Not exactly the smartest person around on this sort of stuff, but I'll give it a try for you. Warning - irreverent.
If my post is out of line please accept my apologies.
I have always had questions on the Saved issue so I'm asking.
(I hope in a polite way?)
Where does the acceptance of Christ as Saviour come into play?
Was Jesus and his sacrifice ever really needed?
Lot and those who died in the flood?
Moses, Noah and too many folks who lived before him (Jesus) .. didn't know who Jesus was.
How does that fit in with Jesus is Saviour?
If as Christians preach that accepting Jesus as their Saviour is the only way for Salvation .. There are an awful lot of folks who lived before Jesus was even born?
You cannot reconcile both arguments.
Jesus either is or is not the only way to Salvation.
By this reasoning .. Jesus didn't have to suffer and die for our sins?
Everyone (including those who lived before Christ) just had to believe that God was the Saviour?
There is also the little problem of "The wages of sin is death"(Price paid)
You also have the resurrection of the righteous as well as the unrighteous?
Since the only unforgivable sin according to scripture is Blasphemy, I'm pretty sure that Every unrighteous resurrected individual wouldn't have committed it?
If so, why call them back from hell to just send them back?
And if the Righteous are resurrected, does God pull them out of Heaven to resurrect them?
As I said, I have questions? 8)
First off - Salvation is a gift. Freely offered and freely accepted. Comes with a price in the long run, but you pay for what you get one way or another. Think of it as adopting a kitten - except you are the kitten in this case.
Was Jesus needed? Yes. He was, and not for some prophecy. He is the Word made flesh. The one that took the billion niggling rules in the OT and cut them down to two: basically honor God and don't be a dick to others. For that he got nailed to a tree with a bad joke over his head.
I tend to avoid the people before the birth of our Lord, simply because someone who can create the entire universe knows his own, no matter what name they use to call him. Yep - incurious, but figure someone who can screw with us on a sub atomic scale can do pretty much what he wants on the macro scale. I have seen good and godly people who don't know about Jesus. I've seen evil people who have his name constantly on their tongues in a none blasphemous sense. That is for smarter folk to work out.
Now "the wages of sin is death" has a double meaning. It's common in Hebrew, Aramaic (apparently, don't speak that lingo) and Arabic. Take it on face value first, as in your day to day life. Do something bad, or wrong, or evil or even careless - it affects you. You get less joy in life. If it affects your body, so it affects your soul.
As for resurrection - sure. It happens. People like change. Heaven has to be a little on the boring side from time to time. So why not bop back down and try to beat your last score? We like games for a reason.
Souls in Hell though? Consider why they are there. Dante knew, he should really be rated as a prophet. How can a loving God consign souls to the dark and punishment forever? He can't. Hell is the last ditch attempt at steering souls back to God. Even Lucifer will be redeemed some day.