Genesis 5:21-24
Enoch Walks With God
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Hebrews 11:5
God Takes Enoch
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
2 Kings 2:11-12
Elisha Taken to Heaven
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
Men and Going to Heaven
12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
The two men that God took away before they died were Enoch and Elisha...These are two great men of faith, and two men of God...These two men, the Bible says did not die...Enoch was taken from his life, so that he did not have to experience death...People looked for him, but could not find because God had taken him away...Elijah was training Elisha to be a prophet, and he also was taken up to heaven...God placed him in a whirlwind...These two men went to be with God...They were faithful servants to God...God gave both of these servants extravagant departures, when then left our earth...
Then Jesus later tells Nicodemus (and us) that no man has ever gone to heaven except the One who came from heaven...Nicodemus, being a Pharisee would have known about Enoch and Elisha...He did not question Jesus about this statement (nor did any other Pharisee or teacher of the law)...Jesus was different and unique...Did Jesus mean that what He did, He did on His own terms, and no man could do what He did?...Jesus was Divine and could go to heaven on His on will -and at anytime...Enoch and Elisha were men, and they had to have God take them from the experience of death and get them in heaven with help...Jesus also might have meant that these men were not going to be at the right hand of God, where His position is -or the position that is the way and only way to the Father...Some theists think that Jesus is of the Spirit, and man is of the flesh and the Spirit of Jesus can go and get to heaven, while the flesh of man must first die and then get to heaven...So since we do not understand what the Spirit can do, we cannot completely understand Jesus statement in the context of His conversation with Nicodemus...God can intervene and do miracles -at anytime, which He did with Enoch and Elisha...Paul even says something unusual about heaven...He speaks of levels of heaven...He mentions there being different levels of heaven, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven...Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.” (2 Corinthians 12:2)...Is Jesus referring to a different level?...
Whatever the reason, these were three great men of God, and two of them were actual men...I do not think it is fair to call Jesus a man, since He is Divine, and knows the ways of heaven and what the Spirit can do...The Words of Jesus are the Truth, so we must interpret them as the Truth, and consider all the possibilities, and take into account what we as men actually know about heaven and divinity...Regardless how you read these verse, these are two great men, and One Divine Man of Great Faith...And God gave His Son the most shocking and completely extravagant exit from earth...A death on a cross, then a resurrection, and then He ascends to heaven -forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:9)...