ANSWERS: 24
  • Since no one else has attempted to answer this question, i am about to give my very uneducated guess, in this area: In heaven, at the entrance to the golden gate, the lord will make a one on one decision, concerning these people. the book of life will be opened. knowing the difference between right and wrong, while on earth, before the birth of Christ, will be the determining factor. Since we do not know if prayer existed before Christ's birth, i guess we will have to wait for heaven, for the answer. time for you and i is very short on earth. make every minute count! like i said, this is an uneducated guess.
  • Before Christ cut the New Covenant with us, there was the Old Covenant - the Law of Moses and Judaism. Before Christ, this was the way to God. Before the Old Covenant, it seemed that people just came to God personally and worshipped and served him. At the end of the day, no matter which of the three methods a person was alive to be affected by, it was still a choice: God or no God. So any who accepted God, as per the applicable covenant, would have been saved, and any who rejected him would have been condemned.
  • Christ is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world". Rev 13:8 Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness". Gen 15:6, Rom 4:3, Gal 3:6 The Scriptures establish the pattern of salvation by grace through faith. The sacrifice of Christ was known--had the quality of an accomplished fact--to God before the world was created. All men of all time have been saved by the same means, the substitutionary atonement of Christ, accessed by faith--even for those who had an incomplete revelation of what it was they had faith in. They believed God; the quality of faith in their hearts was no different. What changed was the ongoing revelation of God to His creatures. The Old Testament and the law and all that went before were necessary to provide a context for Christ's work--for us, not for God. So, the life of faith has looked different at different times and stages of God's revelation of Himself to us, but salvation by faith has never changed. Flynn444, I'm saying that everyone in every age had access to Christ's atonement. That they didn't know it in those terms made no difference. That it hadn't happened yet in the earth's timeline made no difference. In the mind of God it was a "done deal" and He could save people by it right back to Adam and Eve. The only reason I know of to delay the actual act of sacrificing Christ was to establish a context for our benefit. So when Abraham believed God and it was counted as righteousness, he was believing in Christ, even without knowing the name or all that went with it.
  • My best answer is that God knows the hearts of ALL men and women and will judge them based on the smallness or greatness of their revelation of God and his plan for Mankind, and their individual reaction to it. Those since Christ died have the choice to embrace or reject Him, thereby embracing or rejecting God and His plan and requirements for receiving the free gift of eternal life as pronounced in the Holy Bible. Those before Christ died have the choice to embrace or reject Christ-like traits for their own lives, or in the world of Judaism to follow God's law and believe and trust in His Word. These therefore will be judged by their hearts and their reaction to the individual revelation of God that they intuit, or that God chooses to reveal to them. Remember, when Christ died, he descended into Hell and preached the gospel to the dead there. Was this in vain? No, I believe that it is part of His plan to offer salvation from the FINAL judgement through belief in His redeeming work to ALL mankind, including those that had never heard of Him who are now deceased. This doesn't mean all those in Hell would necessarily accept Him, due to their wickedness or hatred of God. But remember, Hell and the Lake of Fire are two very different things. And for all we know, those that have died never knowing of Christ's work on the cross today STILL receive a visit from the Saviour calling them to accept Him. Regardless, in this day and age, if you HAVE heard of Christ, YOU will have NO excuse after you die. You will not be able to say, "I had NO idea!", because that will be a flat out lie. Quit worrying about those that died before Christ came. God will deal with them fairly, just as He will deal with us. But never forget, we are a lost race, already bound for a place called Hell (and without Christ, a further everlasting punishment described as "fire") unless we accept the revelation that Christ truly was the Son of God who lived a sinless life, who died as a sacrifice that God (since man was created) required for the remission of sins, and went to Hell to TAKE YOUR PLACE and SAVE YOU from an eternal punishment on the final day of mankind's judgement. The best part -- All you have to do to be saved from a horrible eternal punishment is to believe and accept what Jesus did for you, and give your life fully in pursuit of worshipping God and embracing His will for your life -- which you will find in great abundance in the words of Jesus Himself found in a Holy Bible. You won't believe what a new heart and a new sense of purpose will do for your spirit and your entire life. Hard-hearted people can't accept this message, and it saddens me. My best advice -- don't worry about anyone else's soul but your own and serve the Lord with all your heart every day!
