(Where was Enoch taken?)
Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
(Elijah was taken to heaven:)
II Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
(So, where was Enoch taken?I ask, because it seems that many prefer to stick to the Greek mythological teaching of hades, and try to make it fit the Bible, like trying to say that:)
Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
(is somehow absolutely nothing like:)
John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
(But rather teach that Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, actually meant that Lazarus was not leaning on the real Abraham.But that he was in, what the Gentiles called the mythological Elysian Fields, the "good side" of the Greek hades, renamed, here, as Abraham's bosom, but apparently not as Abraham's Bosom:)
Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
(Also, in Luke 16, it seems that it is not called "paradise", which they say is another name for the Elysian Fields.btw - do they need to appeal to extra-Biblical sources, like rabbinical writings of those not saved yet, to say what Jesus "really meant" by Abraham's bosom?However, some offer one thing from the Bible, they refer to the words spoken by the woman in Endor, with the familiar spirit, the night before Saul died, as proof for all this.Also, they teach that this subterranean place, is where the righteous dead had to go, before Jesus resurrected, but then he was able to transfer those souls to heaven, by showing:)
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
(But what about?)
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
(To preach deliverance to the captives.He came to set the captives free, not lead them captive.If they were supposedly in a subterranean "paradise", they were not in captivity, and thus, then, leading them to heaven, would certainly not mean leading them captive.Also, there is:)
Revelation 13:10a He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity:
(That doesn't seem to fit, either.)
(Also, do they teach that the LORD had both Aaron and Moses go up two different mountains, to die up there, so that they could then descend to a subterranean "paradise"?)
(Additionally, they say that only by both sides being subterranean, that the rich man could see and recognize Lazarus.Yet Stephen was able to see into heaven and recognize Jesus.And right before the second advent, the world will be able to see the sign of the Son of man in heaven.And Jesus told the high priest that they would see him sitting on the right hand of power.And some of them in that council, may likely see that from hell, i.e. to be able to see into heaven, when the LORD allows, like with the rich man & Lazarus.)
(That teaching also seems take the Greek mythological hades' river Styx, and now says that when Christians die, they must then cross the river, like Jordan.But Jordan was crossed by Israel into Canaan, to kill giants and Amorites, and take their land by the sword, certainly nothing like a Christian going to heaven.How many hymns and songs talk about crossing the river?What river are we supposed to cross in order to get into heaven? None!To be absent from the body is to be present from the Lord - no river crossing is necessary!)
(So, where was Enoch taken?To heaven, like Elijah?They say that Elijah was an exception, that only Elijah was allowed into heaven before the cross.Like some, who hold to the doctrine of baptismal regeneration, teach that the thief on the cross was an exception, because he was not baptized, but yet went to paradise.Teaching on exceptions may lead to more questions, that then need to be answered, so, it is safer to remain consistent, where possible.)
(So, where was Enoch taken?Hopefully not to some subterranean cavern.)
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