is the first prophet in the Bible who speaks of the Second Coming of the Saviour. This portion also says that he was the seventh from Adam. Looking at the book of Gen esis, you will find that the line is Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahala- leel, Jared and Enoch. In Genesis 5:21 the comment is given, "Enoch lived sixty and five years, and be gat Methuselah." In Enoch's day, every name meant something. When Methuselah was born that name was given by God and it meant simply, by translation, "when he is dead, it shall be sent." Historians who have traced Bib lical truth have indicated that Me thuselah died the year the flood descended upon the earth. In fact, some of the ancient rabbinical tra ditions state that his death pre ceded the flood by only seven days. As you know, Methuselah lived for 969 years. The reason God spared Methuselah for so many years was just the same as why His grace is extended in this very hour in which we are living. "God is not willing that any should perish" (II Peter 3:9). The prophetic utter ance in the name Enoch gave to his son, Methuselah, brings to pass this amazing revelation, "When he is dead, it shall be sent." God brought judgment of heaven and earth upon the people of that era. Believers are certainly going to appear with Christ in glory when He comes with His saints (Colos- sians 3:4; I Thessalonians 3:13). We are seen as a part of the my riad of saints who return with Him to this earth. What will we do when we come back? Verse 15 gives us a definition of that. "To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly Page 45
wandering or "shooting" stars. When we were at sea during the service, the first mate would take the sextant and on a clear night fix a direct line on the North Star. He could count on it always being in the same place. One could set his watch or compass on its position ing. That is a far cry from the reli ability of those who have fallen away from the true faith. How is it in our lives? When others see us do they know that they can count on us being the same? While we have human frailties how wonder ful it is, as the writer of Hebrews has suggested, that we can look to God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Verse 14 is a very interesting portion of the Word and one which has caused a great deal of consideration. It tells us, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Ad am, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints." We will not be dogmatic on any of these issues, however, there are some fas cinating background truths which can be considered. First of all, Jude has been talking about the judg ment of God upon those who have perverted the truth of the Lord. It says that He is coming with 10,000 of His saints; a better translation is "with myriads of his saints" or "with thousands upon thousands of His saints." This is not the rap ture of the Church. This event takes place following the Tribulation when our Lord Jesus Christ bodily and visibly comes back to this earth to establish His millennial kingdom. When you stop to think about it, Enoch, with this observation re corded only in the book of Jude,
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