What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Was there truly forgiveness through a sacrifice in the Old Testament, or was faith decisive?"
Answer
In the Old Testament there was no forgiveness solely through the blood of animals, as it in itself possessed no power for the forgiveness of sins. The sacrificial system was instead a symbol through which believers expressed their faith in the future Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and his atoning blood.
Thus forgiveness occurred through faith, which already grasped the true sacrifice of Christ in advance, while the animal sacrifice served as a visible pledge for God's grace. Without this reference to Christ and without a sincere posture of repentance, the ceremonies remained ineffective.
Meaning of the Blood and Faith
»There was no power in the blood of the animals; but the shedding of animal blood was meant to point to a Redeemer who would one day come into the world and die for the sins of humanity... Satan saw that these sacrifices signified repentance over sin.«
The Sacrificial System as a Hint to Christ
»The ceremonial system of sacrifices and priesthood, taken by itself, was not sufficient to secure salvation for even a single soul. The system of slaughter offerings pointed to Christ. Through these, the patriarchs saw Christ and believed in Him.«
Prerequisites for the Sinner
»With every sin offering, two things were essential on the part of the sinner: first, to recognize his own sinfulness before God... second, to see the Son of God beyond his offering through faith, through whom he is to receive forgiveness, “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to remove sins.”«
Faith in the Merits of the Redeemer
»Before they entered the presence of God through the priest’s service, they should conduct a serious self-examination of the heart and a confession of sin... Thus their prayers rose with the incense cloud, while faith grasped the merits of the promised Redeemer, who was prefigured by the atoning sacrifice.«
Sacrifice as a Pledge of Forgiveness
»The slaughter offerings were employed to be a constant pledge for humanity of God's forgiveness through the great, yet-to-be-offered sacrifice, which was symbolized by the blood of animals. Through this ceremony, the person expressed repentance, obedience, and faith in a coming Redeemer.«
- Meaning of the Jewish sanctuary and the atonement sacrifice
- Difference between type and antitype in the sacrificial system
- How was one saved in the Old Testament through faith?
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
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