  • I believe those that died in the Old Testament with their faith in what Jesus was going to do for them went to a place of rest and comfort. In the story of Lazerus and the rich man, the rich man died in his sins, but Lazerus, obviously having his faith in God, went to "Abraham's bosom", not heaven, at least, not yet. No one could go to heaven yet because Christ did not die for mankind yet, which would be what atones for our sin. After Christ died, before rising from the dead, it talks about Him going to the lower parts of the earth. (Ephesians 4:9) I believe that Abraham's bosom was on the other side of the "gulf" (see Luke Ch.16:26) from the tormenting hell that the rich man was in. After Christ did what needed to be done, I believe that He went down there and got His people out and took them to heaven. Now, when we die we go immediatly to heaven or to hell. I hope that this may be helpful or of use in some way. Thank you and God bless you!
  • I have no idea but I love your question it really gets people thinking. Who knows Christianity isn't "right" and another religion that dates back before it is "right" Whose to say really?
  • Here is a simple, simplistic answer from a Christian point of view: My grandmother always said that folks who died before the cross were looking forward to it and those after it are looking back on it.
  • Everyone who "believes in Christ" goes to heaven only if they have accepted Him as the only salvation from sin. Those people who died before His birth who believed in God and in the promise of a coming Messiah went to heaven, too. The Bible states that several men ..... Enoch, Elijah, and Moses, to name just three, went to heaven.
  • this is one of those questions which should alert those with rational thinking that this can't be right. In ages gone by people had to believe what they were taught as they dared not question anything in public even if it seemed unreasonable. They had no access to the Bible to check things out or to back their questions with. These days the Bible is readily available for you to check it out, and if you do, you'll see Jesus DID NOT teach that only those who believe in him go to heaven. HQ 18:30 says "Certainly those who (in any age) believe (in the only true God) and work righteousness, verily We shall not suffer to perish the reward of any (such) who does a (single) righteous deed"
  • Didn't you read the other question everyone is in hell for slapping the monkey or using mother thumb and her 4 daughters.
  • First, let me make it clear that God is not limited by time, space or other temporal factors. Second, we, as humans, can't understand everything about God. The truth is that even though we have a good idea of how to obtain our salvation, we do not know how God saves people. We believe that God has a way to save those he wants to even if we can't understand how he does it. This will remain a mystery until we get to heaven.
  • They died believing in the promise that God would send Jesus to die for their sins.
  • They are all being tortured day and night for all of their "sins" that they were not aware of. Thanks to the Christian God's hatred for humanity.
  • They will be in the same place as all those who do not even know of religion. Religion is fundamentally flawed! Does god exist? No idea! I dont think so, but he could do. One thing I do KNOW for sure is that no religion is 100% true, and from what I know of them, none are even remotely true (should there actually be a true religion).
  • Probably the same thing for those people that never heard of Christ.
  • there going to fry in Hell, they should not have been born then; animals!
  • They will be judged on the last day according to their hearts.
  • Well the ones who had actions of faith and love are gonna be the ones who go to heaven before christ. It was about following the commandments, which kept people from doing the wrong things they will later regret, or the things that will snowball into even worse things down the road. But the thing is....not everyone who believes in christ will go to heaven. Its if they believed in christ and FOLLOWED his example. Say they claimed they believed in christ, but their actions show otherwise...and they do not intend to change them, and use those beliefs as hate twords other people...is that what Christ taught? No...so do they follow him? No. So do they actually believe ON him?...no. And I do believe there are other people who do not believe in christ but follow the example of love, are very good people...believe there is a God, and Unity...and oneness of all...and act like christ, even though they know him not...that will enter into heaven, its like what Romans discribes as those who are circumsized (followers) act like those who are uncircumsized (not followers) and there will be uncircumsized who act like they are circumsized.... Its all in actions, and intentions...and honesty of the heart, and use of the holy spirit within us.
