How did people of the old testament gain salvation?

[1213]

I have heard people argue that people in the old testament had faith in that they would be saved through Jesus Christ but there is no mention of Jesus Christ in the old testament

In the Bible the key think is that person must be righteous. And if person is righteous, he will live.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Righteous person lives, if he is faithful (loyal) to God.

Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him, but the righteous will live by his faith.
Habakkuk 2:4

God could forgive their mistakes even without Jesus. But, I think those who died before Jesus were saved by this way:

Most assuredly, I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God's voice; and those who hear will live.
John 5:25

The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
Matt. 27:52

 

[pearl]

I should perhaps express myself more clearer. The Bible mentions several covenants and it can become somewhat confusing. Many only think of the Abrahamic covenant when the Old Testament covenant is mentioned. There is more

It would be the Abrahamic covenant that I referred to. If you read the account in Gen, referred to as 'to cut a covenant' the only one who walks through the carcasses is the 'Angel of the Lord', God's representative. It is God who makes the promises to Abraham.

As for the covenant with Adam, it is bilateral, obligations on both sides, on the part of God promises of paradise and immortality, on the part of man the obligation to obey, it is conditional not absolute and carries the penalty of death. Before the covenant with Abraham, the covenant with Noah, which remains in effect during the times of the Gentiles, until the universal proclamation of the Gospel.

The Sinaitic covenant the promises made to Abaraham are extended to the whole Israelite nation, it is conditional and broken and in need of renewing according to Jer. It is marked by extraordinary familiarity, God himself dwells in the midst of the nation in theTabernacle above the Ark of the covenant.

And the final covenant through Jesus.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

The Biblical concept of salvation from sin has no equivalent in modern Judaism. Judaism does not believe that man, by his nature, is evil or sinful and therefore does not teach that man has a need to be “saved” from eternal damnation. In fact, most Jews today do not believe in a place of eternal punishment or a literal hell. When a modern Jewish person sins, the belief is that he can obtain forgiveness through prayer, repentance, and doing good deeds.

The Old Testament reveals a need for atonement because of sin and very clearly gives the prescription for forgiveness: “The life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).

Animals were offered for the forgiveness of sins (e.g., Exodus 29:36; Leviticus 4:31; 9:7; 14:19; 15:15; Numbers 15:25). The Jewish practice of animal sacrifice ended in AD 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. With the temple gone, there is no longer a place for the sacrifices to be offered and today the Jews have no lawful way of atoning for their sin. Passover is still observed but without the sacrifice. Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is still on the calendar, but there is never an offering made for sin. The stipulations of the Mosaic Law remain unchanged, but the Jewish people cannot make things right with God—they cannot find forgiveness—without an animal sacrifice. That is why when a modern Jewish person sins, the belief is that he/she can obtain forgiveness through prayer, repentance, and doing good deeds.

The reason that Judaism does not have a concept of Judaism is because it just isn't in the sacred texts.

Judaism actually does believe that humanity has a dual nature. We have a Yetzer HaRa or evil inclination as well as a Yetzer HaTov or good inclination. However, having an evil inclination doesn't necessarily mean that we need to be "saved from our sins."

Sin offerings were for unintentional sins, not intentional sins. God requires repentance when we intentionally sin -- you cannot buy him off with a sacrifice.

As far as the lack of the temple goes, Hosea has taught us what to do in its absence -- Hosea 14:2 "The words of our lips (prayer) shall be as bullocks (sacrifices)." This is why Jews pray in place of sacrifice -- we even call our prayer times by the same names as the sacrifices.

 

[Luchito Prays]

The reason that Judaism does not have a concept of Judaism is because it just isn't in the sacred texts.

Judaism actually does believe that humanity has a dual nature. We have a Yetzer HaRa or evil inclination as well as a Yetzer HaTov or good inclination. However, having an evil inclination doesn't necessarily mean that we need to be "saved from our sins."

Sin offerings were for unintentional sins, not intentional sins. God requires repentance when we intentionally sin -- you cannot buy him off with a sacrifice.

As far as the lack of the temple goes, Hosea has taught us what to do in its absence -- Hosea 14:2 "The words of our lips (prayer) shall be as bullocks (sacrifices)." This is why Jews pray in place of sacrifice -- we even call our prayer times by the same names as the sacrifices.

Please provide a list of the possible unintentional sins the Israelite will bring a cow to be sacrificed for such a kind of sin.

The "cost" of the sin sacrifice was in accord to the gravity of the sins. So, in your list, let us have an idea of what was the sacrifice costs for looking at his mother naked by mistake.

Your thoughts have greater consequences which go further than you might think, because this implies that Yeshu Ha Mashiach was sacrificed for the unintentional sins of people. That is a huge change of rules in the middle of the game for Christians.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Please provide a list of the possible unintentional sins the Israelite will bring a cow to be sacrificed for such a kind of sin.

Leviticus 4 deals with sin offerings. You can read the chapter for yourself, it is too long to paste into a forum post. However, it does begin with the following couple of verses that are sort of the thesis statement of the entire chapter:
Exodus 4:1-2 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands—

this implies that Yeshu Ha Mashiach was sacrificed for the unintentional sins of people.

Actually, like all Jews, I am of the opinion that Jesus was not any kind of sacrifice -- not only was he not offered in the temple, but God abhors human sacrifice. Jesus died for nothing.

 

[paradox]

The truth is that the Jews do not have a concept of salvation from sins. It is simply not in the Tanakh (OT). It is a mistake to take an idea from thousand years later in time, and try to force it back in time.

Don't Jews gain forgiveness of sins from God trough repentance?

If yes, then how is that not "salvation from sin"

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Don't Jews gain forgiveness of sins from God trough repentance?

If yes, then how is that not "salvation from sin"

It depends. For intentional sins, yes, repentance is required. But for unintentional sins we atone. If there is a temple, this means a sin offering. If there is no temple, Hosea instructs us to use prayer in lieu of sacrifice.

"Salvation from sin" is a Christian idea, not Jewish.

 

[Firelight]

I have heard people argue that people in the old testament had faith in that they would be saved through Jesus Christ but there is no mention of Jesus Christ in the old testament

Yes, there is. Try reading it.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

I have heard people argue that people in the old testament had faith in that they would be saved through Jesus Christ but there is no mention of Jesus Christ in the old testament

There is no concept of salvation through faith in the Tanakh (OT). It was not until the advent of Christianity that this idea became a thing.

 

[Truth in love]

I have heard people argue that people in the old testament had faith in that they would be saved through Jesus Christ but there is no mention of Jesus Christ in the old testament

They are saved the same way as any other. Christ's power to save was not limited to a given time. Also worth noting the title Christ is Greek (NT) the Hebrew equivalent (OT) is messiah.

 

[Eli G]

What does "to gain salvation" mean in this topic?

The vast majority of people who will live forever on earth will have to prove their faithfulness to God at the end of the thousand years reign of Christ that the Scriptures speak of.

Among the people who will live in that time there will not only be survivors of the great tribulation that ends the rest of human beings at Armageddon (Rev. 7:9,10), but also millions of resurrected people (John 5:28,29) from all times (pre-Christian and post-Christian). No one will have been saved from among them if they do not show their faithfulness in the future event of that test (Rev. 20:11-15).

So, again: what does the phrase "to gain salvation" mean in this topic?