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Here's some of my notes from seminary re: the connection between the Last Supper and Temple sacrifice (and that the Last Supper was not a Seder)
THREAD
THREAD
Five great Temple sacrifices: Passover, Day of Atonement, Twice-Daily, Azkarah, and Zebach Shelamim
PASSOVER: Sacrifice centered around the person of the Aaronic priest; cf. Ex 12 and II Chr 35:10-15, both emphasize the public assembly (which was presided over by priests).
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PASSOVER: Sacrifice centered around the person of the Aaronic priest; cf. Ex 12 and II Chr 35:10-15, both emphasize the public assembly (which was presided over by priests).
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We know the Last Supper was not a Seder because "wine" is central to the LS. "Wine" is not mentioned in connection with the Seder except in one source - the Book of Jubilees 49:5-7 - and it comes to us from a text written in the 900s AD.
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DAY OF ATONEMENT: Priest offers sacrifice invisibly and pours out blood AND wine upon the same altar. "Blood" and "wine" are closely associated; cf. Lv 16 and Sirach 50 (a much later, but still credible, witness)
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w/these 2 sacrifices, we see a beginning of Jesus' Eucharistic theology:
- Priest-centered, public assembly
- connection between blood, wine, and atonement
Next up,
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- Priest-centered, public assembly
- connection between blood, wine, and atonement
Next up,
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TWICE-DAILY SACRIFICE: See Nm 28:3-8; oblation to God of lambs, flour, olives, and wine; the special connections here are
(i) LS held at time of the Evening Sacrifice,
(ii) Temple cnxn of blood-letting a lamb and the use of wine
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(i) LS held at time of the Evening Sacrifice,
(ii) Temple cnxn of blood-letting a lamb and the use of wine
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AZKARAH (MEMORIAL) SACRIFICE: A sacrifice of remembrance; lots of different kinds, but always presided over by a priest. cf Lv 2:1-16; the priest can offer for himself or another, and is the sacrifice that produced the "showbread" (or "bread of the Face")
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CONT: The Azkarah was also performed with UNLEAVENED bread. It was not the worshipers having a remembrance of God, but asking God to remember the worshipers!
"Do this in remembrance of Me."
"Do this in remembrance of Me."
Summing up so far:
- unleavened bread
- "remembrance"
- lamb, blood, wine
- wine, blood upon the altar of atonement
- priest presiding over a public assembly
- hour of the Evening Sacrifice
Finally,
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- unleavened bread
- "remembrance"
- lamb, blood, wine
- wine, blood upon the altar of atonement
- priest presiding over a public assembly
- hour of the Evening Sacrifice
Finally,
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ZEBACH SHELAMIM: aka "sacrifice of praise"; cf. Lv 7:12-15; it is a thank-offering to God consisting of a victim (whose flesh the priest eats) and unleavened bread. Blood of the victim is splashed on the altar.
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BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
At the Last Supper, Jesus gives us a clear, Eucharistic theology: it is a public sacrifice offered by the Priest as an act of atonement, remembrance, and thanksgiving!
IT'S THE MASS, Y'ALL
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At the Last Supper, Jesus gives us a clear, Eucharistic theology: it is a public sacrifice offered by the Priest as an act of atonement, remembrance, and thanksgiving!
IT'S THE MASS, Y'ALL
/10
ADDENDUM: If you feel grateful, hunt down Dr. Lynne Boughton (wherever she may be) and give her some cash because she was my prof.
