This is the Truth Network. Why in the world would we want to study an Old Testament character in the beginning of time named Enoch? What does his experience in the beginning of history have to do with ours at the end?
Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to Until He Comes, a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant, author of The Second Coming of Christ, His Appearing, His Return, Our Preparation. And now, author and teacher Greg Hinnant. Welcome to the broadcast, my friend.
Today we're going to continue our study of the Old Testament character Enoch and learn some more amazing things which we need to know. To learn how to walk with God as Enoch did in the beginning of time, Here As time is in process of closing, and this world order as we have known it. Why? Because the church age is coming to an end and marching. into seven years of great trouble, and then The kingdom of God will be birthed on earth with Christ ruling here for a thousand years.
Before we talk about that, though, I want to remind you of a very important subject. We're going to host the Triad Revelation Conference. At the First Baptist Church in Cornersville, North Carolina, this is centrally located about fifteen minutes from Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point. We're going to go in depth in the book of Revelation. over five nights.
Ten sessions, five nights. And this will be a Monday-Thursday schedule for two weeks, and then finalizing the sessions. on a Monday night. September 14th will be the first class, September 28th, the last.
Now, if you can come in person, then please uh contact us and we have a um An application for a Zoom Observance And you will really be blessed by this course. Scholarships available for the class. The class fee is only $45, and that includes some awesome. Um course materials. The Revelation commentary.
758 pages. And A study guide. Which is about 180 pages, which goes in depth into the points that we will be studying each evening. I encourage you to come, especially if you're a pastor. This subject has been neglected at the seminary level for a long time.
Many pastors. Don't have an eschatological view. That is a view of the end. They don't have a position. This is important.
Not only for you to have a view of the end, but know why you have that view with multiple scriptures' references, Old and New Testament, supporting the position you have, so that you can pass it on to your people. The time is short. This book is arguably the most important right now, at this moment, in the history of the Church that we understand it, And I want to let you know this too. When I teach this course, I do not Feed. Mere intellectual curiosity about details that are not revealed in this book or other end time prophecies, Old Testament or New.
I don't do that at all. My philosophy is that revelation is for preparation.
So, as we bring forth the interpretation of the prophecies in this book, the amazing prophecies, I will be making life applications to you as we go through the course. I encourage you to come. You really need this course. Unless you're already expert in the book of Revelation, You need this study. It will bless you.
It will inspire you because it is a revelation of Jesus. in His glory.
Now today, Let's continue our talk about Enoch. In our previous lesson, of course, our text is Uh Genesis 5, 22 and 24, which state twice, Enoch walked with God. Then God took him. Why? Because as we said earlier in our first two sessions, Enoch was a dedicated man.
who had experience with God. His name means dedicated and experienced. He was the seventh from Adam, we're told by Jude, meaning the seventh generation. Seven being a perfect number indicates that in Enoch God found a man who understood finally finally understood his perfect uh purpose for man, which was to walk with God. Adam had that great privilege.
and lost it. But in Enoch, It was regained. And later, learned and followed by Noah, And so in Enoch, when God took him, God was saying, This is my purpose. that men be redeemed by faith in me, and learned to walk closely with me and then he took him. Friends, when this same thing happens, in the church.
The church will be taken. Christ is coming for A brad church that walks closely with him. He's not coming. for a church. That merely accepts him, as the Saviour, but does not learn to walk with him.
No. I tell you, they will be left behind. Does God want to do that? Absolutely not Paul was emphatic in 1 Thessalonians 5 that God has not ordained us to wrath, and he was referring to the period of wrath.
However, Those who do not walk with the Lord, and particularly those who go back and walk in the sins of the flesh? or other sins which are abhorrent to God, pride, covetousness, envy, etcetera. These are not ready to step from earth into heaven. They're not ready for translation. They are not living the Enoch life.
So let's get into it today and learn more about this man. We studied in our previous lessons that he walked closely with God. This was implied in the term Enoch walked with God. You see the term walk implies live. And it also reflects Character.
So walk is equal symbolically to live and Carector. Enoch walked with God. Enoch lived with God. He lived life with God. and he built a god life, or rather developed By the grace of God, and His co operation with that grace, He developed.
a godlike character, a Christlike character. All right. We also studied the fact of communication, that if you walk together with someone, you communicate. You don't walk in silence.
