So in the Old Testament the Jews were all going to hell because the only worshiped God in Heaven, and not Jesus??? And the whole rest of the world went to hell because they had never heard of Jesus even though he hadn't been born yet???
LOL, I don't get it either.
You have to be a Christian to go to heaven.....so where are all the pre-Christian men and women of faith? What about all those who lived and died without ever having heard of God or his Christ?
The Bible says that no one went to heaven before Jesus, (John 3:13) so where did all of the rest of mankind go before then? The Jews knew, and they had no concept of going to heaven. They believed in resurrection back to life on earth.
God has a purpose for mankind and his earthly home that has not changed since the Garden of Eden.
Its not a difficult concept. Adam and his wife were given two choices....obey and keep living in paradise or disobey and die. They chose death, not only for themselves, but also for their children who would inherit their sinful genetics. (Rom 5:12)
God stepped in with a rescue plan. An atonement for Adam, with a life of equal value offered in exchange. A sinless life was forfeited and only another sinless life would balance the scales of God's justice. But no one was now sinless, so a life was brought into existence from outside the now imperfect human race. Jesus entered the world as God's most trusted servant, commissioned to save the world of mankind from Adam's willful and deliberate disobedience.
The price is paid, but not for everyone. There were qualifications attached. Only those who remained faithful and obedient to God's commands would qualify to inherit the blessing. Continuing life has been conditional since the beginning. All God has ever asked of his children is to trust him with their uncompromising obedience. As a loving Father, he has always had our best interests at heart.
There is no such place as "hell".....there never was. There is only life and death. Those who disqualify themselves from life have only one option....eternal death is the opposite of eternal life. Why would God keep the wicked in existence only to torture them?
That would make him a fiend and it would also make a mockery of his justice.
That is not what the Bible teaches at all.