Heaven Before Christ

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Kadu 2

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Does the bible speak of a way to heaven before Christ was born into our realm.
 

Jordan

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Does the bible speak of a way to heaven before Christ was born into our realm.
Well, scripture does speak of at least two different kinds of "Heaven"... One of the "Heaven" is called sky... so depends on what "Heaven" you are speaking...I assume the "Heaven" we all want... the answer is No, all souls before Christ was in the graves...After Christ ascended the Heaven, all souls followed Him. (Matthew 27:52-53) Nowadays, those who died in the flesh will return to God whom gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
 

jtartar

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Does the bible speak of a way to heaven before Christ was born into our realm.
The fact is: the Bible says that there was no way into heaven before Jesus gave his life as a ransom sacrifice, Heb 9:8. The curtain in the Temple, separating the Holy and the MOST HOLY, was a symbol for Jesuus body, Heb 6:19,20, 10:19,20. Remember when Jesus died, we are told that the curtain split from top to bottom. Ths meant that the way to heaven was then opened, Matt 27:50,51. The Bible indicates that there would be a difference after Jesus death. Consider Matt 11:12, which says: From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of the HEAVENS is the goal toward which men press. This indicates that before Jesus gave his life as a ransom sacrifice the way to heaven had not been opened, Luke 16:16.
 
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Yes, atleast 2 people went to heaven prior to Christ and so heaven has always been open to the righteous; herein do Paul and Jesus disagree, as Paul states "there is none righteous", while Jesus states many righteous men have desired to see... Matthew 13:17 "For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them".

And again, Jesus states: "35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar."


2 Kings 2 King James Version (KJV)
And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that theLord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that theLord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;


When Elijah was taken from the earth his body was turned from flesh to spirit and his clothing dropped.

Heaven has always been open to the righteous, Christ came to show (explain: in word and deed) men how to live righteously.
 
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bbyrd009

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Does the bible speak of a way to heaven before Christ was born into our realm.
heaven as a place where God lives, and that a human might attain to after death, is strictly a construct of Christianity, and does not exist. God's will is "on earth as it is in heaven," wherein heaven is revealed as a state and not a place.

So with all due respect your question is likely moot, as the kingdom is right beside you, right now.
 
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Helen

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As I read the OT I see they were saved "by faith" in God, who He was and what He spoke to them.
Hebrews 11..the hero's of faith list.

We know that believers were saved by faith, just as we are, with the difference that their faith was in a Saviour who was yet to come whereas ours in in the Saviour who has come . That is why David, a man who had great flaws and failed in many areas of the Old Testament Law, still enjoys the legacy of being "a man after God’s own heart" Acts 13:22
David as others, had the vision of life to come...he even went into the Holy place where the shew bread was ( only priests can do that) and took it because his men were hungry!! I believe Davids feet were in the OT, but his heart was in the NT. He "saw beyond".
They all believed in the promised seed spoken by God to Abraham..so they, like us, walked in faith and were saved by their faith in the Character and Word of God.
 

Eastgate

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Ecclesiastes 12
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Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
 
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Got said in some part of the old testament to choose life, so there always was a way to enter life.

They didn't need to accept the offer of Jesus.

The way of life, through forgiving other and showing mercy, instead of offering sacrifices, has always been the way to God: Christ just clearly explained it so it wasn't hidden to one's mind.
 
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DPMartin

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Does the bible speak of a way to heaven before Christ was born into our realm.


if you read the bible you will find out that, it was their faith in the coming of Christ that saves them and now one's faith that Christ has come that saves them, and both a under God's Grace or by Grace if you will.
 
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if you read the bible you will find out that, it was their faith in the coming of Christ that saves them and now one's faith that Christ has come that saves them, and both a under God's Grace or by Grace if you will.

You are not quite right in what you are saying. The Old Covenant demanded perfection: if one knowingly sinned they where cut off from the covenant and their sins were upon them, it was for this reason the prophets anticipated a new covenant, as they saw the covenant given through Moses was lacking. It was not their faith in the coming Christ that saved them, it was their faith in God's mercy that lead them to anticipate a New Covenant and got them to proclaim forgiveness as being the bases for the new covenant, although how to live right was not known.

Jesus's teachings are the bases of forgiveness: not an abstract belief in Jesus. The people prior to the coming of Christ would obtain forgiveness by forgivIing others, just as Jesus said: forgive and you will be forgiven.
 

ezekiel

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Does the bible speak of a way to heaven before Christ was born into our realm.

Yes ! God said now you must eat of the tree of life. Many has before and after that tree became flesh. He is called the Holy one of Israel in some verses. They waited on Him even in death of the flesh. At the moment that Christ flesh gave up the Ghost them graves busted open and were all seen around so yes.
 

Helen

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Someone mentioned salvation through forgiveness in the OT.
The OT way of cleansing from sin was " the blood of bulls, goats and sheep" ..the slaying of the lamb...and the Scapegoat into the wilderness carrying the sins of the people , placed upon its head by the priest.
On the Day of Atonement the sins of the people were cleaned by the blood.
As we know, in the NT our Day Of Atonement was fulfilled by Jesus Christ ..who was the perfect spotless Lamb. He is "our Day of Atonement " fulfilled.