Main Scripture: Genesis 5
When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. (Genesis 5:21-24 NLT)
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. (Hebrews 11:5 ESV)
Another 
gem hidden away in the shunned genealogies
gem hidden away in the shunned genealogies
Only of Enoch and Elijah it is recorded that they went to heaven without dying. Upon a more careful study of their lives, I came up with the following:
Of Enoch it is said that he walked with God IN CLOSE FELLOWSHIP for 300 years, that he pleased God and as a result was taken to heaven without dying. What a walk that must have been Now, I know for sure that he wasn't perfect, being from the fallen human race and all, but in order to have maintained that close, intimate walk with God, he had to have kept "short accounts" with God. With that I mean repentance and confession of sin the moment he became conscious of it. He apparently did not live on "yesterday's high" with the Lord, but daily, moment by moment replenished himself in God's Presence. It IS a "moment by moment" humbly seeking His Face, which is a constant struggle for most, being the proud, self-sufficient human beings that we tend to be.
Now, I know for sure that he wasn't perfect, being from the fallen human race and all, but in order to have maintained that close, intimate walk with God, he had to have kept "short accounts" with God. With that I mean repentance and confession of sin the moment he became conscious of it. He apparently did not live on "yesterday's high" with the Lord, but daily, moment by moment replenished himself in God's Presence. It IS a "moment by moment" humbly seeking His Face, which is a constant struggle for most, being the proud, self-sufficient human beings that we tend to be.
Now, Elijah, on the other hand, is someone portrayed in James 5:17-18 (KJV) as being more like us. Hm ...
Elias (aka Elijah) was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Besides his many strengths (obedient, courageous, bold, humorous, full of "miracle-working" faith, etc.), Elijah was also known to be fearful (of a woman, at that), despondent, to name a couple of his weaknesses. Yet!!!!........ He was taken to heaven by means of a chariot of fire and horses of fire, in a whirlwind .... the royal treatment, if you please!!! As in the case of Enoch, leaving behind no funeral expenses for the family :) ... Hm ...
What motivated God to bless these two men in this manner? Their moment by moment intimate walk with Him? Their strong, steadfast faith in Him?
James 5:17 gives me hope that God will miraculously intervene in my life as well, if my walk and my faith please Him...... and who knows, I may go without dying as well, if I am alive when Jesus returns and raptures* His Church in mid-air:
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. (1 Thes. 4:17 NIV)
*to rapture - the act of transporting a person from one sphere of existence to another, esp from earth to heaven
RE*J*oicita 
John Ch.8 V.51 "I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." So setting aside the whisking away of Enoch and Elijah and the rapture, does this mean that although we die we will never see death? Corinthians Ch.15 V.55 "Where O death,is your victory? Where O death is your sting?"
ReplyDeleteFor the Christian, death has no sting, death has no fear, for as David said in Psalm 23, death is but a shadow that we pass through and we fear no evil, for HE IS WITH us. Indeed the inspired writer of Hebrrews tells us, that by THE GRACE OF GOD, JESUS tasted death for every man. We will be merely absent from the body, but present with the LORD when we physically move out of this earthly temple (our body)awaiting our mortal remains to put on immortality (I Cor 15) when they are re-united at THE COMING OF THE LORD for HIS PEOPLE. ! Thess 4:13-18 That is physical death Inthis life we also have Positional Death. As Paul said "I die daily" and again said "I am crucified with CHRIST, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but the life I now live in the flesh, I live by THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD< WHO LOVED me and GAVE HIMSELF for me.
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