Evening Sacrifice
The evening sacrifice was the regular offering presented at the tabernacle and later the temple near the close of the day. In the Old Testament it formed part of Israel’s continual worship before the Lord.
At a Glance
The evening sacrifice was the regular offering presented at the tabernacle and later the temple near the close of the day. In the Old Testament it formed part of Israel’s continual worship before the Lord.
Description
The evening sacrifice was the stated offering made near evening in Israel’s worship, especially the daily burnt offering commanded in the law and offered at the tabernacle and later at the temple. It belonged to the regular pattern of covenant worship, normally paired with the morning offering, and was accompanied by prescribed grain and drink offerings. Scripture presents these sacrifices as part of the Lord’s ordained means for Israel’s ongoing worship rather than as a separate doctrine in itself. In some passages, “the time of the evening sacrifice” also functions as a recognized point of prayer and devotion. For a Christian dictionary entry, the safest conclusion is that the term refers primarily to this regular Old Testament sacrificial observance and, by extension in some contexts, to the customary hour associated with it.