Tackling Tradition 38: Enoch

When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.  (Genesis 5:21–24, ESV)

Growing up, I was taught that Enoch is analogous to the people who will be raptured (removed, retained, & returning).  Generally speaking, I agree.   

That said, as I & the people of PAPC have visited & revisited Covenant Theology & covenantal thinking for the past 7 1/2 years or so, my understanding of Enoch’s significance has expanded.  

It’s worth noting that while the Book of Enoch itself is not regarded as canonical by most Christians, it has been read & studied by private theologians like Origen & Tertullian and is referenced in Jude.  Its text is eschatological in nature, & when we see apocalyptic literature, the ordinarily fairly narrow canvas opens up & becomes much larger.  

Enoch certainly refers to an individual who appears to have walked with God & removed & retained very like Elijah.   Here are several additional takeaways from his story in Genesis: 

    0.  Enoch’s name means “dedicated”.  

         trained,” or “imitated.”

1. 1.Considered as an individual, he appears near the end of the Antediluvian Covenant Administration/Cycle.   Methuselah, Lamech, & Noah are next, followed by Noah’s 3 sons: Shem, Ham, & Japheth.  This is highly significant for reasons explained below. 
2. When considered as a generation of people, he represents both a generation of people who walk with God so closely that God takes them home.   The rapture is a species of judgment, so God judges them.   This generation contains both wheat & tares according to Matthew 7 & Matthew 24.    Therefore, in addition to people being removed to heaven, Enoch represents tares that are removed & then sent into Outer Darkness like the man who refused the wedding garment in Matthew 22.
3. Enoch connects to Abraham & Moses as a man who experiences visions (the Book of Enoch) & a man taken to heaven.   In Jude, like Elijah, Enoch speaks truth to power.  John the Revelator in Revelation appears to have been removed like Enoch, & he writes cosmic, expansive visionary content.   
4. His role in both the Bible & the book that bears his name is that of a prophet somehow connected to eschatological events & judgment. 
5. In that regard, his position & that of the generation of people he represents is at the end of the covenant cycle.   The end of the cycle in every generation is a nadir or near nadir position in that covenantal administration’s macrocycle.
6. Apropos 3, 4, & 5, as an composite individual, Enoch corresponds to both a group of errant or outright false prophets/teachers & to a group of faithful prophets/teachers who are in contention at that time.    
7. In addition, as an individual qua individual, Enoch corresponds to the transitional prophet Gpd calls in each generation, & since he is recognized & called before the end of the cycle, his ministry is perichoretic with the generation in & out of which he is called & with the generation in which he becomes their Noah.    This corresponds perfectly with the meaning of his name. 
8. One wonders what the gematria calculations on / out of his name mean…

O LORD, Hear our prayer(s)!