This article was inspired (for lack of a better word), by a recent sermon that was preached by my pastor–Mike Reid. In the sermon, he touched upon the prophetic nature of the name Enoch gave his son, Methuselah. I learned something that was new to me, but not actually new (it has always been in the Bible). My eyes open wider to the perfect tapestry of God’s progressive revelation. I was also reminded of the extraordinary patience of the wrath-filled God. So, with the hope of encouraging my Christian brethren, I want to pass along what I’ve learned.
Enoch is Not an Author of Holy Writ
Lest anyone be confused, by referencing Enoch as a prophet, I am in no way lending credence to the neo-gnostic belief that a book allegedly written by Enoch is Holy Writ.
What follows is a helpful article from the GotQuestions.org website, posted here in its entirety:
Question: “What is the book of Enoch and should it be in the Bible?”
Answer: The Book of Enoch is any of several pseudepigraphal (falsely attributed works, texts whose claimed authorship is unfounded) works that attribute themselves to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah; that is, Enoch son of Jared (Genesis 5:18). Enoch is also one of the two people in the Bible taken up to heaven without dying (the other being Elijah), as the Bible says “And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24; see also Hebrews 11:5). Most commonly, the phrase “Book of Enoch” refers to 1 Enoch, which is wholly extant only in the Ethiopic language.
The biblical book of Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch in verses 14-15, “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: ‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’” But this does not mean the Book of Enoch is inspired by God and should be in the Bible.
Jude’s quote is not the only quote in the Bible from a non-biblical source. The Apostle Paul quotes Epimenides in Titus 1:12 but that does not mean we should give any additional authority to Epimenides’ writings. The same is true with Jude, verses 14-15. Jude quoting from the book of Enoch does not indicate the entire Book of Enoch is inspired, or even true. All it means is that particular verse is true. It is interesting to note that no scholars believe the Book of Enoch to have truly been written by the Enoch in the Bible. Enoch was seven generations from Adam, prior to the Flood (Genesis 5:1-24). Evidently, though, this was genuinely something that Enoch prophesied – or the Bible would not attribute it to him, “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men…” (Jude 1:14). This saying of Enoch was evidently handed down by tradition, and eventually recorded in the Book of Enoch.
We should treat the Book of Enoch (and the other books like it) in the same manner we do the other Apocryphal writings. Some of what the Apocrypha says is true and correct, but at the same time, much of it is false and historically inaccurate. If you read these books, you have to treat them as interesting but fallible historical documents, not as the inspired, authoritative Word of God.
While Enoch did not author a book inspired by God, I believe Scripture gives us enough information to call him a “prophet.”
Enoch the Prophet
Enoch represented the seventh generation from Adam, from the line of Seth. Lamech, descended from Adam through the line of Cain, was Enoch’s cousin. The two men were polar opposites. Lamech, by his own admission, was ten times worse than Cain (Genesis 4:23-24). Enoch, on the other hand, as described by Pastor John MacArthur, “. . . believed in the true God. He sought God’s reward. He walked with God. He set an example and he preached the Word of God. And as a result, God elevated him into His presence.”
The writer of the Book of Hebrews describes Enoch this way:
“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:5-6).
Enoch was a man whose life was a testimony of a life pleasing to God. Enoch’s faith, which itself was a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8), was pleasing to God. The depth and breadth of Enoch’s faith was evidenced in that he not only believed in God, but he also believed God. His faith was further evidenced in that he sought after God. He walked with God for 300 years. Enoch’s relationship with God was such that God literally took him. One day, as Enoch walked in beautiful, unified fellowship with God, God simply escorted him into the heavenlies–never again to be seen by men draped in sinful flesh.
Enoch was also a prophet. Jude identifies him as such.
“It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him'” (Jude 1:14-15).
As stated above, Jude is likely referencing the ancient, Jewish apochyphal work “Book of Enoch,” which no legimate, biblical scholars believe was actually penned by Enoch.
But the Jude reference is not the only place we see Enoch referenced as a prophet. It was this other biblical, prophetic utterance that I find so fascinating.
