When the people of God were attacked, their enemies fled to "a land out of the depth of the sea, and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off and went upon the land which came up out of the depth of the sea" (Moses 7:14), which could have been anisland or a peninsula in the general region of the City of Enoch. 274ff; G. L. Mitton, Book of Mormon As a Resurrected Book. 1334, box 46, f 6, cited in R. J. Addams, Past and Future of the Temple Lot (TMZ 2020), p. 65). Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith. A Revisionist Reading of the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice, in Society of Biblical Literature 1998 Seminar Papers (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1998), 36799. It seems also to refer to renewed revelation in the last days. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 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. 1 (1996): 1730. , And I looked and beheld a tree; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty. 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. This city, whose inhabitants would later be translated, was known as the City of Enoch or Zion. "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). [32] Church History Library, MS 2567. 5. 22. James H. Charlesworth, 2vols. ( Read Moses 7 .) 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. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1980. Timothy H. Lim and John J. Collins (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), 443. 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. 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 . New York City, NY: W. W. Norton, 2019. As a leader and prophet of the people of God, Enoch met personally with the Lord on many occasions throughout his 365-year ministry. There are several versions of this history, but the earliest English translation came long after Joseph Smiths work on the book of Moses. The ritual ascent described in Hebrews was merely a temporary, terrestrial preview of the glory they hoped to eventually share in heaven with Christ. 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. (London: Latter-day Saints Book Depot, 185486), 18:303, January 1, 1877. While there are many theories about where the City of Enoch could have been, there's not enough evidence to give an exact location of where it was built. 9. 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). Benson, Ezra Taft. (NIV) Hebrews 11:5. All rights reserved. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1983. Everything was gone without a trace. 2 vols. The parallels here between the story of the Rechabites and the account of Enochs people in the book of Moses are numerous. And this will be your garment, the garment of life from the Lord of Spirits; and your glory will not fade in the presence of the Lord of Spirits. . Enoch, means--founder; teacher; instructor;. Hermeneia: A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible. Thank you Jeffrey. 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/ . 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 . The History of the Rechabites, in Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments, ed. Givens, Terryl L., and Fiona Givens. 15. The Prophet Joseph Smith explained:[17]. Orem and Salt Lake City, UT: The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books, 2020. 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. In this final installment, well continue the story with new details of the ascent of Enochs city to heaven and its return in the last days. Smith, Joseph, Jr. 1938. The citizens of the City of Enoch were not limited to one group or tribe of people. 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. "Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. As a result, the text says, 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 14:3235, JST). [26], N. T. Wright, the well-known Anglican bishop and New Testament scholar, described the uniting of heaven and earth as follows:[27]. The Book of Enoch, which is part of the Jewish and Christian Apocrypha, credits archangel Haniel (under one of her alternate names) with traveling to Earth on assignment from God to pick up Enoch in a fiery chariot and escort him through the flames into another dimension to reach heaven. However, Enoch and Elijah did not die. Although other such accounts that parallel the book of Moses narrative may exist, the remainder of this article will focus not on attempting to identify further parallels of this nature but on highlighting examples in early Jewish and early Christian literature that depict this motif in a different way. The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. [4] G. W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, 25:24, p. 312. 2. . (accessed December 8, 2021). Original drawing prepared at the direction of Joseph Smith, Jr. in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1833 by Frederick G. William and mailed to Edward Partridge and others in Independence, Missouri, in June 1833. Send Me Your Angel: Saint Padre Pio and Guardian Angels, Seraphim Angels: Burning With Passion for God, The Holy Spirit Appears as a Dove During Christ's Baptism. The past and the future of the Temple Lot in Jackson County, Missouri. In The Temple: Past, Present, and Future. Vol. And the Lord of Spirits will dwell over them. 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. 18, 23549. The Book of Enoch chapter 71 1. [2] Ascent and transformation of BGs thirty-two divinely prepared cities of earthly Zion to thirty-two palaces of heavenly Zion atop Mount Sumru. Get more fascinating insights into the scriptures withThe Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary. New York City, NY: T & T Clark, 2006. The Resurrection of the Son of God. "City of Enoch" (December 1994 Friend) Solve this code to figure out why the people in the city of Enoch were so righteous. 