Meaning of BLOOD

Vital liquid that circulates through the body, so indispensable for its existence that it can be said: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Lev. 17:11, 14), or: "The blood is the life" ( Deut. 12:23); This fact does not prevent the psalmist from also attributing the life of animals to the breath of Jehovah (Ps. 104:30).

The blood represents life, so sacred to God that the blood of the slain Abel is described as crying out for vengeance from the earth (Gen. 4:10).

Immediately after the Flood, when God gave permission to eat the flesh of animals, it was nevertheless forbidden to eat their blood (Gen. 9:3, 4; Acts 15:20, 29).

This law, given to Noah, therefore applies not only to Judaism, but to the entire human race, all the nations that emerged from Noah.

The following command was also given: "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood will be shed" (Gen. 9:6). According to the Law, death is the wages of sin.

To obtain forgiveness it was essential to sacrifice the life of a substitute, prefiguring the sacrifice of Calvary (Heb. 9:22; see SACRIFICE).

The blood of the sacrificed animals was used to make atonement on the altar (Lev. 17:1-14; Deut. 12:15-16), or inside the sanctuary, on the mercy seat (Lev. 8:23, 30 ; Ex. 24:8; Heb. 9:18-22).

Through this symbol, the priest came to say to the Lord: «The man (or the people) whom I represent should have died because of his sin.

But the blood presented here shows that a victim has been offered in his place. Your law is satisfied. grant your forgiveness according to your promise.

In the NT, the expressions: blood of Jesus, blood of Christ, blood of the Lamb, blood of the covenant, blood sprinkled, are metaphors that represent the atoning death of the Lord Jesus; It was by the shedding of His blood that there could be salvation (1 Cor. 10:16; Eph. 2:13; Heb. 9:14; 10:19; 1 Pet. 1:2, 19; 1 John 1:7 ; Rev. 7:14; 12:11; Mt. 26:28; Heb. 12:24).