What about Enoch and Elijah, don’t the scriptures say they went to Heaven?
2 Kings 2:11
Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
This verse seems to indicate that Elijah went to Heaven, where Yahweh dwells, but in this case the word “heaven” refers to the atmosphere of the earth. Notice that many years later Elijah writes a letter to Jehoram, king of Judah.
2 Chronicles 21:12
And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says Yahweh, Elohim of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah …
Hebrews 11:5
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because Yahweh had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased Yahweh.
Genesis 5:23-24
So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with Elohim; and he was not, for Elohim took him.
Notice that "all the days of Enoch" amounted to 365 years--not just part of his days, with the rest spent somewhere else. The expression "all the days of" is used about a dozen times in Genesis 5 and it always means the person lived that long "and he died." In Hebrews 11 Enoch is included in a list of faithful examples who "ALL DIED in faith, NOT having received the promises" of eternal life in Yahweh's Kingdom
What, then, about his "translation"? The Greek word rendered "translated" is metatithemi. According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, it means "to change, remove". This reference goes on to say that the word can mean to transfer to another place. So Yahweh must have "removed" or "transferred" Enoch to another place.
When? After his "walk" with Elohim ended (Gen. 5:24)--when he died. The word metatithemi is rendered "carried back" in Acts 7:16, in reference to transporting Jacob's dead body from Egypt back to Canaan--they "translated" him!
So why does the beginning of Hebrews 11:5 say that "Enoch was translated so that he did not see death"? This must not be talking about the literal, physical removal of a dead body. It must refer to a different "translation." We find this different translation described in Colossians 1:13.
As Believers, Yahweh "has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into [some other versions say "toward" or "for"] the kingdom of the Son of His love." This is a figurative translation from a path of spiritual darkness to a path headed toward Yahweh's Kingdom! Enoch experienced this same spiritual translation when he began his 300-year "walk" with Yahweh at age 65, after his son Methuselah was born (Gen. 5:21-22).
Still, why does it say "he did not see death"? This is a mistranslation. The King James Version is correct in saying that "Enoch was translated that he should not see death." The conditional tense of the verb refers to a future event! There is more than one death mentioned in the Bible. The first death is appointed to all people (Heb. 9:27). There is also a second death in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:6). In John 8:51, Yahshua said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word, he shall never see death." Obviously He was talking about the second death, since all of his disciples eventually died. Enoch will not see this future death either.
Summary: Enoch was spiritually translated at his conversion to Yahweh's way and walked with Yahweh for 300 years--making him worthy to escape the future second death, which will destroy the incorrigibly wicked. And, when he physically died at age 365, Yahweh literally translated or removed his body so that no one could find it. Enoch did NOT go to heaven.
