The Books of Enoch

by Joseph B. Lumpkin

1 Blessed is the man who opens his lips in praise of God of Sabaoth (Host/army) and praises the Lord with his heart. 2 Cursed is every man who opens his lips for the purpose of bringing contempt and slander to (of) his neighbor, because he brings God into contempt. 3 Blessed is he who opens his lips blessing and praising God. 4 Cursed before the Lord all the days of his life, is he who opens his lips to curse and abuse.

11 Blessed is he who imparts peace and love.

neighbors. 13 Blessed is he who speaks

And he who does any beast any injury whatsoever, in secret, it is an evil practice, and he defiles his own soul. (Note: To kill without a wound is to inflict blunt force trauma--to beat them to death.) Chapter 60 1 He who works the killing of a man’s soul (he who murders), kills his own soul, and kills his own body, and there is no cure for him for all time. 2 He who puts a man in any snare (moral entrapment), shall stick himself in it, and there is no cure for him for all time. 3 He who puts a man in any vessel, his retribution will not be wanting at the great judgment for all time. 4 He who works dishonestly or speaks evil against any soul, will not make justice for himself for all time.

3 Hear, my children, small and great! When man puts a good thought in his heart, it brings gifts from his labors before the Lord’s face. But if his hands did not make them, then the Lord will turn away his face from the labor of his hand, and (that) man cannot find the labor of his hands. 4 And if his hands made it, but his heart murmurs (complains), and his heart does not stop murmurs incessantly, he does not have (gain) any advantage.

Lord saw all the works of man, and created all his creatures, and divided time. From time he determined the years, and from the years he appointed the months, and from the months he appointed the days, and of days he appointed seven.

Bow down to the true God, not to dumb idols, but bow down to his likeness, and bring all just offerings before the Lord’s face. The Lord hates what is unjust. (Note: This is an odd command issued by Enoch, that the people are not to bow to dumb idols but are to bow to the likeness or similitude of God. This was likely added by Christians around the third or fourth centuries A.D.) 4 For the Lord sees all things; when man takes thought in his heart, then he counsels the intellects, and every thought is always before the Lord, who made firm the earth and put all creatures on it.

Blessed are the just who shall escape the great judgment, for they shall shine forth more than the sun sevenfold, for in this world the seventh part is taken off from all, light, darkness, food, enjoyment, sorrow, paradise, torture, fire, frost, and other things; he put all down in writing, that you might read and understand.

again. 2 And the people saw and did not understand how Enoch had been taken, and they glorified God, and found a scroll in which was written “The God of the Spiritual.” Then all went to their dwelling places.

Tsivan is the first month of the year. The sum is seven, one of the holy numbers. He lived 365 years. One year of years. He remained in heaven 60 days. Six is the number of man, which always falls short of God.)

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will save.” It is assumed Edem is Eden.) Then Nir arose from his sleep and blessed The Lord, who had appeared to him saying: “Blessed be The Lord, The God of my fathers, who has approved of my priesthood and the priesthood of my fathers, because by His Word, He has created a great priest in the womb of Sopanim, my wife. For I have no descendants. So let this child take the place of my descendants and become as my own son. You will count him in the number of your servants."

Noah fathered 3 sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. He went into the ark in his six hundredth year. After the flood, he lived 350 years. He lived in all 950 years, according to The Lord our God. To our God be Glory always, now and eternally. AMEN.

Modern scholars describe this book as belonging to a body of work called the Pseudepigraphia. 3 Enoch claims to be written by a rabbi, who became a ‘high priest' after he had visions of an ascension to heaven, 90 A.D. - 135 A.D. Rabbi Ishmael is a leading figure of Merkabah literature; however, a number of scholars suggest that it was in fact written by a number of people over a prolonged period of time. Merkabah writings had to do with the theme of ascension into heaven. The name is derived from a Hebrew word meaning “chariot,” referring to Ezekiel’s vision beginning in Ezekiel 1:4. Enoch's contents and ideas are unique and newer than those shown in other Merkabah texts, suggesting the book may be among the first in the Merkabah movement or that it is derived through unique influences.

