What Does The Bible Say About Enoch
From the Bible, we know that Enoch was Adams great-great-great-great grandson who lived a holy and faithful life to the Lord . He also becomes the father of Methuselah, the longest-living man . Throughout his three-plus centuries on earth, he has numerous other offspring.
After 365 years on earth, God takes away . The verb for take appears to mean snatched up or carried away. Perhaps similar to the way God had taken away Elijah the prophet.
We see Enoch later in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, listed with the other greats such as Abraham.
Because of his great faith, he appears to escape death.
But why? The other greats in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith had to experience death. Why did this enigmatic figure get away from it .
First, as argued here, Enoch is an example of what will happen during the rapture. During this event, God will take believers into heaven during the End Times.
Christians differ in opinion as to where exactly the Rapture will take place during the End Times timeline , but at one point during the End Times, God will rapture believers, just as he had with Enoch.
Second, Enoch lived a few hundred years before the Flood. We see the inhabitants of the earth descend into utter moral depravity during this time period.
Third, we see a faithful man living amongst a wicked generation, like Elijah during the time of Ahab.
Elijah is the only prophet of God left , outnumbered by 450 prophets of the enemy.
The Real Reason The Book Of Enoch Isn’t In The Bible
Like with most freelance writing projects, the Bible had plenty of excited contributors and a finite amount of space. Not everything could make the cut. Big ticket mysteries like the Infancy Gospels, the Odes of Solomon, and banger of bangers, the Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrneans, all wound up disappearing completely from the final product.
One of the more conspicuously absent members of the list is the Book of Enoch, an ancient Hebrew text purportedly penned by the great-grandfather of Noah and seventh generation descendant of Adam. Enoch lived a short life by Old Testament standards, giving a “Good day, sir” to his mortal coil at just 365 years young. Still, as one of the pre-deluge patriarchs, you’d think that it would be a good idea to keep a copy of his thoughts on matters, even in the face of his puckish, youthful, tri-centennial point of view. So why didn’t the Book of Enoch make it into the Bible proper?
Overview Of First Enoch
The first book of Enoch has five sections. James H. Charlesworth outlines the book as follows:
1. Book of the Watchers 2. Book of the Similitudes 3. Book of the Astronomical Writings 4. Book of the Dream Visions 5. Book of the Epistle of Enoch
Chapters 1-5 provide a short introduction of Enoch and speak to the major themes of rewards, punishment, the end of the world and final judgment. Book 1 includes chapters 6-36 and is primarily about angels, the Tree of Life, Jerusalem, and the universe. Book 2 includes chapters 37-71 and deals with the One, the Son of God, or the Messiah, resurrection, the flood, Noah, future judgment, and paradise. Book 3 includes chapters 72-82 which deal with the stars, moon, astronomy, the universe, and Enochs mission. Book IV includes chapters 83-90 which concern predictions about the flood, a historical sketch, the future of Israel, and the messianic kingdom. Book V includes chapters 91-105 that deal with various challenges for the wicked and righteous. The concluding chapters of 106-108 discuss the sin after the flood until the coming of the Messiah.
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Why Was The Book Of Enoch Removed
Just because the Book of Enoch is attributed to Enoch does not mean that it is written by him, inspired by God, or that it should be in the Bible. It is interesting to note that no scholars truly believe the Book of Enoch was actually written by Enoch himself.
Not only is the Book of Enoch considered to be a Pseudepigraphal writing, it is also considered to be an Apocryphal writing. “Apocryphal writings” mean that it should be true and correct, but it is in fact false and often historically inaccurate. When reading Apocryphal texts, they should be treated as fallible historical texts. In contrast, the Bible should be treated as the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God.
You can read a copy of the Book of Enoch here. But please do so with caution and discernment. Jim Hamilton, a Professor of Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary says All students of the Bible would do well to acquaint themselves with 1 Enoch, as it provides a fascinating look into the way that the OT was interpreted in the years prior to the birth of Jesus. Especially significant is what appears to be the books messianic interpretation of Daniels son of man.
Souls Are Reserved In Heaven
The Book of Enoch chapter 22 verses 1 through 2 speaks of a place in heaven made of rock with deep hollow places verses 3 through 4 reads then Raphael answered one of the Holy Angels who was with me and said unto me these hollow places had been created for this very purpose that the spirits of the souls of the dead should assemble therein yay that all the souls of the children of men should assemble here.
