Enoch and Noah

William Branham taught that:

• Noah and Enoch were preaching at the same time;
• Enoch was a type of the Bride of Christ that went in the Rapture and is also a type of the seventh church age; and,
• Noah was a type of:
  • the foolish virgin that will go through the great tribulation; or
  • The millennium; or
  • the Jews that make up the 144,000; or
  • the real church that goes in the Rapture. (are you confused yet?)

According to the message doctrine of Progressive Revelation, the correct understanding of this teaching is that Noah is a type of the remnant of Jews that are carried over in the tribulation.

But does this tie into what the Bible teaches? Why does William Branham's teaching on this subject appear to be so confused?

What the Bible says

If you make a time line chart based on Genesis Chapter 5, you will find that Enoch was taken by God:

• 69 years before Noah was born,
• 569 years before God TOLD NOAH to build the ark, and
• 669 years before the flood started.

This means that, contrary to what William Branham stated in the First Seal, Noah did not watch Enoch because Enoch was gone before Noah was even born.

The Bible also states that:

The few people in the boat — eight in all — were saved by the water, which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. 1 Peter 3:20–21 (GNT)

So it wasn't a type of the foolish virgin, it wasn't a type of the Jewish remnant, it was a symbol pointing to water baptism.

Quotes

GREAT.COMING.REVIVAL CHICAGO.IL 54-0718A

Now, as I've just said that the antediluvian destruction, Noah was the sign. And Noah had a sign to start on. When he seen Enoch was taken up, Enoch was taken up, then Noah--was time Noah to start, for he knew that that would be the sign of his beginning and then the end would be near.

JUNCTION.OF.TIME JEFF.IN 56-0115

And notice, back there in that evil day just before the destruction, when God had a man out preaching the Gospel, a poor man, humble man, not very much of the world, but a man who had a heart to listen to God: Noah. There was Noah and Enoch preaching at the same time.

LAMB'S.BOOK.OF.LIFE JEFF.IN 56-0603

Enoch... the... but--a Noah--Noah was a type that was carried over like the sleeping virgin. But Enoch was translated just before the tribulation struck. And Enoch was took up, and was found not, because God took him: the type of the going forth of the church. And Noah watched him. When he seen Enoch go, he knew it was time to enter the ark, for to be carried through the tribulation.

The Bible said there was ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom, and five were wise; five were foolish. And they were all virgins, every one of them. But five was wise. And they had oil in their lamp. And they went out to meet the bridegroom. And the bridegroom came. And the ones that had oil, went in.

See, the translation, going with the Bridegroom. But those who were left behind, they come and wanted in too just like those who come and knocked on the door of the ark. "Noah, let us in." But God closed the door.

TESTIMONY.WILLIAM.BRANHAM SAN.JUAN.PR 60-0210

That's what the church, the believer, is today, watching--watching for something. He knew the time was growing close.

Just like Noah, watching Enoch. When Enoch went up, Noah knowed that the storm was close.

IT.IS.I SHREVEPORT.LA 60-1124

God, we know then, that our days are numbered. We're watching just as Noah watched Enoch, and knowed immediately after Enoch come, the judgment was going to strike the earth.

REV.OF.JESUS.CHRIST JEFF.IN 60-1204M

Noah was a type of the Jews, but Enoch went home without dying. And when Noah seen Enoch go, he knowed it was time to start on that ark. That's right. That was Noah's sign, when Enoch went home.

TEN.VIRGINS JEFF.IN 60-1211M

O God, may someday, the church, which is a type of Enoch. Five hundred years he walked before God {see next post}, walking, walking in the Light, with a testimony that "Everything God said, he did it." He didn't displease Him. What the Lord said do, Enoch done it.

Now, he was a type, remember. The ark is a type of the Jews, the hundred and forty-four thousand that's carried over, which is Noah and his bunch; but Enoch went home just a little bit before the flood. You know that.

UNCERTAIN.SOUND JEFF.IN 60-1218

And when they... When Noah saw Enoch was missing, he thought, "What become of Enoch? What become of Enoch? Where is he at?" Which, was grandson, Noah was grandson to Enoch. And he said, "Where is it at? What become of him? We can't find him no more." Noah started building on that ark. He knowed that the time was at hand, right there.

