Question

[Brian_H]

What happened to the souls of all the people that died before the New/ Old Testaments came out?

 

[Pegg]

What happened to the souls of all the people that died before the New/ Old Testaments came out?

like all souls, they died and returned to dust.
Gen 3:19 "In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Job 34:15 All flesh will expire together, And earthling man himself will return to the very dust.

Ecclesiastes 3:20 All are going to one place. They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust.


The hope for all who have died is to be resurrected...brought back to life by God:
John 5:28 Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out

Job 14:14 If an able-bodied man dies can he live again?
All the days of my compulsory service I shall wait, Until my relief comes.
15 You will call, and I myself shall answer you.
For the work of your hands you will have a yearning

 

[Katzpur]

What happened to the souls of all the people that died before the New/ Old Testaments came out?

They are awaiting their resurrection in the Spirit World and have been since their death (along with those who have died since then). During this period of time, they remain cognizant beings who can still make decisions that could impact their eternal destiny. Those who did not have the opportunity to hear Jesus Christ's gospel during their mortal lives will have that opportunity as spirit beings. They will have the chance to hear it taught by the believers who have died, and will be able to choose for themselves whether to accept or reject it.

 

[sojourner]

Since, in the Christian POV, salvation is not dependent upon a particular time or place, redemption has been effected once for all.

 

[chiefofsinners]

The bodies returned to dust, but the soul is not of dust - and our G-d is the G-d of the living, not of the dead, so the souls (at least certainly those of the righteous) are alive.

Orthodox (coptic, etc.) tradition holds that Christ "was crucified, buried and arose from the dead on the 3rd day," and that during the time between His burial and resurrection, He descended to hades (a.k.a sheol - akin to being asleep), defeats & bounds satan and liberates the righteous souls who had departed before His coming ("taking captivity captive") - raising them up with Him to paradise to await the final day of judgment, when all the world will rise to face judgment at one time. Thus, Christ answers the thief crucified beside him, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43

Like the Jewish rabbinical tradition, this is based on Biblical scripture/prophesy (old & new) as well as the tradition passed down over the generations from the early church until now.

Note for the record: Paradise is not to be confused with purgatory (which the Catholic church has come to acknowledge is false) nor is it by any means even remotely close to the Islamic notion of "paradise" (which is based on physical & not spiritual precepts) - and it is not Heaven, the wonder of which "no eye has seen nor ear heard," as entry into Heaven does not take place until after the second coming of the Messiah (& final judgment).

 

[Katzpur]

Note for the record: Paradise is not to be confused with purgatory (which the Catholic church has come to acknowledge is false) nor is it by any means even remotely close to the Islamic notion of "paradise" (which is based on physical & not spiritual precepts) - and it is not Heaven, the wonder of which "no eye has seen nor ear heard," as entry into Heaven does not take place until after the second coming of the Messiah (& final judgment).

I agree with you on all points except this one: Where on earth did you come up with the notion that the "Catholic Church has come to acknowledge that purgatory is false"? I believe they are no longer teaching that the spirits of unbaptized babies go to Limbo, but that's not the same thing as purgatory.

 

[JacobEzra.]

Note for the record: Paradise is not to be confused with purgatory (which the Catholic church has come to acknowledge is false) nor is it by any means even remotely close to the Islamic notion of "paradise" (which is based on physical & not spiritual precepts) - and it is not Heaven, the wonder of which "no eye has seen nor ear heard," as entry into Heaven does not take place until after the second coming of the Messiah (& final judgment).

1. What you listed that the Orthodox believe, Catholics believe to. Its in our 'Apostles Creed'.

2. the bolded seems a bit arrogant of you to demand.