Q. Acts 4:12 reads, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Then, what about people who lived in the Old Testament time before Jesus' crucifixion for the salvation of mankind, or about those who died without hearing the gospel?
A. The God of love sent His only begotten Son and made Him the atoning sacrifice to redeem all mankind from sins and lead them to the way of salvation. Jesus died shedding His precious blood on the cross and was resurrected as the Savior, so whoever accepts Him as the Savior can be forgiven of all sins and reach salvation.
Then, how about people living in the Old Testament time or those who had no opportunity to hear the gospel? Can they not be saved just because they have not heard the Good News? The God of justice even prepared the way of salvation for such people. It was through the Judgment of Conscience.
Judgment of Conscience, for people who did the things of the Law from their conscienc
Romans 2:14-15 says, "For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them."
God gave the Law to the people of Israel in the Old Testament time and the Law became the standard for salvation. Those who kept and observed the Law were saved. But the Law was given to the chosen people, Israel. The Gentiles, who were not Israelites, did not have the Law.
Before Jesus came to the earth the Gentile people were judged according to their deeds of following the ways of their conscience. When they followed the good, not the evil according to their conscience, it was considered as the work of the Law. If they did what was evil against their conscience, or if they did not do what was good according to their conscience, it was the same as violating the Law.
Thus, the deeds of following their conscience became a standard of salvation to the Gentiles, and according to the work of the Law written in their hearts their salvation was decided. This is the Judgment of Conscience.
The Upper Grave and the Lower Grave as the waiting place
Those who were worthy to be saved through the Judgment of Conscience could not go to Heaven right away after their lives were over on this earth. They first went to the Upper Grave which was the waiting place of Heaven. On the other hand, however, there is the Lower Grave, the waiting place of Hell. Such 'graves' belonging to the spiritual realm exist and appear in the Bible several times.
Luke chapter 16 tells us about the parable of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. There we can find the description of the Upper Grave and the Lower Grave, the waiting places for those who finished their lives on the earth. While on the earth the poor man, Lazarus, was fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table. But, the poor man revered God from his heart. So after he died, his spirit was carried to the bosom of Abraham in the Upper Grave. However, the rich man who joyously lived in splendor every day on the earth was put in agony in the flame of the Lower Grave.
Isaiah 14:9 depicts the Lower Grave where evil people lost their earthly glory and suffered. While the Lower Grave was for evil people and they suffered there, the Upper Grave, where Lazarus was with Abraham, was for those who deserved to be saved. Those who were worthy to be saved through the Judgment of Conscience because of their deeds of following their good conscience stayed there in comfort.
They heard the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Upper Grave
Jesus said in John 5:28, "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice." He said that He would preach the gospel to them after His death on the cross.
Here, 'all who are in the tombs' refer to people who were dead before Jesus started to preach the gospel on the earth. He said they would hear 'His voice'. The people heard the gospel from Him in the Upper Grave and they were carried to Heaven by being saved in the name of Jesus Christ.
After the crucifixion, Jesus went to the Upper Grave and preached the gospel for three days. He delivered the gospel to the spirits who deserved to be saved. By doing so, He opened the way of salvation to those who had not heard the gospel.
Matthew 12:40 says, "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Ephesians 4:9 reads, "Now this expression, 'He ascended,' what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?"
1 Peter 3:19 states, "In which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison." Here, the Upper Grave is described as 'prison'. It does not mean the place is like a prison. It just shows that the place has a little limitation in space when compared to Heaven.
Even after Jesus' ascension, those who went to the Upper Grave through the Judgment of Conscience came to hear the gospel from God's people. Thus, if one has good conscience enough to be saved, they are carried to the Upper Grave, hear that Jesus is the Christ, and with faith in it they can go to Heaven. Therefore, no one fails to be saved just because they have not heard the gospel.
God of love differentiates each one's glory of Heaven according to the extent of goodness and righteousness of their conscience. He judges precisely and impeccably with love and justice so that no one is disadvantaged.
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