Bible Question: i ask for serious answers as to the state of Elijah and Enoch in connection to Hebrews 9:27 and not some technical obvious observation please thankyou. |
Bible Answer: son of god Genesis 5:24 Ehoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. The text says Enoch walked - the word can also mean behaved and passed away. The text says Enoch was not - the word can also mean not exist. The text says God took him - the word took can also mean carry away or fetch. The text could possibly mean that Enoch behaved with God and passed away because God carried him away, fetched him. But Hebrews is not unclear like that, Hebrews says this; Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. According to the Bible Enoch was no longer found because he did not taste death. That would mean that it appears Enoch was an exeption to Hebrews 9:27. 2 Kings 2:11, 12 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. The text says Elijah ascended into heaven, was taken away, and was seen no more. This is another example of an exception that it appears God made to Hebrews 9:27. But did He really make an exception? Maybe not. Luke 9:30, 31 And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Notice that Moses and Elijah appeared in a state of glory, they had been glorified to a certain degree. 1 Corinthians 15:40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. I do believe it is safe to say that when one goes to heaven there is a heavenly body that gets put on. 1 Corinthians 15:50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Somehow it is not possible for flesh and blood to be in heaven, and there are fleshly bodies and heavenly bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but WE WIIL ALL be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. Somewhere in there we will all be changed at the last trump, all the dead flesh will put on the imperishable new heavenly body. There is no reason to think that Enoch and Elijah will be left out of that because somehow there is no way for their flesh bodies to be in heaven as flesh bodies, some change must have taken place we are not told about. Otherwise these other scriptures cannot apply to ALL, as in "we all will be changed". Elijah, Enoch, and Moses still have to be changed one more time, they need their immortal bodies to endure eternal life, that requires this - 1 Corinthians 15:35-38 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. Since this text is true that in order for there to be eternal life, there must first be the death of the flesh, that must apply to everyone. Jesus is the type for us, if He had to die, if His flesh had to die to go to eternal life, then so do all of us, no exceptions. On that basis alone it seems as if Enoch and Elijah had to have lost their flesh unto death in some sort of quick transition that we don't understand. The Brenton Bible says this - And Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and was not found, because God translated him. According to this translation God changed him. blessings abound, bowler |