Enoch and Metatron The main theme throughout the book is the “transubstantiation” of Enoch into the angel Metatron. Metatron appears in various Jewish, Christian, and Islamic works but was a central focus in medieval Jewish mystical texts and occult sources. Rabbinical texts point to Metatron as the angel who stilled the hand of Abraham, preventing him from sacrificing Isaac. The place and authority of Metatron has been hotly debated, as is seen even within the book. He is seen as sitting in heaven. This is only permitted if one is a deity. He is referred to in the text as “The Lesser YHWH.” YHWH makes up the Tetragrammaton forming the name we pronounce as Yahweh or Jehovah. The four letters making up the divine name are Yodh, He Waw, He, having the sounds of Y, H, W, O, U or a place holder, and H. When He ends a word it is often silent. Due to the fact that German theologians were heavily involved in theological research and study, one may also find the Tetragrammaton rendered as YHVH, since the V in German has a W sound.

curse for dualism There is a very personal attack within the text, which should be explained. A curse is placed on a man known only as Acher. In Hebrew the name means, “the other,” and is used as a term of alienation from the rabbinic community. The Talmud tells us that Elisha be Abuyah entered Paradise in a vision and saw Metatron sitting down (an action that in heaven is permitted only to God himself). Elishah ben Abuyah therefore looked to Metatron as a deity and proclaimed, "There are indeed two powers in heaven!" The other rabbis explain that Metatron was allowed to sit because he was the Heavenly Scribe, writing down the deeds of Israel (Babylonian Talmud, Hagiga 15a). The intense hatred for any idea hinting at dualism or polytheism, as opposed to monotheism, caused such a reaction within the Rabbinical community that they labeled Elisha be Abuyah a heretic. In 3 Enoch this point is driven home when the entire nation of Israel is to be reconciled to God, except for Acher, whose name is blotted out.

Who is Metatron? In spite of the disagreements within the ancient Jewish community, the reader is still left to wonder what position Metatron occupies in heaven. Metatron is described in two ways: as a primordial angel (9:2–13:2) and as the transformation of Enoch after he was assumed into Heaven, and he is called “The Lesser YHWH.” According to Genesis 5:24, Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. This Enoch, whose flesh was turned to flame, his veins to fire, his eyelashes to flashes of lightning, his eyeballs to flaming torches, and whom God placed on a throne next to the throne of glory, received after this heavenly transformation the name Metatron

Christian perspective As the Christian community came in contact with the Jewish book of 3 Enoch, they had little trouble reconciling the names and position of Metatron. To those Christians a person who may sit in heaven, who judges, and who is called by the same name taken by God must be Yeshua (Jesus.) It may be of help if the meaning of the name, Metatron, could be ascertained, but it is not clear.

mankind. Numerology in 3 Enoch A type of numerology is used and referred to within the text. Temurah is one of the three ancient methods used by Cabbalist to rearrange words and sentences in the Torah, in the belief that by this method they can derive the deeper, hidden spiritual meaning of the words. Temurah may be used to change letters in certain words to create a new meaning for a Biblical statement. Another method is called Gematria. In this method letters are substituted for numbers and the meaning of words with the same value are compared along with the numerical meaning of the words.

honored above all the mighty ones in kingship, greatness and glory: Why do they call you ‘Youth’ in the high heavens?” He answered and said to me: “Because I am Enoch, the son of Jared. For when the generation of the flood sinned and were confounded in their deeds, saying unto God: Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of your ways (Job 21:14), then the Holy One, blessed be He, removed me from their midst to be a witness against them in the high heavens to all the inhabitants of the world, that they may not say, “The Merciful One is cruel.”

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: Rabbi Ishmael ascends to heaven to witness the vision of the Merkaba (chariot). He is given to Metatron AND ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD: AND HE WAS NOT; FOR GOD TOOK HIM. (1) I ascended on high to witness

vision of the Merkaba (the divine chariot) and I had entered the six halls, which were situated within one another. The halls were in concentric circles, one within the other. (2) As soon as I reached the door of the seventh

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eyes on high towards the Divine Majesty and I said: (3) “Lord of the Universe, I pray you, that the worthiness of Aaron, the son of Amram, who loves and pursues peace, and who received the crown of priesthood from Your Glory on Mount Sinai, be upon me in this hour, so that Khafsiel, (Qafsiel) the prince, and the angels with him may not overcome (overpower) me nor cast me down from the heavens.”

Qafsiel or Qaphsiel is an angel of a high order set to guard the Seventh Hall Of Heaven (4) At that moment the Holy One, blessed be He, sent Metatron, his Servant, also called Ebed, to me. He is the angel, the Prince of the Presence. With great joy he spread his wings as he came to meet me in order to save me from their hand. (5) And by his hand he took me so that they could see us, and he said to me: “Enter in peace before the high and exalted King and see the picture of Merkaba (chariot).”

Merkaba means chariot, or in this case chariot of fire or chariot of light . It is pulled by four Chayot or living creatures, each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle… See Ezekiel 1:4-26. The Bible makes mention of three types of angel found in the Merkaba. The first is the Seraphim (lit. "burning") angels. These angels appear like flashes of fire continuously ascending and descending. These Seraphim angels powered the movement of the chariot. In the hierarchy of these angels, Seraphim are the highest, that is, closest to God, followed by the Chayot, which are followed by the Ophanim. The chariot is in a constant state of motion, and the energy behind this movement runs according to this hierarchy. The movement of the Ophanim is controlled by the Chayot while the movement of the Chayot is controlled by the Seraphim. The movement of all the angels of the chariot are controlled by the "Likeness of a Man" on the Throne.

(6) Then I entered the seventh hall, and he led me to the camps of Shekina (understanding) and stood me in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, to see the Merkaba.

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Shekina, or Shekhinah, is derived from a Hebrew verb literally meaning “to settle, inhabit, or dwell.” See Exodus 40:35 (“Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, for the cloud rested [shakhan] upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.) See also Genesis 9:27, 14:13, Psalms 37:3, Jeremiah 33:16, as well as the weekly Shabbat blessing recited in the temple ("May He who causes His name to dwell [shochan] in this House, cause to dwell among you love and brotherliness, peace and friendship").

Also see Talmud Ketubot 85b. Shekina can also mean royalty or royal residence. Shekina has come to mean the effect or manifestation caused by the presence or inhabitation of God. The manifestation is glory, creativity, and understanding. These words may be used to explain Shekina.

Ophanim are described in 1 Enoch as never sleeping. They watch and guard the throne of God.The word ophan means "wheel” in Hebrew. For this reason the Ophanim have been associated with the chariots in Ezekiel and Daniel. They are mentioned as gagal, traditionally "the wheels of gagallin,” in "fiery flame" and "burning fire" of the four eye-covered wheels, each composed of two nested wheels, that move next to the winged Cherubim, beneath the throne of God. The four wheels move with the Cherubim because the spirit of the Cherubim is in them. These are also referred to as the "many-eyed ones" in 2 Enoch. The Ophanim are also equated as the "Thrones,” and associated with the "Wheels,” in the vision of Daniel 7:9. They carry the throne of God, hence the name. This may be a good time to explain the singular and plural in Hebrew. Whereas in English we add an “s” to denote a plural, in Hebrew an “im” is added. Thus, there is one Cherub but many Cherubim. There is one Seraph but many Seraphim. Knowing this fact may make the text easier to follow.

And he opened and shined His light in my eyes and my heart by words of psalm, song, praise, exaltation, thanksgiving, extolment, glorification, hymn and eulogy (to speak well of). And as I opened my mouth, singing a song before the Holy One, blessed be He the Holy Chayoth beneath and above the Throne of Glory answered and said (chanted the prayer): “HOLY!” “BLESSED BE THE GLORY OF YHWH FROM HIS PLACE!.”

describing his vision by the river Chebar. Kedushah (Sacred Salutation of Holy, Holy, Holy) is a call to greet and glorify God. KODOISH, KODOISH, KODOISH ADONAI 'TSEBAYOTH: Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of Hosts. This is the Sacred Salutation, the Kedushah (Sacred Salutation of Holy, Holy, Holy) which is used by all the heavenly hosts to worship The Father before His Throne.

Rabbi Ishmael said: (1) Within the hour the eagles of The Chariot (Merkaba), the flaming Ophannim and the Seraphim of consuming fire asked Metatron: (2) “Youth! Why do you permit one born of woman to enter and see the chariot (Merkaba)? From which nation and from which tribe is this one? What is his nature?” (3) Metatron answered and said to them: “From the nation of Israel whom the Holy One, blessed be He, chose for his people from among seventy tongues (nations of the world). He is from the tribe of Levi, whom He set aside as a contribution to his name. He is from the seed of Aaron whom the Holy One, blessed be He, chose for his servant and He put upon him the crown of priesthood on Sinai.” (4) Then they spoke and said: “Happy is the people (nation) that is in that position!” (Ps. 144:15).

