There are things to consider. When Jesus died on the cross, in the temple the vale was 'rent in two' taking away the separation between God and man because of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
That is an excellent point. And we can expand on that point here:
Hebrews 9:23-24
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]23 [/SUP]It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
The writer contrasts the figure for the time present (the Tabernacle and it's services) with the reality. The blood of the sacrifices of the Priesthood is contrasted with His Own Blood (death). Men only came into God's presence in the Holy of Holies, once a year, and the High Priest only. Thus entrance to God was not granted men in that day.
The writer goes on to say...
Hebrews 10:19-20
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]19 [/SUP]Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
[SUP]20 [/SUP]By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Now just as the veil of the Tabernacle (the writer never mentions the Temple) separated men from the figure (parable) of the presence of God (within the Holy of Holies), Christ's Incarnation is the reality of the veil men must go through to come into God's presence.
Now watch this:
Hebrews 9
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]7 [/SUP]But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
[SUP]8 [/SUP]The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Now look back at 10:19 above: this makes it clear that the Holiest of All was not entered prior to Christ's Sacrifice.
The veil of the Tabernacle represented what Christ would do, and that veil is His flesh. And just as in John 6 Christ taught that the Bread of Heaven was His flesh, and that eternal life was through belief in Him giving His flesh that men might have eternal life, even so here we see that men did not enter into the presence of God prior to the Sacrifice of Christ.
Men were not eternally redeemed prior to the Cross:
Hebrews 9:12-15
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]12 [/SUP]Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
[SUP]14 [/SUP]How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
[SUP]15 [/SUP]And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
What he is saying here is that while men were "saved" by grace through faith in the Old Testament, that did not mean that the sacrifices of the Law redeemed them on an eternal basis. Their security was just as sure as anyone born again in this Age, however, men like Abraham, Moses, and David all died having received only the remission of sins available to them. The last offering for sin they would have offered up before dying would have been an animal, which provided temporal and temporary remission of sins.
In v.15 he state that their transgressions were redeemed by Christ.
Then there is the 3 days and Jesus led captivity captive and the graves were opened and those in Abraham's bosom were freed to go to heaven. All that happened before Pentecost. Is that the proper time table?
Yes. The Old Testament Saints could not enter into God's presence in the Holiest of All, defined by the writer of Hebrews as Heaven itself. Their transgression had to be redeemed.
This is what the writer of Hebrews is speaking of when he states...
Hebrews 11:13
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]13 [/SUP]These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Hebrews 11:39-40
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]39 [/SUP]And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
[SUP]40 [/SUP]God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
The "perfection" in view here simply refers to completion, and is a consistent theme in Hebrews. Christ's Work has made complete that which was incomplete under Law, and a primary issue is remission of sins. As we see in ch.9 completion was brought to the Old Testament Saints when Christ died.
Does make one wonder if believers who didn't have the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they had the sacrifice of Jesus so the payment was made.
This is true, for the eternal indwelling of the Comforter is a distinct ministry not found in the Old Testament, as Christ teaches here:
John 14:16-17
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]16 [/SUP]And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
[SUP]17 [/SUP]Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
As we look into whether men were born again before Pentecost, we are going to see some elements that many may have not considered before. The OP does not ask "Were men saved before Pentecost," but whether they were born again.
And you point out one element that is a necessity in regards to regeneration: one cannot be considered born again if they do not have the Spirit of Christ.
John 14:18
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]18 [/SUP]I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Your the first other person I've read to bring this subject up.
Isn't that amazing? That this question is not something that is ever talked about?
This is why I ask in the OP to state if it is something one has considered before.
Thanks for the post.
God bless.