- What is the book of Enoch and who is Enoch?
The book of Enoch is one of several pseudepigraphal,
falsely-ascribed works,
books whose claimed authorship is unsubstantiated,
publications that claim to be written by Enoch.
In verse 14 and 15, the Biblical book of Jude
includes a quote from the book of Enoch.
This prophecy originates from the book of one Enoch.
The fact that he's quoting authoritatively from a work
that is not considered to be part of the canon
brings up some apparent issues.
Jude 14 to 15, Amplified Bible.
"It was about these people that Enoch,
in the seventh generation from Adam,
prophesied when he said,
'Look, the Lord came with myriads of his holy ones
to execute judgment upon all,
and to convict all the ungodly
of all the ungodly deeds they have done in an ungodly way,
and of all the harsh and cruel things
ungodly sinners have spoken against him.'"
This does not, however, prove that the book of Enoch
is divinely inspired or that it should be included
in the canon of sacred writings known as the Bible.
It's not the only quote in the Bible that is borrowed
from a source that is not itself a part of the Bible.
Jude's quote is only one example.
Even if the Apostle Paul makes a passing mention
of the works of Epimenides in Titus 1:12,
this does not imply we should give their writing
any additional weight of authority
than they already possess.
One may make the same argument
about verse 14 and 15 of Jude.
Even though Jude quotes from the book of Enoch,
this does not demonstrate
that all of those quotations are inspired or even authentic.
Rather, it merely demonstrates
that the verse in question is accurate.
It's important for us to treat the book of Enoch,
and other works that are comparable to it,
in the same manner that we approach other texts
that are regarded to be apocryphal.
If you decide to read these books, you need to keep in mind
that they are not the authorized word of God,
which is divinely inspired and written by God Himself.
There is no other book, save the Bible, that may claim
to be the divinely inspired and authoritative word of God.
Who exactly is this Enoch character anyway?
There are four different men in the Bible named Enoch.
However, it should be noted
that only the NIV gives the name Hanoch
while other translations use the name Enoch.
Hanoch in Hebrew translates to Enoch, Genesis 4:17 and 5:18.
Some translations use a different spelling,
such as Hancock or Hanock.
The first Enoch was the child of Cain.
Genesis 4:17, Amplified Bible,
"Cain knew his wife, one of Adam's descendants,
and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch.
And Cain built a city and named it Enoch
after the name of his son."
The second Enoch was son of Jared.
Genesis 5:18 Amplified Bible, "When Jared was 162 years old,
he became the father of Enoch."
The third Enoch was the son of Midian.
Genesis 25:4, Amplified Bible,
"The sons of Midian were Ephah,
Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah.
All these were the sons of Keturah."
The fourth Enoch was son of Reuben.
Genesis 46:9, Amplified Bible,
"The sons of Reuben, Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi."
God is able to demonstrate this enormous power through us
in ways that are stunning.
But the question that we all need to answer is,
am I truly loyal to God
and committed to Him the way that He is committed to me?
The Bible portrays a number of people
whose responses to God's love for them were one
of heartfelt thanks, unwavering devotion, and intense zeal.
Because of this, there are many wonderful displays
of His enormous might through them.
Enoch, one of the ways that we grow in the kingdom is
to press for direct encounters with God through His word
and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
But another way is to follow carefully,
and to learn from those who have gone ahead,
either historically or currently alive.
Hebrews 6:12, New International Version,
"We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who
through faith and patience, inherit what has been promised."
This suggests that one of the ways we press
towards the things of God, and one of the ways
that we grow spiritually is to find models and references
who have been able to, through their lives,
capture rich dimensions of God in order to study them.
This is one of the ways that we grow spiritually.
Genesis 5:21, "When Enoch had lived 65 years
he became the father of Methuselah."
And from our Bible knowledge,
we know that this son of Methuselah
was the oldest living man, as recorded in scripture.
Jude asserts that the Enoch prophesied
that the Lord would bring wrath
against them in the near future.
In the days of Noah, there was widespread moral corruption.
There lived a man named Enoch who walked with God
and prophesied about the impending judgment.
This prophecy was unwritten as it was absent from the Bible.
Now there is significant fact about Enoch
that concerns us in this brief description.
This is found in Genesis chapters 5:22 and then 24.
The Bible says that Enoch walked with God.
Enoch is a breath of fresh air in an age
when the majority of his contemporaries
just possessed the record of their birth
and the offspring they also gave birth to.
In the history books, Enoch was introduced like others,
but despite the fact that he didn't live as long
as some of the other men, his testimony is eye catching.
According to the Bible,
he had a close relationship with God.
And when the time came for him to depart from this world,
God simply whisked him away
without the traditional stages of dying.
This explanation is concise,
but packed with heft and substance.
This translates into something
about his relationship with God being completely pure.
His life has provided a template
for so many people throughout different generations,
as it teaches us to live for the audience of one.
