Expert: Rev. Stuart Woodward - 1/24/2005

Question
HI:

    Thakyou for taking my question. In Exodus 19:12 when God says that anyone who touches the Holy Mountain must die. He says something similar about the the Holy of Holies. My question is: Do those who have died from touching the Holy object go to heaven? Or Do they Go to hell? Thankyou for you answer.

  Pete

Answer
Hello Pete,
Thanks for the question. I confess it is not one I have thought about before. Let us take New testament times and later first. Whether a person is in heaven or hell depends purely on God's grace to them through the death of Jesus and their acceptance of it through repentance and faith. Such people are 'in Christ' and so from God's perspective they are clothed in His righteousness, even if they occasionally lapse into a sinful act.
According to Paul the basis of salvation has always been grace and faith. Thus Abraham's faith (trust in God) was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham could only believe in the promises of God but as were to be fulfilled in Jesus, he was saved through the cross as well.
The bible does not indicate whether in the Old Testament the touching of a holy object resulted in heaven or hell. It would depend on the state of the person's trust in what God had revealed of Himself. If the touching was a symptom of absence of trust in God then hell would be the result. If on the other hand it was simply a product of temporary bad judegment by someone with a real faith then I am sure that moment of error would not consign someone to hell.
I hope these comments are of some help to you.
Stuart Woodward