Hi everyone. I recently read a Catholic article on Holy Week. One section says, "...He (Jesus) went down into the netherworld in order to bring back up with Him into Heaven those who had died before His coming. Up to this time, the gates to Heaven were closed and no one could go there because of the original sin of Adam and Eve."

How can this be? I thought that (at least) Moses and the prophet Elijah (Noah, David, et. al.) had already ascended into heaven. After all, they are the ones who came down from Heaven to join up with Jesus when he made His final ascension to Heaven. What scriptures or other writings make this claim that everyone was just hanging out in the Netherworld until Heaven reopened?

Thank you!

-- Kate (kate38@aol.com), April 06, 2004

Answers

bump

-- (bumper@forum.com), April 06, 2004.

Traditional Catholic theology held that although the patriarchs were "saved" by their faith in the Christ to come, they were still excluded from entrance into heaven until the actual work of Christ was accomplished. This state was given the name "Limbo" (the "edge") meaning the edge of Hell. Hell here was understood in the same way as the ancient Jews understood "Sheol" -- the "grave" -- meaning the condition of waiting until the coming of the messiah and the resurrection. So Jesus "spent three days in the heart of the earth (Mt 12:40; cf. Eph. 4:9). Limbo was understood to be a part of Hell - - although a pleasant part. So in Dante's Divine Commedy for example. When Christ died on the cross he "decended into Hell" (Apostles Creed) "went to preach to the souls in prison" (i.e. in Limbo--see 1 Peter 3:19) and then "broke the gates of Hell" (cf. Acts 2:24 and Acts 2:31) to allow the righteous to ascend with him to heaven. So one sees in old Greek Orthodox icons the Risen Jesus breaking hell's gates and pulling Adam and Eve up with him. Kate's question as to Moses, Elijah, Noah, and David is a good one and was even asked in Ancient Times about those belived to have *bodily* ascended into heaven. Jewish and Christian tradition taught along with the Bible that Elijah and Enoch bodily ascended "into Heaven"; they accepted the Jewish tradition that Moses was also assumed (because his grave is unknow). I have never heard any such idea bout Noah and David. The standard answer to this question is given by St. Thomas (Summa Theologia III, Q. 49 a. 5 reply obj. 2) is that they were either translated to the Earthly Paradise (the Garden of Eden) or to a physical heaven in the sky but hidden from our eyes. In either case, they too awaited the opening of the Celestial Heaven at Christ's Resurrection. Moderns (Modernists?) have a hard time with these teaching but they have similar problems with the Resurrection too . . .

-- Catholic Observer (nospam@not.my.address), April 06, 2004.

I have heard a modern explanation. I'm not sure that there is a sound theology behind it, but here it is:

When a person dies, they are no longer confined within space and time. Therefore, someone who died prior to Jesus, was able to immediately witness the history of the world from beginning until being freed to enter Heaven. They immediately could see the depth to which the world had fallen and the redemption God offered through Jesus. And the height of His Love.

Quite a metaphysical conundrum (sic?), but logical.

God bless,

-- john placette (jplacette@catholic.org), April 06, 2004.