What happened before Jesus?

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If Jesus died on the cross to atone for our sins, and to give people the chance to be "saved", then wouldn't all the people before that time have just gone to hell? Why would God just let all those people go to hell for no reason? It doesn't make sense that they would go to purgatory, to be judged during the rapture, because how could they be judged if they had no way to know Jesus, let alone accept him as their savior.

Just some thoughts from an agnostic wonderer.

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I think the important focal point of your post is the word "If", kc.

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Why, you heathens!

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Hey, I'm asking a legitimate question. I really want to know how Christians explain this. I'm not making fun, really.

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kickycan wrote:

Hey, I'm asking a legitimate question. I really want to know how Christians explain this. I'm not making fun, really.

I can't speak for the Christians, but based on my limited (and heathen) understanding of the story, I would guess that people before Jesus had to atone for their own sins, rather than just believing in Jesus's sacrifice to get themselves out of it.

I don't know how they did the atoning, but I think the big deal about Jesus was that he took the blame for humanity, and that by simply acknowledging his sacrifice, humanity is forgiven for its "original sin". I think you also get the added bonus of being forgiven for almost any sin, as long as you own up to it in Jesus's name... amen. Smile

Don't get me wrong, I don't *believe* any of this, but I think that's the way it works in the minds of believers. But then again, I'm just speculating.

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I'm just teasing, Kicky! Smile

It's really a very good question!
Oh ye of little faith!
(that's what they'll say, you know. You have to have faith. God will answer that question someday, if you do)!

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Before Jesus, people were forced to exclaim HOLY MOSES! Which, when you think about it, didn't have quite the pizzazz as JESUS MOTHER MARY OF GOD!

See, that's why we needed jesus so bad. You should have taken Jesus 101 in high school.

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Before Jesus there were no wars of religion!

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Before Jesus, there were no Jesus action figures!

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I suppose if you look at it historicallly, before Jesus, the world had it's Jews and other sects/religions, each with their own rules, laws and beliefs. Now, a lot of these people were converted after Jesus, and therefore all their past 'sins' were forgiven. The rest presumably went to hell. That is the the neat little 'back-door' policy with Christianity, you can convert or confess any time, and all is forgiven.

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Before Jesus, God's Chosen People (the Israelites) atoned for various sins by sacrificing animals according to the Law given to Moses. The law was very specific as to the kind, number, gender, and condition of animals required to be ritually killed and burned for each type of offense. The priests and their families were then permitted to eat the sacrificed food. God also required offerings of grains, first fruits, money and anything else his priests wanted.

The Israelites did not expect to go to heaven or hell. The concept of an afterlife and a God who would reward or punish people after death (since he obviously does not administer justice during this life) was not part of the original mythology.

Some people believe that God gives people who did not get the Word in this life a chance to accept Jesus before being judged. Mormons do extensive genealogical research to identify their ancestors so they can be saved posthumously.

Some people think that each person is judged by how well they obeyed the laws of his or her own religion, or whether they led good lives.

Quote:

Romans 2
12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)

Most Christians accept the fact that they are given no answers to questions of this sort but trust God to do the right thing. Given his track record, this requires a lot of faith. Confused

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I'm not sure about the monetary offerings, especially the part about it going to the priests. Do you have any sources?

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LOL Individual (about the action figures) Mr. Green

I think that people who lived and died before Jesus kind of went to heaven by default. I mean, it's not those people'f fault they didn't have a savior to fall back on.

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doglover wrote:

LOL Individual (about the action figures)

I think that people who lived and died before Jesus kind of went to heaven by default. I mean, it's not those people'f fault they didn't have a savior to fall back on.

Or some other crutch, like booze, drugs, or suicidal tendencies. The bible is merely a guide to good living, not absolute truth.

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Terry wrote:

Quote:
Romans 2
12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)

That is a very interesting passage. I guess that would apply. But I don't get that part about "their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them". Is that taken out of context or something? I don't get what that is supposed to mean.

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My take is that it is an awkward translation. I would interperet it as the thoughts that lead the heathens to hate or not accept Jesus as their saviour are still defending them, as the 'gift' of conversion is always there for them.

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Individual wrote:

I'm not sure about the monetary offerings, especially the part about it going to the priests. Do you have any sources?

Leviticus 27
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate persons to the LORD by giving equivalent values, 3 set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel; 4 and if it is a female, set her value at thirty shekels. 8 If anyone making the vow is too poor to pay the specified amount, he is to present the person to the priest, who will set the value for him according to what the man making the vow can afford.

Numbers 3
50 From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels, [4] according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD.

Numbers 18 Offerings for Priests and Levites
14 "Everything in Israel that is devoted to the LORD is yours. 15 The first offspring of every womb, both man and animal, that is offered to the LORD is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. 16 When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.
21 "I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting.

2 Kings 12
4 Joash said to the priests, "Collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD -the money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple. 5 Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, and let it be used to repair whatever damage is found in the temple."
6 But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple.
16 The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the temple of the LORD; it belonged to the priests.

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kickycan wrote:

Quote:
Romans 2
14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)

That is a very interesting passage. I guess that would apply. But I don't get that part about "their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them". Is that taken out of context or something? I don't get what that is supposed to mean.

No, it's not out of context. It may be clearer to you in the New Living Translation:

Quote:

Even when Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right.

Non-Jews (who do not have the Laws of Moses to guide them) can tell right or wrong by the reactions of their own consciences, and God will judge them accordingly.

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What happened before Jesus?

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