Metzger, Bruce M. The Fourth Book of Ezra. In The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, edited by James H. Charlesworth. This city, whose inhabitants would later be translated, was known as the City of Enoch or Zion. Most importantly, the two key entry exhortations, 4:1416 and 10:1923, both commend an act of entry that follows and imitates Jesus own heavenly ascent (4:14) and passage through the curtain (10:20). Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. The Doctrine and Covenants, Section 45:11-12. org/record?id=c5d54bd0-bede-47cb-b636-3281f30b0d0a (accessed May 19, 2021). She is the author of the book "Wake Up to Wonder.". The description of the flood of righteousness and truth that will result in the gathering of the elect in the last days is in deliberate counterpoint to the account of the flood of water that brought about the destruction of the wicked in Noahs day. 22 And this is mine everlasting covenant, that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy; I hope no one will take this as a hidden prophecy that President Nelson is soon to be translated. (accessed October 28, 2021). . Doctrine and Covenants 110:1: The veil was taken from our minds.See also a phrase added to the end of Genesis 9:26 in theJST: and a veil of darkness shall cover him (S. H. Faulring et al., Original Manuscripts, OT1, p. 118; OT2, p. 632. Manis Pictures: The Didactic Images of the Manichaeans from Sasanian Mesopotamia to Uygur Central Asia and Tang-Ming China. [25] F. I. Andersen, 2 Enoch, 55:2 [J], p. 182. The Self-Glorification Hymn (another similar text from the Dead Sea Scrolls), however, seems to imply that some individuals within the community, like Enoch and Levi and other great spiritual heroes of the past, had made the ascent on their own. Enoch preached repentance to "all the people" except the Caananites because of their wickedness (Moses 7:12). Aquila Lee argues that the idea about Mt. [15] See, for example, J. H. Charlesworth, Resurrection Beliefs, p. 223, who writes: In the history of the theologies of Israel, resurrection belief is clearly found only in very late literature. See https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/ ). 2. The work of scholars such as George Nickelsburg and Hugh Nibley has opened our eyes to ancient traditions regarding the figure of Enoch, so that we, as Latter-day Saints, have come to realize what a wealth of knowledge the Prophet Joseph Smith provided when he produced his inspired renderings of the first several chapters in Genesis, including the greatly expanded story of Enoch. 5. The parallels here between the story of the Rechabites and the account of Enochs people in the book of Moses are numerous. When I first saw the photo that accompanied the inspiring New Years message and invitation for 2022 from President Nelson,[1] I could not help but think of the following verses from the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis about the city of Enoch (JST Genesis 9:2122): 21 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself. [9] Heavenly messengers (perhaps meant to include the Savior, the Righteous Himself[10]) are to be sent down out of heaven and truth (referring to the Book of Mormon and perhaps other hidden books[11]) is to be sent forth out of the earth.[12] The personification of righteousness in the Book of Moses is apt in light of the use of divine virtues as the names of heavenly messengers in 1 Enoch 40:89. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1983. Enoch is taken up to heaven, and is appointed guardian of all the celestial treasures, chief of the archangels, and the . Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2007. 26. "The Story of Archangel Haniel Taking Enoch to Heaven." Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God (D&C 76:5558). The History of the Rechabites, in Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments, ed. James H. Charlesworth, 2vols. Enoch Bible Story - Why Didn't He Die in Genesis - Crosswalk.com In the Parables of Enoch 45:45 we read:[28] On that day, I shall make my Chosen One dwell among them, and I shall transform heaven and make it a blessing and a light forever; and I shall transform the earth and make it a blessing. Nickelsburg, George W. E., and James C. VanderKam, eds. [17] J. Smith, Jr., Teachings, November 1835, p. 84. The resurrection and the Old Testament: A fresh look in light of recent research. Journal of The Adventist Theological Society 24, no. Angels came among them and told them of the righteousness and wickedness of the world, which caused them to grieve over those who were lost to sin. Although these parallels are interesting, we are still not seeing in the ancient texts the idea of entire communities being taken up into heaven, as described in Joseph Smiths revelations. [15] Significantly, however, some of the earliest and most explicit of the extant descriptions of the resurrection in Jewish literature that do exist are found in the Enoch literature, in particular the Parables of Enoch which is so rich in its descriptions of the Son of Man:[16]. 