The Books of Enoch: A Complete Volume Containing 1 Enoch (The Ethiopic Book of Enoch), 2 Enoch (The Slavonic Secrets of Enoch), 3 Enoch (The Hebrew Book of Enoch)

by Enoch

And those two men lifted me up from there on to the seventh heaven, and I saw there a very great light, and fiery troops of great archangels, incorporeal forces, and dominions, orders and governments, Cherubim and Seraphim, thrones and many-eyed ones, nine regiments, the Ioanit stations of light, and I became afraid, and began to tremble with great terror, and those men took me, and led me after them, and said to me: 2 Have courage, Enoch, do not fear, and showed me the Lord from afar, sitting on His very high throne. For what is there on the tenth heaven, since the Lord dwells there?

Each level of heaven represents or demonstrates a personality or part of the Godhead. One of the highest demonstrations of God’s power and divinity is the power of Creation. It is found on the tenth level of heaven.)

And all the heavenly soldiers would come and stand on the ten steps according to their rank, and would bow down to the Lord, and would then return to their places in joy and bliss, singing songs in the unlimited light with soft and gentle voices, gloriously serving him.

On the tenth heaven, which is called Aravoth, I saw the appearance of the Lord’s face, like iron made to glow in fire, and it shone forth and casted out, emitting sparks, and it burned. (Note: One possible meaning of Aravoth is “three times holy” or “holy, holy, holy.”

In a moment of eternity I saw the Lord's face, but the Lord’s face is indescribable, marvelous and very amazing, and very, very terrible.

The Lord's throne is very great and not made with hands, and I cannot tell the number of those standing around him. There were troops of Cherubim and Seraphim, and they sang unceasingly. I cannot tell of his unchanging beauty. Who shall tell of the unpronounceable greatness of his glory? 4 And I fell prone and bowed down to the Lord, and the Lord with his lips said to me: 5 Have courage, Enoch, do not fear, arise and stand before my face into eternity (stand before my face eternally / stand before my eternal face.) (Note: Enoch is out of and above time-space. Eternity is now and he can feel the timelessness of where he is. The language struggles to convey this fact. )

And Michael did as the Lord told him. He anointed me, and dressed me, and the appearance of that ointment is more than the great light, and his ointment is like sweet dew, and its smell mild, shining like the sun’s ray, and I looked at myself, and I was transformed into one of his glorious ones.

And the Lord summoned one of his archangels, whose name is Pravuil, whose knowledge was quicker in wisdom than the other archangels, who wrote all the deeds of the Lord; and the Lord said to Pravuil: Bring out the books from my store-houses, and a reed of quick-writing, and give it to Enoch, and deliver to him the best and comforting books out of your hand. (Note: Enoch is now an angel. He now has access to the heavenly records and the understanding to use the knowledge. A reed was used in writing much like a quill was used.)

And Pravuil told me: All the things that I have told you, we have written. Sit and write all the souls of mankind, however many of them are born, and the places prepared for them to eternity. And he said, all souls are prepared for eternity, before the formation of the world.

(Note: If all things were created in six days, then the souls of all people were created at that time. In Jewish mythology, the place that the souls were houses until birth was called the Guf (Guph). Each soul was created for a certain place, time, and destiny. According to one version of the myth, when the Guf (Gup) is emptied of souls, time ceases. In another version, when the last soul dies and returns to God, time will end. Enoch wrote 366 book in a 720 hour period containing information on all things, including, “all souls who are prepared for eternity, before the formation of the world.”)

(Note: Overview of the heavens: First heaven - , Enoch arrives on angel’s wings. There are storehouses of snow and dew. Second heaven - , Enoch finds a group of fallen angels. There is darkness and torture. Third heaven - There are sweet flowers, trees, and fruit. Fourth heaven – There are soldiers, heaven’s army, and the progression of sun and moon. Fifth heaven - The leaders of the fallen angels, the "Grigori" (Greek "Gregoroi," translating Mearim, the Hebrew word for watchers.) Three of them went down and had intercourse with the daughters of men, yielding giants, who became the source of enmity on earth. Sixth heaven – Seven bands of angels and the ordering of the stars. Seventh heaven, shows something unusual happening to Enoch when Gabriel puts Enoch in front of the throne of the Lord. The Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Heavens are thought to be later additions and not part of the original text. Eighth heaven - "Muzaloth" -- Zodiac Ninth heaven - "Kuchavim" -- heavenly bodies (stars). Tenth heaven - "Aravoth" -- descriptions of God’s face like that of iron made to glow in fire. Enoch sees the "appearance of the Lord’s face," but describes it as indescribable. Pravuil, the archangel, is commanded to write down secret information about astronomy, climate, and language and give it over to Enoch. In other Enochian writings the same angel, also spelled "Penemue", is criticized for teaching humans to write.

