On the day of my birth, six of my ancestors were still living. My 4 th great-grandfather was 622
years old, my 3 rd great-grandfather was 492 years old, my 2 nd great-grandfather was 387 years
old, my great-grandfather was 297 years old, my grandfather was 227 years old, and my father
was 162 years old. When I disappeared, five of them were still alive.
Their names could tell a story: Adam (man); Seth (appointed, in the place of); Enosh (despair,
fallen man, subject to all kinds of evil in soul and body); Kenan (could mean sorrowful lament);
Mahalalel (praise to God); Jared (descend, come down) – it could suggest that there was one,
appointed in the heavens, who would come down to do or be ‘something’ in the place of fallen
man, to the praise of God. But what that was, was hidden.
Ours was a large and bustling family. Each ancestor had had many children, and they again had
had many children. There was a great deal of noise at family gatherings. Everyone in the family
were agriculturalists, and the land provided everything we needed.
I found my 4 th great-grandparents both fascinating and awfully sad. They were still beautiful,
even as they aged. But their eyes held a memory of something extremely precious which had
been lost.
They would speak of an enchanting garden, perfect in climate and exquisite in vegetation, in
which animals and birds (which he—Adam—had named) and they themselves, could
spontaneously interact without fear or danger. They were surrounded by exotic colours and the
playful sound of waterfalls and trickling steams.
Even more precious was that Yahweh, the Ancient of Days who had created them, frequently
visited, just to enjoy their company.
In those days there were no scrolls or books of holy writing; there were no temples or
synagogues or churches; there were no laws—only one ‘do not’. Do not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. 1
But my 4 th great-grandparents had listened to a lie, and to a liar. They had been made in the
image of God, but were made to believe that they were lacking deep insight, and that that tree
would make them ‘like God’—something he was withholding from them. And so, they ate.
And they were banished from that enchanting place, and the entrance was barred by a mighty
angel with a flashing sword. Their hearts were broken, not only at the loss of such a sublime
home, but at the loss of innocence, of absolute safety, of unbroken fellowship with Almighty
God. My 4 th great-grandfather, Adam, would speak of this at family gatherings. So, we all knew.
Some grew tired of the depressing narrative of the story, and would drift off to amuse
themselves in other ways.
1 Genesis 2:16.
The distance between humans and God increased. By the time of Enosh’s birth, 3 rd in line from
Adam, the spontaneous conversation which Yahweh so desired, had all but disappeared. it is
said: At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD. 2
But I stayed close to my 4 th -great-grandfather. I wanted him to repeat the story to me over and
over. I wanted to know every detail of the garden, every conversation they had shared with
Yahweh, every description of who He was, and the angels who attended him.
And as I grew up, I discovered that, although humankind had left the garden, the Presence of
Yahweh was still to be found.
I learnt to understand the meaning of sacrifice—for when my 4 th great-grandparents lost their
covering of holy glory, Yahweh killed animals to make skin coverings for them; and when my 3 rd
great-uncles, Cain and Abel brought offerings to Yahweh, it was Abel who understood the
prophetic significance of a substitutionary sacrifice, and brought fragrant fat portions from the
firstborn of his flock—and Yahweh was pleased.
I yearned to be close to Yahweh and comfortable in his presence—even as I knew that his
holiness was awesome. I wanted to live up to my name, Enoch (dedicated). And Yahweh’s
compassion granted me prophetic insight through visions and visitations—which I so
determinedly began to share with my family, it was as if I shouted it out. 3
When I was 65, my first child was born. And I was granted to see 969 years into the future. I
saw a disastrous Flood that would wipe out all humankind, and that only my grandson, his three
sons and their wives would survive 4 . I was instructed to name my son Methuselah (when he is
dead, it shall be sent); for his death would be the sign for the deluge from heaven to start and
the springs of the earth to burst open. Methuselah’s extraordinary long life showed Yahweh’s
patience before his judgement, with humans who had become utterly corrupt and evil.