1 Enoch 2: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 37-82. As time progressed toward the flood, the righteous were caught up to join . The Shocking Reason Why The Book of Enoch Was Banned From the - Medium We know this because Enoch received many visions from God and "walked with him" (D&C 107:49) and talked with Him "face to face" (Moses 7:4). Such individual ascent was probably the exception, rather than the rule.22, Alexander goes on to suggest that the leader of this liturgy, much like Enoch, would likely have already made the ascent himself and would thus be qualified to lead his congregation into the celestial realm. The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary. Enoch in the Bible Was the Man Who Walked With God - Learn Religions 6. Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies 90. [19] B. M. Metzger, 4 Ezra, 13:35, p. 552, emphasis added. Was Enoch Taken to Heaven? > Heaven and Hell: What Does the Bible - UCG Generally speaking, the stories and texts that I have analyzed in this article are about the temple and about the priesthood. All the homesgone. Not only is Haniel "a prince of angels who takes Enoch up to heaven in a fiery chariot in 3 Enoch," but Haniel "also holds the keys to the palaces of heaven," writes Julia Cresswell . Carol Newsom, one of the foremost authorities on the Songs, suggests that the recitation of these Sabbath songs was a major vehicle for the experience of communion with the angels18 and is intended as a communal experience of the human worshipping community that gives the participants a sense of being in the heavenly sanctuary and in the presence of angelic priests and worshippers.19 Davila argues that these songs were meant for liturgical use and refers to them as part of a weekly cultic drama.20 Crispin Fletcher-Louis sees the Songs as a conductors score for not merely a descriptive heavenly tour but a more concrete ritualized heavenly ascent. 404405 n. 2836. All the buildingsgone. The Lords oath is made doubly sure by the use of a first-person reference: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance (Moses 7:60). When there was corruption in the earthly temple, peoplesuch as the Qumran community and the early Christianswere striving for the heavenly temple located in the heavenly city. Frederick James Shields (18331911): Enoch (detail), 1910. . In Psalm 85 and 1 Enoch, two divine attributes meet and kiss, whereas in Moses 7:63 it is Enochs city and the Lord Himself that fall upon the necks of the righteous and kiss them, as they would a returning prodigal. Enoch - Wikipedia The confirmation of the divine oath with these heirs of promise served to give them hope. Salt Lake City, UT: The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books, 2014. https://archive.org/download/131203ImageAndLikeness2ReadingS. Joseph Smith Histories, 1832-1844. [26] The Lord and Enoch's City will Receive the Righteous (7:63) N. T. Wright, the well-known Anglican bishop and New Testament scholar, described the uniting of heaven and earth as follows: [27] God made heaven and earth; at last he will remake both and join them together forever. Joseph Smith and the Book of Enoch, 1 The Book of Giants tradition in the Chinese Manichaica. In Ancient Tales of Giants from Qumran and Turfan: Contexts, Traditions, and Influences, edited by Matthew Goff, Loren T. Stuckenbruck and Enrico Morano. Looking Up to Zion: The Ancient City of Enoch Then and Now | Meridian [11] For examples, see J. Another common element is that of the priesthood, and specifically the priesthood of Melchizedek. They were seven yet onethe unity of angels. When he was 65 years old, Enoch, the seventh patriarch after Adam, was called by God to be a prophet. So Enoch was snatched up from earth to heaven, and then we are told "that he did not see death." A plain reading of Hebrews 11:13 seems to say that Enoch actually did experience death. Papua New Guinean Saints Rejoice as Ground is Broken for New Temple. Samuel I. Thomas, The Mysteries of Qumran: Mystery, Secrecy, and Esotericism in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009), 209. Haniel's many alternate names have confused some