Evidence that Enoch is Scripture
- The Strongest Evidence
- Direct Quotes in the Canon
- References in Scripture
- Similarities with other Scripture
- Angels Take the Sinners
- The Righteous Shine like the Sun
- The Messiah Chosen
- Messiah was From the Beginning
- The Spirit of Messiah
- Break the Teeth of the Sinners
- The Light of the Gentiles
- Straw in the Fire
- Satan as Accuser
- The Mountains Leap
- The Mountains Will Melt
- The Nations Will Panic
- Fountains of the Waters
- The Fountain of Life
- The Throne of Glory
- His Footstool
- The Jaws of Sheol
- The Summer and the Winter
- The Dead Making Suit
- The Darkness is Past
- Everlasting Life
- Nothing Too Hard for God
- Judgment
- The Rains Withheld
- He Dries Up the Sea
- Lift Up the Horn
- The Word of His Mouth
- They Shall Look on the Other
- The Righteous Taken Away
- Grace to the Righteous
- The Seven Spirits
- The Throne of God
- The Tree of Life
- Weighed in a Balance
- Trusting in Riches
- Where Does Sin Come From?
- United with God
- Can a Man Compare to God?
- Other Points of Interest
- Footnotes
While I believe that most of Enoch is Scripture, I have found what seem to be corruptions and insertions. In particular, the verses where Noah is speaking do not seem to belong to Enoch, and even contradict the rest of the book. I hope to do a separate study on this.
The Strongest Evidence
About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Jude quotes not from anywhere in the canon, but from the Book of Enoch:
And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones To execute judgement upon all, And to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.
Yeshua also apparently referred to Enoch as authoritative, even as Scripture:
But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven.
The canonical scriptures do not speak about angels marrying. The only place I know of where this is addressed is Enoch:
And therefore I have not appointed wives for you; for as for the spiritual ones of the heaven, in heaven is their dwelling.
By saying that the Sadduccees [Zadokites] did not know the scriptures, it would seem that Messiah was implicitly affirming that Enoch is indeed scripture.
Direct Quotes in the Canon
Here are some more instances where the canonical books seem to quote almost verbatim from Enoch:
But for the elect there shall be light and joy and peace, And they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
But the humble shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
And where the resting-place of those who have denied the Lord of Spirits? It had been good for them if they had not been born.
woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.
And in those days shall the earth also give back that which has been entrusted to it, And Sheol also shall give back that which it has received, And hell shall give back that which it owes.
The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.
References in Scripture
When men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them, God’s sons saw that men’s daughters were beautiful, and they took any that they wanted for themselves as wives. [...] The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God’s sons came in to men’s daughters and had children with them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
This account in Genesis doesn’t elaborate on who the sons of God are, which has led to much speculation about these verses. It seems that the writer of Genesis was assuming familiarity with an existing tradition – possibly the book written by Enoch before the flood.
And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.'
The sons of God being angels is consistent with other Scripture:
Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before YHWH, Satan also came among them.
~ Job 1:6
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? [...] What were its foundations fastened on? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.
~ Jude 6
What Jude is referring to is not found in canon, but in Enoch:
bind them [fallen Watchers] fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the day of their judgement and of their consummation, till the judgement that is for ever and ever is consummated.
but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before YHWH to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.
Who is the Azazel mentioned in Scripture? It is never explained, because readers would have been already familiar with the Book of Enoch (written before Leviticus):
And the whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin.
Similarities with other Scripture
I have been collecting similarities between the Book of Enoch and the accepted, canonical Scriptures. Many statements in Enoch have one or two (or more) supporting witnesses in Scripture.
Angels Take the Sinners
In those days the angels shall descend into the secret places And gather together into one place all those who brought down sin And the Most High will arise on that day of judgement To execute great judgement amongst sinners.
The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling and those who do iniquity, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Righteous Shine like the Sun
And they shall not be able to behold the face of the holy, For the Lord of Spirits has caused His light to appear On the face of the holy, righteous, and elect.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
... but now ye shall shine as the lights of heaven, ye shall shine and ye shall be seen, and the portals of heaven shall be opened to you.
Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the expanse. Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever.
The Messiah Chosen
This is the son of Man who hath righteousness, With whom dwelleth righteousness, And who revealeth all the treasures of that which is hidden, Because the Lord of Spirits hath chosen him, And whose lot hath the pre-eminence before the Lord of Spirits in uprightness for ever.
Your throne, God, is forever and ever. A scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
Messiah was From the Beginning
And for this reason hath he been chosen and hidden before Him, before the creation of the world and for evermore.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
The Spirit of Messiah
And in him dwells the spirit of wisdom, And the spirit which gives insight, And the spirit of understanding and of might, And the spirit of those who have fallen asleep in righteousness.
A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit. YHWH’s Spirit will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of YHWH.
With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding. [...] With him is strength and wisdom.
Break the Teeth of the Sinners
And this Son of Man whom thou hast seen Shall raise up the kings and the mighty from their seats, [...] And break the teeth of the sinners.
Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, YHWH.
Arise, YHWH! Save me, my God! For you have struck all of my enemies on the cheek bone. You have broken the teeth of the wicked.
The Light of the Gentiles
He shall be a staff to the righteous whereon to stay themselves and not fall, And he shall be the light of the Gentiles, And the hope of those who are troubled of heart.
I, YHWH, have called you in righteousness. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations, to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.
Now YHWH, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, [...] he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.”
Straw in the Fire
In these days downcast in countenance shall the kings of the earth have become, And the strong who possess the land because of the works of their hands, For on the day of their anguish and affliction they shall not (be able to) save themselves. And I will give them over into the hands of Mine elect: As straw in the fire so shall they burn before the face of the holy: As lead in the water shall they sink before the face of the righteous, And no trace of them shall any more be found. And on the day of their affliction there shall be rest on the earth, And before them they shall fall and not rise again: And there shall be no one to take them with his hands and raise them: For they have denied the Lord of Spirits and His Anointed. The name of the Lord of Spirits be blessed.
Flight will perish from the swift. The strong won’t strengthen his force. The mighty won’t deliver himself.
You shall tread down the wicked; for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make ....
Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust ...
You blew with your wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
There the workers of iniquity are fallen. They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.
The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against YHWH, and against his Anointed ...
Satan as Accuser
And I heard the fourth voice fending off the Satans and forbidding them to come before the Lord of Spirits to accuse them who dwell on the earth.
The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. [...] the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.
He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before YHWH’s angel, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary.
The Mountains Leap
And in those days shall the mountains leap like rams, And the hills also shall skip like lambs satisfied with milk ...
The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs. What was it, you sea, that you fled? You Jordan, that you turned back? You mountains, that you skipped like rams? You little hills, like lambs?
The Mountains Will Melt
And these mountains which thine eyes have seen [...] All these shall be in the presence of the Elect One As wax before the fire, And like the water which streams down from above [upon those mountains], And they shall become powerless before his feet. And it shall come to pass in those days that none shall be saved, Either by gold or by silver, And none be able to escape. And there shall be no iron for war, Nor shall one clothe oneself with a breastplate. Bronze shall be of no service, And tin [shall be of no service and] shall not be esteemed, And lead shall not be desired.
The mountains melt under him, and the valleys split apart like wax before the fire, like waters that are poured down a steep place.
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of YHWH’s wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will make an end, yes, a terrible end, of all those who dwell in the land.
He will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
The Nations Will Panic
But the city of my righteous shall be a hindrance to their horses. And they shall begin to fight among themselves, And their right hand shall be strong against themselves, And a man shall not know his brother, Nor a son his father or his mother, Till there be no number of the corpses through their slaughter, And their punishment be not in vain.
And in those days in one place the fathers together with their sons shall be smitten And brothers one with another shall fall in death Till the streams flow with their blood. For a man shall not withhold his hand from slaying his sons and his sons' sons, And the sinner shall not withhold his hand from his honoured brother: From dawn till sunset they shall slay one another.