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.. As time progressed toward the flood, the righteous were caught up to join . Linda McCarthy (1947-): The City of Enoch, 2002. May each of us embrace the truth and look upward (JST Genesis 9:22) so that we may be ready for that day is my prayer. This unique community matured over a period of 365 years, after which it was received up into heaven. Salt Lake City, UT: The Church Historians Press, 2012. 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. It provides deep and powerful insights into crucial Restoration doctrines, particularly doctrines relating to the plan of salvation. Papua New Guinean Saints Rejoice as Ground is Broken for New Temple. In our day, when stories of scripture figures are often dismissed as fables or ignored altogether, Enochs story and message are more vital and relevant than ever. I will cite here examples from the pertinent Qumran texts to demonstrate each of these points. 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. Enoch became a prophet to a wicked people, and eventually, all the people of the City of Enoch became so righteous, that they were "translated" and taken up to heaven, to return during the millennial rule of Jesus Christ. 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). Archangel Haniel's role as an angel who allows people into various heavenly places may be one of the reasons God chose her to take Enoch into heaven. Then Cain built a city and named the city Enoch. Translation by Newsom in Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XL, 166. 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. See Nickelsburgs comments on p. 134 n. 9. In an interesting New Testament parallel, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews mentions the translation of Enoch in his discussion of the faith of the ancients. ISSN 2167-8472 (print); ISSN 2167-8480 (online), Provo, UT 84602, USA | 2022 Brigham Young University. 1 (2013): 3-24. http://archive.atsjats.org/Paulien_-__Resurrection.pdf. For Joseph Smith, Enoch and his people set the pattern for others to follow. Orem and Salt Lake City, UT: The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books, 2021. https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/the-past-and-future-of-the-temple-lot-in-independence-jackson-county-missouri/. They were all equal in height, had brilliant faces and identical robes. 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." Christian Origins and the Question of God 3. 10. Liverpool and London, England: Latter-day Saints Book Depot, 1853-1886. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University FARMS, 2000. . Detail of MCP. When these themes are brought together, the following picture begins to emerge: a. [11] For examples, see J. 25. There is, perhaps, a comparison that we can make here between the idea that this community has fled and the statement in Moses 7:69, ZION IS FLED. Importantly, the church that can be found in this city on Mount Zion is actually the Church of the Firstborns, plural, in the Greek. 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. Enoch and all who lived in Zion, his city, were so righteous that Heavenly Father took the whole city up into heaven. 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). 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. 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). Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Gospel Art Picture: "The City of Enoch" Music: "Follow the Prophet" (Children's Songbook, 110) Video . [25] F. I. Andersen, 2 Enoch, 55:2 [J], p. 182. Manis Pictures: The Didactic Images of the Manichaeans from Sasanian Mesopotamia to Uygur Central Asia and Tang-Ming China. * In the last days, the city and its people will return to earth and be part of the New Jerusalem. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2012. https://archive.org/details/1enochcommentary0002nick. Again, the ancient Enoch literature echoes the themes of the Book of Moses. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Regarding their sinless and harmonious state, they explained, Among us there is no sickness, pain, fatigue to our bodies, mutilation, weariness, or temptations; not even Satans power can touch us, for there is not among us rage, jealousy, evil desire, or hateful thoughts. 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. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Harold Attridge believed it to have been presented as an oratorical performance.9 Scott Mackie refers to it as a mystical drama.10 Similarly, a number of scholars in recent years, including Crispin Fletcher-Louis, John Dunnill, Luke Timothy Johnson, and Silviu Bunta, have described Hebrews as a symbolic, participatory liturgy that moves worshippers from the profane to the sacred sphere.11 In other words, the epistle, or at least parts of it, was plausibly meant to have been performed, or acted outwith a series of events set in the heavenly temple, which would be dramatically brought to life through the use of visually oriented literary practices such as dramatized narrative with speaking actors, visual imagery, cues, and commandsincluding directions to behold, gaze upon, draw near, and enter.12 Scott Mackie has attempted a reconstruction of this dramatic portrayal, which he understands to be a divine adoption ceremony. He outlines the following elements in Hebrews: 1. Enoch preached repentance to "all the people" except the Caananites because of their wickedness (Moses 7:12). (NIV) Genesis 5:24. 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. We know that the use of the word "bosom" in this instance means more than just some vague, heavenly location. God and His people, the living and the departed, heaven and earth, embrace. 