people over which angel really carried Enoch into heaven, so Richard Webster says in his book Encyclopedia of Angels that "Haniel is sometimes thought to be the angel who transported Enoch to heaven" but some people credit other angels. They asked Zosimus all about the happenings on Earth and then proceeded to recount their own history and how they came to live in Paradise. In the Psalm, the personification of the divine traits is used to create a metaphor of peace and prosperity in the land, whereas in Moses 7:62, it depicts the coming forth of a united testimony from above and below of the Only Begottenspecifically of His resurrection and the resurrection of all men., Latter-day Saint interpreters understand the imagery of Moses 7:62 as referring to the restoration of the Gospel. Bradshaw, Jeffrey M., and David J. Larsen. 1. Moreover, in both cases the destination of the western movement of each group is identified as a unique hierocentric location: for Enochs people that location was Mount Sumru in the middle of the world map, while for the early Saints that location was Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem (Doctrine and Covenants 84:2, emphasis added), a relatively central location on the North American continent. Biblical Data: Name of the seventh progenitor of the race in the "book of the generations of Adam"; he was the son of Jared and the father of Methuselah (Gen. v.). ET on EWTN: Holy Mass and Rosary on Sunday, April 23, 2023 Tell us where you're. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. For Joseph Smith, Enoch and his people set the pattern for others to follow. And when we come to the picture of the actual end in Revelation 2122, we find not ransomed souls making their way to a disembodied heaven but rather the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven to earth, uniting the two in a lasting embrace. [22] Moses 7:62. Timothy H. Lim and John J. Collins (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), 443. Daily news, articles, videos and podcasts sent straight to your inbox. S.Daniel Breslauer (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1997), 224. Enter your email to receive updates on our LDS Living content, 2022 LDS Living A Division of Deseret Book Company, 5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About the Three Nephites, The Pearl of Great Price: Verse by Verse Commentary. See, for example, Philip S. Alexander, The Mystical Texts: Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice and Related Manuscripts, JSPSupp 61, Companion to the Qumran Scrolls 7 (London: Continuum, 2006), 129; Israel Knohl, Between Voice and Silence: The Relationship between Prayer and Temple Cult, Journal of Biblical Literature 115, no. They declared that they were originally from Earth, where they were known as the sons of Rechab. Because they would not obey the wicked King Jehoiakims request that they renounce their covenants and abandon the Lord, they were imprisoned. Enoch and the City of Zion: Can an EntireCommunity AscendtoHeaven? Cf. In chapter 7 of the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith provides us with an extensive account of how Enoch built a city "called the City of Holiness, even ZION" (Moses 7:19). Stained glass design for the Chapel of the Ascension, Bayswater Road, London. See also J. M. Bradshaw et al., Gods Image 2, Commentary Genesis 9:26, p. 323). After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. The immense distance between the spiritual and the mundane collapses, and we find holiness in the ordinary. This unique community matured over a period of 365 years, after which it was received up into heaven. . I will cite here examples from the pertinent Qumran texts to demonstrate each of these points. Linda McCarthy (1947-): The City of Enoch, 2002. Elijah was taken up in both a chariot of fire (2Ki. Paulien, Jon. Enoch (/ i n k / ()) is a biblical figure and patriarch prior to Noah's flood, and the son of Jared and father of Methuselah.He was of the Antediluvian period in the Hebrew Bible.. David J. Larsen is an adjunct professor for the Department of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University and an editorial fellow at BYU Studies. Mitton, George L. The Book of Mormon as a resurrected book and a type of Christ. In Remembrance and Return: Essays in Honor of Louis C. Midgley, edited by Ted Vaggalis and Daniel C. Peterson, 121-46. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 2 (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book; Provo, Utah: FARMS), 25253. "The Story of Archangel Haniel Taking Enoch to Heaven." I have found a related pattern of themes in my own research on other Qumran texts, including a collection of poetic compositions or songs known as the Hodayot, or Thanksgiving Psalms, and the scroll labeled 4Q381, a collection of noncanonical psalms. The Son of God died, but then rose from the dead three days later. Summarizing his findings regarding this ritualized ascent, Mackie concludes, Hebrews depicts Jesus exaltation as involving an ascent, as he passed through the heavens (4:14; see also 1:6; 7:26) and entered into heaven itself (9:24). Enoch was 430 years old at that time. Salt Lake City, UT: Ensign Peak, 2012. Although they do not feature Enoch or his city explicitly, there is a recurring theme in some of the texts that corresponds to the idea of a priestly figure who leads a community of priests in an ascension into the heavenly realm. Why did God take Enoch and Elijah to Heaven without them dying? - eBible 27 (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1985), 1718. Media. On the origins of this text, see John W. Welch, The Narrative of Zosimus (History of the Rechabites) and the Book of Mormon, in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited, ed. Do Animals Go to Heaven? And the Lord of Spirits will dwell over them. Hugh Nibley, Enoch the Prophet, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, vol. See Scott D. Mackie, Eschatology and Exhortation in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Tbingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2007), 17071; John Dunnill, Covenant and Sacrifice in the Letter to the Hebrews (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), 261; Luke Timothy Johnson, The Scriptural World of Hebrews, Interpretation 57 (July 2003): 238; Crispin Fletcher-Louis, All the Glory of Adam: Liturgical Anthropology in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Leiden: Brill, 2002), xii; and Silviu Bunta, The Convergence of Adamic and Merkabah Traditions in the Christology of Hebrews, paper presented at the 2010 SBL Annual Meeting, Atlanta, November 21, 2010. To help you remember that these great events are coming, you will need: heavy paper, glue, scissors, a sharpened pencil, and . ( Read Moses 7 .) (NIV) Genesis 5:24. This page last updated: September 16, 2022. 1, 517-59. Lukes tale of the prodigal son turns out to be not symbolic foreshadowing, but literal foretaste, of a greater reunion. I thank you, Lord, that you have redeemed my life from the pit, and that from Sheol-Abaddon you have lifted me up to an eternal height, so thatI walk about on a limitless plain. With the help of these ancient sources, we are now in a better position than ever to assemble the most complete and detailed biography of Enoch to appear in modern times. He goes on to declare that those who walk in the way of your heart listen to me; they are drawing themselves up before you in the council of the holy ones.30. [5] G. Ksa, Book of Giants Tradition, pp. Psalm 110:4 was understood to declare that Jesuss priesthood was related to the priesthood of Melchizedek. Based on the translation by Newsom in Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XL, 166. Catholic Daily Mass - Daily TV Mass - April 23, 2023 - Facebook In answer to Enochs question, the Lord declares that He will fulfill the oath He made to Enoch concerning the children of Noah (Moses 7:60). 2:1, 11). . According to Mackie, all of this would have been performed by actors or described in a way that the participants could vividly imagine themselves as being in the heavenly temple and visualize Christ on his throne and so on. Brown Memorial Conference, 7 November 2020, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and Jeffrey M. Bradshaw. The scene also evokes the imagery of Nephis vision (1 Nephi 11:1, 3, 4,8, 25): I was caught away into an exceedingly high mountain . Hebrews 9:8. 254255. [2] Ascent and transformation of BGs thirty-two divinely prepared cities of earthly Zion to thirty-two palaces of heavenly Zion atop Mount Sumru. 1 and 2)Now see Jesus crowned with glory and honor (2:9)13Sit on my right hand (1:13). And (as for) this fragrant tree, no flesh has the right to touch it until the great judgment, in which there will be vengeance on all and a consummation forever. For example, Moses, when he ascended Mount Sinai into the presence of God, left the general body of the Israelites down at the bottom of the mountain and even left the seventy specially chosen elders at the halfway point before ascending to the heights. Translation by Newsom in Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XL, 166. The Brill Reference Library of Judaism 18. "And Enoch beheldangelsdescending out of heaven, bearingtestimonyof the Father and Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion" (Moses 7:27). Vol. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Regarding the first, we find in numerous places of 1QHodayota the speaker thanking God for delivering him from suffering and for having raised him to the eternal height, or heavenly realm. . They were then miraculously freed from prison by angels who came from heaven in a brilliant light and were lifted up to dwell in Paradise. There are numerous biblical and pseudepigraphal texts that relate the ascensions of great biblical heroes such as Abraham, Jacob, Levi, Moses, Isaiah, Jesus, and Paul. As a number of scholars have argued,31 I believe that some of these texts, or similar ones, originated with, or were used by, the priesthood at the Jerusalem Temple. Later in Hebrews, we get more insight into his disappearance: "By faith . Givens, Terryl L., and Fiona Givens. We observed that the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks of Christians gaining access to the heavenly city, which was also referred to as Mount Zion. The past and the future of the Temple Lot in Jackson County, Missouri. In The Temple: Past, Present, and Future. . [13] Likewise, as George Mitton observes, the Book of Mormon as a testimony of the risen Lord is equally fitting since the symbol of its coming forth from the earth is reminiscent of the Lords resurrection.[14], Of course, in contrast to some other ancient religions, evidence for an early Israelite belief in a personal resurrection is controversial. He then goes on to mention how Abraham, while he was wandering in the land of promise, living in tents, waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Heb. Believed to be originally written in Aramaic in the late 2nd century BCE, the Book of Enoch is attributed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, who was said to have been taken up to heaven by . In trying to unravel these anomalies, we should recall that the Book of Moses chronicles a transformation of the earthly Zion, symbolically located in the foothills of the mountain of the Lord, into a heavenly Zion, as shown in the annotated figure above. 11 Wherefore, hearken ye together and let me show unto you even my wisdom-the wisdom of him whom ye say is the God of Enoch, and his brethren,. In fact, this concept has become so apparent to me in the research I have done that I must limit my analysis here to just a few representative examples. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. The first and perhaps greatest tribulation is that a veil of darkness [would] cover the earth (Moses 7:61). In chapter 7 of the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith provides us with an extensive account of how Enoch built a city called the City of Holiness, even ZION (Moses 7:19). He received his PhD in Divinity/Biblical Studies from the University of St.Andrews in Scotland, his MA in Biblical Theology from Marquette University, and a BA in Near Eastern Studies from BYU. From the scriptures, we know that Enoch came east out of his homeland of Cainan to preach repentance unto the people. Elder Alvin R. Dyer observed that the dimensions of the drawing of the Prophets proposed temple structures for Zion were 610 x 870, thus matching the dimensions of the Latter-day Saints Visitors Center, finished in 1981 and located on part of the Independence Temple Lot owned by the Church (Alvin R. Dyer, Report of Meeting with President David O. McKay, diary, March 10, 1967, accn. Rashi construes biblical Hebrew edeq JUSTICE in the sense of Rabbinic Hebrew dqh charity (Rashi, Psalms, p. 554 n. 12), and comments (ibid., p. 553): The charity [hadqh] which Israel used to perform and the WELL-BEING from the Holy One Blessed be He will kiss each other, which is to say that the end result of charity is well-being [that is, lm, translated in the KJB as peace]. ENOCH - JewishEncyclopedia.com [31] R. Alter, Hebrew Bible, Psalm 85:[12], justice and peace have kissed, 3:206. Joseph Smith had only 3 years of primary school education. Tvedtnes, John A. They were trying to ascend to that heavenly community, to attain the paradisiacal home, as Enoch did, and enjoy the glory of living in the presence of God. Secret of happiness; self examination; Joseph Smith a man of obedience to God; baptism for the dead; temporal and spiritual one; a dream; order of Enoch, the order of God; a good word for the women. In Journal of Discourses. However, Enoch and Elijah did not die. You'll also like: 5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About the Three Nephites. A Revisionist Reading of the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice, in Society of Biblical Literature 1998 Seminar Papers (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1998), 36799. And the righteous and chosen will have arisen from the earth. 