1, 91-221. However, the sequence of the terms truth (emet) and righteousness (tsedaqah) is inverted, and, more importantly, different actions are indicated. Regarding those who are destined for celestial glory, it says, They are they into whose hands the Father has given all thingsThey are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory; And are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son. "The Story of Archangel Haniel Taking Enoch to Heaven." Who are the two witnesses in the book of Revelation? 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. For the Qumran community, their religious practices gave them the experience of being there, praising God among the angels. To arrive at the answers to these questions, I will analyze a number of ancient Jewish and Christian religious texts that feature the ascent to heaven motif and suggest that not only did their authors envision an individual ascent, but they also imagined groups or communities raised up to the celestial realm. For instance, in 4 Ezra13:35 we read:[19] Zion will come and be made manifest to all people,preparedand built, as you saw the mountain carved out without hands. Similarly, 2 Baruch4:23 reads:[20] [I]t is that [city] which will be revealed, with me, that was alreadypreparedfrom the moment that I decided to create Paradise., The nature of the gathering place of Gods elect as a Holy City is described in 1 Enochs Book of the Parables 45:5:[21] And my chosen ones I shall make to dwell on it, but those who commit sin and error will not set foot on it. Jewish tradition also describes a New Jerusalem.[22] According to theTestament of Levi10:5:[23] For the house which the Lord shall choose shall be called Jerusalem, as the book of Enoch the Righteous maintains. This account may be citing1 Enoch90:2829, whichtells of how the old house (that is, the old city of Jerusalem) is removed and replaced with a new house (that is, New Jerusalem). 85128) and others (for example, J. Paulien, Resurrection and the OT) see a much earlier idea of a personal resurrection present earlier in Hosea, Isaiah, and elsewhere. New York City, NY: HarperOne, 2008. (accessed October 29, 2021). Although one could argue that there is an apparent discrepancy in this paper between the type of experience described for Enoch (and othersfor example, the Rechabites), which may be seen as a more temporary transfiguration, and that described in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which may be seen as a more permanent transition into exaltation, I do not find these traditions to be incompatible. Do Animals Go to Heaven? 10. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University FARMS, 2000. Metzger, Bruce M. The Fourth Book of Ezra. In The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, edited by James H. Charlesworth. And the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold mine abode forever. Translation of 1QHodayota XV:2930 by Newsom in Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XL, 214. In addition, based on the recent discovery of the Manichaean Cosmology Paintinga thirteenthfourteenth century Chinese wall hanging that includes illustrations of Enochs storywe now have some idea of the symbolic geography of Enochs travels, likely portraits of individuals to whom he preached (including Mahijah), and what seems to be a depiction of the cities of Zion that ascended to heaven. Rashi imagines a landscape in which all Israelites will kiss one another., Differing with the Lords previous instruction to Enoch, He delivers His word as a monologuethere is no reply from Enoch this time, only an epilogue from the narrator. after his call, the Lord showed Enoch, and us, a little more about the ancient prophet's divine potential: And we find later in Moses that God's promises to Enoch were fulfilled as he led the people of God against their enemies. . James H. Charlesworth, 2vols. Depiction of Jesuss ascent to heaven and entry into the celestial templea great high priest, that is passed into the heavens (4:14)Christ entered into heaven itself (9:24). Samuel I. Thomas, The Mysteries of Qumran: Mystery, Secrecy, and Esotericism in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009), 209. 17. What Was the Christmas Star of Bethlehem? The righteous people described in Moses 7:27 were translated and "caught up" to join those in the city of Zion. 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. Finally, while MCP depicts Mount Sumru with thirty-two or thirty-six palaces at its summit, the plat for the city of Zion prominently featured twenty-four numbered temple sites at its center. Then Cain built a city and named the city Enoch. Can an EntireCommunity AscendtoHeaven? Going further, though Ksa recognizes an obvious correspondence of some kind between the visual depiction of thirty-two palaces at the top of Mount Sumru and the report in the BG text of thirty-two towns for the repentant gibborim at the base of Mount Sumru he finds it difficult to reconcile the fact that the palaces shown at the top within MCP are definitely not towns; [neither are they] at the foot of the mountains as is described in the text of BG.[5]. 