You are spouting Jewish myths and legends, while dismissing the universal meaning of Christ's redemption.
Think about it: if people were saved before Christ's sacrifice, what does that make of His cross but a mockery. Then He is not the Savior of the world because some were "privileged" not to need Him.
That means some were not captives to death and are immortal; death had no grip on them. They didn't need to wait for Chirst to free the world from the chains of death.
The NT is confusing, if not outright contradicting regarding Elijah as being John the Forerunner (Baptist). In John 1:21 John the Baptist says that he is not Elijah.
But Mat 11:14 says "he is Elijah, the one who is to come" and Mat 17:13 leaves no doubt that he was Elijah "Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist."
As far as Enoch is concerned, where does the Old Testament say he never died? Gen 5:24 simply says (my emphasis) "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Was no more?
It is only in Luke's Gospel that we see inference that he never "saw" death. This is based on Talmudic myth, not on Chirstian scriputres, unless the Reformed consider Talmud as scripture as well.
You are spouting Jewish myths and legends, while dismissing the universal meaning of Christ's redemption.
Well, that is certainly one explanation. :)
Think about it: if people were saved before Christ's sacrifice, what does that make of His cross but a mockery. Then He is not the Savior of the world because some were "privileged" not to need Him.
No, the cross is not made a mockery. :) Everyone who is predestined for Heaven absolutely HAD to have Jesus die for his or her sins on the cross. It is indispensable. Here is a brief explanation from Reformed Answers:
Question - When Moses died, where did he go, since Jesus Christ had not yet come?
Answer - When Old Testament believers (such as Moses) died, they went to heaven even though Jesus had not yet come. Before the foundation of the world, the Father had covenanted with the Son that the Son would die for the sins of believers. Therefore, the forgiveness Christ purchased by his death was certain. Because it was certain, it was available to Old Testament believers.
One reason we know this is true is that even in the Old Testament God forgave people's sins (e.g. Exod. 34:7; Lev. 4:20,26,31,35; 5:10,13,16,18; 6:7; 19:22; Num. 14:19; 15:25,26,28; Deut. 21:8). As we learn in Hebrews 9-10 (e.g. 10:11; etc.), the sacrifices in the Old Testament did not themselves provide forgiveness. Rather, they pointed to the sacrifice that Christ would offer. Thus, the forgiveness received in the Old Testament was based on Christ's atonement. Even though he had not yet come, the fact that he had covenanted to come was sufficient to merit salvation "on credit," so to speak.
Another reason we know that Old Testament saints went to heaven is that we have examples of this, such as Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).
Not only does God transcend time, but His promises and plans do too. To be honest, even my trusty "Got Questions" website that I like talked about Sheol/Paradise as being other than Heaven for the OT righteous (and unrighteous) until Jesus came. But that doesn't make sense to me since Jesus said:
Luke 23:43 : Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise ."
Timing is critical here, because Jesus was talking about AFTER He had said "It is finished" and AFTER He died. At that second there would be no need for a separate "Paradise", so it doesn't fit. What does fit is that God's promise is so rock solid that it applies retroactively. There was never a chance that Jesus on the cross wouldn't happen.
That means some were not captives to death and are immortal; death had no grip on them. They didn't need to wait for Christ to free the world from the chains of death.
All souls ever made are immortal, it's just a matter of where they end up. Death is not a person, it is a state. Jesus freed the elect from that state with His death on the cross and it applied to all of the elect whenever born. That God chose to have this happen within time does not diminish the power of His act.
The NT is confusing, if not outright contradicting regarding Elijah as being John the Forerunner (Baptist). In John 1:21 John the Baptist says that he is not Elijah. But Mat 11:14 says "he is Elijah, the one who is to come" and Mat 17:13 leaves no doubt that he was Elijah "Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist."
I agree that it is confusing, but the Bible solves this by pointing out a logical impossibility. That is, that Jesus could not have been speaking literally. The simple answer is that Elijah showed up at the transfiguration AFTER John the Baptist died. If he had switched identities, (or John was some sort of resurrection of Elijah), then it would have been John, not Elijah.
As far as Enoch is concerned, where does the Old Testament say he never died? Gen 5:24 simply says (my emphasis) "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Was no more?
It is only in Luke's Gospel that we see inference that he never "saw" death. This is based on Talmudic myth, not on Christian scriptures, unless the Reformed consider Talmud as scripture as well.
Well, we do have this:
Heb 11:5 : By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
Besides, going back to Luke, I thought the ONLY OT scriptures you would accept were the ones quoted or referred to in the Gospels. :)