The Bible clarifies that the dead are unconscious in the gray Ecclesiastes chapter 9 verses five through six states for the living know that they shall die. Still, the dead know nothing, nor have they a reward for their memory is forgotten. They have not been than a small portion of everything thats done under the Sun. Also, their love and their hatred, and their envy now perish.
It wont be until the second coming of Jesus Christ that the dead are raised from the grave to be taken to heaven. First Thessalonians chapters four and verses 16-17 declare that the Lord himself will descend from heaven shouting with the sound from the Archangel and also with the sound of the trumpet. Trump, that is, the trump of God or the dead of Christ, will rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
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Sidebar : Books Within The Book
Enoch is long by ancient standardsabout the same length as Isaiah or Genesisand contains several sections written at different times. These are commonly divided into 108 chapters as follows:
1. The Book of the Watchers : Enoch receives a vision of judgment along with a blessing on the righteous. We learn how angels known as Watchers took human wives and corrupted mankind. Enoch is taken on spiritual journeys.
2. The Parables of Enoch : Enoch receives a vision with a series of parables or similitudese.g., parallels between heaven and earth or between earths first judgment and its final judgment. This section wasnt found among the Dead Sea Scrolls and may have been the last written, though not later than the first century A.D. It is also called the Similitudes of Enoch.
3. The Astronomical Book : Enoch receives heavenly wisdom about the sun, moon, and stars as well as the calendar God wants the Israelites to use. Also called the Book of Luminaries.
4. The Dream Visions : Enoch relates visions he received in dreams before his marriage. One concerns a universal cataclysm. The other depicts world history in an allegory using animals. Sheep represent the Israelites, and other animals represent their oppressors. Also called the Book of Dreams and the Animal Apocalypse.
Which Bible Has The Book Of Enoch
The book of Enoch is not found in the most canon of the western Churches, it is not found in any of the denominations either. the Canonical and the Apocrypha Books of the Old and New Testament were classified differently based on the acceptance by the Jews and the Christians and based on citations by the writers of the Bible. In the category of Lost books cited by the writers of the Bible, we have the Book of Enoch.
The Book of Enoch is one of the canons of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The fact that this book is not part of the Western Church canon doesnt make it less unique. It has been quoted by most writers of the bible and it gave an accurate vision of heaven.
Because the Ethiopic Book of Enoch was discovered in Ethiopia, the people or the believers in Ethiopia believed that the book was originally written in Geez that means the original manuscripts are in Geez language which means that the writer may be from Ethiopia. The various scholars from Europe disagree with this and it must have been translated to Geez from the Aramaic language just like the book of Daniel.
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Book Of Enoch Is Not Scripture
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has recognized the book of Enoch as Scripture. But the book of Enoch was never referred to by Jesus or any of the New Testament writers as Scripture, and the book was not included in the New Testament by the apostles. It is commonly misunderstood that the content of the Bible evolved over time. But the New Testament clearly tells us that the apostles were identifying Scripture as it was being written . The New Testament books were being distributed by the apostles to the various churches to be read . By the time the apostles died, the New Testament had been written and its books were known. The Muratorian Fragment and several of the early fathers have left us a list of books that were identified as belonging to the New Testament. The book of Enoch was never included in the Roman Catholic or Protestant Bibles. Some books were challenged later but never with success.
Can The Book Of Enoch Be Trusted
If Jude called Enoch a prophet and he used his writings then we to can trust all of Enochs writings and use them. If they were NOT scripture or divine Jesus or Jude would NEVER had used them nor would Jesuss apostles. The book of Enoch was qouted over 122 in the New testament alone and trully can be trusted.
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Did King James Change The Bible
In 1604, Englands King James I authorized a new translation of the Bible aimed at settling some thorny religious differences in his kingdomand solidifying his own power. But in seeking to prove his own supremacy, King James ended up democratizing the Bible instead. King James I of England, 1621.
Names Of The Fallen Angels
Some of the fallen angels that are given in 1 Enoch have other names, such as Rameel , who becomes Azazel, and is also called Gadriel in Chapter 68. Another example is that Araqiel becomes Aretstikapha in Chapter 68.
Azaz, as in Azazel, means strength, so the name Azazel can refer to ‘strength of God’. But the sense in which it is used most probably means ‘impudent’ , which results in ‘arrogant to God’. This is also a key point in modern thought that Azazel is Satan.Also important in this identification is the fact that the original name Rameel, is very similar in meaning to the word Lucifer which is a common Latin name of Satan in Christianity.
