The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish religious work traditionally ascribed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. Although it’s not included in the canonical Jewish or Christian Bibles, it has significantly influenced Jewish and Christian thought.
There are three versions of the Book of Enoch: The First Book of Enoch, also known as the Ethiopic Book of Enoch; the Second Book of Enoch, also called the Slavonic Book of Enoch or the Secrets of Enoch; and the Third Book of Enoch, or the Hebrew Book of Enoch. The original version (1 Enoch) was written in Hebrew and Aramaic and is thought to have been composed between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD.
Some believe the Book of Enoch is a lost book of the Bible that was mistakenly not included with the rest of the collection-inspired books. It is mainly perpetuated because the Bible mentions some verses that are found in the Book of Enoch, specifically Jude Chapter One verses 14 through 15 (Jude 14-15), which says:
“Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
However, this Scripture was included in the Bible because it is true and inspired. Not necessarily because the Book of Enoch is true and inspired.
10 facts about The Book Of Enoch
The Ancient Book of Enoch is a modern English translation of the Book of Enoch. The Ethiopian Coptic Church preserved it in their canon, but we also found it preserved in the New Testament Dead Sea Scrolls. Now I’ll present 10 facts about the Book of Enoch that you probably didn’t know.
1. The book of Enoch mentions Noah
Enoch Chapter Ten, verses one through three, mentions Noah. Even though the Bible teaches that Enoch was taken to heaven years before Noah was born. It says (Enoch 10:1-3):
“And then the Most High, the Great and Holy One, spoke and sent Arsyalalyur to the son of Lamech, and said to him: “Say to him in my name; hide yourself! And reveal to him the end, which is coming, because the whole earth will be destroyed. A deluge is about to come on all the earth, and everything in it will be destroyed. And now teach him so that he may escape and his offspring may survive for the whole Earth.”
Enoch 10:1-3
The Bible never states that Enoch returned to Earth after he was translated to Heaven. So if he wrote the Book of Enoch, how could he have known about Noah and the flood facts?
2. Azazel is blamed for all evil
In the Book of Enoch, Chapter Ten, verses eight through nine, God places all the blame for the corruption on Earth on a demon named Azazel, saying (Enoch 10:8-9):
“And the whole Earth has been ruined by the teaching of the works of Azazel; and against him write: ALL SIN.”
Enoch 10:8-9
The Bible mentions no other demon besides Lucifer, Satan, or the Devil. Not to say there aren’t any other demons. There are, but they’re never named. Satan is the one who is ultimately blamed for the evils of our world because he is the originator of sin. Jesus said in First John, chapter three, verse eight (1 John 3:8):
“The one who does what is sinful is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared to destroy the devil’s work.”
1 John 3:8
3. Demons Repented of their sins
The Book of Enoch Chapter 13, Verses 536 implies that the fallen angels are repentant, stating (Enoch 13:5-6):
“For they were not able, from then on, to speak, and they did not raise their eyes to Heaven, out of shame for the sins they had been condemned. And then I wrote out the record of their petition, their supplication regarding their spirits, and the deeds of each one of them, and what they asked; that they should obtain absolution and forbearance.”
Enoch 13:5-6
The Bible indicates the opposite because it says the fate of Satan and his angels is hellfire. In Matthew chapter 25, verse 41 (Matthew 25:41) states:
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Matthew 25:41
Since the devil and his angels are consigned to hellfire, they are unwilling to repent because everyone who repents their sins is promised deliverance from destruction and hell. Second, Peter, chapter three, verse nine (2 Peter 3:9) says:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9
4. Demons no longer have contact with God
Not only does the last verse, which I read from the Book of Enoch, claim that demons repented. It also states that demons could no longer have contact with God after their initial rebellion, saying that they could not speak with God or lift their eyes to have it. But in Job chapter one, Satan could come directly before God in Heaven and talk to him about Job and his fidelity.
To give you an excerpt of their conversation verses six through nine reads (Job 1:6-9):
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?”
Job 1:6-9
5. Heaven is described differently
The Book of Enoch describes God and heaven, which is entirely unbiblical. The Bible in Revelation Chapter 21 and Verse 21 describes the ground in the city of Heaven as being made of gold. It says (Revelation 21:21),
“The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The city’s great street was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.”
Revelation 21:21
In the Book of Enoch, chapter 14 of Verse 10 (Enoch 14:10) says,
“Its groundwork was of crystal.”
This is one example of the many contradictions the Book of Enoch gives in describing heaven. Compared to the Bible, many more are contained in the Book of Enoch, Chapters 14, verses nine through 25.
6. Angels Cannot Enter Into God’s Presence
The Book of Enoch Chapter 14, Verses 21 through 22 (Enoch 14:21-22) says,
“And no Angel could enter, and at the appearance of the face of Him who is Honoured and Praised, no creature of flesh could look. A sea of fire burnt around Him, and a great fire stood in front of Him, and none of those around Him came near Him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him, but He needed no Holy Council.”
Enoch 14:21-22
Yet Jesus, in speaking of little children, said the exact opposite in Matthew, chapter 18, verse ten (Matthew 18:10), stating,
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 18:10
7. Angels Married Women
The Book of Enoch, Chapters ten and 12, speaks of the Watchers, heavenly angels who came down to earth, married women, and had children with them. Their evil works then corrupted the world, and God sent the flood.
However, this is unbiblical because in Matthew chapter 22, verse 30 (Matthew 22:30), speaking about those who would be raised from the dead at Jesus’s second coming, Jesus said,
“At the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.”