It will happen in that day that a great panic from YHWH will be among them; and they will each seize the hand of his neighbor, and his hand will rise up against the hand of his neighbor.
I will call for a sword against him to all my mountains,” says the Lord YHWH. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders will come down, everyone by the sword of his brother.
Fountains of the Waters
And in those days shall punishment come from the Lord of Spirits, and he will open all the chambers of waters which are above the heavens, and of the fountains which are beneath the earth.
And I saw again, and behold fountains were opened on the surface of that great enclosure, and that water began to swell and rise upon the surface [...] And again I saw in the vision till those water torrents were removed from that high roof, and the chasms of the earth were leveled up and other abysses were opened. Then the water began to run down into these, till the earth became visible; but that vessel settled on the earth ...
And on that day were two monsters parted, a female monster named Leviathan, to dwell in the abysses of the ocean over the fountains of the waters.
If He closes the windows of heaven ...
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the sky’s windows opened.
Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?
When there were no depths, I was born, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was born; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there. When he set a circle on the surface of the deep, when he established the clouds above, when the springs of the deep became strong ...
The Fountain of Life
Woe to you who drink water from every fountain, For suddenly shall ye be consumed and wither away, Because ye have forsaken the fountain of life.
For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut out cisterns for themselves: broken cisterns that can’t hold water.
For with you is the spring of life. In your light we will see light.
See also Baruch 3:12-14 in the apocrypha.
The Throne of Glory
And the Lord of Spirits placed the Elect one on the throne of glory.
... he sits on the throne of his glory, And righteousness is judged before him ...
But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
His Footstool
And all the heavens are Thy throne for ever, And the whole earth Thy footstool for ever and ever.
Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build to me? Where will I rest?
The Jaws of Sheol
In those days Sheol shall open its jaws, And they shall be swallowed up therein And their destruction shall be at an end; Sheol shall devour the sinners in the presence of the elect.
Therefore Sheol has enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and he who rejoices among them, descend into it.
As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods. So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.
The Summer and the Winter
Revelations from YHWH seem to only ever mention two seasons.
Behold the summer and the winter, how the whole earth is filled with water, and clouds and dew and rain lie upon it.
While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.
The ravenous birds will eat them in the summer, and all the animals of the earth will eat them in the winter.
It will happen in that day that living waters will go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea. It will be so in summer and in winter.
The Dead Making Suit
And now, behold, the souls of those who have died are crying and making their suit to the gates of heaven, and their lamentations have ascended ...
I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had. They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
And in those days shall have ascended the prayer of the righteous, And the blood of the righteous from the earth before the Lord of Spirits.
YHWH said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.
The Darkness is Past
And after this it shall be said to the holy in heaven That they should seek out the secrets of righteousness, the heritage of faith: For it has become bright as the sun upon earth, And the darkness is past.
Again, I write a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light already shines.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death.
Everlasting Life
And the righteous shall be in the light of the sun. And the elect in the light of eternal life: The days of their life shall be unending, And the days of the holy without number. [...] And there shall be a light that never endeth, And to a limit (lit. 'number') of days they shall not come ...
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the expanse. Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever.
Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Nothing Too Hard for God
For Thou hast made and Thou rulest all things, And nothing is too hard for Thee ...
Ah Lord YHWH! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.
Behold, I am YHWH, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?
Judgment
Blessed is the man who dies in righteousness and goodness, Concerning whom there is no book of unrighteousness written, And against whom no day of judgement shall be found.
Ye shall not have to hide on the day of the great judgement and ye shall not be found as sinners, and the eternal judgement shall be far from you for all the generations of the world.
He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God.
Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
And he sat on the throne of his glory, And the sum of judgement was given unto the Son of Man ...
And he shall judge the secret things, And none shall be able to utter a lying word before him ...
And when he shall lift up his countenance To judge their secret ways according to the word of the name of the Lord of Spirits ...
For there is nothing hidden except that it should be made known, neither was anything made secret but that it should come to light.
Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
Men and Angels Judged Together
And I looked and turned to another part of the earth, and saw there a deep valley with burning fire. And they brought the kings and the mighty, and began to cast them into this deep valley. And there mine eyes saw how they made these their instruments, iron chains of immeasurable weight. [...] And he said unto me: 'These are being prepared for the hosts of Azazel, so that they may take them and cast them into the abyss of complete condemnation, and they shall cover their jaws with rough stones as the Lord of Spirits commanded. And Michael, and Gabriel, and Raphael, and Phanuel shall take hold of them on that great day, and cast them on that day into the burning furnace ...
It will happen in that day that YHWH will punish the army of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth. They will be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and will be shut up in the prison; and after many days they will be visited.
Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels ...
And the Lord of Spirits placed the Elect one on the throne of glory. And he shall judge all the works of the holy above in the heaven, And in the balance shall their deeds be weighed.
Lightening and Judgment
In those days mine eyes saw the secrets of the lightnings, and of the lights, and the judgements they execute (lit. 'their judgement'): and they lighten for a blessing or a curse as the Lord of Spirits willeth. And there I saw the secrets of the thunder, and how when it resounds above in the heaven, the sound thereof is heard, and he caused me to see the judgements executed on the earth, whether they be for well-being and blessing, or for a curse according to the word of the Lord of Spirits.
Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea. For by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance. He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.
Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture. He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning. It is turned around by his guidance, that they may do whatever he commands them on the surface of the habitable world, whether it is for correction, or for his land, or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come.
The Rains Withheld
And in the days of the sinners the years shall be shortened, And their seed shall be tardy on their lands and fields, And all things on the earth shall alter, And shall not appear in their time: And the rain shall be kept back And the heaven shall withhold (it).
And He will summon to testify against you every cloud and mist and dew and rain; for they shall all be withheld because of you from descending upon you, and they shall be mindful of your sins.
They don’t say in their heart, ‘Let’s now fear YHWH our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’ Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you.
Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed.
He Dries Up the Sea
Are not the entire sea and all its waters, and all its movements, the work of the Most High, and has He not set limits to its doings, and confined it throughout by the sand? And at His reproof it is afraid and dries up, and all its fish die and all that is in it ...
Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a wilderness. Their fish stink because there is no water, and die of thirst.
Lift Up the Horn
And thus the Lord commanded the kings and the mighty and the exalted, and those who dwell on the earth, and said: 'Open your eyes and lift up your horns if ye are able to recognize the Elect One.'
I said to the arrogant, “Don’t boast!” I said to the wicked, “Don’t lift up the horn. Don’t lift up your horn on high. Don’t speak with a stiff neck.”
The Word of His Mouth
And the Lord of Spirits seated him on the throne of His glory, And the spirit of righteousness was poured out upon him, And the word of his mouth slays all the sinners, And all the unrighteous are destroyed from before his face.
but he will judge the poor with righteousness, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked. Righteousness will be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his waist.
In righteousness he judges and makes war. [...] Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod.
They Shall Look on the Other
Then shall pain come upon them as on a woman in travail, [And she has pain in bringing forth] When her child enters the mouth of the womb, And she has pain in bringing forth. And one portion of them shall look on the other, And they shall be terrified, And they shall be downcast of countenance, And pain shall seize them, When they see that Son of Man Sitting on the throne of his glory.
They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame.
The Righteous Taken Away
And those who practice righteousness shall die on account of the deeds of men, And be taken away on account of the doings of the godless.
The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is taken away from the evil.
Grace to the Righteous
He will be gracious to the righteous and give him eternal uprightness, And He will give him power so that he shall be (endowed) with goodness and righteousness. And he shall walk in eternal light.
If there is beside him an angel, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man what is right for him, then God is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.’ His flesh will be fresher than a child’s. He returns to the days of his youth. He prays to God, and he is favorable to him, so that he sees his face with joy. He restores to man his righteousness. He sings before men, and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it didn’t profit me. He has redeemed my soul from going into the pit. My life will see the light.’
