At the very start of His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ made one thing abundantly clear: “Verily, verily (or, of a complete truth), I say unto you that we (referring to Himself and John the Baptist) speak that (or of what) we do know, and testify that (or concerning what) we have seen, and you (the Pharisees) receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? AND NO MAN (this would include Elijah and Enoch) has ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man….” (See John 3:11-13).
Can YOU receive Jesus Christ’s testimony? He clearly and plainly says that NO MAN had ascended up to heaven, not by a fiery chariot ride, not by being suddenly taken up to heaven without dying as many believe Enoch was so taken. The 9th verse of this text points out that Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus when He uttered that profound statement. Remember, Nicodemus was a “ruler of the Jews” – a spiritual leader, not a political ruler. He was a teacher of the Hebrew scriptures. Jesus knew what this man and his colleagues believed and taught, that both Elijah and Enoch had ascended to heaven without dying. Jesus said, “YOU’RE WRONG!” These Pharisees weren’t receiving Christ’s testimony in this matter. For generations the Jews had firmly believed that both Elijah and Enoch indeed had ascended up to heaven. Jesus was telling these Pharisees what He would later tell the Sadducees, “You do err, not knowing the scriptures.”
Remember, the scriptures clearly state that “it is appointed unto men once to die” (See Hebrews 9:27). And the apostle Paul under divine inspiration declared “in Adam ALL DIE” (See I Corinthians 15:22). Enoch and Elijah were both descendants of Adam, hence, THEY DIED! Scripture clearly states that there is but one lone exception to this rule: those redeemed believers yet alive when Christ returns will never taste of death but will be instantaneously changed from mortal to immortal. (See I Corinthians 15:51-52).
Then how are we to understand this passage in Genesis 5: “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 he was not, FOR GOD TOOK HIM!” (verses 22-24). Where men make their greatest mistake is when they read that text as saying, “And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him to heaven to be with Him.” But the text does not say that at all – not at all!
The phrase to be “taken away” by God means TO DIE, not to be taken alive to heaven, or it can mean to be taken to another location on earth. “The righteous (like Enoch) perish, and no man lays it to heart (considers what is actually occurring), and merciful men are taken away (to escape persecution or worse), none considering that the righteous (those who walk with God) is taken away from the evil to come. He (the one so taken) shall enter into peace. They shall rest in their beds (here meaning death beds, their graves), each one walking in his uprightness (with God)” (See Isaiah 57:1-2).
God does not view death as do most mortal men. Death, in general, is our enemy, the last enemy to be destroyed. But God often brings one’s life to a close in order to prevent the righteous from suffering severe trials and persecutions. Sometimes those who survive do not consider that God has shown mercy in ending a servant’s life in order for that servant not to face a horrible death at the hands of the ungodly. If aware of Isaiah 57:1-2, as well as other passages of scripture, they might better understand what God has done.
In the 11th chapter of Hebrews we find a listing of many heroes of faith. It speaks of how the elders, or patriarchs, received a good report through their faith and righteous walk with God. The second person mentioned in that long list of Old Testament faithful is Enoch. The 5th verse of that chapter reads: “By faith Enoch WAS TRANSLATED that he should not see death (at the hands of the ungodly), and was not found (by His persecutors), because God had TRANSLATED him, for before his TRANSLATION he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Now if one continues reading that passage he will find that the writer goes on to mention Noah, Abraham and Sarah, and then writes: “These ALL DIED in faith (including Enoch), NOT having received the promises (chief among them being immortality and heaven): (verse 13). And, if you continue reading to the end of the chapter, you will read this declaration: “And these ALL (including Enoch), having obtained a good report through faith (as did Enoch), RECEIVED NOT THE PROMISE (of eternal life), God having provided some better thing for us, that they (including Enoch) should not be made perfect” (verse 39 and 40).
In Part 2 of this continuing article we will examine just what the writer of Hebrews meant when he said Enoch was TRANSLATED. Many have falsely assumed that to be translated meant that one was moved from earth to heaven. That is NOT what it means at all. The very context of Hebrews 11 forbids such an interpretation as the context says clearly that ALL those mentioned in that list of the faithful DIED and did not receive the promise of eternal life at that time.
Christ’s Aged Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley