Where did Old Testament believers go when they died before the cross?

Les explains that the place is Hades, or hell, which Abraham defines as having a great gulf fixed. On one side was torment; on the other side was paradise. Before the cross, from Adam onward, men lived and died, and even believers—except Enoch and Elijah—did not go up to heaven. Those two were God's exceptions. Other Old Testament believers could not go to heaven but had to go down to paradise, because the atoning blood of Christ is the only thing that removes the stain of sin; animal blood could not take it away. They were saved for eternity, but not ready for God's presence because their sins had not been atoned for by Christ's blood. The lost from all ages, including today, still go down into hell, into the torment side. When the thief was told, "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise," Christ was speaking of that place, as He said He would be three days and three nights in the center of the earth, and Paul puts his stamp of approval on this.