II. The Old Testament Saints did not Go To Heaven

During Old Testament times, the saved went to "Abraham’s Bosom" (a Jewish term for Paradise) and the lost went to Torment, both located in the center of the Earth. Luke 16:19-31 describes the two places. Matthew’s prophecy concerning Christ lets us know that Paradise was in the center of the Earth. In Luke 23:43, Christ is speaking to the thief next to Him, who had acknowledged Him as the Savior, said,
"Today shalt thou be with me in PARADISE."
Matthew 12:40 lets us know the location of Paradise,
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the HEART OF THE EARTH."
After Christ’s Resurrection He appeared to Mary and said,
“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” (John 20:17)
At this time Christ ascended to Heaven and anointed the Mercy Seat within the Holy Place with His own blood. Hebrews 9:12 states,
"But by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."
He then returned to Earth and walked 40 days before His final Ascension. (Acts 1:3; Acts 1:9-11) At His Ascension, he emptied the saved out of Paradise in the heart of the Earth, taking them to Heaven with Him. Ephesians 4:8 makes this clear,
"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive (those in Paradise), and gave gifts unto men."
Paradise is no longer in the center of the Earth, but is now in Heaven. This is revealed in 2 Corinthians 12:2; 2 Corinthians 12:4 which describes a man,
"...such a one caught up to the third heaven. How that he was caught up into paradise..."
With this in mind we can understand what Christ meant in John 14:2 when he stated:
"In my Father’s house (Heaven) are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
He didn’t go to build the mansions. The use of the word "are" reveals the mansions were already there. He went to the Cross, shedding His sinless blood; then, ascending and anointing the Holy Place, thus preparing Heaven to receive the saved with His own blood. This is found in Ephesians 1:7,
"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, acording to the riches of his grace."
Now we, like Paul, can say
"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8)
When a Christian dies, today, it is just “a change of atmosphere.” The soul and spirit, the real “You,” goes immediately to Heaven to be in the presence of the Lord. The body goes to the grave to await the Rapture. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53;1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (1 Corinthians 15:51)
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (1 Thessalonians 4:14)
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:15)
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Yes, we sorrow; but, not as others who have no hope of seeing their loved one again. For the Christian, it’s not “Good Bye,” but, “So long for a while.”