And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not: for God took him. Genesis 5:21-24
In beginning with the title to this page, he was not, I believe there are some truths we can learn from Enoch that will help us. Before we get to the context of what God wants us to see concerning him, there are some practical blessings we can learn and apply to our daily walk with the Lord that will help us. Even though there are not a lot of scripture verses concerning him, the ones we do have, involve some really good truths we can apply to our lives.
The scripture says he walked with God and was not. One thing we notice, he was not the status quo of his day. Walking with God will automatically set us apart from that mind set. The scripture teaches us in, II Corinthians 6:17. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” I realize the Lord does not want us to isolate ourselves but rather go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He also tells us we are the light of the world. He also tells us, we are in the world but not of the world. Enoch was a witness to those around him in his day, and he was also a witness against them in that day. He was in the wicked world of his day, but he did not walk with them but rather chose to walk with God. We can do the same if we choose to do so. As with Enoch, while walking with God in that wicked day, we will be a blessing to those that know the Lord but at the same time, a rebuke to those that hate him and a testimony against them. Let us not forget, as we walk with the Lord, we are headed somewhere, and that is home. “…. for God took him.”
We also learn that he was not discouraged even though the world was soon to fall apart as is recorded in the judgement of the flood. It seems today that this nation we live in is coming apart at the very seams. Enoch dealt with the troubles of his day by the fact, he walked with God. We can and will do the same by choosing to walk with God.
As you can see from just these few instances there is much we can apply to our lives from Enoch and the list would go on endlessly, but in order to get to the context of the message, I will just mention one more. One very important blessing we can learn from Enoch is that his faith in God never waived. It is said of him, “that he pleased God.” “By faith Enoch was translated,” “…….But without faith it is impossible to please him.” Are we beginning to see a pattern here? It is impossible to walk with God and walk alone. We may not feel His close presence each and every moment, but this is the very reason we walk by faith and not by feelings, nor by sight. Sometimes His presence is so very near us and sometimes seems so far away. So what do we do? We just keep on walking by faith in His word. As we read about the two men on the road to Emmaus, in Luke 24:15-31. (Rather than insert all those verses in here , I will just give a brief description.) These two men were on their way back home after the crucifixion of Jesus, whom they had believed was to be the King of Israel, but rather He went to the cross due to rejection by the leaders of His nation, Israel. As they were walking back home and discouraged and left without their King, the resurrected Lord comes and walks with them. They do not recognize Him due to their unbelief, and Jesus begins to speak with them and He ask why they are sad. They begin to bring Him up to speed, so to speak, on what has just happened as though He did not already know. “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” They walk on with Him, not realizing who they were walking with, so when they get to their house, He makes as though He would go on further, they invite Him into their dwelling. “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” So now even though it is very late in the day and with the truth that Jesus is alive, they head back to Jerusalem. The last time they had seen Him, was on the cross. Now He is alive and they are walking by faith once more. On the road home, they were walking with Him but did not recognize Him. We do that at times also, due to our unbelief. As Enoch walked by faith with God, so must we. Feelings will let us down but faith will walk with God and one day faith will take us home. One day it will be said of us, they are not.
Genesis 5:18, 19, 21, 22, 23,24. “And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: ….. And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: ….. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and was not; for God took him.”
Luke 3:37. “Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,”
Hebrews 11:5. “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.”
Jude 1:14. “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,”
It’s interesting that Enoch walked with God 365 years. A year for every day in a year. We should walk with God every day of the year! And no, we do not get to play hooky on February 29th. It’s also interesting, with this Enoch. His name is mentioned 6 times in the Old Testament and 3 times in the New Testament. Six in Bible is the number of man and 3 is the number of the Trinity and the total number of times his name is mentioned is 9. Which is the fruit if the Spirit. From this we see the man (6), Enoch, walking with the Trinity (3), and that in the fruit of the Spirit (9). Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
Above, I listed the verses that mention Enoch and as you can see, he is not mentioned very much. Keep in mind this is not the same Enoch that was born unto Cain in Genesis 4:17. But as we go on we want to get at the context of our beginning scripture. Enoch walked with God and he was not. Enoch represents a group of people that were hidden in the Old Testament. We need to remember that the Old Testament prophets were looking for the Messiah that was to be the coming King of Israel, and except for types in many places, there were a group of people that were hidden. Remember Ruth, the Moabitess, which was a gentile, which ended up married to a rich Jew? Ruth 2:6. 4:13. She is just one of many in type of the Bride of Christ found in the Old Testament.
This gentile Bride is us, the Church, the Bride of Christ that was hidden from the prophets in the Old Testament but revealed at Calvary when the Messiah, whom His nation failed to recognize and rejected, was nailed to the cross. And the spear, of the Roman soldier, that pierced His side. (A gentile, which in type, shows that we, gentiles are also guilty before God). And there, was taken out, the Bride, from His riven side. This is also seen all the way back in the garden of Eden, Genesis 2:21-21. “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”
One day we shall be caught up, unto our Lord Jesus. Our Bridegroom.
