someone recently asked me this:
"Did everyone who died before Jesus died go to Hell?"

i did my best to answer it but if you guys have some explination or bible verses that would give me some backup, or just voice your opinion that would be great.

Luke 16:19-31
"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared suptuously every day. But there was certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."
"Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'
"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's houe, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. 'But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, niether will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "

from this passage I would say that the rightouse went to Abrahams bosom (or Abrahams side) and the unrightous went to Hades.

wow skilletosis(did i spell that right ???) you took the words right out of my mouth well now i dont have to type all of that. ;D

that covers it indeed. Ppl before Jesus had a similar thing to us. Salvation belongs to God and given freely to those who have Faith in him. Abraham had Faith Isaac had Faith. In Hebrews there's a list of great men of Faith.

Only those who have Faith in Jesus are saved.

Jesus' death wasn't just a simple event that spread forwrd into the future. It was such a sacrifice that the impact of his death and resurrection impacted the past. When God saved ppl before Jesus actually came bodily, it was because God looked to Jesus and these ppl had faith in the promises of God, which included Jesus Christ.

The prophecy of Jesus goes back to just after the garden and ppl believing the promise of God was saved because of Jesus' death and resurrection.

1 Peter 3
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us F21 to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited F22 in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

1 Peter 1
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us F2 they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into.

That 1st verse u sed there. I've read it before but when I read it there something sprung to mind.

It talks of Noah, water and 8 souls. Do u think that cud be a recap of Noah's flood? Jesus went and told Noah of the flood so he cud build the ark?

There were 8 in his family and I suppose they were saved through water. Literally through the water with the ark... :S

U also reminded me of something else
Ppl before Jesus had a different covenant with God. A different promise.

They had the promise of Christ's coming and salvation through him

We have the effect of that promise.

I dunno bout his death affecting the past tho... I thot it was just ppl who had Faith in God who were saved. Now we have Faith in Jesus (same God tho)

this is confusing me! Hahahaha

He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited F22 in the days of Noah,

When it goes on it is referencing that God saved noah and his family in the ark. But if you look at other version you get the meaning of the above scripture more clearly.

Jesus died. Went down into hades(death) and preached to the souls who have never heard of God's promise. When they believed they were transfered to the Kingdom of God. Why else would Jesus preach to them?

19 by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison, 20 who one time were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, wherein few, (that is, eight souls) were saved by water.

What I dont understand is then "It is appointed unto man once to do die and after this the judgement"
After death it's too late. So how did this happen... Ooooeeee no sooner do u think u have something worked out then its blown open on u HAHA!

thank you all. another little part of this question that you havnt coverd is that what if a person went through life and never had an oportunity to learn about christ, or was in another reidgion and never heard about christ, but did all good things and helped the poor and generaly did good, but not in the name of God. would that person go to hell? or would the person who never had a chance to learn about God and did not know what he was doing was wrong go to hell?

:- man, this is hard stuff, thanx 4 your help people.

i would think people would.. b/c before jesus people would sacrafice the purest of their breed of animals they are raising...and like now Jesus is our sacrafice so it kinda evens out... so i would believe people went to heaven before jesus came along

thank you all. another little part of this question that you havnt coverd is that what if a person went through life and never had an oportunity to learn about christ, or was in another reidgion and never heard about christ, but did all good things and helped the poor and generaly did good, but not in the name of God. would that person go to hell? or would the person who never had a chance to learn about God and did not know what he was doing was wrong go to hell?

:- man, this is hard stuff, thanx 4 your help people.


Are you still speaking of pre-Christ incarnate days. If so I would still answer in the same way. If speaking after Christ's sacrifice then "John 3:16-For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." No matter your good works if you reject Christ you will not go to heaven.

I have more but must go get the kids from school. I'll post more later.

what if a person went through life and never had an oportunity to learn about christ, or was in another reidgion and never heard about christ, but did all good things and helped the poor and generaly did good, but not in the name of God. would that person go to hell? or would the person who never had a chance to learn about God and did not know what he was doing was wrong go to hell?


Romans 1.18-20 >>The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

basically, because of the creation all around us is screaming God's name (not literally, but simply in how it's there & by what it is), we are all without excuse. i believe that if a lost tribe in South America worshipped a God that had the same qualities as ours & didn't worship anyone else, they could be considered Christians. they don't necessarily know about Jesus & His sacrifice, but they could very easily know about God simply by looking around them at nature.

thank you all, you realy nailed it, now i need to take all this and share it with the guy, if its okay with him, ill tell you how he feels afterward.

What I dont understand is then "It is appointed unto man once to do die and after this the judgement"
After death it's too late. So how did this happen... Ooooeeee no sooner do u think u have something worked out then its blown open on u HAHA!


These ppl died before the giving of the law. So they are not under it. They were condemned by their own conscious and and by what Noah did. So remember God loves ppl, and he gave these ppl a chance to accept or reject Jesus, even if it was in death. His mercy never ends. We should rejoice, cause God is shown to be mercifull as ages go on.

And the sacrifice of animals did not take away the sins of the ppl. It is impossible to please God with the blood of animals. When they made a sacrifice, it was a symbol of what Christ would do. (Read isaiah 54 onwards, I think) It was never the animal, but God looking to what Jesus would do and on ground of their faith in God, their sins were forgiven.

But God could only forgive sin, because of Jesus Christ, there has never been another way to take away sin, except through the blood of Jesus Christ, even when Jesus hadn't yet come, there was no other way.

Cause what you sow, must be reaped. Jesus took all sin of the whole world from all times past and all times future on himself. Every single sin. Even of those who will never come to trust him. And this will be their punishment: Everlasting damnation, cause they have made God out to be a liar, denying Jesus Christ.

But all who trust in Jesus Christ to save them will be saved, for he holds all things in his hand. And he has been given dominion over death.

I kno all this but how does this work with

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us F21 to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited F22 in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

I would think so. This is really a hard topic, cause there is no further reference in the Bible that I have seen. But as I know Jesus he probably upset Death a whole lot while he was down there. LOL! ;D