3017 BC
Enoch stands as one of the most remarkable figures in the Genesis genealogies. Genesis 5:24 records the extraordinary statement: 'Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.' Unlike every other figure in the biblical genealogies, Enoch's record does not end with 'and he died.' Instead, God translated him directly to heaven, sparing him the experience of deathβa preview of the resurrection that Christ would accomplish.
Enoch's walk with God (Hebrew: halak im) signifies intimate communion and faithful obedience. In a genealogy dominated by the formula 'and he died,' Enoch's unique departure stands as a beacon of hopeβproof that faithful relationship with God transcends even death. He lived 365 years, and for 300 of those years after the birth of his son Methushelah, he 'walked with God' and had sons and daughters.
The Catholic Church honors Enoch as a model of faith. He appears in the Book of Hebrews in the 'cloud of witnesses': 'By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God' (Hebrews 11:5). Enoch also appears in the Book of Jude (verse 14-15), where he prophesies about the Lord coming with ten thousands of His saints. Key Scripture: Genesis 5:21-24; Hebrews 11:5; Jude 1:14-15; Sirach 44:16; CCC 1008