Enoch’s Book of Parables
THE SECOND SECTION of the Book of 1 Enoch isn’t as well known as the part that deals with the fallen Watchers, but it’s at least as important from a theological perspective.
The Book of Parables, chapters 37–71 of 1 Enoch, deals specifically with how the world will be purified from the sin introduced by the rebellious Watchers. To the author(s) of this section of 1 Enoch, which was probably written by Essenes in the Galilee between 25 BC and the end of the first century BC (in other words, just before the birth of Jesus), the world had been so corrupted by the fallen angels that only God’s direct intervention could put things right.
This week, we share the historic backdrop of the Book of Parables: The return of Jews from Babylon who found a priesthood in Jerusalem that believed the age of prophecy was over, repeated invasions by Greeks, Armenians (yes, really), Parthians, and Romans, and civil war, which only intensified a belief among the group that came to be known as Essenes that the arrival of a Savior was imminent.
When he didn’t come on schedule (sometime between 90 and 80 BC), the Essenes revised their timeline. After a period of civil war, followed by a Parthian invasion around 40 BC, Herod the Great, governor of Galilee, returned from Rome with the backing of the army of Mark Antony (yes, that one).
When Herod drove the Parthians from Judea in 37 BC after a three-year war, many Essenes apparently thought Herod was the Anointed One—the Messiah!
It didn’t take long for Herod to disabuse everyone of that notion.
That’s the back story of the Book of Parables. It was written at a time when many Jews believed Messiah’s arrival was imminent. The Book of Parables was a reminder that God’s promises would be fulfilled, and the agent of God’s imminent judgment was a figure called the Anointed One, the Chosen One, and, most frequently, the Son of Man.
This would all be nothing more than historical interest except for an important fact: Jesus applied the title “the Son of Man” to himself 78 times in the New Testament, and that title doesn’t appear in any Jewish writing prior to the Book of Parables.
This week’s question: Are there ranks of demons, some of which are more difficult than others to exorcise? We referenced the work of Restoration in Christ Ministries (rcm-usa.org). The study notes Derek mentioned by the founder of RCM, Dr. Tom Hawkins, are no longer available to download, but a study on the cosmic hierarchy is available here: https://rcm-usa.org/product/the-cosmic-hierarchy/
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If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources:
- Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821)
- Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (link to book at Amazon)
- Book of 1 Enoch – Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (link opens free PDF)
- Book of 1 Enoch – R. H. Charles translation (link opens free PDF)
The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser’s two-volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. Get both books, the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch, and a DVD interview with Mike and Steven Bancarz for a donation of $35 plus shipping and handling.
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