- [Narrator] Why didn't Enoch die?
Enoch, one of the men listed in the family line of Adam,
did not die.
Genesis 5 provides a written account of the family line
that descends from Adam,
including the names of each man
and the times they passed away
The unbroken cadence of the phrase, "he died",
that is found throughout the genealogy in Genesis 5
is broken up at one point.
The Bible says in Genesis 5:23-24, Amplified Bible,
"So all the days of Enoch were 365 years.
And in reverent fear and obedience,
Enoch walked with God and he was not found among men
because God took him away to be home with Him."
Scripture indicates that Enoch did not experience
the same outcome as Adam and the rest of Adam's descendants.
Specifically, it states that Enoch did not pass away.
Why didn't Enoch die?
What exactly does it mean
when it says that, "he walked with God"?
Enoch and Elijah are the only two figures in the Bible
who are not cited as having died.
It was said of Elijah in 2 Kings 2:10-11, Amplified Bible,
"He said, 'You have asked for a difficult thing.
However, if you see me when I am taken from you,
it shall be so for you, but if not, it shall not be so.'
As they continued along and talked, behold,
a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared suddenly
and separated the two of them,
and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind."
They are the exception to the rule
that we must someday taste death.
The writer to the Hebrews states the norm for all humankind,
"And as it is appointed for men to die once,
but after this, the judgment."
Hebrews 9:27, Amplified Bible,
"And just as it is appointed
and destined for all men to die once
and after this comes certain judgment."
The two witnesses,
a description of two people
who will assist in carrying out the work
that God has for them to do
during the time of the tribulation
can be found in Revelation 11:3-12.
Revelation 11:3, Amplified Bible,
"And I will grant authority to my two witnesses,
and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, 42 months,
three and one half years, dressed in sackcloth."
These two witnesses are eventually killed
but God brings them to life three days later.
Revelation 11:7, Amplified Bible,
"When they have finished their testimony
and given their evidence,
the beast that comes up out of the abyss, bottomless pit,
will wage war with them, and overcome them and kill them."
Revelation 11:11, Amplified Bible,
"But after three and a half days,
the breath of life from God came into them,
and they stood on their feet
and great fear and panic fell on those
who were watching them."
The identity of these two witnesses
is not revealed in scripture,
but some Bible teachers assume it'll be Enoch and Elijah.
Because of the extraordinary events
surrounding each of their deaths,
Enoch and Elijah are often considered potential candidates
for the roles of the two witnesses.
From what we understand,
God has only ever brought two people directly to heaven
without their first having to go
through the process of dying.
The passage in Hebrews 9:27,
which states that it is "destined for all men to die once,"
is cited by supporters of this perspective.
It would appear that the fact that Enoch and Elijah
have not yet been put to death
qualifies them for the role of the two witnesses
who will both be put to death
once they have completed their respective tasks.
Since neither Enoch nor Elijah died a natural death,
but were instead carried to heaven,
and Hebrews 9:27 remarks that
men are appointed "to die once,"
some people believe that the two witnesses
must be Enoch and Elijah.
They figure that since men are set to die once,
Enoch and Elijah must return to the earth to die there.
This interpretation of Hebrews 9:27 is incorrect
due to the fact that the verse outlines a principle
rather than a law that is unchangeable
and completely definitive.
For example, Lazarus and others were raised from the dead
and apparently died twice.
Yet this does not disprove Hebrews 9:27.
At the time of the Rapture,
the entire church on earth will not die
but will be carried to heaven.
Hebrews 9:27 is a principle and a few notable exceptions
ultimately prove, rather than deny, the rule.
There may be good reasons
to regard Enoch and Elijah as the two witnesses,
but the principle of Hebrews 9:27 is not one of them.
In addition to this, Elijah and Enoch were both prophets
who articulated God's verdict on various matters.
1 Kings 17:1,
"Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead,
said to Ahab, 'As the Lord, the God of Israel lives,
before whom I stand,
there shall certainly be neither dew nor rain
during these years, except by my word.'"
Jude 14, "It was also about these people that Enoch,
in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesized,
saying, 'Behold, the Lord has come
with many thousands of his holy ones.'"
Hebrews 9:27,
"And just as it is destined
for people to die once and after this comes judgment."
However, there is not any way
this can be proved or disproved.
Old Testament examples, the New Testament says
that the Old Testament accounts were given to us
as examples of things we should expect to experience.
Enoch and the Rapture.
Enoch prefigures the Rapture of the church.
This is when the Lord descends from heaven
to take all the believers out of this world
and to meet them in the air.
The Rapture, the scripture speaks
of this great catching away.
The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth
in 1 Corinthians 15:51-2,
Amplified Bible AMP,
"Listen very carefully, I tell you a mystery,
a secret truth decreed by God and previously hidden
but now revealed, we will not all sleep in death
but we will all be completely changed,
wondrously transformed in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye,
at the sound of the last trumpet call.
For a trumpet will sound, and the dead,
who believed in Christ will be raised imperishable,
and we will be completely changed, wondrously transformed."
Paul shared the following with the congregation
that worshiped in Thessalonica,
"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then, we who are alive and remain,
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus, we shall always be with the Lord."
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18,
"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed
about those who sleep in death,
so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind
who have no hope.
For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in him.
According to the Lord's word,
we tell you that we who are still alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord,
will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven
with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel
and with the trumpet call of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive and are left
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Therefore, encourage one another with these words."
The New Testament uses Enoch
as an example of Rapture.
By faith, Enoch was translated
so that he did not see death and was not found
because God had translated him.
For before his translation,
he had this testimony that he pleased God.
Hebrews 11:5, Amplified Bible,
"By faith, that pleased God,
Enoch was caught up and taken to heaven
so that he would not have a glimpse of death,
and he was not found because God had taken him,
for even before he was taken to heaven,
he received the testimony, still on record,
that he had walked with God and pleased Him."
Whether Enoch appears as one of the two witnesses
at the end of time,
we do not know that he is an example of believers
who will not taste death.
Therefore, one of the reasons for Enoch's translation
is that he prefigures an entire generation of believers
who will not taste death.
Victory over death.
Another objective of Enoch's translation
is to draw attention to the fact
that the Bible is consistent in its assertion
that those of us who have put our trust in the Lord
will one day be redeemed completely.
Enoch's example gives believers reason to have hope
that they will ultimately prevail over death,
despite the fact that the vast majority of believers
will pass away in their physical bodies at some point.
Walked with God.
Scripture also says that Enoch walked with God.
The Book of Hebrews mentions that his life pleased God.
The phrase "walked with God," is also used of Noah.
Walking with God speaks of a way of life
in which people conduct themselves.
When Abraham was 99 years old,
the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to him,
"I am almighty God, walk before me and be blameless."
Genesis 17:1, Amplified Bible,
"When Abraham was 99 years old,
the Lord appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty.
Walk habitually before Me with integrity,
knowing that you are always in My presence
and be blameless and complete in obedience to Me."
Walking with God means more than keeping the law of God.
Both Enoch and Abraham
lived before the Mosaic Law was given.
Walking with God is not therefore
legalistically keeping a set of laws.
It is a heart attitude, a way of life.
Amid the other individuals
mentioned in the genealogy of Genesis 5,
Enoch had a continual relationship with God.
Enoch, along with Elijah, did not die.
He has said to have "walked with God."
This means his life was one of pleasing God.
Consequently, God did not allow him to die.
Enoch is also a prefigurement of the church's Rapture,
where the Lord translates all believers,
living and dead, into His presence.