Granted the text certainly does not say that these particular "saints" ascended to heaven.
But if they were all of them resurrected OT saints......where in the world did they go post egeirō anyways? They certainly did not hang around on the planet for too long or this would have been recorded.
But if they were all of them resurrected OT saints......where in the world did they go post egeirō anyways? They certainly did not hang around on the planet for too long or this would have been recorded.
G1453 - used re: Lazarus (this was well before Jesus' death on the Cross)
John 12:1 V-AIA-3S
GRK: Λάζαρος ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν
NAS: Jesus had raised from the dead.
KJV: whom he raised from
INT: Lazarus whom raised from among [the] dead
--"Therefore six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised out from the dead."- John 12:1
John 12:9 V-AIA-3S
GRK: ἴδωσιν ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν
NAS: Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.
KJV: whom he had raised from
INT: they might see whom he raised from among [the] dead
John 12:17 V-AIA-3S
GRK: μνημείου καὶ ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν ἐκ
NAS: out of the tomb and raised him from the dead,
KJV: his grave, and raised him from
INT: tomb and raised him from among
or this would have been recorded.
I think the Holy Spirit had them record (in Scripture) only what He wanted written, for His purposes...
...and that basically entails the fact that Jesus went vertical, they went horizontal ( ).
Another thing, I don't see anywhere that OT saints are ever considered/called "firstfruit" (whereas the "144,000 are, and "the Church which is His body" are, too--distinctly--as in, "a KIND of firstfruit" James 1:18)
Beyond that, if they did go to heaven at that point (esp. in glorified bodies, as you are seeming to suggest), then why wouldn't you think THEY are the "24 elders," instead of the 24 elders identified as "the Church which is His body" having been raptured prior to the start of the Trib aspect [7yrs] of the DOTL time-period, as others often suggest. After all, some do [mistakenly] believe "the seals" started back in the first century rather than [what Scripture says of them] being "things which must come to pass IN QUICKNESS" in the "future" lead-up to [i.e. the 7-yrs / 2520 days immediately preceding] Christ's RETURN to the earth FOR the promised and prophesied earthly Millennial Kingdom Rev19.
Furthermore, the text states that they "appeared" emphanizō (g1718). Seem far more like a resurrection to a state like the resurrected Christ than any other possibility IMO.
G1718 - emphanizō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org)
G1718 - emphanizō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org)
I think that they MUST have been resurrected to a glorified state and "taken up" (sooner or not much later). If for no other reason than there being few reasonable alternatives.
Also, whereas the "144,000" as "firstfruit" (Rev14:4) correspond with the SECOND mention of "firstfruit" in Lev23:17 (re: the WHEAT), Jesus Himself (alone) is seen in the FIRST mention of "firstfruit" (etc) in that chapter, vv.10-12 ("and ye shall offer that day when ye wave THE SHEAF an he lamb without blemish of the first year...")... but we know from other passages in Paul's epistles that we (the Church which is His body) was taken with Him at that point, positionally / legally (and which is said of no one else)