Rev 6:9 “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”
These are they whose spirits wait until the appointed time for their bodies to be resurrected. They will enter into the kingdom of heaven [on this earth]. They are the Old Testament saints (of the Hebrew Text), who was slain because they spoke [the Words that they received from God] to give to the people. Even people like Abel who was not associated with any nationality (other than the human race) way back [before] the LORD God, chose Jacob’s sons (Israel) to be an example for the world entire.
Also in this group will be the Tribulation Saved; Joe down the block, who shall be martyred because he will refuse to take the [Mark of the Beast]. Their spirits will also cry out for Justice. “How long O Lord!”
The prophets and the prophetess;’ the faithful, the proselytes of old, and the Tribulation Martyred will stand up (be resurrected) and walk into the kingdom of heaven.
Job 14:14 “If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.”
Not even physical death can separate us from the love of God. Death is just a door that we go through. That is what Christ Jesus’ resurrection proved to us. Job was not [a Christian]. Job was faithful and he believed God.
Job 19:26 “and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me.”
Job suffered more than most of us could ever imagine and he wanted to die and yet he knew that even after his old body passes away and decays, that one day he would rise to see his Savior. Job knew that God will keep His promises.
Hebrews 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
Abraham and Sarah believed God and yet they didn’t live to see the promise; they weren’t Jews although from their seed came Isaac who begat Jacob who begat the twelve tribes of Israel. They all will one day rise (be resurrected) to enter into their PROMISED LAND right here on earth.
Daniel 12:2 “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.”
People like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; Ruth, Isaiah, Moses, Abel, Zacharias (see: Luke 11:50-51) Rahab and the rest will be resurrected to enter into the kingdom of heaven on this earth.
Ephesians 4:8 “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”
Jesus rose from the dead not just for His followers but also for the faithful (of old). They are no longer captive; their spirits are [now] in the presences of God now, where they wait. (See: Psa 68:18; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23).
Psalm 17:15 “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.”
David knew (as we also know) that His deliverer had his back.
Matt 22:32 “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
For the dead can not hear a sound; so then who is really dead if God calls them and they rise? The spirits of all the dead wait in Gods presence until He is ready for them to be resurrected.
Psalm 71:20 “Thou who hast made me see many sore troubles wilt revive me again; from the depths of the earth thou wilt bring me up again.”
This is a reassurance for the aged. Death is not the end of our existence.
Matt 17:3 “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”
Moses [the Law deliver from God] (who died a physical death long ago) and Elijah [who represents the prophets] were both there in the presence of the Lord Jesus….but, instead of being in ahhhhh, Peter wanted to make tabernacles in honor of Jesus, Moses and Elijah. And we are still trying to figure it all out on our own…tears.
Matt 8:11 “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven”
I imagine there will be lines of people waiting to ask Abraham, Isaac and Jacob questions, inside the kingdom of heaven…they’ll probably say something like it’s been a long time coming but here we are back in the land that the Lord thy God promised for my descendents.
2 Samuel 12:23 “But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”
See Matthew 18:10. We don’t weep and mourn for our deceased babies (we do mourn because we lost them); we know that they are in Gods presences although we do cry for our adult children and loved ones.
Isaiah 26:19 “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” [See chapters 25-27…the theme is the coming kingdom of heaven here on this earth.]
Rev 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
The martyred Tribulation saved will reign with Christ for “one thousand” years right down here on this earth. They went through hell unlike most of us, we live and we die [in Christ]. The martyred was tried and tested and they came out on the other side of trouble with a new attitude and a new life in Christ. [future]
Rev 19:16 “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
The King is coming to claim His kingdom. “And He shall rule them with a rod of iron.”
Exodus 19:6 “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”
That didn’t happen in Moses’ day because they failed to enter the land at Kadesh-Barnea and because they made and worshipped a golden calf…while they impatiently waited for Moses to come down off that mountain. Gods will for them, will be done in the Millennium (Rev 20). All of Israel (the Jews) will be priests.
After that war…the war of Armageddon, many peoples minds will be JERKED into submission, thank God and they will see Him as He is.
Answer: the Old Testament Saints will spend eternity in the Promised Land and throughout the rest of the World (along with the Tribulation saved).