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Exodus 27 · a question people ask

What does Hebrews mean by "We have an altar"?

Interpretation

Hebrews says, "We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat" (Hebrews 13:10). It goes on: "For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate" (Hebrews 13:11-12). Everyone agrees that Hebrews sets the tabernacle's service beside what Jesus did, and that he offered himself "once for all" (Hebrews 10:10). Christians read the altar of 13:10 in more than one way.

How Christians read it

Where Christians differ, Favor sets out the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.

Jesus' sacrifice itself

Those who hold this view read the altar as Jesus' death, which the next verses describe: he "suffered outside of the gate" (Hebrews 13:12). He "offered one sacrifice for sins forever" (Hebrews 10:12), and what his people now offer is praise: "Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually" (Hebrews 13:15).

Hebrews 13:12 · Hebrews 13:15 · Hebrews 10:12

Shared at the Lord's Supper

Those who hold this view hear the word "eat" (Hebrews 13:10) as pointing to the Lord's Supper, where believers share in Jesus' one sacrifice. Paul writes, "The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16), and "Don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?" (1 Corinthians 10:18).

Hebrews 13:10 · 1 Corinthians 10:16-18

The verses

“We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate.”
Hebrews 13:10-12 · World English Bible
“by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Hebrews 10:10 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Exodus 27

Exodus 27: The altar and the lamp

The altar of the court was built to travel, with rings and poles, and had horns "of one piece with it" (27:2). The first time the World English Bible names the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons are keeping a lamp burning with oil the people brought (27:20-21). Where priests offered "day by day", Hebrews says Jesus "offered one sacrifice for sins forever" (Hebrews 10:11-12).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions