A few people have commented on our YouTube channel asking why we read the Book of Enoch (also known as 1 Enoch). This blog was written to provide a bit of background on the book, and answer common questions such as why it was excluded from the Bible.
By M. Dawson on March 15, 2024
Enoch
Descendant of Adam
c. 3561BC to 3198BC
What is the Book of Enoch?
The Book of Enoch was written over 5,000 years ago by Adam’s great-great-great-great-grandson Enoch. Moses described him as someone who walked with God (Genesis 5:22), and the apostles described him as a prophet (Jude 1:14).
Long before the great Flood, Enoch saw visions of the earth being destroyed by water, and when he saw those visions, he prayed to GOD to save him a remnant. His prayer was answered in Noah, the remnant who GOD saved from the Flood, and who was Enoch’s great-grandson.
Enoch was a scribe who was instructed to write things down for the generation that would live to see the Day of Judgment (that’s our generation, and that Day is coming soon). He gave his writings to his son Methuselah, and told Methuselah to make sure that the words were passed down to us. Through Noah, Methuselah’s grandson, the book survived the Flood, and some of Noah’s own writings were preserved in the Book of Enoch as well.
Enoch’s book originally came with drawings, but unfortunately they’ve been lost over time.
No one has found a Hebrew copy of the Book of Enoch yet. However, Aramaic-language fragments of the book have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the book is fully preserved in Ge’ez, the ancient Semitic language of the Ethiopians.
What is in the Book of Enoch?
In Genesis 6, we read that all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth before the Flood. And, in the Book of Enoch, we learn the extent of that corruption. Enoch explains that angels rebelled against GOD and taught men how to make weapons of war, how to kill people in various ways, and how to do many other things that men were striving to learn at the time.
Those same lawless and rebellious angels married women and produced a type of offspring not authorized by GOD. They also sinned against animals, which helps explain what Father meant when HE said that all flesh (men and animals) had corrupted its way and why all flesh (men and animals) therefore had to be destroyed in the Flood.
Many who teach about the Book of Enoch focus on the angels and the pre-Flood corruption, however Enoch’s writings contain much more than that. He gives two complete histories of man, from Adam through the end of Millennium, and records details about what life in Millennium will be like. He also provides an incredible amount of encouragement for our generation, for the end of days. And, he gives a very beautiful and very detailed account of the role of the SON OF MAN, also known as and referred to as the ANOINTED ONE and the CHOSEN (ELECT) ONE. That is, Enoch tells us a lot about YASHUA HA-MASHIACH.
Enoch’s description of YASHUA is so elaborate, scholars were once convinced that the book was written by Christians. That theory has now been debunked since it’s obvious to everyone that the copies of Enoch found in the Dead Sea Scrolls were made long before YASHUA’s birth.
For those interested in the Flood and creation science, Enoch contains details about geological events that occurred on earth before and during the Flood event. These details are helpful in understanding the bigger picture of how the Flood shaped our world.
For those interested in history, the Book of Enoch contains a good deal of information about what modern historians call “the birth of civilization.”
And of particular interest to us, Enoch discusses the origin of writing. If you’ve watched our Paleo Hebrew Alphabet series, you know that the Hebrew alphabet shows obvious indications that it was designed by our Creator. Enoch records that rather than being an invention of man, angels taught men how to write, and those angels would have obtained this knowledge directly from our Creator in Heaven, who has several books of His own, including the Book of Life.
Why isn’t the Book of Enoch included in the Bible?
The Book of Enoch was considered Scripture to people living in ancient times, including many of the early “church fathers” and the early Jewish scribes whose work is preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls. We believe that the prophets, the apostles, and our Messiah all attest to his writings and that his words are true and in alignment with the words of the Holy Bible.
Notably, the list of books that makes up what we call the Old Testament canon was developed by Jewish rabbis decades after the destruction of the temple in 70AD. Prior to this, Israel didn’t have a defined list of which books were considered to be Scripture. Since the rabbis who produced the list didn’t include the Book of Enoch, and the Protestant church later adopted the rabbinical list, Enoch was therefore excluded from the Bible.
