“Some people do not believe that this next chapter in Genesis,” King began, “carries any true significance for any type of study simply because it begins with Adam’s biography and ends with a genealogy of Enoch to Noah. But I believe there is great significance because centered in this chapter is the thrilling story of Enoch. In reviewing the book of Genesis, we find in the first eleven chapters a record of world events. First, the creation, then the fall…and we are now coming up to the Flood. But before that, we stop along Route 66 at signpost 5 of Genesis. We come to the book of generations of Adam through Seth. Now Cain’s line has been given to us and it is suddenly dropped. We will find it mentioned again, but only as it crosses the godly line. This is a pattern that is set for us in the book of Genesis.”

Fuller let out a sigh. “I think chapter 5 is one of the most discouraging and despondent chapters in the Bible.”

Staci frowned at him. “Why do you say that?”

“Because it’s like walking through a cemetery. Look at what God said to Adam in Genesis 2:17. ‘…For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’ The sons of Adam all died, and now they’re listed in this family record. Paul said, ‘For as in Adam all die…1’”

“Let’s begin to read this sad chapter, Darren,” King replied. “Why don’t you read the first five verses?”

Fuller nodded and read Genesis 5:1 - 5. “‘This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth: And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.’”

“‘This is the book of the generations of Adam.’” King paused. “That is a strange expression, is it not? It occurs here in Genesis, and again in the beginning of the New Testament. There is also in the New Testament, ‘the book of the generation of Jesus Christ.’ Now listen carefully. There are two lines…two seeds, and they are against each other. The struggle is going to be long between the line of Satan and the line of Christ. Christ is the accepted line. The line we are following now is the line through Seth, and it is through this line that Christ will ultimately come.”

Shiva shook his head, amazed. “Kind of mind boggling to think that a guy a hundred and thirty years old could have a son.”

“When Adam was 130 years old, how old was he?” Staci asked.

Everyone turned to look at her.

“Ah…that would be 130, Doc,” Fronk told her.

She paused. “No…I mean…well, God created Adam. But did God create him at thirty years of age or at fourteen…or at forty-five? So my real question is how old was Adam when God created him?”

“That’s a good question,” Barrington said with a nod.

King shrugged. “I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you, Staci, because I just don’t know. I think anything would simply be speculation because the Bible doesn’t reveal this detail to us. Do you mean when God created Adam, did He create him at 130 years of age? Of course, God could create him at any age. We just don’t know how old Adam was when he was created.”

“I don’t think Adam was 130 years old when he was created,” Lenox replied. “Don’t forget, Cain and Abel came along before Seth did.”

Barrington sat back thoughtfully. “This might answer a lot of questions about the age of this earth. Think about it. When so-called scientists claim that certain rocks are billions of years old, they just don’t really know, do they? Maybe when God created them, He created them two or three billion years old. The important thing here is that when Adam had been 130 years old, he had a son in his own likeness. Adam was made in the likeness of God, but his son was born in his likeness.”

“But now we start through the graveyard,” King said. “Adam had sons and daughters and he lived up to 930 years. Then, what happened?”

“He died,” Lenox answered.

King read Genesis 5:6 - 20. “‘And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan: And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died. And Cainan lived seventy years and begat Mahalaleel: And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared: And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died. And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.’”

“Wow, you actually read all that,” Staci replied. “I mean, not that I wouldn’t read it. It’s just I get kind of hung up on saying those names. I can’t really pronounce them like you just did.”

“But what is the point of that, anyway?” Erin inquired. “Do we need to know these names?”

“To follow the line to Jesus Christ, we do,” Lenox responded.

Fronk nodded. “Yes…but there is a point we can glean from this beside following the line to Christ. For example, my good man, in verse 8, we read what happened to Seth. He died. He had a son by the name of Enos…and what happened to him? Hmm?”

“He died,” Barrington said.

“That’s right. But he had a son, too, and that was Cainan. What happened to him?”

“He died, too.”

Fronk pointed at him. “You’re pretty quick, aren’t you? Well, he had a son named Mahaleel and we know what happened to him. And he had a son named Jared…and the point is…they all died.”

“People die.” King paused. “Except for one person…That’s Enoch. Let’s take a look at the story of Enoch.”

“Before Jared died,” King began, “he had a son named Enoch. Someone please read Genesis 5:21 - 26.”

Shiva found the passage first, and began to read it. “‘And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters…’”

“So did Enoch die?”

