The Church began at Pentacost, so the OT believers were not in the presence of God as we now are right after physical death, you do remember that Jesus went down to Sheol to take out the OT believers to now arise with him, as they needed him to die and resurrect to complete their 'salvation" experience. correct?
The scripture does not say that anywhere. Lazerus is never said to have gone to "hades" but to paradise and paradise has always been heaven in Jewish thought as well as in all other scripture references. David sees only two opposite places (hades and heaven - Psa.139) and claims that he is "continually" with God while he is on earth and "afterwards" in glory which he calls heaven
not hades:
Psa. 73: 23 Nevertheless
I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and
afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I
in heaven but thee? and there is none
upon earth that I desire beside thee.
In David's mind "Continually" only has TWO PLACES possible "on earth" now and "in heaven" AFTERWARDS. In another psalm he speaks of his death in terms of flight "fly away" to glory.
Hades is the realm of the dead, meaning the dead bodies of both Christians and non-Christians (believers in Messiah and non-believers in Messiah) or UPPER HADES. It is the realm of DEAD spirits or the lost. Hence, the only aspect of the saint that goes to hades is his DEAD body which refers to the grave, as hades is translated half the time "grave" in the KJV and in 1 Corinthians in the context of the DEAD body it is translated "grave":
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, [Gr. hades] where is thy victory?
Remember Paul is speaking of his OWN HOPE of resurrection of his OWN BODY long after Pentecost and we know Paul's spirit did not go to hades at his death but to heaven. Hades is the PLACE OF THE DEAD (dead bodies and dead spirits).
(Psa. 7Your interpretation is based upon inferences rather than clear teaching. Ephesians 4:9 can just as easily be interpreted to refer to the grave (lower parts) as the grave is metaphorically described as a womb out of which Christ was the "firstborn" (Col. 1:15)
Col. 1:18
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
which the formation of David in the womb of his mother is also called the "lower parts" (Psa. 139:13-15)
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Ephesians 4:8 can just as easily be a quotation from
Jud 5:12 ¶
Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
It refers to taking captive what previously had Israel in captivity or overcoming their foes. Roman Generals would lead their conquored foes in the streets of Rome while giving gifts taken from their foes or the spoils of war. Here Paul is simply saying in another way what he says in:
Col 2:15
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
As far as Peter's reference that is so often abused and misused, it was the "Spirit" of Christ preaching in Noah to those who rejected the gospel, AS THE SPIRIT of Christ indwelt and worked through all prophets prior to Pentecost (1 Pet. 1:8-10) in addition to common saints such as non prophets like JOSHUA but those whom he preached had been in prison since the flood. By the way the salvation that all the prophets looked into was the FULFILLMENT of the gospel promise that "now" occurred in the life of Peter in the incarnation, life and death of Jesus Christ and the yet future fulfillment to occur beyond the life of Peter in the resurrection and glorification of the body which all the saints in the past, present and future are still waiting together for (Heb. 11:39-40).
And if the OT saints had the same experience with the Holy spirit as we now all do, why did God point to a future day in Zechariah/Isaiah/Joel/Jeremiah et all, when messiah comes unto his people, THEN the spirit comes into their very hearts?
You are confusing the promises to the NATION of Israel at HIS SECOND ADVENT with individuals who were presently justified, regenerated and indwelt and the progressive work by the indwellling of the Spirit was manifested in both the fruit of the Spirit as "faith" is a fruit of the indwelling Spirit (Heb. 11).