Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. — Genesis 5:24, World English Bible translation.
By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and “he was not found, because God had taken him.” For it was attested before he was taken away that “he had pleased God.” — Hebrews 11:5, New Revised Standard Version
All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. — Hebrews 11:13, New Revised Standard Version
By Ronald R. Day, Sr.
In the World English Bible translation, the statement in Hebrews 11:5 is rendered in this manner: “By faith, Enoch was translated, so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well-pleasing to God.” This does not say that Enoch did not die, but rather it says that he was translated so that he should not see death. The New Revised Standard Version demystifies what was said by saying that Enoch was taken. The Greek word rendered “translated” in the World English Bible simply means to change, transfer or to transpose. The King James Version renders it as “carried over” in Acts 7:16, as “removed” in Galatians 1:6, as “changed” in Hebrews 7:12, and as “turning” in Jude 1:4.
One claims: "Our direct Biblical information about this ancient man is meager. We can be certain only that (1) he was godly and (2) he did not die." (Present Truth and Herald of Christ's Ephiphany, November/December 1999, in the article, "The Melchizedek-Enoch Connection", which begins on page 84) Actually, no scripture says that Enoch did not die. The idea that he did not die has to be an interpretation of what the scripture actually states. The scripture does not say that Enoch did not become dead, but that he did not “see” death. [eidw = to see, (by impl. and in the perf. only) = to know (perfect used as pres.) — John Meggison].
The scriptures do not say that Enoch was translated into heaven, as many assume, nor do the scriptures say that he was translated from mortality into immortality as is also assumed by some. Such would mean that Jesus was not the firstborn of the dead. (Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5) Jesus plainly stated, "No one has ascended into heaven." (John 3:13) Genesis and the Letter to the Hebrews certainly do not say anything about Enoch’s soul being immortal at all. All that is stated is that Enoch did not go through the normal process of dying, thus he did not know death as other people do, and was “translated” into sheol — the realm of death — by God. Nor does any scripture say that every believer will be like Enoch, so as not to see death, nor does any scripture say anything about an alleged immortal soul or immortal spirit sentiency going to heaven.
We believe that Enoch did die, for it is stated (Hebrews 11:13): “These all died in faith,” which includes Enoch. (Hebrews 11:5) And rather than saying that Enoch was taken to heaven, the Genesis account simply says that “he was not.” (Genesis 5:24) Taken as it is stated, if one would conclude that if he was taken to heaven, then it would seem to say that his mortal human fleshly body was taken to heaven; however, in reality, this is absurd, since flesh is of the earth, earthly, not of the heavenly. — 1 Corinthians 15:39-41, 48.
Nothing in any of the Scriptures says anything about Enoch’s alleged immortal soul or spirit having anything to do with this, or anything about his alleged immortal soul or spirit going to heaven. Indeed, from the way it reads in Genesis, and if anyone would wish to entertain the thought that Enoch went to heaven, then it would appear that he went to heaven in his body of flesh. This, of course, is not at all what the scripture is saying. It simply says “he was not”, which, without the Hellenistic influence of inherent immortality read into this, one would simply reason this to mean that he was in the realm of death: sheol, as described in Ecclesiastes 9:5,10.
We also read of all of the faithful of old, which includes Enoch (Hebrews 11:39,40): “These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn’t receive the promise, God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”
The Bible says nothing about Enoch’s being translated from life on earth to live somewhere else; it says “he was not.” Our conclusion is that God took (Strong’s #3947) him into the death condition. — Genesis 5:24.
The Hebrew word (Strong’s #3947) is used of being taken into death in Job 1:21 and Proverbs 24:11:
Job 1:21 - And he said, I came naked out of my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. Jehovah gave, and Jehovah has taken away (Strong's #3947). Blessed be the name of Jehovah. -- Green's Literal.
Was Job speaking of being taken away to heaven, or to some other place to remain alive? Obviously, he is speaking of being taken away into the death condition of sheol, the result of the condemnation that has been placed upon Adam and all condemned in Adam. Job was saying that he was to be taken away into the same oblivious condition that he had been in before he was alive. -- Ecclesiastes 9:5,10; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22.
