Looking forward to the cross?

If you’ve been in church long enough or read enough you will eventually hear someone say that people in the Old Testament were saved by “looking forward to the cross.” I have personally heard this taught and read this in the past. This is a ridiculous notion and just one more myth that is perpetuated again and again by those repeating what they have read in a theology book or were taught in a Bible class. When you are told this, you will undoubtedly be quoted a verse about Abraham. Abraham was justified by faith yes, but in a future cross? Abraham was required to have faith in WHAT WAS REVEALED TO HIM. The cross was in NO WAY revealed to Abraham. Abraham proved his faith by leaving his home. Abraham had to DO something to prove he was faithful. Was it enough for Abraham to just take Isaac up the mountain? Abraham proved his faithfulness once he lifted the knife. Do you expect me to believe he was thinking of a future cross when he was lifting that knife? Of course he wasn’t. Abraham was being obedient to what he was told AT THAT TIME, and AT THAT TIME he knew NOTHING of the cross. As a matter of fact, you will be hard pressed to find any OT scriptures about being “saved” that does not relate to deliverance from Israel’s enemies. NO Jew ever expected to go to Heaven. The doctrine of the OT focuses on God’s judgment and the earthly kingdom. It takes men with a preconceived agenda to say people in the OT were saved by looking forward to the cross. I ask you to read three verses, Matthew 16:21-23. This is the record of the FIRST time Jesus mentions he is going to die to his disciples. Do they respond indicating they knew about the cross and were expecting Jesus to die soon? Of course not, Peter himself rebukes Jesus for even bringing it up. So here is a good question for all those who believe People in the OT get saved just like we do, or by looking forward to the cross. Matthew 16 is well into Jesus earthly ministry and all his disciples have been preaching the gospel of the kingdom for some time now, so how is it that Jesus JUST NOW mentions he is going to die? How could anyone in the OT be saved by the cross when the disciples themselves don’t know or understand ANYTHING about the cross as late as Matthew 16? The obvious answer is, they can’t be. Why? Because Jesus’ preaching was not about him dying on a cross! Jesus’ preaching was about Israel’s king is here and Israel’s earthly kingdom was at hand. We were taught to believe men’s opinions and denominational agenda’s. I’m asking you to learn how to rightly divide your Bible so you can believe the WORDS ALONE in your King James Bible AS WRITTEN and then just believe them. Interested?