Enoch is in type, the rapture, caught up, the (The Church), the Bride of Christ, in that he was taken out of the world without dying, (before) the great flood. The flood represents the great tribulation period in the which God will take care of his people, the nation Israel, the wife of Jehovah, when they are driven from the holy city of Jerusalem when it is overrun by the gentiles, to a place of safety, prepared for them in that day. Just as Noah and his family were spared in that day, so will Israel in the times of Jacobs trouble.
Some things to consider about Enoch. He is not a Jew. Remember he was before the flood, there were no Jews at that time. Even though the Ark and the flood is in type the place of refuge for Israel, even Noah and his family were not Jews either but they remained on the earth in the ark above the flood waters of judgement whereas Enoch was taken from all judgement into heaven before the flood. We do not see the name change mentioned until we get to Abraham, after the flood in Genesis 14:13 where he is called a Hebrew. The reason I mention this is because there are those that want Enoch to be one of the two witnesses that will be killed toward the last three and a half years of the tribulation period and left in the street for three and a half days and then be resurrected. The reason for this belief is because Enoch never died. Well, in the first place Enoch does not represent the Jew nor the nation Israel. You will not find him connected to them in scripture in that respect. Also the nation of Israel would not accept a gentile prophet, but will Jewish prophets which Moses and Elijah are. Which by the way, the two of them are very well represented in connection with the nation of Israel. I realize this view of Enoch is not necessarily in step with everyone, but I hope you will follow along to the end and let the scriptures speak for themselves and see the blessing that awaits for all of us believers.
Enoch represents not only a great type concerning the rapture but also without a doubt representing one of the greatest mysteries in the whole word of God. The apostle Paul wrote of this in, I Corinthians 15:51-54. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
Before we comment on what we see in those verses we want to gather a few more verses. Keep in mind the words, mystery , the word sleep and the word changed.. That is so very important.
John 10:11-14. “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.”
Mark 5:39. “And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.” She was dead as you can read in verse 35.
I Thessalonians 4:13-16. “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Just a note here. “……even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” This is a reference to those whose bodies are in the grave. It has nothing to do with soul sleep as some suppose. They are in heaven with God and He will reunite them with their glorified body when He returns in the rapture with them.
In putting these verses together, we will see that great mystery Paul spoke of in, I Corinthians 15:51-54. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; ……”
Looking at the verses above, it is easy to see that both Jesus and Paul did use the word dead and the word sleep to show this mystery. When Jesus had heard that His friend Lazarus was sick and then later that he had died. Jesus said, Lazarus sleepeth even though he was indeed dead. The maiden in Mark 5:39 was the same situation. Jesus said she sleepeth, when indeed she was dead.
As we look further we see Paul use the same when he says in, I Thessalonians 4:13-16. “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, ….” These are saints that are dead and in the grave but Paul refers to them as being asleep.
Now back to the mystery we spoke of. I Corinthians 15:51-54. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ….” Notice real close what he says. He is referring to those of us believers who are alive at the coming of the Lord. He says, “we shall not all sleep,” he is actually letting us know that we shall not all die. He goes on and says, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” When he says this, corruptible must put on incorruption, he is referring to those in the grave. Then he refers to another group and says and this mortal must put on immortality. He is referring to those that are alive and remain. Remember, he said we shall not all sleep (die) but we shall all be changed. OK, so seeing he says, but we shall all be changed. The all includes the corruptible, those in the grave, and the mortal , those that are alive and remain. We all have to be changed. But from two different states, one from corruptible (dead, in the grave), and one from mortal (alive and remain). This is important because generally these two are run together when preached at funerals when in reality they are not the same people. Also, Paul does not say, this mortal must put on corruptible and then put on incorruption, then put on mortal, then put on immortality. This is what happens when we deny what Paul is saying, when he says, behold, I show a mystery, we shall not all sleep. So hopefully, we bury the corruptible, not the mortal. Then again sometimes, we Baptist bury our living!
Now back to Enoch, Hebrews 11:5. “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.” Notice the word translation. When something is translated, it is changed , such as in our AV1611 Translation of our Bible. It is translated (from) one language (to) another. The word itself does not change, but the language changes from one language to another language. That is the way it was with Enoch, his body was changed from an earthly body to his heavenly body. It is the same way it will be with us believers when Paul says , I Corinthians 15:51-54. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.”
Also another very important truth: We read in Colossians 1:13. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” This happened the day we were saved. Our spirit was changed from death unto life. Translation also speaks of a move. From the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son. So a move from one place to another. This truth is also found in II Samuel 3:10. “To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”
So we see in this that the day the Lord Jesus saved us, that part which He saved was (translated), changed and moved to another location. And in Ephesians 2:6. “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
For where the head is, that’s Christ, so is the body, that’s us. As you will see in the verses below. The day is coming when our body will be (translated), changed and moved to heaven also in the rapture.
