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John S. Feinberg, “Salvation in the Old Testament” Tradition and Testament. Essays in Honor of Charles LeeFeinberg. Chicago: Moody Press, 1981. Hbk. ISBN: 0802425445. pp.39-77.genuine distinction should be clear in that one can objectively pay for sin’s removal even if noone applies that salvation to himself, whereas no one’s sins are actually forgiven until hesubjectively applies what has been provided for him objectively. Moreover, it is possible to cover(through partial objective payment via animal sacrifice) and forgive a sin without completelyobjectively paying for and removing it.With those two distinctions in mind, we can resolve our problem. In Hebrews 10:4 the writerstates that the blood of bulls and goats cannot remove sin; it does not state that when suchsacrifices were given, there was no forgiveness. The testimony of the Old Testament is that therewas forgiveness when sacrifices were given in faith. The point, then, must be that mere animalsacrifices, though acts external (objective) to the sinner, could never from God’s perspective takecare of the objective dimensions of the atonement. Only Christ’s objective work could providethe full and final payment for salvation from sin and make it potentially available (we can nowsee better why the sacrifice of Christ had to be at all times the objective basis, or ground, forsalvation). Thus, Old Testament sacrifices could only in type foreshadow His sacrifice. Theycould not pay for sin so as to remove it; only the sacrifice of Christ could do that. However, thatdid not mean that the sacrifices were totally worthless, for there was still the subjective side ofsalvation (in addition, the sacrifices gave a “down payment” on sin-objective function), that is,the need for application of the atonement and, in particular, for forgiveness. On the basis of thebeliever’s trust in the revealed content for faith for his particular age, God could and didsubjectively apply salvation and forgiveness to the repentant sinner. Thus, the problem can beresolved. When[p.75]the objective work of a sacrifice was given, it could not fully and finally pay for sin (theprovision of atonement). Hebrews 10:4 is upheld. Nonetheless, since it had been given in faithand obedience to what God had revealed for that age, God could and did grant the sinnerforgiveness (subjective side of salvation) on the ultimate grounds of Christ’s sacrifice, whichwould someday be given. All the Old Testament comments about forgiveness of sin can beupheld. In fact, it would seem that this resolution does the most justice to all the verses involved.We do not conclude that Old Testament sacrifices had the same amount or kind of efficacy as didthe sacrifice of Christ, but neither do we derive the unwarranted conclusion that during OldTestament times no one was saved or no one’s sins were cleansed and forgiven. 49This study, then, has investigated some key issues pertaining to the topic of salvation in the OldTestament. As we reflect upon the unity and the diversity within God’s gracious plan of salvationfor all time, we can only repeat what Paul said as he reflected on the mercy of God, “Oh, thedepth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are Hisjudgments and unfathomable His ways! ... For from Him and through Him and to Him are allthings. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33, 36).NOTES1 James K. Zink, “Salvation in the Old Testament: A Central Theme,” Encounter 25 (Autumn 1964):407. Zinkexplains that the term “salvation” has three basic meanings in the Old Testament: (1) national salvation in the sense
John S. Feinberg, “Salvation in the Old Testament” Tradition and Testament. Essays in Honor of Charles LeeFeinberg. Chicago: Moody Press, 1981. Hbk. ISBN: 0802425445. pp.39-77.of protection from foes and deliverance from exile, (2) individual salvation from the results of sin, deliverance fromenemies, disease, and trouble, and (3) eschatological salvation from sin issuing in a richer life in communion withGod in the present world and in the afterlife.2 Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, (London: James Clarke, 1960), 2:367.3 J. Barton Payne, The Theology of the Older Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1962), p. 241. See also pp. 72-74.4 Daniel P. Fuller, “The Hermeneutics of Dispensationalism” (Th.D. diss., Northern Baptist Theological Seminary,1957), pp. 144-45. See also pp. 151 and 144-81.5 Payne, pp. 467-68. See also J. Barton Payne, The Imminent Appearing of Christ (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962),pp. 31-32, for a more blatant statement on this issue.6 C. I. Scofield, ed., Scofield Reference Bible (New York: Oxford U. Press, 1945), p. 1115.7 Ibid., p. 1245.8 Fuller, pp. 153ff.9 Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism Today (Chicago: Moody, 1965), pp. 113-16.10 E. Schuyler English, ed., New Scofield Reference Bible (New York: Oxford U. Press, 1967), p. 1124.11 Ryrie, pp. 44-46.12 George E. Ladd, “Historic Premillennialism,” in The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, ed. Robert G.Clouse (Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity, 1977), pp. 20-21, 27.13 Gustav F. Oehler, Theology of the Old Testament, reprint (Minneapolis: Klock & Klock, 1978) p. 459.14 Hodge, p. 370.15 Ibid., pp. 371-72. See also Payne, Theology of the Older Testament, p. 241, and Hodge, p. 372, who writes, “TheApostle proves that the specific promise which was the object of the faith of the patriarch was the promise ofredemption through Christ. That promise they were required to believe; and that the true people of God did believe.”16 Payne, Imminent Appearing, p. 128.17 The basic format is suggested in Ryrie, pp. 123-26. However, I am modifying and amplifying it. The fifth elementin this series and some aspects of its amplification were suggested to me by Paul D. Feinberg.18 Snaith points out that in the Old Testament God is portrayed as the savior; see Norman H. Snaith, The DistinctiveIdeas of the Old Testament (New York: Schocken, 1975), pp. 85-86. For the concept of God as the object of faith,see also Henry McKeating, “Divine Forgiveness in the Psalms,” Scottish Journal of Theology 18 (March 1965): 78.19 Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Toward an Old Testament Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), pp. 20-40. Kaiserelaborates this theme throughout the book.20 God’s ethical standards, of course, run throughout the whole Old Testament, but they give man an awareness ofGod’s standards and man’s own failure. They are not per se part of the content to be believed as one trusts God forsalvation.21 Kaiser, pp. 114-18.22 Oehler, p. 462.23 I shall elaborate this point in the following portion of the chapter.24 It would also be appropriate to note that in the New Testament the eternal destiny of the believer is stated muchmore clearly than in the Old Testament. Redemption of the whole person, including his body, and glorification of thebeliever indeed are stresses in the New Testament that are seldom mentioned in the Old Testament. This does notmean, though, that Old Testament believers are not to be resurrected and glorified. This is simply to point out adifference in amount and content of information available in the Old Testament as opposed to the New Testament,not a difference in the final status of the Old Testament saint.25 Payne, Theology of the Older Testament, p. 386.26 Ibid.27 Oehler, p. 288.28 For discussions of the distinctions see Oehler, pp. 300-303; Payne, Theology of the Older Testament, pp. 386ff.;Norman H. Snaith, “The Sin-Offering and the Guilt-Offering,” Vetus Testamentum 15 (January 1965); andGeerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1968), pp. 188-89.29 Oehler, p. 263.30 Ibid.31 Payne, Theology of the Older Testament, p. 382.32 Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1968), p. 173.33 Payne, Theology of the Older Testament, pp. 382-83.
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