“When I first ran I had all kinds of consultants telling me not to mention religion. They told me to tone down any discussion we might have. … they did ask me to tone down the concept of religion or values that are taught in our churches and synagogues as being a part of what we were,” said Neumann.
Nice of him to mention synagogues.
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From Mark Neumann' WELS Church: Did and do Jews go to heaven?
During Old Testament times, did believing Jews go to heaven? How about since our Savior Jesus Christ completed his work of redemption?
Answer:
Salvation, including heavenly citizenship, was always part of the Messianic faith. Believers of all ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups went to heaven in Old Testament times. This included Jewish believers. The testimony of prominent Jewish believers affirm that they knew about and believed this: David in Psalm 16:11, Asaph in Psalm 73:23-26, Isaiah in Isaiah 26:19, and Daniel in Daniel 12:1-3 are good examples.
The same is equally true during the New Testament era and will be so until the Last Day, at Christ's Second, Final Coming. Believing Jews are citizens of heaven just as believing Gentiles are. The original disciples and apostles were Jewish believers. The New Testament Letter to the Hebrews was addressed to Jewish believers, and Hebrews 12:22-24 affirms that heaven is their eternal home.
If your question is about unbelieving Jews (or unbelievers from any other ethnic group) or followers of Judaism who have rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Savior of mankind, then we must sadly answer that they did not and do not go to heaven. Acts 4:12 affirms that Christ alone is the Savior of mankind. The grief of all believers regarding the loss of unbelieving Jews (Israel) is well expressed by Paul in Romans 9:30-33 and Romans 10:1-13.
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