To answer this question, certain biblical facts must first be considered. Among them are these: Through his manifestation upon earth nineteen centuries ago, the Son of God “shed light upon life and incorruption through the good news” (2 Tim. 1:10). Through him, God gave to many persons “a new birth to a living hope . . . to an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance . . . reserved in the heavens” (1 Pet. 1:3, 4). Jesus Christ himself was the first person resurrected to fullness of life, the first to be resurrected to heaven. — Rev. 1:5.
Jesus was therefore the “forerunner” of those receiving life in heaven. The inspired Christian writer said of the heavenly hope: “This hope we have as an anchor for the soul, both sure and firm, and it enters in within the curtain [into the Most Holy of the temple, representing God’s own heavenly dwelling place], where a forerunner has entered in our behalf, Jesus who has become a high priest according to the manner of Melchizedek forever” (Heb. 6:19, 20).
The same writer shows that the curtain to the Most Holy compartment of the wilderness tabernacle represented Jesus’ flesh (Heb. 10:20; compare Exodus 26:1, 31, 33). As long as Jesus was in the flesh, he could not go into heaven, for “flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom” (1 Cor. 15:50). By his giving up his flesh, which he gave “in behalf of the life of the world,” and by his being resurrected “in the spirit,” the way was opened for those who would be invited to the kingdom of the heavens. — John 6:51; 1 Pet. 3:18. (Source material cited here)
About Elijah
Furthermore, Christ’s resurrection is said to be “a guarantee to all men” that God will resurrect others (Acts 17:31; 24:15). This would not hold true if God had already been resurrecting righteous men to heaven throughout the preceding centuries.
How, then, are we to understand the biblical account about the prophet Elijah, which reads: “As they [Elijah and Elisha] were walking along, speaking as they walked, why, look! a fiery war chariot and fiery horses, and they proceeded to make a separation between them both; and Elijah went ascending in the windstorm to the heavens” (2 Ki. 2:11). Did Elijah actually enter the spiritual heavens of God? Or did he pass away?
We have the definitive words of God’s greatest prophet, Jesus Christ, who resided in the heavens with his Father for untold centuries prior to his coming to earth. He stated plainly: “No man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man” (John 3:13). Speaking of John the Baptist, Jesus said: “Among those born of women there has not been raised up a greater than John the Baptist; but a person that is a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is” (Matt. 11:11). Accordingly, since Elijah was not greater than John, he could not be in heaven.
What, then, were the “heavens” into which Elijah was taken by the windstorm? These were the physical, atmospheric heavens—the “expanse” which is also called “Heaven” at Genesis 1:6-8. A windstorm can only exist within this atmospheric expanse, not in the spirit realm of Jehovah’s heavenly presence. Elijah was simply carried up and out of Elisha’s sight through the atmosphere.
The Bible does not say that Elijah died on that specific occasion. As a matter of fact, Elijah was still alive and active as a prophet at least five years later, operating in the territory of Judah. The Scriptures record that Elijah wrote a letter to Jehoram, the king of Judah, several years after he had been taken away in the whirlwind.
Note the precise order of events recorded in Scripture. Elijah's final recorded act in Israel occurred during the reign of King Ahaziah, when Elijah warned him that he would die for his sins (2 Kings 1:3-17). Ahaziah's short reign lasted only about two years, around 850 B.C.E.
Subsequently, Jehoram proved to be a wicked king, leading the nation of Judah into rebellion against the commandments of God. A few years into Jehoram's reign—and well after Elijah's atmospheric departure—Jehoram received a letter from Elijah warning him of the dire consequences of his sins. This letter is preserved in 2 Chronicles 21:12-15.
This document proves that the prophet Elijah was still alive on earth many years after he was removed by the whirlwind and succeeded by Elisha. Because God had chosen Elisha to take over the prominent role, He bodily transferred Elijah to another geographical location, where he continued his prophetic work for years. Further evidence that Elijah did not die when he was caught up into the sky is that Elisha did not observe the customary period of mourning for his master at that time. — Compare 2 Samuel 19:1; 1 Chronicles 7:22; 2 Chronicles 35:24.
About Enoch
What about Enoch, the seventh in line from Adam? Of him, the Bible says: “Enoch kept walking with the true God. Then he was no more, for God took him” (Gen. 5:24). As a prophet of Jehovah, Enoch foretold God’s coming with His myriads of angels to execute judgment against the ungodly (Jude 14, 15). Severe persecution was likely brought against him because of this bold message. However, God did not permit his opposers to violently kill him. Instead, God “took him,” which evidently means He peacefully cut short Enoch’s life at an age far below that of his contemporaries. It appears that, just as He did with Moses’ body, Jehovah disposed of Enoch’s body so that “he was nowhere to be found.” — Heb. 11:5; Deut. 34:5, 6; Jude 9.
Therefore, in view of Jesus’ clear statement at John 3:13, Enoch was not translated to the heaven of God’s dwelling. He died. The apostle Paul makes this clear after naming Enoch and other ancient witnesses, stating: “In faith all these died, although they did not get the fulfillment of the promises, but they saw them afar off and welcomed them and publicly declared that they were strangers and temporary residents in the land” (Heb. 11:13).
These faithful men understood that their reward lay far in the future. The prophets of old recognized that their Messianic prophecies were not for their own days, but for a later time. Hence, the apostle Peter wrote to the footstep followers of Jesus Christ, our heavenly Forerunner: “Concerning this very salvation, a diligent inquiry and a careful search were made by the prophets who prophesied about the undeserved kindness meant for you. They kept on investigating what particular season or what sort of season the spirit in them was indicating concerning Christ when it was bearing witness beforehand about the sufferings for Christ and about the glories to follow these. It was revealed to them that, not to themselves, but to you, they were ministering the things that have now been announced to you through those who have declared the good news to you.” — 1 Pet. 1:10-12.
Furthermore, Peter, addressing the assembled Jews on the day of Pentecost shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, said of faithful King David: “Actually David did not ascend to the heavens, but he himself says, ‘Jehovah said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet”’” (Acts 2:34, 35; 13:22). Likewise, Elijah and Enoch, along with all other ancient servants of God, are in the grave, awaiting the time when the Lord Jesus Christ subdues all enemies under his feet (Acts 2:29). The glorious, enthroned Christ will then resurrect these faithful witnesses from the dead, appointing them as “princes in all the earth” (Ps. 45:16; Rev. 20:11-13). These trustworthy men will work under the heavenly King to administer perfect righteousness and justice throughout the earth.
Annotation
While the apocryphal Book of Enoch suggests that he transformed into the archangel Metatron after his departure, this contradicts biblical harmony. The Book of Enoch itself is an uncanonical work that has been heavily altered over time, though certain passages remain historical or informative.
If we look closely at Enoch's departure in light of Jesus’ absolute statement that "no man has ascended into heaven," Christ's words reinforce that no human from previous generations had ever entered God's presence. Because Enoch represents the seventh generation from Adam, his unique experience can be beautifully understood as a prophetic template. It foreshadows the dramatic transformation and gathering that will occur at the threshold of the seventh millennium, after the six thousand years of this current human age have drawn to a close.
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