Ancient Book of Enoch

Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam, the son of Jared, and was followed by his son Methuselah. He lived to be 365 years old, and then God took him without seeing death (Genesis 5:24). Enoch pleased God since he lived his life by faith (Hebrews 11:5-6). Enoch means “dedicated.” His son’s name, Methuselah, is made up of two Hebrew words, meth meaning “death” and selah meaning “to send.” The spelling suggests the name can be translated as a Hebrew sentence, meaning “when he is dead, it will be sent.” Since Methuselah died the same year as the flood (actually one week before the flood according to the Ancient Book of Jasher and the same day Noah entered the Ark – Genesis 7:1-4), it can be speculated that Enoch named his son with an eye to the coming disaster. Enoch addressed many of his statements in this book to Methuselah and prophesied about the flood (Enoch 91). 

If legends are to be believed, Enoch passed his book and other writings to Noah, who preserved them in the Ark. Noah then passed Enoch’s book on to Shem, who preserved it in the city of Salem (Jerusalem). Eventually, it was passed down to the tribe of Levi for safekeeping. Somewhere along the line, a new Hebrew translation renamed some of the place names of the cities, rivers, and lands. This was most likely done around Solomon's time. It was then preserved until the Essenes (sons of Zadok, sons of Righteousness) buried it, along with other ancient texts, to be found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Warning to Methuselah

Now, my son Methuselah, call all of your brothers and all of your mother’s children to me; for the Word calls me, and the Spirit is poured out upon me, that I may tell you everything that will happen to you in the future. Methuselah went and summoned all his brothers and assembled his relatives. And he spoke of the righteousness to all the children. He said, “Listen, my children, to all the words of your father, and take seriously my speech, for I need to warn you, beloved. Love righteousness and walk in it. Do not approach righteousness with a double heart, and associate not with those of a double heart, but walk in justice, my sons. It will guide you on good paths, and righteousness will be your companion.”       Enoch 91:1-4

The book of Enoch teaches that the righteous are to live their lives according to a series of books that will be given to them. Further, these books will judge them, not the Book of Enoch. In Enoch 104:11-13:

But when they write down truthfully all my words in their languages and do not change or abridge anything from my words, but write them down truthfully, all that I first testified concerning them, then, I know another mystery, that books will be given to the righteous and the wise to become a cause of joy and uprightness and much wisdom. These books will be given to them, and they will believe and rejoice in them, and then all the righteous who have learned the paths of uprightness from them will be rewarded.

Books to Live By 

Now we know this to be true; Christians are judged by the sixty-six books of the Bible. Because of the way Enoch states this, it is obvious that the Book of Enoch was not supposed to be placed into the canon of Scripture but kept as a special message to those who lived in the generation just prior to the Tribulation period. As he relates in Enoch 104:1-6: 

I swear unto you righteous that in heaven the angels record your goodness, and your names are written before the glory of the Great One. Be hopeful, for at first, you were disgraced through evil and affliction, but now you will shine as the stars of heaven and be seen, and the portals of heaven will be opened to you. Continue to cry for judgment. It will appear to you, for all your tribulation will be visited on the rulers and on all who helped those who oppressed you. Be hopeful, and do not abandon your hopes, for you will have great joy like the angels of heaven. Since this joy will be yours, you will not have to hide on the day of great judgment because you will not be found as sinners, and the eternal judgment will be far from you for all generations of the world. Now fear not, you righteous, when you see the sinners growing strong and prospering in their ways. Do not be companions with them, but keep far from their violence, for you will become companions of the hosts of heaven.

Historical Reliability

In his “A Dissertation Concerning the Antiquity of the Hebrew Language, Letters, Vowel Points, and Accents,” theologian John Gill wrote the following about the Book of Enoch: 

“Enoch, the seventh from Adam, delivered out the prophecy referred to by the Apostle Jude, (verse 14-15) … the Jews make mention of a writing of his in their ancient book of Zohar; and in the Targum of Jonathan on Genesis 5:24, he is called the great scribe; and several of the Christian fathers speak of his book as authentic, as Tertullian and others; and the Arabic writers [Flavius Josephus] tell us of pyramids and pillars erected by him, on which he engraved the arts and the instruments of them; and some writers ascribe the invention of letters and writing of books to him.” 