Shiva shook his head. “Not according to the Bible.”

“Well, for a chapter that’s full of sorrow,” Staci began, “at least it has a bright spot of hope in it.”

“This is one of the most remarkable things,” King assured the group, “that in the midst of death one man is removed from this earth. It is said of Enoch that he walked with God. Only two men are said to have walked with God. In the next chapter, we will find that Noah also walked with God. On a side note, there are actually two men in the Old Testament who did not die. Who were they?”

“The obvious one is Enoch,” Fronk answered. “Fury just read to us about it.”

“Then, who is the other?”

There was a brief pause.

“Elijah,” Fuller finally answered.

King nodded. “Yes. We won’t get into Elijah’s story right now. But Enoch is one of the few before the Flood of whom we have any record at all. We’re told that he didn’t die but that God took him. He was translated. What do you think I mean by being translated or translation?”

“I don’t know what it means here,” Staci told him. “Translation is the taking of a word from one language and putting it into another language without changing its meaning.”

“Well, Enoch was removed from this earth…He was translated. He had to get rid of the old body which he had. He had to be a different individual, yet he had to be the same individual, just as the translated word has to be the same. Enoch was taken to heaven.” He leaned forward and placed his hands together. “We read that Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begat Methuselah…And after that he walked with God. I don’t know what the first sixty-five years of his life were. The Bible doesn’t tell us anything about it. I assume that he was like the rest of the crowd…Now this was a very careless period, moving now into the orbit of the days of Noah. But when that little boy Methuselah was born, Enoch’s walk was changed. That baby turned him to God. For three hundred years after that he walked with God, and he begat other children…sons and daughters. ‘And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years…’ That is how long he was on this earth, but he did not die. It does not say, ‘And then Enoch died,’ but it says, ‘And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.’” He paused. “Now…what does that sound like to you?”

Lenox smiled. “It sounds exactly like the Rapture.”

King nodded. “Exactly. I think that all of the great truths here in Genesis are connected. In my judgment, this is the picture of what we‘ve seen. Here is the Rapture of the church. Before the judgment of the Flood, God removes Enoch.”

King read Genesis 5:27 - 32. “‘And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.’” He looked up. “What does that tell you?”

Lenox sat back in his chair. “Methuselah was the oldest man whoever lived.”

“Methuselah lived longer than Adam,” Fuller said. “These two men, Adam and Methuselah, pretty well bridged the gap between creation and the Flood. Even according to the genealogy here in this chapter, Methuselah could have told Noah everything from the creation of the world.”

“The name of Methuselah means sending forth. Others believe that Methuselah meant…‘When he is dead, it shall be sent.’” King paused. “What will be sent?”

“Probably the Flood,” Barrington answered. “As long as Methuselah lived, the Flood couldn’t come.”

“The very interesting thing is that according to a chronology of the genealogy of the patriarchs, the year that Methuselah died is the year that the Flood came. ‘When he is dead, it shall be sent.’ That is the meaning of his name.” He paused again. “Why did Methuselah live longer than any other person?”

Erin shrugged. “Maybe God kept him alive longer just to let mankind know that He is patient and merciful.”

King nodded. “Peter speaks of the long-suffering of our God. ‘Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 2’” He leaned forward. “It is the popular theory of the world, blindly accepted by men, and the conclusion of all philosophy, that human nature is inherently good and that it can be improved.”

“Ridiculous,” Fuller commented. “Not to mention absurd.”

“Agreed. The whole program that is abroad today is that if we will just try to improve the environment of man and his heredity, he can really be improved. Well, communism and socialism have sought to improve man, but it cannot. Arminianism means that man can assist in his salvation, but we know this to be a lie of Satan. Modernism says that man can save himself. In other words, salvation is sort of a do-it-yourself kit that God gives to us. Some of the cults tell us that human nature is totally good and that there is no such thing as sin.”

“But that’s not what God says.” Staci shook her head.

“What does God say concerning man?”

“Man is totally evil,” Erin said, “and totally bad.”

Fronk narrowed his eyes. “God says that in His Word…just like that?”

“Well, I’m paraphrasing.”

“‘As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one, 3’” Lenox quoted.

“Thank you, Michael.” King paused. “In chapter 5 of Genesis, we are following a godly line. Now the very next chapter tells us that a Flood, a judgment from God, came upon the earth…”

1 - I Corinthians 15:22
2 - I Peter 3:20
3 - Romans 3:10