But the implications of this chilled me to the bone. I realized that ‘all corrupt humankind’ included
my entire living family, also all my other grandchildren! Where did my loyalty lie? With my flesh-
and-blood, or with the will of Yahweh?
I urged my family to turn back to Yahweh. “There’s plenty of time,” they said, “in the meantime,
there’s too much of life to enjoy.”
I instructed my children in the meaning and power of substitutionary sacrifice to Yahweh, to
cover over sin and iniquity. Methuselah took it to heart, and passed it on to his grandson 5 .
2 Genesis 4:26.
3 Enoch 37:4. All references to the Book of Enoch from Powell, David, & Davis, Paul Keith. 2014. As in the
Days of Noah, Appendix : The Book of Enoch. Freedom Publishing, UK.
4 Enoch 88, 105:14,15.
5 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he
sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again
will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from
childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. Genesis 8:20-21.
And then a wonderful period in my life began. As I drew close to Yahweh, the Presence drew
close to me. We started to ‘walk’ together, on earth, just as my 4 th great-grandparents had
walked with Him in the garden. More and more visions and visitations followed; and often I was
transported into the heavenly realms to see events in the spirit roll out 6 , and to see far into the
future. And Yahweh instructed me to prophecy.
See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and
to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all
the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 7 Enoch 2, quoted in Jude 14,15.
In these visitations, Yahweh was pleased to show me the Anointed Son of Man in the presence
of the glorious Father 8 , the glory of the high heavens, worshipping crowds, their faces reflecting
the holiness of God; I saw the omniscience of the Almighty 9 , the work and responsibility of
angels; and the structure of the heavenly kingdom.
I saw some of the angels intermingling with human women, and giants being born from that
union 10 ; I saw a long stretch of history in allegorical form 11 until the Son of Man would come, I
saw the pre-existence of the Anointed One in whose name the righteous will have salvation, to
whom judgement is assigned, 12 and who will usher in an era of peace. 13 I saw the terrible
corruption of humankind on earth and the bitter end of all who reject the Ancient of Days 14 , I saw
both the glory and the tribulation, and the warning of coming judgement 15 ; I saw the new
heavens and earth that would come. 16
For 300 years I never left the place of revelation. Yahweh’s pleasure engulfed me. I walked with
him in the midst of everyday life—I was still an argriculturalist! Mostly I was in both spheres of
earth and heaven at the same time.
And then one day, Yahweh decided that I need not return….
I just disappeared. Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, and my father, Jared, were still alive. They
knew of my desire and longing for the Presence, my dedication to press in to be hidden in God.
Mercifully, they all died before the great flood came.
I’m included in the Kingdom portrait gallery of those commended for “being sure of what they
hoped for, and certain of what they did not see” (Hebrews 11:1).
6 Enoch 1:1,2.
7 : Jude, quoting from Enoch 2, wrote: Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them… This is a
prophecy of the judgement which John also saw and recorded in the book of Revelation more than 4000
years later.
8 Enoch 45.
9 Enoch 39:11.
10 Enoch 105:13.
11 Enoch 88.
12 Enoch 68:38,39.
13 Enoch 48:5,7; 69:26-29.
14 Enoch 37,39.
15 Enoch 90.
16 Enoch 91:17.
What did I hope for, of what was I sure, what did I not see?
I believed the visions Yahweh had shown me; I believed the promise of the Anointed One, the
Saviour. I earnestly sought the Presence. I trusted God. And I was snatched away.
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death. He could not be
found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one
who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes
to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews
11:5,6.
I am a prophecy and a type to the last generation—from more than 5000 years ago.
The word of the blessing of Enoch, how he blessed the elect and the righteous, who were to exist
in the time of trouble; rejecting all the wicked and ungodly. Enoch, a righteous man, who was with
God, answered and spoke, while his eyes were open, and while he saw a holy vision in the
heavens. This the angels showed me. From them I heard all things, and understood what I saw;
that which will not take place in this generation, but in a generation which is to succeed at a
distant period, on account of the elect. Enoch 1:1,2