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Tag: Heaven
Beyond Heaven and Hell: A Jewish View of Salvation
One of the most significant differences between Christianity and Judaism concerns the definition of salvation.
In many Christian traditions, salvation is primarily understood as being rescued from the consequences of sin through faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Savior. Depending upon the denomination, salvation may also involve baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit, participation in the sacraments, good works, or some combination of these elements (John 3:16; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38–39). Although Christians differ on the details, most agree that faith in Jesus occupies a central role in one’s salvation.
When I began examining the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) apart from later theological interpretations, I was struck by how differently the Scriptures describe salvation. The question naturally arose: if belief in a future Messiah is the central requirement for salvation, where do the Torah, Prophets, and Writings explicitly teach this doctrine?
The answer may surprise many readers. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, there is no passage stating that one must believe in a future Messiah in order to receive God’s forgiveness or be saved. Rather, the overwhelming emphasis is that God Himself is Israel’s Savior, Redeemer, and Deliverer.
Consider just a sample of the many declarations found throughout the prophets:
- Isaiah 43:11: “I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior.”
- Isaiah 44:6: “I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no God.”
- Isaiah 45:21–22: “There is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth.”
- Hosea 13:4: “You shall know no God but Me; for there is no savior besides Me.”
These passages repeatedly direct humanity toward God Himself as the source of redemption. The emphasis is not on faith in an intermediary, but on trusting, worshiping, and returning to the God of Israel.
Repentance and Forgiveness in the Hebrew Scriptures
Another striking theme throughout the Tanakh is the connection between repentance and forgiveness.
Psalm 51 records King David’s prayer after his sin with Bathsheba. David does not appeal to a future sacrifice or mediator. Instead, he cries directly to God for mercy, confessing his sin and asking for a clean heart and renewed spirit.
Likewise, Psalm 51:16–17 declares:
“For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.”
Psalm 103 similarly emphasizes God’s mercy toward those who fear Him and seek to walk in His ways.
The prophets repeatedly echo this message:
- Isaiah 1:16–18 calls Israel to wash themselves, cease doing evil, and learn to do good.
- Ezekiel 18 teaches that a wicked person who repents and turns from sin will live.
- Hosea 14 calls Israel to return to God and receive forgiveness.
- Joel 2:12–13 urges repentance because God is gracious and merciful.
From a Jewish perspective, these passages demonstrate that God’s forgiveness has always been available through sincere repentance, prayer, and a return to His ways.
Individual Responsibility
Another important theme concerns personal accountability.
The Torah teaches:
“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; each shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16)
Ezekiel expands this principle in chapter 18:
“The soul who sins shall die.”
The prophet repeatedly emphasizes that each person is responsible for his or her own conduct before God.
For this reason, Judaism has traditionally understood atonement and forgiveness through the framework of repentance, restitution, prayer, and divine mercy rather than through the death of another individual on one’s behalf. While Christians and Jews interpret these texts differently, the principle of individual responsibility remains a foundational element of Jewish theology.
Salvation in the Tanakh: Physical and National Redemption
Another significant difference concerns what salvation often means in the Hebrew Bible.
Many modern readers immediately associate salvation with the afterlife. In the Tanakh, however, salvation frequently refers to deliverance from physical danger, oppression, exile, persecution, or national distress.
Consider the language of:
- Psalm 53:6
- Psalm 80
- Psalm 91
- Isaiah 51–52
- Jeremiah 30–31
- Ezekiel 34–39
- Zephaniah 3
Again and again, God promises to rescue His people, gather the exiles of Israel, restore Jerusalem, establish peace, and bring justice to the world.
The prophets envision a future in which the nations stream to Jerusalem to learn God’s ways (Isaiah 2:1–4; Micah 4:1–4), the earth is filled with the knowledge of God (Isaiah 11:9), and God’s presence dwells among His people.
In this sense, biblical salvation is often portrayed not as escaping the earth for heaven, but as participating in God’s redemption of the world itself.
The Future Redemption of Israel
The prophets also describe a future restoration in which Israel is regathered, spiritually renewed, and brought into a deeper covenant relationship with God.
Ezekiel writes:
“I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean… I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes.” (Ezekiel 36:24–27)
Jeremiah 31 likewise speaks of God writing His Torah upon the hearts of His people.
These passages describe a future age in which God transforms His people, forgives their sins, and renews their relationship with Him. Significantly, the emphasis remains upon God’s direct action, His covenant with Israel, and the restoration of obedience to His Torah.
