THEOSISAmbrose of Milan
A man who received divine insight and foresaw the significance of the future sacrament turned about. In line with prophecy, he utilized the calf he had prepared to dismantle the idols of his father. With his own hands, he presented another calf, aged seven years, as an offering to God. Through this act, Gideon clearly demonstrated that after the coming of the Lord, all pagan sacrifices must be consumed by fire, for only a singular offering of the Lord's sufferings would be made to God for the redemption of humanity. This calf symbolized Christ, in whom, as Isaiah stated, the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit would reside in their entirety. The same calf was offered by Abraham when he glimpsed the day of the Lord and rejoiced.
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In one aspect, the Lord is depicted as a goat, in another as a sheep, and in a third as a bullock. The goat represents the sin offering, the ram symbolizes a voluntary offering, and the bullock signifies a pure sacrifice.