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 in her book The Watkins Dictionary of Angels. We make this interpretation of veil of darkness being spiritual in nature based on similar phrases elsewhere in scripture, for example, Moses 7:56 (the heavens were veiled) and Doctrine and Covenants 38:8 (the veil of darkness shall soon be rent), which imply that this veil will cut off direct communication from heaven. Men and angels are to be co-workers in bringing to pass this great work, and Zion is to be prepared, even a new Jerusalem, for the elect that are to be gathered from the four quarters of the earth, and to be established an holy city, for the tabernacle of the Lord shall be with them. In Hebrews, all of the patriarchs were seeking to reach that city, and Jesus made it possible for all Christians to make it there. and lie down and rise up forever and ever. The palaces surround a deity with two attendants in a thirty-third palace. The author contrasts the experience of the Israelites under Moses and how they were not able to even touch Mount Sinai with that of the followers of Jesus Christ, who were given full access to Mount Zion. [22] Moses 7:62. What we see in these texts should be considered the ritual ascension of the human community to heaven, where they experience a vision of Gods throne and are temporarily transformed into an angelified or deified state.21 Scott Mackie and Philip Alexander specifically refer to the Songs as implying a communal heavenly ascent. I will not go into an in-depth description of the content of the Songs but quote here from Alexanders analysis: The communal chanting of these numinous hymns on successive Sabbaths was apparently deemed sufficient to carry the earthly worshippers up to the courts of the celestial Temple, through the nave and into the sanctuary, and to set them before the throne of God. However, as in the previous instance, there is an important difference. The immense distance between the spiritual and the mundane collapses, and we find holiness in the ordinary. Whether or not by sheer coincidence, the symbolic geography shared by the Manichaean BG fragments and Manichaean Cosmology Painting (MCP) are mirrored in a general way in the itinerary of the gathering and the layout for Joseph Smiths City of Zion in Missouri. 12 Who were separated from the earth, and were received unto myself-a city reserved . We are then told that "Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven" (Moses 7:21). Everything was gone without a trace. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2015. https://www.academia.edu/28945654/_Introduction_to_MANI_S_PICTURES_The_Didactic_Images_of_the_Manichaeans_from_Sasanian_Mesopotamia_to_Uygur_Central_Asia_and_Tang_Ming_China_Leiden_Brill_2015_pp_1_19. Hugh Nibley, Enoch the Prophet, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, vol. And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? . Similarly, Moses 7:69 states, And Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that Zion was not, for God received it up into his own bosom; and from thence went forth the saying, ZION IS FLED. Because we are informed that God came and dwelled in Zion, it is probably safe to assume that Enochs city had a temple. Smith, Joseph, Jr. To the Elders of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Latter Day Saints Messenger and Advocate 2:3, December, 1835, 225-30. Because of this, it is most likely Enoch did not travel to the land of Canaan. and have ceased to cast down their faces. 16. 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. The text of the Book of Genesis says Enoch lived 365 years before he was taken by God. The Resurrection of the Son of God. Joseph Smith Histories, 1832-1844. They controlled and harmonized everything in Gods creation. [14] G. L. Mitton, Book of Mormon As a Resurrected Book, p. 131. What a blessing it is to live in a day when we are preparing for the return of Zion. Orem and Salt Lake City, UT: The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books, 2020. 9. Benson, Ezra Taft. Your Hardest Family Question: How do I get closure from my divorce? The ritual ascent described in Hebrews was merely a temporary, terrestrial preview of the glory they hoped to eventually share in heaven with Christ. Hartmut Stegemann and Eileen Schuller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2009), 155. They lived in the light of God and had a shining appearance. Digital and softcover copies of the book are available now in black and white or beautiful premium color. 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.. Scott D. Mackie, Heavenly Sanctuary Mysticism in the Epistle to the Hebrews, The Journal of Theological Studies 62 (April 2011): 78. Another common element is that of the priesthood, and specifically the priesthood of Melchizedek. Christian Origins and the Question of God 3. that he might take his place with the host of the holy ones and enter into community with the congregation of the children of heaven (1QHa XI, 2023).24, The second point, regarding the idea that the individual is, while in the heavenly realm, taught the mysteries of heaven, can be seen in columnXII of 1QHodayota. 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. BG scholar Gbor Ksa sees the thirty-two palaces, shown on the foliage [at the top] of the tree-like Mount Sumru, as implying a divine association; this is reinforced by the presence of three divine figures in front of the [much bigger] thirty-third palace, with the central figure seated on a lotus throne and the two [attendants] standing on either side. Rather my hope is that in reading and applying his message and the lessons of the story of the city of Enoch we will remember that the glorious day of the return of heavenly Zion to the earth depends on the degree to which each of us individually embrace the truth and look upward (JST Genesis 9:22). The intent of this paper is to compare traditions that utilize similar themes relating to the idea of communal ascent to heaventhe ultimate goal of the ascent is not of particular relevance here. 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). Vol. Thus began a vision of what would happen to the earth from then to the Millennium, and where Zion would eventually be located. . However, N. T. Wright (N. T. Wright, Resurrection of the Son of God, pp. 