Fair enough, Hebrews 9:16-17 states that a testament is in force after the death the testator. That would mean that sins couldn’t actually be forgiven until the testator died. However Matthew 9:2-6 has Jesus forgiving sins prior to his death. How did Jesus get the power to forgive without dying first? Wouldn’t the fact that he was able to forgive sins be conformation of the covenant?
So you are saying that all Old Testament Saints
before the Cross did not have their sins forgiven before they physically died? The Holy Spirit did work in the Old Testament. See...the servants of God,
all servants of God from the Old and New Testament, are
sealed when they become believers. And they cannot be unsealed or resealed or any other extra sealing you want to bring up. Because that sealing (securing) is
salvation by grace, and thus they are secured until the day of redemption. But don't take my word for it:
Ephesians 4:30
[30] "
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
Abel was sealed, Lot was sealed, Noah was sealed, Abraham was sealed, Peter was sealed, and low and behold I was sealed too. This is what some people cannot seem to grasp.
The sealing of Israel has been going on since the very first believer, and it doesn't hesitate/stop/pause until the very last believer is sealed. Unsealed, resealed, these are not words found in the bible. You are painting scenarios that don't exist. All Israel shall be
saved the same way, by the deliverer out of Zion who takes away their sins. Where does this comes from. Christ Himself, at the Cross when He died, so that the Holy Spirit TRANSCENDS time, going back to the old Testament and New Testament.
Zec 14:8-9
(8) And it shall be
in that day, that
living waters shall go out from Jerusalem;
half of them toward the former sea, and
half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
(9) And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
The former sea represents Saints from Old Testament. The hinder sea represents Saints from the New Testament.
The Holy Spirit is not limited to the events of the cross forward, from the day of Pentecost forwards. No, Israel of God is from the first saved person IN CHRIST to the Last saved person IN CHRIST, from Abel to the Last Elect of all time. Remember the Olive Tree (Covenant Israel) existed BEFORE the Cross, some were broken off after the Cross and Gentiles started to grafted into that SAME Covenant Israel.
I like to add that the Old Testament Saints had the same spirit of Christ dwelling in them just as we do. It moved them in their walk and in their lives just as it moves us in ours. Or did you think that Old Testament saints were just inherently righteous to walk into fiery furnaces, fight with lions, kill hundreds with the jawbone of an ass, and offer up their son as a sacrifice? No. The Spirit of Christ within them moved them to righteousness just as it moves us. The believer, Pre-Christ, is not one wit different from the believer post-Christ. They are all saved by faith of Christ that they have the power over death, and
they were all saved by the blood of the "New Testament." The Old Testament believer
by faith looking forward to Christ's death. That is why they had the physical temple, altar, animal sacrifices, feasts, etc. were only a shadow or example of a true pointing to Christ's Death. While the New Testament believer by faith looking backwards to Christ's death. Based on the confirmation of the covenant at the Cross, through the Holy Spirit, Christ can forgive His people in the former sea and the hinder sea.
Hope it helps.