2006-07-08 13:23:58 · 7 answers · asked by moccian 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
See http://www.learnthebible.org/q_a_john_3_13.htm
'The Bible does not say that Elijah ascended to heaven. It says that he was taken up. The word 'ascend' means to go up. It pictures someone or something that goes up of its own strength. The word 'ascend' comes from the Latin word for 'climb' and it literally means to climb up. We speak of someone ascending the stairs. The first biblical use of the word is in Genesis 28:12 where Jacob sees "a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and
descending on it."
John 3:13 does not teach that no one has ever seen or entered heaven. It teaches that no man ever climbed up into heaven by his own power. The only one who has ever ascended to heaven in His own strength is the One who originated in heaven and came down to earth before He ascended. I hope this helps explain the verse to you.'
2006-07-08 13:38:49 · answer #1 · answered by Michael M 6 · 9⤊ 2⤋
Yes, get a real bible, and throw away that piece of crap King James Version mistranslated piece o' crap. Yes, as a christian i can say that about a Bible.
What 2 Kings says (from the original Hebrew) is that he ascended to "the heavens" or the "high places of the earth" not HEAVEN. The Bible says at Colossians 1:18 "that Jesus is FIRST in all things" meaning NO MAN ascended to Heaven until AFTER Him. It specifially says this. What God did in Kings is get this man somewhere private but in a showy manner so that he was witnessed in a glorified manner, an exalted manner. Enoch, in Genesis was taken in a similar method.
John 3:13 once again refers to Christ as it does in Col. 1:18.
You have to realize that not all bibles are created equal (Yes, the original bible was divinely inspired, but mankind itself is fallible and can mistranslate). The KJV is the most MISTRANSLATED book in the history of the christian church.
2006-07-08 20:40:54 · answer #2 · answered by Derek W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"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." - it is belived that Elijah didn't die but was instead taken up into heaven. u can belive it or not, but there really was a prohet called Elijah.
"John 3:13 states, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that
came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."- hear Jesus states that he alone was the only one to come from heaven, and no one else had ever entered.
from this i think we can conclude, that Elijah, died or was taken at soem point, but not to heaven. i belive he probably went to limbo, which is the place the Bible desribed as were the people were that were waiting for Jesus to come so they could enter heaven.
you should really ask a priest tho, or someone who has studyed under an authoriy on the Bible
2006-07-08 20:35:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
WELL THIS IS SO CLEAR I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE YOU HAD TO ASK!
2 Kings: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.
ELIJAH ASCENDED UP TO HEAVEN!
John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
OH, WAIT! NO HE DIDN'T!
2006-07-08 20:29:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just read it all and not nit pick to try to bring false light on the scriptures. Elijah was brought up to heaven but did not go there and return with word from heaven. No one did except Jesus who was from heaven and brought The Word of God as no one else could but Him.
2006-07-08 20:33:15 · answer #5 · answered by beek 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
okay.
um Jesus went to heaven, right?
and Moses did too.
As well as Elijah.
But I think what they were saying is that no one has gone to heaven by their own power. When Jesus went to heaven, it was by his own choice. Elijah didn't make the choice to go to heaven. God took him home. So when it says, "no one has ENTERED" i think it means, gone by their own choice. Jesus decides when it is time for us all to come home. Like when people die, they don't go straight to heaven. They will stay in the grave until Jesus comes back. So I think that is what they are saying.
I hope that helped....
2006-07-08 20:39:30 · answer #6 · answered by italiangrl33 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nice job there, using the Skeptics' Overrated... I mean, Annotated Bible...
Sorry, here's the real answer:
http://www.tektonics.org/af/firstascent.html
2006-07-08 22:10:42 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