REV.CHAP.4.PT.2.24.ELDERS JEFF.IN 61-0101

And when Noah looked around and couldn't find Enoch anywhere, he looked around, and he didn't know where Enoch went, then he said, "It's time to get to building the ark now." See?

IT.BECOMETH.US.TO.FULFILL JEFF.IN 61-1001M

In the days of Enoch, just before the flood, when Enoch looked out there and saw Noah building away on that ark. Enoch was a prophet. Enoch knew that he was a type. And he knew, that before the floods came, that he had to give an example, so one afternoon it was becoming to him to take a walk.

ONENESS JEFF.IN 62-0211

This thing of this Council of Churches is nothing else in the world but a--a stir of the foolish virgin, to be left here on the earth for a picking for the antichrist. But the real church of God will float like old Noah did, and go on into glory just as sure as I'm standing here. That's why He's gathering them together.

CONFLICT.BETWEEN.GOD.AND.SATAN CLARKSVILLE.IN 62-0531

Now, God sent His Word by His prophet, Noah. And when Noah and Enoch begin to prophesy... And then just before the flood struck, what happened? Enoch went up; Noah went through. See? Enoch was translated. Noah's sign was watching Enoch. When Enoch come up missing, then Noah knew the flood was at hand 'cause he was keeping his eye on Enoch.

CONFLICT.BETWEEN.GOD.AND.SATAN CLARKSVILLE.IN 62-0531

Here come Noah and Enoch with THUS SAITH THE LORD, building away on an ark. Now, they said, "That old fellow up there on the hill building that ship, Old fellow, you're crazy." "But I've got, THUS SAITH THE LORD." Built right away, stood right in the door of the ark, preaching the Gospel, and building away, and watching Enoch.

CONFLICT.BETWEEN.GOD.AND.SATAN CLARKSVILLE.IN 62-0531

Now, maybe day after day, and they laughed and made fun. The children maybe ha-ha'd at him, but Noah went right on preaching anyhow. And all of his family and all the converts went right on believing anyhow. All that was following Noah believed Noah. That's right. They had to make their choice to believe what the world said, or believe what this mighty anointed prophet said.

So he said, "Now, watch. Enoch is going to leave one of these days, church. And when it does... When Enoch goes away, we'd better get in. We're going to miss Enoch; he's going to be taken up, so we better get in." So they watched closely as the days passed by.

FIRST.SEAL.THE JEFF.IN 63-0318

You know, Noah watched Enoch, for when Enoch come up missing, he knowed judgment was at hand. He got to hanging around the ark, but Noah didn't go up.

THIRD.SEAL.THE JEFF.IN 63-0320

Just like Noah kept watching Enoch. When Enoch went, Noah said, "Better get close to the ark. The time is at hand." Noah kept watching Enoch (See?)

THE.FOURTH.SEAL JEFF.IN 63-0321

How anyone can get the Church going through the tribulation, I don't know. But... What's it got to go through the tribulation for, when it hasn't got--got--hasn't got a sin? I mean the... I don't mean the church; the church will go through the tribulation. But I'm talking about the Bride.

The Bride won't, no, it hasn't got a sin against it at all. It's done been bleached out, and there's not even a--a--there's not even smell of it; there's nothing left. They're perfect before God. So what's any tribulation to purify them, but the others do. The church does go through the tribulation, but not the Bride.

Now, now, we're just taking it in all kinds of symbols now like the--the church, Noah, the carried over type, went on out into sin. See? Now, they did go over, but Enoch went first. That was the type of the saints that would go in the--in--before the tribulation period.

THE.RAPTURE YUMA.AZ 65-1204

So now notice Enoch, the type of the Church. Here he's also typed in the seventh church age. Can you think of that? The seventh church age! Notice. "At the sounding..."

...

And the seven watches, like the seven watch, of one come. He didn't come the first watch, second, third, fourth, but come in the seventh watch. That was Enoch, the seventh, which was translated. And Noah, being a type of the remnant of Jews, is to be carried over. Now, in the Bible times, talking about the watches. And nights were not divided into hours, in the Bible time.