if only people who die in Christ go to heaven,, what about those who died before he came?

Question

John the Baptist was praised by Jesus as the greates man who ever lived but Jesus said he wouldn't go to heaven (Matthew 11:11) . . .Truly I say to YOU people, Among those born of women there has not been raised up a greater than John the Baptist; but a person that is a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is. . .

Answer 1

you'll notice in Matthew you'll see that many of the dead came out of their graves and in Zechariah 9 it speaks of many being released from the pit. so some were given the chance to accept Christ

Answer 2

Before Jesus Christ, God judged believers "under the law". In other words, by The Ten Commandments.

John The Baptist was a cousin to Jesus through Mary and her relation to Elizabeth who was the mother of John The Baptist who was born 6 months before Jesus and began preaching all over about Jesus, The Son Of God when he was a teenager.

John The Baptist, even though he was still a young man, he had been jailed, beaten, and persecuted for teaching in the synagogues, the streets, and towns that The Son Of God was coming.

John The Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.

John The Baptist was NOT dead when Jesus began preaching. John The Baptist did go to Heaven.

Years later, John The Baptist was beheaded by Herod's executioner, after Herodias, Herod's brother's wife, that Herod had married, she and her mother asked Herod for John The Baptist's head on a platter. Since Herod had promised to give Herodias whatever she asked in front of many people, he felt he had no choice and had John The Baptist beheaded and his head given to Herodias and her mother.

What Jesus meant in Matthew 11 is that as good a believer, and preacher as John The Baptist was, it had been prophesied before John The Baptist (meaning Old Testament) about Jesus Christ's coming and that Jesus would do more than John The Baptist.

Answer 3

Matt. 11:11 does not say that John the Baptist will not enter heaven. It says that those who are least in the kingdom of heaven are greater than he is, but he will still be in the kingdom.

This is an encouragement to all those who have been faithfully following the Lord. We have more light than John the Baptist had, and more of the Spirit. We have more responsibility and more promises to take to the bank than John. Those who struggle in their faith that they may triumph over sin and self will receive a high standing in the kingdom.

If we wish, we can feel sour about others who do not know God and count ourselves out of the running. But the prize is too great and God is too faithful, for us to not come forward and join in the fight for the heavenly kingdom.

If you won the lottery of fifty million dollars, would you turn it down by saying, "Well, what about all those who never won the lottery?" Don' t be silly. Don't do this to yourself. You can turn to Jesus and have all your sins forgiven. You can make it to the kingdom when all your friends are turning their backs on God. Turn to Jesus! Ask Him to forgive you your sins! Why will you join those who mock God while others join Him and win?

Answer 4

that is not saying John the Baptist wasnt going to heaven,He was saying John was a great man,but even lesser men than him learns the kingdom(Gods ways of doing things)is greater because John saw and learned by Jesus Himself

Answer 5

Before Jesus gathered the 144,000 anointed ones, John the Baptist died. Well, it doesn't mean that when you go to heaven you are "higher"/"greater" than those who wouldn't. When Jesus said what he said in the scripture you just quoted, he didn't mean it literally. What he meant was humility.

My explanation is kinda 'not clear'. but oh, well....

Answer 6

Without doing a lot of research, I would say that you are misinterpreting what that verse means. I believe it refers to those things "of" heaven...not human beings that have been "on earth". I will check further when I get time. Your interpretation does not make sense in relation to verses from the Old testament that declare someone went to heaven to be with God.

Answer 7

Those who died before he came must die in the knowledge and belief that Jehova would provide the messiah. Not all go to heaven either the Bible clearly states that some stay on paridise on earth. I for one am looking forward to it!

Answer 8

Well, they go to a place called Sheol. When Christ died, he came down to Sheol, and took the righteous with him. And Sheol was not the fire and brimstone version of Hell, but think of it as a slumber state.

Answer 9

"before Abraham was I am" Christ has always been. Those who fell asleep before his coming and the destruction of the power of death slept in wait for their resurrection.

