Biblical Question Regarding Cain & Abel... (old testament)?

Sometimes Christians need to be reminded that the Old Testament was not written by Christians.  Ancient Jews didn't believe in Heaven and Hell.  They believed in a place called Sheol, which was a sort of 'shadowlands' where everyone went when the died.  They didn't believe in an afterlife, as such, a judgement day, rewards for believers and punishment for others.  Abel was GONE.  God couldn't bring him back or talk to him after he was dead.

To this day, the Jewish religion doesn't even have the concept of 'salvation', the idea that some of us are saved, guaranteed a spot in Heaven.  As I'm always saying, the difference between Christians and Jews is not so much in -what- they believe but -how- they believe.

The New Testament, the Christian part of the Bible, suggests that the dead will sleep in their graves until the Judgement Day, when they will all be raised from the grave to face judgement.  If that's true, then nobody is in Heaven now but God and his angels.  But during the crucifixion, Jesus tells the Good Thief that they will be in Heaven today, as soon as this is over.  So I'm a little confused about that myself.

A hope of living in heaven didn't exist until Jesus came and died.

Jesus taught that a small number would be going to heaven to rule with him as kings and priests.

The vast majority of mankind including Abel, will be resurrected to life on earth, where God had created mankind to live.

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Jesus answered that question when he talked about John the Baptist not being in heaven after he died. John 3:13 says: Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but the one who descended from heaven, the Son of man. 

So if Before Jesus no man has been raised to heaven then Abel wasn’t in heaven when God was talking to Cain. At Jesus death he opened up the way for resurrection to heaven. He told his followers he was going to prepare a place for them in heaven. John 14:2,3

The point missed is what happened earlier when the two were sacrificing. Abel's sacrifice was accepted by God. Cain's was rejected. An animal blood sacrifice was established by God in Genesis 3:21. That sacrifice was to cover the knowledge that sin brought with it. Sacrifices were made to atone for sin. Abel's sacrifice was accepted, leading us to acknowledge that God's prescribed sacrifice was sufficient. His sacrifice was a lamb: a blood sacrifice. Abel's sacrifice was rejected because it was produce, and not a lamb. You might have noticed in the passage that Cain went to Abel, and could not apparently strike a deal for one of his brother's lambs. Cain's anger was the result, and he killed Abel. We can rightfully assume that Abel died when his sins were already atoned for (forgiven.), thereby gaining entrance into God's Kingdom. A key verse for all this conjecture is Genesis 4:3, "And in the process of time..." This would include the period of raising of the two boys, and teaching them about appropriate sacrifices.

The fact of the matter: Yes Abel was saved before he died, because God was pleased with Abel offering, but God was displeased with Cain offering, and that is why Cain killed his brother.

it was always there, just a different dimension and full of folks who were created on the 6th day, and already passed....

Abel is mentioned in Heb. 11:4 "He was righteous". Abel is included with the other OT "worthies" in Heb. 11 Verse 40 may answer your question indirectly, "God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us." This is significant to the utmost.

Getting knowledge of good and evil is a far more serious issue before God than Cain killing his brother Abel for offering the savage sacrifice of a lamb burnt down to ashes to honor God. Cain was vegan. God enjoyed watching when Cain killed Abel. He did nothing to prevent the first human tragedy in the world that he created. He cursed Cain for killing Abel but promised to protect Cain’s physical integrity seven times over from anyone wishing to kill him.

Mat 23:35 - And so upon you (The Jews) will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah… (Jesus is taking an extreme anti-Semitic position blaming the Jews for the death of Abel when there were not a Jew in the world yet. The Bible writers were Jews not too careful keeping track of what they wrote in the Bible)

THE FORBIDDEN BIBLE STORIES – Amazon   

Abel's blood cried out for justice figuratively. Paradise earth had just been lost. Mankind or all of Adam's children would return to the dust, (dust to dust). Abel is asleep awaiting a Resurrection back to the paradise earth restored that his parents threw away. John 5:28,29

God never abandoned his original purpose regarding the paradise.

Ps. 37:29

Sheol is the grave. That's where he is.

I wonder why able was in pain after he died as well. Its very obvious that he is when the bible says that his blood cries out to God from the ground.