He imparts this knowledge to us in a subtle manner,
knowing that if we pursue a deep communion
and fellowship with God and all of our heart,
we shall have a fresh encounter with God
as a result of our efforts.
"And Jared lived an 160 and two years and he begat Enoch,
and Jared lived after he begat Enoch 800 years,
and begat sons and daughters.
And all the days of Jared were 960 and two years,
and he died.
And Enoch lived 60 and five years and begat Methuselah.
And Enoch walked with God
after he begat Methuselah 300 years,
and begat sons and daughters.
And all the days of Enoch were 360 and five years.
And Enoch walked with God and he was not,
for God took him," Genesis 5:18 24.
The instance of Enoch was the first rapture
that was ever documented because God simply took him.
It's possible that the fellowship reached
such a high level that the presence of God
simply engulfed him and carried him away.
In the book of Hebrews, there is discussion
of people who did not deserve to live in this world.
Hebrews 11:5-6, "By faith, Enoch was taken away,
so that he did not see death and was not found,
because God had taken him.
For before he was taken, he had his testimony,
that he pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him.
For who comes to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
To whoever is much invested into,
much is undoubtedly anticipated to be returned.
But when we despise His power,
then it's only a matter of time before we are so limited
that all aspects of our lives are coated in weakness.
This is a great comfort to know
that God will always prepare adequately and abundantly
for His own and that He will tenderly watch over us
'til we blossom in every miraculous way.
2 Chronicles 16:9, Amplified Bible,
"For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro
throughout the Earth so that He may support
those whose heart is completely His.
You have acted foolishly in this.
Therefore, from now on you'll have wars."
Therefore, regardless of
how freely the Father bestows his blessings upon us
in order to facilitate our development,
the only thing He truly wants from us is a sincere
and unaffected response to the love that He bestows upon us.
John 4:23-24, Amplified Bible,
"But a time is coming and is already here
when the true worshipers will worship the Father
in spirit from the heart, the inner self, and in truth,
for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers.
God is spirit, the source of life, yet invisible to mankind,
and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
God is always looking for seeds of faith and loyalty.
People who will spend their lives wholeheartedly
and without any pretense toward Him.
These are the vessels that God is able to legitimately use
and display His glory through.
And Enoch had a relationship with God.
The Bible makes it clear
that even though he lived a normal human life,
he had a relationship with God.
This is something that we should also keep in mind.
Why does Enoch's Bible story matter?
We can see parallels in Enoch's story
with the story of Revelation yet to come.
In a wicked world, we are called to be righteous
and to walk in faith with God.
Although many of us, if not all of us,
as we do not know the accurate time Jesus will come back,
will experience the pangs of death.
Christians in the end time will experience a rapture.
It's also crucial to note that in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18,
Christians who have died in the past,
and Christians who are still alive,
will participate in this event together.
This is something that the Bible says will happen.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, "Brothers and sisters,
we do not want you to be uninformed
about those who sleep in death so that you do not grieve
like the rest of mankind who have no hope.
For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in Him.
According to the Lord's Word,
we tell you that we who are still alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord
will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven
with a loud command, with the voice of the arch angel,
and with the trumpet call of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive and who 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.
Therefore, encourage one another with these words."
So in either case, we will experience the rapture.
During that time, like Enoch,
Christians will be caught up in the air.
We can also see God being able to speak
through even non-Biblical sources,
operating under the viewpoint
that the book of Enoch is a pseudepigraphal work.
It is necessary for us to use our judgment
in order to distinguish
between what is true and what is not true.
However, just as the apostles drew inspiration
from non-religious thinkers and poets,
we too can mine others' work of literature
for nuggets of divine revelation.
Life lessons from Enoch.
Enoch was a devoted disciple of God throughout his life.
Despite hostility and ridicule, he spoke the truth,
and enjoyed a strong connection with God
throughout his life.
Enoch and the other Old Testament heroes mentioned
in the Faith Hall of Fame,
walked in faith in the hope of a future Messiah.
That Messiah had been revealed to us
in the gospels as Jesus Christ.
Enoch was faithful to God, truthful, and obedient.
When we follow his example by walking with God
and trusting Christ as Savior, we will die physically,
but will be resurrected to eternal life.
Elijah had the same experience as Enoch,
in that he was taken up to heaven at once.
Israel had reached a point of apostacy
and fewer people were worshiping God as a result.
A great number of people followed their idols
or their own whims.
However, Elijah comes in and single-handedly takes
on the defense of God's name
that the children of Israel had abandoned.
It's important to remember that God had promised
that He will do what eyes have not seen, ears heard,
or has entered the hearts of men for people who loved Him.
In the case of Enoch and Elijah, therefore,
He was doing nothing more than keeping His word.
"But as it is written, eye hath not seen nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God have prepared for them that love Him,"
1 Corinthians 2:9, KJV.
Since we are aware that God is faithful to His word,
let us make it our highest priority to seek Him,
and the advancement of His kingdom.
If we do this, He will give us the ability
to serve as vessels that bring glory to Himself.