In ancient times, the people of Israel based their hope for life after death through the lives of their descendants. It was considered a tragedy when a man died without having a son to carry on the family line. Most people expected that their bodies would rot and turn to dust after they died (Eccl 12.7; Ps 104.29; Job 7.9,10). Some believed that the souls of the dead went to a special place, but these souls had no thoughts or feelings there (Eccl 9.10; Isa 38.10). The Bible reports that a few people did not die but were taken up to be with God (Gen 5.21-24; 2 Kgs 2.1-14).

The idea of people being raised from death appears in the book of the prophet Daniel, which says that both good and bad people will be raised from death to new life. The good would experience eternal life, while the bad would have eternal shame (Dan 12.1-3). Some psalms express confidence that God would not send faithful people to the world of the dead, but would save them from death (Ps 16.10,11; 49.13-15; Isa 26.19).

The people of Israel were taken into exile in Babylonia around 586 B.C. Later, the Persians defeated Babylonia and let the people of Israel begin to return home (538 B.C.). Some Israelites were influenced by Persians who believed that God's enemy, Satan, would be defeated and that the souls and bodies of faithful people who had died would be brought back to life. During the four centuries before the birth of Christ, the Jewish people were also influenced by some Greek thinkers who believed that the physical human body had no lasting value and would rot away, but the invisible soul or spirit would live forever. 

The apostle Paul told the church in Corinth that the physical bodies of Christ's followers will die, but when Christ returns, God will raise them to a new physical life, just like Jesus’ body. Their bodies will change into "spiritual bodies" or “heavenly bodies” (1 Cor 15.35-54). This is different from the belief that only the soul would live on after the body decayed. Paul says that the whole person—both soul and body—will be new and experience life after death (eternal life).

Jesus called himself "the one who raises the dead to life" (John 11.25,26) and promised that all who believe in him will have eternal life (John 3.16). One group of religious Jews called Sadducees questioned Jesus' teachings about life after death (see the note at Luke 20.27). Jesus told them that when God's people rise from death they will not marry but will be like angels in heaven (Mark 12.18-27). Jesus was also asked which people would be part of God's future kingdom. See his answer in Luke 14.15-24.

Early Christians believed that God's people would be raised to new life because God raised Jesus from death to new life (Acts 2.22-24, 29-32; 1 Cor 15.20-28; 1 Thes 4.13-17). Revelation 21 and 22 describes the New Jerusalem, where God will live among people on earth and where God will feed and protect his followers forever (Ezek 37.26,27; Matt 1.23; 2 Cor 4.16--5.5).