Without the Blood...

"...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22)

or is there????

Old Testament means of Atonement for sins

1. Incense

"And Moses said unto Aaron, 'Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar,
and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them:
for there is wrath gone out from [YHWH]; the plague is begun.' And Aaron took
as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague
was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people." (Numbers 16:46-47)

2. Money

"The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when
they give an offering unto [YHWH], to make an atonement for your souls. And thou shalt
take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before [YHWH], to make an atonement for your souls." (Exodus 30:15-16)

3. Property/Goods

"We have therefore brought an oblationfor [YHWH], what every man hath gotten, of
jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement
for our souls before [YHWH]." Numbers 31:50)

4. Blood for unintentional sins

"And [YHWH] spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a
soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of [YHWH] concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he
hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto [YHWH] for a sin offering.

5. Blood-if bullock or lamb not affordable (unintentional sins)

"And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto [YHWH]; one for a sin offering,
and the other for a burnt offering." (Leviticus 5:7)

6. Flour-if turtledoves or pigeons not affordable (unintentional sins)

"But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephahof fine flour for
a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering." (Leviticus 5:11)

What if there was no Temple or Priesthood

7. Prayer

Solomon addresses the subject of the Israelite people being denied access to the temple
in his dedication speech.
"If they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your
name; then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You..." (I Kings 8:46-50)

More Prayer

"And if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek
My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their
sin, and will heal their land." (II Chronicles 7:14).

"And listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they
pray toward this place; hear from heaven Your dwelling place, hear and forgive." (II Chronicles 6:21)

8. Nothing-Just because God is merciful (my favourite)

"You have not brought Me sheep of your burnt offerings...or the fat of your sacrifices,
but you have burdened Me with your sins...Nevertheless, I will wipe out your
transgressions for My name sake, and I will not remember your sins." (Isaiah 43:23-25)

9. Turning from evil ways

"That every man will turn from his evil way, then I will forgive their iniquity and their
sin." (Jeremiah 36:3)

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to [YHWH], and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7)

Remember the story of Jonah? He was sent to the evil city of Nineveh to warn them of
their impending destruction. Jonah does not come into the city and tell the people that
unless they begin offering sacrifices they are doomed. No! He warns them to repent.
Their response to his warnings is: they fast, pray, and turn from their evil. What is our CREATOR's response to their repentance?

"When God saw their deeds that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them, and He did
not do it." (Jonah 3:10).

How did Daniel advise king Nebuchadnezzar to atone for his sins?
"Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: Redeem your sins by doing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor." (Daniel 4:27).

Neither Ninevah or Nebuchadnezzar were part of Israel, Ninevah was the capital of
Assyria and Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon.

After the ten northern tribes split away from Judah, a civil war prevented most of Israel
from Temple worship. The prophet Hosea addressed this situation and instructed the people accordingly:
"Return, O Israel, to [YHWH] your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to [YHWH]. Say to Him, 'Take away all iniquity, and
receive us graciously, for we will render as bullocks the offerings of our lips'." (Hosea 14:1-2)

Incense, Flour, Prayer, Repentance, Money, Goods & Gods Mercy have nothing to do with blood yet were all acceptable to God to atone for sins.

Does the New Testament support the need for a blood sacrifice?

The OT & NT both agree that people can be righteous...

Many OT characters were considered righteous, including Abel, Noah, Abraham &
Lot all pre-law so it wasn't through blood that they were made righteous.

It is only Paul in Romans 3:10 that claims that no-one is righteous, but he is quoting from Psalms 14 & 53 which when read in context do not support Paul's claims.

Rom 3:10 as it is written, "none is righteous, no, not one,"

Zacharias & Elizabeth were both considered righteous as were Joseph & Mary.

Lu 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Even Jesus said " For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

So Jesus did not come for Zacharias, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary or other righteous
individuals who were considered righteous by God. Thus a person can be righteous
without the need of Jesus blood. Which is also supported in OT, God said that He didn't put righteousness beyond reach.

Deuteronomy 30:11 Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too
baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach.