  • *** g89 1/22 p. 3 Who Will Inherit the Earth? *** JESUS answered this question in his Sermon on the Mount: ‘The meek will inherit the earth.’ Centuries earlier the psalmist David had said: ‘The meek will possess the earth.’ Of Jehovah God himself it is said: “The earth he has given to the sons of men.”—Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37:11; 115:16. For the book “What does the bible really teach?” go to www.watchtower.org. Or write to Jehovah’s Witnesses, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483.You can do this with no oblations whatsoever.
  • This question has been asked many, many times. For the most correct explanation you should ask your priest or minister.
  • "He gave His only begotten Son that none should perish." I believe "none" expresses unqualified inclusivity. Faith is a gift. Not everyone is gifted with faith. I pray for those who weren't. It has to be terribly hard and challenging to live without it; to believe it is all up to "you". Yet many choose against pursuing faith. They will absolutely not kneel before anything, especially the cross. Without humility, you are not teachable, consequently, one will not learn the lessons leading to faith. I have seen another gift, despair, work wonders, though, in bringing people to God. It brought me.
  • It would determined by their faith
  • It was decided by their belief in God. If they believed in God then they were waiting for Christ to come.
  • 1) please do not rely on the category to reduce the scope of your question, it could be recategorized. In a global context, it is clear that atheists, Jews or Buddhists would have very different views on this than Christians. However, I shall address the question from the point of view of Christian beliefs. 2) "The Limbo of the Fathers (limbus patrum) was the abode of people who, before Jesus' Resurrection, had died in the friendship of God, but had to wait for Christ to open heaven's gates. This concept of Limbo affirms that one can get into heaven only through Jesus Christ but does not portray Moses, etc., as being punished eternally in Hell. Like other religious terms such as "Trinity", the term "Limbo" does not appear in the Bible. And like other religious concepts, that of the Limbo of the Patriarchs is not spelt out in Scripture, but is seen by some as implicit in various references. Luke 16:22 speaks of the "bosom of Abraham", which both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, following early Christian writers, understand as a temporary state of souls awaiting entrance into Heaven. The end of that state is set either at the resurrection of the dead, the most common interpretation in the East, or at the Harrowing of Hell, the most common interpretation in the West, but adopted also by some in the East. Jesus told the Good Thief that the two of them would be together "this day" in "Paradise" (Luke 23:43; see also Matthew 27:38); but between his Resurrection and Ascension, Jesus told his followers that he had "not yet ascended to the Father" (John 20:17). A possible resolution of this apparent contradiction lies in the view that Jesus' statement to the thief can be understood in two ways, depending on where you place a comma (which was not present in the original manuscripts): either "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise" or "Truly I say to you today, you shall be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43, NASB). The latter interpretation would be consistent with Jesus' subsequent statement to his followers. By this reading, the good thief waited in Limbo until the Resurrection made it possible for him to enter heaven. Jesus is also described as preaching to "the spirits in prison" (1 Pet 3:19). Medieval drama sometimes portrayed Christ leading a dramatic assault—The Harrowing of Hell—during the three days between the Crucifixion and the resurrection. In this assault, Jesus freed the souls of the just and escorted them triumphantly into heaven. This imagery is still used in the Eastern Orthodox Church's Holy Saturday liturgy (between Good Friday and Pascha) and in Eastern Orthodox icons of the Resurrection of Jesus. The doctrine expressed by the term "Limbo of the Fathers" was taught, for instance, by Clement of Alexandria, who maintained: "It is not right that these should be condemned without trial, and that those alone who lived after the coming (of Christ) should have the advantage of the divine righteousness."" "The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church is that "Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament" and that, since "God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments," "Baptism of blood" (as in the case of the martyrs, who are understood to include the Holy Innocents) and, for catechumens at least, the explicit desire for Baptism, "together with repentance for their sins, and charity," ("Baptism of Desire") ensure salvation for those unable to receive Baptism by water." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbo

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