To: UnRuley
Moses, Abraham, Isaac and others who lived before Jesus, are in Heaven seeing that they didn't actually "know" Jesus or accept salavation. Paul, I believe, speaks to that, is it in Hebrews? I'll check, their faith being counted as righteousness....among other things.
To: nicmarlo
Just because they were "righteous" isn't sufficient, they needed to be saved like all of us. It is the teaching of the Church, as passed on to us by the apostles, that at the death and Resurrection of Jesus, those holy souls who had already died such as Noah & Moses, etc were saved at that time. Jesus went to the place of the dead to free them. They were waiting for Jesus to come to open the Gates of Heaven, to be the WAY for them. Everyone who is in Heaven is saved by Jesus.
There is a wonderful Orthodox icon (the Resurrection) which depicts this visually. Jesus is standing on the Cross which is barring the way to Hell and he is lifting up Adam with one hand and Eve with the other. Behind Adam and Eve are Moses, David and other Old Testament Saints.
147 posted on
01/13/2003 1:15:02 PM PST by
UnRuley
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