- [Narrator] Three people in
the Bible that never died. Number one, Elijah. During one of the worst periods of Israel, God called Elijah. In those times, Israel
had one of the worst kings and his name was Ahab. He was one of Israel's greatest prophets and was a Tishbite from Gilead
in the Transjordan region. Kings covers more of his life than the majority of the kings themselves, despite the fact that there is
no book written in his honor. His encounter with Baal's
prophets on Mount Carmel made him most famous. King Ahab has incorporated idealism into a system that was supposed
to be run on God's agenda because the Israelites were his people. Israel was suffering as a
result of poor governance, but Elijah on the other hand, represented a different kind of dominion. He had no connections to either the political
establishment or the royal family. He had the ability to tell
the truth to earthly power without being co-opted or corrupted. Elijah was a bold person who spoke up for the truth
no matter who was in charge. He represented a totally different kingdom with a very different objective. Elijah seemed to have reached the pinnacle of life's adventures, heroic almost beyond belief, yet humble of heart. But he was about to outdo them all. He was about to avoid death. Elijah's deathless departure places him in the scarce
category of deathless departures. Although we are never told
when or how God did this, it is clear from the context that he informed Elijah of
his impending departure. God revealed it to the
sons of the prophets as well as Elisha, the old prophet's close friend and divinely chosen
successor as we shall see. 2 Kings 2:1-12. When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were
on their way from Gilgal. We have arrived at
Elijah's last day on earth when he will be carried
up and a whirlwind. The Hebrew here can also
be translated, in a gust, in a windy moment. In some sweeping movement,
Elijah would be caught up. And in that instant, he would be gone from this
earth into God's presence. Now, God had not only told
Elijah that this would happen and how it would happen, he also had told him
where it would happen. This explains why we see
Elijah moving quickly toward the Jordan. As you read the narrative,
imagine the scene as it unfolds. 2 Kings 2:2-6, Amplified Bible. "And Elijah said to Elisha, 'Please stay here, for the
Lord has sent me to Bethel.' But Elisha replied, 'As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.' So they went down to Bethel." Now the sons of the
prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, 'Do you know that the
Lord will take your master away from you today?' He said, 'Yes, I know it. Be quiet about it.' Elijah said to him,
'Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.' But he said, 'As the Lord
lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.' So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophet
who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, 'Do you know that the
Lord will take your master away from you today?' And he answered, 'Yes, I know it. Be quiet about it.' Elijah said to him, 'Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.' But he said, 'As the Lord
lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.' So the two of them went on. The sons of the prophets
asked Elisha the same question in both Bethel and Jericho, 'Do you know that the Lord
will take away your master from over you today?' Elisha responded the same way both times, 'Yes, I know. Now please be quiet.'" Gilgal was the starting point. According to Joshua 4, Gilgal was the location of
the children of Israel's camp after crossing the Jordan into Canaan. If you recall your biblical history, this was the point at which
they were still safe and secure just before they began their
invasion into enemy territory. Gilgal was the starting point
for Elijah's last journey. The next stop for Elijah was
Bethel, a place of prayer. Bethel means God's house. Finally, Elijah went to the Jordan which was a place of death. Not just physical death, but also death of the self life. Elisha said to Elijah as
he arrived at the Jordan, his final earthly destination, "As the Lord lives, I will not leave you." Elijah had been attempting to distance himself from
Elisha since Gilgal. I don't think he was
trying to get rid of Elisha so much as he was putting
his close companion, his future successor to the test. When the two men came
to a halt to the Jordan, the scene abruptly changed. Now comes the miraculous event. 2 Kings 2:7-10, Amplified Bible. "50 men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood opposite
them to watch at a distance, and the two of them stood by the Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle coat and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they were divided this way and that so that the two of them
crossed over on dry ground. And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask what aye shall do for you
before I am taken from you.' And Elisha said, 'Please, let a double portion
of your spirit be upon me.' He said, 'You have asked
for a difficult thing. However, if you see me
when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you. But if not, it shall not be so.'" This is similar to the miracle
that occurred centuries ago when God miraculously parted the Red Sea, allowing Moses and the children of Israel to walk across on dry land. In this case, the Jordan's waters parted, allowing Elijah and Elisha to
cross the river on dry land. Then Elijah turns to his friend and asks "What can I do for you before I go, before the Lord takes me from this earth?" 2 Kings 2:11, Amplified Bible. "As they continued along and talked, behold, a chariot of
fire with horses of fire appeared suddenly and
separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to
heaven in a whirlwind." That's fantastic. They were walking together and talking. Elijah was not preaching
or prophesying at the time. It was just the two close friends walking and talking together. That must have been a fantastic moment. "A chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and Elijah went up
to heaven in a whirlwind," the Bible says. Just like that, he was up to heaven in a
whirlwind in an instant. 2 Kings 2:12-15, Amplified Bible. "Elisha saw it and cried out, 'My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horseman', and he no longer saw Elijah. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces in grief. He picked up the mantle of
Elijah that fell off him and went back and stood
by the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of
Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? And when he too had struck the waters, they divided this way and that, and Elisha crossed over. When the sons of the prophets who were were watching
opposites at Jericho saw him, they said, 'The spirit of
Elijah rests on Elisha.' And they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground
