Four Men


There are just four men on record in the Bible who never die. Two were taken alive to heaven; two will be cast alive into hell. Two were outstanding men for God; two will be outstanding men for Satan. God’s men were the first to be taken to heaven; Satan’s men will be the first to be cast into hell. The first two in heaven were joined by another man, the Lord Jesus Christ, who while He was taken up (see Acts 1: 9, 11) like them, also ascended (see  Acts 2: 34; Eph. 4: 8, 9, 10); the second two in hell will be joined by the Devil. In each of the pairs, one is a Gentile, the other a Jew. Who were they?

   The first man was Enoch of whom we are told “And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty–five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Gen. 5: 23, 24). The second man was Elijah of whom we read “And it came to pass as they went on, and talked, that behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire; and they parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into the heavens” (2 Kings 2: 11). Enoch was a Gentile, Elijah a Jew.

   The third man is the Beast of Rev. 13: 1 of whom we read “and I saw a beast rising out of the sea”—a Gentile, for the sea is in Scripture is representative of the nations (see Is. 60: 5; Ez. 26: 3). The fourth man is “another beast rising out of the earth” (Rev. 13: 11)—a Jew, for the earth in Scripture is representative of Israel, for just as the earth rose out of the sea (see Gen. 1: 9, 10) so Israel was chosen “out of all the peoples that are upon the face of the earth” (Deut. 14: 2). This man is the antichrist, “the false prophet” of Rev. 16: 13.

   We read “And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] both the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages” (Rev. 20: 10). Multitudes will one day, like the beast and the false prophet, have their eternal abode with the Devil in the lake of fire (see Rev. 20: 11–15); multitudes also, like Enoch and Elijah, will one day join the Lord in heaven (see 1 Thess. 4: 13–18).

    Four remarkable men but who will your eternal companions be? What will be your eternal destination? With Christ in heaven or with the Devil in hell?

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