What happened to the souls of man before Jesus died on the cross for our sins?

Answer 1

The Catholic Church believes that those who die never hearing of Christ but have sought the truth and does the will of God as they understand it can be saved. This is called the Baptism of desire. (1)

If they died before Jesus died for our sins and opened the gates of heaven for us, then they waited in what is called in the Old Testament Abraham's Bosom or Sheol.

Catholics believe that after Jesus died on the cross, he descended into Sheol, the place of the dead. While there He freed the holy souls who awaited their savior in Abraham's bosom and they entered heaven. (2)

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The same thing that happens to them now- they're still dead and awaiting the resurrection when Christ returns! We DON'T have an immortal soul!

John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, He who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Joh 7:33 But Jesus told them, "I will be with you a little while longer, and then I will return to the one who sent me.
Joh 7:34 You will look for me, but you won't find me. You CANNOT GO where I am going."
Joh 14:2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will COME AGAIN and I will receive you unto Myself; so that where I am, there you may be also.

As you can see from the above verses, no one HAS EVER seen God! And Jesus said NO ONE could follow him to heaven- where he was going. But he says when he COMES BACK, THEN we will be able to go wherever he is!

Answer 3

People who died before and at the cross, went to paradise or hell. And yes, Jesus was and is the savior of the world. Back then if people lived by the law, which was very hard to do for some even Moses. They went to paradise, as did the man who died with Jesus on the cross. Why did the man on the cross go to Paradise without living the life before hand? The answer is simple he had been forgiven by the Master and God of all creation.

Lu 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou BE WITH ME in paradise.

Answer 4

We get our understanding of what happened to the dead before the cross from the story of the Rich man and Lazarus---Luke 16:19-31.

\No one could get into heaven before the Lord's blood was shed for them, but those who died believing from their Old Testament studies that a redeemer was coming to save them from their sins went to a place the Jews called Abraham's bosom or Paradise. It was a place of comfort. It's where Lazarus went.

Unbelievers went to a place of torment like the rich man. Both were in the "abode of the dead" called Sheol in Hebrew and Hades in the Greek. While in sight of each other there was a giant chasm that separated them so no one could cross from one side to the other.

When Jesus died, He went to Paradise (Luke 23:43) and when He rose He brought the faithful of the Old Testament times to Heaven with Him (Matt. 27:54-55) Since that time all who die in faith go straight into the presence of the Lord. The unsaved dead remain in torment till the end of the Millennium when they're brought back to life for their final judgment.(Rev. 20:11-15)

As for those who die having never heard of Jesus (if there be any) Romans 1:18-20 tells us that the minimum requirement of every man is that having looked upon the Creation, he realize there is a God Who created it and therefore Him. My own view is that when that happens, God will move Heaven and Earth to bring someone to tell Him about Jesus.

Answer 5

They did the same before christ as after, they had their souls repaired at the cobblers, which is very appropriate for concepts such as souls and religion.

PS If jesus died on the cross for my sins, he could at least have waited to find out what they were. He might have got off with a wrist slapping instead. I certainly up until now haven't done anything to warrant a death sentence.

Answer 6

The most popular theory I am aware of says that people who died before Jesus and who trusted God are saved. Its proponents reason that this is so because God lives outside of the influence of time, and that time is really an illusion experienced by humans. This would mean that Christ's death is at the same time as everything else in the eyes of God. They say that because of this, Christs's sacrifice is for all people of faith before and after His time on earth. I don't know if that's how it is, but it makes enough sense to be believed, IMHO. Good luck!

Answer 7

So, again let’s go back to the beginning. What is “a living soul”? Genesis 2:7 Dust and breath, that is what we are Please turn to Genesis 3:19 Dust you are and to dust you return. Let’s look at a controversial text. The book of Ecclesiastes chapter twelve and verse seven, (read it) dust to the ground, spirit to God who gave it. So one might ask what is the spirit if not what we commonly call a ghost? First we’ll turn to James it’s a little book right after Hebrews. We’ll read in chapter two verse twenty-six. This chapter is mostly talking about faith without deeds being dead, but here in verse twenty-six it states, “The body without the ‘spirit’ is dead.” Not much, we didn’t already know, but what is this spirit? The book of Job sheds some light on the fact in chapter 27 verse three; Job is talking to his friends about God. He states that as long as he has life in him the breath of God in his nostrils he will not…deny his integrity. It goes back to dust and breath again. So what does happen to a person when they die? Ezekiel 18:20 states that the soul that sins, it shall die. In first Timothy chapter six verses 15 and 16 Paul is talking to Timothy and says (read) God is the only one who is immortal. Let’s see if we can find out where the dead are. What is it like for those that have died? Does the Bible give us any indication? Ps 115:17 “The dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into silence.” And again in Ecc 9:5, 6 & 10 “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun.” “Whatsoever thy hand finds to do, do it with all thy might for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” God says the dead know not anything. In the gospels, John chapter 11, when it talks about Lazarus death, in verse eleven Jesus calls death sleep. How many of you, when you get a good nights sleep realize anything that goes on around you between the time you fall asleep and when you wake up? That is what it is like to be dead,and the body; it goes where we bury it to await the resurrection.
Are we really sure that our loved ones are not in heaven now? Let’s close with reading a couple more texts. The first text is found in Acts 2 (read); Peter is talking to the crowd about Jesus resurrection. The part of the dialogue I want us to concentrate on begins in verse twenty-two and ends in the first part of verse 34. David, the King David, is dead and buried and has not ascended to heaven. When will we expect to see our loved ones again? First Thessalonians chapter four verses 15 though 18 answers this question for us. One minute a person is alive and what will seem to them as the next minute God will call them from their graves. And finally, Revelation chapter twenty one verses one through five, we go to heaven together with our loved ones when Christ comes again and there will be no more death or crying.

Answer 8

The verdict has not been decided as of yet. Judgement day is still yet to come. On that day they will be held accountable for their actions (or lack thereof) based on the knowlegde of God's law prior to the death, burial, and ressurection of Jesus. Prior to this there were people who followed the law to the letter while there were others who did not obey anything in the old testiment. And then there were the folks everywhere in between.

Only after Judgement Day will we know this for sure.

Answer 9

iod tiger gave you a lot of good info and has a true biblical theology. I would like to add that christ died once for all people over all time and it was by grace through faith in a savior to come or one revealed especially by god thAT PEOPLE WERE AND ARE SAVED. all old testament sacrifices were a sign of the cross to come and were never able to save a person. sorry but i must go

Answer 10

The same thing that happens to them now

The soul (AKA your mind) ,which exists as long as your brain is alive, dies when the brain dies.

This happened to people before the mythical jesus, and continues to this day.

Welcome to reality!