Enoch

 For Enoch, Genesis 5:18-24

¹⁸And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: ¹⁹And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: ²⁰And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. ²¹And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:  ²²And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: ²³And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: ²⁴And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Except for a few genealogies, this is all that is recorded concerning Enoch in the Hebrew scriptures.  Because of Genesis 5:24, people believe that Enoch did not die and went to heaven.

²⁴And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

It never states that Enoch went to heaven.  It states that God took him.

A Rabbinic source states about Enoch, although Enoch was a righteous man, Enoch was liable to go astray.  To avert this God cut his life short.  Another source states, Enoch did not meet with the ordinary fate of mortals.  Like Elijah, Enoch was taken to heaven without the agony of death.  Another just states, Enoch died prematurely.  Among the rabbis there seems to be a mix.

Although little is stated about Enoch, there is quite a bit of speculation by both the Rabbis and the Church.  It may be somewhat understandable why the Rabbis speculate; however, for the New Testament believer such speculation should not occur.  Paul warned the believer, 1 Corinthians 4:6:

⁶And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

Believers ought to study their Bible more.  One needs to learn to read out of the Bible, rather than read into the Bible.  As it turns out, Enoch is mentioned in the New Testament, Hebrews 11:5.

⁵By 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.

It does not state Enoch went to heaven, Enoch was translated.  Hebrews 11 mentions a number of individuals and prefaces each name with faith.  All these individuals are grouped together, then in Hebrews 11:13a:

¹³These all died in faith, not having received the promises,

It does not state that they all died in faith, except Enoch.  They all died in faith that includes Enoch.  Hebrews 11:13 in its entirety.

¹³These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Not only did they all die, they did not receive the promise.  They saw it afar off in the future.  The promise that the writer of Hebrews is referring to is 1 John 2:25.

²⁵And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

Old Testament saints in Hebrews 11 did not receive the promise.  They went to sheol.  They looked forward to the future promise.  That is why it is written in Hebrews 11:14-16:

¹⁴For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. ¹⁵And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. ¹⁶But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

 Note Hebrews 11:16a states:

^16aBut now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly:

It states this, because they were not going to heaven.  They went to Sheol.  This includes Enoch.

Hebrews 11:39:

³⁹And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Again, they did not receive the promise.  It may be understandable why the Rabbis think Enoch went to heaven.  But as for believers, we have the New Testament.  Believers have no excuse for speculating.  We just need to study our Bibles.  May be this is why Paul told Timothy, 2 Timothy 4:4:

⁴And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Search the Bible for the truth, shun the vain babbling.  Quite simply, if Enoch was not born again, Enoch could not enter the kingdom of God in Heaven, John 3:3.

³ Yeshua answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

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