Question: Did the O.T. saints go to Heaven prior to AD 70?

Answer: No, they went to Hades ("Sheol" in Hebrew). The heavenly inheritance longed for by the OT saints for thousands of years was not available during the ministry years of Christ, nor even at the time the book of Hebrews was written. Notice the following testimony of Christ and the apostles concerning the availability of the heavenly inheritance for the saints:

The Testimony of Jesus (circa AD 28)
No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man (John 3:13)

The Testimony of of Hebrews (circa mid-60s AD)
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went....these [the patriarchs] all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country...and now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly one...And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:8,13-16,39-40).

The Testimony of Peter (circa mid-60s AD)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation about to be revealed in the last time. (1 Pet 1:3-5).

According to Jesus, none of the saints had ascended unto the Father as of the time of his public ministry (John 3:13). Furthermore, according to the writer of Hebrews, Abraham and the rest of the OT saints were looking for their heavenly inheritance (Heb 9:15; Heb 11:8,13-16) but had not attained it as of the time Hebrews was written (Heb 11:13,39-40). The statement by St. Peter confirms as well that the heavenly inheritance had not arrived--it was "reserved in Heaven" and was "about to be revealed" as of the time that epistle was written (1 Pet 1:3-5). More specifically, we know King David had not ascended as of Acts 2:34, and the prophet Daniel was not to stand in his inheritance until the end of days (Dan 12:9,13; 12:2-4). These prophets along with the rest of the OT dead were held in "Sheol" ("Hades" in the Greek/"Purgatorio" in the Latin), the place of the dead at that time where all were awaiting judgment unto eternal life or eternal punishment (Matt 25:46). The OT dead went to Hades, and even Christ went there at his death (Acts 2:27,31). Crucially important is the fact that Paul places the triumph of the dead over Hades at the general resurrection of the dead, which he positions at the end of the Mosaic Law age (1 Cor 15:54-56). In addition to that key resurrection passage, we see that Hades does not release the dead until Revelation 20:12-15. Obviously, futurists believe these passages haven't been fulfilled yet and are, thus, obligated to adopt a Purgatorial/Hadean view of the afterlife for all saints, right up to the present. Only preterists can affirm that the victory of Hades over the departed saints has ended. Preterists affirm that the OT saints were raised out of Hades and into Heaven's eternal rewards back in the first century, at the end of Israel's great tribulation of AD 67-70 (compare John 5:28-29 to Dan 12:1-3,6-13; 1 Cor 15:54-56). The dead saints have indeed followed the Lord to be with him in the mansions in Heaven--but, this is only true if Christ has returned (Jn 13:33,36-37, 14:1-3).

Question: Did the NT saints go to be with the Lord when they died?

Answer: Not in heaven, no. A great mystery for the saints starting in Christ's day was that they were "in Christ." This was true for the saints whether they were alive on earth (2 Cor 5:17) or whether they had died (1 Cor 15:6,18; 1 Thess 4:14). Paul proclaimed that if anyone was "in Christ," that person was represented in Christ's own new creaturely status, even raised with Him unto immortality (2 Cor 5:16-17; Rom 6:9; Col 3:1; Lk 20:35-36). However, this does not at all mean that the living on the earth or the dead awaiting final victory over Hades (1 Cor 15:54-56; Rev 20:12-15) were actually risen to be with Jesus in heaven. They were all "in Him," through mystical communion by the Spirit, but they were not all "in Heaven." That's a big difference. The dead in those days (and prior) all went to Hades ("Sheol" in Hebrew; "Purgatorio" in Latin); even Christ went there at his death (Acts 2:27,31). Since Jesus promised his followers he would be with them always, even unto the end of the age (Matt 28:20), they rightly understood that whether they be living on earth or asleep awaiting the resurrection they were the Lord's. Paul writes:

For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. (Rom 14:7-8)

This does not mean, however, that when they died they went to be with Jesus in Heaven. To the contrary, Jesus taught them explicitly that they would not be with him in heaven until he returned back from there at the second coming (Parousia) to receive the saints. Speaking to Peter and the apostles, Jesus proclaimed:

as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'....Simon Peter said to Him, 'Lord, where are You going?' Jesus answered, 'Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.' Peter said to Him, 'Lord, why can I not follow You right now?' [Jesus replied] '...Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know' (John 13:33,36-37; 14:1-4)

