The Life Of Enoch Part Four

Sheol


Now let’s talk a bit about the temporary place named Sheol. According to Scripture, it is divided into two different compartments. In the Gospel of Luke 16:19-31, we are told the two compartments “hold the righteous believers and the unbelievers.” The writer of Luke revealed to us the two compartments are not only a distance apart from each other, but there is a chasm between the two.

Verse 23, “And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side.” Then in verse 26, “Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.”

This Sheol is the one which Jesus Christ went down into for three days and three nights. ( “For Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights,” Matthew 12:40.) Now, compare that verse from Matthew with Jonah 1:17, “Now the Lord appointed a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the fish three days and three nights.” We find that the Messiah actually did go into the heart of the earth. There is no way around this proof. 1 Peter 3:19, “In that state He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison who in the past were disobedient when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while an ark was being prepared.”

The text of Matthew 12:40, gives us important clues to solve the answer of why the Messiah went into Hell. First of all, let us begin to find out who these “spirits” are that Peter is telling his listeners about. 1 Peter 3:19, “In that state He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison who in the past were disobedient…” The first initial clue Peter has given us is this: (He also went), this meaning is referring to Sheol. But in which part of Sheol was Jesus Christ located? He was with the wicked. After entering Hell, His second event was that He preached. In other versions of the Bible, it mentions He proclaimed. The Greek definition of the word “kerugma” states: 1. That which is promulgated by a herald or public crier, a proclamation by a herald; 2. In the N.T. the message or proclamation by a heralds God or Christ. This is from Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Page 346, Strong’s Number 2782.

The Messiah was in Sheol with the wicked who rejected the message of Noah. Inside Genesis 6:1, (“Their days will be 120 years”) I take this to account that Noah preached 120 years before the actuality of the flood. The book of Genesis gives an account of how men fell away from God. Noah, a preacher of righteousness preached to his generation, but that particular generation was waxed cold. In Genesis 6:11, “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with wickedness.” Verse 12 states: “God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth.” This is that generation to whom the Messiah made a proclamation. (Those who believed in YWHW) YOD HAY VAV HAY.

Since they would not listen to Noah, they now have to listen to Jesus Christ in Sheol, the place of the wicked. Let us not get off track scripturally. The Messiah did not make a proclamation to the Niphilim Giants nor did He go into any particular region of Sheol where the Niphilim Giants dwelled in judgment. Why I make this statement is quite clear in the scripture, 2 Peter 2:4, “and delivered them to be kept in chains of darkness until judgment.” Peter tells us of the temporary judgment they are in, but this passage also speaks of a future judgment for the Niphilim Giants, waiting for them.

In these four Chapters, we discussed Enoch’s genealogy, who Enoch was, what Enoch did on earth, where Enoch went, and lastly the two chambers of Sheol for the wicked and the righteous. In the next several installments, the topic we will be discussing is if Enoch could be a candidate to be one of the two witnesses spoken of in Revelation. Then, we will be closing out our final chapters about Elijah and Moses. We will be detailing the account of Moses as one of the true witnesses with Elijah in Revelation.

The Life Of Enoch Part Three

Where Did Enoch Go?


Over the span of centuries, there has been much thought surrounding the enigma of Enoch’s whereabouts. Everyone questions, “Where did he go?” So let’s get started into our Biblical journey! As I detail these crucial events, it is important for my readers to have clarity on this issue. Throughout this article I will be revealing a different view which will be Biblically sound in doctrine. I will be accounting for the Disappearance of Enoch, which is crucial. From our starting point, we need to look at several translations so we can get a bird’s eye view of what the Scriptures are truly saying about Enoch’s translation.

1. And Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, for God had taken him. The Stone Edition, The Chumash

2. Hanokh walked with God, and then he wasn’t there, because God took him. Complete Jewish Bible

3. And he was removed from the midst of the children of men… The book of Jubilees page 19, verse 24

4. And Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and he was not found, because God translated him. The Septuagint with Apocrypha

After reading 1-4 up above, it should be straightforward about the common theme which rings out loud about Enoch; can my readers pinpoint them?

In order they are: 1) Taken. 2) Took. 3) Removed. 4) Translated. Most currently, our Bibles use the word “took”, so intrinsically we shall focus on that word. While investigating the Hebraic definition in our study we need to focus our eyes onto a particular Hebraic word. Essentially this word is “Laqach”, which connotes the word “took”. Let us go ahead and read the text, in the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Genesis 5:24, “Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him.” Located in the King James Version of the Bible, Laqach is number 3947 in Strong’s Concordance. It’s definitions are:

A. To take

B. To get

C. To fetch

D. To lay hold of

E. To seize

F. To receive

G. To acquire

H. To buy

I. To snatch

J. To take away

Those definitions that I just listed for us are our key words in understanding the background of that particular event. The scripture of Genesis 5:24, is quite striking because it does not mention anything about Heaven, but neither does the Hebraic word “Laqach”- it lacks the word Heaven in its proper description. Contrary to popular belief, humankind did not set foot into Heaven until the 40 days expired which are spoken of in Acts 1:3.

Before I further explain in detail, the book of John 3:13, states: “No one has ascended into Heaven except the one who descended from Heaven the Son of Man”. The Apostle John has given us ample proof in this text that no one had entered into Heaven until after the 40 days were expired in Acts chapter 1:3. The saints from both testament periods were resurrected after Jesus’ initial Resurrection. In Matthew 27:52, we are shown an idea although it is not a new thought. I say this with confidence because even Abraham believed in the resurrection of the dead. Hebrews 11:19, speaks of: He (Abraham) considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead, and as an illustration, he received him back.”

Also found in Matthew 27:52, is this statement of fact: “The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.” Then in the book of Acts 1:3, the text reads to us: “Appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” Hence, the saints I previously mentioned ascended with their Messiah. It says: “He left them and was carried up into Heaven.” Although the text shows them (the saints) to be absent in this scenario, I firmly believe they were with Jesus during those 40 days. Then, this was their ascension with Jesus Christ the Messiah into Heaven. Another reason why this has to be true is that the Messiah would not leave their resurrected bodies on earth for them to die again.