You can put Enoch as one of those witnesses that will be killed at the end of the tribulation if you please, but in so doing, you destroy one of the greatest mysteries in God’s word. God would have to un-translate him before he could die. That’s like undoing the rapture. I for one see no reason to make Enoch one of the witnesses when we also consider the fact there is only one passage in the entire Bible where Enoch made reference, and that is concerning the end times. That is in Jude 1:14. “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, …….. “The verses that go with this are all concerning the end times and judgement on the ungodly and not about the kingdom that will be set up, albeit the kingdom will be set up following it. His message is in part, the same message that we the Church, Bride of Christ has preached for years. That puts Enoch more in step with the rest of us gentiles just like he was in the days before the flood. All I can say for those that want him killed as a witness when in truth, he shows us that great mystery, that we shall not all sleep, (die), but shall be (translated), changed and moved. I trust you will not be disappointed when at the rapture you don’t have to die, only changed. As someone has said, it is interesting that the first person to preach the rapture is also the first one to experience it. He walked with God and he was not, for God took him.
I’m aware of Hebrews 9:27 and also verse 28. And I’m also aware of Romans 8:1.
Hebrews 9:27-28. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” The without sin here is in reference to the sin offering which will not happen again. That is the sin offering that took away our judgement in verse 27, that many still try to hold over the head of believers when quoting verse 27 and hardly ever quoting verse 28. The salvation here is in reference to, Ephesians 1:14. “until the redemption of the purchased possession.” (The body being changed.) Don’t forget, we have been bought with a price! That means every square inch of us belongs to The Lord Jesus. “….and unto them that look for him…” Who are these that are looking for Him? It certainly is not the world at large! These that look for Him are none other than the Bride of Christ in the rapture! Generally when Hebrews 9:27 is quoted, verse 28 is hardly ever quoted. That’s the verse that shows, Christ has already died not only for us but as us in our stead. Galatians 2:20. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
So what is said in verse 27 of Hebrews 9:27-28. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:…..” Was fulfilled in verse 28, for us believers in the person of The Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary when it is said. “……So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” The judgement that was intended for you and me, in verse 27 that believe, fell on Him instead. in verse 28. Again, “once to die”. That was our appointment, verse 27. But then, So Christ was “once” offered. Christ stepped in and took our appointment. verse 28.
Romans 8:1. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.”
Judgement is past for the child of God. Christ has already suffered our judgement, our condemnation, our death. He will not appear again to judge the believer. He will not appear, and go to the cross again for our sin atonement. He did that once and finished that once for all, when He came the first time. The next time He comes, He is not coming to judge us but to change us. This old body will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. And it will be said of us that believe, and they are not, for God took them.
One more passage for those that still question what we have brought out concerning the mystery and dying. John 11:21-26. “Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” So who was Jesus speaking of here? It could not have been Lazarus in particular because he was dead at the time and even died again. It could not have been anyone in that day in particular because that was over two thousand years ago. So it must be future because He said, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” He must have been speaking the same thing that Paul was when he said, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” I Thessalonians 4:17. Also notice The Lord did not even use the word sleep here. He used the word die. “shall never die.” The mystery is, we shall not all die just like Paul said in the scriptures. I Corinthians 15:51. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,…..” Then also notice one more thing. “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Martha understood the general term last day resurrection, but she has no idea of the resurrection concerning the Bride of Christ, the Church. Remember, this was hidden to the Old Testament saints and also to the believers in Jesus’s day. There was no written New Testament at that time. No written, I Corinthians 15:51 and no written, I Thessalonians 4:16-17. This was all hidden from her at that time. So when Jesus said, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” She had no clue to what He was referring to. Believest thou this?” Was like saying, “Behold, I show you a mystery.” The whole context of the scripture we have been referring to here is about dying and the blessed hope for the believer. You might say, well, why would Jesus mention something to Martha that she would have no way of understanding? Well, He did that for us, you and I, that were to come along much later, just like the Apostle Paul did in I Corinthians 15:51 and in, I Thessalonians 4:16-17. So I ask anyone reading this. “Believest thou this?” Enoch did, Paul did, Jesus did. Don’t forget, Jesus is the one that Enoch walked with. “…..Before Abraham was, I am.” But also before Noah was, I am, before Enoch was, I Am. So here, Jesus is giving us believers a heads up on a precious mystery and the blessed hope. “Believest thou this?”
In conclusion we will put the message that Enoch prophesied concerning the day in which we live now.
Jude 1:14-18. “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lust; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lust.”
Jude 1:14. “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,”
I do not know who all will be included in the ten thousands of saints that Enoch spoke of, but I do know that when the Lord Jesus Christ comes in judgement at the end of the tribulation, we the Bride will be at His side on white horses with Him. We were taken out seven years earlier to be with Him, when it was said, and they are not, and now we are returning with Him. Meantime, let us walk with God, because just any day, and they are not.