Thousand Burnt Offerings

Definition and Meaning

Ilcheon beonje (一千燔祭) means "a thousand burnt offerings." A burnt offering (燔祭) is an Old Testament sacrifice in which the entire offering is consumed by fire as an offering to God. In the Bible, the expression describes the sacrifice offered by Solomon. In Korean churches, the term, modeled on this passage, is widely used for a devotional practice of praying and giving offerings a set number of times or over a fixed period.

Biblical Background

1 Kings 3:4 records that Solomon, after ascending the throne, offered a thousand burnt offerings at the high place in Gibeon. A high place (山堂) was a site of sacrifice on elevated ground. That night God appeared to him in a dream and said, "Ask what I shall give thee," and Solomon asked for wisdom to govern the people well (1 Kings 3:5-12). 2 Chronicles 1:6, describing the same event, states that Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the bronze altar before the tabernacle of the congregation. 1 Chronicles 29:21 likewise records the offering of a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs.

The text does not specify whether the thousand animals were offered all at once or over several days. Many commentators understand the passage as describing a single great sacrificial occasion. The sacrificial system as a whole, including the burnt offering, is discussed in the article Old Testament sacrifices.

Practice in Korean Churches

In Korean churches, the practice of the thousand burnt offerings generally involves choosing a prayer intention and then praying and giving an offering over a thousand days or on a thousand occasions. Commonly, participants write the prayer intention and the running count on an offering envelope and submit it daily, weekly, or at each worship service. The practice resembles pledged prayer and vows in character. It is not an official rite prescribed in any denominational constitution and is reportedly often undertaken at the discretion of individual churches or believers.

Opinions on the practice are divided.

• Supporters regard it as an expression of devotion, a wholehearted approach to God after the example of Solomon. They also value it as a discipline that cultivates the habit of persistent prayer over a long period.
• Critics point out that the biblical text does not teach "offerings repeated over a thousand days." Holding that animal sacrifice was fulfilled in the cross of Christ (Hebrews 10:10-14), they also question an interpretation that turns Old Testament sacrifice into a system of monetary offerings. Some are further concerned that the practice reflects a materialistic, blessing-seeking attitude that tries to secure answers to prayer through the number of offerings and the amount given, or that it resembles prosperity theology. Critics also argue that it can be used as a means of increasing church revenue.