Life After Death - Part 3, What About Enoch?

OK! Let's get back into the swing of things!

(ESV)
Gen 5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
Gen 5:22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
Gen 5:23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.
Gen 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took (la-qach) him.

(...la-qach; simply, to take)

(ABP)
Gen 5:21 And Enoch lived five and sixty and a hundred years, and he procreated Methuselah.
Gen 5:22  was well-pleasing And Enoch to God. And Enoch lived after his procreating Methuseleh, two hundred years, and he procreated sons and daughters.
Gen 5:23 And came to pass all the days of Enoch, five and sixty and three hundred years.
Gen 5:24 And Enoch was well-pleasing to God. And he was not found, for transposed (metatithemi) him God.

(... metatithemi; to transpose, or transfer - transpose meaning "one which is put in place of the other" - transfer meaning "to simply relocate")

(BSEP)
Gen 5:21 And Enoch lived an hundred and sixty and five years, and begat Mathusala.
Gen 5:22 And Enoch was well-pleasing to God after his begetting Mathusala, two hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters.
Gen 5:23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty and five years.
Gen 5:24 And Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and was not found, because God translated him.

(translated; to carry or remove to a new location)

(NASB)
Gen 5:21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.
Gen 5:22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters.
Gen 5:23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.
Gen 5:24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took (la-qach) him.

(...la-qach; simply, to take)

[Notes/Conclusion: Obviously, something happened to Enoch! He didn't "live" as long as the others, when you compare the surrounding text, because Yehovah "took" him. Enoch was either "changed" and relocated as in "transposed", or he was simply relocated/translated. But, we do know he didn't die! Why? Because, it's never a good idea to rely on one section of the Bible. Let's look elsewhere.

(ESV)

Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.

So, Enoch did not die, therefore his "Spirit", his "neshama", the "breath" of God, his "pneuma" never left him. Why?

(ESV)

Heb 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Heb 9:28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

...

Ecc 12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

(the context of this verse is relating to the death of a man)

(Enoch must have been an exception because he pleased God?)

So, Enoch DID NOT die. And, we know for sure that Enoch DID NOT go to heaven! Why do we know this? Because Yeshua told us so!

(ESV)

Joh 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

Joh 3:2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

(Yes, I know, the "kingdom of God" is on earth! But, keep reading!)

Joh 3:4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Joh 3:7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

Joh 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Joh 3:9 Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"

Joh 3:10 Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

Joh 3:11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.

Joh 3:12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Joh 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

Joh 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

Joh 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.]

So, we know that Enoch was never "born of the Spirit", as in a Resurrection, (because he did not see death - he was still flesh) and we also know that Enoch never went to heaven (because Yeshua told us). So, where is Enoch?

The truth is, nobody knows! Some folks will claim they know, but we must look at all of Scripture and take it as it is. Other folks will tell me to look at the "Book of Enoch". Well, there are several, none of which are reliable enough to trust.

I am excited though, because the Dead Sea Scrolls has fragments of the Book of Enoch. I don't know if it has been published yet. Was it possible that Enoch was changed to a spiritual being without seeing death? Yes, I suppose that's possible. Yehovah/Yeshua can do anything. But, we still don't know where he is, but we do know he's not in heaven! This also might redefine for many the idea of being, "born again". Are we "born again" in the "twinkling of an eye", at the "last trump"? I myself lean toward this as truth.

This is getting more and more interesting, isn't it?

The Observer