The sacrificial offerings, and the priesthood of the Jewish system, were instituted to represent the death and mediatorial work of Christ. All those ceremonies had no meaning, and no virtue, only as they related to Christ, who was himself the foundation of, and who brought into existence, the entire system. The Lord had made known to Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and the ancient worthies, especially Moses, that the ceremonial system of sacrifices and the priesthood, of themselves, were not sufficient to secure the salvation of one soul.

Både offersystemet og det jødiske præsteskab blev indstiftet for at anskueliggøre Kristi død og forsoning. Ceremonierne havde ingen betydning i sig selv, og ingen moralsk værdi. Det havde de kun i forbindelse med Kristus, som selv var ophavsmanden til og grundlaget for dette system. Herren havde gjort det klart for Adam, Abel, Set, Enok, Noa, Abraham og de gamle patriarker især for Moses, at ofringerne og præstesystemet ikke var tilstrækkeligt i sig selv til at sikre en eneste sjæls frelse.