimony to Jesus’ Deity, Power, Efficacious Sacrifice … they would have witnessed!
So I believe there will be not evening sacrifices during the Millennium because the Real Evening Sacrifice has already been offered, Jesus Christ my Saviour!
Anyone alive then, during the Millennium … instead of going to an altar (no matter how special) … can just walk over to the Throne Room and look at the (still scarred) Saviour. Who became our Evening Sacrifice on Calvary!
Hallelujah!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell