Enoch the intercessor

 

This passage from the Book of Enoch is interesting in that it underscores a point that Christian churches almost never point out:   God doesn't forgive everyone who repents.    Christians say, "God loves you," as easy as drug dealers say, "this is the good stuff."... and well, that's not surprising since it's a lot harder to convince sinners to become Christians if you tell them, "you may not go to hell but let's give it a good try."

What's pernicious about the whole thing is that you end up with a bunch of people who think they're Christian and going to heaven, and when one already believes he's going to heaven, his pride and self-righteousness usually does the rest.   This is the same prideful road as those Muslims who believe killing a Jew will land them 72 virgins, and somehow, the word "sex orgy" will have a different meaning in heaven than on earth.   On a side note, C.S. Lewis, wrote a terrific chapter on pride in his book, "Mere Christianity."

What's even more horrible is that you also have a bunch of people who think that God can be easily fooled.   Want to end up in heaven? well.. just repent at anytime.   It worked for the thief who was hung next to Jesus, so why not you?    And you end up with people who expect to sin because, well, no one is perfect, right?  and if you do, just confess your sins on your deathbed, and away to heaven you go.    What a joke.

 

In this passage, the fallen angels calls on Enoch to be their intercessor and asked God for forgiveness on their behalf.   Enoch prayed for them so that they may be forgiven, but he was brought up to God's throne so he could speak in person and meet Him face to face.

 

Chapter XII

    Before these things Enoch was hidden, and no one of the children of men knew where he was hidden, and where he abode, and what had become of him. And his activities had to do with the Watchers, and his days were with the holy ones.
    And I, Enoch,was blessing the Lord of majesty and the King of the ages, and lo! the Watchers called me -- Enoch the scribe -- and said to me:  "Enoch, you scribe of righteousness, go, declare to the Watchers of the heaven who have left the high heaven, the holy eternal place, and have defiled themselves with women, and have done as the children of earth do, and have taken unto themselves wives: 'You have wrought great destruction on the earth, and you shall have no peace nor forgiveness of sin, and inasmuch as they delight themselves in their children, they shall see the murder of their beloved ones, and lament over the destruction of their children, and shall make supplication unto eternity, but you will not attain mercy and peace.'"

Chapter XIII

    And Enoch went and said:  "Azazel, you will have no peace: a severe sentence has gone forth against you to put you in bonds, and you shall not have toleration nor request granted because of all the works of godlessness and unrighteousness and sin which you have shown to men."  Then I went and spoke to them all together, and they were all afraid, and fear and trembling seized them.  
    And they besought me to draw up a petition for them that they might find forgiveness, and to read their petition in the presence of the Lord of heaven, for from thenceforward they could not speak with Him nor lift up their eyes to heaven for shame of their sins for which they had been condemned.  Then I wrote out their petition, and the prayer in regard to their spirits and their deeds individually and in regard to their requests that they should have forgiveness and length.  And I went off and sat down at the waters of Dan, in the land of Dan, to the south of the west of Hermon.  I read their petition until I fell asleep.  And behold a dream came to me, and visions fell down upon me, and I saw visions of chastisement, and a voice came bidding me to tell it to the sons of heaven and reprimand them.  And when I awaked, I came to them, and they were all sitting gathered together, weeping in 'Abelsjail, which is between Lebanon and Seneser, with their faces covered.  and I recounted before them all the vision which I had seen in sleep, and I began to speak the words of righteousness, and to reprimand the heavenly Watchers.

Chapter XIV

    The book of the words of righteousness, and of the reprimand of the eternal Watchers in accordance with the command of the Holy Great One in that vision.  I saw in my sleep what I will now say with a tongue of flesh and with the breath of my mouth, which the Great One has given to men to converse therewith and understand with the heart. As He has created and given to man the power of understanding the word of wisdom, so has He created me also and given me the power of reprimanding the Watchers, the children of heaven.  I wrote out your petition, and in my vision it appeared thus that your petition will not be granted unto you throughout all the days of eternity, and that judgement has been finally passed upon you. Yea, your petition will not be granted unto you, and from henceforth you shall not ascend unto heaven unto all eternity, and in bonds of the earth the decree has gone forth to bind you for all the days of the world.
    And that previously you shall have seen the destruction of your beloved sons and you shall have no pleasure in them, but they shall fall before you by the sword. And your petition on their behalf shall not be granted, nor yet on your own, even though you weep and pray and speak all the words contained in the writing which I have written.   
    And the vision was shown to me thus:  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 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 build of crystals and surrounded by tongues of fire, and it began to affright 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 of crystal.  Its ceiling was like the path of the stars and the lightnings, and between them were fiery cherubim, and their heaven was clear as water.
    A flaming fire surrounded the walls, and its portals blazed with fire.  And I entered into that house, and it was hot as fire and cold as ice, there were no delights of life therein.  Fear covered me, and trembling got hold upon me.  And as I quaked and trembled, I fell upon my face, and I beheld a vision, and lo! there was a second house, greater 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 splendor and magnificence and extent that I can not describe to you its splendor and its extent.  And its floor was of fire, and above it were lightnings and the path of the stars, and its ceiling was also flaming fire.  And I looked and saw therein a lofty throne:  it's appearance was as crystal, and the wheels thereof as the shining sun, and there was the vision of cherubim.  And from underneath the throne came streams of flaming fire so that I could not look thereon.   
    And the Great Glory sat thereon, and His raiment shone more brightly than the sun and was whiter than any snow.  None of the angels could enter and could behold His face by reason 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 could draw nigh Him:  ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him, yet He needed no counselor.   And the most holy ones who were 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, 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 downward.

Chapter XV

    And He answered and said to me, and I heard his voice:  "Fear not, Enoch, you righteous man and scribe of righteousness: approach hither and hear My voice.  And go, say to the Watchers of heaven, who have sent you to intercede for them:  'You should intercede for men, and not men for you.  Wherefore have you left the high, holy, and eternal heaven, and lain with women and defiled yourselves with the daughters of men and taken to yourselves wives, and done like the children of earth, and begotten giants as your sons?   And though you were holy, spiritual, living the eternal life, you have defiled yourselves with the blood of women and have begotten children with the blood of flesh, and, like the children of men, have lusted after flesh and blood as those also do who die and perish.  
    Therefore I have given them wives also that they might impregnate them, and beget children by them, that thus nothing might be wanting to them on earth.  But you were formerly spiritual, living the eternal life, and immortal for all generations of the world.  And therefore I have not appointed wives for you, for as for the spiritual ones of heaven, in heaven is their dwelling.  And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on earth shall be their dwelling.  Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies, because they are born from men and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called.
    As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on earth shall be their dwelling. And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble.  They take no food, but nevertheless hunger and thirst, and cause offenses. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded from them."

Chapter XVI

    "''From the days of the slaughter and destruction and death of the giants, from the souls of whose flesh the spirits, having gone forth, shall destroy without incurring judgement -- thus they shall destroy until the day of the consummation, the great judgement in which the age shall be consummated, over the Watchers and the godless, yea shall be wholly consummated.'  
    And now as to the watchers who have sent you to intercede for them, who had been aforetime in heaven, say to them: 'You have been in heaven, but all the mysteries had not yet been revealed to you, and you knew worthless ones, and these in the hardness of your hearts you have made known to the women, and through these mysteries women and men work much evil on earth.'
    Say to them therefore, 'You have no peace.'"

 

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