Although quoted not only by the Scriptures and a number of church fathers and rabbis back to the first century, including Origen, Iranaeus, Tertullian, and Theodotus, the Ancient Book of Enoch has been largely ignored by fundamentalist Christians. It was also quoted in other ancient writings found in the Dead Seas Scrolls, including the Testaments of Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Benjamin. Enoch disappears from any mention in church history after 700 AD. Renewed interest occurred in 1768 AD when James Bruce heard that the Ethiopian Christian Church preserved the only known translation of the lost Book of Enoch. He traveled to Ethiopia and found three manuscripts written in the Ethiopian language, which he brought back to London. They remained in the British Museum untranslated until R. H. Charles translated them into English in 1893. 

Did Enoch Write it?

Fragments of the Book of Enoch, written in both Hebrew and Greek, were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran. A later find, in 1956, included the whole Book of Enoch written in Aramaic. This undermines what some liberal theologians theorize that the current Book of Enoch was a compilation of five separate works written over a period of 300 years, from 200 BC to 100 AD. This find proves that the many predictions of the coming Messiah found in its pages were written many years before Jesus appeared, yet fulfilled, as testified by the Scriptures. See the listing of Enoch’s Prophesies with references from Enoch and from the Bible appearing at the end of this work. 

The opening five chapters address the time of destruction in the end times. According to Enoch 1:1-2, These are the words of the blessing of Enoch to bless the elect and righteous who will be living in the day of Tribulation when all the wicked and godless will be destroyed. God opened the eyes of the righteous Enoch so that the angels could show him a vision of the Holy One in the heavens. “From them, I understood that the vision I saw was not for my generation [pre-flood], but for a far distant one.”  These chapters are intended to prepare His holy ones for the coming judgment to be carried out upon all ungodliness. Jude 14-15 quotes from the following verse: 

Behold! He comes with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all, to destroy all the ungodly, to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, and all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.        Enoch 1:9 

The Nephilim and the Watchers

Enoch's chapters 6-16 provide extensive historical information about the events covered in Genesis 6 involving the Nephilim. They include names of the demon [fallen angel] leaders of the two hundred who came to choose wives from among the children of men. The depth of their wickedness is illustrated in Enoch 7:1-5:

And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells: Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another’s flesh and drink the blood. Then, the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones.

Interestingly, there is also mention of the identity of “Seven Holy Watchers,” holy angels given different responsibilities to oversee different aspects of humanity: 1. Uriel watches over the weather, 2. Raphael watches over the spirits of men (records our prayers), 3. Raguel takes vengeance on the earth and the luminaries, 4. Michael is set over the best part of mankind and the people,  5. Saraqael is set over the spirits of sin, 6. Gabriel watches over Paradise and the Seraphim and Cherubim, and 7. Remiel is set over those who rise. Each has unique responsibilities in the oversight of God’s creation. This includes the compartment designed to hold these demonic disrupters of human existence. In Enoch 21:1-10: 

Then, I [Enoch] proceeded to a place where nothing was completed. I saw there something horrible, a place with neither heaven nor earth but an awful, terrible void. There, seven stars of the heaven were bound together in it, like great mountains and burning with fire. Then I exclaimed, “For what sin are they bound here?” Then Uriel, who was with me and was chief over them, said, “Enoch, why do you ask, and why are you so anxious? These are the stars of heaven which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and are bound here till ten thousand worlds [infinite time], the time entailed by their sins, are consummated.” From there, I went to another place, which was still more horrible than the former. There, I saw a great blazing fire, and the place was divided and went down as far as the abyss. It was full of great descending columns of fire. I could not even guess how far down they went. Then I said, “How fearful is the place and how terrible to look upon!” Then Uriel said to me, “Enoch, why are you so afraid of this terrible place of pain?” He said unto me, “This place is the prison of the angels, and here they will be imprisoned forever.” 

Enoch’s Calendar

In chapters 72-82, Enoch provides an astronomical calendar, explaining how astrological laws work in relation to time. In Enoch 72:1, The book of the courses of the luminaries of the heaven, the relations of each, according to their classes, dominion, and their seasons, according to their names, places of origin, and their months: which Uriel, the holy angel, who was with me, showed me. He showed me exactly how the astrological laws work in regard to all the years of the world till the new creation is made, which endures for all eternity. Enoch provides a calendar from these writings, beginning with creation and taking man through 7,000 years of human history. 

