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On the Book of EnochThe book of Enoch is a unique document. Originally it was thought to have been a Christian document, however, fragments of the text were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Translator Joseph Lumpkin suggests, “The Scrolls forced a closer look and reconsideration. It became obvious that the New Testament did not influence the Book of Enoch; on the contrary, the Book of Enoch influenced the New Testament” (Lumpkin, The Books of Enoch). The following comments come from “The Reluctant Messenger” website:
“The Book of Enoch was extant centuries before the birth of Christ and yet is considered by many to be more Christian in its theology than Jewish. It was considered scripture by many early Christians. The earliest literature of the so-called 'Church Fathers' is filled with references to this mysterious book. The early second century 'Epistle of Barnabus' makes much use of the Book of Enoch. Second and Third Century 'Church Fathers' like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origin and Clement of Alexandria all make use of the Book of Enoch. Tertullian (160-230 C.E) even called the Book of Enoch 'Holy Scripture'. The Ethiopic Church even added the Book of Enoch to its official canon. It was widely known and read the first three centuries after Christ. This and many other books became discredited after the Council of Laodicea. And being under ban of the authorities, afterwards it gradually passed out of circulation.” (reluctant-messenger.com/enoch.htm).
It appears that two obstacles interceded against canonizing the Book of Enoch: it was left out of the Hebrew Bible, likely because it was a new text at the time of the compiling of the Septuagint with a heavy mystical and apocalyptic emphasis, and later, it was closely associated with Christian thought. The book is full of information more likely to distract than edify. Between the Book of Revelations and the Book of Daniel, Christians have had enough fuel to keep the end time prophets in business until the Lord returns. It contains a large body of information concerning demons and angelic principalities which is interesting, if true, but is of limited practical use.
The book's importance to the writers of the New Testament does make it a good research tool for some studies. It can give us added clues to the understanding of Jesus and the first century Christians. Lumpkin adds, “It was not only Jesus who used phrases or ideas from Enoch, there are over 100 comments in the Testament which find prcedence in the Book of Enoch” (Lumpkin, The Books of Enoch). It proved quite valuable to me in my research on the book of Job. The table which follows may help to give the reader an understanding of how influencial the book was. Ideas, phrases and quotes from the Book of Enoch are used by Jesus, John, Peter, Paul and Jude. As noted in the quote above, many of the church fathers additionally used this work.
| The Book of Enoch | The Bible |
|---|---|
| Enoch 2:1 − Behold, he comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon them, and destroy the wicked, and reprove all the carnal for everything which the sinful and ungodly have done, and committed against him. | Jude 1:14-15 − And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” |
| Enoch 50:2,4&5 − He shall select the righteous and holy from among them; for the day of their salvation has approached... In those days the mountains shall skip like rams, and the hills shall leap like young sheep satiated with milk; and all the righteous shall become like angels in heaven. Their countenance shall be bright with joy; for in those days shall the Elect One be exalted. The earth shall rejoice; the righteous shall inhabit it, and the elect possess it. | Luke 21:28 − And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Matthew 22:30 − For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. Matthew 13:43 − Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. |
| Enoch 93:7 − Woe to those who build up their houses with crime; for from their very foundations shall their houses be demolished, and by the sword shall they themselves fall. Those, too, who acquire gold and silver, shall justly and suddenly perish. Woe to you who are rich, for in your riches have you trusted; but from your riches you shall be removed; because you have not remembered the Most High in the days of your prosperity. | James 5:1 − Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
Luke 6:24 − But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. |
| Enoch 96:6,7&25 − Woe unto you, sinners, who in the midst of the sea, and on dry land, are those against whom an evil record exists. Woe to you who squander silver and gold, not obtained in righteousness, and say, We are rich, possess wealth, and have acquired everything which we can desire. Now then will we do whatsoever we are disposed to do; for we have amassed silver; our barns are full, and the husbandmen of our families are like overflowing water....To them there shall be no peace; but they shall surely die suddenly. | Luke 7:16-21 − the parable of the rich man whose barns where full. |
| Enoch 105:26 − I will place each of them on a throne of glory | Matthew 19:28 − ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones |
| Enoch 38:2 − where will the habitation of sinners be? And where the place of rest for those who have rejected the Lord of spirits? It would have been better for them, had they never been born. | Matthew 26:24 − woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. |
| Enoch 19:2 − so that they sacrificed to devils as to gods. | 1 Corinthians 10:20 − they sacrifice to devils, and not to God |
| Enoch 46:2 − This is the Son of man, ...and who will reveal all the treasures of that which is concealed | Colosians 2:3 − In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. |