So when Enoch walked with God, this implied he was communicating with God regularly, I would say constantly. Today we want to pick up and learn that by walking with God, The term walk implies Conformity If I walk with you somewhere I am conforming to your path. If you walk with me, you are conforming to the path I choose. Two will not lead simultaneously, one will lead the other.
So, if Enoch walked with God, it implies that he conformed to the path. God took Always, every day.
So this was very clear, should be to us. That if we walk with God, we're going to take His paths at every turn in life. You know, I was down in.
southern Mexico, the southernmost part of Mexico recently. in uh Hidalgo. and um the host of the conference that I was teaching. Was an ex-military man. He had been in the Uh Guatemalan Special Forces.
and so he took us over the border into Guatemala.
Now with him were two or three other, Army. Veterans, And of course, They were there in part. to protect this well, this Gwingo.
So as we crossed on the raft over into Guatemala. And we went into the first city there. I was a little bit quite aware That I stood at like a sore thumb. The only American within a country mile. but these gentlemen were kindly escorting me?
And they were guiding me.
Now, I didn't go over there and say, here I go, you guys follow me. Because I didn't know where I was going. But they knew they had been there many times. I just want to report that the Guatemala people were very gracious to me. Very kind.
Not not one angry or suspicious look. And I say that because Americans sometimes are not well received in certain countries for various political and social reasons.
So I walked with Mag, Gahat. I'll let him tell me where to go. and we had a wonderful visit, and then came back to Idalgo. Mexico.
Now So this is just a simple little example, but it really has profound spiritual implications for our Christian life. When we walk with someone, we eventually become like them. were conformed to their ways, their paths and to their thinking. to their speech even. And to their character.
That is, if we continue to do this over a lifetime. Enoch yielded and he did everything God's way. He was not willful. He was not stubborn. He was not mulish.
You may say, Well, Doctor Hannot, how in the world do you know that?
Well, because if he was, The Holy Spirit would not have inspired this core statement we are studying in this series, Enoch Walked With God. If he was mulish, I don't know what it would have said, but He Enoch bucked God like a bucking bronco. But he didn't. He was not mulish, he was not stubborn. He easily did everything God wanted him to do, and he did it God's way.
He was yoked. To God.
Now, you know a yoke. It's a device, usually wooden. could be by ropes, which chain to animals To work together as one in the field, usually oxen, but it could be something else. mules, etc. And sometimes and often in throughout history yokes were used to connect slaves.
Perhaps as they were Taken captive. in warfare and led back to the victorious nation to be subservient to them.
Well, you may not think about it. this way but you and I are slaves of Christ. We have been bought by Him, by His blood. The Greek term is doulas. It means a love slave.
One who is could be free, could walk their own way, but they choose to be a servant i. e. slave of Christ, a love slave. That's what that word means. Allah slight.
If you're a born-again Christian, You're called to be a love slave of Jesus. And I want to repeat, you can go your own way, But you can't go your way and walk with Christ. as Enoch walked with God.
So we have to make up our minds, don't we? And then also yoking. Of two animals to work in the field, what does that bring to man?
Well, certainly a very important scenario. God did not save you and me to just sit around and wait to go to heaven. Not at all. We're here to be engaged and employed in a sense, spiritually speaking. in building the kingdom of God.
First in the hearts of men. The kingdom of God, said Jesus, is within you, meaning inside and among. those who accept him as Lord and Savior. This month, for a gift of any amount, receive Dr. Hinnant's book, Revelation Notes: An inspirational commentary on the book of Revelation.
This 758-page, in-depth commentary walks the reader through John's apocalypse verse by verse. It explains its historical context and language and identifies many inspiring principles for Christian living. Every Bible student, pastor, and church leader will benefit greatly from its informational entries, thought-provoking footnotes, and inspirational additional gleanings and messages. Give and get your copy today. For a gift of $60 or more, we'll send you the complete four-volume Hinnant End Times Prophecy Collection: The Second Coming of Christ, The Tribulation Story, Revelation Notes, a verse-by-verse commentary on Revelation, and the Day of the Lord commentary.
Which interprets all Old Testament prophecies and foreshadowings of the end times. And if you are a Logos Bible software user, you may purchase all four of these books from the Logos Online Bookstore. You may give your gift today by visiting the donation page at greghinnantministries.org or sending your checks to Greg Hinnant Ministries, P.O. Box 788 High Point, North Carolina, 27260. Or by calling 336-882-1645.
