Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Did all the people that were on earth before christianity/Judaism/islam go to hell because they came to life to early to repent for sin?

9 Answers

Relevance
  • As far as the metric by which individuals prior to the coming Messiah were saved. Well, it was and always will be by faith. However - what was the content of that faith? That is the key. It has changed over time.... they obviously did not have the Messiah's life and death and resurrection to put their faith in since it had not occurred yet.

    So the answer seems to be - people were 'saved' (and I use that word in quotes) in trusting in whatever God had revealed to them up to that point in time. If you think of it as a number line with 10 being the full realization of Messiah. If God only revealed up to 7 (for instance) then people were saved by trusting in 7. (7 being Temple sacrifices)....

    For instance - before the Temple (and sacrifices) were even built, the patriarchs knew of sacrifices. Each one of them sacrificed in the book of Genesis. So we can assume that somehow - there was knowledge that a sacrifice was required to atone for sin, for fellowship, etc.... So they had 'faith' in that system. And that system was a placeholder for the coming of the Messiah - the ultimate sacrifice.

    You can do a word search for Sheol and you will see many times the people there knew they were going to Sheol. (Gen 44:29, Psalm 6.5, Psalm 88.3, etc...)

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    Judaism does not believe in the Christian concept of damnation for everyone who is not "saved" by Jesus.

    Judaism has the opposite idea -- that God may make agreements with different people and nations for different jobs and goals,

    but overall -- God just wants everyone to be good people -- to practice kindness, charity, hospitality, justice.

    Unlike Christianity and Islam -- Judaism actually makes it harder to Jews to be "righteous" than for non-Jews.

    That's why Judaism discourages people from converting.

    ====

    So -- from a Jewish point of view --

    all the non-Jews (whether living before Abraham or after) are just fine.

  • 5 years ago

    Not necessarily. Don Richardson gives an excellent perspective of pre-Christian cultures, such as the Karen nation of Burma or Pachacuti of the Incas (the king credited with building Machu Picchu), in his book, "Eternity in Their Hearts." His argument is that "the God who prepared the gospel for all people has prepared all people for the gospel." Check it out!

  • Tigger
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    Of course not. God has given humans what is called a conscience. Those who are without the law, are a law unto themselves, they will be judged by their own conscience with their own thoughts accusing or excusing them. At the end of the day, each one of us will recognize, without exception, that God's judgment is just.

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • 5 years ago

    I suppose if you believe in those religions properly then you believe the Earth is only thousands of years old. So really that doesn't matter.

    And as for the unbelievers. Yes, they think they are in hell.

  • G C
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    No. God has always made sure everybody knew He exists and how to act before Him.

  • 5 years ago

    God will be a very fair judge and very honest and merciful !!!

  • 5 years ago

    Adam first person on earth he was muslim and every prophets and his true followeres where muslims too and a muslim means one who submit himself or herself to god the one alone without worshiping anyone besides him

    when adam and eve commited sin buy eating from forbidding tree he and she repented

    Surah Al A"raf 7:19-23"And "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."But Satan whispered to them to make apparent to them that which was concealed from them of their private parts. He said, "Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal."And he swore [by Allah ] to them, "Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors."So he made them fall, through deception. And when they tasted of the tree, their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten together over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And their Lord called to them, "Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Satan is to you a clear enemy?"They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."

    Surah Taha 20:121-122"And Adam and his wife ate of it, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred.Then his Lord chose him and turned to him in forgiveness and guided [him]."

    Surah Al Baqara 2:35-38"And We said, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."But Satan caused them to slip out of it and removed them from that [condition] in which they had been. And We said, "Go down, [all of you], as enemies to one another, and you will have upon the earth a place of settlement and provision for a time."Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    No.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.