If the only way to get saved is from Jesus, then where did people go when they died before Jesus?

Question

to go to heaven you have to repent your sins, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and let His blood wash your sins. So what about the people in the old testament BEFORE Jesus existed? Did they go to hell when they died since believing in Jesus is the only way to get to heaven?

Answer 1

If all the Old Testament people were doomed to either Hell or oblivion for the sole reason of being born too early, why did they understand being born again so clearly?

How did Elijah know about the "still small voice"?

How did Isaiah know about "the voice behind me"?

How did Job know that he had a redeemer in heaven?

How was David so inspired by salvation even in "the valley of the shadow of death"?

How did Ezekiel know that God would "raise his people from their graves"?

Answer 2

Jesus came to replace the "old law". The time before Jesus was under the old law (the Old Testament). Those who were righteous would go to Heaven. God judged people by their hearts, but people had to live a righteous life to get to Heaven. God provided a "new covenant" whereby we do not have to do "good works" in order to go to Heaven, although there is certainly nothing wrong with trying to live a holy life. Jesus made the way for us all to enter Heaven, even if we couldn't keep all the commandments and live a perfectly righteous life, which God knew was very difficult for mankind. Those before Christ, as I said, were judged by their hearts and righteousness. Only God can say if they are in Heaven or not.

Answer 3

Hi TiredofIdiots. There is only one salvation program and that program is a Gospel of Grace, the mercy of God. We read that Job, who lived almost 2,000 years before Christ, said in Job 19:25:

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth."

This is the same kind of language any believer would use today. We read of Noah, who lived 5,000 years before Christ, in Genesis 6:8:

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD."

We read of Abraham, who lived 2,100 years before Christ, that he saw his day and was glad. The Old Testament true believers were saved exactly as we in the New Testament are saved. Christ is the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, and therefore, the salvation power of the cross was available to the believers in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The difference is that the Old Testament believer looked forward to the blood of Christ, and the New Testament believer looks back to the cross. The method of salvation is the same. Before the time of the cross, very few people became saved. After the cross, there was an explosion of believers that began on Pentecost.

Answer 4

The "quality" of a rule should be evaluated by how many loopholes they have to make to the rule.

If the only way to be saved is by Jesus, look at the vast number of loopholes they have to provide.

IF you were born BEFORE Jesus, they have a loophole.
IF you never LEARNED about Jesus, they have a loophole.
IF you are too STUPID to learn about Jesus, they have a loophole.
IF you were born and died before baptism, they have a loophole.
IF you were mentally DEFECTIVE, they have a loophole.

ETC.

When you have a "rule" then have to generate a ton of loopholes to cover all the possible contingencies, you need to re-evaluate the rule.

Remember the line "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive?" The xians have a web that requires a lot of weaving to keep it going.

VS. the Jewish view that non-Jews only need to follow the Seven Noahite Laws to be saved. No loopholes.. IF you follow the seven laws, even if you do not know them, you are good to go. A pagan who never heard of G-d and the Jewish faith, if he follows the seven laws, is saved. No need to generate loopholes and exceptions to the rule.

Answer 5

The Jews already had an everlasting covenant with their god, Yahweh. Yahweh was their savior and they were not in need of a new one. In fact they were warned against such a thing by Yahweh. It is one of the reasons that the Jews rejected Jesus as a false prophet. The very first religion to introduce the concepts of monotheism, good and evil, a resurrection, an afterlife, and the idea of salvation was Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrians were saved by their God, Ahura Mazda.

Answer 6

This is a good question...Here are some verses to ponder...

18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. (1 Peter 3)

[Jesus said], "56Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." (John 8)

This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Tim 1)

Answer 7

They once told me they went to a place called Abraham's Bossom. (I don't know if I spelled that right, probably not.) I personally believe that hell is reserved for truly evil people (rapists, murderers, child molesters, and the like) and that if you lived a good life and didn't screw anybody over you didn't have anything to worry about. Seriously, does it make sense that the guy down the street who drinks too much and doesn't go to church would suffer the same punishment as, say, Hitler? I think not.

Answer 8

before Jesus- those who believed- it was credited to them as righteousness- if they worshiped the one true living God they are in Heaven- like Abraham, Moses, etc. The Israelites were told many, many times to repent of their sins and return to the Lord- the old testament pointed toward Christ - like the passages in Isaiah- prophesy- many prophesies were fulfilled by Christ- so those who believed are in heaven.

Answer 9

I dont think if Jesus is part of God, He wouldnt allow only certain people to go to heaven. Since alot of third world countries arent exposed to christianity would it be fair to say only people in certain countries get to go to heaven. I think not. When it comes to your question, I think people still went to heaven, Its just that Jesus came to earth and experienced what it was like to be in human form, it helped God understand the human experience and through it Jesus helped to bring humans and God closer together. The trinity, God, Jesus, and the holy spirit.

Answer 10

We read in the New Testament that as Christ's body lay in the tomb his spirit went to the spirit world where he opened the preaching of the gospel to the dead.
Read 1 Peter 4:6
For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but living according to God in the Spirit.