A fragment from the Book of Enoch among the Dead Sea scrolls
THE ANSWER is found in the very beginning of the Book of Enoch:
"The words of the blessing of Enoch where-with he blessed the chosen and just, who will exist on the day of tribulation when all the wicked and impious shall be removed.
And then answered and spoke Enoch, a just man, whose eyes were opened by God so that he saw a holy vision in the heavens, which the angels showed to me, and from them I heard everything, and I knew what I saw, but not for this generation, but for the far-off generations which are to come." ( Enoch 1:1-2, Schodde's tr.)
The content of the Book of Enoch thus is meant for "the far-off generations which are to come". Who were these future generations? If we look at during which times the Book of Enoch has been actual and circulated in the world, we understand which generations are addressed. Enoch lived between 1034 to 669 years before the Flood. So in his generation there was no such judgment coming that his prophecies foretold. However it came in his grandsons' son's generation, which is the time of Noah. Thus the generation of Noah was one of the future generations that the book was written for. That the book reached Noah is clear from that it also contains a few chapters written by Noah. So Noah brought the book of Enoch with him in the Ark, and then added his part of the story, and what God gave him to attach.
The next epoch that the Book of Enoch became actual again, was the time before the birth of Jesus, and a couple of hundred years after that. Without the Book of Enoch, it is doubtful if the believers at that time would have recognized Jesus as the Messiah. The prophecies in the Book of Enoch of the coming Messiah were so on the spot mirroring Jesus, that the orthodox Jews, in the end, in spite of having read the book for 200 years, throw it away and forbid the reading of it in the synagogues. The second generation for whom the Book of Enoch was written, thus was the Christians in the times of the Apostles.
A page from the Ethiopian Geez version of the Book of Enoch
And which was the next generation, you might wonder? Well, after the time of the first Christians, the Book of Enoch was lost and forgotten, for more than a 1000 years, until it was rediscovered in 1773, in Ethiopia, among the Ethiopian Jews. Then the first translation in English came in 1821, followed by the most published one, in 1912. And then was found among the Dead Sea scrolls, in 1947, a large number of fragments from the Book of Enoch - which thus proved that the Ethiopian Book of Enoch really was the same text as the one read during the days of the Apostles, because the texts were in accord with each other.
In spite of this, the Book of Enoch remained quite unknown and little circulated, until this present time. But in our days, during the last 10-15 years, it has begun to be published and printed in one after another edition, and is now read more than ever before in history. Then we wonder: Could that mean it was meant for our generation? And that we therefore are facing the consummation of the prophecies contained in the book? Well, as said, it came forth in the right time in Noah's days, and in the days of Jesus and the Apostles. The one God who is steering the events of history, He will also ensure that we have what we need to read, in this hour.
But we have the Bible! Yes, and do you read it? If you do, you will also recognize the voice of the Shepherd in the Book of Enoch. It is the same prophetic tone that is talking. And for a time like this God now has awakened this holy scripture, which has a special assignment, we understand, to only come forth in special times, when the people of God has to be prepared in a special way, before decisive and fatal events in the holy history. And that time we now have reached. And I wrote those last words in prophetic Spirit. Time is very short now.
So says the Lord, you shall bear forth this and I will go with you, because the time really is short.
The reason the Book of Enoch is not in the Bible, therefore, isn't that it is "apocryphal", in the meaning uninspired or corrupt, or pseudepigraphic, as some say. The reason is that which I described above - it was only meant for certain future generations, and it has proved that by itself in three eras. That to me is quite amazing. So if I hadn't already been convinced about its authenticity and urgency, I would have been it now, after reading this. In any case I would have decided to, with all diligence, find out what it is about, and what it may have to tell us, and how it may have a significance for the time in which we live, and before the closure. Because, as I have written earlier (elsewhere); if Jesus and the Apostles read it and let themselves be influenced by it, then I also want to read it and let myself be influenced by it. Because then it is meant to happen. Because God wants it. For a purpose.
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And hey, there is actually an admonishing in it, too, to the leaders of God's people, to ensure that it gets circulated, translated and printed, in the last days:
"But when they write all my words in rectitude in their languages, and do not change or abridge anything of my words, but write all in rectitude, all that I have first testified on their account, then I know another mystery, that [these] books will be given to just and to the wise for joy and for rectitude and for much wisdom.
And the books will be given to them, and they will believe in them and will rejoice in them; and then all the just, who have learned all the paths of rectitude out of them, will be rewarded.
'And in those days', says the Lord, 'they will call and testify over the sons of the earth concerning their wisdom: show it to them, for ye are their leaders, and the rewards over all the earth. For I and my son will join with them to eternity in the paths of rectitude in their lives. And peace will be to you; rejoice, ye children of rectitude, in truth!" ( Enoch 104:11-13, Enoch 105:1-2)
In those days, that is the last days, "the just" will call and testify about the wisdom of these books (the Book of Enoch actually consists of 5 lesser parts.)
In the last days, the Book of Enoch thus will be transcribed and translated into different languages, and the whole content, which we have had confirmed and rediscovered with the Dead Sea scrolls, will be available for the "just and wise". To them the books will be given, and they will believe in them and rejoice in them, and then they will shout out the message, before the day of the Coming of Jesus.
Isn't that what we are doing now? Isn't it precisely that time we live in now? Isn't this book totally unbelievably fantastically prophetic? We are living right in the middle of what Enoch prophesied about 5000 years ago!!!!!
And there you are sitting and snorting and thinking that you don't need to read that book? Maybe you should reconsider? It costs so little to try, and so much to miss what God is saying in the end of time.
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