Starting after Sukkot 2024, Hallel Fellowship switched to a three-year cycle of Torah and parallel Bible readings (2024–2027), outlined by TorahResource. While there’s ancient evidence for a triennial cycle, a major benefit is to provide more time to mine more of Scripture for lessons.
Readings
- Leviticus 4
- Ezekiel 18:1-18
- Revelation 5:6-10
Corresponding reading from the 1-year Torah cycle
Insights from this week’s readings
This week’s three passages form a coherent theological arc: sin, responsibility, and redemption. Heaven’s pattern of Torah’s sacrificial system is expounded on in the Prophets as personal and corporate accountability. And the pattern meets its fullness in Messiah’s once-for-all work of redemption and covering.
In Leviticus 4, sin requires atonement. In Ezekiel 18, each אדם adam (person) is individually accountable. In Revelation 5, the Lamb fulfills the pattern by redeeming a people. The thread is that God deals seriously with sin and provides a just and merciful path to restoration through substitution and repentance — all made effectual in Messiah.
Sin
Leviticus 4 emphasizes unintentional sin: חטא khatah (“sin”; חַטָּאת ḥaṭṭā’t, “sin offering”). In the Septuagint (LXX), this is often translated as ἁμαρτία hamartia. This same Greek term appears throughout the Apostolic Writings, for example, in Romans 3:23 (πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον pantes gar hēmarton, “all have sinned”) and John 1:29, where the Lamb “takes away the sins of the world (τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου tēn hamartian tou kosmou).
In the LXX, hamartia translates Hebrew khatah across sacrificial contexts (e.g., Leviticus 4:3, 4:14). The continuity shows that what the Torah defines as sin is exactly what Messiah addresses.
Bottom line: the Bible uses the same word family for “sin” from Moshe (Moses) to Yeshua (Jesus). That means the problem hasn’t changed — and neither has God’s solution. The sacrifices in Leviticus aren’t random rituals. They point to the deep resolution of the same human condition.
Atone, cover, make propitiation
Another key term is כִּפֶּר kipper (“to atone, cover”). In the Septuagint, this is often rendered ἐξιλάσκομαι exilaskomai or ἱλάσκομαι hilaskomai. These Greek terms appear in New Testament passages like Hebrews 2:17 (εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι eis to hilaskesthai, “to make propitiation”) and Luke 18:13 (ὁ θεός, ἱλάσθητί μοι ho theos, hilastheti moi, “God, be merciful to me”). In the LXX, exilaskomai translates kipper in Leviticus 4:20, where the priest “makes atonement” for the people.
Bottom line: “Atonement” means dealing with sin so the relationship with God can be restored. The same Greek word used for temple sacrifices is used later to describe what Jesus does—showing He isn’t replacing the system but fulfilling what it always aimed to do.
Laying on of hands
Leviticus also highlights substitution through the laying on of hands (סָמַךְ samak, “to lay upon”), symbolizing identification with the offering. While the LXX uses ἐπιτίθημι epitithēmi (“to lay upon”), the concept echoes in the New Testament in passages like 2Corinthians 5:21, where Messiah “became sin for us” (ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, hamartian epoiēsen). Isaiah 53:6 in the LXX (κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν kyrios paredōken auton tais hamartiais hēmōn, “the Lord delivered Him over for our sins”1St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint) uses overlapping Greek terms with those in the Apostolic Writings.
Bottom line: The idea that someone else can bear the consequence of sin is built into the Torah itself. The New Testament doesn’t invent substitution — it identifies Who ultimately fulfills it.
Soul, life
Ezekiel 18 shifts the focus to personal responsibility. The Hebrew נֶפֶשׁ nephesh (“soul, life”) is central: הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַחֹטֵאת הִיא תָמוּת hannephesh haḥote’t hi tamut, “the soul who sins shall die”. In the Septuagint, nephesh is translated ψυχή psychē (from which we get psychology), and khatah again as hamartanō. This same pairing appears in the New Testament, for example Matthew 16:26 (τί γὰρ ὠφεληθήσεται ἄνθρωπος… τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ζημιωθῇ;) and James 1:15, where sin brings forth death.
Bottom line: Ezekiel is correcting a common excuse — blaming others for our condition. Each person is responsible before God. The New Testament keeps this idea intact: your spiritual life (“soul”) is yours to steward, and your choices matter.
Turn, repent
Ezekiel also uses שׁוּב shuv (“to turn/repent”), rendered in the LXX as ἐπιστρέφω epistrephō. This Greek verb is foundational in the New Testament for repentance, as in Acts 3:19 (“μετανοήσατε … καὶ ἐπιστρέψατε metanoēsate … kai epistrepsate, “repent and turn”). The LXX uses epistrephō throughout Ezekiel 18 (e.g., Eze 18:21, 18:23) for turning away from sin.
Bottom line: Repentance isn’t just feeling bad. It’s turning around, turning away from the bad and turning toward the good. The same word used by the Prophets is used by the apostles. The call to “turn back to God” hasn’t changed.
Lamb
Revelation 5 brings the imagery to its climax with the Lamb: ἀρνίον arnion (“little lamb”). This connects to the Hebrew שֶׂה seh (lamb) used in sacrificial contexts like Exodus 12 and Leviticus. The LXX often uses ἀμνός amnos or ἀρνίον arnion. In the New Testament, John 1:29 calls Yeshua ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ho amnos tou theou (“the Lamb of God”), while Revelation consistently uses arnion.
Bottom line: the “Lamb” is not a random image—it’s loaded with meaning from Passover and temple sacrifices. Revelation is saying that all those earlier lambs were pointing to one ultimate Lamb.
Purchased, redeemed
Revelation 5:9–10 introduces redemption as ἠγόρασας ēgorasas (“you purchased/redeemed”), from ἀγοράζω agorazō. This reflects Hebrew גָּאַל ga’al (“to redeem”) and פָּדָה padah. In the LXX, these are often translated with λυτρόω lytroō or related terms.
The New Testament uses this redemption language widely: 1Peter 1:18 (ἐλυτρώθητε elytrōthēte, “you were redeemed”) and 1Corinthians 6:20 (ἠγοράσθητε γὰρ τιμῆς ēgorasthete gar timēs, “you were bought with a price”).
Bottom line: redemption means being bought back or rescued at a cost. The Bible consistently describes salvation this way: God pays a price to bring people back into relationship with Him.
Kingdom of priests
Finally, Revelation declares believers a “kingdom of priests”: βασιλείαν καὶ ἱερεῖς basileian kai hiereis. This echoes Exodus 19:6 (מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים mamlekhet kohanim), translated in the LXX as βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα basileion hierateuma. The same idea appears in 1Peter 2:9, using identical Greek phrasing.
Bottom line: God’s goal was never just to forgive individuals but to form a people who serve Him together. From Sinai to Revelation, the plan is consistent — a restored community living in God’s presence.
Studies
Tree of Knowledge and Haman’s gallows: Esther shows us how to overcome our desire to replace God
Let’s make God in our own image? How idol hands are the devil’s workshop (Isaiah 43:21–44:23)
How our lives can become a ‘soothing aroma to the LORD’ (Leviticus 1–5)
‘We have such a high priest’: Sacrifice of praise and a bridled tongue (Leviticus 1–5)
Leviticus 1:1–6:7: Lessons on faith, grace and worship from Tabernacle offerings
Entering God’s Presence via the sacrifice of a contrite heart (Leviticus 1:1–6:7)
Getting back into the LORD’s presence (Leviticus 1:1–6:7)
Meanings of the burnt, grain and peace offerings (Leviticus 1–3)
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