Rescue those who are being led away (Strong’s #3947) to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
This is not saying these are being taken away into heaven, or that they are being taken away so as to continue to live somewhere else; they are being taken away from life into the condition of being dead.
The same word (Strong’s #3947) is used in Ezekiel 33:4:
Then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn’t take warning, if the sword come, and take him away (Strong’s 3947), his blood shall be on his own head.
Certainly, this is not saying that God was taking these away to heaven, but rather they were taken away from life; they were to die.
Again, in Ezekiel 33:7:
But if the watchman sees the sword come, and doesn’t blow the trumpet, and the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes, and take any person from among them; he is taken away (Strong’s 3947) in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
Likewise, this does not mean that these taken away are taken to heaven, but they are taken away from life.
In the New Testament, we read (Matthew 24:39):
And they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Those destroyed in the flood of Noah’s time were not taken to heaven, but they were taken away from life — they entered into death.
Regarding the phrase "was not" (Genesis 5:27), we find a similar phrase used of Joseph, when Jacob thought he was dead. (Genesis 42:13, 32, 36, 38; 44:20, 28) This indicates likewise that "was not" in Genesis 5:27 means that Enoch was dead; he was not alive anywhere.
One more point appears to indicate that Enoch ceased to be alive anywhere when God took him. In Genesis 5:23, we read: "all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years." If Enoch is still alive then his days were not just three hundred and sixty-five years, but his days have been extended to thousands of years, and his days continue until today. However, since the scripture says that his days were 356 years and that then "he was not", the most logical conclusion is that Enoch did not continue to be alive anywhere after the 365 years mentioned.
It is possible that God took Enoch into the realm of death to spare him the suffering that was coming upon him due to his faithfulness. His walk was not like the world around him, and we can be sure that he suffered persecution because of this. — 2 Timothy 3:12.
Some claim that Enoch remained on the earth and became the King-Priest Melchizedek. This is highly unlikely, since the Bible records only eight humans who survived the flood of Noah's day, while all other breathing creatures outside the ark were destroyed. -- 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5; Genesis 7:17-23.
Although we have sought to compare spiritual revealing with spiritual revealing -- with as little speculation beyond what is written as possible -- so as to come to a conclusion regarding the condition of Enoch, the Scriptures are not fully explicit on the condition of Enoch, thus, it may be that we will have to wait until our resurrection change to fully understand the Scriptures concerning Enoch. We have found most conclusions many presented, however, to be filled with a tremendous amount of speculation, and deem that the more speculations one has to add to the scriptures to sustain their hypotheses, the less likely their hypotheses are the truth.
Although we have sought to compare spiritual revealing with spiritual revealing -- with as little speculation beyond what is written as possible -- so as to come to a conclusion regarding the condition of Enoch, the Scriptures are not fully explicit on the condition of Enoch, thus, it may be that we will have to wait until our resurrection change to fully understand the Scriptures concerning Enoch. We have found most conclusions many presented, however, to be filled with a tremendous amount of speculation, and deem that the more speculations one has to add to the scriptures to sustain their hypotheses, the less likely their hypotheses are the truth.
Some related links (we do not necessarily agree with all conclusions presented by other authors):
Faith's Foundations -- Study of Hebrews 11, by Homer Montague
Studies in the Book of Hebrews (John Meggison): also God's Plan in the Book of Genesis. We could not find these online anywhere. These two publications are included in the Bible Students Library DVD.
The Epistle of Jude – A Brief Exposition
by T. E. Patmos – We include this for his comments concerning Enoch.
Bible Study – What Happened to Enoch?
by Wayne Blank – This writer claims that Enoch was simply taken or transferred away from his persecutors to another part of the earth, where he lived out his natural life and finally died.
Enoch – In Heaven or Not?
Not I But Christ Ministries
Enoch and Elijah: R.I.P.
By M. Thomas Wark
Enoch, Elijah and the Sentence
By. Charles Taze Russell -- Argues that while Enoch and Elijah did not die, the death sentence still remained upon them.
https://www.htdbv8.com/1897/r2153.htm
https://www.htdbv8.com/1897/r2153.htm
By Ronald R. Day, Senior (ResLight, RLBible)
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