Updated December 5, 2005 (first published July 28, 2000) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -

The following is excerpted from the Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity, copyright 1994 by D.W. Cloud:

It is interesting to note that man knew a great many spiritual truths in the earliest days after the Fall and before the Bible began to be formed in the days of Moses. Acts 3:21 and Lk. 11:50 tell us there have always been prophets of the Lord to warn and instruct men. By considering several other Bible verses we can learn quite a lot about just what God's people knew in olden times.

(1) Salvation. They had revelation of substitutionary salvation. Abel's offering proves this. Abel was a prophet (Lk. 11:50-51) and offered by faith (Heb. 11:4). This means he offered according to God's Word, because "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17).

(2) Savior. They had revelation of the Redeemer who would come to the earth in the last days (Lk. 1:68-70). Job probably lived in the days before Abraham, and he knew about the coming Savior (Job 19:25).

(3) Righteous living. Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5).

(4) Resurrection. They had revelation of resurrection (Job 19:26-27).

(5) Second Coming. They had revelation of God coming to judge wicked men. Enoch prophesied of this great truth (Jude 14-15), and he was Noah's great grandfather (Gen. 5:21-32).

(6) The city of God. They had knowledge of the prophetic city of God and His heavenly kingdom (Heb. 11:10, 16).

(7) Restored earth. They had revelation of a restored earth (Acts 3:21).

We have seen that God has always spoken to men in great detail about salvation and future things. The world is in darkness today only because most men have consistently ignored the prophets of God. Cain ignored Abel. The people of Enoch's day ignored him. Noah's message was ignored. Most of Noah's grandchildren rejected the truth which had been taught by their fathers. Israel rejected its prophets. Most people today are rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ which has been preached to the ends of the earth for 2,000 years. For example, most parts of Asia today are in gross heathenism, but the reason lies in the historical rejection of the Gospel by Asian peoples. The first foreign missionary work took place in western Asia by the Apostle Paul. The message of truth was largely rejected, and today most of western Asia continues to be in bondage to false religion. A strong tradition says the Apostle Thomas carried the Gospel to India and other parts of South Asia in the first century. His message was largely rejected by Asian people, and today the offspring of those Christ-rejecters continue to live in darkness and lies. It is not because God has not tried to give light! God has made every attempt to fill the world with light and is endeavoring to do so today through the Great Commission, but men love darkness rather than the light (Jer. 7:25-26; 25:4; Jn. 3:19).