Were Sins “Rolled Forward”?
by Ney Rieber
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 20 No. 2, June 1994
Was there forgiveness of sins for those under the Old Testament? This question is frequently answered in the negative. It is stated that their sins were not forgiven, but were "rolled forward" year by year. The primary passage used to support this idea is Hebrews 10:3, which says, "But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year."
Many say this indicates that their sins were not forgiven, but "rolled forward." They reason the sins of the Old Testament figures were not forgiven, and this is confirmed by the next verse, Hebrews 10:4, which says, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." It is held that because the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins, God held the people accountable every year, reminding them of all the sins they had committed. The sins of the people were listed again and again, year after year, with the list getting longer each year, until finally, Jesus died on the cross and all of those past sins were finally forgiven.
While this is a popular interpretation, it does not take into account other passages. It has the appearance of truth, but upon close examination of the Scriptures, it must fall. Let’s consider some of the more significant Old Testament passages.
In Leviticus, God repeatedly promised that sins would be forgiven when the sin offering was made (Leviticus 4:20, 26, 35; 5:10, 13, 16, 18; and 6:7). Each of these verses contains the phrase, "...it shall be forgiven them." Leviticus 19:22 says, "the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him."
These statements seem to be irrefutable. God would forgive their sins! These passages cannot be reconciled with the "rolled forward" interpretation. The dilemma now is that, according to Hebrews 10:4 ("...not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins"), their sins could not have been forgiven, since that forgiveness depended on the sacrifice of bulls and goats. How can the two premises be harmonized? By rolling the sins forward each year?
Continuing our examination of the Old Testament, we encounter the book of Numbers. Again, regarding the sin offering, God promises forgiveness of sin. Numbers 15 twice says that ״...it shall be forgiven them״ (Numbers 15:25 and 28). Upon making the sin offering, sin would be forgiven. There was the promise of forgiveness of sin to those under the law! Did God keep his promises?
Consider Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple. This prayer is recorded in both I Kings 8 and II Chronicles 6. At least three times, he specifically requested that God hear the people when they prayed facing the temple, and that God forgive their sins. (I Kings 8:34, 36, 50, II Chronicles 6:25, 27, 39) After Solomon’s fervent prayer at the dedication of the temple, God answered him and, in II Chronicles 7:12-14, promised him that the people’s sins would be forgiven. It says, ״And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.״ Again, we clearly see God promising that sin could and would be forgiven under the Old Covenant!
In Psalms 32:1-2, we read that David believed sins were forgiven. It says, ״Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.״
In Psalms 85:1-2, another Psalmist rejoiced that God had forgiven their sins when he wrote, ״LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah."
Were sins forgiven under the Old Testament? These passages clearly say that they were!
One of the most comforting passages in the Bible regarding the forgiveness of sin is found in Psalms 103:10-12. It says. "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.״ God has removed their transgressions! Yet still some say there is no forgiveness of sin in the Old Testament!
The Hebrew writer clearly states that there was efficacy in the blood of goats and calves, then links the superior cleansing to Christ’s blood. Look at Hebrews 9:12-14 where it says, "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Pay particular attention to the words, "... the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh..." A purifying did take place! The Hebrew writer’s argument is really based upon the efficacy of the blood of animal sacrifices. If they purified the flesh, how much more would the blood of Christ do?
Romans 3:23-25 says, ״For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 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.״ Notice "for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." The wealth of information in that phrase is staggering. The blood of Jesus is what forgives "sins that are past" due to the "forbearance of God." Is it possible that "sins that are past" is looking not only at our past sins but also at the sins of those in the past? In other words, when the faithful person of the Old Testament met the conditions God had set, God applied the same cleansing blood of Jesus to them that he does to us! Now let us read Hebrews 10:3-4 again. It says, "But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
Do not limit God. God has declared Himself to be above time as we know it in Exodus 3:14. There, He told Moses, "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." Jesus made the same declaration about himself in John 8:58, where it is recorded, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." The past is just as accessible to God as are the present and future.
Jesus’ blood reached back to those in the past just as efficiently as it reaches forward to those of us in the future. As easily as the cleansing blood of Jesus is applied to the believer today who meets the conditions for forgiveness that j God has set, so the same cleansing blood of Jesus was applied to the believer under the Old Testament who met God’s terms of forgiveness then! God is not limited by our perception of time.
A proper understanding of Hebrews 10:3-4 is that God called for the people to make a sacrifice for the sins committed during the last year. Their sins since the previous sin offering were remembered. God forgave their sins when this offering was made. Hebrews 10:4 indicates that it was not the blood of bulls and goats that did the cleansing. Romans 3:25 indicates that it was the blood of Jesus. The yearly sacrifice, through the blood of Jesus, brought forgiveness for a year’s worth of sin, but each year a new accounting was made, and the sins of that year were remembered. Their sins were not "rolled forward," but forgiven!