Chapter 25 1 I commanded in the very lowest parts, that the visible, physical things should come down from the invisible, spiritual (realm), and Adoil came down very great, and I beheld him, and he had a belly of great light. 2 And I said to him: Become undone, Adoil, and let the visible, physical (universe) come out of you. 3 And he came undone, and a great light came out. And I was in the midst of the great light, and as there is born light from light, there came forth a great age (eon / space of time), and showed all creation, which I had thought to create. 4 And I saw that it was good. 5 And I placed for myself a throne, and took my seat on it, and said to the light: Go up higher from here and station yourself high above the throne, and be a foundation to the highest things. 6 And above the light there is nothing else, and then I rose up and looked up from my throne.

(Note: Beginning with chapters 25 and 26, the book of 2 Enoch takes a rather Gnostic diversion. The Gnostics were a Christian sect that flourished around the 3rd century A.D. The Gnostic view of the Godhead borrowed heavily from the creation saga preached by Plato (circa 428 B.C. to 348 B.C.) The story of Adoil and the emanation of pure light from God, which brings about creation of the physical world, is similar to other Gnostic works. Gnosticism teaches that in the beginning a Supreme Being called The Father, The Divine All, The Origin, The Supreme God, or The Fullness, emanated the element of existence, both visible and invisible. His intent was not to create but, just as light emanates from a flame, so did creation shine forth from God. This manifested the primal element needed for creation. This was the creation of Barbelo, who is the “Thought of God.” The Father’s thought performed a deed and she was created from it. It is she who had appeared before him in the shining of his light. This is the first power which was before all of them and which was created from his mind. She is the Thought of the All and her light shines like his light. It is the perfect power, which is the visage of the invisible. She is the pure, undefiled Spirit who is perfect. She is the first power. Adoil has that place is this myth. It could be said that Barbelo was the creative emanation and, like the Divine All, is both male and female. It was the “agreement” of Barbelo and the Divine All...

And I commanded that there should be taken from light and darkness, and I said: Be thick, and it became thick, and I spread it out with the light, and it became water, and I spread it out over the darkness, below the light, and then I made firm the waters, that is to say the bottomless (abyss), and I made foundation of light around the water, and created seven circles from inside, and made the water look like crystal, wet and dry, so it was like glass, and the circles were around the waters and the other elements, and I showed each one of them its path, and the seven stars each one of them in its heaven, that they go the correct way, and I saw that it was good. 2 And I made separations between light and darkness in the midst of the water here and there, and I said to the light, that it should be the day, and to the darkness, that it should be the night, and there was evening and there was morning on the first day.

(Note: The foundation of light around the water that is like crystal is likely a reference to the sky. One belief at the time of writing was that the sky was an expanse of water like an endless sea.)

And then I made firm the heavenly circle, and made that the lower water which is under heaven collect itself together into one whole (piece), and that the chaos become dry, and it became so. 2 Out of the waves I created hard and large rock, and from the rock I piled up the dry (land), and the dry (land) I called earth, and the middle of the earth I called the abyss, or the bottomless. I collected the sea in one place and bound it together with a yoke. (Note: This is the bank or shoreline.) 3 And I said to the sea: Behold I give you eternal limits, and you shall not break loose from your integral parts. 4 Thus I made the firmament hold together. This day I called the first-created, Sunday. (This, I call the first day of creation.)

And for all the heavenly soldiers I made them the image and essence of fire, and my eye looked at the very hard, firm rock, and from the gleam of my eye the lightning received its wonderful nature, (which) is both fire in water and water in fire, and one does not put out the other, nor does the one dry up the other, therefore the lightning is brighter than the sun, softer than water and firmer than hard rock.

And from the rock I cut off a great fire, and from the fire I created the orders of the incorporeal (spiritual / non-physical) ten troops of angels, and their weapons are fiery and their raiment a burning flame, and I commanded that each one should stand in his order.

And one from out the order of angels, having violated the command he was given, conceived an impossible thought, to place his throne higher than the clouds above the earth so that he might become equal in rank to my power. 4 And I threw him out from the height with his angels, and he was flying in the air continuously above the bottomless (abyss). (Note: We assume this ends the second day, although it is not mentioned.)

On the third day I commanded the earth to make and grow great and fruitful trees, and hills, and seeds to sow, and I planted Paradise, and enclosed it, and placed armed guards in the form of my flaming angels, and in this way I created renewal.

Then came evening, and morning came of the fourth day.

On Wednesday, the fourth day, I commanded that there should be great lights on the heavenly circles. 4 On the first uppermost circle I placed the stars, Cronus, and on the second Aphrodite, on the third Ares, on the fifth Zeus, on the sixth Ermis (Hermes), ...

(Note: The fourth heavenly circle is vacant. The Greek names for the heavenly bodies leave no doubt as to the influence of Greek words and ...

On Friday, the sixth day, I commanded my wisdom to create man from seven consistent applications: one, his flesh from the earth; two, his blood from the dew; three, his eyes from the sun; four, his bones from stone; five, his intelligence from the swiftness of the angels and cloud; six, his veins and his hair from the grass of the earth; seven, his soul from my breath and from the wind.

And I gave him seven natures: to the flesh - hearing, the eyes for sight, to the soul - smell, the veins for touch, the blood for taste, the bones for endurance, to the intelligence - enjoyment.

I created a saying (speech) from knowing. I created man from spiritual and from physical nature, from both come his death and life and appearance. He knows speech like some created thing. He is small in greatness and great in smallness, and I placed him on earth, like a second angel, to be honorable, great and glorious. And I appointed him as ruler to rule on ...

