LUKE 13:28-29 (MATTHEW 8:11)

Q: If eternal salvation is based on belief in Jesus Christ, then how did the Patriarchs and prophets end up in heaven? Weren't the Patriarchs only promised physical salvation?

A few points to begin with:

1. The Hebrew and Greek words for “salvation” are terms “denoting all the benefits, physical or spiritual, that are graciously bestowed on humans by God.” (New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, p. 762)

2. This is not the only place where these same Patriarchs are said to be still alive (see Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:26-27; Luke 20:37-38). Similarly, God took both Enoch and Elijah into heaven without them even seeing death. In addition, Hebrews 11:13-16 explains that the Patriarchs “desire [note the present tense] a better country that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.”

3. Belief in the resurrection of the dead is not stressed in the OT, but neither is it foreign to it. See Job 19:26; Psalms 17:15; 49:15; 73:24; Isaiah 26:19; 53:10-12; and Daniel 12:2,13. Eternal life with God is seen for those who are righteous. But Romans 4 deals with the example of Abraham, who was reckoned as righteous by God due to his faith alone, and that was faith in God not at all associated with any specific faith in Jesus. Hebrews 11:35 points to pre-Christian women who believed in the resurrection, and Hebrews 11:17-19 specifically states that Abraham believed in the bodily resurrection of Isaac after death.

With that background, here are some possible approaches to answering your question:

OT believers who hoped in a future Messiah (Christ) before He actually appeared on earth may be counted as having a faith in Christ that is acceptable in God's eyes. For example, Matthew 13 has Jesus stating, “Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” And another example would be Simeon: “This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel...It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.” Simeon interpreted His coming as “God's salvation.” (Luke 2:26-30).

Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 both quote from Joel saying, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Three things to note, however, are:

(1) It doesn't say that calling on the name of the Lord is the only path to salvation;

(2) In the original OT saying “Lord” meant God whereas in the NT it is taken to mean Jesus. That may indicate that before the time of Christ on earth, salvation was available to all mankind, especially the Jews, by calling on God's name.

(3) “Salvation was actually achieved and made available before any human response to the message of salvation, as a result of the passion of Christ (I Peter 1:10-11).” (NDBT, p. 766)

Acts 4:12 seems to go a little further in stating that there is no other name under heaven that can save other than that of Christ. But, again, that certainly does not exclude the name of God the Father, only names that are “under heaven.” However, a blanket statement precedes that statement: “There is salvation in no one else (i.e., Christ).” This may apply only to Peter's audience and others living after the death and resurrection of Christ, and not to OT saints.

An additional factor to take into account is the mode of appropriating Christ's atoning sacrifice. We tend to think that this can only be done by specifically associating ourselves with His death in order that we can be associated with Him in the resurrection. However, there are hints that other means of appropriating His sacrifice may be available for those who have never even heard of Him. Romans 2:14-16 seems to describe how a “righteous pagan” may possibly be excused on the Day of Judgment on the basis of a clear conscience alone.

The very difficult passage I Peter 3:19-21 may possibly provide another solution to the question you posed if it refers to Jesus, after his death, preaching the Good News to the righteous OT saints so that they could fully appropriate eternal salvation.

But the best explanation is found in looking again at the “Faith” Chapter 11 of Hebrews. The author reviews the careers of numerous OT believers who all looked for fulfillment of the “promise” given to those from Abraham on. It is granted that this promise most prominently included land, numerous children, freedom, and prosperity. But it also included, at least according to the author of Hebrews, the promise of “rest” (see Hebrews 3:18-4:11). It is this unfulfilled OT promise that the author refers to in Hebrews 11:39-40 when he says, “Yet all these (righteous OT examples), though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.”

Commenting on this last passage, Ellingsworth explains that the OT believers had to wait for fulfillment in Christ. F. F. Bruce similarly states that none of them saw the promise in terms of actually witnessing its fulfillment in Christ. “But he still procured perfection for them and for us.”