Are Those People In The Bible Before The Coming Of Jesus Also Going To Heaven?
When we tell people today that Jesus is the only way to heaven and that you have to truly believe in him to go there and not end up in hell, they reject our message. They immediately start to make excuses to show that they don’t need Jesus. Some of them say they are fine without him because they have their own religion and will make heaven through that way, even when Jesus said he’s the way, the truth and the life.
The most ridiculous excuse they give is that if one cannot make heaven without accepting that Jesus Christ as the son of God died, was buried and resurrected after 3 days, then it means all those prophets and Bible characters are in hell right now. They say it’s because Jesus was never around when they existed. This excuse makes them think they don’t need Jesus and that it is cool to follow any religion so long you acknowledge God. According to them, the people of the Old Testament part of the Bible didn’t follow Jesus. This is a wrong understanding of the Bible.
Every righteous man in the Old Testament believed in Jesus Christ who wasn’t a character that just surfaced in the New Testament. Jesus has always been right from Genesis when God said “Let us make man in our own image”. That was Jesus he was talking to. Jesus was believed by Abel who offered the blood of the lamb as sacrifice which pictured Jesus Christ the Holy Lamb of God slained from the foundation of the world. Revelation 5:9; Revelation 5:12; Revelation 13:8; Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29
Abel simply followed the instructions of God which is to put Faith in the blood of the lamb, but his brother Cain disobeyed and relied on his own effort. He felt he could earn it by doing what he felt was right instead of obeying God’s instruction. He went after his own works and God rejected him for that.
Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
What about Abraham? That man is known as the Father of faith for he had faith in God and it was counted to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15:6
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
What did Abraham believe God concerning? He believed God when he told him that his seed would be a blessing to the entire world. That seed is Jesus Christ.
Genesis 22:18
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Jesus Christ has been a blessing to the entire world with everybody getting saved through him. If you know that the Old Testament is a a shadow of the New Testament, then you will know that Abraham pictured the relationship between God and Jesus. He did when he wanted to sacrifice his son Isaac, that pictured God sacrificing Jesus for our sins.
Moses was a strong believer in Jesus Christ and also the people of Israel in his days and after, because they all awaited the Messiah which he spoke of and that is Jesus. Sadly enough, the Israelites couldn’t recognize the Messiah when he walked in their midst. Even Jesus confirmed Moses believed in him.
John 5:46
For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
Jesus wasn’t a new testament thing. He was always in the Old Testament, but you were not seeing him. Same way the children of Israel did not notice him when he finally revealed himself to them. If I decided to show you how many times he appeared in the Old Testament, time won’t be enough. Have you forgotten how Moses lifted up that serpent as a symbol of Jesus Christ death to free man from sin?
John 13:14
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Have you forgotten how Isaiah prophesied about his birth and death? How David prophesied his resurrection and how he will be seated on God’s right hand? How Daniel prophesied his battle against the Antichrist? Yet, some people think the prophets of the Bible can’t make heaven since Christians say it is believe in Jesus Christ that gets one there. They think Jesus didn’t exist in their days, but below is the Bible saying the prophets were witness of him.
Acts 10:43
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
The prophets of old preached about Jesus and people believed, and that believe got them saved. That’s why the Bible said…
John 3:16 (KJV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
How did people get saved before Christ came and died on the cross? They got saved by simply looking forward to the cross. They did animal sacrifices which symbolized the sacrifice Jesus gave of himself. We today get saved by simply looking back on the cross. Because come to think of it, Jesus wasn’t crucified today or 5 years ago. He was crucified thousands of years before we were born. We look back to that event same way those that existed thousands of years before he was born and crucified looked forward to the event. We both believed everything written about him and that got us all saved.
Those that existed before the events of the birth, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ are called blessed because they believed in the prophecies written about the events by Prophets. We who exist after the events are also called blessed because we believed the record written by the Apostles about the events. We both didn’t witness the events but believed and that’s why Jesus himself called us blessed.
John 20:29
blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Were there people who didn’t believe Jesus in the Bible? Yes, those Pharisees, Sadducees and the Jews whom they stirred up to kill Jesus. They never believed him that’s why they were always arguing with him. Despite him reminding them that Moses wrote of him, they still didn’t believe, which shows that they also didn’t believe in Moses and the record he wrote.
Are there people who don’t believe in Jesus today? Yes they are many. Some even claim they do just to save face, but really they do not. They don’t believe he is the Son of God who was crucified, died and resurrected, even when he said so himself.
Mathew 16:21
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
This means they have rejected Jesus Christ and are therefore condemned already. I didn’t say so but the Bible which is the word of God.
John 3:18 (KJV)
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
As seen so far, salvation is by Faith in Jesus Christ. Abraham, Abel and all the prophets had faith in Jesus and were called righteous men. We who believe in Jesus today are called righteous too. Anyone who lacks such faith is doomed. May God save you.
Say this prayer and be rest assured that nothing can ever stop you from making heaven. Nothing at all.
Father God, I put my faith in you. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die for my sins and to give me his righteousness. I believe he resurrected on the third day and has prepared a place for all those that believe in him. Accept me as your son today and forgive me of all my sins do I can be a partaker of those good things. I believe in you.
