Most are familiar with the Christian doctrine that eternal life is available only by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That bold claim will be the subject of this brief study. But, before we start, I would like to ask you to stand back from your Christian traditions; forget what you learned at your mother's knee; forget the soothing voice of your church pastor. Instead ask yourself several questions: 1) Was a blood sacrifice necessary for the forgiveness of sins? 2) Do the prophets of old teach the concept of a messiah being sacrificed for the sins of humanity? To find the answers to these questions we shall turn to the Old Testament, which Christians loudly proclaim is the foundation of their theology.
The Law Is Perfect:
Psa 19:7: "The law of the lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults."
Comment: If the law is perfect, then was there any need for a blood sacrifice?
Blood Offerings:
Let's first get something clear: Before the time of Jesus, the bible teaches that one could have a personal relationship with God: Deu 4:29: "... thou shalt seek the lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." Isa 58:8-98: "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the lord shall be thy rearward [rear guard]. 9 Then shalt thou call, and the lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am."
Comment: Here we have proof positive that it was possible for the lowly Israelite to have a personal relationship with God before Jesus' time. But what about forgiveness of sin? Did the lowly Israelite need to die in sin with the "hope" of a future messiah shedding his blood?
Jer 7:22: "For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."
Comment: Notice in Matthew 19:17 the formula Jesus gave for obtaining eternal life: "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Here is Old Testament support for the above scripture:
Psa 40:6: "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required." Psa 51:16: "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering."
Comment: If God did not want burnt offering for sin sacrifice, what then did he require? We find the answer in Psa 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Psa 107:22: "And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing." Psa 34:18-18 "The lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the lord delivereth him out of them all." These scriptures prove your sins can be forgiven on repentance—no water baptism or blood sacrifices required!
Isa 55:7: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Psa 25:18 "Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins." Psa 32:1 A Psalm of David, Maschil. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." Isa 1:18: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa 43:25: "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Micha 7:18 "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."
Regarding the forgiveness of sins, here is the famous Psalm 51 quote which is one of the most revealing verses in the OT: "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee."
Comment: here we have a clear OT teaching that a sinner can come to repentance, have his/her sins forgiven, be washed clean, and HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT! Where is there any need for a messiah to die for sins mentioned in this verse?
Ezek 18:4: "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. 5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right . . . 9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the lord god."
Comment: Here we read that if the soul of a sinner will die, but the soul of a righteous man shall live—and Isa 44:22 illuminates that promise by showing that the sinner shall be forgiven his sins: "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee."
Who would forgive your sin?
Ex 20:3: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Deu 4:35: "Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the lord (he) is God; there is none else beside (him)." Isa 42:8: "(I am) the lord: that is (my) name: and (my) glory will (I) not give to another, neither (my) praise to graven images." Isa 43:11: "(I), even (I, am) the lord; and beside (me) there is no (saviour)."
Comment: If the God of Israel declares that he alone is God, and that there is no other savior, then what does this say about the claims for Jesus?
1 Sam 2:2: "There is none holy as the lord: for there is none beside (thee): neither is there (any) rock like our God." Isa 43:10: "Ye are (my) witnesses, saith the lord, and (my) servant whom (I) have chosen: that ye may know and believe (me), and understand that (I) am (he): before (me) there was no God formed, neither shall there be after (me)." Micah 7:7: "Therefore I will look unto the lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me."
Who is the god who offered salvation before Jesus?
Exo 3:13: "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, (i am) that (i am): and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, (i am) hath sent me unto you. 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is (my) name for ever, and this is (my) memorial unto all generations."
Comment: Here we find that the one who offered salvation in the Old Testament calls himself "I Am That I Am", and he declares that this was his name FOREVER—although this actually contradicts Exodus 6:3 which quotes "I Am That I Am": "I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by my name Jehovah (Yahweh) was I not known to them." Okay, this is beside the point. Where then does a "god" named Jesus (i.e., Yeshua) Christ (Greek for "messiah") fit into this scheme?
