Enoch - ENOCH THE PROPHET, 1821

n the five hundredth year, and in the seventh month, on the fourteenth day of the month, of the lifetime of Enoch, in that parable, I saw that the heaven of heavens shook; that it shook violently; and that the powers of the Most High, and the angels, thousands and thousands, and myriads of myriads, were agitated with great agitation.

2. And when I looked, the Ancient of days was sitting on the throne of his glory, while the angels and saints were standing around him.

3. A great trembling came upon me, and terror seized me. My loins were bowed down and loosened; my reins were dissolved; and I fell upon my face.

4. The holy Michael, another holy angel, one of the holy ones, was sent, who raised me up. And when he raised me, my spirit returned; for I was incapable of enduring this vision of violence, its agitation, and the concussion of heaven.

5. Then holy Michael said to me, Why are you disturbed at this vision? Hitherto has existed the day of mercy; and he has been merciful and longsuffering towards all who dwell upon the earth.

6. But when the time shall come, then shall the power, the punishment, and the judgment take place, which the Lord of spirits has prepared for those who prostrate themselves to the judgment of righteousness, for those who abjure that judgment, and for those who take his name in vain. That day has been prepared for the elect as a day of covenant; and for sinners as a day of inquisition.

7. In that day shall be distributed for food ⁽⁵⁴⁾ two monsters; a female monster, whose name is Leviathan, dwelling in the depths of the sea, above the springs of waters; (54) Distributed for food. Or, "separated from one another" (Knibb, p. 143).

8. And a male monster, whose name is Behemoth; which possesses, moving on his breast, the invisible wilderness. His name was Dendayen in the east of the garden, where the elect and the righteous will dwell; where he received it from my ancestor, who was man, from Adam the first of men, ⁽⁵⁵⁾ whom the Lord of spirits made. (55) He received it…first of men. Or, "my [great-] grandfather was taken up, the seventh from Adam" (Charles, p. 155). This implies that this section of the book was written by Noah, Enoch's descendant, rather than Enoch. Scholars have speculated that this portion of the book may contain fragments of the lost Apocalypse of Noah.

9. Then I asked of another angel to show me the power of those monsters, how they became separated, how they became separated on the same day, one being in the depths of the sea, and one in the dry desert.

10. And he said, You, son of man, are here desirous of understanding secret things. - Electronic edition: It seems this conversation was interrupted here, and then continued in verses 24 and 25.

11. Then another angel, who proceeded with me, spoke to me; And showed me the first and last secrets in heaven above, and in the depths of the earth: In the extremities of heaven, and in the foundations of it,

12. and in the receptacle of the winds. He showed me how their spirits were divided; how they were balanced; and how both the springs and the winds were numbered according to the force of their spirit. He showed me the power of the moon's light, that its power is a just one; as well as the divisions of the stars, according to their respective names; That every division is divided;

13. that the lightning flashes; That its troops immediately obey; and that a cessation takes place during thunder in continuance of its sound.

14. Nor are the thunder and the lightning separated; neither do both of them move with one spirit; yet they are not separated.

15. For when the lightning lightens, the thunder sounds, and the spirit at a proper period pauses, making an equal division between them; for the receptacle, upon which their periods depend, is loose as sand. Each of them at a proper season is restrained with a bridle; and turned by the power of the spirit, which thus propels them according to the spacious extent of the earth.

16. The spirit likewise of the sea is potent and strong; and as a strong power causes it to ebb, so is it driven forwards, and scattered against the mountains of the earth.

17. The spirit of the frost has its angel; in the spirit of hail there is a good angel;

18. the spirit of snow ceases in its strength, and a solitary spirit is in it, which ascends from it like vapour, and is called refrigeration.

19. The spirit also of mist dwells with them in their receptacle; but it has a receptacle to itself; for its progress is in splendour. In light, and in darkness, in winter and in summer. Its receptacle is bright, and an angel is in it.

20. The spirit of dew has its abode in the extremities of heaven, in connection with the receptacle of rain; and its progress is in winter and in summer. The cloud produced by it, and the cloud of the mist, become united; one gives to the other;

21. and when the spirit of rain is in motion from its receptacle, angels come, and opening its receptacle, bring it forth. When likewise it is sprinkled over all the earth, it forms an union with every kind of water on the ground;

22. for the waters remain on the ground, because they afford nourishment to the earth from the Most High, who is in heaven. Upon this account therefore there is a regulation in the quantity of rain, which the angels receive.

23. These things I saw; all of them, even paradise.

24. - And the angel of peace, who was with me, said, These two monsters are by the power of God prepared to become food,

25. that the punishment of God may not be in vain. Then shall children be slain with their mothers, and sons with their fathers. And when the punishment of the Lord of spirits shall continue, upon them shall it continue, that the punishment of the Lord of spirits may not take place in vain. After that, judgment shall exist with mercy and longsuffering.