Wooberry, I'll let WYSIWYG and her husband answer the biblical questions; my knowledge is too limited.
I can usually dig out some of the history of a spiritual or find additional variants, if there are any in the usual references.

As a current and reasonably priced book of spirituals with music, I recommend "Songs of Zion," edited by Verolga Nix, J. Jefferson Cleveland et al., 1981 (and reprints; new, $13.00; used $5.44 up, at Amazon.com).
WYSIWYG has provided links to the many spirituals available here at Mudcat and which are listed in the Spirituals Permathread. Click on FAQ at the top of the page, and scroll down a long ways to the list of Permathreads (blue background) and click on African-American Spirituals. This thread provides links to many in an alphabetized list, and new additions not yet listed there are posted in the messages on the thread.

I can't find variants of this spiritual, but I believe that there could be two, one listing biblical figures one is likely to meet in heaven, the other listing family and friends that have died and will be met in Heaven.