Now, again, Dr. Hinnant. That's the kingdom now. It's a hidden kingdom hidden in plain sight. It's not a political kingdom yet.
It will be after Christ returns to this physical earth. And I will add. Not before.
Some Christians think we're going to bring in a visible kingdom now for a thousand years.
Well, That's incorrect. They are brothers and sisters, but they're mistaken on this point.
So we are here to work in God's field, His harvest field. What is that field all about?
Well, it's about generally two massive harvests that are coming at the end of the age. Harvest of salvation. The lost receiving Christ, repenting of sin and receiving Him, and then a harvest of mature. Christian character in the saved, because they've been taught and they've received teaching. They've been tested and they've obeyed and trusted in their tests.
And if they fail, they come and take advantage of the provision of the blood of Christ. confessing their sin and Returning. to closeness to Him and obedience to Him in the area where they send. Just as we're taught in 1 John Chapter 1, verses 5 through 10. They're learning to walk in the light as he is in the light.
And so they're being transformed and they're being prepared, therefore, to go to the kingdom of God. This is a glorious harvest of mature Christians. My friend, the bride of Christ will be mature. Revelation 19:7 through 9 informs us. that his wife has made herself ready.
Are you going to be in that company. If so, be busy making yourself ready. by trusting obedience to God every day and by seeking The Lord and His Word every day at His feet, in His presence. in praise and worship of his amazing attributes. His truth, his love, his mercy, his faithfulness His holiness is righteousness.
What a God we serve how amazing he is all the time.
So we are yoked, therefore, to build the kingdom. We're called To work.
Well, you say, well, what do I do? Don't just rush out into the field without direction. Jesus called Himself. In Matthew 9, at the end of Matthew 9, the Lord. Friends, if you were to visit a farm and um Of course today, in America at least, it's pretty much corporate.
But in many countries, When you visit a farm, whether s subsistence farming or a larger farm, You don't just rush out into the field and start doing what you want to do. You come to the. farmer or the owner, and say, Hey, I'd like to volunteer my services. What shall I do? And then they instruct you what to do.
So in Christ, When you've been born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit, anointed, ready to serve, you first must become a disciple yourself, and as you're doing that, Be praying and asking the Lord, what's my gift? What's my calling? Father, Ephesians 2 tells me that. Not only am I saved by grace, but I was called to perform certain works. Before time, A pathway Of King Deborah was laid out, before me.
What are those works and what is my gift? Lord lead me into what you want me to not only be, but also do. He will answer that prayer. He may not answer it immediately? You just keep praying it.
And he will show you what he What gift he's given you? And there will be evidence of that as you move to use that gift and where you fit in. in the field that belongs to the Lord. of the harpist.
So we are yoked. We are yoked. To the Lord. to work in his field. And ask his love slaves.
I tell you what. I love the Lord, It's a growing thing with me. Oh, in the beginning There were other things that would Vie for my heart. This thing, that thing, this interest, that interest. Perhaps this person and another.
But the Holy Spirit kept wooing me and drawing me. And today I'm telling you, if you you may not know me personally. But those who do know. that there is nothing in this world that I love more Then Jesus. And the reason is because he loved me first.
Friends, he has loved you first. John tells us in this epistle, we love him because he first loved us. Jesus said, You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.
Now, he doesn't mean that we don't choose him, he meant he chose us first. He loved us first. What a God we serve. And when the more we know of his love, the more we see how forbearing he has been with us, how many times He has not winked in our sin, but he's chastened us in love because he doesn't want us to stray. When we understand that, it can only cause us to love him more.
So we are yoked To God, to to serve in his field. and to be his love slave and part of that glorious service is the privilege the inestimable Privilege. uh entering in to the holy place every day. No Jew could do that except the high priest and him only once a year, and not without blood. But now When Jesus' body was broken, God Himself ripped The veil.
Between the holy place and the most holy place. That thick Very. He ripped it from top. Tabottom. indicating his eagerness to have us in his presence.
In a sense, that's what it's all about. because in the end we will live with God for ever first thousand years. A thousand years. in the same earth. Christ reigning on the Millennium Mountain The glory cloud, the hoopah, the wedding The wedding Chamber If you will.
sitting down over that great mountain which will then be the highest in the world. In the topographically recreated surface of the earth after Jesus' return. And then later. throughout eternity. We will tabernacle with God.
