Thank you for the biblical/theological question on death, “According to this doctrine, Is “Limbo” only reserved for old testament patriarchs and unbaptized infants… or do other types of people go there too?”
The Catholic Church teaches in its doctrine that Purgatory is the place of punishment while Limbo is the place of waiting without pain or suffering. Depending on the standing with the Catholic Church, one may be in Purgatory or in Limbo.
For one’s consideration on the state of dead of Old Testament believers and infants:
A. The Pharisees believed in a future resurrection (Acts 23:6–7), while the Sadducees did not believe in a future resurrection (Matt. 22:23).
B. The Old Testaments Jewish believers believed that they themselves or their descendants will inherit the Promised Land at the return of the Messiah. It may not have been clear to the Jews where the spirit/soul of a person goes to upon death, but there is the belief of a resurrection.
Ezekiel 37 says this, “Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’” (NIV).
C. The Old Testament Jewish believers who died didn’t enter into heaven but their soul/spirit were in the “bosom” of Abraham.
The theological reasoning that OT Jewish believers didn’t enter into heaven is because there was a temporary covering of sins, but not a removal of sins. Sin was still present.
In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus said this about Abraham’s bosom or Abraham’s side: “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead’”(NIV).
Prior to the atoning work of Jesus on the cross, Jesus states that poor man was at/in Abraham’s bosom with a impassable gulf between him and the rich man. The Jewish believers were not in torment, but resting in their faith of God’s promise. Thus in one sense, one can say that the Jewish believers in the Old Testament were in “Limbo” or Abraham’s bosom prior to Jesus’ atonement.
D. The Old Testament Jewish believers and New Testament believes are able to enter into heaven due to the atonement of Jesus Christ.
It is believed that when Jesus Christ declared that it is finished, the veil between God and man was torn. Atonement for sin was completed and the believers were able to enter into the presence of God.
Hebrews 9 says this, “But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,[a] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining[b] eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[c] so that we may serve the living God!…23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (NIV).
Thus there is no longer a need of Limbo since Jesus’ work on the cross satisfied the righteousness of God by his shed blood to remove sin from which believers committed against God or man. He bore on his body our sins, paying the penalty of sin, so that God can forgive the sinner. This forgiveness by God enables the believers of all time to enter now into the presence of God.
As to infants who died at a very young age, do they go to heaven? Although a child has inherited a sin nature, that child has not committed any sin. God who is compassionate and gracious would accept a child into his presence due to the atoning work of Christ (I John 2:2).
As one remembers the sin of David and Bathsheba were God declared to David that their child would die and did died. The sin was David and the consequences of his sin led to the death of his son. I don’t believe that David’s son is in hell but in heaven.
In my understanding of Scripture, baptism does not save anyone but one’s believe in Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for his/her sin will save that person. Salvation is a gift from God, not an obligation of God to give salvation or that a person can earn/contribute to his/her salvation (Eph. 2:8–9).
SUMMARY: The doctrine of Limbo or Abraham’s bosom was applicable to Old Testament believers until Jesus Christ removed the sin barrier between God and believers by his atoning work on the cross.
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