I was somewhat caught off guard this summer when I became aware of some who were espousing the idea that there was actual forgiveness of sins by God during the time The Old Testament was His rule for His people. Some were saying we have been wrong in teaching that the sins of God's people were "rolled forward" each year and remembered again. I have sat at the feet of some of the great preachers of the past and heard them say time after time that those people's sins were remembered again each year. One thing I have learned is that when I differ from something these scholars of the past have taught as truth, I had better make doubly sure of my position because they generally had it down right. I promised several that I would study this issue and provide some information about it. This is the purpose of this article and if you differ with my observations in it I would personally appreciate your input.

In the Old Testament there were sacrifices for sins. The writer of Hebrews declared however that it was not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins Hebrews 1:4. But in the Old Testament itself it is declared in several places like Exodus 34:6-7 that God would and did forgive sin in the Old Testament. Are these two verses contradicting each other? No. They are simply illustrations of the truth that the forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament was a different kind than the one found in the New Testament that God's people could embrace and enjoy since the cross.

"In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.. .And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea..." This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross, arose from the grave, and ascended into heaven to reign as king. Whatever the "fountain" was it was not available in Zechariah's day. Since it was to be 'for sin" it sets the stage for the idea that there was something not available for sin in his day that would be available when Christ would come. Not only that, the fountain would flow backwards and a part forward symbolized by the "former" and 'hinder" seas. In other words, the cleansing power of Christ's blood would flow backwards to those living under former covenants and forward to cleanse those living under the present covenant to the end of time. If those people received actual forgiveness upon offering a sin offering why would it have been necessary for the blood of Christ to have flowed backwards? The answer is found in the following passages.

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." The phrase "sins that are past" refers to all the sins in the Old Testament that God forgave. "Remission" comes from a word, paresin, that is used only here in this passage. Thayer, p.488, defines this word as meaning, "pretermission, passing over, letting pass, neglecting, disregarding." His comment on the same page is, "because God had patiently let pass the sins committed previously (to the expiatory death of Christ), i.e had tolerated, had not punished (and so man's conception of his holiness was in danger of becoming dim, if not extinct)..." Webster defines Pretermission as "a passing by; omission." It comes from a word that literally means "to let go by." The use of this word suggests that wherever forgiveness of sins is referred to in the Old Testament such as Leviticus 4 that God did not overlook the sins, but He did overlook the kind of punishment these sins demanded. Because the penalty for these sins had not been paid but had simply been "winked" at, or overlooked by God, Satan was able to hold this over each one that sinned even after the person who had sinned died, Hebrews 2:14. The way Jesus "destroyed" or rendered useless the power Satan had over sinful man was by paying the penalty for sin by the giving of His life. This satisfied the demands of justice, so far as the sinner was concerned, and God could then be counted just and righteous in overlooking the punishment for those sins committed under the Old Testament. This overlooking of the punishment for sins committed had been done by God since the beginning of sin among those who had been serving Him faithfully. The blood of animals could not meet the demands of justice so far as penalty was concerned, but could cleanse the flesh, Hebrews 9:13-14. Be-cause the penalty was not removed they were reminded of their sins every year, Hebrews 10:3. God remembered them constantly because He knew they had to be eventually paid for, but in the New Testament He can remit sins and, in addition, remove the penalty because of Christ's atoning death. Because of this, an important part of the New Covenant is, "Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more," Hebrews 8:12. This promise was not valid under the Old Testament so Christ had to come "And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage," Hebrews 2:15. See also 1 Corinthians 15:56.

"And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions W that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." One of the reasons Christ died was to pay the redemption price necessary because of the transgressions committed under the Old Testament. In other words, until Christ died, those under the former covenant could not enjoy the same blessings of forgiveness and deliverance you and I may embrace today. The price had to be paid in order to escape the penalty of torment. That price was not paid until Jesus died, on the cross and arose from His grave. This helps us understand the following verse:

"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Hebrews 11 contains some illustrious Old Testament worthies. They received a good report from God, but, even at that, they, though they had died centuries before, could not be made perfect until the Christian age came. Just like we are saved from past sins because of the promise being fulfilled, so, those old saints could not be saved eternally from their sins until it was fulfilled.

The forgiveness of sins recorded in the Old Testament was a different kind of forgiveness than God's people enjoy today. To equate it with forgiveness after Christ came is not proper nor possible.-OPA. Amen! DLK