Two Different Understandings of Salvation
Christianity and Judaism ultimately approach salvation from different starting points.
Christianity generally understands salvation through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection as the means by which sins are forgiven and eternal life is secured.
Judaism, drawing from the Hebrew Scriptures, understands salvation primarily as God’s ongoing work of redemption through repentance, forgiveness, covenant faithfulness, and the future restoration of Israel and the world. The focus remains upon turning directly to God, walking in His ways, and trusting in His mercy.
Both traditions speak of redemption and hope, yet they define those concepts through very different theological lenses.
For those seeking to understand the Jewish perspective, the most important step is to examine how the Torah, Prophets, and Writings themselves define salvation and to allow God’s revealed Word to shape one’s understanding of redemption.
Will People Be “Raptured” To Heaven?
Many Christians, though not all, believe in something called “the rapture” where the dead Christians will be resurrected and the Christians alive at that time will all be whisked away to heaven when Jesus returns for them and then Jesus and “his saints” will hide out in heaven for 7 years or so while God pours out His wrath on Earth to those who rejected Jesus. Then, according to this doctrine taught throughout some evangelical protestant denominations, Jesus will come back to Earth for technically a third time and bring all his peeps with him to rule and reign.
Amos 3:7 tells us God does nothing without revealing it to His prophets first.
THE THREE R’S
The prophets of the Hebrew Bible say nothing about people who must believe in a Messiah to be saved, forgiven, or to have eternal life. Nor do they say anything about a rapture of believers in a Messiah. The prophets do, however, predict people will be resurrected, rescued, and restored.
RESURRECTED
Let’s take a look at some Scriptures within the prophetic books that speak to a resurrection. The text we are reviewing can be found in Daniel 12:1-2, Isaiah 26:18-19, Ezekiel 37:12.
The prophetic book of Daniel was penned during the time that the exiled Jews were living in Babylon. So when this angel relayed these words to Daniel, the angel was referring to Jews as “your people” way in the future, a time which still has not manifested yet. Specifically, this prophecy is believed to be referring to the Battle led by Gog of Magog. Clearly, the angel is telling Daniel with the intention he will write it down for future generations to know and be encouraged that during that awful time Jews will be rescued if they are not blotted out of the book of life, meaning if they are still alive at this time. Zechariah 14 and Ezekiel 38 also describe this horrific battle. In regards to the expression, inscribed in the book, other passages within the Hebrew Bible equate that expression to mean an Israelite, now known as Jews, are alive essentially because they haven’t transgressed the Torah, God’s instructions. In other words, to intentionally violate God’s boundaries means one will be removed or blotted out from the Book of Life. This is why on Yom Kippur, Jews strive to be inscribed in the book of life for another year. That in itself is an entirely different teaching perhaps we can explore at another time. So, those Jews (not Christians) who are alive at that time will be rescued, whereas many of those that are dead, will be resurrected. Nevertheless, all people will be resurrected at some point. Some sects of orthodox Judaism teach there will be two resurrections – one will be for the Jews (Israelites) wherever they are located, and one for Gentiles (non-Jews). What that will look like and the timing is speculated, but the general consensus among sects of orthodox Judaism (but not liberal denominations of Judaism) is everyone is resurrected at some point in the future.
RESCUED
We touched on Jews being rescued, but let’s take a closer look at these passages found in Jeremiah 16:14-16, Ezekiel 34:27-29, and Zechariah 8 and 12.
This particular text in Jeremiah 16 is interesting because it reveals this rescue operation of the Jews will make the original Exodus story look like nothing compared to this greater exodus to come. I didn’t type out the entire text, but I also wanted to point out how God says through the prophet Jeremiah that it will be as if God is sending fishermen to haul out Jews or a helicopter rescue squad rescuing people who’ve gone overboard. What exactly that looks like is to be determined, but you get the idea God loves Jews very much and promises to rescue Jews at that terrible moment. It’s going to be epic!
God is all about making His Name known or His Presence and authority known. He’s all about taking people from a culture of worshiping many false gods to a culture of worshipping Him the One True God. Just as He made Himself known to both the Israelites and Egyptians in the Book of Exodus, He will do so again when He rescues Jews in the future. All of the Jewish and Gentile populations worldwide will know who the One True God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is!
Here we have yet again (see above), God saying through a different prophet that He will rescue Jews from wherever they are in the globe, and notice the text says they will be brought to Jerusalem to permanently dwell. It says nothing about saving Jews to live in heaven, but rather heaven on earth, if you will, in Jerusalem.