| Enoch 9:3&4 − Then they said to their Lord, the King, You are Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings. The throne of your glory is for ever and ever, and for ever and ever is your name sanctified and glorified. You are blessed and glorified. You have made all things; you possess power over all things; and all things are open and manifest before you. You behold all things, and nothing can be concealed from you. | Revelations 17:14 − he is Lord of lords, and King of kings Revelations 4:11 − Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. |
| Enoch 24:10&11 − ...The sweet odor shall enter into their bones; and they shall live a long life on the earth as your forefathers have lived; neither in their days shall sorrow, distress, trouble, and punishment afflict them. And I blessed the Lord of glory, the everlasting King, because He has prepared this tree for the saints, formed it, and declared that He would give it to them. | Revelations 2:7 − To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelations 22:2 − on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. |
| Enoch 60:13 − all the angels of power, and all the angels of the Lords, namely, of the Elect One | 2 Thessalonians 1:7 − the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels |
| Enoch 45:4&5 − In that day I will cause my Elect One to dwell in the midst of them; will change the face of heaven; will bless it, and illuminate it for ever. I will also change the face of the earth, will bless it; and cause those whom I have elected to dwell upon it. | Revelations 7:15 − he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 2 Peter 3:13 − Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. |
| Enoch 92:17 − The former heaven shall depart and pass away; a new heaven shall appear | Revelations 21:1 − And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away |
| Enoch 61:4-9 − The word of his mouth shall destroy all the sinners and all the ungodly, who shall perish at his presence. In that day shall all the kings, the princes, the exalted, and those who possess the earth, stand up, behold, and perceive, that he is sitting on the throne of his glory; that before him the saints shall be judged in righteousness; And that nothing, which shall be spoken before him, shall be spoken in vain. Trouble shall come upon them, as upon a woman in travail, whose labour is severe, when her child comes to the mouth of the womb, and she finds it difficult to bring forth. One portion of them shall look upon another. They shall be astonished, and shall humble their countenance; And trouble shall seize them, when they shall behold this Son of woman sitting upon the throne of his glory. | 2 Thessalonians 2:8 − And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 − For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. |
| Enoch 46:5-7 − I beheld that valley in which there was great perturbation, and where the waters were troubled. And when all this was effected, from the fluid mass of fire, and the perturbation which prevailed in that place, there arose a strong smell of sulphur, which became mixed with the waters; and the valley of the angels, who had been guilty of seduction, burned underneath its soil. The perturbation which prevailed. Through that valley also rivers of fire were flowing, to which those angels shall be condemned, who seduced the inhabitants of the earth. | Matthew 13:42 − And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:41 − Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels Revelations 20:10 − And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone |
| Enoch 48:1-7 − In that place I beheld a fountain of righteousness, which never failed, encircled by many springs of wisdom. Of these all the thirsty drank, and were filled with wisdom, having their habitation with the righteous, the elect, and the holy. In that hour was this Son of man invoked before the Lord of spirits, and his name in the presence of the Ancient of days. Before the sun and the signs were created, before the stars of heaven were formed, his name was invoked in the presence of the Lord of spirits. A support shall he be for the righteous and the holy to lean upon, without falling; and he shall be the light of nations. He shall be the hope of those whose hearts are troubled. All, who dwell on earth, shall fall down and worship before him; shall bless and glorify him, and sing praises to the name of the Lord of spirits. Therefore the Elect and the Concealed One existed in his presence, before the world was created, and for ever. In his presence he existed, and has revealed to the saints and to the righteous the wisdom of the Lord of spirits; for he has preserved the lot of the righteous, because they have hated and rejected this world of iniquity, and have detested all its works and ways, in the name of the Lord of spirits. For in his name shall they be preserved; and his will shall be their life. In those days shall the kings of the earth and the mighty men, who have gained the world by their achievements, become humble in countenance. | John 4:14 − But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Revelations 21:6 − I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely |
| Enoch 104:7&8 − Now will I point out a mystery: Many sinners shall turn and transgress against the word of uprightness. They shall speak evil things; they shall utter falsehood | 1 Timothy 4:1&2 − Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy |
Three seperate and varied versions exist. The first was found in the eighteenth century in Ethiopia. A second version was found in the archives of the Belgrade Public Library. The first is a Ethiopian translation. The second is a Slavonic translation, probably from a Greek translation. And finally, a third version has been compiled from Hebrew and Aramaic fragments. The Ethiopian “First Book of Enoch” is considered the most complete and reliable.
