Regarding what is God's word per the new covenant.
Without the spirit of God re-united to the soul that is trapped in the temporary tabernacle (flesh), there is only existence and regeneration of the soul trapped in sin and darkness. There is no rest for the wicked, but the Righteous enter into rest.
I know I was born dead for the dead know nothing and what infant when born according to the flesh knows anything? It’s said that even Jesus, who was born according to the flesh, grew in the spirit as we all must. Any infant born according to the flesh suffers through the ignorance of sin and the experience of our existence. Sin is defiance or ignorance of the wisdom of God. Adam and Eve though made pure in the beginning, were in a state of ignorance hence their desire to give into sin by seeking an unknown promised wisdom by the serpent and master of the half truth lie.
We can exist an entire life time in the flesh and never truly live. This has been the case for man having a soul, without the spirit of God, throughout the ages. Having the soul re-united to the spirit of God is the only way to enter the kingdom of heaven (born again). Until then we simply exist and stumble through history and sin which over time bares witness to the darkness we are in without the wisdom and Law of God written on our hearts.
The day of Pentecost is the anniversary of the day Israel received the Law of God from the mouth of God (hence we can only live by every word that proceeded from the mouth of God). Pentecost is also the day the First fruits of Jesus received the spirit of God (Law written on the heart in spirit), It was at that moment they were children of God just as Jesus was a child begotten of the heavenly parent after his baptism of water (repentance) and spirit, making him a faithful witness and first born from the dead Rev 1:5. Jesus said that when we die we will be like the angels in heaven, We know John the Revelator was an angel, for when he bowed to the Angel while in vision, the angel warned against this by saying they were brothers and that he should worship God (The Heavenly Parent). The John of Revelation had not yet reached physical death, yet had already died to self and was born again in new life through Christ (The anointing of Spirit).
Because the flesh is simply a vessel that carries the soul, it's for this reason that God was quick to kill the flesh in the OT. It's the soul that God is interested in bringing out of the darkness of sin. It is stated that God knew us before we were born. This strongly implies a pre-existence of the soul before our existence in our current temporary tabernacle (flesh).
We see an example of this in the bible where John the Baptist did not know he was the return of Elijah even though he was a prophet who received the Word of the Lord in the manner of the old Covenant (external voice of truth from heaven (The Word)); yet Jesus who received the New covenant internally (word of God written on the heart), implied John the Baptist was the return of Elijah after the transfiguration on the mount. Much of the concept of the regeneration for the soul was left out of the 4 bible gospels, but is still preserved in the gospel of 12 which clearly pre-dates the 4 bible gospels we have today based on the discoveries revealed by the shared study. I recommend reading this for greater understanding. We have to remember that Jesus did nothing of himself unless it was given to him from His parent who is our parent regarding the spirit of God internal and Eternal (New Covenant)
This process is the only way for all souls that have ever existed to be judged equally and have the opportunity to be born again as Jesus stated, No one enters heaven unless they are born again. We know John the Baptist was beheaded prior to Pentecost when the first fruits (144,000) were born again and entered into the kingdom to be angels (messengers of God) speaking the good news of the Gospel (anointing of spirit/resurrection of the sons and daughters of Man) that they received. It's for this reason that they too like Jesus could heal with a word and since they were of the truth, could hear God's voice. With out the regeneration of the soul, the soul of John the Baptist who was the return of Elijah would never see the kingdom of heaven.
John the Baptist who was the return of the soul that was also in Elijah, would have either been re-generated to a new tabernacle of flesh to later in history experience the born again process, or was one of many who came back from the grave on the day of Jesus physical resurrection to meet with the apostles during the feast of weeks in Galilee in preparation for the day of Pentecost. John the Baptist having a pure body through repentance and able to communicate with God the parent before meeting Jesus prior to his baptism of water and spirit, would have likely been brought back from the dead at the physical resurrection since his temple (body) was a pure temple through the doctrine of Repentance that both He and Jesus taught by direction of the heavenly parent. Only Jesus the first born from the dead was at the time of Pentecost, able to baptize with the Fire (Spirit of God).
We know that that the Apostles after their Baptism of Spirit were also able to baptize with the Holy Spirit if the bible in its current state is telling the truth of the matter. Jesus did state that we would do all that He did and more. If this is so, then they too were of the Way, the Truth and the Life in every way that Jesus was. Born dead according to the Flesh in sin, then made alive through repentance by the wisdom of the Law and keeping that which is good. This allowed them to be re-connected with the spirit of God (spiritual re-birth).
It's not until Acts 11 that we see the Pagans (Hellenists) of Antioch who first called themselves Christians due to separating doctrinally from The Way, the Truth, and The life begin calling themselves Christians. A Prophet from Jerusalem (Agabus) who was part of the The Way Jesus started, went to meet the Christians of Antioch and upon meeting them, he prophesied a famine through out all the world. Could he have been talking about a spiritual Famine (men lacking the spirit of God) even though they (the Christians) recorded that it was in reference to a physical famine? The Christian who wanted to spread a Gospel they could not fully comprehend and not led by the spirit, would be the many Anti-Christ deceivers talked about by the apostle John. We have their written recordings in our bible today since the apostles would have taught what God was giving them in their ear to speak. They could hear God's voice and were living examples of the Way, Truth, and Life. (A living gospel of truth vs. the written half truths we received on paper which clearly suffered corruption by the speculations of our Christian forefathers at the pen of gentile scribes).
We are spiritual descendants of the Christians who separated from the Way, Truth, and Life. We are only of The Way as the apostles were, if we are born again.
This is the love of God, To learn how to love God by walking in His WAY, Truth (with out Error) and Life (Free from Sin), before physical death of the flesh so that our flesh and soul unified to the spirit of God, A purified temple by repentance and spirit, can enter into rest for the resurrection on the last day.
The sacrifice of Christ is to be our sacrifice in every way, He resisted sin through repentance and so should we just as the Apostles who followed His example. It's for this reason that the animal sacrifices could be abolished. We must die to self to save a brother.
Until the born again process occurs for me, this is merely a speculation built on the fragments of recorded history that have defined my perceptions to this understanding.
Very respectfully,
God Bless