Carol Newsom, Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice: A Critical Edition, Harvard Semitic Studies, vol. 11. [31] R. Alter, Hebrew Bible, Psalm 85:[12], justice and peace have kissed, 3:206. He saw God receive Zion "up into his own bosom" (Moses 7:69). Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 26vols. All rights reserved. Hopler, Whitney. I go to prepare a place for you. As Andrew Louth has argued, those Christians who embark on the mystical journey to reach God do so not individually, but as a communityas the body of Christ.17. The ritual ascent described in Hebrews was merely a temporary, terrestrial preview of the glory they hoped to eventually share in heaven with Christ. Klijn, A. F. J. Learn Religions. This page last updated: September 16, 2022. 1 and 2)Now see Jesus crowned with glory and honor (2:9)13Sit on my right hand (1:13). Smith, Joseph, Jr., Karen Lynn Davidson, David J. Whittaker, Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen. However, Enoch and Elijah did not die. They are the only ones in recorded history to skip death. Enoch and the City of Zion: Can an EntireCommunity AscendtoHeaven? (NIV) Genesis 5:24. This unique community matured over a period of 365 years, after which it was received up into heaven. 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. 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. 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). Because of Enoch's preaching and leadership, the people of the City of Enoch were so righteous that "the Lord came anddweltwith his people" while they were on the earth (Moses 7:16). [1] https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-01-01/president-russell-m-nelson-suggests-3-resolutions-in-his-first-message-of-2022-238652 . Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! My thanks to John W. Welch for bringing this to my attention. Significantly, the city of New Jerusalem envisioned by the Saints is expressly called in revelation, the center place (Doctrine and Covenants 57:3) or center stake.[33]. Later, referring to the publication of the Book of Mormon, the Prophet wrote (J. Smith, Jr. et al., Histories, 1832-1844, History Drafts, 1838Circa 1841, Draft 2, p. 386, emphasis added): It had now come to pass that, Truth had sprung out of the earth; and Righteousness had looked down from Heaven, so we feared not our opponents, knowing that we had both Truth and righteousness on our side. 3. They lived in the light of God and had a shining appearance. The City of Enoch: Where it is now + more fascinating facts Enoch - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 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). 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. Enoch and all who lived in Zion, his city, were so righteous that Heavenly Father took the whole city up into heaven. 5. . And my chosen ones I shall make to dwell on it., For a second time in this passage, Moses 7:63 shares similar imagery with Psalm 85and this time 1 Enoch does the same. 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). God made heaven and earth; at last he will remake both and join them together forever. 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. As time progressed toward the flood, the righteous were caught up to join . [13] G. W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, 40:89, p. 130. 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. Thank you Jeffrey. . Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/archangel-haniel-enoch-124046. [14] G. L. Mitton, Book of Mormon As a Resurrected Book, p. 131. and Do we see this theme in ancient texts, or is this a complete innovation on the part of Joseph Smith as he sought to unite his followers around an inspiring and unifying goal? A Revisionist Reading of the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice, in Society of Biblical Literature 1998 Seminar Papers (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1998), 36799. In this article, I will explore the notion of communal ascent to heaven in ancient Jewish and Christian literature and seek to answer the questions, Can an entire community ascend to heaven? It provides deep and powerful insights into crucial Restoration doctrines, particularly doctrines relating to the plan of salvation. 15. The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary. I close by returning to Joseph Smiths revelation regarding Melchizedek: His people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch which God had before taken, separating it from the earth, having reserved it unto the latter days, or the end of the world; And hath said, and sworn with an oath, that the heavens and the earth should come together (Gen. 14:3435, JST). 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). 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. Elijah was taken up in both a chariot of fire (2Ki. 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. [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]. Addams, R. Jean. Temples are some of the most beautiful places on earth, but the work that takes place inside of them is what makes them sacred. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. The text goes on to imply that all of the patriarchs were seeking to reach, or return to, a country or a citya heavenly city (Heb. Temple on Mount Zion 6, 3196. Charlesworth, James H. Conclusion: The origin and development of resurrection beliefs. In Resurrection: The Origin and Future of a Biblical Doctrine, edited by James H. Charlesworth. Hartmut Stegemann and Eileen Schuller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2009), 155. It will immeasurably enrich your understanding of such doctrines as the nature of God, pre-mortal life, the Creation, the Fall, the Atonement, the establishment of Zion, the Last Days, and the Second Coming. The parallels here between the story of the Rechabites and the account of Enochs people in the book of Moses are numerous. This is what happened to the City of Enoch. 2 (Slavonic Apocalypse of) Enoch. In The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, edited by James H. Charlesworth. 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. Scott D. Mackie, Heavenly Sanctuary Mysticism in the Epistle to the Hebrews, The Journal of Theological Studies 62 (April 2011): 78. [23] H. C. Kee, Testaments, Levi 10:5, p. 792. 25. Enoch was 430 years old at that time. [6] Moses 7:61. This seems to indicate that communication between heaven and the children of men would be severed due to wickedness. All the homesgone. Peter W. Flint and James C. VanderKam, 2vols. 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). The Pearl of Great Price: Verse by Verse Commentary. Enoch was one of the two people recorded in the Bible who did not die but were taken up into heaven by God, the other being Elijah ( 2 Kings 2:11 ). The book of 3 Enoch features archangel Metatron (who had originally been the prophet Enoch before becoming an angel in heaven) reflecting on what happened when archangel Haniel came to take him on a trip from Earth to heaven. Paulien, Jon. 12:2223, KJV). . 28. 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/ . 13. 10. 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. 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 . 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. 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 . 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 temple, the holy mountain, or the holy city, is the place for ascension into heaven, whether it be literal or ritual. 2. Reprint, Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 1966. The archangels also kept the record of all the incarnations of every human being.". So it is possible the City of Enoch could have been around these biblical regions. Andersen, F. I. Translation by Newsom in Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XL, 165. 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. 2 (Syriac Apocalypse of) Baruch. In The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, edited by James H. Charlesworth. Scott D. Mackie, Ancient Jewish Mystical Motifs in Hebrews Theology of Access and Entry Exhortations, New Testament Studies 58 (January 2012): 98 n.33; Mackie, Heavenly Sanctuary Mysticism, 78. 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]. 30. 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). Alter, Robert, ed. Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 2007. 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.