The Lost Scriptures – Apocalypses

The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch)

Behold, in the vision clouds invited me and a mist summoned me, and the course of the stars and the lightnings sped and hastened me, and the winds in ⁹ the vision caused me to fly and lifted me upward, and bore me into heaven. And I went in till I drew nigh to a wall which is built of crystals and surrounded by tongues of fire: and it began to affright ¹⁰ me. And I went into the tongues of fire and drew nigh to a large house which was built of crystals: and the walls of the house were like a tesselated floor (made) of crystals, and its groundwork was ¹¹ of crystal. Its ceiling was like the path of the stars and the lightnings, and between them were ¹² fiery cherubim, and their heaven was (clear as) water. A flaming fire surrounded the walls, and its ¹³ portals blazed with fire. And I entered into that house, and it was hot as fire and cold as ice: there ¹⁴ were no delights of life therein: fear covered me, and trembling got hold upon me. And as I quaked ¹⁵ and trembled, I fell upon my face. And I beheld a vision, And lo! there was a second house, greater ¹⁶ than the former, and the entire portal stood open before me, and it was built of flames of fire. And in every respect it so excelled in splendour and magnificence and extent that I cannot describe to ¹⁷ you its splendour and its extent. And its floor was of fire, and above it were lightnings and the path ¹⁸ of the stars, and its ceiling also was flaming fire. 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. And until then I had been prostrate on my face, trembling: and the Lord called me with His own mouth, and said to me: ‘ Come hither, ²⁵ Enoch, and hear my word.’ And one of the holy ones came to me and waked me, and He made me rise up and approach the door: and I bowed my face downwards.”

The text of Genesis (Genesis 5:21-24) says Enoch lived 365 years before he was taken by God. Some Christians interpret the verses as saying Enoch entered Heaven alive – one of just three to do this (Jesus, Elijah, and Enoch). Enoch is the subject of many Jewish and Christian traditions. He was considered the author of the Book of Enoch and he is also called Enoch the scribe of judgment. The Christian New Testament has three references to Enoch from the lineage of Seth (Luke 3:37, Hebrews 11:5, Jude 1:14–15).

Since Genesis suggests that Enoch did not die, but instead says that he “walked with God”, later generations thought that he had seen all mysteries of the universe. From the third century BCE on, authors used him as their spokesman, attributing all sorts of secret knowledge to his revelation. Five of these texts were joined together at an unknown moment, and are now known as the First Book of Enoch.

The title First Book of Enoch suggests that there is a Second Book too. This is a text on the lives of Enoch and his descendants. The Third Book of Enoch was written in the fifth/sixth century and describes how the second-century rabbi Ishmael journeyed into heaven and saw God’s throne and chariot. This work has influenced the Zohar, the sacred book of Kabbala.

If Enoch did, in fact, go straight to the heavenly realms, any one and every one would want to know what it was like. If these books give us a glimpse, then we do have something incredible to see once we close our eyes in death.

Pastor Dave