BLOOD
— the red fluid circulating in the body that takes nourishment to the body
parts and carries away waste. The word “blood” is often used literally in
Scripture. Sometimes the word refers to the blood of animals (Gen. 37:31);
at other times it refers to human blood (1 Kin. 22:35). The word is also
used figuratively in the Bible. It may mean “blood red” (Joel 2:31) or
murder (Matt. 27:24). The phrase “flesh and blood” means humanity (Heb.
2:14).
But the most important biblical concept in regard to
blood is the spiritual significance of the blood of sacrificial animals.
Although some scholars believe the blood primarily means the animal’s
life, most agree that
blood refers to the animal’s death.
Most of the Old Testament passages that discuss sacrifices mention the death
of the animal, not its life (Lev. 4:4–5). The Bible makes it clear that the
satisfaction or payment for human sins was made by the death of a specified
animal substitute: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have
given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is
the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:11).
In the New Testament, this Old Testament idea of
sacrifice is applied to Christ’s blood. References to the “blood of Christ”
always mean the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. References to the
blood of Christ were made by Paul (Rom. 3:25); Peter (1 Pet. 1:19); John
(Rev. 1:5) and the author of Hebrews (Heb. 9:14). Although all have sinned,
“we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Eph. 1:7).
Photo by Howard Vos
Ancient altar from Phoenicia,
showing a water jar at one end and a receptacle for catching blood from
animal sacrifices at the other.
Youngblood, Ronald F. ; Bruce, F. F. ;
Harrison, R. K. ; Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nelson's New
Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1995