Enoch: The First Rapture

I’ll have this debate with people about the rapture of the church, and I will hear this response all the time: the rapture isn’t biblical. I’ll even see it in the comments from today’s episode: the rapture isn’t biblical. 

And these days, my response when I hear it is always the same thing. If you want to tell me that the rapture is not biblical, then what happened to Enoch? 

Because here’s what Genesis 5 says about Enoch: 

Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

On the previous episode, we talked about what this verse means, because it’s a little confusing at first. He was, and then he wasn’t. What exactly does that mean? Well in case there was any confusion, the New Testament makes it clear. 

Hebrews 11:5 says

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him.

So Enoch was essentially taken to heaven without dying. There’s actually a theological word for this: a rapture. To be raptured is to be taken to heaven without dying. A lot of the keyboard warriors are cracking their knuckles right now because I just said the no-no word in eschatology. Every time I have done a podcast episode in the past about raptures, I get raked over the coals in feedback because I am told how how we are appointed to suffering, so this idea that God would take us to heaven without experiencing more of it is just thoroughly unbiblical. But my response to that is: then what happened to Enoch? 

Enoch was taken to heaven without dying. I call this a rapture. 

And there are actually more examples of this in scripture. Enoch was just the first one. 

If you find this to be weird, then let’s explore how much this comes up in the Bible. Turn to Genesis 5 and let’s get weird. 

0:00 - Enoch

2:00 - Methuselah

7:40 - Elijah

10:40 - New Testament Raptures

19:45 - Closing Thoughts

More about the pre-flood world: https://weirdstuffinthebible.transistor.fm/episodes/unveiling-the-nephilim-giants-dna-and-the-days-of-noah

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor