Did people go to heaven prior to Jesus' coming to earth?

Question

According to John 3:13, no one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.

Answer 1

If people already entered heaven, there would be no need for a Judgement day.

The bible says the dead enter a state of unconsciousness basically until the day of Judgement. The dead will then rise to be judged and the living will also be judged at that time. They will then go to either heaven or hell.

See the following verses.

Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 & 10 NIV For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun… Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom."

John 5:28-29, NIV. "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned."

I Thessalonians 4:16-17, NIV. "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."

Answer 2

Jesus was telling the truth. Nobody had gone to heaven yet except Enoch and Elijah. The "good" people went to a world underneath the earth called Paradise while the bad went to hell. While Jesus was dead he took everyone out of Paradise and made it possible for them to go to Heaven for the first time. Because their sins were not cleansed yet they would not have survived in God's presence in Heaven. Jesus told the man hanging next to him that he would be with him in the world called Paradise.

Answer 3

No Jesus was first. And then only a few will go. Man was created for earth not a spirit creature for heaven.

Do all good people go to heaven?

Acts 2:34: “David [whom the Bible refers to as being ‘a man agreeable to Jehovah’s heart’] did not ascend to the heavens.”

Matt. 11:11: “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.)

Ps. 37:9, 11, 29: “Evildoers themselves will be cut off, but those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth . . . The meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”

Answer 4

According to Jesus, the dead go to an underworld similar (or identical?) to the Greek Hades. There is no indication whatsoever in Scripture that the dead go to "heaven," let alone the idea that Jesus took the souls from Hades to Heaven. I'm not saying it didn't happen, the Bible and Church Tradition is mostly silent about life after death, indicating only that it contains a foretast of the eternal state of the soul.

Edit - Naughty Pants (below) has the right idea.

Answer 5

You see, there is a problem with your question.

According to the Bible, this idea that people immediately go to Heaven when they die is false. I have yet to read a verse in the Bible that tells me that as soon as a person dies their soul ascends to heaven.

I have, however, read 1 Thessalonians 4:16, which tells me that at the end of earth's history, "...the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first."

I am also told in 1 Corinthians 15:52: "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."

And then, in John 5:25, I have read that: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live."

And, after reading these Scriptures, the mainstream doctrine of heaven just doesn't make sense to me. How can a dead person rise to follow Christ to Heaven if they are already there? When mainstream doctrine contradicts the Bible, I believe that the Bible is the reliable source.

God bless you!

Answer 6

I'm not super versed in the Bible, but my understanding is that we don't go to Heaven or Hell until judgment day. Our souls are with God and communing with God, if you're not a believer then you are away from God. When Jesus comes the second time to rule the earth and the rapture occurs, that is when are souls are reunited with our bodies, and people with a personal relationship with God enter into Heaven. To get a better understanding go to equip.org, to the ask hank area. He is extremely well versed in the Bible and a very intelligent man.

Answer 7

I believe that in this scripture( no one ) means that no mans FLESH has ever gone to heaven except the son of man's meaning jesus christ.

Than again the Bible can be confusing sometimes, and I think you must really study it regularly to understand its true meaning.

Answer 8

Mathew 27:51-53
Ecclesiastes 9:5

Answer 9

I believe the believers in God that had died before Jesus came to earth, were taken up to heaven with him when He ascended after His death and Resurrection. Those unbelievers who died before Jesus was born and resurrected, went to Hell and will stay there until Jesus comes back to carry the saved believers to Heaven. At that time those dead unbelievers and the unbelievers since Jesus' death and resurrection, will be sent to the Lake of Fire, the Final Hell for eternity.

Answer 10

The Bible says that Abraham believed God....that he would send a Savior, and it was counted to him for righteousness. That means that Abraham was righteous in God's eyes....he went to heaven.

Gal 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.


Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.


Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, [saying], In thee shall all nations be blessed.


Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.