And I appointed him a name made from the four components, from east, from west, from south, and from north. And I appointed for him four special stars, and I called his name Adam, and showed him the two ways, the light and the darkness, and I told him: 14 This is good, and that bad, so that I should learn whether he has love towards me, or hatred, and so ...

For I have seen his nature, but he has not seen his own nature, and therefore by not seeing it he will sin worse, and I said, “After sin is there nothing but death?” 16 And I put sleep into him and he fell asleep. And I took from him a rib, and created him a wife, so that death should come to him by his wife, and I took his last word and called her name mother, that is to say, Eve.

Adam has life on earth, and I created a garden in Eden in the east, so that he should observe the testament and keep the command. 2 I made the heavens open to him, so that he would see the angels singing the song of victory, and the light without shadow. 3 And he was continuously in paradise, and the devil understood that I wanted to create another world, because Adam was lord on earth, to rule and control it.

The devil is the evil spirit of the lower places, he made himself a fugitive from the heavens as the devil and his name was Satan. Thus he became different from the angels, but his nature did not change his intelligence as it applied to his understanding of righteous and sinful things.

And he understood his condemnation and the sin that he had committed before. Therefore he devised a thought against Adam, in which he entered and seduced Eve, but did not touch Adam. 6 But I cursed ignorance. However, what I had blessed before I did not curse. I did not curse man, nor the...

And the Lord called upon one of the older angels who was terrible and menacing, and He placed him by me. He appeared white as snow, and his hands were like ice, having the appearance of great frost, and he froze my face, because I could not endure the terror of the Lord, just as it is not possible to endure a stove’s fire or the sun’s heat, or the frost of the air. 2 And the Lord said to me: Enoch, if your face is not frozen here, no man will be able to look at your face.

My children, behold, the day of my determined period (term and time) has approached. 2 For the angels who shall go with me are standing before me and urge me to my departure from you. They are standing here on earth, awaiting what has been told them. 3 For tomorrow I shall go up to heaven, to the uppermost Jerusalem, to my eternal inheritance. 4 Therefore I bid you to do the Lord’s good pleasure before his face at all times.

(Note: The Jerusalem spoken of here is the spiritual Jerusalem, spoken of by John, coming down from heaven. The name, “Jerusalem” refers to the components of the actual name, which break down to mean “provision” and “peace”.)

Methuselah answered his father Enoch, and said: What (food) is agreeable to your eyes, father, that I may prepare before your face, that you may bless our houses, and your sons, and that your people may be made glorious through you, and then that you may depart, as the Lord said?” 2 Enoch answered his son Methuselah and said: “Hear me, my child. From the time when the Lord anointed me with the ointment of his glory, there has been no food in me, and my soul remembers not earthly enjoyment, neither do I want anything earthly.”

But whoever kills beast without wounds, kills his own souls and defiles his own flesh. 6 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.)

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.

And they shall have a great indestructible wall, and a paradise that is bright and eternal, for all mortal things shall pass away, and there will be eternal

(Note: an eon is one billion years but is used to mean a very long but indefinite period of time. The word “eternal” means “unchanging, incorruptible, immortal.” The word used for “mortal” is the opposite of “eternal”, thus, “mortal, corruptible, changing.”)

When Enoch had talked to the people, the Lord sent out darkness on to the earth, and there was darkness, and it covered those men standing with Enoch, and they took Enoch up on to the highest heaven, where the Lord is. And there God received him and placed him before His face, and the darkness went off from the earth, and light came 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.

The Short Version Ends Here

Introduction of 3 Enoch

Author’s Note: The Hebrew Book of Enoch, or 3 Enoch was very difficult to find in its entirety. It was likely written by a highly educated Rabbi around 300 to 400 A.D. and preserved only in fragments, here and there. Then, in 1928 Dr. Hugo Odeberg PhD. gathered the various fragmentary sources and published the first full translation along with copious scholarly notes and the source Hebrew material.

Other names for 3 Enoch include "The Third Book of Enoch" and "The Book of the Palaces."

Similar points appearing in 1 Enoch and 3 Enoch are: -1. Enoch ascends to Heaven in a storm chariot (3 Enoch 6:1; 7:1) -1. Enoch is translated into an angel (3 Enoch 9:1-5; 15:1-2) -1. Enoch, as an angel, is given authority in Heaven (3 Enoch 10:1- 3; 16:1) -1. Enoch receives an explanation or vision of creation and cosmology. (3 Enoch 13:1-2) -1. Enoch sees a hostile angel named Azazel (3 Enoch 4:6; 5:9)

The main theme, throughout the book is the “transubstantiation” of Enoch into the angel Metatron.

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.

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.”

Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. [Genesis 5:24 NIV.] This Enoch, whose flesh was turned to flame, his veins to fire, his eye-lashes to flashes of lightning, his eye-balls to flaming torches, and whom God placed on a throne next to the throne of glory, received after this heavenly transformation the name Metatron.

He is also called, “the prince of the presence (of God).” His purpose in heaven was to be a witness against mankind.