THEOSISPhilaret of Moscow (Drosdow)
When we shift our focus from the New Testament to the Old Testament, we observe a stark absence of the comforting imagery that lightens the notion of death. The finality of existence, even for the righteous and holy, is referred to plainly as death. In the Scriptures, particularly in Genesis regarding the Patriarchs, it is consistently stated, ‘He lived ... and died’ (Genesis 5:5). Concerning the father of the faithful, it is noted, ‘Abraham breathed his last and died’ (Genesis 25:8). Similarly, we read about the Prophet Samuel: ‘Samuel died’ (1 Sam. 25:1). More poignantly, Jacob expressed his sorrow regarding death with the words: ‘I will go down to my son, mourning to the grave’ (Gen. 37:35).
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Why did the faithful in Old Testament times, despite their belief in the resurrection and the life to come, hold such a bleak perspective on death? The Apostle explains that at that time, ‘death reigned’ (Rom. 5:14), yet to be conquered by the life-giving death of Christ. Furthermore, ‘the way of the saints was not yet made manifest’ (Heb. 9:8), and access to the heavenly sanctuary had not been granted, ‘where Jesus, the forerunner for us, entered’ (Heb. 6:20). The patriarchs, prophets, and all the righteous of the Old Testament ‘died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off and embraced them’ (Heb. 11:13). As a result, the shadow of death loomed larger for them than the far-off promise of resurrection.