The Seven Spirits
There is a mystery that is not really answered in the canon: who or what are the seven spirits?
There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
For, behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua: on one stone are seven eyes; behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ says YHWH of Armies, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
For these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are YHWH’s eyes, which run back and forth through the whole earth.
Interestingly, in Enoch there are seven archangels:
And these are the names of the holy angels who watch. Uriel, one of the holy angels, who is over the world and over Tartarus. Raphael, one of the holy angels, who is over the spirits of men. Raguel, one of the holy angels who takes vengeance on the world of the luminaries. Michael, one of the holy angels, to wit, he that is set over the best part of mankind and over chaos. Saraqael, one of the holy angels, who is set over the spirits, who sin in the spirit. Gabriel, one of the holy angels, who is over Paradise and the serpents and the Cherubim. Remiel, one of the holy angels, whom God set over those who rise.
~ Enoch 20
And those seven holy ones brought me and placed me on the earth before the door of my house ...
And I raised mine eyes again to heaven, and I saw in the vision, and behold there came forth from heaven beings who were like white men: and four went forth from that place and three with them.
And the Lord called those men the seven first white ones, and commanded that they should bring before Him...
The Throne of God
And I looked and saw therein a lofty throne: its appearance was as crystal, and the wheels thereof as the shining sun, and there was the vision of cherubim. And from underneath the throne came streams of flaming fire so that I could not look thereon. And the Great Glory sat thereon, and His raiment shone more brightly than the sun and was whiter than any snow. None of the angels could enter and could behold His face by reason of the magnificence and glory and no flesh could behold Him. The flaming fire was round about Him, and a great fire stood before Him, and none around could draw nigh Him: ten thousand times ten thousand (stood) before Him, yet He needed no counselor. And the most holy ones who were nigh to Him did not leave by night nor depart from Him.
And my spirit saw the girdle which girt that house of fire, And on its four sides were streams full of living fire, And they girt that house. And round about were Seraphin, Cherubic, and Ophannin: And these are they who sleep not And guard the throne of His glory. And I saw angels who could not be counted, A thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, Encircling that house.
Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above. I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of YHWH’s glory.
Then I looked, and see, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
I watched until thrones were placed, and one who was Ancient of Days sat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came out from before him. Thousands of thousands ministered to him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment was set. The books were opened.
He covers himself with light as with a garment.
Sea of Glass
And I went into the tongues of fire and drew nigh to a large house which was built of crystals: and the walls of the house were like a tesselated floor (made) of crystals, and its groundwork was of crystal.
They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness.
Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the middle of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.
Angels around the Throne
Its ceiling was like the path of the stars and the lightnings, and between them were fiery cherubim, and their heaven was (clear as) water.
And He will summon all the host of the heavens, and all the holy ones above, and the host of God, the Cherubic, Seraphin and Ophannin, and all the angels of power, and all the angels of principalities, and the Elect One ...
And round about were Seraphin, Cherubic, and Ophannin: And these are they who sleep not And guard the throne of His glory.
Then I looked, and see, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew.
Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, there was one wheel [ophan] on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.
Note: “Ophannin” comes from the Hebrew word ophan, meaning wheel!
The Tree of Life
From its fruits life will be given to the chosen; it will be planted towards the north, in a holy place, towards the house of the Lord, the Eternal King.
To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of my God.
Weighed in a Balance
And after that I saw all the secrets of the heavens, and how the kingdom is divided, and how the actions of men are weighed in the balance.
And he shall judge all the works of the holy above in the heaven, And in the balance shall their deeds be weighed.
... you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
All one’s ways may be pure in one’s own eyes, but YHWH weighs the spirit.
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but YHWH weighs the hearts.
If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it?
Trusting in Riches
Woe to you, ye rich, for ye have trusted in your riches, And from your riches shall ye depart, Because ye have not remembered the Most High in the days of your riches.
He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
Where Does Sin Come From?
Even so sin has not been sent upon the earth, But man of himself has created it, And under a great curse shall they fall who commit it.
Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death.
United with God
For I and My son will be united with them for ever in the paths of uprightness in their lives; and ye shall have peace: rejoice, ye children of uprightness.
Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Can a Man Compare to God?
For who is there of all the children of men that is able to hear the voice of the Holy One without being troubled? And who can think His thoughts? and who is there that can behold all the works of heaven? And how should there be one who could behold the heaven, and who is there that could understand the things of heaven and see a soul or a spirit and could tell thereof, or ascend and see all their ends and think them or do like them? And who is there of all men that could know what is the breadth and the length of the earth, and to whom has been shown the measure of all of them? Or is there any one who could discern the length of the heaven and how great is its height, and upon what it is founded, and how great is the number of the stars, and where all the luminaries rest?
All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance. They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.”
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says YHWH. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?
Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
They are high as heaven. What can you do? They are deeper than Sheol. What can you know?
~ Job 11:8
Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
YHWH brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So your offspring will be.”
Other Points of Interest
Here I present some other aspects of Enoch that agree with Scripture.
The Animal Prophecy
Enoch chapters 85 to 90 contain an epic prophecy about the history of the chosen people. As it’s a long prophecy, I will not reproduce it here. But the interesting thing is that there are at least a few sections in the canon that are remarkably similar to Enoch’s animal prophecy: Isaiah 56:9-12, Ezekiel 34, and Ezekiel 39:17-18. I also won’t reproduce these here in full, but I recommend studying them and comparing them to Enoch.
... and those wild beasts began to tear in pieces those sheep. And I saw that He forsook that their house and their tower and gave them all into the hand of the lions, to tear and devour them, into the hand of all the wild beasts.
Is my heritage to me as a speckled bird of prey? Are the birds of prey against her all around? Go, assemble all the animals of the field. Bring them to devour.
All you animals of the field, come to devour, all you animals in the forest.
They were scattered, because there was no shepherd. They became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered. [...] “As I live,” says the Lord YHWH, “surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field ...
The Calendar
The Book of Enoch is the only place in Scripture where the calendar is given. See Enoch chapters 72 to 80.
When describing the feast days, the books of Torah assumed that the readers were already familiar with the calendar. This makes sense when we consider that the Book of Enoch had already been written a long time before Moses received the Torah.
30-Day Months
In Enoch the calendar is described as being divided into 12 months of 30 days each, totaling 360 days, plus four intercalary days that divide the year:
... and for the three hundred and sixty (days) there are heads over thousands who divide the days; and for the four intercalary days there are the leaders which sunder the four parts of the year.
And the year is accurately completed in conformity with their world-stations and the stations of the sun, which rise from the portals through which it (the sun) rises and sets 30 days.
... the reckoning of all their days in which the sun traverses the heaven, entering into and departing from the portals for thirty days with the heads of thousands of the order of the stars, together with the four which are intercalated which divide the four portions of the year ...
A month is also 30 days in the canon:
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the sky’s windows opened.
The waters continually receded from the earth. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters receded. The ship rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on Ararat’s mountains.
150 days passed. Two days later (accounting for intercalary days in months 3 and 6) marked the completion of 5 months. This is not possible in the lunar calendar, based on moon cycles, where each month has 29.5 days on average. Five months in that system would be 147 or 148 days.
They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months. I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.
It is really incredible that Scripture is so consistent with itself!
The Law
Consistent with other Scripture (and the words of Messiah), in Enoch the law is eternal. See my study on the law.
Dan
When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his three hundred eighteen trained men, born in his house, and pursued as far as Dan.
It has been remarked1 that the mention of “Dan” here is anachronistic, as the allocation for the tribe of Dan did not yet exist, nor did the city of Dan (see Judges 18:29). Interestingly, Enoch also mentions this place called Dan!
And I went off and sat down at the waters of Dan, in the land of Dan, to the south of the west of Hermon
Scriptural Geography
There are other geographical descriptions in Enoch that are very consistent with Scripture. I’ve explored this aspect as part of my study on Terre de Iesso.