The fire signifies that God’s holiness as a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29) accepts our offerings by burning. The consuming fire of suffering always follows God’s blessing (v. 23), as a sign that God has accepted what we have offered to Him in Christ and with Christ (cf. Acts 7:55-59; 2 Tim. 4:6). Cf. Lev. 10:1-2 and note Lev. 10:2^1a.

The appearing of God (God’s presence) and of God’s glory (God’s expression) (vv. 4, 6b) is the issue of our priestly service in the enjoyment of Christ as all the offerings with God according to God’s regulations.

Moses and Aaron’s entering into the Tent of Meeting and coming out to bless the people signifies that Christ as our Prince (Moses) and High Priest (Aaron) entered into the heavens to be our kingly Priest (Acts 5:31; Heb. 4:14; 7:1) and will come out of heaven to bless us. For the Jews, the blessing of Moses and Aaron is still in effect and will continue until the entire house of Israel repents and turns to the Savior at His second coming (Zech. 12:10; Rom. 11:26; Rev. 1:7).

Aaron’s blessing of the people and then coming down from offering the offerings signifies that Christ as our High Priest, after His crucifixion, blessed us in His resurrection (Luke 24:50). The Lord’s presence with us in His resurrection is His blessing (Matt. 28:20). This blessing comes to us through our applying Him as all the offerings.

Aaron’s offering of the peace offering for the people (vv. 18-21) signifies that Christ offered Himself as our peace offering that we and God may enjoy Him as peace. When we apply Christ as our sin offering (including the trespass offering), burnt offering, and meal offering (vv. 15-17), we enter into peace, which is Christ Himself (Eph. 2:14). We enjoy this peace primarily at the Lord’s table (see note Lev. 3:1^1a).

The eighth day, the first day of a new week, signifies resurrection (Mark 16:9a). That Moses initiated the priestly service on the eighth day indicates that all the priestly service must be in resurrection, i.e., in Christ as the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b), who is the reality of resurrection (John 11:25).

Aaron’s offering of the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the meal offering for the people (vv. 15-17) signifies that Christ offered Himself as our sin offering to deal with our sin, as our burnt offering to satisfy God, and as our meal offering to be God’s food and also our food.

Aaron’s offering the sin offering and the burnt offering to make expiation for himself first (v. 7) signifies that he, as a sinful person, needed to take Christ as his sin offering and burnt offering so that his situation with God might be appeased and he might serve God as a priest. See note Lev. 8:14¹ and note Lev. 8:18¹.

Aaron’s preparing the sin offering and the burnt offering also typifies Christ’s offering Himself as a sin offering for the redemption of God’s people and as a burnt offering for God’s people to be God’s satisfaction (Heb. 9:14; 10:5-10). Moreover, it signifies that whatever Christ as our High Priest did, He did for us, that we might be redeemed from sin and made God’s satisfaction. By our being one with Christ in His death, we are redeemed in Him (Eph. 1:7), and by Christ’s being one with us in His resurrection, He lives in us that we may live Him for God’s satisfaction (Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:20-21a).