Where did the righteous of the o.t. go when they died?

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• Where does the Bible teach this? I've never read anywhere in the Old Testament that the Isrealites had a heavenly hope. Acts 2:34 says: "David (whom the Bible refers to as being 'a man agreeable to Jehovah's heart") did NOT ASCEND TO HEAVEN."

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

• Matthew 11:11 says: Truly I say to you people, Among those born of women there has not been raised up a greater than John the Baptist; but a person that is a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is." (So John did not go to heaven when he died.)

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

• The Isrealites I"m sure were familiar with the words of Ps.37:9, 11, 29: ".....those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the EARTH....The meek ones will POSSESS THE EARTH, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight tin the abundance of peace. The righteous will possess the earth and they WILL RESIDE FOREVER UPON IT." Thus, their hope was to come back to live on a paradise earth, after the wicked had been destroyed.

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

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• What does the following verse mean in regard to your stance?
  
  II Kings 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

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  by knownothing on October 19th, 2009

• It doesn't sound like Abraham and Lazarus were simply "in their grave" in this story from Luke 16.
  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 hell,a 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 fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

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  by knownothing on October 19th, 2009

• Good question, Knownothing...I don't have enough room here to do justice to it in one segment so I will answer in different parts., Christ’s resurrection is said to be “a guarantee to all men” that God will resurrect others. (Acts 17:31; 24:15) This would not be true if God had been resurrecting righteous men to heaven all through the preceding centuries.
  How, then, are we to understand the Bible account about the prophet Elijah, which reads: “As they were walking along,... why, look! a fiery war chariot and fiery horses, .... and Elijah went ascending in the windstorm to the heavens.” (2 Ki. 2:11) Did Elijah actually go into the heavens of God? Or did he die?

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

• We have the words of God’s greatest prophet, Jesus Christ, who resided in the heavens with his Father for untold centuries prior to his coming to earth. He said: “No man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man.” (John 3:13) Speaking of John the Baptist, Jesus said: “Among those born of women there has not been raised up a greater than John the Baptist; but a person that is a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is.” (Matt. 11:11) Accordingly, Elijah, not being greater than John, could not be in heaven

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

• What, then, were the “heavens” into which Elijah was taken by the windstorm? These were the physical heavens, the atmosphere, the “expanse,” also called “Heaven” at Genesis 1:6-8. A windstorm could exist only in this atmospheric expanse, not in the spirit realm of Jehovah’s heavenly presence. Elijah was carried up out of Elisha’s sight by the windstorm

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

• The Bible does not say that Elijah died on that occasion. As a matter of fact, Elijah was still alive and active as a prophet at least five years later, apparently over in the territory of Judah. The Bible tells us: “Eventually there came a writing to [Jehoram, king of Judah] from Elijah the prophet.” This letter foretold the sickness and death of Jehoram because of his wrong, idolatrous course. (2 Chron. 21:12-15) A further evidence that Elijah did not die at the time of being taken into the “heavens” is that his servant and successor Elisha did not then hold the customary period of mourning for his master.—Compare 2 Samuel 19:1; 1 Chronicles 7:22; 2 Chronicles 35:24.

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

• Knownothing. Was the account of the rich man and Lazarus literal or merely an illustration of something else? The Jerusalem Bible, in a footnote, acknowledges that it is a "parable in story form without reference to any historical personage."If taken literally, it would mean that those enjoying divine favor could all fit at the bosom of one man, Abraham; that the water on one’s fingertip would not be evaporated by the fire of Hades; that a mere drop of water would bring relief to one suffering there. Does that sound reasonable to you?

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

• If this account were literal, it would conflict with other parts of the Bible, If the Bible were thus contradictory, would a lover of truth use it as a basis for his faith? But the Bible does not contradict itself.What does the parable mean? The “rich man” represented the Pharisees. (See verse 14.) The beggar Lazarus represented the common Jewish people who were despised by the Pharisees but who repented and became followers of Jesus. (See Luke 18:11; John 7:49; Matthew 21:31, 32.

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

• ) Their deaths were also symbolic, representing a change in circumstances. Thus, the formerly despised ones came into a position of divine favor, and the formerly seemingly favored ones were rejected by God, while being tormented by the judgment messages delivered by the ones whom they had despised.—Acts 5:33; 7:54.
  thanks for the questions. knownothing...the only bad question,is the one not asked. Hope this helps.

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

• thanks for a thorough answer!

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  by knownothing on October 19th, 2009

• your welcome...I like these boards...I learn from others posts plus questions such as yours make me think.

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  by vew573 on October 19th, 2009

• Acts 2:34 "Actually David did not ascend to the heavens,.." David was a good man.
  
  
  Good reasoning vew. There are at least 5 parables in Luke chapters 15 and 16. For some reason, many preachers take that one as literal.
  Luke 15:3-4 "And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?"
  
  Most o
  
  http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/7280403

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  by Texasescimo on January 6th, 2010