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. A city was named after him. James R. Davila, Melchizedek: King, Priest, and God, in The Seductiveness of Jewish Myth: Challenge or Response, ed. 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. 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 . According to The Pearl of Great Price: Verse by Verse Commentary, bosom in this instance means God's throne, His actually dwelling place. The painting portrays the biblical character Enoch being taken to heaven by God.He was the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and an ancestor of Noah.Enoch was a key figure in the Old Testament who was said to live 365 years before he was taken by God to heaven. A new take on the parable of the lost sheep may change how you see yourself in the church, 5 things Latter-day Saints should know about ancient Christians, 6 temple dresses + accessories Latter-day Saint women will love. 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). 17172. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek (NIV). 15. 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. He currently lives in Springville, Utah, with his wife and their four (soon to be five) children. They controlled the movement of the stars, the seasons, and the waters on the Earth, as well as plant and animal life. Klijn, A. F. J. Does John 3:13 mean that no one went to Heaven before Jesus? Faith and Scholarship Colloquies 3, 218-31. And where is it now? She is the author of the book "Wake Up to Wonder.". Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies 90. . Thank you Jeffrey. Noel Reynolds (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1997), 32374, an expanded and updated version of The Narrative of Zosimus and the Book of Mormon, BYU Studies 22, no. Carol Newsom, Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice: A Critical Edition, Harvard Semitic Studies, vol. See Hebrews 11:16; 12:2224; Revelation 3:12; 21:2; 3 Nephi 20:22; 21:2324; Ether 13:210; Doctrine and Covenants 42:67; 133:56. Haniel's Role. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain [veil], where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. Though many Latter-day Saints will remember Hugh Nibleys remarkable discoveries in ancient documents relating to the Book of Moses story of Enoch that were published nearly fifty years ago, they may not be aware of exciting new findings. Thus, in the MCP depiction of BG, in the Book of Moses, and in the envisioned latter-day City of Zion, God dwelt in the midst, literally and symbolically central in the eyes of His people. And we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other. Noahs flood brought destruction, whereas this flood will bring salvation. They were seven yet onethe unity of angels. Salt Lake City, UT: The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books, 2014. https://archive.org/download/131203ImageAndLikeness2ReadingS. Cover image: Left: President Russell M. Nelson looks up in a photo included with his first message of 2022; Right: Enoch looks up as he is taken up to the presence of God. 11. Hopler, Whitney. Enoch is taken up to heaven, chalk painting by Albertus Pictor (1440-1507) in Trave 2 of Hrkeberga Church, Enkping, Sweden.. After all, Latter-day Saints have been called, like Enochs people, to more fully engage our hearts and accelerate our labors in a spirit of consecration until the Enochs vision of a true and permanent Zion becomes a reality. In Moses 7:62-64, we see that the city of Zion will return to the earth during Christ's millennial reign: Eventually, Enoch and those of the City of Enoch will be reunited with the righteous on the earth. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1983. https://www.marquette.edu/maqom/slavonicenoch.html. The reunion of the City of Enoch to the earth in the Millennium will be its final resting place, and God's abode during this 1,000-year period. The people of the City of Enoch were also "of one heart and one mind," united in their belief, and there were "no poor among them" (Moses 7:18). 5. (accessed December 18, 2021). 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. Hopler, Whitney. S.Daniel Breslauer (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1997), 224. Similarly, Moses 7:69 states, "And Enoch and all his . The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary. Enoch, means--founder; teacher; instructor;. ISSN 2167-8472 (print); ISSN 2167-8480 (online), Provo, UT 84602, USA | 2022 Brigham Young University. Whitney Hopler is a writer and editor who has covered faith since 1994. See https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/ ). This was the belief of Brigham Young, who stated: I will not say but what Enoch had Temples and officiated therein, but we have no account of it.1, One of the most intriguing elements of Joseph Smiths inspired translation of Genesis is that this concept of communal ascent is not limited to Enochs city of Zion. 3 Enoch 6:1-18 records: It's interesting to note that the angels who encountered Enoch when he arrived in heaven detected the fact that he was a living human being by his scent and were upset about his presence there among the angels until God explained why he chose Enoch to come to heaven without dying first. Enoch and all who lived in Zion, his city, were so righteous that Heavenly Father took the whole city up into heaven. . [28] G. W. E. Nickelsburg et al., 1 Enoch 2, 45:45, p. 148. Genesis 5:24 says, "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Second Kings 2:11 relates the translation of Elijah, "Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." . 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. 