Were Enoch and Elijah Taken to Heaven?

Many people cite Genesis 5:24 and II Kings 2:11 as proof Enoch and Elijah were taken to heaven. But this is contrary to John 3:13, which states, “no man has ascended to heaven.”

Where then were Enoch and Elijah taken?

First, let’s consider Enoch, who was the seventh of eight preachers of righteousness (Gen. 5; II Pet. 2:4-5). Genesis 5:24 states, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

Enoch “walked with God”—faithfully obeyed Him—for 300 years (vs. 21-24), until his death. He “was not” in the sense that he “was not found” (Heb. 11:5). Verse 5 explains that God “translated” him. Here, the Greek term for translated means to transfer or transport.

God removed Enoch’s body to another location for burial (as He did with Moses—read Deuteronomy 34:6). The same Greek word for “translated” is also used in Acts 7:16 to describe Jacob’s body being transported to Sychem for burial.

If Enoch had been taken to heaven and is still living to this day, he would still be walking with God—present tense. Enoch is awaiting his resurrection with the other servants of God (Heb. 11:5, 39-40).

Next, let’s examine Elijah. II Kings 2:1 states, “And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.” Verse 11 continues, “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

Throughout the Bible, the word “heaven” is used to describe three locations: First, there is the atmosphere that envelops the Earth: this is the first heaven. Next, the vast regions of outer space are collectively referred to as “heaven,” or “the heavens”: this is the second heaven. Finally, the location of God’s throne is specifically called “the third heaven” by Paul (II Cor. 12:2).

We already know that no human being has ascended into heaven—to God’s throne in the third heaven. Therefore, only two possibilities remain for Elijah: He went to outer space or the Earth’s atmosphere. Since human beings cannot breathe in space, Elijah must have been taken up into the atmosphere. Clearly, this is the only logical alternative.

Different from Enoch, the evidence shows Elijah was taken to another location on Earth, where he lived the rest of his life. Consider further proof. A few years after he had been taken away, Elijah wrote a letter to Jehoram, king of Judah, rebuking him for not following God as his father Jehoshaphat did (II Chron. 21:12). Only people on Earth send letters!

Hebrews 11 summarizes the future reward of Enoch and Elijah as having part with the patriarchs and other servants of God throughout the ages: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (vs. 13).

Also read verses 39-40: “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” The scriptures show that Enoch and Elijah were not taken to heaven, but are in their graves awaiting resurrection, at which time they will receive their reward.