Did Old Testament Believers Go To Heaven When They Died? Or Did They Went Some Other Place?
When Jesus Christ Ascended Into Heaven, Did He Take The Old Testament Saints With Him Or Were They Already In Heaven?
Waiting Place Before Going To Heaven?
Some Christian think the Old Testament saints did not go to heaven immediately after they died. They went to a place specially created by God. They must wait until Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself on the cross for their sins. Their sins were atoned for by Jesus Christ death at the cross and when the temple curtain was broken into 2 when Jesus died, believers can now freely access to God. Heaven is now open to them. The Apostle Creed mentions Jesus went to hell before his resurrection to life after his death. Based on this Apostle Creed, some Christian believed that when Jesus died, He went to hell and took the OT believers to Heaven.
For me, I don't belive that OT Saints need to wait for Jesus to die at the Cross before they can go to heaven. Below are my reasons.
Verses Claiming OT Believers Went To Heaven
There are actually many verses that mentioned they went to heaven. The 1st thing in my mind was Moses and Elijah. They appeared together with Jesus during his transfiguration. Remember Elijah was brought to heaven in 2 Kings 2:1,11, Moses was together with Elijah at Jesus transfiguration.
2 Kings 2:1
Both Moses & Elijah Appeared Together With Jesus
Matthew 17:1-3 (NIV)
Enoch Taken To Heaven
Hebrews 11:5 (NIV)
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
Hebrews 11
All the Heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 were looking forward to Heaven.
Hebrews 11:13-16
All the Heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 were looking forward to Heaven.
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.
14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.
15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 12:23 (NIV)
to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect
The Rich Man and Lazarus.
Rich man went to hell. Beggar went to Heaven & is with Abraham
Luke 16:19-26.
19 “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.’
Summary
There are Bible verses supporting the claim that OT believers went to Heaven. Although some claim these are not sufficient proof, the Bible word is true and accurate. The Bible verses I mentioned earlier were already evidence. Believe in the truth. We should not think that OT believers were actually in hell. Some Christian including some Pastors and Catholics still think they can’t go to Heaven immediately after they die. They will need to be at some waiting place purgatory or Sheol, they need to be further sanctify as they think they are not clean. This is not true. Jesus has paid for the sins of believers by dying at the Cross. We do not need further sanctification.
