Do they all just go to hell?
2007-07-29 05:23:13 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
yeah, that is stupid. yet another flaw in religion. i guess Christians didn't exist before Christ himself, but God sure did. did the rules for getting into heaven change?
2007-07-29 05:27:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
If you believe in the Bible then the answer is in Revelations of St John, the very last book in the Bible. It tells us that the only people who will be allowed into Heaven from the beginning of time until the end are 144,000, these being 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Everyone else who ever lived will either go to Hell or be allowed to stand outside Heaven where the Bible describes a 'great host' of people praising God. Remember that lots of things have been 'invented' or misinterpreted by various religions over the years including lots of 'rules' and 'regulations'. For example the catholic faith advocates confession and bans birth control neither of which appear in the Bible as rules. In fact it says several times about confession as 'thou shalt confess thy sins to no man but me' since all men are sinners and are thus unable to absolve others which means that all confessions to a catholic priests are pointless. Under Jewish tradition at the time of Jesus births were regulated with husbands and wives being allowed sex only in the month of December and who lived apart for the rest of the year in communes. Thus all Jews were born in September. If Jesus was born outside this month his family would be in disgrace. The Bible also tells us 'not to worship dumb idols' so all the catholic worshipping of statues, beads, icons etc is completely against Bible teaching. There are many other examples and I'm not just knocking catholics, there are many other misguided faiths as well.
Oh, and don't forget. Jesus wasn't a Christian. They were invented later. He was a Jew who practiced the Jewish faith.
2007-07-29 05:55:14 · answer #2 · answered by quatt47 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There will be people in Heaven who have never heard the name of Jesus. God ALONE knows the hearts of men. Any person who lives according to the light that they have been given will be in heaven. Those that know of Jesus and reject Him won't be there. And Before JESUS came the first time He had given the promises of His coming in the Old testament. Those who believed in the promises were saved. and as far as Hell is concerned look up the study guide that is named, "Is the Devil in charge of hell?" see first link below
2007-07-29 05:32:42 · answer #3 · answered by I-o-d-tiger 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Bosom of Abraham? That's a PARABLE. There is no such thing. You die, and you're dead until the resurrection when Jesus returns the final time. No where does the Bible say that dead people go straight to heaven or Abraham's bosom or purgatory or anything of the sort.
All of the people that lived before Jesus was born looked forward to the coming Messiah. This took the same faith that is currently takes for Christians to believe that He will return for His church.
They had a system of sacrifice that represented the ultimate sacrifice that Old Testament prophecy spoke of. Jesus was a sacrificial lamb that went to slaughter to cover our sins.
2007-07-29 05:31:23 · answer #4 · answered by Birdie 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
That was the reason Jesus went into the earth after His Crucifixion to tell the Good News. The people in the Old Testament were believers in the promises of God and the many prophesies of a coming Messiah. In a sense they already had believed on Him. They were looking forward to His coming. God bless!!
2007-07-29 05:40:24 · answer #5 · answered by BERT 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most people take the statement about the bosom of Abraham to mean that they will be given a chance to make their choice on judgment day. Other people think that there is a part of revelation that talks about Jesus going down to hell to visit the people who lived before him to give them a chance to accept him. I have never read it that way personally. God is a merciful God, so I assume that he will give them a chance to choose on judgment day.
2007-07-29 05:29:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Redemption through Jesus Christ, faith in his blood (by which the shadows are the blood sacrifices during the OT times) is the propitiation (mercy seat) for the REMISSION OF SINS THAT ARE PAST. (Rom. 3:25). Christ's death was the provision of God for the salvation of mankind even those who lived before Him.
2007-07-29 06:50:21 · answer #7 · answered by Jay R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question. Remember how in the Garden of Eden God made skins to cover Adam and Eve after they were naked? Along with that sacrifice, He explained to them that Jesus would come. (Genesis 3:15, I think) Eve thought Cain was the one ("I have gotten a man from the Lord"), but people had to wait for the Messiah to come. Just like we're waiting now for Him to come again...
2007-07-29 05:28:24 · answer #8 · answered by shirleykins 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It is my belief that all people, no matter what religion they supported while alive (or in which time period they lived), go to Heaven when they die--God asks them if they wish to remain there with him, eternally, and it is at that point when they can choose to accept God or turn against him.
And yes, I'm a Christian.
2007-07-29 05:29:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
The problem with this question is it has no substance!
For god so love the world that he sent his only begotten son, so that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
You could think of it this way, when the people who lived before him passed over, and came to the end of their travel, found themselves with him.
God in his wisdom decided that he needed to let the people know of his existence, so that they need not fear what we call death.
There is no death, unless you serve and worship the devil.
2007-07-29 05:36:34 · answer #10 · answered by sidestepper11 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Word of God was available even then in through the prophets. Those who believed that God would send His Messiah were granted righteousness because of their faith, just as we who live now are granted righteousness because of our faith. Hence it is said of Abraham, "Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness." Basically, OT saints are saved on a credit card, and NT saints are saved on a gift certificate.
2007-07-29 05:36:00 · answer #11 · answered by Steve 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