BY FAITH ENOCH

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.
6 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.

INTRODUCTION:

Skeptics would always like to question the Bible. Casting doubt is the Devil’s
favorite hobby. While it is certainly foolish to answer fools according to their folly,
sometimes it is wise to demonstrate their foolishness by answering them according to
their folly.

Proverbs 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also
be like unto him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own
conceit.

One of the first things the “children of the wicked one” (Matt. 13:38) may do to
dilute the minds of God’s children with infidelism is to question certain statements
found in God’s Word and to try to find contradictions which do not exist at all. For
example:

Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of
these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints,

Their question would be: “Is Enoch really the seventh from Adam?” Then they
would try to shake the faith of a “babe in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1) or of a “novice” (1 Tim. 3:6)
by showing several “supposedly” and “seemingly contradictory” passages:

Genesis 4:17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare
Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the
name of his son, Enoch.
Luke 3:37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of
Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel,
which was the son of Cainan,

These “Athenians” (Acts 17:21), thinking that they have something new against
the believers of that ‘Ole Black Book, would try a futile reasoning like:

If Enoch was the son of Cain (Gen. 4:17), he is only the third from Adam; how
come the Bible says he is the “seventh” from Adam (Jude 1:14)?
 If Enoch was the son of Cain (Gen. 4:17), how can he also be the son of Jared
(Luke 3:37)?

The “Gnostics” (Gr. “knower”) would add to the confusion by claiming to have
found the Book of Enoch, which is an extra-Biblical, uninspired writing.

The apostate Fundamentalists, sidetracked by the opinion that a mere English

“translation” of God’s Word (such as the King James Bible) could not qualify to be
“given by inspiration of God”, seem to have us rather believe the so-called “Book of
Enoch” than believing we have a “perfect” Word of God in our hands.

It does take a “leap of faith” to believe that we have the inspired and perfect Word
of God in our hands. The Bible itself will prove to unbelieving minds that Enoch had a
testimony that will answer their questions, and he was translated to a better state
because he had one thing that they don’t have – faith!

I. TESTIMONY

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.

A “testimony” [Lat. testimonium] (Microsoft Encarta 2006) is an “evidence that

a witness gives to a court of law”. It is a proof to support a fact or claim. The word is also
used in the Old Testament (OT) to refer to the Law given by God through Moses. It is
also used by believers torefer to the public declaration of faith in Christ and victorious
Christian experiences.

Concerning the question whether Enoch was really the seventh from Adam or
not, or did Enoch really exist or not, Enoch himself left a testimony.

The supposed contradiction between Genesis 4:17, Luke 3:37, and Jude 1:14 is
solved by two things:

(1) Reading the Bible

The problem with most people who find problems in the Bible is that they have a
reading problem. They don’t read enough and they don’t read it well. Reading and
believing the Bible (and “rightly dividing the word of truth”, 2 Timothy 2:15) will show
that there is more than one “Enoch” in the Bible.

(2) Common sense

 As someone has said, common sense is not so “common” these days. Common
sense will show that some people have the same name, and one person may have various
(“different”) and varied (“altered”) names .

A. SAME NAME

In Genesis 4:17, there are two “Enoch’s”.

1. Enoch, the son of Cain, is the third from Adam.

Genesis 4:17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare
Enoch: …

2. The second Enoch in the verse is not a son, but a “city”.

Genesis 4:17 … and he builded a city, and called the name of the
city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

The “Enoch” we are looking for is not the Enoch who was the son of Cain and the
third from Adam. We are not looking for the Enoch City. We are looking for the Enoch
who was the “seventh” from Adam:

3. Enoch, son of Jared, is the seventh from Adam.

Luke 3:37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of
Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel,
which was the son of Cainan,

In Genesis 4:17, it was Enoch of Cain. The one we are looking for is found in the
next chapter (Gen. 5) – Enoch of Seth.

Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred
and thirty years: and he died.
6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:
7 And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven
years, and begat sons and daughters:
8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and
he died.
9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:
10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen
years, and begat sons and daughters:
11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and
he died.
12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:
 13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and
forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and
he died.
15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:
16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and
thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:
17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and
five years: and he died.
18 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat
Enoch:

Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of
these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints,

Enoch of Cain was the third from Adam. Enoch of Seth was the seventh from
Adam. Enoch of Seth is the one we are looking for.

B. ANOTHER NAME

Another thing that Bible reading and common sense show us is that Enoch is also
known as “Henoch”.

1 Chronicles 1:1 Adam, Sheth, Enosh,

2 Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,
3 Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech,

How do we know for sure that Henoch and Enoch are name variations of the
same man?

Jude 1:14 already tells us that Enoch is the seventh from Adam. In 1 Chronicles
1:1-3, we can see that Henoch is the seventh from Adam: Adam, Sheth, Enosh, Kenan,
Mahalaleel, Jered, Henoch. Luke 3:37, 38 also helps confirm that Enosh is Enoch, the
seventh from Adam.

Luke 3:37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of
Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel,
which was the son of Cainan,
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was
the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

The Bible reader will also notice that Sheth and Seth are the same person, and so
are Enosh and Enos, Kenan and Cainan, Mahalaleel and Maleleel, Jered and Jared,
Methuselah and Mathusala.
 Which Enoch? Enoch of Seth, the seventh from Adam, left a testimony about his
own name and existence in history, even though he has not written a book.

A. NO WRITTEN BOOK

Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these,
saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Enoch left a testimony without a book. His name is written in five of the books in
the Bible, yet he himself has written no book.

Some people will say, “Well, Enoch is said to have prophesied. Let’s find that
book that he has written. Let’s look for ‘The Book of Enoch’.”

Again, Bible reading and common sense will show that “to prophesy” does not
necessarily mean “to write”. In fact, Jude clearly indicates that Enoch “prophesied” of
the Second Coming “saying”. In other words, he didn’t write it; he spoke it.

Why do we have it then in written form? Well, it was written later. Enoch’s
prophecy was “translated” (moved from one place to another) from his spoken words to
these written words.

Enoch said, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.”
Prophets and apostles since then have a knowledge of this prophecy.

Moses wrote:

Deuteronomy 33:2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose
up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he
came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery
law for them.

Zechariah wrote:

Zechariah 14:5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the
valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as
ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of
Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

Paul wrote:

1 Thessalonians 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts

unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Jude confirmed Enoch’s spoken prophecy by putting it into writing:

Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of
these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints,

B. WALK WITH GOD

Enoch had this testimony:

Genesis 5:19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred
years, and begat sons and daughters:
Genesis 5:21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat
Methuselah:
22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three
hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five
years:
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Enoch walked with God? What does “walked with God” mean?

The Bible has its own “built-in” dictionary. It is its own commentary. The
Holy Spirit, the Author of the Book, is its own interpreter. We are told how to
understand it:

1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words

which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

(1) We understand Scripture, not in the words which man’s wisdom

teacheth.
(2) We understand Scripture by which the Holy Ghost teacheth.
(3) We understand Scripture by comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Words in Scripture are spiritual and living words:

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth

nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and
they are life.

To compare spiritual things with spiritual is to compare Scripture with

Scripture. This helps us understand the meaning of God’s Word, such as the
following:

(1) “Walked with God”

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.

Letting the Bible interpret the Bible, to “walk with God” is to “please God”.

(2) “He was not”

What does the Bible mean when it said that Enoch “was not”? The verse
itself gives an answer:

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

That Enoch “was not” means that “God took him”. Comparing it again
with the other verse of the same context, “he was not” means “he was not
found, because God had translated 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.

II. TRANSLATION

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.

