The World Below

Elam is there, and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into the world below, who spread their terror in the land of the living; and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.

(Ezekiel 32:24) ESV

Most Christians avoid the question: what happened to the Old Testament saints when they died? They couldn’t go to heaven because it was before the crucifixion and the propitiation hadn’t been paid for their redemption.

The OT saints went into sheol, a word used to refer to the underworld realm of the dead, the world below. In the KJV it’s translated in a couple of different ways: the lower parts of the earth or the nether parts of the earth. They’re combinations of the same Hebrew words.

There is Elam and all her multitude, All around her grave, All of them slain, fallen by the sword, Who have gone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, Who caused their terror in the land of the living; Now they bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit.

(Ezekiel 32:24) NKJV

To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

(Ezekiel 31:18) KJV

Part of sheol is a chamber in the lower mantle which we euphemistically refer to as Abraham’s bosom. The lower mantle is one of the regions of the internal structure of the Earth which we can deduce from seismological data.