What happened to Old Testament believers after death?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Old Testament believers understood death as going to Sheol, a place where both the righteous and wicked awaited their final destiny. Though their concept of the afterlife was less clear than today’s, passages like Job 19:25–27 and Psalm 23 show their hope of being with God after death. The New Testament clarifies that Sheol, or Hades, has distinct sections, with the righteous dwelling in God’s presence, often called Paradise. Hebrews 11 and other Scriptures affirm that Old Testament saints, like Abraham and Moses, are now with God, having awaited the heavenly city prepared for them. We who have placed our faith Jesus’s death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins can have confidence that, like them, we, too, will be immediately present with the Lord after death.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament speaks of a place called sheol in Hebrew (often translated "grave"), where both the righteous and the wicked consciously live in the afterlife. For example, Psalm 9:17 teaches, "The wicked shall return to Sheol." Jacob, considered a man of God, also said he would die and go to Sheol (Genesis 37:35).
• Other places also note the destination of the Old Testament believers. Job 19:25–27 points out that "in my flesh I shall see God" (v. 26). Psalm 23:6 reveals the attitude of one who will be in God's presence upon death.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• In the New Testament, the Greek word hades is used as the equivalent of sheol. Jesus clearly taught that this Hades would include two divisions in Luke 16:19–31. The first division included Abraham: "The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side" (Luke 16:22). The second division was a place of torment: "in Hades, being in torment" (Luke 16:23). The rich man was able to see where the righteous lived, though no one could cross from one side to the other.
• Elsewhere, Hades is also called Gehenna (Mark 9:45).
• Jesus also called the place where Abraham dwells "Paradise" (Luke 23:43).
• The apostle John made reference to these believers being with the Lord when he wrote in Revelation 2:7, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
• In Matthew 22:23–32, Jesus also debated the Sadducees, declaring God as the God of the living. This implied that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—as well as other Old Testament saints—were already in the presence of God.
• The book of Hebrews also provides additional information about the Old Testament saints. First, Abraham was clearly with God after death: "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10).
• All of the Old Testament saints mentioned in Hebrews 11 also looked forward to this city and are there with God now (Hebrews 11:16). While some argue that these saints may not have been with God in heaven before Christ, the passages above indicate the Old Testament saints immediately entered God's presence upon death.
• The same is true of modern-day believers who die, with each one "at home with the Lord" after death (2 Corinthians 5:6–9). As the apostle Paul wrote, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). The believer who dies truly gains, for he or she is immediately present with the Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

In the Old Testament, the understanding of the afterlife was not as fully developed as in the New Testament, but it is clear that believers trusted they would continue to exist after death and ultimately be with God. While the concept of Sheol was a shadowy place where both the righteous and wicked went, faithful believers like Abraham looked forward to a better, heavenly home prepared by God. This perspective encourages us today to live with hope and assurance that death is not the end but a transition to being in God’s presence—just as Old Testament saints anticipated, we can be confident that through Christ, we will also be with the Lord immediately after death.

UNDERSTAND

• Old Testament believers went to Sheol, though their understanding of the afterlife was limited.
• The New Testament reveals Sheol (Hades) is divided, with the righteous in God’s presence (Paradise) and the wicked in torment.
• Both Old and New Testament believers enter God’s presence immediately after death, securing eternal life through faith.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that Old Testament believers anticipated being with God after death affect your own hope for the afterlife?
• How does the New Testament’s fuller revelation about heaven shape how you live with confidence in eternal life?
• How might reflecting on the faith of Old Testament saints encourage you in the way you live today?

ENGAGE

• How do the concepts of Sheol and Paradise in Scripture challenge or expand our understanding of life after death?
• What does the journey of Old Testament believers teach us about the continuity of God’s plan for salvation across both Testaments?
• How does the hope of immediate presence with the Lord after death influence our perspective on suffering and loss?