It’s time for answers. We will put these out one at a time as time allows.
#1. Since Jesus was born some 2000 odd years ago, how were Abraham, Moses and David saved?
We expect that we are receiving it all when we “get saved.” A new heart, a new spirit and the Holy Spirit. What do we really get? A recognition of who He is and who we are. Actual safety is after we die and are resurrected and we clear the judgment and receive our glorified bodies and enter the Kingdom.
In Revelation, John reveals the loud voice:
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of יהוה, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before יהוה day and night. (Revelation 12:9-10 KJV)
An interesting word study on salvation. The word that is translated as sotariah in the Septuagint and salvation in English throughout the Bible is the word Shalom in Hebrew! Peace in English! See Ge 26:21. Sotariah was also used to translate the Hebrew word y’shua as salvation.
This brings a whole new character to our understanding of being saved. There’s no doubt that becoming friends with Y’shua brings peace into your life. And there is no doubt that Y’shua or Salvation took the necessary steps to set us apart from the mass of humanity that will flunk the great white throne judgement.
So, we are destined to be delivered or saved from the second death but we still live in corruption and nearly all of us will taste the first death. There is a trigger, however. The Tanach says this about Abraham:
And behold, the word of יהוה came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him (Abraham), “So shall your descendants be.” And he (Abraham) believed in יהוה, and He (יהוה) accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:4-6)
The trigger word is believe.
David is notable because his heart was towards יהוה. This is another way to say he was a believer. This is also a stern warning to every self-serving earthly king because you too can be replaced and you will.
But now your kingdom shall not continue (Saul). יהוה has sought for Himself a man after His own heart (David), and יהוה has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what יהךה commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:14)
When we believe in יהוה we turn our heart toward Him. We obey His commandments and He imputes His righteousness to us. We listen to him. We believe and trust without evidence except for that His word tells us who He is.
As a father, when I asked my kids to do the dishes or mow the lawn, I considered that they were listening if they actually did what I commanded them to do. Listening is important. When He says obey my commandments and you don’t, you are not listening and you are missing the mark that he set for you.
Only the righteous can be allowed into the Kingdom but none of us are naturally righteous. Messiah’s mission to die with “earned” righteousness was the only way that somebody could be worthy to open the scroll in Heaven, which is the title deed to the Earth and repossession of its inhabitants. His mission was to dispossess Ha Satan, the adversary, who stole it from Adam.
Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:2-5)
Righteous Y’shua, with no shadow of turning in Him, died to end the Kingdom of Ha Satan and re-claim title to the earth at a point in time after the days of Abraham, Moses and David.
Through our love for יהוה our belief in Him, our listening to him and our waiting for Him, we are gifted with imputed righteousness.
I have waited for thy salvation, יהוה. (Genesis 49:18 KJV)
From the lips of Jacob in Hebrew “salvation” is Y’shua. Amazing!!
Can you be saved at an altar call? No. The altar call is one method the church uses for “saving” people. It was invented in the 19th century by certain Methodist preachers who wanted to track the people in a Nicolaitan fashion who were responding to the message. (According to Wikipedia).
The answer is that Abraham, Moses and David (will be and) are saved by grace through faith (belief).
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed יהוה, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of יהוה. (James 2:23 KJV)
Friends talk and listen. They don’t offend.
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4 KJV)
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of יהוה shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom יהוה shall call. (Joel 2:32 KJV)
Do we need deliverance? You bet we do.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation (Y’shua) is of the Jews. (John 4:22 KJV)
The above is a conversation between the Samaritan woman and Jesus whose Hebrew name is Y’shua.
It is by our belief in, or by our faith in יהוה that we are destined to be saved from the judgement we deserve at the Great White Throne. The church is careless in its use of the term saved. What it really means is that we are covered at the judgement by a person named Salvation (Heb. Y’shua, Grk. Jesus) and we are released to enter the Kingdom of יהוה as free men and friends of יהוה who are delivered from the fate of eternity in the Lake of Fire.
It is possible that Abraham, Moses and David are part of the 24 elders depicted in Revelation in a special resurrection called Firstfruits. Otherwise, Tanach saints are saved just like we are. By faith.
Thanks to Michael Rood who in a conversation I overheard recently inspired this post.
Yeshua the Messiah 1st Century Roots 