So did everyone on Earth before Jesus came along die and burn and hell since they didnt "get saved."

Question

Christians today say that if your not saved you will go to hell, but the whole concept of Christ and "being saved" wasnt invented until about 2000 years ago - so did everyone before that die and go to hell? If so, why would God do that to his children? Why didnt he send Jesus earlier to them? Thats billions of people who weren't saved and now are burning in hell for all eternity...thats not fair, kinda mean actually....

Answer 1

Well technically YES, because fire and brimstone hell as has been preached in the past is false doctrine. The bible says that when people die, the are concious of nothing and feel nothing (pain, joy, sorrow. etc. ...) So 'hell' as referred to in the bible is simply the grave. So yes those people did go to 'hell', but they are not burning eternally!

Answer 2

The ones that followed the Law,(before Christ) did not go to hell. Every year they brought there sacrifice to the high priest to be killed on the alter in the Holy of Holys. It had to be an animal without spot or blimish and your sins were put off for one more year. Since Christ was the spotless lamb there is no need for the old law and once you accept him as your personel savior then you are saved.
Now, was there people that went to hell--yes--there were people that had pagan gods and idiols just like there are people now that worship false gods and idols.
So I guess if you do not believe--you might want to make some sort of a decision.
Would you rather believe and spend eternity with God or would you rather NOT believe and spend eternity in Hell?
If for some reason you do not believe now--do you want to take the chance of dieing and going to hell or dieing and knowing that you future is secure?
If it is the later---then just get down on your knees and Ask Jesus to save you-

Answer 3

Christians today do not live by the same laws that the Jews did. The Jews were to obey Jewish law and offer animal sacrifices. That was the way into Heaven, atonement for sin, etc. Now that the ultimate Lamb has been sacrificed all that is required is belief in that Lamb's saving ability. There are plenty before Christ's time that were saved. They weren't saved by their actions, but their sacrifices and atonement for their sins. The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ definitely changed that.

Answer 4

No, everyone before Jesus did not die and go to hell. When they died they went to paradise, a waiting area if you will, until Christ death, burial and resurection. During the time he was dead he went and preached the good news to them and they were saved. That is also when he got the keys to death hell and the grave.

God is aGOOD God. His ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than ours.

I could tell you where to find all this in the bible but as one good teacher once told me...If you don't know it look it up.

Blessings to you.

Answer 5

The world goes through what is called dispensations. In order to understand your question you have to understand the dispensations. You can look up the 7 dispensations to get a better understanding.

Just because Christ hadn't came yet, doesn't meant that there wasn't a God to worship. Look to Moses and Noah. They worshiped God and I'm quite sure they are in heaven, but again I can't make that judgment call only God can.

Answer 6

Before Christ people were saved by the Priests in the temples who offered altar-sacrifices of animals to God & prayed on behalf of the people. Jesus replaced all that. Instead of going to the priests sacrificing animals, He allowed himself 2 be sacrificed 2 replace all that.That is why we go thru Jesus 2 be saved.

Answer 7

Before Jesus came those who believed in God lived by the Law (ie 10 commandments and the laws in the first few books of the Bible). They could go to Heaven, but they had to mess around with all of the sacrifices for sins. When Jesus came and died on the cross we no longer had to give sacrifices because he was the final sacrifice. We no longer live by the law but by grace. That's why the Bible says that Jesus died for our sins. We no longer have to burn animals or grains or whatever. So yous, people could go to Heaven. Even before Jesus died he told the man on the cross next to him that he would join Him (Jesus) in paridise.

Answer 8

Only your good deeds can save you. The Prophets of the Old Testament (all of which practiced TRUE monotheism) believed in the one true God (which is not Jesus although it is God who sent Jesus to testify of him) and did not ascribe partners to him. If there were truth to this concept of the trinity don't you think it would have been mentioned atleast once in the old testament by these prophets?The concept of the trinity arrived as a result of corrupt men. OPEN YOUR EYES.

Answer 9

No- the new testament only became effective at the death of Christ- just as a will becomes the rule after the composer dies. The generations before Jesus came to earth to atone for our sins, were acting on faith, of one who was to come- hence animal sacrifice - blood atonement- as the blood of Jesus became OUR atonement. We are told in the old testement of God's people being called home to be with him- just the method of getting there changed with God's sacrifice of his only son- Jesus.

Answer 10

There is a Limbo where these 'souls' who died before Christ came waited for His Salvation. After the crucufixion, these souls came out of their graves. There is no time with God, so Christ's salvation of us all covered all time. Even so creation is groaning to be fulfilled or new heaven and earth as St. Paul says at the end of time, so salvation is ongoing for all times - past present and future.