Why the rabbis excluded it is up for debate. Some say it’s because no copy was available in the Hebrew language at the time. Others say it was left out because it contained the calendar that had been used by Levitical priests since the days of Moses, and after the destruction of the temple, the rabbis had to reinvent any parts of their religion that had to do with temple life. Part of this reinvention of Judaism involved changing their calendar, as the theory goes.
There are other theories out there, but ultimately, we can only speculate for now.
Common questions and misconceptions about the Book of Enoch
– Did angels force man to sin?
Some teach that Enoch doesn’t match scripture because he says that fallen angels caused sin rather than mankind. However, that’s not true. Enoch specifically says, “sin has not been sent upon the earth, but man of himself has created it.” What Enoch does say is that Father ascribed the sins of man to the angel named Azazel. HE ascribed man’s sin to Azazel because it was through the teachings of Azazel that violence became widespread on the earth. Azazel taught men how to make weapons, how to value money, and how to beautify themselves, and it was through these things that Father said the earth was ruined.
The act of ascribing man’s sins to Azazel explains the origins of a ritual that Father commanded Israel to perform on Yom Kippur. Moses tells us that on Yom Kippur, the priest was to put the sins of Israel onto an animal called the “scapegoat.” The word for scapegoat in Hebrew is actually Azazel. Father used this ritual as a sign for Israel to remember His mercy, and as a sign to Himself that HE would judge the angel, and forgive those who love Him, even though we sin.
– Didn’t YASHUA say that angels don’t marry?
Another common argument against the Book of Enoch is that YASHUA said angels in heaven don’t marry, and Enoch teaches that the angels came and took wives. However, Jude explains in the New Testament that these lawless and rebellious angels are not considered “angels in heaven” – they are those who left their estate in heaven. Father’s holy angels who listen to Him do not marry. The sinful ones who left heaven did marry.
– Why does Enoch say that the angels built the ark?
Many have a hard time understanding why Enoch wrote that angels built the ark, whereas Moses wrote that Noah built the ark.
We believe simply that Father commanded His angels to assist Noah and that both statements are true.
As an example of this, it’s written in the New Testament that the angels will gather us at the Last Day. Since the angels are under YASHUA’s command, to say that the angels will gather us is the same as saying YASHUA will gather us, since the Commander receives credit for the actions of those under his command. In war, if you say King David won the battle, it doesn’t mean that he fought alone without an army. We think the two varying accounts of the ark being built are written in the same way.
– Is it true that Enoch refers to himself as the Son of Man, a.k.a. the Messiah?
“Son of man” is a term used for the sons of Adam. Father called Ezekiel “son of man” many times, and like Ezekiel, Enoch was a son of man, but not the SON OF MAN who is to sit on the throne of His glory and judge the world. The SON OF MAN is YASHUA and Enoch speaks of Him numerous times as being someone completely separate from himself.
On the one occasion where Enoch is called “son of man” by the angels, the angels tell him that Father’s righteousness will never leave him, that all the righteous will walk according to his ways, and that the lot (inheritance) of the righteous will be with Enoch. This is true of all the righteous sons of Adam. We all walk according to the same Way, Father’s righteousness will never leave us, and we will all live together forever with GOD our Father and share in the inheritance that HE promised (eternal life in the City of GOD).
As YASHUA said, one day we will sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom. Enoch will be there as well. Praise GOD.
Should I read the Book of Enoch?
20 years ago, Father gave me and my friends a word to let us know that the Book of Enoch is true Scripture, and since then I have been blessed to have read his words many times. If HE hasn’t spoken to you about it, why not ask Him if you should read it? Our Father is living and HE speaks to His children, and HE sent His Spirit to guide us in all things.
Where can I read the Book of Enoch?
Here’s a link to a free Book of Enoch in PDF format that’s hosted here on our website:
We use the 1917 R.H. Charles translation for our free download since it’s in the public domain and free to distribute. If you’d like to see a newer translation, you can search the web for the Andy McCracken version or the Nickelsburg/VanderKam version as a few popular options.
There are also free audio recordings of the book on YouTube, including this one by Alexander Scourby that you can read along to (video below).
In conclusion
If you have any additional questions or thoughts on the Book of Enoch, feel free to leave us a comment on any of our YouTube videos.
Shalom to our brothers and sisters in YASHUA HA-MASHIACH.
Shalom unto Jerusalem.
