Jude 1:14

The *New Testament mentions Enoch in two other places. He appears in Luke 3:37 as an earlier member of the family of Jesus. And in Hebrews 11:5 as an extraordinary example of trust in God.

• All those centuries ago, Enoch knew that one day the *Lord would return in *glory to this world.

• Jude calls Enoch the seventh (7th) from Adam. There are five names between Adam and Enoch (Genesis 5:3-24; 1 Chronicles 1:1-3). Jude includes the first and last names, as people did in ancient times.

*Jews considered ‘seven’ to be the perfect number. ‘Seven’ meant something that was complete. As in *sabbath, the seventh day after God created the world (Genesis 2:2).

• Jude supports his words with a passage from the Book of Enoch. It was a popular book in those days.

Jude is not suggesting that the Book of Enoch is holy, like the Bible. But, like every good writer and speaker, he is using language that is familiar.

The passage that Jude uses from the Book of Enoch (1:9) is very suitable for his purpose.

• In Jude verse 9, Jude referred to wicked *angels. They lost their place in heaven, because they would not accept God’s plan for them. They refused to obey God.

The false teachers are like the wicked *angels. The false teachers too refuse to obey God.

• But, like the holy *angels, Enoch obeyed God. Therefore Enoch gained his place in heaven.

Enoch lived so close to God that Enoch’s holy life was a ‘walk with God’ (Genesis 5:22; Hebrews 11:5).

Like Elijah (2 Kings 2:11), Enoch did not die. He went straight to heaven (Genesis 5:24).