The Lost Scriptures – Apocalypses

The Books of the Secrets of Enoch (2 Enoch)

1There was a wise man, a great artificer, and the Lord conceived love for him and received him, that he should behold the uppermost dwellings and be an eye-witness of the wise and great and inconceivable and immutable realm of God Almighty, of the very wonderful and glorious and bright and many-eyed station of the Lord’s servants, and of the inaccessible throne of the Lord, and of the degrees and manifestations of the incorporeal hosts, and of the ineffable ministration of the multitude of the elements, and of the various apparition and inexpressible singing of the host of Cherubim, and of the boundless light. 2At that time, he said, when my one hundred and sixty-fifth year was completed, I begat my son Mathusal. 3After this too I lived two hundred years and completed of all the years of my life three hundred and sixty-five years.

4On the first day of the month I was in my house alone and was resting on my bed and slept. 5And when I was asleep, great distress came up into my heart, and I was weeping with my eyes in sleep, and I could not understand what this distress was, or what would happen to me. 6And there appeared to me two men, exceeding big, so that I never saw such on earth; their faces were shining like the sun, their eyes too were like a burning light, and from their lips was fire coming forth with clothing and singing of various kinds in appearance purple, their wings were brighter than gold, their hands whiter than snow. 7They were standing at the head of my bed and began to call me by my name. 8And I arose from my sleep and saw clearly those two men standing in front of me. 9And I saluted them and was seized with fear and the appearance of my face was changed from terror, and those men said to me: 10Have courage, Enoch, do not fear; the eternal God sent us to you, and lo! You shalt to-day ascend with us into heaven, and you shall tell your sons and all your household all that they shall do without you on earth in your house, and let no one seek you till the Lord return you to them. 11And I made haste to obey them and went out from my house, and made to the doors, as it was ordered me, and summoned my sons Mathusal and Regim and Gaidad and made known to them all the marvels those men had told me.”

The book can be divided in four sections:

In the first section (chapters 1–22), Enoch, at the age of 365, is taken by two angels through the ten heavens, one by one.

In the second section (chapters 23–37), Enoch, now guided by Gabriel speaks with God in the tenth heaven face to face. Afterwards, he is anointed by Michael and becomes similar in appearance to the angels. God tests the obedience of his angels by having them bow down before Enoch. A group of angels, identified as the angels of Satanail, refuses. They are imprisoned. Eventually they bow before Enoch, addressing him as “a man of God.” (This story seems similar to that of the War in Heaven between God and Satan). The Lord asks the angel Vereviel to dictate to Enoch 360 books containing all that is knowable. Later, the Lord himself tells Enoch the secrets, unknown even to the angels, of the Creation until the Flood. Enoch is finally sent back to Earth for thirty days.

The third section (chapters 38–68) is a list of doctrinal and ethical instructions given by Enoch to his sons. The main moral principle is to have love for all living beings (similar to the ethics found in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs). Enoch teaches the uselessness of intercessions. At the end of the thirty days, Enoch is taken into heaven forever.

The last section (sometimes referred to as the Exaltation of Melchizedek) outlines the priestly succession of Enoch. Enoch’s son, Methuselah, is asked by the people to act as an interim priest. The priesthood of Nir, grandson of Methuselah, is also temporary. Then the miraculous birth of Melchizedek and his priesthood are narrated. In manuscript B and in the long versions, this section ends with a short narrative of the Deluge (flood).

To unlock the mysteries of Enoch, would be to unlock the mysteries of heaven itself. Too bad Genesis did not give more of an accounting of his final moments – and his entrance into the mysteries of heaven.

Pastor Dave