In the epistle of Jude we find the following statement:
Jude 1:14 To these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, [Jehovah] came with ten thousands of his holy ones,
Jude 1:15 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.”
We do find in the “Book of Enoch” the statement: “And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones To execute judgment 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.” (1 Enoch 1:9) This is almost the same that we read in Jude 1:14,15. Evidently, at least this part of the Book of Enoch contains the true words of Enoch; it does not follow that the entire Book of Enoch, as we have it, is true.
No one really knows when the Book of Enoch was written, especially as we have it in its present form. Some claim that parts of it were written about 300-200 BC and that later parts were written before 100 BC. While there were some fragments among the Dead Sea Scrolls that have been attributed to the Book of Enoch, the oldest known manuscript we have of the entire book is Ethiopic and is dated as having been copied in the fifteenth century AD. The Ethiopic Book of Enoch (also referred to as Enoch I), as we have it, could possibly have been assembled in its present form after Jude wrote his letter. Evidently, much of this book reflects later apostate Jewish teachings adopted and adapted from Hellenistic mythology, and not in harmony with the Bible.
Obviously, the Book of Enoch was not written by the real Enoch who lived and died before the flood. Some claim that it was common in those days for a writer to claim his work was written by someone else, and that was an accepted practice. God Himself, however, would surely view such a practice to be deceitful and certainly would not approve of such a lie. -- Psalm 34:13; Proverbs 12:22;
The book tells of Enoch’s allegedly speaking with God and angels, and of events related to the days of Noah and the flood, etc. Evidently, the writer of the book allegedly received these messages from Enoch, who, according to this extra-Biblical tradition, instead of being actually dead as the Bible relates (Hebrews , was taken by God to heaven (the scriptures never say anything about Enoch being taken alive to heaven where the invisible angels are always able to see the invisible face of God.). Paul did not write all were condemned to death except Enoch. (Romans 5:12-19) We believe, therefore, that the scriptures indicate that God took Enoch, and translated him into the realm of death (Sheol - Ecclesiastes 9:5,10) without his seeing, experiencing, the process of dying (Hebrews 11:5,13) — and, thus having died (Hebrews 11:13), he was not able to say anything to anyone as is common with all of Adam's descendants. (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Therefore, Enoch could not have possibly revealed to anyone anything from the oblivious realm of death in which condition one cannot praise or give thanks to Jehovah. (Psalm 6:5; Isaiah 38:18) The scriptures tell us that rather than seeking messages from the dead, we should go to the Law (The Old Testament) and the Testimony (of the New Testament), that which God has revealed through his holy spirit. (Isaiah 8:19,20; see also Leviticus 20:6; 1 Chronicles 10:13) While Jude was evidently quoting Enoch from some source, it does not follow that he necessarily quoted from the “Book of Enoch” as we now have it.
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The “Book of Enoch” appears to have been written by different authors, possibly from the time period extending from about 168 BC to about 200 AD. It is an assembled collection of extravagant, unhistorical, Hellenistic-Jewish mythology, evidently the product of exegetical elaborations on the brief Genesis reference to Enoch. Neither Enoch nor Raphael are said to come in the name of Jehovah, or to speak for Jehovah, which leads us to the conclusion that if there was a revelation from some spirits, that these spirits were actually demons appearing as “angels of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14,15), and not the loyal angels of God. If one should do a search on the internet, one can see that this book has great appeal to practicers of forms of spiritism, angel-worshipers, spirit mediums, etc., which practices are expressly condemned in the Bible.
Nevertheless, much of the “Book of Enoch” repeats, although often with different words, much of the prophecies given by various prophets in the Bible. Of course, many other non-Biblical writings do this same thing.
Evidently, the words recorded in 1 Enoch 1:9 are words of truth, and indeed could have come from some ancient writings that we no longer have. Jude could have quoted from that same source, or it is possible that Jude received this truth by special revelation through God's Holy Spirit. Or it could have come by oral repetition, and thus such was included in the Book of Enoch.
Furthermore, the Book of Enoch contains much that gives evidence of Hellenistic mythological influence, such as the description of Hades. Except for Jesus’ parabolic parody of the Pharisees' (these Pharisees evidently had adapted the Hellenistic philosophy concerning hades), there is nothing in the Bible that speaks of sheol/hades in the terms described in the Book of Enoch. This description directly contradicts the Bible’s description of Sheol/Hades in Ecclesiastes 9:10, and elsewhere.
See the studies:
Our conclusion is that the Book of Enoch is not part of Jehovah's divinely-inspired revelations. It does not, therefore, belong as part of the Bible.
Image at top left: unknown, colorized by pallet.fm
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