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Did Enoch Escape Death?

I was raised in church believing that Enoch and Elijah were taken directly to heaven without dying. Maybe you have been taught that also. Personally, I have never known anyone that did not believe that. Is that really what the Bible teaches? It seems like such an insignificant thing. Why would what happened to Enoch and Elijah make any difference to us in our lifetime? God can do what He wants in whatever way He wants, can't He? Let's find out if this causes any problems with understanding the Bible and Yahweh himself.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (KJV)

The Young's Literal Translation makes the statement even stronger:

Hebrews 9:27 and as it is laid up to men once to die, and after this--judgment, (YLT)

Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Hebrews 11:5 By 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.

Hebrews 11:13 These 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.

A Heritage Of Death

Thanks to Adam we all can expect to die. Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" In fact, according to Hebrews 9:27 we cannot escape it. Who does "all" include in Romans 5:12? Does it include you and me? How about every man that has ever lived from Adam on? It is simple to see that "all" means everyone that has ever lived, including Christ. (Some have dared to say that "all" does not mean "all" but that is a rabbit trail we don't want to go down for this study. Some men will always try to deny simple truth.)

The Bible describes two deaths. One is the physical death we all must go through. The second is a death which we do not have to endure. That is the death of eternal separation from Yahweh also known as the second death in Revelation 2:11, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."

The Answer - Death, Burial, Resurrection

According to Hebrews 9:27, every person must experience a physical death but because of the sacrifice that Christ paid by the shedding of his blood and death we can escape the second death. Victory over death through resurrection! That is the manifestation of following and trusting in the blood of our Savior. That is the example of Christ which we all must follow. Only because of Christ's defeating death, by being faithful to Yahweh, can we also experience and enjoy that victory also.

Death, burial, resurrection. That is the gospel, plain and simple. Hebrews 9:27 makes it plain that every person must meet death. Death to the believer, however, is really only a new beginning. The beginning of eternal life, through resurrection, in a new, sinless body.

That concept however presents a problem according to much teaching today. It is commonly taught that Enoch and Elijah did not die. It is further taught in many religious circles, that many will not experience death if they are alive when the "rapture" occurs.

Traditional Teaching Creates A Problem

That concept contradicts scripture and the example Christ set before us. So how do we reason this problem out? Many have said that God can do what He wants and that is true in concept. However, if Yahweh determines to makes His Word conditional or creates special exemptions He would be bound by His nature to make that plainly known. Does God want to be known as having no rhyme or reason for His actions? No, He wants to be known as consistent, solid, never wavering. When we trust God we can be sure He will provide a straight and steady course for us to follow. He will not suddenly change direction on us, leaving us confused and questioning our safety.

To consider that the Almighty Everlasting God would provide an escape from physical death for many without providing that for His own son does not make sense. If there was another way to victory other than through death, burial and resurrection, He would have surely provided that option to His son.

Hiding In Plain Sight

As is so often the case with Bible matters, the answer is hiding in plain sight. Regarding Enoch, Hebrews 11:5 appears to say that Enoch never died. Reading this verse along with Genesis 5:24 would seem to confirm that idea. However, it contradicts the mandate of Hebrews 9:27 and Romans 5:12. The truth about Enoch is found in Hebrews 11:13, "These all died..." Enoch died just as did all of the other Old Covenant believers listed in Hebrews chapter 11. There it is in black-and-white. Have you ever seen that before? So many gems are hiding in plain sight.

So, how do we reason out these scriptures? Notice that "God took him" does not say "where" He took him. If indeed Yahweh took him to heaven another scripture would have been violated when Christ said, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." (John 3:13)

The same can be said of Elijah. So what happened to Enoch? Evidently God transported him to another place. From what is said in Hebrews 11:5, his life must have been in imminent danger and God spared him and transported him to a place of safety. James 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." Conversely, it could be said, if a man is the friend of God, as Enoch was, he will be the enemy of the world. Is it possible that there were people that would have liked to have seen Enoch dead? It seems a possibility to me but the writer of Hebrews does not expound upon the reason.

More Bible Explanation

By understanding the story of Elijah, we learn even more about these occurrences. Dr. Ron McRay has expertly covered this subject in greater detail in his book, "Is It Appointed Unto Man Once To Die?" He shows from the Bible how the idea of being supernaturally transported (think Star Trek) was a reality several times in the Bible. It is well worth reading to discover how these apparent exceptions were not exceptions at all. Yahweh is faithful to His Word!

Let us be careful not to read into God's Word what our imaginations conjure up. The Bible cannot contradict itself and God cannot violate His Word. He is not trying to trick us or cause us to be confused. He is not a mystical being that goes about doing things that cannot be explained. Today we are caught up into believing seemingly mystical and magical events and allowing those emotions to carry over into our reading and understanding of the Bible. Trust God to act and perform in accordance with His Word. You will be blessed by that understanding as you study the Bible further.