Did anyone ascend into heaven
before Jesus or not?
Genesis 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11 and John 3:13
Yes
(Genesis 5:24) - "And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."
(2 Kings 2:11) - "Then it came about as they were going along and talking, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven."
(Hebrews 11:5) - "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God."
No
(John 3:13) - "And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man"
The answer is simple when you understand the Jewish concept of the universe. They believed in three heavens. The first was the atmosphere where the trees, clouds, and birds are. The second is the realm of the stars, planets, sun, and moon. And the third heaven was the very dwelling place of God. In the Old Testament in Genesis 5 and 2 Kings 2 above, they were not taken into the very dwelling place of God, but into the heavens; that is, they were taken up into the sky. Exactly where is in debate. It isn't until after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ were those who had died before, in faith, taken into the highest heaven. Ephesians 4:8 is often referred to as a supporting scripture for this belief. It says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men." Furthermore, when Paul said he was caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2), he was referring to the very dwelling place of God.
Biblical demonstration of the three heavens