before him in respect." Elijah's no death contract
suddenly went into effect. Nothing of God dies when a
man or woman of God dies. We tend to forget this. Elisha is a prime example
and God always has a plan. Consider this. He has had his man and women in every era to carry on his work throughout the ages. God has never been frustrated, wondering what will my
people do now that he's gone? Now that he's not with them anymore? Our creator, God, is all powerful and he is never caught short on supplies. Elisha was taken aback and
startled for a brief moment, but this did not last long. He reached down and picked
up the prophet's cloak, recalling Elijah's words. He crossed back over the Jordan, claiming the power that was now his and began his own prophetic ministry from that point forward. God's plan never faltered. Exit Elijah, enter Elisha. Number two, Enoch. The first expression of Enoch
is found in Genesis chapter 5. There was an Enoch who was Cain's son, and this is not the same Enoch. Genesis 5:21. "When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah." And from our Bible understanding, we know that his son, Methuselah, was the oldest living man
as recorded in scripture. When we studied the
genealogies in the Bible, we will discover that Enoch
was Noah's great-grandfather. Jude 14, Amplified Bible. It was about these people that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied when he said, "Look, the Lord came with
myriads of his holy ones." Jude says that Enoch forewarned about the Lord's coming
judgment against them. Enoch was a man who walked
with God amid moral decay in the days of Noah, and spoke of the coming judgment. In an era when most of his counterparts only had the record of their birth and the children they also gave birth to, Enoch is like a breath of fresh air. Enoch was introduced like others, but his testimony is eye-catching. His description is short
but heavy and weighty. This means something about his pure walk
with God translated him. His life has provided a
template for so many people throughout different generations as it teaches us to live
for the audience of one. He teaches us to passionately
seek an intimate communion and companionship with God, knowing that as we do this, we will experience God in a new dimension. Genesis 5:18-24, Amplified Bible. When Jared was 162 years old,
he became the father of Enoch. Jared lived 800 years
after the birth of Enoch, and had other sons and daughters. So Jared lived 962 years and he died. When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked in habitual
fellowship with God 300 years after the birth of Methuselah, and had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were 365 years. And in reverent fear and obedience, Enoch walked with God. And he was not found among men because God took him
away to be home with him. Enoch's case was the
first rapture documented as God just took him. Perhaps the fellowship was so intense that the presence of God just enveloped and whisked him away. The book of Hebrews talked about the man of whom
this world was not worthy. Hebrews 11:5-6, Amplified Bible. "By faith that pleased God, Enoch was caught up and taken to heaven so that he would not
have a glimpse of death. And he was not found
because God had taken him. for even before he was taken to heaven, he received the testimony still on record that he had walked with
God and pleased him. But without faith, it is impossible to walk
with God and please him. For whoever comes near to God must necessarily believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who earnestly and diligently seek him. It is a great reassurance to know that God will
always prepare sufficiently and abundantly for his own, and tenderly watch over us till we blossom in every miraculous way. 2 Chronicles 16:9, Amplified Bible. "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth so that he may support those
whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Therefore, from now on,
you will have wars." So while the Father
lavishes his goodness on us in order to see us grow, what he really wants from us is an honest and unpretentious response to the love he gives us. But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father and Spirit from the heart and the inner self, and in truth, for the Father seeks such
people to be his worshipers. God is spirit, the source of life yet
invisible to mankind. And those who worship him must
worship in spirit and truth. John 4: 23-24. God is always looking for
faithful and loyal seeds who will live their
lives completely for him. These are the vessels through which he can truly
use and manifest his glory. Enoch, according to scripture, did not share Adam's and the
rest of his descendant's fate. He did not die. Enoch is used as an example of the rapture in the New Testament. One goal of Enoch's translation is to emphasize the truth of scripture, which is that there is
an ultimate redemption for all of us who have
placed our faith in the Lord. Though the vast majority of believers will pass away physically, Enoch example gives believers hope that they will ultimately
triumph over death. Number three, Christians in the end times. Now we are entering recorded prophecy. This is one that is yet to
come to pass as it is written. Although many of us, if not all of us, as we do not know the accurate
time Jesus will come back, will experience the pangs of death, Christians in the end times
will experience a rapture. It's also important to note
that in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, both Christians who have previously died and those still alive will participate in this event together. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Amplified Bible. Now we do not want you to
be uninformed believers about those who are asleep in death so that you will not grieve for them, and others do not have hope
beyond this present life. For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, as in fact he did, even so God, in this same way
by raising them from the dead, will bring with him those believers who have
fallen asleep in Jesus. For we say this to you
by the Lord's own word, that we who are still alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will in no way proceed into his presence. Those believers who have
fallen asleep in death for the Lord himself will
come down from heaven with a shout of command, with his voice of the archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain on earth will simultaneously be caught up, raptured together with
them, the resurrected ones, in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort and
encourage one another with these words concerning our reunion with believers who have died. So in either case, we will experience the rapture. During that time, like Enoch, Christians will be caught up in the air. Therefore, one of the
reasons for Enoch translation is that he prefigures an
entire generation of believers who will not taste death.
