JohnGrace:
Keep in mind that Christ is a Divine Person with a Divine Nature and Human Nature. Thus, in his Human nature, he is like us in all things save sin, he truly died and thus went to the place of the dead [Hades in Greek] just like everyone else. But since he is Truly God, he was able to conquoer death and now his body, which is still a body, has been transformed and glorified, death has no more power over it and thus he overcame Death and Hades [see CCC link below]
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p122a5p1.htm#p1
Luke 16:22 [See entire parable of Lazerus and Rich man in Luke 16:19-31] speaks of Abraham’s bosom which the Ignatius Bible and Commentary describes as a “temporary realm within Hades where the righous souls of the OT era waited patiently for Christ to open the gates of Heaven, which did not occur till after his Resurrection and then Ascension to the Father where the entire Person of Christ Ascended into Heaven [see Ephesians 4:8-10 which alludes to the captives being set free after Christ Ascended into Heaven, and St. Paul points out that He [Christ] who ascended is the same one who descended into the lower parts of the earth [i.e. Hades, the place of the dead].
The Transfiguration of Moses and Elijah suggests that those 2 were an exceptions, although the text does not clearly state that or that is not the point of the Transfiguration narratives [Mt 17:1-8, 2 Peter 1:16-18; Luke 9:28-36].
Still, I think the overall Biblical evidence indicates that God made exceptions for Moses, Elijah and Enoch but they were still saved through Christ, albeit in an extraordinary way. For the majority of the OT era saints and faithful people of God, they were in Abraham’s bosom and waited for Christ to rise from the dead and ascend into heaven.
Thanks for clarification. I believe as a Catholic. There are points that can be discussed though. Thanks again.