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Salvation Before Christ
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:49 am
by wwalkeriv
How were people saved before Christ? Is there any mention of the concept of being saved and spending eternity in heaven in the Old Testament? I suppose Romans 3 may give the answer, but I was wondering if there were other places I might look, specifically in the Old Testament.
Re: Salvation Before Christ
Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:48 am
by dseusy
Wwalkeriv,
Jesus' death demonstrated God's justice at the present time, and I believe His salvation rests on those who were/are children of promise (Romans 9) since those who were of physical descent were not necessarily Israel. I don't think anyone was saved before Christ (perhaps not chronologically- see Hebrews 11:40, but applicably/"without Christ"). Since there is no salvation apart from Christ (John 14:6) I believe everyone (every human in the history of the world) is saved because of Him. Therefore, it seems to me the prophecies of the coming Christ are the only mention of eternal salvation in the Old Testament (Salvation is mentioned several times in the O.T., especially in Psalms, along with the words save and saved, but it is either uncertain that it pertains to eternal salvation or it is obvious that it relates to being saved in this life from hardship and the like). Check out Isaiah 45; 46; 51:5-8; 52; 59; 61:10; 62; & Zechariah 9:9.