Did Enoch and Elijah have their souls separated when they went up into Heaven

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oliver109

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They went away from the earth in a fiery chariot, does that mean that they effectively did not die?
 
Elijah was taken up in this manner, but Enoch was just “taken up”.

To answer your question, I see no reason why their souls would have been separated from their bodies if they didn’t die.
 
So that basically means that they are still uncertain about if they will be saved or not?
 
How do you figure that? Is soul separation supposed to be required for judgment? If not required, it is expected for most of us, but there are rare exceptions like Elijah and the Blessed Virgin Mary who were taken body and soul into heaven.
 
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oliver109 said:
So that basically means that they are still uncertain about if they will be saved or not?
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No, they are certainly saved- Elijah especially so since he was present at Christ’s transfiguration. A damned man wouldn’t, I think, be discussing our Lord’s coming crucifixion with Him, and he certainly wouldn’t be the one to represent all the Prophets if he weren’t saved.
 
The Orthodox teach that Enoch and Elijah are the “two witnesses” who will come back in Revelations (11:1-14), and will be martyred to complete their earthly journey.
 
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They did not die so how can they be sure of their salvation?
 
oliver109 said:
They did not die so how can they be sure of their salvation?
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They are certain because they were taken up to God, which (as they are examples of) doesn’t require death. Death is the ordinary means of receiving salvation or damnation, but since they did not die, we cannot apply that rule to their particular cases.
 
oliver109 said:
Why do we have to die?
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Most of us have to die a physical death because that’s one of the results of the Fall. Since we now die in spirit, we also die in body. We become alive again in spirit thanks to Christ’s sacrifice, but that’s a resurrection of its own, meaning that we (generally speaking- Elijah and Enoch are exceptions) still must taste physical death so that we can experience the bodily resurrection as well.
 
So basically it was an exception though it does seem to be unfair that God spared them from the terror of death, something that everyone else has to go through.
 
oliver109 said:
So basically it was an exception though it does seem to be unfair that God spared them from the terror of death, something that everyone else has to go through.
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Death becomes a lot less terrifying the closer you are to God. It becomes little more than an uncomfortable translation from life to Life (eternal life).

Because of their love for and obedience to God (among other reasons, for we can’t claim to know all the reasons that He chose to grant them this privilege), they were given the privilege of arriving to Heaven complete. Unlike most of us, who will arrive in the Kingdom only in spirit until the Resurrection, they arrived body and soul.
 
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oliver109 said:
So basically it was an exception though it does seem to be unfair that God spared them from the terror of death, something that everyone else has to go through.
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Unfair according to whom? If I’m not mistaken, they’re going to die eventually, just not now.
 
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So they are actually still alive like we are? doing what? also as others said on here they are already certain of their salvation, I believe they are the only actual humans that have sinned that are certain of their salvation apart from perhaps St Joseph.
 
They were taken up into Heaven, it is as if a Helicopter arrived in your garden with Jesus on it and he said “come up with me boy, you can forget about ever sinning again as you are now going to Heaven”
 
oliver109 said:
They were taken up into Heaven, it is as if a Helicopter arrived in your garden with Jesus on it and he said “come up with me boy, you can forget about ever sinning again as you are now going to Heaven”
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You realize nothing impure can enter Heaven, right? And only went to heaven after all that they did on earth?
 
I realize that, they deserved to go to Heaven as they had confessed their sin.
 
I think that one deserves Heaven if they are in a state of grace? it just just that they must remain in a state of grace obviously.
 
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