Enoch Was Translated, But Did Not Go To Heaven

Enoch was translated that he should not see death. Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Yet the Bible reveals they are not in heaven today! Where are they? Here’s the astounding truth.

Enoch was “translated,” but where did he go? Was he immediately taken to heaven? No! Because Jesus Himself said: “No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man” (John 3:13). Here are Jesus’ own words that no man, except Himself, had ascended into heaven! And how did He know? Because, He came from there! Then where is Enoch? Let’s see what the Bible says.

Enoch Walked With God

At the age of 65 Enoch had a son named Methuselah. “And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters” (Gen. 5:22).

Here was a man that pleased God, a man that walked with God.

Enoch had to have faith, for in Hebrews 11:6 the apostle said, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” So Enoch walked with God. He obeyed God, and followed Him in His paths by faith.

No one can walk with God unless he is in agreement with the will of God and doing it. Amos the prophet said: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3.) So in his generation Enoch was the only recorded person who followed the ways of God — even though it took him sixty-five years to learn to walk with God!

But how long did Enoch walk with God? The scripture says that he “walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years.” So Enoch followed God’s ways for three hundred years. Notice that Moses did not record that Enoch is still walking with God. The scripture says that Enoch walked with God for three hundred years and not one year more! Then Enoch is not still walking with God! Why?

Because “all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years” (Gen. 5:23). All the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Not just part of his days, but all his days! If Enoch did not die — if he were changed to immortality — and thus continued to walk with God, then his days would have been more than three hundred and sixty-five years. But the Bible plainly says that all his days were just that many, and no more!

This expression “all his days” is used in the same fifth chapter of Genesis about a dozen times and always it means that the person lived for that length of time only “and he died.” So Enoch lived no more than three hundred and sixty-five years because “all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.” As he lived only for this length of time then he must have died!

But what about his translation? Does that mean he didn’t die? That’s what some people carelessly assume without proof.

Did The Thief On The Cross Make It To Heaven?

Jesus said He would be in the grave three days and three nights after His crucifixion. Then could the thief have been with Christ in Paradise that very day?

Notice Luke 23:43 carefully:

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).

Jesus said that the crucified malefactor would be with Him in Paradise. If we can prove where Jesus went when He died, then we can prove if the malefactor really went to Paradise that day.

Turn to I Corinthians 15:3-4. Paul reiterates: “For I delivered to you” — speaking to Christians — “first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

Notice that Jesus was buried — it does not say the body was buried, and that the soul went to Paradise. It reads that He — Jesus, Himself — was buried. He was dead for three days. He died for our sins. Then He came to life.

Why The Resurrection Instead Of Going To Heaven?

http://www.dreamstime.com

Most people believe that Christ completed God’s plan of redemption by dying on the cross. But if salvation was made full and complete by Jesus’ death, then why does the Bible still speak of a resurrection from the dead?

We often hear the saying, “Christ died to save sinners,” but this is not even a Biblical quotation. If you believe that Christ’s death imparts to us eternal life — that the blood of Christ — His death, actually saves or imparts everlasting life, then you are wrong in your assumption. Nowhere in the Bible does it say this is so!

So why did Christ Die for us ? First, realize that all have sinned and the penalty for sin is death (Rom. 3:23, 6:23)! The Bible definition of sin is the transgression of God’s law — summed up by the Ten Commandments (I John 3:4). It was established by God for the happiness of man, something that has eluded him in a world of strife and war, fear and worry, poverty and want, discontent and suffering.

This world believes God’s salvation merely imparts eternal life! Jesus said He came that we might have eternal life, yes. But He also said something more: “I am come,” He said, “that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Not merely continuous existence — but a life full of happiness for all eternity!