“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
Genesis 5:24
Here we have one of two references in the entire Bible of an individual being “taken” by God (the other, Elijah, “…ascended”). Not just taken as someone who has died and gone to be with the Lord but someone who physically disappeared! The only other example I can think of even close is in the Book of Revelation when John was on the island of Patmos and he had a vision from God and was told to write of the things to come. After describing the 7 phase history of the Church from the Crucifixion until today, John in Revelation 4:1 said, “After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”
Most Biblical scholars identify John’s transformation as symbolic of the coming Rapture of the church where Christ will “snatch” His believers out of the world prior to the coming Tribulation, the worst imaginable time in human history. In God’s Mercy He does this so the believers WILL NOT have to go through the trials and TRIBULATION of God’s coming wrath upon the unbelieving world. But notice what John says next:
“And immediately I was in the SPIRIT (capitals mine): and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.”
Revelation 4:2
The similarities of John’s transformation to Heaven and the Rapture identified in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 are almost IDENTICAL. In all these examples John and then the believers are called up to the heavens “…at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound…” For my complete story on the Rapture, go to my post The Rapture – God’s Promise.
But, Enoch was different! He physically was gone because God “took” him! Why Enoch? Who was he and why would God “take” him? By doing a search of the Bible we learn Enoch was born in the seventh generation after Adam. He was the father of Methuselah, who lived to be the oldest man listed in entire Bible. He was also the grandfather of Noah, who also was righteous in God’s eyes and removed from God’s wrath on the earth PRIOR to the Flood. And, we know that Enoch lived for 365 years before he was “taken” by God. Most importantly, we know that Enoch “walked” with God, meaning he was righteous and faithful in God’s eyes.
“By faith Enoch was translated that he SHOULD NOT SEE DEATH (capitals mine); and was not found , because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
Hebrews 11:5
To anyone who knows anything about the coming Rapture of the believers, this scripture gives one of the best indicators of what God is looking for from all of us to be saved and to not have to go through the Tribulation. But it doesn’t stop there! Further examples are also given of Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and others:
“But WITHOUT FAITH (capitals mine) it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By FAITH (capitals mine) Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir to the righteousness which IS BY FAITH (capitals mine). By FAITH (capitals mine) Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should receive for inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”
Hebrews 11:6-8
Here both Noah and Abraham followed God’s instructions by FAITH, following His command of them. I highly recommend reading all of Hebrews Chapter 11 for a very clear and concise message regarding the role of faith in finding everlasting salvation through believing in Christ! So, not only did Enoch have faith and walked with God, he also prophesied BEFORE he was taken regarding the Second Coming of Christ BEFORE Christ was even born!
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints. To execute judgement 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.”
Jude 1:15
Kinda sounds like Christ’s Second Coming at Armageddon doesn’t it? In Enoch 1 (a book not part of our Bible but included in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Bible), a book written by Enoch and validated by the Dead Sea Scrolls, he again prophesied and wrote BEFORE Christ was born regarding the End Times. About the non-believers he wrote they “shall be cast into the judgement of fire…All the works of the godless shall vanish from the earth, and the world shall be written down for destruction…The first heaven shall depart and pass away, and a new heaven shall appear.” Remember, this was written before the birth of Christ and the writing of the Books of the New Testament! In fact, the first ever use of the term “Son of Man” in the Holy Bible appears in Enoch 1.
For those of us living today who believe in Jesus Christ and have asked for forgiveness of our sins AND have attempted to walk with God, we are reminded God DOES NOT want us to go through His coming wrath and with the example of Enoch, we know we also will no longer be on this earth after the Rapture occurs IF we have FAITH in Jesus. We will be in Heaven with Jesus waiting to return with Him at His Second Coming!
Again, for those of us living at the moment of the Rapture, there is comfort in knowing that God ALWAYS does what He says He will do and in this case, we know by what God has said and what He did to Enoch, we WILL NOT have to endure the trials and the horrors of the coming 7 year Tribulation time period. All we must do is accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, ask for forgiveness and “walk with God”. If this is as comforting to you as it is to me, please join me and “…therefore, comfort one another with these words.”
May God Bless you!
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