Jesus on a number of occasions forgave people their sins, this prior to his death thus they were not covered by his blood nor is there any indication that they made sacrifices at the temple. So if Jesus could forgive without blood why do christians believe that God couldn't do the same?

Matthew 9:2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."

Luke 7:48-50 Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." And those who sat at the
table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Then
He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Did Jesus become the final sacrifice?

According to the author of Hebrews Jesus was the final sin sacrifice.
Heb 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, But if we look back to Ezekiel & Isaiah we see that there will be a time in the future that God will dwell in the Temple and accept sacrifices upon the altar for all time. TNK Isaiah 56:6 As for the foreigners Who attach themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, And to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants -- All who keep the sabbath and do not profane it, And who hold fast to My covenant --7 I will bring them to My sacred mount And let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices Shall be welcome on My altar; For My House shall be called A house of prayer for all peoples."8 Thus declares the Lord GOD, Who gathers the dispersed of Israel: "I will gather still more to those already gathered." TNK Ezekiel 37:25 Thus they shall remain in the land which I gave to My servant Jacob and in which your fathers dwelt; they and their children and their children's children shall dwell there forever, with My servant David as their prince for all time.26 I will make a covenant of friendship with them -- it shall be an everlasting covenant with them -- I will establish them and multiply them, and I will place My Sanctuary among them forever.27 My Presence shall rest over them; I will be their God and they shall be My people.28 And when My Sanctuary abides among them forever, the nations shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel. TNK Ezekiel 45:17 But the burnt offerings, the meal offerings, and the libations on festivals, new moons, sabbaths -- all fixed occasions -- of the House of Israel shall be the obligation of the prince; he shall provide the sin offerings, the meal offerings, the burnt offerings, and the offerings of well-being, to make expiation for the House of Israel. TNK Ezekiel 45:22 On that day, the prince shall provide a bull of sin offering on behalf of himself and of the entire population;23 and during the seven days of the festival, he shall provide daily -- for seven days -- seven bulls and seven rams, without blemish, for a burnt offering to the LORD, and one goat daily for a sin offering.
The Goat of God

Burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, guilt offerings & sin offerings all served a different purpose and were not interchangeable.

Jesus is portrayed as the Lamb of God that died for the sins of mankind, but is this an appropriate portrayal?

In almost all instances that a sin sacrifice was made it was a goat not a lamb.

The only instances where a Sheep/Lamb were accepted as a sin offering it is interesting
to note that it is also the only time it could be interchangeable with birds or flour
depending on the persons financial status and/or had to be a female from the flock not a
male.

Sheep/Lamb

TNK Leviticus 5:6 And he shall bring as his penalty to the LORD, for the sin of which
he is guilty, a female from the flock, sheep or goat, as a sin offering; and the priest shall
make expiation on his behalf for his sin.
7 But if his means do not suffice for a sheep, he shall bring to the LORD, as his penalty
for that of which he is guilty, two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and
the other for a burnt offering.

11 And if his means do not suffice for two turtledoves or two pigeons, he shall bring as
his offering for that of which he is guilty a tenth of an ephah of choice flour for a sin
offering; he shall not add oil to it or lay frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.

TNK Leviticus 4:32 If the offering he brings as a sin offering is a sheep, he shall bring a female without blemish.

TNK Numbers 6:13 This is the ritual for the nazirite: On the day that his term as nazirite
is completed, he shall be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.14 As his offering
to the LORD he shall present: one male lamb in its first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering; one ewe lamb in its first year, without blemish, for a sin offering; one ram without blemish for an offering of well-being;

Goat

Verses only are mentioned for sin offerings for goats as they are to numerous.

Lev 4:23,28   5:6   9:15   10:16 16:9,15,27

Num 7:16,22,28,34,40,46,52,58,64,70,76,82   28:15,22   29:5,11,16,19,22,25,28,31,34,38

Future sin offerings of goats

Eze 43:22,25   45:23

To model Jesus after one of the sacrifices, Yom Kippur rather than Passover would have
been a more appropriate choice as sacrifices were made to atone for the sins of the whole nation. The offering once again was a goat, but this presents a problem of its own as the
goat that bore the sins of the nation was released into the wilderness, it was not killed.
The blood of the first goat of sin offering was sprinkled on the other goat thus bearing
the sins of the nation, then released.

Thus the term 'scape goat'.

TNK Leviticus 16:7 Aaron shall take the two he-goats and let them stand before the LORD
at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; 8 and he shall place lots upon the two goats, one marked for the LORD and the other marked for Azazel. 9 Aaron shall bring forward the
goat designated by lot for the LORD, which he is to offer as a sin offering; 10 while the
goat designated by lot for Azazel shall be left standing alive before the LORD, to make expiation with it and to send it off to the wilderness for Azazel.

The trial of Jesus has been portrayed as being similar to the Yom Kippur service with
Jesus and Barabbas representing the two goats, but in this instance Jesus is portrayed as bearing the sins of the people and dying, whilst Barabbas is released.

It is interesting to note that in the Hebrew language 'Barabbas' means 'son of the father',
Bar is Son as in 'Bar Mitvah' - 'Son of the commandments', Abba is Father. Who were the Jews calling for? Barabbas - son of the father.
Mt 27:21 The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!"

What about the Passover Lamb?

The Passover Lamb could come from either sheep or goat the term lamb in these verses is used for both infant sheep or goat.

TNK Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a yearling male; you may take it
from the sheep or from the goats.

The plagues God brought upon Egypt were against their gods, the sheep and goat were
heavily represented amongst the almost two thousand gods of the Egyptians. The blood
from this goat or sheep protected only the eldest born sons from the last plague, it is in
no way indicated that it atoned for the sins of the people.

TNK Exodus 12:12 For that night I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down
every first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and I will mete out punishments
to all the gods of Egypt, I the LORD.

TNK Exodus 12:13 And the blood on the houses where you are staying shall be a sign for you: when I see the blood I will pass over you, so that no plague will destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

The Passover sacrifice was celebrated in remembrance of this event not as a national sin offering.

TNK Exodus 12:14 This day shall be to you one of remembrance: you shall celebrate it
as a festival to the LORD throughout the ages; you shall celebrate it as an institution for
all time.

What the Hebrews were doing was showing defiance to the Egyptians and their gods by killing an estimated 600,000 representations of their gods, at any other time this would
have been the death of them by the sword of the Egyptians.

To represent Jesus as the Passover Lamb to the Hebrews points only to the death of
thousands of pagan gods.
Re 5:12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"
OR
No one comes to the Father except through Me.
******************

I am the LORD and there is none else; Beside Me, there is no god
OR
Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.
******************
I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life; if you and your offspring would live by loving the LORD your God, heeding His commands, and holding fast to Him. OR
For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the

law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.

*****************

If your brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife, or your closest friend entices you,
saying, "Come let us worship other gods" whom neither you nor your fathers have experienced from among the gods of the peoples around you, either near to you or
distant, anywhere from one end of the earth to the other: do not give heed to him.

OR

Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

*****************

If there appears among you a prophet or dream-diviner who gives you a sign or a
portent, saying, "Let us follow and worship another god" -- whom you have not
experienced, even if the sign or portent that he named to you comes true, do not heed
the words of that prophet or that dream-diviner. For the LORD your God is testing you
to see whether you really love the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.

OR

Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs
which
God did through Him in your midst.

(Ironic that the addition to God's word-which is forbidden in Deut 4:2-was named
the New Testament)

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should
change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

TNK Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD -- I have not changed; and you are the children of
Jacob -- you have not ceased to be.
TNK Isaiah 51:7 Listen to Me, you who care for the right, O people who lay My instruction to heart! Fear not the insults of men, And be not dismayed at their jeers; TNK Jeremiah 16:19 O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, My refuge in a day of trouble, To You nations shall come From the ends of the earth and say: Our fathers inherited utter lies, things that are futile and worthless. TNK Jeremiah 6:16 Thus said the LORD: Stand by the roads and consider, Inquire about the ancient paths: Which is the road to happiness? Travel it, and find tranquility for yourselves.