Enoch Prophesied the Destruction of the World
Enoch prophesied the destruction of the world. In so doing, he also prophesied when that destruction would happen. Here’s the prophecy:
“Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters” (Genesis 5:21-22).
Do you see it? No? Neither did I prior to just a few days ago.
Enoch prophesied the destruction of the world and when it would happen, when he named his son, Methuselah.
The Name “Methuselah”
In his 2010 article, “When Did Methuselah Die,” posted on the Answers in Genesis website, Bodie Hodge writes:
“Methuselah’s name makes it ironic that he would be the one who lived the longest, since his name actually contains the Hebrew word for death. The name as a whole is often signified as meaning man of the dart or man of the sword. The name may well mean more.
“The Hebrew names in the Bible were often significant and have meanings behind them. For example, Peleg means ‘division,’ and Peleg lived when the earth was divided into its linguistic divisions at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 10:25). Abraham means ‘father of a multitude,’ reflecting the promise God made to Abraham (Genesis 15:5, 17:5). We could go on and on with Hebrew names that accurately describe the individuals to whom they belong.
“The word muwth means ‘die/death’ in Hebrew. The first part of Methuselah’s name means ‘mortal.’ Taking meth/muth and combining it with selah, some have suggested that this signifies when the Flood will come. For example, a leading Hebrew scholar of the 1700s, Dr. John Gill said:
‘. . . and that Enoch had a son, whose name was Methuselah, is affirmed by Eupolemus {r}, an Heathen writer; and Enoch being a prophet gave him this name under a spirit of prophecy, foretelling by it when the flood should be; for his name, according to Bochart {s}, signifies, “when he dies there shall be an emission,” or sending forth of waters upon the earth, to destroy it. . . . [Notes by Gill: {r} Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 17. p. 419. {s} Thaleg. l. 2. c. 13. col. 88. so Ainsworth.]’
“He was affirming previous scholars, such as Eusebius, Samuel Bochart (French Bible scholar in the 1600s who compiled an Arabic dictionary), and Henry Ainsworth (commentator and Bible scholar [including Hebrew] of the late 1500s and early 1600s), who had said this before. Commentators Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown concur with Gill. They stated:
‘This name signifies, “He dieth, and the sending forth,” so that Enoch gave it as prophetical of the flood. It is computed that Methuselah died in the year of that catastrophe.’
“However, this interpretation that some have suggested does not come from merely the Hebrew. The transliterated name in Greek as used in Jesus’s genealogy in Luke 3:37 is:
‘the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,’
“The Greek from Μαθουσαλά or Mathousala, according to the New Testament Greek Lexicon literally means:
‘when he dies, there shall be an emission’
“This is merely reiterating what previous scholars have suggested. But this definition may be why many scholars affirm that Methuselah’s name means ‘when he dies it shall come’ or ‘upon his death there will be a major change.’ Therefore, they say that this may have helped signify that the Flood would come when Methuselah died.
“However a closer look at the Hebrew reveals that Methuselah’s name may not mean this. Hebrew Scholar Dr. Ben Shaw at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary points out:
‘. . . it is extremely unlikely that the name Methuselah has the significance that Gill and others give to it. It is unlikely for the following reasons. The name is made up of two parts: Methu and shelah.
‘The methu part does not come from the word for death, because that would require a long u vowel between the m and the t. As it is, if this part of the name has any significance, it may come from a rare noun meaning “man.” The second part of the name cannot mean “it is sent” or “there is an emission.” Even supposing that the root meaning of the word is send (which is doubtful); it would have to be in a passive form, producing something like “shahluh.” In order to produce the meaning, “when he dies, it is sent,” the Hebrew would have to be something like bematoshahluh. Again, if the name means anything in Hebrew (which is at best doubtful), it is probably something like “man of a spear.’
“So it may not be wise to continue to use Methuselah’s name to mean “when he dies it shall come” or any variation of that. Regardless, the year Methuselah died was the same year as the Flood.”
Hodge’s article well-presents the pros and cons of the “Methuselah’s name as prophecy” argument. Even with the arguments against the idea, I think there is enough theological support to give more than superficial credence to the belief that Enoch prophesied the flood. The timeline of Methuselah’s life and death makes the case even stronger.