Christ's instructions were plain: they could not be with him where he had gone (i.e., to Heaven) until he had prepared a place for them and returned; they could not go there until his return (Jn 14:1-3). This statement from their Master ignited their hopes for their entire lives. They hoped to attain unto heaven to be with Christ in the Father's mansions at the Parousia. They would have to wait for His return, but they knew they would attain unto it, even in their generation (Matthew 24:33-34). It is a fact that Paul's personal life goal was to attain unto the resurrection of the dead (Phil 3:11). As of the time of his letter to the Philippian Church (circa 60s AD), Paul says he had not yet attained unto the resurrection for which he had been apprehended by Christ; but he was pressing on towards that upward call (Phil 3:12-14). Paul understood the resurrection as something he could attain unto in his lifetime, and he and his contemporaries were to expect to remain alive even unto that time (1 Thess 4:15). Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit had been given as the deposit/pledge of this blessed, heavenly inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession (Eph 1:13-14; 4:30). Paul applies this deposit/guarantee of the Holy Spirit to a time near to him when the saints could die and appear before the judgment seat to receive their heavenly reward. Therefore, they were confident they would ultimately be able to be with the Lord in heaven, for the downpayment of the Holy Spirit towards that inheritance was a sure guarantee while they yet waited for the dead saints to be raised and taken before the Judge:

if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For most assuredly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven; Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident...We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:1-2,5-6,8-10)

Related links: David Curtis Audio Sermon: "Where are the Dead?: the Second Coming and Eternal Life." John Noe on Resurrection and Afterlife, Voice of Reason Broadcast; Part One (3/28/02); Part Two (3/31/02) [requires real player]

Question: Aren't Enoch and Elijah valid exceptions to John 3:13?

Answer: We believe John 3:13 is a very straightforward statement. Concerning Heaven's availability as of the time of his incarnational ministry, Jesus very clearly stated the following:

No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. (John 3:13)

Even after such a straightforward statement from the mouth of Christ, two possible exceptions are often suggested: Enoch and Elijah. First, Enoch, who may not have seen death, was taken away by God and "was not" (Gen 5:24, Heb 11:5). To where he was taken is not stated in scripture, but Heb 11:13 suggests to us that he died along with all those listed in Heb 11:1-12. In Enoch's case, therefore, his being translated so that he would "not see death" (Heb 11:5) is likely to carry a meaning similar to John 8:51. The Genesis 5:24 passage just says literally: "and he [was] not; for God took him." What, then, does the word "translated" mean in Heb 11:5? Its Greek definition ("metatithemi") just means "transferred" or "transported." For sure, it cannot mean "given a glorified resurrected body in heaven," for Hebrews 11:39-40, a few verses later, also says concerning the saints:

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

So, Enoch had not been made perfect as of that time; he had not received the promise. Furthermore, if Hebrews 11:13 indeed includes Enoch (as it appears to), then he died along with the rest of the saints mentioned in Hebrews 11:1-13.

Finally, there is Elijah who "went up to heaven in a whirlwind" (2 Kings 2:11). The Hebrew word for "heaven" ("shamayim") means "sky" in many passages of the Old Testament. The preposition, "to," does not exist in the original Hebrew passage. It is only implied and is rendered by translators as either "to" or "into." If it was "into," then it may only refer to a temporary experience, like the man Paul said he knew that was caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor 12:2-4). We know that Paul was talking about himself. Given Christ's clear statement in John 3:13, it is likely that 2 Kings 2:11 speaks more of Elijah being lifted up to the sky and translated, probably to Abraham's bosom, but not into the heavenly Holy of Holies, for the atonement was not even yet performed on Elijah's behalf. Having said all this, it could be that this is the only scripturally cited exception to Jesus' statement in John 3:13. Personally, I feel confident holding on to Christ's interpretation of "no one."

Question: What is heaven, and what are some distinctions between the earthly and heavenly realms?

Answer: Scripture reveals much about God's Heaven, and clear distinctions between the earthly and heavenly realms are maintained all throughout New Testament writings. A look at some basic passages will help us understand the revealed biblical cosmology of all things visible and invisible.

First, the created earthly cosmology came out from God's heavenly realm which is invisible to us (Heb 11:3; Gen 1). There is permanent distinction in scripture between this created earthly realm and the invisible realm from which it sprang (Heb 11:3; Col 1:16-17; John 1:1-3). We are told that the earth, in contrast to God's heaven, is the place where thieves break in and moths do corrupt (Matt 6:19-20). Furthermore, Jesus taught about laying up treasure in the heavenly realm as opposed to the earthly one (Mt 6:19-20; Lk 12:33-34). A clear application of this teaching is found in the book of Hebrews. By examining Hebrews 10:32-37, we can see that some of the first-century saints had their earthly goods plundered by their enemies. As an inspiration to us all, they took great joy in knowing that in heaven they had a "better and enduring substance" which could not be plundered, a substance that would be granted to them at the Lord's return (Heb 10:34-37; Mt 6:19; Luke 12:33-34). The first-century saints recited that heaven is where the Father lives (Mt 6:9; cf. Mt 18:10), and they knew this was the same place from which Jesus came and to which he ascended (Acts 1:11; 1Pet 3:22; Luke 24:51; Heb 9:23-28; Eph 4:10; Jn 3:13). Heaven is the promised inheritance the O.T. dead hoped to obtain as their true and everlasting country (Heb 11:13-16,39-40; John 14:1-3).