(1) In that hour I asked Metatron, the angel, the Prince of the Presence: “What is your name?” (2) He answered me: “I have seventy names, corresponding to the seventy nations of the world and all of them are based upon the name Metatron, angel of the Presence; but my King calls me ‘Youth’ (Naar).”

Seventy tongues represent the 70 nations or the entirety of the known world. It is likely the word “youth” is used because Metatron is the newest and youngest being in heaven. The 70 names are derived from the divine name or the Tetragrammaton – YHWH. Yah is a shortened version of this, meaning “God.” CHAPTER 4 Metatron is Enoch who was translated to heaven at the time of the flood. Rabbi Ishmael said: (1) I asked Metatron and said to him: “why does your Creator call you by seventy names? You are greater than all the princes, higher than all the angels, beloved more than all the servants, honored above all the mighty ones in kingship, greatness and glory, so why do they in the high heavens call you ‘Youth’? (2) He answered and said to me: “Because I am Enoch, the son of Jared. (3) When the generation of the flood sinned and were twisted and contorted in their deeds, saying unto God: “Depart from us! We do not want the knowledge of your ways,” (Job 21:14), then the Holy One, blessed be He, removed me from their midst so that I could be a witness against them in the high heavens to all the inhabitants of the world, so that they can not say: ‘The Merciful One is cruel.’ (4) “What sin did all those throngs of their wives, their sons and their daughters, their horses, their mules and their cattle and their property, and all the birds of the world commit so that the Holy One, blessed be He, destroyed the world, together with them in the waters of the flood?” They cannot say...

This chapter lays out the purpose of 3 Enoch and why it is so named. Metatron confirms that he is indeed Enoch, who was taken to heaven, translated into the being, Metatron. His primary purpose was to be a witness against man’s sin on earth. When man or angel asked what sin was committed that all on earth should be destroyed, Enoch, now known as Metatron, would be a witness.

(6) In that hour three of the ministering angels, UZZA, ‘AZZA and AZZAEL came out and accused me in the high heavens in front of the Holy One, blessed be He: And they said, “The Progenitors, The Ancient Ones, said before You with justification: Do not create man! The Holy One, blessed be He, answered and said unto them: “I have made and I will bear, and yes, I will carry and will deliver.” (7) As soon as they saw me, they said before Him: “Lord of the Universe! What is this one that he should ascend to the highest heights? Is he not one from among the sons of those who perished in the days of the Flood? What is he doing in the Raqia (firmament/heavens).” What business does he have being in heaven?

So Chad

Some sources have the names of the angels include Mal’aki or Mamlaketi. Azzael is one of the ten heads of the heavenly Sanhedrin. Rabbinical sources have Azza and Azzael as giants. All three are said to be agents of evil who accuse man of sins. These are the fallen angels. Another theory is that Azza and Azzael are not individual angels but are orders of angels.

Raquia is a key Hebrew word in Genesis 1:6–8a. It is translated “firmament” in the King James Version and “expanse” in most Hebrew dictionaries and modern translations. Raqa means to spread out, beat out, or hammer as one would a malleable metal. It can also mean “plate.” The Greek Septuagint translated raqia 16 out of 17 times with the Greek word stereoma, which means “a firm or solid structure.” The Latin Vulgate (A.D. 382) used the Latin term “firmamentum,” which also denotes solidness and firmness. The King James translators coined the word “firmament” because there was no single word equivalent in English. Today, “firmament” is usually used poetically to mean sky, atmosphere, or heavens. In modern Hebrew, raqia means sky or heavens. However, originally it probably meant something solid or firm that was spread out.

sent away into the wilderness to Azazel." (8) Again, the Holy One, blessed be He, answered and said to them: “What are you, that you enter and speak in my presence? I delight more in this one than in all of you put together, and therefore he will be a prince and a ruler over you in the high heavens.” (9) Then they all stood up and went out to meet me, and bowed themselves down before me and said: “Happy are you and happy is your father for your Creator favors you.” (10) And because I am small and a youth among them in days, months and years, therefore they call me “Youth” (Na’ar).

CHAD!

