The Translation of Enoch and the Rapture of the Church

In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus said, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matt24:37). The Flood of Noah is a type of the coming Tribulation period (i.e., Daniel’s 70th Week). Noah and his family, who endured the judgment of the Flood on earth, but were Divinely preserved through it, are a type of the nation of Israel; Israel will endure the judgment of the Tribulation on earth, but will be Divinely preserved through it (Zech13:8-9; Rev12:6,14). In contrast, the translation of Enoch from earth to heaven (without dying; Gen5:24; Heb11:5) is a type of the pre-tribulational rapture of the Church (1Thess4:15-17; Rev4:1-2); the Church will be supernaturally removed from the earth before the judgment of the Tribulation begins (Luk21:36; 1Thess1:10; Rev3:10). In the translation of Enoch prior to the Flood, only a single person was removed from the earth; in the rapture of the Church prior to the Tribulation, the singular Body of Christ (i.e., the “one new man”; Eph2:15) will be removed from the earth (1Cor12:27; Eph1:22-23). Note also that Enoch was supernaturally translated from the earth to heaven, whereas Noah had to build an Ark according to God’s revealed specifications in order to be saved from the Flood; this comports with the fact that the Church will be raptured according to grace, whereas Israel was required to keep the Law delivered by God through Moses (Cp., Jn1:17).

Note that there was a gap of time between the translation of Enoch and the beginning of the “days of Noah”; from the translation of Enoch to the birth of Noah was 69 years. Since the “days of Noah” correspond typologically to the Tribulation, this observation is consistent with the expectation that there will be a gap of time between the rapture of the Church and the beginning of the Tribulation (i.e., the rapture is not the event that begins the Tribulation; cf. Dan9:27). However, to conclude that there will be 69 years between the rapture of the Church and the beginning of the Tribulation is almost certainly pressing the type too far; whereas the Flood was a type of the Tribulation, it lasted only slightly more than a year (not 7 years), and the “days of Noah” were 950 years (Gen9:29).

While the 69 year gap between the translation of Enoch and the beginning of the Flood likely has no literal connection to the gap of time between the rapture of the Church and the beginning of the Tribulation, it may yet be found to have a typological significance.