Next, the scripture even tells us more about heaven. Heaven is the place Paul went in 2 Corinthians 12:1-7, and he did not know if he appeared there in his earthly body or not. Heaven is the realm from which Christ appeared when he manifested to Paul and to Peter (Acts 9:3; 10:11,16; 11:7-10). St. John sees into heaven to watch the martyrs depicted in their blessedness in the heavenly temple (Rev 7:9-17). That house of worship was opened at the last trump to receive all dead saints, not just the tribulation martyrs alone (Rev 11:18-19). The citizenship of all the saints is said to be "in heaven" (Phil 3:20-21), which is true for earthly pilgrims (Jn 3:31) as well as departed ones. The blessed dead (Rev 14:13) have resurrection from the dead and receive bodies "not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Cor 5:1-2). By virtue of their physical departure under the New Covenant era, the saints now receive spiritual heavenly bodies fit for the heavenly existence (1 Cor 15:36,44-50; Heb 9:27; 2 Cor 5:1-2). It is there that the dead become like the angels "in Heaven" and can die no more (Luke 20:36; Romans 6:9).

The mission of the New Covenant Kingdom is a heavenly mission. The saints rule and reign with Christ to the end that God's will be done on the earth as it is in heaven and that all the peoples and nations of every language m ight serve Him (Dan 7:14,27). This comes through obedience to the gospel of the Kingdom as it did when Christ showed its glories during his incarnational ministry. Because of Christ, the Church forever reigns on the earth as priests and kings in the New Covenant Kingdom of God (Rev 5:10; 1:5-6). The saints exercise Christ's dominion and bring many to the feast of God (Dan 7:14,27; Matthew 22:7-10; Rev 21:24-27).

Finally, while the New Testament writings teach a clear distinction between the visible earthly realm and the Father's invisible-to-us abode, the two realms meet at the Temple. Hebrews 8:1-5 makes a very clear distinction between the earthly realm and the true tabernacle/throne of majesty in the heavens. Moses made the tabernacle in the wilderness after the pattern of the one in heaven (Heb 8:1-5; Rev 11:18-19; Ex 25:40). As the Hebrews had a temple/tabernacle under Moses and Solomon in the Old Covenant, God's people have a temple on earth instituted under Christ's covenant. God's Presence was in the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem, and in the tabernacle before it. God's Presence is now in the New Covenant Temple, indwelling the very stones of Christ's House (Heb 3:6; 1 Pet 2:4-9). Unlike the O.T. edifice, our temple is an animate building, a temple made of "living stones" of which Christ is the chief cornerstone (1 Pet 2:4-9). The Church is, indeed, the holy temple, and its members are partakers of the true and ultimate temple of Christ's glorified body (John 2:19-22; Heb 3:6,14; 1 Cor 12:27; 2 Cor 6:16). This is where heaven and earth meet mystically via the Bride's full consummation unto Christ (Eph 1:9-10; 5:30-32). This blessedness, of course, does not negate God's heavenly dwelling any more than did Solomon's temple negate the Father's heavenly pre-existence and pre-eminence under the Old Covenant era. God forever remains on his throne in heaven, sustaining all that exists, visible and invisible (Acts 7:47-50; Col 1:16). Our Father, indeed, art in heaven.

All God's blessings flow to the Chosen from the heavenly abode. From our New Jerusalem, to the manna in the wilderness, all the blessings of God for his people have come from heaven (Rev 21:2; Heb 12:22-24; Jn 3:27; 6:31-35,38,41-42, 50-58).

Question: In Corinthians 15:25-26, the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Did Christ defeat death?

Answer: The "death" that Jesus defeated for the saints was the "Hadean death" of the Old Testamental period. Departed saints of Old Testament times all went to Hades where they were separated from God. There they remained separated from God until the Parousia of AD 70. The OT saints did not go to God's eternal heaven until that time. Jesus himself, having lived and died during the Old Covenant age, went to Hades at about AD 30 (Acts 2:27,31). Three days later He left Hades and ascended to heaven as the firstfruits out from the hadean dead (1 Cor 15:20; Acts 26:23; Rev 1:5; Col 1:18). Christ's resurrection out of Hades and ascension to heaven signalled that the covenantal change for all the dead was about to take place (Acts 24:15 YLT)--the rest of the dead in Hades were to follow Him at the end of the Mosaic age, when the Law of Moses was no longer extant for the Israelites (1 Cor 15:54-56). Paul, writing about the end of Hadean death at the close of the Mosaic age, states triumphantly:

...then shall be brought to pass the word that hath been written, 'The Death was swallowed up -- to victory. Where, O Death, is thy sting? where, O HADES, is thy victory?'...the sting of the death is sin, and the power of sin is the law [of Moses] (1 Cor 15:54-56)