For David did not ascend into Heaven … (Act 2:34)

King David, who was “a man after my heart”, and Abraham, whom God called his friend, must have gone to heaven. Or did not they ever get there? What does the Bible say about it?

Act 2:29 Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and that his tomb is among us to this day.

Act 13:22 … I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who shall do all my will. – If David did not reach heaven, even though he was a man of God’s favor, who then?

David’s time will come as prophet Jeremias says (Jer 30:9) but they shall serve Jehovah their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them. – David is not in heaven, but resting in his grave. If he were in heaven, he would not have to wake up! Awakening occurs in the first resurrection when Jesus comes.

And again; Eze 37:24 And my servant, David, shall be King over them. And there shall be one Shepherd to all of them. And they shall walk in my judgments and keep my statutes, and do them.

Psa 89:4 I will establish Your seed forever, and build up Your throne to all generations. 5 And the heavens shall thank your wonders, O Jehovah; also your faithfulness in the assembly of the saints. – God has sworn to David to build him a throne that will last “from generation to generation”. What about Christ’s throne? Should not he be on the throne of David?

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his forefather David. (Luk 1:32)

David is, therefore, the king of Israel, but what about the apostles? For them, Jesus promised the right to rule with him. The answer can be found in Mat 19:28 where Jesus says: Truly I tell you, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the renewed creation, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, governing the twelve tribes of Israel. – The apostles will reign the twelve tribes of Israel under David’s kingship.

Also, the resurrected saints will reign as kings and priests, depending on how they have taken care of the ‘talents’ (or ‘minas’) entrusted to them. Some ‘five cities’, others ‘ten’. King in the Bible language was not the same as King today. During the Bible, each city (a small city, “city-state”) had its own king, of course, the big kingdoms. The saints ruling as kings are rather “local managers” under Christ’s leadership.

Rom 8:17 Now if we are children, we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if, in fact, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

… And Abraham?

Gal 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn’t say “descendants,” referring to many, but “your descendant,” referring to one person, who is Christ. 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants and heirs according to the promise. – These promises may be trusted by Christ’s believers.

Rom 15:8 And I say, Jesus Christ has become a servant of circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises of the fathers, – the fathers are according to Act 3:13: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—the God of our ancestors—has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you betrayed and rejected in the presence of Pilate, even though he had decided to let him go.

15:10 Again he says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people! – Promises also affect converts.

Gen 12:7 And Jehovah appeared to Abram and said I will give this land to your seed. And he built an altar there to Jehovah, who appeared to him.

Gen 13:15 For all the land which you see I will give to you, and to your seed forever.

2 Chr 20:7 Are You not our God? You have driven out the inhabitants of this land from before Your people Israel, and have given it to the seed of Abraham, your friend forever; – So land, no access to heaven.

Rom 4:13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law, but through the righteousness produced by faith.

Gen 22:17 hat blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the shore of the sea. And your Seed shall possess the gate of His enemies.

18 And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice.

God confirmed this promise also to Isac saying: Gen 26:2 And Jehovah appeared to him and said, Do not go down into Egypt; stay in the land which I shall say to you.
3 Stay in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your seed I will give all these lands. And I will cause to rise My oath which I swore to your father Abraham.
4 And I will increase your seed like the stars of the heavens, and I will give to your seed all these lands. And all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves in your seed,
5 because Abraham listened to my voice and heeded my charge, my commands, my statutes, and my laws.

Eph 2:12 that at that time you were without Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers of the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now, in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.