so what about before Jesus, salvation?

Question

Ok, ok I know before Jesus you had to offer up animal sacrifices to atone for your sin (even though that is completely untrue IE the book of Job and Ester), but lets say for one second that is true. That explains what the Jews did. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repentance#The_view_of_the_Biblical_prophets

So what about the other 99% of the world?


What about the simple farmer in China 2,500 years ago? If I am correct he was saved by being a good person (and maybe recognizing that there is a Creator). So if that was fine then why should it not be now? Why is that simple farmers descendants now condemned to hell just for doing the same thing that his ancestor did? If you ask me it sounds cruel to “change the rules” and make a faith based requirement for salvation where one did not exist before.

But what say you?

ok christian_lady_2001
so why the change? why is faith in Jesus now a requirement?

Answer 1

The sacrifices and the Law of Moses were to be used to shine a light of God's truth to the Gentiles around them. Unfortunately, they didn't act as a kingdom of priests for God, they became proud of their heritage and didn't share with their neighbors what God wanted them to.

"And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel." (Exodus 19:6)

"Thus saith the Lord, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God." (Isaiah 45:14)

Since they didn't fulfill the role as a light to the nations, God declared " Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

By making a new covenant, where God would put the desire in the hearts of the people tender to Him, He would draw a people to Himself. This was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ, and His ministry, death, burial, and resurrection. All of the Old Testament practices were shadows of things to come.

Now, as to the other nations that practiced paganism, God is merciful. As Paul says, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another...) (Romans 2:14-15)

And, Jesus spent three days in Hades (the abode of the dead) and preached righteousness to both the righteous and the wicked. The righteous dead He took with Him to heaven. As it is written: "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." (Ephesians 4:8)

Ever since, faith in Jesus Christ is required, because man cannot save themselves, it requires a Savior. To reject the one thing that saves you is unfortunate. If you were thrown overboard on an ocean liner, you wouldn't reject the life preserver by saying "That's okay, I can swim..." That would be ludicrous. Yet, that is essentially what happens when people reject Christ.

I am unable to expound much more in this area without doing a comprehensive Bible study on the subject. I just hope that these few points will help.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, the spread of the Christian faith to the reaches of China would have been done by traveling merchants or missionaries of the time period. This is usually how any form of word was spread anyway - religion or otherwise.

Ancient China and the other countries were usually pretty entrenched in their own religious beliefs. The chances of a Chinese farmer abiding by the rules of a Jew were slim. However if they were exposed to it - and chose to accept it - then they would have adopted their customs. They would have learned about the sacrifice of animals for the forgiveness of sin.

I am not trying to put God in a box here. I might be 100% wrong with this answer. But I truely believe that the farmer would have abandoned his own religion to follow that of the Israelites.

As far as future generations being condemned to Hell, that is ultimately up to Jesus Christ to decide. God will not have judged them for the lack of exposure to Him. He will only would have judged for what you have been exposed to. This is how I belive salvation worked in the time before Christ. If you give it careful thought, it makes sense.

Again, God would not have judged based on the amount a person wasn't exposed to Him. But rather how much they were exposed.

I hope this makes some form of sense to you.

God Bless!

Answer 3

There are 2 that did no longer style of demise that grow to be Enoch and Elijah all the different Prophets have been in hell while Jesus busted the gates opened.Jesus preached for 3 days and 3 nights to all there, giving all guy variety a possibility for salvation. The Prophets died believing the messiah might come and a few got here out of the graves after the resurrection of Christ. Matthew 27: fifty two-fifty 3

Answer 4

Before Jesus' sacrifice, people were justified by their faith & obedience.

If someone is truely seeking their Creator, He will make Himself & His plans known to that person. Ther's no reason for the "simple farmer's descendants" not to come into the saving Grace.

No change noted. Faith is still faith. Before Jesus, faith was based on what others said about God (Moses, Abraham, etc.). When Jesus came, He said, "I and the Father are One." There would be no reason not to accept Him when He's standing right in front of you.

Now, however, we don't have the Man standing in front of us, we have to have Faith that what is recorded about Him is true.

Answer 5

Before Jesus, there was the Mosaic Law. People sacrificed animals to atone for their sins. Remember Adam and Eve, the first animal sacrificed was to cover their nakedness. Cain was supposed to offer up the first and best fruits, he didn't and his offering didn't please God. Jesus was the last and final sacrifice. Jews haven't been doing sacrificing since Jesus died. The veil was broken upon Jesus's death. The Temple torn apart. They are awaiting for the Temple to be rebuilt so they can resume sacrifices. As we speak Israel is looking for true Levites. Using DNA. Look it up, it's true. The book of Job and Ester have a different focus, same with Ruth. We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts, we travel so far.... Even they believed in the Christ. China used to be a Christian Country. Shanghai Shek was a Christian. He asked for the help of United States to stop communism, Roosevelt refused. I just read a biography about him. Go to Walden Books and look at the historical section, learning about history may surprise you..

Answer 6

Faith in Jesus was always the requirement. Before the cross from the time Adam and Eve were put out of the garden they were given the promise of a saviour. Every feast, everything God's people went through, every instruction of the Lord was a picture of the Savior- you can see Yeshua (Jesus) in every book of the OT and if you study the feasts and how they are celebrated you will see the salvation of the Lord written all over them. **Even the sacrifices- if they had understanding the sacrifices were a PICTURE of the perfect lamb to come- their faith was not to be in the sacrifices they offered but in the salvation of the Lord. All those things were meant to bring understanding and discernment regarding the savior to come
For those since the time of Adam and Eve their salvation was in their faith looking FORWARD TO the cross just as ours is in our faith looking BACK to the cross.
We are bound by time- God is not

Answer 7

The Bible teaches us that when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross and was put in a grave for three days. During these three days He went to where all souls are being held for judgment day and preached salvation to them and many believed and were saved. Also, God is totally fair so everyone will get a chance to here the gospel of Jesus Christ before judgment day. All souls who have not gotten a chance to hear will hear during the millium rule.

Answer 8

You make a good point. I suppose if you believe in god and aren't insane, you'd reason that god loves all and therefore would accept all into heaven. The saving thing has always been a little silly to me. No matter how you approach it, there is no correlation to one man's dying and another's salvation. There isn't even a decent attempt to explain that, just the typical "Because I said so" and "It's about faith." You can't even how the death of Jesus accomplished anything without making a lot of people really angry. They just keep yelling that "He died for your sins" nonsense. What does that mean???

If you believe in heaven, I'd say you're in if you live a good life, regardless of who you open your heart to and accept as your personal savior. I wish I had some kind of belief, but from where I sit, the whole thing is childish at best, really stupid at worst.

Answer 9

We are under the dispensation of grace. Jesus came and died for us so we wouldn't have to offer up burnt sacrifices to him any more. The sacrifices back then only covered the sin. It didn't take it away. Jesus became the final sacrifice so that all we have to do is trust in Him and His finished work on calvary. Besides, man has sinned so much that Jesus dieing for us was the only solution. He who knew no sin became sin in order to save those who would believe on Him.

Answer 10

Everyone no matter what background or belief system is given the chance to choose to believe in the One GOD at some point in their life. The way He did this for the farmer in China may not be a way that we could understand or even comprehend but that farmer was given his chance to believe just like the rest of us.

Answer 11

People were saved the same way that we are today. Before Jesus the people look forward to the Cross in faith and today we look back at the Cross in faith. Both believing in the Saviour.