Methuselah’s Genealogical Timeline
While Hodge touched on it in his article, let’s take a closer look at the genealogical timeline from Enoch to Noah.
The following chart, provided by Answers in Genesis, presents a timeline from creation to the flood.
Enoch was born at or about the 662 year after creation (AC). Enoch fathered Methuselah when he was 65-years-old. Methuselah is considered the man who lived to the oldest age, in recorded history. He died when he was 969-years-old. Methuselah was 369-years-old when his grandson, Noah, was born. The flood began when Noah was 600-years-old (Genesis 7:6). The flood began the year Methuselah died.
God’s sovereignty is perfectly all-encompassing. His providence is perfectly precise. The reality of God’s perfect character–His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence–simply does not allow for manmade intellectual constructs such as chance, coincidence, or luck. Methuselah was born at the exact time in human history determined by God. Methuselah was born precisely to the earthly father who, determined by God before the foundation of the world, would walk with God, for 300 years of his life.
And Consider This…..
We read the following in Genesis 5:21-24:
“Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. THEN Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (emphasis mine).
A plain reading of the text leads me to believe that it was upon the birth of Methuselah that Enoch began to walk with God. Methuselah was born when Enoch was 65 years old. Enoch then walked with God for 300 years, and then he died.
Could it be that God told Enoch to name his son “Methuselah” as a means of prophesying what He would do 969 years later–604 years after Enoch left this earth and entered the heaven? Could it be that it was God speaking to Enoch about the future, revealing to him what He would do to a sin-stained and corrupt world, that led Enoch to believe God and walk faithfully with Him those 300 years? I think so.
And oh what great patience shown by this wrath-filled God!
The Patience of the Wrath-Filled God
Seth, the son of Adam (Adam was created not as a baby, but as a man) and the 7th great-grandfather of Noah, was born after the murder of Abel. Seth was born when the world was a mere 130-years-old. God had already shown an unimaginable amount of patience with the pinnacle of His creation–mankind. God would have been just to destroy Adam and Eve. He would have been just to destroy Cain. He would have been just to destroy anyone, everyone. Yet God patiently allowed mankind, now indelibly marred with a sin nature, to continue to procreate. He allowed mankind to continue to exist–to live on.
God waited 1,656 years after “The Fall,” before He destroyed not all of mankind, but all but eight people. What great patience! What mercy! He would have been just to destroy Noah and his family.
Christian: do you understand? God spared eight people (Noah and his family), in part, so that He could save you. What grace! What love!
Before the Flood, before the Fall, before the foundations of the world, God determined to extend His forebearance to eight people by putting them in a floating box, an ark. In doing so, He marked for the viewership of all human history, a visual declaration, how He would save His people–His Elect. He would save them through the waters of sin and death by the Ark that is Christ Jesus the Lord.
“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water” (1 Peter 3:18-20).
God Almighty, justly filled with wrath toward sinners, has, since the earliest days of human history, patiently endured the rebellion of not only those whose eternal destiny is hell (Romans 9:22), but also the rebellion of those He predetermined to save (2 Peter 3:9). That’s you, Christian!
What great patience He showed you, Christian, all those years you lived as an unsaved man or woman–all those years you lived in wanton rebellion against your Creator. And what great patience He continues to show you, now that He has adopted you (Romans 8:12-17) as one of His beloved Children.
Remember, Christian, it was God’s patience toward you that resulted in your repentance. Rememeber and meditate on this truth.
“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4)?
Christian, should this marvelous truth not invoke in us a desire for greater patience in our own lives–greater patience with others, whether saved or unsaved–greater patience regardless of our circumstances (James 1:2-4)? Of course it should. As imitators of Christ (Romans 8:28-29; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Ephesians 5:1), let us imitate His patience (1 Timothy 1:16).
Pursue Patience
To help you, my beloved Christian brethren (and me), to pursue a greater and deeper level of patience in your lives, join me in meditating on these Scriptures:
“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7).
“Love is patient” (1 Corinthians 13:4a).
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Ephesians 4:1-3).
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12).
“We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged” (2 Timothy 2:24).
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (James 5:7-8).
“For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God” (1 Peter 2:20).
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