This verse I included because it speaks to how much God loves Jerusalem inferring Jews living in that holy city. It also validates what God told Abraham when He said in Genesis 12:3, I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. Note: If you want to survive all that’s to come, don’t say or do anything against Israel/Jews (see Zechariah 14). Because to do so, is to harm those in the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8). I feel like most evangelical Christians are aware of this important truth, thankfully.
Although Isaiah 56 doesn’t specifically refer to Jews being rescued, I’m including it within this teaching, because it does state that anyone who chooses to keep God’s covenant, meaning live by the instructions He gave Israel at Mt. Sinai, will also be brought to Israel. It infers these Jews-By-Choice (converts) or perhaps Gentiles who obey aspects of Torah will also be rescued. This chapter of Isaiah 56 says these individuals will be considered even better than sons and daughters, meaning naturally born Jews.
Although the prophets don’t directly state how the rescued Jews will travel to Jerusalem, there are hints particularly in the Book of Isaiah that they may travel by foot on a sacred highway or road of sorts. In other passages, it describes a worldwide earthquake, mountains crumbling, and land moving, so it is plausible Jews (and later Gentiles) will be able to get to Jerusalem by road similar to how God paved an unexpected path through the Reed Sea when the Israelites fled Egypt. In Zechariah 14:16-21, Gentiles must come to Jerusalem to celebrate and worship God for the holy holiday of Sukkot, also known as Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths. Presumably, both the Jew and Gentile could travel to Jerusalem using the new and improved Interstate-66 known as the “Sacred Highway”. Ha-ha!
RESTORED
In addition to the prophets revealing a resurrection and rescue of Jews, the prophets also reveal that the physical wealth of Jews will be restored in Israel. “Double for your trouble” you could say. I have listed only a few passages that refer to this concept, but there are many more.
Isaiah repeatedly speaks to the fact that leaders of other nations, kings, will fall in line as they will be subservient to the kingdom of Israel (see above). With that said, you may want to study Isaiah 52 and 53 to understand how kings or leaders of other nations will be shocked to see Israel, the once suffering servant will be elevated. That’s right, Isaiah 53 isn’t describing Jesus, but rather Isaiah clearly identifies several times leading up to that infamous and misunderstood passage that Israel is the servant.
In this passage of Jeremiah 30 (see below), we once again see yet a different prophet refers to Israel as “outcast” whereas Isaiah chose “suffering servant”, but Jews are not despised forever. For here, as in many other passages, God encourages Jews to let them know He has a plan to restore, rebuild, and replant. Moreover, to elevate Jews and the nation of Israel.
Yet another passage reiterates that though Jews were once despised they will be restored and live in security.
As highlighted earlier, God reveals His plans through His prophets (Amos 3:7). Isn’t it strange that there are no texts in the entire Jewish Bible, or “Old Testament”, about Gentiles being raptured to heaven or anything pertaining to such doctrine? Interestingly, the prophet Jeremiah says that at that time the Gentiles will be shocked and realize they were taught lies. Notice it doesn’t say Jews will be shocked, but specifically, the prophets declare the Gentiles will be surprised. I know I sure was upon realizing all of this.
In conclusion, the prophets of the Jewish Bible make no mention of people being raptured to Heaven but do frequently refer to Jews being resurrected, rescued, and restored to Israel.
SOUL-WORK
To study this topic more, I invite you to review the following passages in addition to the ones already presented:
- Deuteronomy 30:3-4;
- 1 Chronicles 16:35;
- Nehemiah 1:9;
- Psalms 2:6; 48:1-2; 74:2; 78:68; 87:1-7; 102:16; 106:47; 107:2-3; 125:1; 132:13-14; 147:2;
- Isaiah 2:3; 11:11-12; 43:5; 56:8; 59:20
- Jeremiah 3:14-18; 29:14; 31:8,10; 32:37;
- Ezekiel 11:17; 20:34-41; 28:25; 34:13; 37:21; 39:27-28;
- Hosea 11:10;
- Micah 2:12; 4:2;
- Zephaniah 3:20;
- Zechariah 10:10.
To investigate passages referring to being ‘inscribed in the book’ or being ‘blotted out’ meaning those living or dead, see these Scriptures:
- Daniel 12:1-2
- Exodus 17:14; 32:32-33
- Deuteronomy 25:6,19
- Psalm 9:5-6; 56:8; 69:27-28; 139:16
- Malachi 3:16
To study this teaching packet at home, download the PDF provided below.