Expert: Quentin Parker - 8/17/2009

Question
In numbers 20th chapter when the Israelites chode or chided with
Moses and Aaron, Moses became angry and lost entrance into the promised land.  Aaron was killed by God.  What happened to the Israelites.  Of course Moses went to heaven, because in the new testament he is on the mount of transfiguration.  Howebeit, did the Israelites go to heaven?

Answer
Hi Patricia,

Thank-you for your question!

Moses’ disobedience warranted temporal punishment but not eternal punishment.  None of God’s chosen people, whose sins were atoned for by the blood of Christ, can lose entrance to heaven. The incident in Numbers 20, to which you are referring, secured temporal punishment for the Israelites but it had no effect on their eternal condition.   Those who trusted in God and whose sins were atoned for by Christ went to heaven and those who remained in disbelief and disobedience did not. God’s salvation is based not on merit but according to His good pleasure.

Acts of disobedience performed by apparent Christians may serve to demonstrate that the person was never a Christian. (1 John 2:19) Or, if done by a true believer, any sinful act ought to be followed by sincere, godly repentance. (1 John 2:1) Often, when Christians sin, they secure for themselves the just, temporal penalties of their wrongdoing but they can never – once they are truly saved – do anything that can garner eternal punishment. They are secure not because they do not sin but because their sins are atoned for through Christ’s perfect work. (John 10: 28,29; Rom. 8:28-30; 1 Cor. 1:8,9; Eph. 1:13,14; Phil. 1:6)

I hope this answers your question, Patricia. God bless!

-   Quentin Parker