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One can continue with Enoch in greater depth and clarity, or build upon the ancient Christian doctrine by using correlating Christian themes from Enoch with other ancient Christian literature dealing with the same subject.
For example ; If one continues to discuss Sheol where souls go during the time period between death and resurrection : (Remember, in this ancient Christian theology, all souls, including the Patriarchs, upon dying, have their spirits placed into this spirit world.)
“do you not know that all those who (spring) from Adam and Eve die? And not one of the prophets escaped death and not one of those who reign has been immortal. Not one of the forefathers has escaped the mystery of death. All have died, all have departed into Hades, all have been gathered by the sickle of Death.” (TESTAMENT OF ABRAHAM (recension A) 8:9; 7)
“ And Death said, “Hear, righteous Abraham, for seven ages I ravage the world and I lead everyone down into Hades – kings and rulers, rich and poor, slaves and free I send into the depth of Hades (T of Abr (rec A) 19:7) .
Historically, (
as Enoch clarifies), none of these references refer to the modern "Hell" that individuals may be sent to after the Judgment, but Hades was also a name for this "spirit world"; the "place in the middle". Another point of confusion (which Enoch easily clarifies) regarding Hades is that the experience there is NOT the same for all individuals since individuals are divided according to their degree of righteousness. Thus the ancient texts describe the experience and place differently according to who is sent there (i.e the righteous vs the unrighteous).
In describing Sheol,
Enoch is shown that it has separate “areas” for individuals to be “assigned to”. In his vision, Enoch asks the angel :
”For what reason is one separated from the other? And he replied and said unto me, “These three have been made in order that the spirits of the dead might be separated. And in the manner in which the souls of the righteous are separated (by) this spring of water with light upon it, in like manner the sinners are set apart when they die and are buried in the earth and judgment has not been executed upon them in their lifetime,... until the great day of judgment...They will bind them there forever–even from the beginning of the world. ....Such has been made for the souls of the people who are not righteous, but sinners and perfect criminals; they shall be together with (other) criminals who are like them. (1Enoch 22:9-13)
Since the righteous are with the righteous, the righteous seem to adapt to a calm existence. However, the unrighteous, being grouped with others of their type and having increased awareness of the result of their moral choices become unhappy in their regrets and distress. And, Sheol itself also had a “middle place” according to this ancient Christian description.
In Abraham’s description of Hades, he asks the angel : “
Is one who is unable to enter through the strait gate unable to enter into life?...4 And Michael answered...you will enter through it unhindered, as will all those who are like you.”...8And when they went, they found an angel holding in his hand one soul of a woman from among the six myriads, because he found (her) sins evenly balanced with all her works, and they were neither in distress nor at rest, but in an intermediate place.. ( TESTAMENT OF ABRAHAM (recension B) 9:1-10)
In this early doctrine, Hades was not simply a place where souls “sleep”, but they are cognizant and communicate and still have free will. Those spirits who had no idea nor concept of God’s plan for them are still allowed to learn and make moral choices just as those who had the gospel given to them while in mortality. They may make the same moral progress as any other individuals. For example :
It is Enoch who describes his vision of Hades/Sheol, teaching that there are those there who teach moral law to those in Sheol :
“Come and I will show you where the souls of the wicked stand, and where the souls of the intermediate stand;... He said to me: The souls of the wicked are brought down to sheol....Samki’el is in charge of the souls of the intermediate, to support them and purify them from sin, through the abundant mercies of the Omnipresent One. “ (3en 44:1-3)
It is not merely Samki’el who teaches, but the spirit of men communicate and teach one another as the Christian texts describing Christ’s descension into Sheol (hades, hell, paradise, etc, etc) taught.
The Enoch references regarding the descent of Christ into “the place in between” (sheol, hades, hell, etc.) after his death is mirrored multiple ancient Christian accounts. For example : The Gospel of Bartholomew (which was in the early New Testament). In this account, the Apostle Bartholomew asks he risen Jesus :
“Lord, when you went to be hanged on the cross, I followed you at a distance and saw how you were hanged on the cross and how the angels descended from heaven and worshiped you. And when darkness came, I looked and saw that you had vanished from the cross; only I heard your voice in the underworld,.....Tell me, Lord, where you went from the cross.”
In this christian account, Jesus summarizes his descent into Hades saying :
"I went to the underworld to bring up Adam and all the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.... When I descended with my angels to the underworld ,in order to dash in pieces the iron bars and shatter the portals of the underworld”... “ I shattered the iron bars....And I brought out all the patriarchs and came again to the cross.... “I was hanged upon the cross for your sake and for the sake of your children.” (The Gospel of Bartholomew chapt one)
The early Christian Gospel of Nicodemus, text contains multiple parallel testimonies of the living Jesus after his resurrection AND descriptions of Jesus actions in Hades when he visited the “spirits imprisoned” there. Joseph (of Arimathea) observes to those discussing Jesus resurrection
“Why then do you marvel at the resurrection of Jesus? It is not this that is marvelous, but rather that he was not raised alone, but raised up many other dead men who appeared to many in Jerusalem. And if you do not know the others, yet Symeon, who took Jesus in his arms, [Luke 2:34] and his two sons, whom he raised up, you do know. For we buried them a little while ago. And now their sepulchers are to be seen opened and empty, but they themselves are alive and dwelling in Arimathaea”...Joseph said: “Let us go to Arimathaea and find them.” Then arose the chief priests Annas and Caiaphas, and Joseph and Nicodemus and Gamaliel and others with them, and went to Arimathaea and found the men of whom Joseph spoke.” (Gospel of Nicodemus Ch one)
These men then speak with the resurrected sons of Symeon (who were NOT Christians while they were alive). These two had died, and gone to the world of Spirits (i.e. sheol), converted to Christianity while in the spirit world, and had then been resurrected with many others at the resurrection of Christ and who were walking among and teaching others regarding Jesus. The brothers described what happened in this Spirit world (sheol, hades, etc).