Answer 10

what about all those who died and were never called to salvation? This group represents the majority of all people who have ever lived. What is their eternal fate?
John said those not resurrected at the time of Jesus' return ("the rest of the dead") will live again at the end of the Millennium: "But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished" (Revelation 20:5).
A few verses later comes a further description of the scene of this resurrection: "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades [the grave] delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works" (Revelation 20:11-13).
Jesus spoke of a future time of judgment when all will understand His teachings. He described a time during which people from all generations will live and be judged at the same time: "Then He began to upbraid the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 'Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you'" (Matthew 11:20-24).
In similar examples, Jesus refers to the long-dead people of Nineveh, to the queen of the south of Solomon's time and even to ancient Sodom and Gomorrah, the epitome of wickedness (Matthew 10:14-15; 12:41-42). He doesn't tolerate perversion and sinfulness, but He has not finished working in their lives. The people from those generations lived and died without having the opportunity to learn of God and His plan to offer the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Jesus described a time during which people from all past ages will live at the same time. Together they will come to understand the truth about who Christ was and the purpose of life. Those from different generations will find it remarkable that the people of Jesus' time rejected Him.
Prophecy of resurrection
From the prophet Ezekiel we learn that those who are part of this resurrection are again restored to physical life. In chapter 37 Ezekiel sees a vision concerning this astonishing future event-a resurrection in a valley of ancient bones (verses 1-7).
He watched as the dry bones appeared to reassemble themselves into skeletons, then were covered with flesh and stood as a great multitude of resurrected people (verses 8-10). The context reveals that these people will be resurrected to physical, mortal life. Their bodies are of flesh, covered with skin. They must breathe to live. God will bring them out of their graves to place His Spirit in them (verses 12-14).
At the end of the Millennium (the first 1,000 years of Jesus' eternal reign), all who have not yet been accounted for in previous steps of God's plan will stand before Him. For the first time in their lives they will correctly understand God's Word, the teachings of the Bible. God will offer them the opportunity to receive eternal life ("And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life," Revelation 20:12; see also Philippians 4:3). They, like each previous generation, will be judged by their works.
The basis for judgment
What does it mean to be judged? Will people be immediately rewarded or condemned at the time of their resurrection based on what they had done in life before their resurrection?
Judgment is more than the final decision to reward or condemn. Judgment is a process that takes place over time and ultimately culminates in a final decision.
The principle of judgment is illustrated in other scriptures. When Jesus returns He will reward each according to His works (Matthew 16:27), the positive fruits that result from an accumulated attitude and character developed over time. People of previous generations who by this time have received the gift of eternal life will have been judged according to their works. Many scriptures describe the results God is looking for in our lives (Romans 12; Colossians 3-4, Ephesians 4-6; James 2:20-24; Revelation 22:14).
God is concerned with our hearts, our innermost thoughts and motivation. He looks upon the heart, seeing what we are really like (1 Samuel 16:7). God expects us to emulate Jesus Christ in all we think and do (Philippians 2:5; 1 Peter 2:21). Someone who is Christlike is genuine. His or her outward actions-conduct and works-reflect the heart, the inward person. We all will be judged for our habitual actions, for these show what we have become (2 Corinthians 5:10). The way that we live-how we treat others and respond to God's laws-will reflect what we believe, whether we are in harmony with God's ways or not.
Judgment based on decisions and actions
God will give sufficient time to those resurrected after the 1,000 years to prove by their actions and decisions that they do indeed believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and are willing to submit to
His way of life, surrendering their own will. Jesus said that the person who will receive the gift of eternal life-who will "enter the kingdom of heaven"-must be one who "does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).
Those who are part of this second resurrection will have their minds opened to the truth of God's plan. They will have the opportunity to decide whether they will do the Father's will or not. After
having had their spiritual eyes opened and this truth revealed to them, they will be judged according to their works, their response to their new understanding. They will be given the same responsibility that was extended to others at other stages of God's plan. They will have the opportunity to develop faith in Jesus Christ and demonstrate their belief and commitment by the way they live.
Being judged according to works does not imply that one earns
the gift of salvation. It simply means that a person demonstrates by his life that he believes in Jesus Christ and is willing to do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21). A person living that commitment will naturally demonstrate in his life the positive results of that choice and way of life (Galatians 5:22-23; James 2:14-26).
The plan of God-just as He promised-is a perfect and complete plan. Following His plan, He will ultimately offer salvation to all who have ever lived (Ephesians 1:9-10).
What is judgment?
As we saw before, Jesus addressed the fact of more than one resurrection when He said that "the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation [or judgment]" (John 5:28-29).
The more common meaning of the word krisis, translated "condemnation" in this verse, is judgment, as it is usually translated. This word refers to a process of evaluation rather than an act of punishment. Krisis means "the process of investigation, the act of distinguishing and separating, . . . a judging, a passing of judgment upon a person or thing" (W.E. Vine, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1985, p. 119). Krisis is to be distinguished from krima, which refers to "the sentence pronounced, a verdict, a condemnation, the decision resulting from an investigation" (ibid.).
As we saw earlier, those who are called in this life and respond by hearing and believing God will be given eternal life; it will not be necessary for them to go through this time of judgment (verse 24). They are being judged now (1 Peter 4:17), not later. This judgment is a process, with those who are called by God responding faithfully to His truth and bearing fruit over time (John 15:2-8; Galatians 5:22-23)-or turning from that calling (2 Peter 2:20-22).
