The Book of Enoch Explained

Should Christians read the Book of Enoch since Jude quotes it in the Bible? Why is it not included in the Bible as part of the canon?

If you have ever asked these questions, here are a few explanations.

What is the Book of Enoch?

The Book of Enoch discusses fallen watchers, human women, and bloodthirsty giants.

It is an ancient book with five separate parts by different authors, plus segments from the Book of Noah thrown in. Nobody knows who wrote this book. The authorship is unclear, and it is attributed to Enoch, the great grandfather of Noah, but it was not written by him. Enoch is considered a legendary figure, and the attribution to him is part of the pseudepigrapha, meaning the true authors used his name to give an aura of ancient wisdom and authority. The Book of Enoch was most likely written by multiple authors over several centuries, with estimates ranging from 3rd century BC to 1st century AD during the Second Temple period in Jewish history.

The Five Parts of the Book of Enoch

1. The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1–36)

This section touches on the fallen angels, called the watchers, who descend to the earth and marry human women, resulting in the birth of hybrid giants known as the Nephilim. Enoch is the righteous man chosen by God to receive wisdom and knowledge. The watchers ask Enoch to intercede on their behalf before God, but they are denied forgiveness and are bound and cast into the abyss as punishment for their actions.

2. The Book of Parables (1 Enoch 37–71)

This section contains three parables that deal with the themes of divine judgment and the coming Messianic kingdom. It introduces the concept of the Son of Man, a heavenly figure that will judge the wicked and establish a righteous kingdom.

3. The Book of the Heavenly Luminaries (1 Enoch 72–82)

Enoch shares knowledge about the movements of the heavenly bodies, which describes astronomy and its connection to the divine order. It also goes into detail about a solar calendar different from the lunar calendar used by the Hebrews at the time.

4. The Book of Dream Visions (1 Enoch 83–90)

In this portion, Enoch has two visions: the first is about the Great Flood, and the second is about the history of Israel symbolically represented by animals. These visions recount the world’s history from the time of Adam to the establishment of the Messianic kingdom.

5. The Book of the Epistle of Enoch (1 Enoch 91–108)

This final section includes a series of encouragements to the righteous and warnings to the sinners. It contains revelations about the future, including the resurrection and the final judgment.

The Book of the Watchers

The Book of the Watchers, which is the first book of Enoch with 36 chapters, is divided into three main sections:

• The Descent of the Watchers (Chapters 1-5) Enoch starts with a warning about the great judgment against the watchers, a group of angels who have sinned. These angels see the earth’s women as beautiful, so they decide to leave their heavenly home to marry them.
• The Sins of the Watchers and the Nephilim (Chapters 6-16) The angels now on earth teach humans various forbidden knowledge and crafts, which lead to warfare, sorcery, and all other sins. This angel and human union produce a hybrid offspring called Nephilim, who are giants that bring havoc on this earth and consume humans alive, leading to widespread despair.
• Enoch’s Mediation and the Judgment of the Watchers (Chapters 17-36) The watchers realize that they have done wrong and ask Enoch to speak to God on their behalf, hoping for forgiveness. Enoch ascends to the heavens, where he receives visions and is told about the natural order and why the watchers cannot be forgiven.

Why Was the Book of Enoch Not Included in the Bible?

The term pseudepigrapha refers to the collection of ancient books written from about 200 BC to about 200 AD, and they are not considered part of the canon by most Jewish and Christian traditions. These texts often bear the names of Biblical characters, but they were not written by them or within their lifetime. The Book of Enoch is not included in the Jewish or Christian scriptures, with the exception of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

What Should Christians Do About The Book of Enoch?

I do want to highlight an important thing to consider regarding the passage of Scripture where Jude mentions Enoch (Jude 1:14-15).

This portion says, “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.'” This quotes is from 1 Enoch 1:9.

Just because Jude quotes a portion of Enoch does not mean that all of the Book of Enoch is inspired.

While, the Book of Enoch provides insights into the beliefs, culture, and religious understanding of the period between the Old Testament and the New Testament, we should use Enoch within its context, understanding that a lot of the content is not true.

The book does include useful contextual insights as themes in Enoch appear in various New Testament passages, demonstrating ideas of the coming judgment and the Messiah.

It’s important to remember thaw while the Apocrypha books are interesting and fascinating, they are not accurate or inspired as the Scripture. Just because people like to misuse the book of Enoch in other spiritual practices or even religions, it does not make the book itself, bad.

If you read it, you would probably came to similar conclusions.

Read: Who Were the Sons of God and the Nephilim?