These two posters are correct.
People who died before the Redemption went into a limbo where they waited for His coming, and were let into heaven when Jesus died and redeemed the world of sin.
The Gospel of Luke tells us that Hades was divided into 2 parts by a chasm, one side being Abraham’s bosom (also called paradise), and the other side a place of torture. But after Christ rose from the dead, He took those souls from paradise and took them into Heaven. Now Hades is a place where the souls of the lost go. It appears that Hades is in the center of the earth, since Jesus used the heart of the earth as a comparison to Jonah in the belly of the whale.
Those who died in God’s favor before Christ were kept in a part of Hades called Abraham’s Bosom (think of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus), where they were kept safe from suffering, because the gates of Heaven had not yet been opened by Jesus. After Jesus died, he preached to those in Abraham’s Bosom, and then Jesus rose from the dead (along with the souls [as opposed to bodies, I think] of those who accepted his teaching, which could very well have been all, I’d have to read those passages again). Then they all went to Heaven with Jesus (if not having to go through Purgatory first before joining Jesus in Heaven).
Oh…So that’s the part of the Apostles’ Creed where we say “He descended into Hell?” That’s what he was doing in Hell, rescuing the ones in Abraham’s Bosom?
I don’t know if rescuing is the right word, but I guess it kind of works. I’d rather say, he was taking them home. But yes, that is why it says that in the Apostles Creed, and in scripture.
Before Jesus the gates of Heaven were closed. Nobody who died before Jesus was in Heaven. Jesus opened the gates of Heaven and those who were in the Bosom of Abraham were allowed in.
If I understood you correctly, are you saying no one goes to hell before the final judgement? Can you please provide references for your answer?
No. People immediately go to Heaven, Purgatory or Hell, based on the condition of their soul.
Thanks, do you have supporting references that shows the delay in going to hell which will be the last day of judgement and not before this time?
There are TWO Judgments:
You are judged the first time, I suppose you could say as your personal event. You personally discover whether you have merited heaven or hell. The general judgement is so that ALL people who ever lived will see the judgement of EVERY single person who ever lived; if you go to hell your shame is revealed to every person who ever existed, and if you merit Heaven your glory and virtue is revealed to all.
