The scriptures make it perfectly clear that Enoch did NOT die. Hebrews 11:5 declares, “By faith Enoch was TAKEN AWAY so that HE DID NOT SEE DEATH, ‘and was not found, because God HAD TAKEN HIM’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (NKJV). Now let’s read the actual historical account in Genesis 5:21-24, “Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God TOOK HIM.” These two passages agree with one another and teach us that God was so pleased with Enoch and his godly testimony that HE TOOK HIM to heaven without seeing death. Hebrews 11:5 is emphatic when it states, “he did not see death.” Some have raised the question concerning the account in Genesis, “But it doesn’t say in those verses that Enoch did not die; it simply says that “God took him.” So isn’t it possible that Enoch died first and then God took him to heaven?” The problem with that view is that it would contradict what we saw in Hebrews and we know the Bible CANNOT contradict itself. Add to this the fact in Genesis chapter five God is giving us the “genealogy of Adam” (verse 1) and in every case, except for Enoch, it mentions that Adam and his descendants DIED (see verses 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, and 31). Instead of DYING, God TOOK HIM! We know from Hebrews 11:5 that after God took him he “was not found,” implying that men looked for this man who had suddenly disappeared, but their search was in vain for he was removed from earth and taken to heaven.

Now let’s take a look at Hebrews 11:13, “These all died in faith, NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” I have capitalized the key words in this verse, for those who “died in faith” are the ones who had “not received the promises.” I believe this is referring to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who are spoken of in verses 8-10: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in THE LAND OF PROMISE as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, THE HEIRS WITH HIM OF THE SAME PROMISE; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and make is God.” We learn here that the main PROMISE God gave to Abraham (and to his sons Isaac and Jacob) was that he would receive THE LAND OF CANAAN for an inheritance. Did he live to see the fulfillment of that promise? No! Instead he lived “in tents with Isaac and Jacob” and they treated Canaan as a “foreign country” until the day they died. Yet they lived, by faith, in the power of God’s promises to them and “confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

One might be thinking, “But if God promised Abraham and his sons the land of Canaan and they died, how can that promise be fulfilled?” That is a fair question. This promise has been PARTIALLY FULFILLED, for in time Abraham’s descendants did indeed inherit the land of Canaan as we see in the book of Joshua. It will have a COMPLETE FULFILLMENT in a future day when Christ returns to establish His kingdom and Israel will then inherit all the land that was promised to Abraham and it will never be taken away (see Genesis 12:7; 15:13-18; 17:1-8 with Romans 11:26; Zechariah 14:1-11; and Isaiah 66:10-22).

I will close with one more thought for you to ponder. All who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have been “promised a heavenly inheritance” and one day this promise will be fulfilled. 1st Peter 1:3-4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, TO AN INHERITANCE INCORRUPTIBLE AND UNDEFILED AND THAT DOES NOT FADE AWAY, RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR YOU.” Let us, like Abraham and his sons, “embrace this promise and confess that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”  (385.5)  (DO)