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. [29], Robert Alter, writing of Psalm 85, captures the commonality of spirit with Moses 7:63:[31] This bold metaphor focuses the sense of an era of perfect loving harmony. [12] Moses 7:62. Does John 3:13 mean that no one went to Heaven before Jesus? We can see the parallel here between Enoch and Melchizedek of the Joseph Smith revelations, Jesus in Hebrews, and the leader of the Sabbath Songs: in each the leader gains access to the heavenly temple through his faithfulness and is then able to lead his followers in that same path of ascent. Enoch is taken up to heaven, and is appointed guardian of all the celestial treasures, chief of the archangels, and the . R. D. Draper et al., Commentary, p. 146. 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). Harold Attridge, Paraenesis in a Homily ( ): The Possible Location of, and Socialization in, the Epistle to the Hebrews, Semeia 50 (1990): 217. Translation by Newsom in Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XL, 142. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. God made heaven and earth; at last he will remake both and join them together forever. The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary. Elijah was taken up in both a chariot of fire (2Ki. They were seven yet onethe unity of angels. Even after Zion was taken off the earth, there were still those taking up residence in the city. 11. 20. Similarly, Moses 7:69 states, "And Enoch and all his . Cf. . Afterwards my spirit was concealed, ascending into the heavens. 5. The story from the Bible of Enoch: a man who pleased God by his faith in Him, and who walked with God, and was taken up into Heaven without dying. Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice implies a communal ascent: if one makes the ascent then one does so in a group. Imagine a 365-year-old citydisappeared. 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 ). [19] B. M. Metzger, 4 Ezra, 13:35, p. 552, emphasis added. 1, 91-221. This page last updated: September 16, 2022. [28] G. W. E. Nickelsburg et al., 1 Enoch 2, 45:45, p. 148. 17). Even after Zion was taken off the earth, there were still those taking up residence in the city. 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. As the righteous of Enochs day were remembered by BG as having been divinely led westward, so the early Saints were told by the Lord: gather ye out from the eastern lands and go ye forth into the western countries (Doctrine and Covenants 45:64, 66). 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. and have ceased to cast down their faces. : Afterlife Animal Miracles. But the Lord's response revealed there was more in store for the City of Enoch than its earthly abode. I seek you, and as sure as dawn, you appear to me (lines 67).25 He later goes on to say, For you have made me understand your wonderful mysteries (lines 2829).26 In another place, he exclaims, I thank [you, O Lord], that you have instructed me in your truth, and made known to me your wondrous mysteries.27, We can glimpse the motif of the individual being called to teach the mysteries in 1QHodayota XII, 2829. 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. 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). The last phase of Enochs vision begins with a plea, spoken after he witnessed the return of Jesus Christ to heaven after His mortal ministry: Wilt thou not come again upon the earth? (Moses 7:59). . This is the trajectory that Joseph Smith elaborates in his grand revelation on the kingdoms of heaven recorded in Doctrine and Covenants76. All the homesgone. (Moses 7:12) However, we know that he was commanded to preach to those in the "land of Sharon, and the land of Enoch, and the land of Omner, and the land of Heni, and the land of Shem, and the land of Haner, and the land of Hanannihah" (Moses 7:9). The author of the epistle treats at length the notion that the followers of Christ, because of his exaltation, are, in like manner, now able to enter the heavenly sanctuary.8 The exact function and use of the epistle have long been debated by scholars. I will briefly outline the pattern that I have been able to piece together, drawing on an array of different texts within these collections. According toThe Pearl of Great Price: Verse by Verse Commentary, this will not be just a casual meeting, with the "receive them into our bosom" not representing a place, but a form of greeting: "an expected embrace between righteous people that is accompanied by falling on one anothers 'necks' and kissing 'each other.'". 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. 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. Hebrews 12:22 associates this city with Mount Zion. In columnX, line15, the text reads: But you have made me a banner for the elect of righteousness and an expert interpreter [or mediator of knowledge] of wonderful mysteries.28 Samuel Thomas notes that we see in these texts that the protagonist is called upon to translate or interpret his own experience to those under his tutelage.29, 1QHodayota XII is an example of the fourth motif mentioned, in which the teachers disciples are permitted to ascend to heaven to have a similar experience to that of the teacher. And the righteous and the chosen will be saved on that day; and the faces of the sinners and the unrighteous they will henceforth not see. [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]. 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? 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. What is the book of Enoch and should it be in the Bible? The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary. Joseph Smith himself wrote, commenting on the parable of the mustard seed (J. Smith, Jr., To the Elders, p. 227, emphasis added.

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