3. He is taught the heavenly mysteries, often by God himself; c. He is appointed to be a teacher and is called to teach the mysteries to others; d. Those who follow his teachings are then permitted to participate in a heavenly ascent or vision. Whereas the idea of Enoch, as an individual, ascending to heaven is common in the ancient religious literature regarding the patriarch, parallels to the notion of his entire community being translated and taken up as well are not so apparent. New York City, NY: T & T Clark, 2006. Young, Brigham. 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]. In this vision, Enoch saw the rest of the world sink into wickednesses, with Satan holding "a greatchainin his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth withdarkness; and he looked up andlaughed, and hisangelsrejoiced" (Moses 7:26). All the homesgone. Community is provided access to the heavenly temple by Jesus, their High Priestthey are exhorted to boldly enter the heavenly sanctuary and draw near to Gods throne (4:1416; 10:1925).14. Smith, Joseph, Jr. 1938. Cf. They were all equal in height, had brilliant faces and identical robes. Verses1920 of Hebrews 6 tell of the hope that the community holds dear: We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. 24. 274ff; G. L. Mitton, Book of Mormon As a Resurrected Book. My thanks to John W. Welch for bringing this to my attention. As the evangelist told the story, when the son was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him (Luke 15:20).. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. There are several versions of this history, but the earliest English translation came long after Joseph Smiths work on the book of Moses. 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. 1 Enoch 1: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 1-36; 81-108. 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. I have loved 1 and 2 Enoch, and since reading your articles, I have loved learning about Manichaeism. 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. You'll also like: 5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About the Three Nephites. Son of Cain (Gen. iv. The patriarchs and those in the monarchy, as well as those who lived in ancient Palestine before the sixth-century BCE Babylonian exile, did not imagine that the dead would be raised.. And the righteous and chosen will have arisen from the earth. 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. 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. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1969. https://scriptures.byu.edu/tpjs/STPJS.pdf. many children into the same glory he possesses (2:10). 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). Are there any traces of the heavenly ascent of Enochs people in the Book of Giants (BG)? Wright, Nicholas Thomas. James R. Davila, Exploring the Mystical Background of the Dead Sea Scrolls, in The Oxford Handbook of the Dead Sea Scrolls, ed. 18, 23549. 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. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. But it wouldn't stay there forever. Aquila Lee argues that the idea about Mt. The History of the Rechabites, in Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments, ed. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1983. The idea of Melchizedek (if not his city with him) being taken up into . But that didn't mean that those who weren't in the city at the time were out of luck. Linda McCarthy (1947-): The City of Enoch, 2002. 21. This is the birth of the saying, "Zion is fled.". 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. Image Collections; Gospel Art; Gospel Art Book; Old TestamentGospel Art Book; [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. Wissenschlaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 360, ed. Get more fascinating insights into the scriptures withThe Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary. Who Was the Angel Who Guided Moses During the Exodus? With Enochs Zion removed from the world, the residue of the people left behind continued to increase in wickednessa downward spiral that ultimately ended with the coming of the Great Flood to cleanse the earth of their iniquity. 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. The fact that the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice were also found at Masada indicates that this phenomenon was not limited to a group of sectarians living at Qumran. Create a moving picture to use in telling the story of the city of Enoch being taken up to heaven. Enoch and the City of Zion: Can an EntireCommunity AscendtoHeaven? Nibley, Hugh W. The Prophetic Book of Mormon. Liverpool and London, England: Latter-day Saints Book Depot, 1853-1886. What is the book of Enoch and should it be in the Bible? [24] See G. W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, 90:2829, p. 402. As a leader and prophet of the people of God, Enoch met personally with the Lord on many occasions throughout his 365-year ministry. Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith. 254255. 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. As we explore ancient Christianity, we can better understand our own beliefs and practices and those of our fellow Christians today. Again, the ancient Enoch literature echoes the themes of the Book of Moses. Eventually, the people of the City of Enoch were translated and taken from off the earth. 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. The first and perhaps greatest tribulation is that a veil of darkness [would] cover the earth (Moses 7:61). 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. Hermeneia: A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible. 2 vols. 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 into heaven, but notice the Bible nowhere says this.

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