Nathaniel Schmidt states “the names of the angels apparently refer to their condition and functions before the fall,” and lists the likely meanings of the angels’ names in the Book of Enoch, noting that “the great majority of them are Aramaic.”
The name suffix -el means ‘God’ , and is used in the names of high-ranking angels. The archangels’ names all include -el, such as Uriel and Michael .
Another name is given as Gadreel, who is said to have tempted Eve Schmidt lists the name as meaning ‘the helper of God.’
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Why Is The Book Of Enoch Not In The Bible
Q: Why is the book of Enoch not included in the Bible canon of 66 books? Im watching a documentary on the History Channel about this book and am learning some very interesting things, such as angels having sex with women on Earth. If the book of Enoch is so deep in portraying things in the spiritual realm, why was it excluded from the Bible? Im 19 years old and recently joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Sidney, from South Africa
A: Thank you for your question, Sidney, and Im so glad that the Lord has led you to join this wonderful movement of more than 19 million members around the world who believe the Bible and are looking forward to Jesus soon return! Im also glad that you are eager to learn more but would caution you that the place to find truth is in Gods Word the Bible. While the History Channel has many interesting programs, it is not necessarily the place to find Gods truth.
Regarding your specific question on the book of Enoch, Dr. Gerhard Pfandl, from the Biblical Research Institute, lists the following reasons for why this pseudepigraphal book isnt included in the biblical canon:
1. The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, was written about 450 B.C. Enoch was written in the first century B.C. Jews believed that inspiration ceased with Malachi. They did not consider the book of Enoch inspired.
3. The book of Enoch is not in harmony with the rest of Scripture. Here are some examples:
d. In chapter 13, Enoch intercedes for Azazel.
Book Of Enoch Outline
The book of Enoch speaks of the origins of demons and Nephilim, why some angels fell from heaven, and why the Genesis flood was needed. It also gives a prophetic exposition of the thousand-year reign of the Messiah. This book has five major parts:
The first part presents the fall of the Watchers, the angels who fathered the Nephilim. The rest of the book presents Enochs revelations and his visits to heaven in the form of travels, visions, and dreams. It also includes The Apocalypse of Weeks, which is a brief recounting of human history as a series of weeks. And 1 Enoch contains excerpts of the Book of Noah, which is a non-extant Old Testament pseudepigraphal work, attributed to Noah. Most scholars believe that these five sections were independent writings and were later redacted into what is now called 1 Enoch.
You can read the Book of Enoch online.
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Enoch And The Son Of Man
If Jesus is the Son of God, why did he also refer to himself as the Son of Man? Many have suggested it was a way of emphasizing his humanity alongside his divinity.
Thus, in the second century, the Church Father Irenaeus of Lyons wrote: The Son of God became the Son of Man so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God .
But there is likely more to the title Son of Man than that. Scholars have noted that Daniel 7:13 depicts the Son of Man as a heavenly figure, one like a son of man who comes with the clouds of heaven to be presented before God.
This is suggested in Enoch, where we read about a heavenly Son of Man who is described as the Chosen One, the Righteous One, and the Messiah.
He existed before time, for he was concealed in the presence of prior to the creation of the world, and for eternity. And he has revealed the wisdom of the Lord of the Spirits to the righteous and the holy ones .
The Son of Man will become a staff for the righteous ones in order that they may lean on him and not fall. He is the light of the gentiles. . . . All those who dwell upon the earth shall fall and worship before him .
This will happen at the resurrection of the dead. God says that the Son of Man shall choose the righteous and the holy ones from among , for the day when they shall be selected and saved has arrived. In those days, shall sit on my throne .
What Is The Book Of Enoch
The Book of Enoch is considered to have been written by Enoch, the seventh from Adam. It is considered an apocryphal book as well as a part of the Pseudepigrapha , although it is not a part of the canonical Apocrypha.
Once considered to be of Christian origin because of its obvious references to Christ, ten fragments of The Book of Enoch have been found at Qumran in the Dead Sea Scrolls, it is known to have existed in its present form since at least the 2nd Century BC.
The book was believed to have been composed by Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. Most critics and scholars believe it was begun in the second century BC and was a collection of works that includes writings for the first century BC as well. Some believe it contains the actual words of Enoch and that it was handed down through the ages. There is no real way to know for certain if that is so. The only thing we know for certain is that fragments of the book date back to the 2nd century BC.
It is generally believed that the Apostles and the writers of the New Testament were fully aware of the Book of Enoch also called 1 Enoch. In fact, it is directly quoted in the Bible:
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