And God rejoices in the opening of Revelation 21. 21 and 22 describe the eternal world. If you've never read it, go study it. And God is rejoicing because the tabernacle of God. is with men.
could say we could add to that sacred text one word without damaging the intent of the author and it Perhaps underscoring his intent, The tabernacle of God is with men. Finally, Finally, Friend, are you tabernacling with the Lord every day? First of all in the morning in what we call our devotional time, I I call it Jesus time. Are you visiting with him and loving him and blessing him and praising him and ministering unto him? Lifting your hands and your voice, thanking him and blessing him.
Ministering unto him. You see, in Acts thirteen, verses one and two, the leaders of the Antioch church were named, and then it is said that as they ministered to the Lord and fested, The Holy Spirit said And then came a divine initiative for apostolic ministry.
So this tells me that it was their habit to have a leader's meeting. and the first thing they did was not pummel heaven with petitions, but rather Bless the Lord Love him. Praise him. Glorify him. in his presence.
And then he just sat down on that meeting. He just was enthroned there, as the psalmist said. He is enthroned in the praises of his people. And so in that In that atmosphere, God spoke. My friend, if we if we as leaders We'll have meetings of that kind.
I tell you what, God will start giving divine initiatives and He will quickly change our world and through us change the world.
So were you yoked to him for his glorious work. And being yoked to him, we will follow his guidance. We will keep his pace, not rushing ahead. Not lagging behind. And not turning aside.
Think about that. If you walk with some one. You don't turn us sad. You don't lag back and you don't rush ahead. No, you stay right with them.
So this is complete conformity to him as he walks So we walk. Jesus is walking. He's standing and walking in the churches. Revelation two and three shows him standing in the midst. of the lamp stands of the churches of Asia.
Friend, if you think that's the only church he's standing in, you are kindly mistaken. He's in your church. He's watching your pastor and your elders or deacons. He's watching the congregation. To see who's walking with him and who's not, and he wants us all.
passionately to walk with him. You know, if we were climbing Everest, We would engage The assistants, I would say, the vital assistance of a Sherpa. These are the Nepalese or other Kimalayan natives who know the high mountains so well, where the dangers are, where the safety is. We would depend upon them for every step I might be on that stage four or stage five. and about to take a step, Over a Deadly glacier.
And the shepherd might say, No, pastor, stop. Not another step or you die. One wrong step and you die. Wow. And I will say thank you, sir.
and draw back my foot. And be very careful. To follow his footsteps. Why? Because I know he knows all the dangers, he knows all the right paths.
Ah, the right Turns to take and the places that are unstable.
Some learning to follow his guidance. Romans 8:14 says, as many. As are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God. You know, if you've been saved. And born again, you are a child of God.
There is no question about your identity, but this text says we can live like a child of God or not, depending upon whether or not we seek and follow. Divine God is for that we must live in the presence of God and respond when He speaks? In Gansas? We must respond to his checks and go no farther. until he shows us an alternative path to take.
And then we must obey when he shows us which way to take. We must obey promptly and pray. trusting his wisdom and guidance in the path to which he's called us.
So Enoch was totally yoked to God and following Him. Enoch lived also in total dependence on God. Are we? Or are we striking out our own independent path? We are called to live in total dependency.
The more dependent we are on the Lord. the more mature we are. Jesus called us to total conformity. He said, Take my yoke upon you. and larded me.
I am meek and lowly of in heart, And he called us to walk in the yoke he has set before us. Paul walked in that yoke and said, We are called to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. Are you living in his yoke today? Are you following his guidance every step? Or are you striking out on your own way?
Don't do that. Remain conformed to the best of your knowledge. To the guidance of the scriptures, which never err, and to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as best you can discern it. And if you're not sure which step to take, take no step. until you've taken time to consult God in prayer and you feel your perk.
from him. This, my friend, will lead you into the Enoch lifestyle of total conformity. Yeah. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donation to Greg Hennett Ministries. Also, remember, you may download the Until He Comes podcast from your preferred podcast app.
May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey Him in your daily tests of faith and patience until He Comes. This is the Truth Network. Mm-hmm.
