frankly adopt the Messianic interpretation of these prophecies. The later Rabbis also

admit that this had been the common view of the Jewish fathers; but, on account of 'the

sages of the Nazarenes, who apply it to that man whom they hanged in Jerusalem

towards the close of the second Temple, and who, according to their opinion, was the

Son of the Most Blessed, and had taken human nature in the womb of the Virgin,' they

reject that interpretation, and refer the prediction of suffering either to some individual,

or mostly to Israel as a nation. But so difficult is it to weaken the language in which the

Messiah's vicarious sufferings are described--not less than twelve times in Isaiah 52:13

to 53--that some of their commentators have been forced to admit it, sometimes almost

unconsciously. The language of Isaiah has even crept into the following Messianic

hymnal prayer for the Passover:

'Haste, my Beloved; come, ere ends the vision's day;

Make haste, and chase Thyself the shadows all away!

"Despised" is He, but yet "extolled" and "high" shall be;

"Deal prudently," "sprinkle nations," and "judge" shall He.'

Thus, if by the universal consent of all who are unprejudiced sacrifices point to

substitution, substitution in its turn points to the Person and Work of the Messiah.

It has already been explained that all sacrifices were either such as were offered on the

ground of communion with God--the burnt- and the peace-offering; or else such as

were intended to restore that communion when it had been dimmed or disturbed--the

sin - and the trespass-offering. Each of these four kinds of sacrifices will now have to be

separately considered.

I. The burnt-offering--Olah, or also Chalil (Deut 33:10; in Psalm 51:19 literally rendered

'whole burnt-offering).--The derivation of the term Olah, as wholly 'ascending' unto

God, indicates alike the mode of the sacrifice and its meaning. It symbolised the entire

surrender unto God, whether of the indiv idual or of the congregation, and His

acceptance thereof. Hence, also, it could not be offered 'without shedding of blood.'

Where other sacrifices were brought, it followed the sin - but preceded the peace-

offering. In fact, it meant general acceptance on the ground of previous special

acceptance, and it has rightly been called the sacrificium latreuticum, or sacrifice of

devotion and service. 49

Thus day by day it formed the regular morning and evening service in the Temple, while

on sabbaths, new moons, and festivals additional burnt-offerings followed the ordinary

worship. There the covenant-people brought the covenant-sacrifice, and the multitude

of offerings indicated, as it were, the fulness, richness, and joyousness of their self-

surrender. Accordingly, although we can understand how this sacrifice might be said to

'make atonement' for an individual in the sense of assuring him of his acceptance, we

cannot agree with the Rabbis that it was intended to atone for evil thoughts and

purposes, and for breaches of positive commands, or of such negative as involved also

a positive command.

The burnt-offering was always to be a male animal, as the more noble, and as indicating

strength and energy. The blood was thrown on the angles of the altar below the red line

that ran round it. Then 'the sinew of the thigh' (Gen 32:32), 50 the stomach and the

entrails, etc., having been removed (in the case of birds also the feathers and the wings),

and the sacrifice having been duly salted, it was wholly burned.