One of the dictionary definitions of the word “translated” or “translation” is to be

moved or carried from one place to another (Microsoft Encarta 2006). A look at
several Bible commentaries would give you some etymological meaning that would
“suggest” the same idea. The Bible itself, however, is clear concerning the meaning of
the word:

1) To be “translated” is to “not see death”

2) To be “translated” is to be “not found”
3) To be “translated” is to be taken by God

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

The words, “translate”, “translated”, or “translation”, occur only five times in

three passages of Scripture:
 1. TRANSLATION OF ENOCH FROM EARTH TO PARADISE

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.

Enoch had this testimony: “he walked with God” (Gen. 5:24). He so pleased God
that God had to move him from this sinful, wicked world into the presence of God.

2. TRANSLATION OF THE KINGDOM FROM SAUL TO DAVID

2 Samuel 3:10 To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul,

and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah,
from Dan even to Beersheba.

King Saul, the people’s king, disobeyed God’s Word many times during his reign.
God chose a man after his own heart – David. God had promised that the kingdom of
Israel will be translated from the house of Saul and David’s throne will be set up.

3. TRANSLATION OF BELIEVERS FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS TO

THE KINGDOM OF GOD’S DEAR SON

Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of

darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
Son:

Every saved believer in this Age of Grace has been removed from the
power of darkness and placed into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. While
physically we are still living on this earth, we are spiritually seated with Christ in
heavenly places in Christ. We are waiting for the great “translation day”, called
the Rapture, when will physically be ever with the Lord in our “translated
bodies”.

In all three passages, the “translated” state is always better than the “original”
condition. As we have mentioned at the beginning of this message, there is an attempt
to sow doubt on God’s Word in the minds of the believer. The notion is that a “mere
translation” of God’s Word should not be considered equal in authority to the original
writings. This is, however, contradictory to Bible doctrine and practice.

The Bible doctrine of the inspiration and preservation of God’s Word magnifies
the power of God. God could not be limited to a piece of paper. God could have His
words “translated” without error ; He can perfectly move His pure words with no
problems at all from one place to another, from one piece of paper to another, from one
language to another, from one generation to another, and from time to eternity. The
translation of the Bible in the universal language of man has always been for the better.

The Bible practice is that a “translation” in the Bible is always better than the
“original”. David’s kingdom was a translation of Saul’s kingdom; the translated
kingdom was better than the original kingdom. Church Age believers were translated
from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s dear Son; again, the translation
is better than the original. Enoch was translated to God’s presence from this sinful
world; Enoch’s translated state was certainly better than his original condition. The
Bible practice is that a translation is better than the original.

In Enoch’s life, there are several things that we can notice being translated.

1) The most obvious, of course, is the fact that he was translated by God, he was not
found, he did not see death, for God took him.
2) We have also seen how his spoken prophecy, concerning the coming of the Lord
with ten thousands of his saints, has been “translated” into the writings by Moses,
Zechariah, and Paul; and the very prophecy was quoted verbatim by Jude in his
epistle. And, finally, the words of the man who was not found are surprisingly in
our hands; it’s translation from the spoken language of Enoch’s day can be read
in written form in a language the present world understands. Praise the Lord for
that man who walked with God all his life and never saw death!
3) What remains to be done is for Enoch’s testimony to be translated into our
testimony – that is the best translation the world needs to see at this present day
before Jesus comes.

CONCLUSION

Enoch wrote no book. There is no Book of Enoch, but he left a testimony.

He, however, left a testimony by His word and by His deed. He spoke a prophecy
of the Second Coming of Christ and he walked with God all his life. He so pleased God
that God took him alive into his presence. Enoch never died and never will die anymore.
What a testimony he left – a testimony of the fact of the grand “translation” of the true
believers of God!
Every person needs to translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom
of God’s dear Son right now.
Every believer must translate the testimony of walking with God by pleasing God
in word and in deed.
Every believer, dead or alive, is waiting for that grand “translation” day when we
all see and meet Jesus in the air to be with Him forever!
While waiting for that day, let us…

Leave a testimony of the translation,

and keep that testimony translated!

How do we do it?
BY FAITH, …