Enoch - Random Musings, Questions, and Observations

I recently "discovered" the Book of Enoch. I've known it existed for a long time, but because it is not included in this bound book in front of me that we call the Bible, I had never given it much thought. When I would read the book of Jude and get to verse 14, I would pause and think "who is this Enoch that Jude is quoting? Where is it from? It is the Enoch from Genesis 5?" Back then, it made sense to me that whatever Enoch was, it must be reliable as why else would Jude quote it? Anyways, those questions would fade away in my mind and I never followed through with learning what the book of Enoch even was. Well now I have discovered it and have been perusing through it online, and I'm simply fascinated with it. What follows are some thoughts, some miscellaneous ramblings, and some observations. I find the Book of Enoch (what I've seen so far) a preterist dream! Here is another source from way way back who uses all the same prophetic, apocalyptic language we see in the study of Covenant Eschatology. I'm even starting to get the feeling that Enoch may have been God's original prophet, possibly predating the writings of Genesis 1-3, or at least was contemporary.

I am not writing here to prove anything. This is not an exhaustive study of anything, so please do not see it as such. These are just some initial thoughts. The Book of Enoch seems to fit nicely with the rest of scripture. It's a difficult read, but if the translation is even close to accurate then there are some amazing things to behold. And I haven't even gotten to the Heavenly Visions yet.


Enoch 14:

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
19 cherubim. And from underneath the throne came streams of flaming fire so that I could not look
20 thereon. And the Great Glory sat thereon, and His raiment shone more brightly than the sun and
21 was whiter than any snow. None of the angels could enter and could behold His face by reason
22 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
23 ten thousand (stood) before Him, yet He needed no counselor. And the most holy ones who were
24 nigh to Him did not leave by night nor depart from Him.

Eze 11:22 Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

Dan 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

Rev 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

The number one thousand is quite significant in the Bible. It looks like it may have started with Enoch. Could John have had Enoch in mind when he wrote the Revelation?

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Enoch 18:

1 I saw the treasuries of all the winds: I saw how He had furnished with them the whole creation
2 and the firm foundations of the earth. And I saw the corner-stone of the earth: I saw the four
3 winds which bear [the earth and] the firmament of the heaven. And I saw how the winds stretch out the vaults of heaven, and have their station between heaven and earth: these are the pillars
4 of the heaven.

Rev 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

The imagery that John sees was first seen in Enoch.

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Enoch 10:

And when their sons have slain one another, and they have seen the destruction of their beloved ones, bind them 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
13 for ever and ever is consummated.

Luke 3

23 And Jesus(1) himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph(2), which was the son of Heli(3),
24 Which was the son of Matthat(4), which was the son of Levi(5), which was the son of Melchi(6), which was the son of Janna(7), which was the son of Joseph(8),
25 Which was the son of Mattathias(9), which was the son of Amos(10), which was the son of Naum(11), which was the son of Esli(12), which was the son of Nagge(13),
26 Which was the son of Maath(14), which was the son of Mattathias(15), which was the son of Semei(16), which was the son of Joseph(17), which was the son of Juda(18),
27 Which was the son of Joanna(19), which was the son of Rhesa(20), which was the son of Zorobabel(21), which was the son of Salathiel(22), which was the son of Neri(23),
28 Which was the son of Melchi(24), which was the son of Addi(25), which was the son of Cosam(26), which was the son of Elmodam(27), which was the son of Er(28),
29 Which was the son of Jose(29), which was the son of Eliezer(30), which was the son of Jorim(31), which was the son of Matthat(32), which was the son of Levi(33),
30 Which was the son of Simeon(34), which was the son of Juda(35), which was the son of Joseph(36), which was the son of Jonan(37), which was the son of Eliakim(38),
31 Which was the son of Melea(39), which was the son of Menan(40), which was the son of Mattatha(41), which was the son of Nathan(42), which was the son of David(43),
32 Which was the son of Jesse(44), which was the son of Obed(45), which was the son of Booz(46), which was the son of Salmon(47), which was the son of Naasson(48),
33 Which was the son of Aminadab(49), which was the son of Aram(50), which was the son of Esrom(51), which was the son of Phares(52), which was the son of Juda(53),
34 Which was the son of Jacob(54), which was the son of Isaac(55), which was the son of Abraham(56), which was the son of Thara(57), which was the son of Nachor(58),
35 Which was the son of Saruch(59), which was the son of Ragau(60), which was the son of Phalec(61), which was the son of Heber(62), which was the son of Sala(63),
36 Which was the son of Cainan(64), which was the son of Arphaxad(65), which was the son of Sem(66), which was the son of Noe(67), which was the son of Lamech(68),
37 Which was the son of Mathusala(69), which was the son of Enoch(70), which was the son of Jared(71), which was the son of Maleleel(72), which was the son of Cainan(73),
38 Which was the son of Enos(74), which was the son of Seth(75), which was the son of Adam(76), which was the son of God(77).