Matthew 22:30
Therefore, angels do not marry. I’ve even spoken to Christians who believe this is what Genesis Chapter Six teaches when it talks about the sons of God marrying the daughters of men. But that is a complete misinterpretation of Scripture. The sons of God represent the followers of God who were the descendants of Seth, and the daughters of men represent worldly women who were the descendants of Cain.
Their union brought corruption to the world because it compromised the faith of the followers of God. That usually happens when a Christian decides to marry someone who is not a believer. Instead of converting their spouse to God, their spouse converts them back to the world. That’s why the Bible discourages marriage with unbelievers.
8. Angels Are Bound in Heaven
In the Book of Enoch, Chapter 21 says, There is a lonely place in heaven where angels are bound for eternity verse nine through ten (Enoch 21:9-10) state:
“Then Uriel, one of the Holy Angels, who was with me, answered me. He answered and said to me: “Enoch, why do you have such fear and terror because of this terrible place, and before this pain?” And he said to me: “This place is the prison of the Angels, and there they will be held forever.”
Enoch 21:9-10
This contradicts Scripture. The Bible states that one-third of the Heavenly Angels were cast out of Heaven with Satan for siding with him in his rebellion and revelation. The Bible never states that fallen angels are bound in heaven in a place of despair. Not to mention, the Bible says that the fate of Satan and His angels is destruction in the Lake of Fire in Matthew chapter 25, verse 41, which will burn on Earth Revelation. Chapter 20, verses seven through ten (Revelation 20:7-10), says,
“When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number, they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Revelation 20:7-10
Notice that this fire rains down from heaven onto the earth, ultimately becoming a lake of fire to destroy Satan and his followers.
9. 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 three through four (Enoch 22:3-4).
Then Raphael, one of the Holy Angels who was with me, answered me and said: These beautiful places are there so that the spirits, the souls of the dead, might be gathered into them. For them, they were created; so that here they might gather the souls of the sons of men. And these places they made, where they will keep them until the Day of Judgment, and until their appointed time, and that appointed time will be long until the great judgment comes upon them.”
Enoch 22:3-4
The Bible makes it clear that the dead are unconscious in the grave. Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6) states,
“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, hate, and jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6
It won’t be until the second coming of Jesus Christ that the dead are raised from the grave to be taken to heaven. First, Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 16 through 17 (Thessalonians 4:16-17) says,
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
Thessalonians 4:16-17
10. There are many scientific contradictions in the Book of Enoch
Many astronomical and meteorological contradictions in the Book of Enoch defy the Bible and modern scientific facts. For example, the Book of Enoch, Chapter 33, verses 1 through 4, states that Enoch mapped and counted all the stars in the sky. However, Jeremiah, chapter 33, verse 22, says, The stars cannot be numbered. It’s a physical impossibility because there are so many of them.
Astronomers estimate there are about 100,000 million stars in the Milky Way alone. Besides that, there are millions upon millions of other galaxies. Also, in the Book of Enoch, Chapter 41 states: The winds, snow, hail, and moon all come off a wooden receptacle in heaven. It is ridiculous, unscientific, and unbiblical.
More important facts you should know:
- The Book of Enoch is considered pseudepigraphical, meaning its claimed authorship is pseudonymous and not written by Enoch.
- The First Book of Enoch contains various complex narratives, including a description of the fall of the angels, prophecies of a global catastrophe and the subsequent divine judgment, and discussions about cosmology and celestial bodies.
- Enoch’s writings influenced early Christian beliefs, particularly regarding the origins of evil, the nature of angels, the messianic kingdom, and eschatological judgment.
- The Book of Enoch is included in the biblical canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, making it one of the few non-biblical texts to have such a status.
- Many of the texts of the Book of Enoch were lost for centuries, and it was only in the 18th century was a complete version of Ge’ez (the liturgical language of Ethiopian churches) discovered in Ethiopia by the explorer James Bruce.
- Fragments of the Book of Enoch were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the ancient Jewish texts discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves near the Dead Sea. This suggests that the book was widely read and respected in the 1st century BC.
- Despite its influence, the Book of Enoch was never included in the Jewish Tanakh or the Christian Bible (except the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible). The reasons for this are unclear, but it may have been due to its controversial content or doubts about its authorship and authenticity.
The Book of Enoch, particularly its depiction of fallen angels and cosmic battles, has strongly influenced modern popular culture, with references found in books, movies, and video games.
Last Words
By now, you may be starting to see why the Book of Enoch was not included in the Bible. It contradicts the Bible. The Book of Enoch often falls into a category of writings called The Pseudo Geographer. That means that the author is not who he claims to be. That makes sense because the Book of Enoch speaks about Noah, and the Bible indicates that Enoch was taken to heaven before Noah’s time.
So it’s much more likely that the Book of Enoch was written by someone else at a later date who falsely claimed that Enoch was the original author. Therefore, the book of Enoch doesn’t have much value for Christians who are trying to learn gospel truths. But Jud may have quoted from it because it was well known at the time, and the passage he quoted contained some inspirational truth. Also, it helped strengthen his case for the gospel. Pardon me if you get any wrong references or quotes.
Read more similar:
Why Stay Away From The Book of Enoch?
Is The Book Of Enoch In The Catholic Bible?
What Does The Book Of Enoch Say About Heaven?
Is It A Sin To Read The Book of Enoch?
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