What About the Holy Spirit?
Another doctrine of Christianity is that without Jesus and baptism there was no "Holy Spirit," which is essential for salvation. Is that what the Old Testament teaches?
Before getting into that question let's note that the Hebrew words referring to "spirit," which are used throughout the Old Testament. They are Strong's Concordance numbers: H7307, 7306, 5397, 5395, 5301, which are used to mean the "holy spirit."
Prov 1:23: "Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." Ezek 37:14: "And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the lord." Isa 59:21: "As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the lord, from henceforth and for ever." Job 27:3: "All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils." Isa 63:11: "Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy spirit within him?" Psa 51:11: "...and take not thy holy spirit from me." Job 27:3: "All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils."
Resurrection From the Dead:
Christianity teaches that after one has accepted the blood of Jesus' sacrifice, that then, and only then, will they be assured of a resurrection from the dead. Is that what the Old Testament teaches?
Ezek 37:11: "Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts." Ezek 37:12: "Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel." Ezek 37:13: "And ye shall know that I am the lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves . . . " Ezek 37:6" "And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the lord." Ezek 37:14: "And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the lord." 1 Ki 17:17: "And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him." 1 Ki 17:22: "And the lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." 2 Ki 13:21: "And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet."
Comment: This resurrection wasn't only a physical one, as some ministers teach, but it was understood to be spiritual!
Psa 17:15: "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with (thy likeness)." Job 14:14: "If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come."
Comment: Even the New Testament backs this claim of eternal life promised in the beginning of the world: Titus 1:2 "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."
Dan 12:3: "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." Psa 16:11: "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psa 36:9: "For with thee [is] the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." Isa 60:20: "Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended."
Does the New Testament Back the
OT Promises of Salvation—Without Jesus?
First, let's remember 1 Th 5:21: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." For those who profess the New Testament as their ultimate authority, here's a direct command from God's word! The question is, will you head it?
Mat 4:4: "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Comment: A young man ask Jesus Christ how to get Eternal Life, and Jesus Christ tells the young man how he could do this, as follows:
Mat 19:16: "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Comment: Jesus Christ mentioned six of the Ten Commandments, found in Exo 20:1-17, so that the young man would know which one of the laws Jesus was talking about. No mistake there—and Jesus clearly states by keeping the commandments one would get eternal life! Here is a clear teaching from the Old Testament and it is backed by Jesus Christ! Now, the question before all Christians is this: Did Jesus Christ lie to the young man or not? Can the ten commandments gain you eternal life or not? Which is it, YES or NO?
If Jesus Christ told the TRUTH to the young man, that he would have eternal life by keeping the Ten Commandments, then you do not need Jesus Christ as your blood sacrificed savior for your sins. In fact, in that clear statement he disqualified himself as the savior of mankind! If Jesus Christ LIED about this, then he disqualifies himself as the savior of mankind as a sinner! If we are to believe this story, then we must believe Jesus, who was quoting OT scripture to show the way to eternal life. Moreover, Jesus was aware of Deu 4:2 which tells us: "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the lord your God which I command you." He also knew of Deu 12:32: "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.", and he knew of Prov 30:6: "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
To all Christians I would like to close by asking you to confirm the true identity of you're your savior. If you will confess that the Old Testament is the foundation of your faith, then you must accept the word of God as found in the OT—and that collection of books clearly teaches that the god of the OT is not one and the same with Jesus Christ! Even worse, it clearly teaches that the formula for salvation as taught in the Old Testament, was corrupted somewhere along the early existence of the Christian Church!
Your bible declares that there was no need for a blood sacrifice, only the sacrifice of a broken spirit and contrite heart; it tells of a time when a new temple will be built in Jerusalem, when the God of the OT comes to bring order and peace to the earth. The fact is that the teachings of the OT directly contradict the theology of the NT, so I ask, which do you believe?
