Enoch was Noah’s great-grandfather, who was taken by God. He stood out for walking with God. Enoch became known as an example of faith.
Enoch’s life
The Bible says little about Enoch. He was a descendant of Adam’s seventh generation and lived 365 years ( Genesis 5: 21-24 ). In Enoch’s time, people lived several centuries. Enoch’s son, Methuselah, was the man who lived the longest in the Bible: 969 years.
In the days of Enoch, humanity was very corrupted by sin. God was so disappointed that, some time after Enoch’s life, He sent a flood that destroyed almost all of humanity. Only Noah, Enoch’s great-grandson, and his family survived.
See Noah’s story here .
Amid so much corruption, Enoch stood out for walking with God . He pleased God and had faith. Because of this, God snatched Enoch . No one found Enoch’s body because God took him to Heaven ( Hebrews 11: 5 ).
The only other information the Bible gives about Enoch is about a prophecy he made. Enoch prophesied that one day God will come to judge all people and to convince all the wicked of the wrong things they have done and said ( Jude 1: 14-15 ). In addition to obeying God, Enoch warned of the danger of living in sin.
What can we learn from Enoch?
- Faith– Enoch believed in God; your faith pleased God – Hebrews 11: 6
- Obedience– Enoch lived rightly, obeying God; because of his intimacy with God, he was raptured
What is the book of Enoch?
The book of Enoch is an apocryphal book, which was supposedly written by Enoch. An apocryphal book is a religious book that does not belong to the Bible, because it has dubious origins and / or teachings. The book of Enoch was probably written around the first century BC, based on legends about Enoch.
Find out more about the books of the Bible and who chose them here.
The quote from Judas 1: 14-15 may have been taken from the book of Enoch or from stories told about Enoch. This does not mean that Judas considered the book of Enoch inspired by God. Just as Paul quoted pagan philosophers ( Acts 17: 27-28 ), he used this quote as an example to better explain what he was saying. Just because this quote from the book of Enoch is in accordance with the Bible, does not mean that the whole book is correct.
