Entering heaven alive

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The concept of humans directly entering heaven without dying is a feature of multiple religions and mythic traditions, including the three main Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Since death is generally considered the normal end to an individual's life on earth, entering heaven without dying first is considered exceptional and usually a sign of God's special recognition of the individual's piety.

Contents 1 Judaism 2 Christianity 2.1 In Catholicism and Anglicanism 2.2 Eastern Christianity 2.3 In Mormonism 3 Islam 4 Other religions and traditions 5 Notes 6 References

Judaism

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According to the Jewish Midrash, eight people went to heaven (also referred to as the Garden of Eden and Paradise) alive^[1]. While modern Jewish tradition (including extra-scriptual texts, such as midrash and talmud) contends that a handful of people have ascended into heaven without experiencing death, true Judaism, that is, strict adherence to the Torah (5 books of Moses plus the tanach) and the commandments contained within accepts only one human to ever accomplish such a feat, Elijah. Even though the text in the book of Genesis does indicate something extraordinary happened to Enoch, the wording is sufficiently vague enough for Jewish and Christian scholars alike to dismiss it as a post-death ascension. Although if the currently existing copies of the extra-canonical book of Enoch can be trusted, (they are at least partially verified by fragments found at Qumran) Enoch is indeed the second and final person to ascend to heaven without death and will return alive with Elijah in the end times.

• Elijah the Prophet "went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (Kings II Chapter 2, Verse 11...2 Chronicles 21:12 shows Elijah was alive on earth after 2 Kings2:11 so he didn't go to heaven. )
• Serach, the daughter of Asher - one of the sons of Jacob (Midrash Yalkut Shimoni (Yechezkel 367))
• Enoch went to heaven alive (Genesis 5:22-24)^[2]
• Eliezer, the servant of Abraham
• Hiram, king of Tyre
• Ebed Melech, the Ethiopian
• Jaabez, the son of Rabbi Yehudah ha-Nagid
• Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh^[3]

Christianity

Since the adoption of the Nicene Creed in 325, the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, as related in the New Testament has been a doctrine of all orthodox Christian churches and is celebrated on Ascension Thursday. In Anglican Church and Roman Catholic Church the Ascension of the Lord is a Holy Day of Obligation. In the Eastern Orthodox Church the Ascension is one of twelve Great Feasts. Unlike the other people mentioned here, Jesus did die before he was resurrected and ascended into heaven.

In the Reformed churches' tradition of Calvinism, belief in the ascension of Christ is included in the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Second Helvetic Confession (for more information, see Ascension)."^[4]

In Catholicism and Anglicanism

Main article: Assumption of Mary

The Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church distinguish between "The Ascension", in which Christ rose to heaven by his own power, and "The Assumption" in which Mary, mother of Jesus, was raised to heaven by God's power. ^[5] (Enoch and Elijah are said to have been "assumed" [experienced assumption] into heaven.) However, in the Anglican Church, the matter of Mary's assumption is considered pious legend, and is an optional feastday.

On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII, acting ex cathedra, issued Munificentissimus Deus, an authoritiative satement of official doctrine of Roman Catholicism. In Section 44 the pope stated:^[6]

By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

The doctrine is based on Sacred Tradition that Mary, mother of Jesus, was bodily assumed into heaven (for more information, see Assumption of Mary). For centuries before that, the assumption was celebrated in art (see Assumption of the Virgin Mary). The proclamation leaves open whether or not Mary died and was then resurrected before assumption into heaven.^[7]

Eastern Christianity

Main article: Dormition of the Theotokos

The Eastern Orthodox Church teaches that three other persons were taken bodily into heaven: Enoch, Elias and the Theotokos (Virgin Mary). Similar to the Western "Assumption" of Mary, the Orthodox celebrate the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15. Unlike Western uncertainty about Mary's physical death, the Orthodox teach that Mary died a natural death like any other human beign, that she was buried by the Apostles (except for Thomas, who was late), and three days later (after Thomas had arrived) was found to be missing from her tomb. The church teaches that the Apostles received a revelation during which the Theotokos appeared to them and told them she had been resurrected by Jesus and taken body and soul into heaven. The Orthodox teach that Mary already enjoys the fullness of heavenly bliss that the other saints will experience only after the Last Judgment.

There is a teaching among the Orthodox that the "Two Witnesses" referred to in the Book of Revelation 11:3-13 are Enoch and Elias, who will be sent back to earth to preach the Gospel in the time of apostacy, and will be the last Christian martyrs before the Second Coming. According to Revelation, they will be resurrected and ascend again to heaven.

In Mormonism

See also: Translation (LDS Church)

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) believe that Jesus Christ died, was resurrected, and ascended into heaven as a resurrected being.^[8] The church teaches that all persons who ever live and die will one day be resurrected, although not all will be resurrected to the same glory and not all will be admitted into heaven.^[9] It is also believed that not all will be resurrected at the same time; although Jesus was the first person to be resurrected, since his resurrection some righteous people have been resurrected and have presumably ascended into heaven.^[10] (For example, church founder Joseph Smith, Jr. reported that Moroni was sent to him from heaven as a resurrected being to reveal the Book of Mormon to him.^[11]) Latter-day Saints thus believe that all persons who go to heaven will eventually ascend there with a living, physical body.

Latter-day Saints also believe that a select number of individuals have ascended into heaven "without having tasted death". Often, these persons are referred to as translated beings; they are said to be "changed so that they do not experience pain or death until their resurrection to immortality."^[12] These individuals may be admitted into heaven to await their formal resurrection or they may be permitted to remain upon the earth until that time. The following are a list of persons that Latter-day Saints believe were translated; the individuals in bold script are the ones that have presumably been admitted into heaven as a translated being:

• Enoch^[13]
• People of Enoch's City of Zion^[14]
• Moses^[15]
• Elijah^[16]
• John the Apostle^[17]
• Three Unnamed Nephites^[18]
• Alma, son of Alma^[19]

Many Latter-day Saints believe that there are also other persons who have been taken into heaven alive; there is some LDS scriptural support for this belief.^[20]

Islam

Muhammad is believed by many Muslims to have ascended into heaven at the site of the Dome of the Rock. (See Kitab al-Miraj).

Most Muslims believe that Jesus is alive in heaven,^[21] but that view is not universal. Tariq Hashmi writes in the Islamic journal, Renaissance: "[W]e see that the Holy Qur’an clearly negates that Jesus (sws) was raised to heavens alive (3:55)."^[22] Yet Dr. Ahmad Shafaat writes elsewhere that the Qur'an in fact states that "God raised him to himself".^[23]

Some Muslims believe the Mahdi was taken into heaven.

Other religions and traditions

• Apollonius of Tyana is said to have been assumed into heaven.^[24]

• Francis Bacon is believed to have undergone a physical "Ascension" (without experiencing death) by members of various Ascended Master Activities ^{[25] [26] [27] [28] [29]}

• Yudhishthira of the Mahabharata is believed to be the only human to cross the plane between mortals and heaven in his mortal body.

Notes

References

• Encyclopedia of Religion s.v. Ascension; Eliade, Mircea, ed. in chief. New York, Macmillan 1987

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