>>Mitch, In Christ, all Christians are called Saints in the Bible. So I was referring to anyone who has died as a Christian immediately being transported to Heaven.
There is a verse in Revelation that indicates that after Christ had dealt with the Jews in 70 AD that it ended the Jewish age but also started the Age of the Church. At that time, my belief is that event enabled all that died in Christ to realize their reward in Heaven.<<
This brings up two questions.
Firstly, what do you mean by "dealt with the Jews"? Do you believe that Jesus was responsible for the Jewish massacre and destruction of the second temple?
Secondly, what is your viewpoint on people who died prior to 70AD, or 30AD, or whenever you believe the great swithover occurred? Did these people have souls? Obviously, some of them (such as Elijah) made it up to heaven in bodily form. Others (such as the saints who were resurrected when Jesus died)were either in heaven or sleeping in between their death and resurrection. Others (such as the non-saints) died and have yet to be resurrected. Is this as confusing to you as it is to me?
>>As to St. Peter...<<
There is good reason to believe that Peter never even went to Rome, although the RCs depend on it. Whatever post-crucifiction authority Peter did have in Jerusalem was eventually displaced by that of James (the Just, the Brother of Jesus). If it wasn't for the Jewish revolt and the virulent tendencies of Paulanity (known today as Christianity), we might still have remnants of people who still practiced as Jesus and James had taught. |
