Is it true that the Old Testament does not speak of hell and eternal life?

Question:

Today, during Bible study, a contradiction arose in the church. The brother in the study said that the apostles’ teaching was new to the Old Testament, preaching the new teaching, the kingdom of God, about heaven and hell. He said they were not in the Old Testament. That’s when the contradictions began. The others said that they knew of heaven, hell, eternal life, and the kingdom of God. What is the truth? Did the people of the Old Testament know about eternal life, the resurrection of the dead, the kingdom of God, heaven, hell, or did they not know? Was this preached to them as a priority or as a secondary thing?

Yes, these things were spoken of in the Old Testament. It seems to be true what the brother says, that it was not spoken as intensely as it is in the New Testament, but it was still spoken of, enough for people to understand these truths. I am thinking in particular of the Book of the Prophet Daniel. It gives us a sketch of human history and shows how it passes from time to eternity. This Book shows that there will be four kingdoms and then will come the everlasting Kingdom of God, whose dominion only passes to another kingdom.

In the Book of the Prophet Daniel it is written:

Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:1-2 NASB)

So, as you can see, the Old Testament speaks of the Kingdom of God, it speaks of eternal life, of the eternal happiness of those who believe in God, and of the loss of those who have rejected Him.

I want to recommend that you study the book of the prophet “Daniel” and the manual “Discovering What the Future Holds.” These prophecy study books on the book of Daniel will help you understand the future and find out what will happen in the “last days.”

Here is my answer for you. Glory be to God that through the gospel, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we can know eternal life, receive forgiveness of sins, and inherit with all the saints.

Translated by Didina Vicliuc