The highest (worst) sins, according to rabbis, are idolatry, adultery, bloodshed, and sorcery and calling God’s name in vain. A parasang is a length or measurement of distance used in what is now Iran. It varied according to the region. The north-eastern parasang was about 15,000 paces; the north-western parasang was 18,000 paces, and the one of the southwest was merely 6,000 paces. The measurement called the "true parasang” was about 9,000 paces.

(8) And they brought down the sun, the moon, planets and constellations, and placed them in front of the idols on the right side and on the left side of the idols, to attend to them just like they attend the Holy One, blessed be He, for it is written (I Kings 22:19): “And all the hosts of heaven were standing by him on his right hand and on his left.” (9) What power was in them to enable to bring them down? They would not have been able to bring them down, if it had not been for the fact that UZZA, and AZZIEL (other sources have Azzael) taught them sorceries by which they brought them down and enslaved them.

same level as) the idols. The word Araboth (highest heaven) occurs in Psalm 68:4 (Extol him who rides upon the Araboth), in which it is usually translated simply as the highest heaven. In the case of 3 Enoch, this would be the throne of God. In the Zoharic commentary on Exodus it is referred to thus: Be glad in the presence of him who rides upon that concealed heaven which is supported by the Chayoth.

The Zohar also interprets the word to mean “mixture” because, it says, this heaven is a mixture of fire and water. This is a mystical statement of a place containing opposites, and thus everything.

(12) Now you are on earth just like the idols. What have you to do with the inhabitants of the earth who worship idols? (13) Then the Holy One, blessed be He, lifted up His Shekina from the earth, from their midst (14) In that moment the ministering angels came. They are troops of the host and the armies of Araboth (highest heaven) in thousand camps and ten thousand host. They brought trumpets and took the horns in their hands and surrounded the Shekina with all kinds of songs. And He ascended to the high heavens, for it is written (Ps. 47:5), “God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.” Here the presence and dwelling of God is the Shekina. When the Shekina was taken, God himself left them and took his glory because of idolatry.

Holy Chayoth, the Ophannim, the Seraphim, the Cherubim, the Wheels of the Merkaba (chariot) (the Galgallim), and the ministers of the consuming fire, all smelled my scent from a distance of 365,000 myriads of parasangs, and said: “What smells like one born woman and what tastes like a white drop? Who is this that ascends on high. He is merely a gnat among those who can divide flames of fire?” Chayot are considered angels of fire, who hold up the throne of God and the earth itself. The angel smells the scent of a human, which he finds revolting. He can taste it in the air. The white drop refers to semen. This is an extremely hateful and distasteful statement for the angel to make.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered and spoke to them: “My servants, my host, my Cherubim, my Ophannim, my Seraphim! Do not be displeased on account of this! Since all the children of men have denied me and my great Kingdom and have all gone worshipping idols, I have removed my Shekina from among them and have lifted it up on high. But this one whom I have taken from among them is an Elect One among (the inhabitants of) the world and he is equal to all of them (put together) in his faith, righteousness and perfection of deed and I have taken him as a tribute from my world under all the heavens.

The statement of “taking a tribute” can be better understood if one looks at Enoch as the best mankind has to offer and God took him as a an act of admiration, indicating the intended worth of mankind, had they not turned away from him. The term “Elect One” is very important. It occurs in 1 Enoch and in certain scripture regarding Christ.

Glory. In some Jewish mystical writings the attributes of Elijah and those of Enoch are interchangeable. Here Enoch takes the same trip to heaven on a fiery chariot.

Shin’anim are a class of angel seen in lists of angelic orders. Their name seems to come from a word for “accuser” and thus could be the satans in heaven.

(1) Before he appointed me to attend the Throne of Glory, the Holy One, blessed be He, opened to me three hundred thousand gates of Understanding three hundred thousand gates of Wisdom three hundred thousand gates of Life three hundred thousand gates of Grace and Loving-kindness three hundred thousand gates of Love three hundred thousand gates of The Torah three hundred thousand gates of Meekness three hundred thousand gates of Steadfastness three hundred thousand gates of Mercy three hundred thousand gates of Respect for heaven

Thousand

Other readings add three hundred thousand gates of Shekina, three hundred thousand gates of fear of sin, three hundred thousand gates of power. The gates of steadfastness is also rendered as maintenance and refers to the sustenance to maintain life. All of man’s needs come from heaven. Subtlety is rendered as wisdom but includes diplomacy and craftiness.

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