It is impossible for animal sacrifice to take away sins.

This is what Jesus taught. The Jews believed and practiced this cruelty for thousands of years which they incorrectly believed to be according to the laws of Moses. God never did want animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins, in fact he hated it.

The sacrifice of Jesus was NOT for the benefit of God, but for the benifit of the people. Since the Jews believed that animal sacrifice would get God’s forgiveness of sins, and God wanted to get rid of that horrible practice, he had to give them something that would substitute that practice and end it once and for all and would be the last and final sacrifice that would put an end to it forever.

Hebrews 10

1. “is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins… which can never take away sins” (vs 4, 12)
2. “Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin Thou didst not will” (vs 5)
3. “In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure… Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law” (vs 6 & 8 )
4. He taketh away the first (animal sacrifice), that he may establish the second (the sacrifice of Jesus). (vs 9)
5. “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (for ever)” (vs 10)
6. “after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever” (vs 12)

What I could never understand is, how is it that if God hates the pagan ritual of animal sacrifice and according to God no sacrifice can take away sins, then how is it that Jesus’ death is considered a sacrifice that can take away sins? Could it be that this teaching that Jesus’ death was a literal sacrifice to take away the sins of the world is an invention by Paul or the roman church?

One thing for sure is that Jesus gave his life so that the horrible practice of sacrificing poor innocent animals would end. “He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man” (Isaiah 66:3). Killing animals in God’s eyes is a bad as killing a man. If killing an animal can not take away sins, how could killing a just man, take away sins? — especially since the bible lists so many other ways that sins are taken away, specifically: through confession, and repentance.

Why do you suppose Jesus was so angry at those who sold animals in the temple? What were those animals used for? They were used for the sacrifices that were supposed to take away sins. God hated the cruelty that was done to animals and the fact that the temple which was supposed to be a house of prayer became a place of commerce and a den of thieves. “…they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. And, I might add, it made them rich!

Jesus declared: “I have come to end the sacrifices and feasts of blood.” And that is mainly what he did by giving his life — not ONLY to save the world, but also to save the animals from inhumane slaughter by pagan religionists!

God wanted mercy and NOT sacrifice:

Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

In fact, God’s way of forgiveness of sins was not through sacrifice at all. John preached forgiveness of sins through repentance as did Jesus.

Mar 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Luk 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

God’s way of forgiveness is forgiving others:

Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Jesus can forgive sins:

Mat 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

But so also can we forgive sins:

Luk 17:4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

But from the heart:

Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

The truth is that God forgives those that confess their sins:

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

He desired mercy and not animal sacrifice:

Hos 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Isa 1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

“Though they offer choice sacrifices, though they eat flesh, the Lord does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins …” Hosea 8:13

“I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5:21-24

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:6-8

“I came to end the animal sacrifices, and if you do not stop making sacrifices, the wrath of God will not leave you alone.” (Jesus, cited from Epiphanius, Panarion 3:16)

“I have come to end the sacrifices and feasts of blood, and if you don’t cease offering and eating of flesh and blood, the wrath of God will not cease from you, even as it came to your fathers in the wilderness, who lusted for flesh, and ate to their content, and were filled with rottenness, and the plague consumed them.” (Gospel of the Nazarines 21:8)

What it seems to me is, though God is against the idea of animal sacrifice, man still had this idea stuck in his head that there had to be this cruel animal blood sacrifice to God in order to pacify God’s anger for sins. This was obviously an ungodly practice that the Hebrews picked up early on from pagans. Animal blood sacrifice NEVER something that God wanted his people to practice. If it were they would still be sacrificing animals to this day. But, in fact, he sent Jesus to put a stop to this inhumane act!

Jesus’ sacrifice accomplished a two-fold purpose: first and most importantly it ended the cruel practice of animal sacrifice; and second by using this blood analogy that man thought he needed to make peace with God, He used to get through to man to show man his love, mercy forgiveness and kindness.

The reality is, I believe, that God was never so mad at man as man believed him to be. Man attributed everything bad that happened to him as the anger of a hot-headed God. I’m sure that God is “angry with the wicked every day”, but to God’s sheep, I believe he is and always has been loving, merciful and forgiving.

What I really think is that pagan religious leaders have always used lies and falsehoods to bring fear into the lives of God’s sheep in order to control and manipulate them.

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.