What does the Bible say about the significance of sacrifices in the Old Testament?
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The Old Testament sacrifices were significant as they represented expiation and forgiveness of sins but did not accomplish it themselves.
The sacrifices in the Old Testament were a picture of expiation—the forgiveness of sins that needed fulfillment. Every animal sacrifice pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who fully accomplished what these sacrifices only foreshadowed. The Old Testament saints looked forward in faith to the Messiah who would achieve forgiveness once and for all, illustrating the continuity of God's redemptive plan across both testaments. Hebrews 10:11-12 affirms that the law's sacrifices could never take away sins, which highlights the indispensable role of Christ's singular sacrifice in securing salvation.
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