Eventually all others will be judged, "for God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14). This judgment will also take place over time in the "resurrection of judgment" of which Christ spoke.
Timing of this judgment
When does this resurrection to judgment take place? Revelation 20:11-13 describes a time after "the thousand years were finished" (verses 5, 7). Satan is removed from influencing humankind (verse 10), then the dead are brought back to physical life and judged (verses 12-13). The Greek word translated here as "judged" is krino, meaning "to separate, select, choose" (Vine, p. 336).
"The dead, small and great," who stand before their Creator are those who died without ever having known the true God or His purpose for them. The books (biblia in Greek, from which we get Bible) are the Scriptures, the source of the knowledge that leads to eternal life. All people given physical life in this resurrection, raised from the grave (Hades) and the sea (verse 13), will have an opportunity at last to fully understand God's plan for them.
This resurrection is not a second chance for salvation; for them it is their first opportunity to really know God. Those in this resurrection are "judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books" (verse 12). This judgment will take place over time as they have the opportunity to hear, understand and grow in God's way of life, having their names inscribed in the book of life (verse 15).
There are two important principles here. First, as we've just seen, all will have a fair and equal opportunity for repentance and forgiveness so they can receive eternal life. Second, we see that some-by their choice-will not receive that wonderful gift of eternal life.
Describing their fate, John wrote: "Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14-15).
Who are the ones not found in the Book of Life? Remember that by this time God will have given the opportunity to everyone to receive and accept the gift of eternal life, represented in these verses as the Book of Life. Those whose names are not written in it will themselves have chosen by their own actions and decisions to be excluded. God will not force eternal life on anyone. If a person knowingly chooses not to repent and be included in God's plan of eternal life, that person will be judged by his actions and destroyed. This is an act of mercy; such a person would bring only perpetual unhappiness to himself or herself.
Are the unrepentant tormented forever?
We have already seen that man is mortal. Death is to be compared with a deep sleep, a state of unconsciousness. One reason God gave us a temporary, physical life was that, if we choose not to accept the terms, conditions and requirements of eternal life, our lives could be mercifully but permanently brought to an end.
Many people believe in a literal, ever-burning hellfire or a condition of spiritual torment in which evil people are tortured throughout eternity. But the Bible's simple teaching conveys nothing of the kind. Our God is a loving, merciful Father who does not want to consign anyone to that fate.
In a familiar verse Paul tells us, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Eternal life is a gift that God grants to those who will be in His family forever. Death from which there is no hope of a resurrection is reserved for those who reject God's offer of eternal life in the Kingdom of God. They do not exist forever in torment. Those who choose not to receive that gift will cease to exist.
The unrepentant will be punished
We learned earlier that since human life is physical everyone will die (Ecclesiastes 3:2; Hebrews 9:27). Death is part of the natural course of life. Those who have fulfilled the purpose of physical life will be resurrected to receive the gift of eternal life. Those who were never called will be brought up by a resurrection to a physical existence and judged, given their opportunity for eternal life. Those who reject the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and eternal life that comes through His sacrifice will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).
Jesus said some will fall into this category. He warned the Pharisees in Matthew 23:33: "Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?" Later Jesus said the righteous would be given eternal life, but the wicked would go into everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:41-46). Notice that Jesus does not say that the condemned will be tortured for eternity. He said the punishment is to be everlasting; that is, everlasting death, complete unconsciousness from which there is no resurrection (Revelation 20:14).
Some might conclude that such a fate is cruel. But God, after all, is the Creator of life. He has the authority and power to eliminate the life of all who choose to reject the purpose for which He created them.
Throughout the ages some have been given the opportunity for eternal life through Jesus Christ. The vast majority have not been called in their lifetimes to understand God's plan. As Jesus explained in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-23), others may have been called, but for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the powerful deception and influence of Satan and his demons-they have failed to fully respond to God's calling. All will be sorted out by a merciful God in the time of judgment.
The Scriptures overwhelmingly show that God's great purpose and desire are to give eternal life to His children and to keep them from failing (Jude 21-24; Romans 8:31-32; 2 Timothy 4:18; Luke 12:32). All will be given the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ, accept eternal life through Him and prove their commitment to God by their works, the actions in their lives. Only those who knowingly, purposefully and willingly defy God and reject the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will be refused eternal life (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:28-31; Revelation 21:8).
Even the final death of the incorrigibly wicked in a lake of fire (Malachi 4:1-3) is an act of justice and mercy on God's part. To allow the corrupt to continue to live on in unrepentant, eternal rebellion would cause themselves and others only great sorrow and anguish. Therefore God will not grant them eternal life, neither will He torture them for all eternity. Both soul (life, mind, consciousness) and body will be completely destroyed (Matthew 10:28).
Summary
After Jesus Christ returns, He will expand the process of offering salvation to all mankind. Everyone who lives during the 1,000 years immediately after He returns will receive the opportunity to accept the gift of eternal life available through Christ.
At the end of the Millennium will come a physical resurrection of all who did not receive the calling to salvation during their lifetimes. Then they, too, will have the opportunity to receive that gift of eternal life and be judged by their righteous works. However, God will mercifully destroy those who choose to defy Him, knowingly refusing to accept Jesus Christ's sacrifice and follow God's way of life.