We’re walking through the Hall of Faith together, in Hebrews 11. A link to the previous post will be at the end of this one.

“By faith Enoch was taken away so he did not experience death, and he was not to be found because God took him away. For prior to his removal he was approved, since he had pleased God.  Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.”

Just like that. He walked with God, pleased God, and then he was taken away. I assume the words ‘he was not to be found’ imply that people, the ones who had been left behind, were searching for him. This stirs something in me. Enoch points to the end, to the day of Christ’s return to take His Church to be with Him!

In Luke, chapter 17, Jesus speaks of that day that Enoch’s story foretells.

I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed: One will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding grain together: One will be taken and the other left.

And then Paul teaches this in 1 Thessalonians: 4:17:

Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.

And suddenly I am filled with fresh hope. Because although I know the truth, and I know that this day is coming, I get bogged down in day-to-day life down here and I tell ya, it can feel like this is it. So I find myself holding onto this life with both hands clenched tight as though this earthly existence is all I get. When I forget the truth, things down here appear much bigger, much more important, than they really are.

Every thing we have on this earth will be left behind. All the trappings that we had to have, that we worked to build, that we believed would bring the peace and the happiness we wanted…none of it will survive the final hour. That leaves us with this:  who will be left behind when Enoch’s story becomes mankind’s story? Who will look for us but will not find us?

And so I find Enoch pointing not only to the rapture of the Church, but to the urgency of the Gospel. Enoch reminds me that there is no thing on this earth more important than the people on this earth, and whether or not they will one day be counted among those who will be “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.” 

By faith.

Paul told the Thessalonians to encourage one another with his words concerning the end, so this is me, encouraging us…

One day we will discover that this earthly life is not the end, but the beginning. One day, our race here will end and we will all be gathered at the finish line with Jesus, our great reward!

Who will be with us?

Previously:  Cain & Abel