Fairly early in the gospel of John, it mentions that believers would later receive the Spirit, but that up to that time it had not been given to anyone, because Jesus hadn’t been “glorified” yet. Later in John, shortly before Jesus was arrested, he stated that he had to go away before “the Advocate” would come to his disciples. So it sounds like no one was ever given the Spirit until after Jesus died. Later, Paul says the Spirit has revealed insights about Christ to certain people like him, but not to anyone in any other generations.
But there are plenty of passages in the Bible before those, that indicate that people had already been given the Spirit, most of them having received it many generations before this. Or at least Christian translators like to make it look that way. And some of those people had insights into Christ, long before he was even born. Or at least that’s how Christians like to interpret their prophecies.
God set his Holy Spirit among the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, and gave his Spirit to instruct them in the wilderness. Bezalel was filled with the Spirit of God, so he would know how to make a tabernacle and stuff. Moses had the power of the Spirit, and so did the seventy elders who helped him lead Israel. The Spirit of God regularly came on the various judges God chose to lead Israel.
The Spirit of God also came on the foreign prophet Balaam, who was either an unwaveringly obedient servant of God, or a stubborn rebel who corrupted Israel and tried to bring a curse on the nation, depending on which part of the Bible you believe.
The Spirit of God came on Saul when he was chosen to be king, and when he got angry at Israel’s enemies. It came on Saul and his men when God wanted to stop them from going after David. It came on David when he was chosen to be king, and when he spoke his last words. David was speaking through the Spirit when he spoke about Jesus (according to Jesus). And according to Peter, the Holy Spirit spoke through David about Judas, too. After David’s adultery incident, he begged God not to take his Holy Spirit back away from him.
The Spirit came on the chief of David’s warriors, the prophet who instructed Asa, the Levite who encouraged Jehoshaphat, and the priest’s son who rebuked Judah during the reign of Joash.
Isaiah, who was endowed with God’s Spirit, said God said his Spirit would never depart from some Jews. And according to Paul, the Holy Spirit was speaking through Isaiah when he said the Jews were stubborn and God was giving up on them.
Isaiah said the Spirit of God would rest on a certain man he called “the Branch“. According to Zechariah, the Branch was Joshua son of Jozadak, a high priest who lived around 500 years before Jesus. But Christians interpret that and other passages as prophecies about Jesus. Even if they were right about that, those passages that mention the Spirit would still be more examples of someone being given the Spirit before Jesus died.
The Spirit came into Ezekiel. It came into him again. Then it came on him. God said he would put it in the Israelites. He said he’d do it again. And then he said he would pour it out on them. Micah was filled with it. Haggai said God said it remained among the people of Judah. According to Peter, all prophecy is the result of the Holy Spirit taking control of people.
John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was born, and so was his mother. And his father, after John was born. It came on Mary and got her pregnant. The Holy Spirit was on some old guy named Simeon, and it revealed knowledge about Jesus to him.
The Holy Spirit also descended on Jesus when he hadn’t died yet. John saw it happen. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, and it gave him joy and led him into the wilderness so the devil could tempt him. And Jesus said God would give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asked him. God gives the Spirit without limit.