“We, then were in Hades with all who have died since the beginning of the world. And at the hour of midnight there rose upon the darkness there something like the light of the sun and shone, and light fell upon us all, and we saw one another, and immediately our father, Abraham, along with the patriarchs and the prophets, was filled the joy, and they said to one another: “This shining comes from a great light.” The prophet Isaiah, who was present there, said : “This shining comes from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. This I prophesied when I was still living: The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim, the people that sit in darkness saw a great light.” Then there came into the midst another, an anchorite from the wilderness. The patriarchs asked him: “Who are you?” He replied: “I am John, the last of the prophets, who made straight the ways of the Son of God, and preached repentance to the people for the forgiveness of sins.....And for this reason he sent me to you, to preach that the only begotten Son of God comes here, in order that whoever believes in him should be saved,....Therefore I say to you all: When you see him, all of you worship him. For now only have you opportunity for repentance because you worshiped idols in the vain world above and sinned. At another time it is impossible” (Gospel of Nicodemus Ch two)
I might make the point here that it is not only John the Baptist’s spirit who is teaching the gospel in these early versions, but the spirits of the other Patriarchs among the spirits of men are teaching the gospel and many other spirits are also “called to testify” and teach gospel truths to the others in the spirit world. The story continues : “
Now when John was thus teaching those who were in Hades, the first-created, the first father Adam heard, and said to his son Seth: My son, I wish you to tell the forefathers of the race of men and the prophets where I sent you when I fell into mortal sickness.”
Seth then teaches the others regarding the "oil of mercy" that Adam requested and that Seth was told
“go and tell your father than after the completion of fifty-five hundred years from the creation of the world, the only-begotten son of God shall become man and shall descend below the earth. And he shall anoint him with that oil. And he shall arise and wash him and his descendants with water and the Holy spirit. And then he shall be healed of every disease....When the patriarchs and prophets heard this, they rejoiced greatly.”
This same message was NOT merely for Patriarchs and Prophets, but for all souls there who would listen.
In chapter four, Satan adjure Hades to prevent Jesus from coming if it is possible,
“For I believe that he comes here to raise all the dead”....” and while Satan and Hades were speaking thus to one another, a loud voice like thunder sounded: “Lift up your gates, O rulers, and be lifted up, O everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in”...David said: “Do you not know, blind one, that when I lived in the world, I prophesied that word: ‘Lift up your gates, O rulers?’” (Ps 23:7). Isaiah said: “I foresaw this by the Holy Spirit and wrote: ‘The dead shall arise, and those who are in the tombs shall be raised up, and those who are under the earth shall rejoice (ps 26:19) O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory.’” .....the gates of brass were broken in pieces and the bars of iron were crushed and all the dead who were bound were loosed from their chains, and we with them. And the King of glory entered in like a man, and all the dark places of Hades were illumined.”
The sons of Symeon continue to relate that :
Ch VIII ...the King of glory stretched out his right hand, and took hold of our forefather Adam and raised him up. Then he turned also to the rest and said: “Come with me, all you who have suffered death through the tree which this man touched. For behold, I raise you all up again through the tree of the cross. With that he put them all out. “
Thus the promise made to Adam and recorded
in Enochian Literature is fulfilled. AND, importantly, it is consistent with and supported by many literary Christian witnesses from the earliest centuries. Reading the later texts, without reference to the earlier texts leaves us with minimal context as to what the ancients (including the ancient Christians) believed.
Enoch, is one of those singular Judao-Christian Texts that helps us in trying to determine what the earliest Christian doctrines were and how these doctrines evolved and changed over the centuries.
I hope this makes some sense as to why it is important to determine what the earliest Christian doctrines were and how the earliest texts can illuminate our understanding as to what such doctrines were. I do not, for myself, believe that the modern Christian doctrines have ANY advantage over the earliest Christian doctrines.
Lauralynn in post #13 said:
“It's not part of the Bible.”
2) This statement is incorrect as it stands. There is no light, no illumination in this statement. It offers no increase in understanding to a Christian trying to educate themselves about any other christianity than Lauralynn’s christianity.
Enoch may not be in "Lauralynn’s bible",
but it IS in other christian bibles. For example, if you are an eastern Christian from say, the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church, then it IS considered scripture and IS retained in your bible today.
The statement is historically naive and it is provincial as well. This statement also offers no historical light; no historical understanding regarding the early Christians who read and used Enochian literature.
REMEMBER : This is a HISTORICAL thread dealing with HISTORICAL themes.
Enochian literature WAS scripture to the early Jews and Christians who read it as such; who used it for belief and for doctrinal understanding and for inspiration. Much of the most profound Christian history and earliest doctrines involve the time BEFORE any roman church edicts created a somewhat arbitrary canon for the Roman Church (which, I assume, represents the “bible” you are referring to).
Remember, Enoch is part of a vast sacred Christian library that existed; was read and believed and quoted by early Christians (and Jews) BEFORE any arbitrary christian canon existed.; certainly before your personal and modern canon existed.
Clearly
vifusehk
, 3 even before the creation of the sun and the moon, before the creation of the stars, he was given a name in the presence of the Lord of the Spirits. 4 He will become a staff for the righteous ones in order that they may lean on him and not fall. He is the light of the gentiles and he will become the hope of those who are sick in their hearts. 5 All those who dwell upon the earth shall fall and worship before him: they shall glorify, bless, and sing the name of the Lord of the Spirits. 6 For this purpose he became the Chosen One; he was concealed in the presence of (the Lord of the Spirits) prior to the creation of the world, and for eternity...
