Courtesy BibleMapper.com.
THE BOOK OF 1 ENOCH has become a source of controversy among Christians. Regardless of your view of the book, it’s undeniable that it was known to the apostles and the early church, who generally had a favorable view of it.
On the one hand, 1 Enoch is not in the Bible. There are good reasons for that; there are internal contradictions and details that are contrary to scripture. We agree with the early church, which, guided by the Holy Spirit, excluded 1 Enoch from the canon of scripture (except in the Ethiopic church).
On the other hand, 1 Enoch had a profound influence on New Testament (i.e., Christian) theology and was even quoted directly (Jude 14–15 is a quote from 1 Enoch 1:9).
So, going forward, we will read from and comment on the Book of 1 Enoch on the last Sunday of each month. This month, we introduce the book and its five sections:
- The Book of Watchers (Chapters 1–36) — completed by about 300 BC
- The Book of Parables (Chapters 37–71) — completed by about 4 BC
- The Book of Luminaries (Chapters 72–82) — completed by about 200 BC
- The Book of Dreams (Chapters 83–90) — written during Maccabean period (163–142 BC)
- Note: This includes the Animal Apocalypse (Chapters 85–90)
- The Epistle of Enoch (Chapters 91–108) — between 170 BC and 100 BC
We discuss the authorship of Enoch, which can be traced to a group of Jews who returned from Babylon in the 5th century BC with a belief that the next phase of history was the construction of the temple prophesied by Ezekiel (Ezekiel chapters 40–42). They encountered resistance from the Zadokite priesthood in Jerusalem who believed that the age of prophecy had ended, and that salvation would come through their faithful adherence to the Law of Moses—keeping the feasts and performing the sacrificial rituals.
The Enochians, on the other hand, believed that the world had been so corrupted by rebellious “sons of God”—the sinful angels mentioned by Peter (2 Peter 2:4) and Jude (Jude 6–7)—that only God’s direct intervention would put things right.
That’s the premise of the Book of 1 Enoch. As we go though it, we’ll highlight the concepts that are brought forward in the New Testament.
We are reading from the Hermeneia Translation of 1 Enoch by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam. You can get a copy at Amazon (https://amzn.to/4dRPpkF), or borrow it online from the Internet Archive (https://bit.ly/1enoch).
The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser’s two volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. You can get volumes 1 (covers chapters 1–36) and 2 (chapters 37–71), plus the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch and a DVD interview with Dr. Heiser about the relevance of 1 Enoch today for just $35 plus shipping and handling. Go here: https://bit.ly/heiser-enoch.
Sharon’s niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah.
Follow our new channel on Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse
PLEASE NOTE: Due to security concerns in the Middle East, we have decided to cancel our planned Solidarity Mission to Israel scheduled for November 6–13, 2024.
Join us in Israel! We will lead our next tour through the Holy Land March 25–April 3, 2025, with an optional three-day extension to Jordan featuring visits to Mount Nebo, Wadi Rum, and Petra. Our special guests are Timothy Alberino, Dr. Judd Burton, and Doug Van Dorn!
For more information, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel.
Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at GilbertHouse.org/app.
Check out our online store! GilbertHouse.org/store is a virtual book table with books and DVDs related to our weekly Bible study. Take advantage of our monthly specials here.
We have merch! Check out our new GHTV and Redwing Saga T-shirts and mugs here.
Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.
Love you both!