The Paths of Uprightness

The Ancient Book of Enoch contains numerous prophecies about the flood and fire judgments and the two comings of the Messiah. It prophesies a window of time in which the Second Coming would occur. It prophesies that twenty-three Israeli Prime Ministers will be ruling in fifty-eight terms from 1948 until the beginning of the Tribulation, and much more. It recounts the history of the fallen angels in the days of Jared, Enoch’s father, who was born 460 years after creation. It testifies to these angels’ marriages to human women and their genetic experiments. It provides extensive prophecies that coincide with the Scriptures, supporting their accuracy in events already taking place and further details of future prophecies yet to come.

“In those days,” says the Lord, “the children of earth will be summoned and a testimony given about the wisdom of them [the books of the Bible]: for they are the guides and a reward for the whole earth. For I and My Son will be united with them forever in the paths of uprightness in their lives; you children of uprightness will have peace. Rejoice in their truth.    Enoch 105:1-2 

Enoch's Prophecies
	References
Prophecy	Enoch	Bible
No flesh is righteous before the Lord	81:5	Rom 3:10
Abortion is murder	98:5, 99:5	Exo 21:22-23
God is omniscient & omnipotent	9:5	Jer 23:24
The Flood covered the entire earth	106:15	Gen 7:19
Noah & family spent one year in the ark	106:15	Gen 7:11, 8:14
Meditation (sorcery) blinds men to God	99:8	Rom 1:21
Denying inspiration is calling God a liar	104:9	2 Tim 3:16
All pre-flood men and giants perished	89:6	Gen 7:4
Do not alter Scripture	104:9	Rev 22:18-19
Ignoring prophecy is a serious sin	108:6	Luke 24:25
Book of Enoch not to be added to the Bible	104	Rev 22:18-19
Messiah is the Son of God	105:2	1 Jn 5:5
Salvation hangs on the Messiah	40.5	Acts 4:12
Salvation by repentance & belief in His Name	50:2-3	Luke 13:3
Salvation by believing on the Messiah's name	45:3, 48:7	Acts 4:12
Salvation by the righteousness of faith	39:6	Rom 4:11
Messiah's name (Yeshua) is hinted at	5:7	Isa 12:2-3
Messiah is called the "Word."	90:38	John 1:1
Messiah is called the Son of Man	48:10	Mat 9:6
Son of Man exists with God the Father eternally	48:6	2 Sam 7:14
Messiah's shed blood is necessary for salvation	47:2,4	Mat 26:28
Son of Man existed before any created thing	48:2-3,6	Ps 102:25-27
Messiah preserves the righteous	48:7	John 17:12
Messiah will be a light unto the nations	48:4	Isa 42:6
Messiah born of a virgin	62:5	Isa 7:14
Jews will deny the Messiah	48:10	John 1:11
Elect One will resurrect from the dead	51:5	John 21:14
The Bible is given to the righteous	104	2 Tim 3:16
The Righteous One will resurrect	92:3	John 21:14
The Righteous One will give eternal life	5:9, 92:4	John 10:28
Man errs respecting time and the calendar	75:2, 82:5,9	Luke 19:44
Angels will never crossbreed again	68:5
Corrupted Bibles will be created	99, 104	Rev 22:18-19
Jude's quotes of Enoch	1:9	Jude 14-15
Everyone will kneel before the Messiah	48:5, 57:3	Phil 2:10
The Rapture (taking out of the midst) occurs	70:2	2 Thes 2:7
Everyone will resurrect	62:5	Rev 20:5
"Valley of the Dry Bones" mentioned	90:4	Ezek 37:4
Years will be shortened	80:2	Mat 24:22
The Rapture & Resurrection are a mystery	103:2	1 Cor 15:51
Rapture before the Tribulation to cause repentance	50:1-5	Dan 12:3
Rapture is mentioned as "the Mercy."	1:8, 5:5	Jude 21
Truth altered in the latter days	104:10-13	Rev 22:18-19
Iran will attack Israel; God sends confusion	56:5-7	Ezek 38-39
Days will be shortened	80:2	Mat 24:22
The moon will change its order	80:4	Rev 6:12-13
There will be blood up to a horse's breast	100:3	Rev 14:20
Millenium mortals & immortals dwell together	39:1	Rev 20:4
There will be 7,000 years of history	93

 

 

References

Johnson, Ken. “The Ancient Book of Enoch”. Defender Publishing