1, 775-828. https://www.learnreligions.com/archangel-haniel-enoch-124046 (accessed May 2, 2023). Translation by Newsom in Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XL, 165. Enoch, the Watchtower, and rightly handling Scripture | carm.org Vol. Eventually, these two witnesses will be killed but will be resurrected and go up into heaven (Revelation 11:7-12). Genesis 5:24 tells us that "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Hebrews 11:5 adds: "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found, because God had taken him'; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God." Some erroneously jump to the conclusion that Enoch was taken up . Wissenschlaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 360, ed. 14. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion (Moses 7:13, 17-19). Mackie, Heavenly Sanctuary Mysticism, 98. Who are the two witnesses in the book of Revelation? "And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and Son; . Genesis 5:22-23. Genesis mentions two Enochs: one, a son of Cain, who Cain named a city after (Gen 4:17); the second, a decendent of Seth, was "taken by God" (Gen 5:24). City of Enoch - Mormonism, The Mormon Church, Beliefs, & Religion How Does John Portray Jesus as the Way of the Temple? Based on the translation by Carol Newsom in Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XL: 1QHodayota, ed. They lived there as mortals but were without sin, purified and spotless, cleansed from all corruption. In the previous article in this series, we saw how ancient texts combine with the Book of Moses to tell a more complete story of the gathering of Zion. 15. Hebrews 12:22 associates this city with Mount Zion. 12. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1983. Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 1988. * In the last days, the city and its people will return to earth and be part of the New Jerusalem. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Lamech's son Noah was born four years after the city of Enoch was taken into heaven. 2. Hebrews is structured around the ideas of Jesus Christs high priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, his ascension into heaven, and his enthronement in the celestial sanctuary. In Gods Image and Likeness 2. Fortunately, the scriptures, especially the Pearl of Great Price, provide details about the divine destiny and history of the City of Enoch. And he answered me and said, this high mountain that you saw, whose peak is like the throne of God, is the seat where the Great Holy One, the Lord of glory, the King of eternity, will sit, when he descends to visit the earth in goodness. Speaking to a community of Christian believers, the author declares, But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, . Dramatic [re]enactment of the Sons exaltation (chs. 11:1316). 3 (1982): 31132. 3. But (we experience only) quietness and gladness; and (exhibit) love and affection toward God and each other.7. Son confers family membership on community (they are his siblings)Behold I and the children which God hath given me bringing many sons unto glorynot ashamed to call them brethren (2:1015). Fulfilling his covenant to preserve the lineage of Enoch upon the earth, the Lord left behind Enoch's son, Methuselah, and grandson, Lamech (Moses 8:2, 5). This series of articles introduces a new book entitled Enoch and the Gathering of Zion: The Witness of Ancient Texts for Modern Scripture (see review at: https://latterdaysaintmag.com/a-new-biography-of-enoch-and-an-excellent-tool-for-the-book-of-moses/ . 29. The City of Enoch: Where it is now + more fascinating facts Hugh Nibley, in his book Enoch the Prophet, pulls from Adolph Jellineks collection of Jewish traditions, Bet ha-Midrash, a story of more than eight hundred thousand men who followed Enoch and refused to leave him as he was about to be taken up into heaven riding a chariot of fire. Haniel may have joined some other archangels to give Enoch a spectacular display of angelic power and unity on his heavenly tour. They lived in the light of God and had a shining appearance. To use an example that I see as similar, the temporary transfiguration of Christ on the mountain height was, if anything, a preview of his anticipated exaltation and heavenly enthronement.
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