Enoch, the seventh from Adam (Jude 14). Jesus, the seventith from Enoch. Here 70+7 (generations) gets us to the consummation. Luke is recounting the "generations" of the heaven and of the earth (Genesis 2:4). Do you think Luke had Enoch in mind when he penned this genealogy?

God's perfect number is 7 (or number of "completeness"). Jesus was 77 generations from "the beginning" (two sevens, which is like twice perfection). Lamech, the father of Noah, lived 777 years. While I do not believe this was a real age, I do believe the number has a spiritual meaning (which I haven't figured out yet).

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More on the number seventy.

Jeramiah's prophecy (Jer 25), 70 years for Judah's captivity in Babylon to the time of Daniel's prophecy.

In Daniel 9, 70x7 (years) gets us to the consummation (the Day of the LORD, or the time of Christ).

So from Jeramiah, we have 70 years plus 70 weeks of years gets us to the consummation of all things.

The number seventy appears often in the Old Testament. The "seventy" theme is often of prophecy or judgment.

There is the strange confession of Lamech (line of Cain) in Genesis 4:24 (if Cain seven fold, then Lamech seventy and seven fold).
Seventy "souls" left the land of Canian and went down into Egypt (Exodus 1:5). When Moses appeared before the LORD, he often took seventy of the elders (Exodus 24:1). God's spirit rested upon the seventy elders (Numbers 11:25). In Judges 9, God judged Abimelech by slaying him and seventy of his brethren. 2Kings 10, seventy of Ahab's son's are killed and their heads placed in baskets and sent to Jezreel. And of course Jesus sent out the seventy laborers who had power over the demons (Luke 10:1-17).

I don't claim to completely understand the meaning of this numerology, but I do find it extremely interesting.

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More from Enoch 10:

17 And then shall all the righteous escape,
And shall live till they beget thousands of children,
And all the days of their youth and their old age
Shall they complete in peace.

Compare with this prophecy of the new heavens and the new earth:

Isaiah 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

And listen to the rest of Enoch 10, and Enoch 11 and see if it reminds you of anything:

18 And then shall the whole earth be tilled in righteousness, and shall all be planted with trees and
19 be full of blessing. And all desirable trees shall be planted on it, and they shall plant vines on it: and the vine which they plant thereon shall yield wine in abundance, and as for all the seed which is sown thereon each measure (of it) shall bear a thousand, and each measure of olives shall yield
20 ten presses of oil. And cleanse thou the earth from all oppression, and from all unrighteousness, and from all sin, and from all godlessness: and all the uncleanness that is wrought upon the earth
21 destroy from off the earth. And all the children of men shall become righteous, and all nations
22 shall offer adoration and shall praise Me, and all shall worship Me. And the earth shall be cleansed from all defilement, and from all sin, and from all punishment, and from all torment, and I will never again send (them) upon it from generation to generation and for ever.

Enoch 11:
1 And in those days I will open the store chambers of blessing which are in the heaven, so as to send 2 them down upon the earth over the work and labour of the children of men. And truth and peace shall be associated together throughout all the days of the world and throughout all the generations of men.

"Planted with trees and be full of blessing":

Psalm 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Side note: In Rev 22:2, the Tree of Life yields fruit every month, because there are no more "seasons" (cf Gen 1:14, Dan 2:21). The Tree of Life yields fruit 24/7/365.

Would * all nations* come and worship the LORD?:

Psalm 72:11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

Psalm 86:9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.

Zech 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

The Vine shall yield an abundance of wine:

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Notice how Enoch states that when all the nations would come and worship before the LORD, at the same time "the earth shall be cleansed from all defilement, and from all sin, and from all punishment, and from all torment, and I will never again send (them) upon it from generation to generation and for ever." This certainly sounds like Kingdom prophecy to me. What does the Bible say about the time when Jesus came? Did the work of Christ put away all defilement, all sin, all punishment, and all torment? In covenantal context, yes, Jesus acomplished this for His covenant people. I think there is a whole lot going on here in Enoch, and it's deep. I'm just getting started.