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This is the genealogy of men in the day in which God made Adam; in the image of God he made him: male and female he made them, and blessed them; and he called his name Adam, in the day in which he made them. And Adam lived two hundred and thirty years, and begot a son after his own form, and after his own image, and he called his name Seth. And the days of Adam, which he lived after his begetting Seth, were seven hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters. And all the days of Adam which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. Now Seth lived two hundred and five years, and begot Enos. And Seth lived after his begetting Enos, seven hundred and seven years, and he begot sons and daughters. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. And Enos lived an hundred and ninety years, and begot Cainan. And Enos lived after his begetting Cainan, seven hundred and fifteen years, and he begot sons and daughters. And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died. And Cainan lived an hundred and seventy years, and he begot Maleleel. And Cainan lived after his begetting Maleleel, seven hundred and forty years, and he begot sons and daughters. And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. And Maleleel lived an hundred and sixty and five years, and he begot Jared. And Maleleel lived after his begetting Jared, seven hundred and thirty years, and he begot sons and daughters. And all the days of Maleleel were eight hundred and ninety and five years, and he died. And Jared lived an hundred and sixty and two years, and begot Enoch: and Jared lived after his begetting Enoch, eight hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty and two years, and he died. And Enoch lived an hundred and sixty and five years, and begat Mathusala. And Enoch was well-pleasing to God after his begetting Mathusala, two hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty and five years. And Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and was not found, because God translated him. – Genesis 5:1-24
The holy patriarch Enoch and the holy prophet Elias have not yet died. Taken up from the earth, living a hidden life, yet still in the flesh, by the mysterious decree of God they await the days of the Antichrist, when they will return to preach repentance, Elias to the Jews and Enoch to the Gentiles. The Antichrist will slay them, their bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem for three days, and God will raise them from the dead, putting terror into the hearts of Antichrist and all his followers. Then the end will come.
Our concern is not to know the “day or the hour” of their coming, but to become like them: to become like Enoch, who was well-pleasing to God, and to become like Elias, who remained faithful even when he thought he was the last prophet of the true God left on earth.
Gentle Enoch walked in the pure innocence of the early followers of the true God, and he called upon the name of the Lord. Fiery Elias denounced idolatry and immorality, calling upon Israel to renounce its adulterous worship of Baal and confess with him that the Lord alone is God.
We must do both if we hope to saved in the midst of this adulterous generation: We must preserve our innocence, and we must confess our Faith. To do the first, we must cut out evil influences and spend more time in prayer. To do the second, we must tell the unvarnished truth in simplicity of heart without any desire for the approval of men. We can do neither without the divine grace helping us. Let us cry for this help without delay! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us!
This commentary was taken from The Eternal Sacrifice: The Genesis Readings for Great Lent by Fr. Steven Allen. You can order a copy from Lulu at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/FrStevenAllen
