Who went to heaven before dying?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Holy Scriptures and the tradition of the Church, there are two primary figures from the Old Testament who were taken up to heaven without experiencing physical death.

1. Enoch

Enoch was the father of Methuselah and the seventh from Adam. The Bible tells us that "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (Genesis 5:24). St. Paul confirms this in the Epistle to the Hebrews, stating that "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death" (Hebrews 11:5). In Coptic tradition, Enoch’s life of purity and constant communion with God allowed him to be translated into the presence of God.

2. Elijah the Prophet

The Prophet Elijah was taken up into heaven in a "chariot of fire with horses of fire" in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). This event was witnessed by his disciple Elisha. Elijah is a central figure in our liturgical life; he appeared with Jesus Christ during the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, representing the Prophets.

The Two Witnesses

According to the Holy Tradition of the Church and the Book of Revelation (Chapter 11), it is widely understood that Enoch and Elijah are the "two witnesses" who will return during the time of the Antichrist. Because it is appointed for all men to die once (Hebrews 9:27), these two saints—who have not yet tasted death—will return to Earth to preach against the deception of the lawless one, undergo martyrdom, and then be resurrected by the power of God.

A Note on Other Figures:

• The Virgin Mary: It is important to distinguish the departure of our Mother the Holy Virgin Mary. In Coptic Orthodox theology, we believe she did undergo a true physical death, following the example of her Son. However, her body did not remain in the tomb; it was taken up to heaven after her death, a mystery we celebrate during the Feast of the Assumption on the 16th of Mesore.
• Melchizedek: Some misinterpret his lack of recorded genealogy in Genesis to mean he did not die, but the Church Fathers explain this as a literary "type" of Christ having neither beginning of days nor end of life, rather than a physical exemption from death.