| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ( J ) ENOCH & ELIJAH A couple of Old Testament examples which further oppose the idea of paradise and Abraham�s bosom at one time being a section in hell are the examples of the Old Testament saints, Enoch and Elijah. Of Enoch and Elijah, the scriptures write these words; 22. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24. And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. - Genesis 5:22-24 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. - Hebrews 11:5 1. And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. - 2 Kings 2:1 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. - 2 Kings 2:11 The scriptures show that Enoch pleased God and as a result of the pleasing walk which Enoch had with God, God took Enoch. God translated Enoch into heaven. God took Enoch into heaven. How do we know that it was heaven and not some compartment in hell called Abraham�s bosom or paradise? Because God dwells in heaven. God rules and reigns from His throne in heaven. Also, where does the scriptures say that Elijah was taken too? Elijah was taken into heaven. Who took Elijah to heaven? The Lord did. Why didn�t the Lord God take Elijah and Enoch and send them down into a compartment of hell called Abraham�s bosom or paradise? First of all because there has never been such compartments or chambers in hell and secondly, notice the purpose for why God translated Enoch. The purpose of God translating Enoch was so that Enoch would not see death. This was the same reason for Elijah because Elijah was taken up into heaven. There is no death in heaven. There is no death in paradise because the tree of life is there ( Rev. 2:7 ). But there is death in hell. Therefore, due to these two scriptural evidences of Enoch and Elijah, then such scriptural evidences further prove that in no manner was paradise a chamber or compartment in hell for the saints of God. Someone will say, � but Enoch and Elijah were different from the rest of the Old Testament saints because they never physically saw death. So it only stands to reason that God would take those two directly to heaven instead of sending them to some section of hell �. However, this is faulty reasoning due to the fact that various scriptures prove Gods� preservation of His saints. Whereas Jesus Himself stated that in hell the body and soul are both destroyed. Therefore, for no reason did any of the saints of God ever have to enter into hell, the region of the damned. The saints of God are just that, they are saints. regardless of whether they are translated into heaven and never see physical death or not. God preserves both because they are faithful to Him and God cherishes His children. |
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