I was having a conversation with our adopted son, Eric, about a dissertation written by Dr. Amy Elizabeth Richter back in 2010 (as mentioned in previous posts). Eric suddenly started thinking deeply and asked me, "Why does a modern Christian need to know any of this Enoch stuff?" He pointed out that a Christian friend of his, who knows the Bible well, might feel satisfied with understanding that "no" means "no" and that certain sins are simply wrong—biblically speaking. This then led to another question: "I already know that sexual sin is wrong. It's clear to me. How does knowing about Enoch change that? Does the "no" become an even stronger NO?!"
These are really excellent questions. They are real and relevant. They need to be answered. Adding the Enochian backstory into the bible mixture must have a solid and compelling motivation. It is not enough to ask people to bring 1 Enoch aboard in their minds if there is nothing of value to gain. So, answer we must!
Answering—a starting place
It is undeniable that Christianity (as we generally know it) has had a significant and profound influence on the world for the past 1,700 years. Throughout that time, we have witnessed incredible revivals and experiences where people's lives were touched and transformed by the power of the Lord. Many of you may have personally experienced the work of the Lord in your own lives, and even your own testimonies are truly awe-inspiring. However, the focus of this discussion is not on the events of the last 1,700 years, as that information is largely water under the bridge. Let's talk about the first 300 years and the years that are coming!
The world of the bible in the first to third centuries was a deeply pagan world, with a smattering of Jews. It was a world of gods, goddesses, heroes, mighty men, demons, spirits, omens, temples, megaliths, caves, spells, curses, and generally supernatural stuff. All of these things colored every choice and thought of the pagan world. Even Jews saw all of this, understanding themselves as the Oracles of the one true God above all other gods. Materials like 1 Enoch dovetailed in the message of New Testament Christians to their Jewish and pagan Gentile worlds and worldviews.
Over time, as paganism was shoved into a corner and the Roman empire embraced some form of Christianity, the Enochian story was attacked, sidelined, and ultimately pushed out. Those same age-old gods, goddesses, and demons traded their pagan garb for quasi-Christian clothes and drove on. The battle between good and evil changed radically with changes to how the church functioned and with Enoch sidelined. The long march to the 21st century had fully rooted and started by the 4th to 5th century. Therefore, Christianity took on a particular flavor that has evolved for 1,700 years into what we know today.
Nevertheless—before we can answer the clear questions of Enochian relevancy asked above, we have to realize that we don't have an Old Testament without the Enochian fallen sons of God and giant Nephilim, Anakim, Rephaim, and so on. These creatures invading our realm against the will of God from the heavenly realms reaches all the way back to Genesis 3. From Eve to the Flood to the Tower of Babel—to pagan kingdoms, gods, goddesses, demons, and the story of God's nation, Israel—the Watchers are threaded through the entire story. Therefore, we don't have an Old Testament story without bringing the Watchers fully into view. And because the New Testament is built on the old, we don't have the full or better understanding of what God is doing now—especially as we approach the time Jesus said was coming!
But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
FUN FACT: If we use a birth rate of 2.5 children per woman and a generational length of 20 years over a span of 622 years (Adam to Enoch), which is equal to 31 generations—then—we get:
Population = 2 * (2.5^31), the estimated population comes out to be about 2.14 billion or more at the time of Enoch's birth. If we allow this to continue and take into account the decimation of the Nephilim on the human population, it is not hard to imagine a human population of 7-8 billion as it is on earth right now (8.1 billion as of July 2023).
Jesus distinctly informs us that before He returns the time will be "as were the days of Noah" (ὥσπερ γὰρ αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ Νῶε). Note that by the time we get to Noah, the sons of God and Nephilim destruction, abuse, violence, and other sins are going strong, starting with Jared, moving on into Enoch, leading to Noah. The human population is extensive—somewhere between 2 and 8 billions souls. This time of human history is a big deal as all but eight people on wooden boat with animals are about to be wiped out!
At first the impact of the Watchers' is not that noticeable. After all, there's only 200 Watchers in total, each taking a "wife" among the daughters of men. Yet, the secrets of heaven start pouring in as the Watchers' train their wives and families in heavenly secrets; giant children grow and start their abuse of humanity. Nephilim, themselves, start having hybrid children at a very rapid pace—rape and incest cause the Nephilim to proliferate even more. Soon, all of humanity takes notice of these abusive intruders, suffering of them or joining with them.
Together with their advanced knowledge and shear power and size—they decimate humanity in growing ways and numbers. Even animals are not safe from the abuses—bestiality running rampant. By the time Noah enters the ark, humanity is fully engulfed in the mixed seed of angelic hybrids corrupting the gene-pool of all and they have succumbed to the depravities of their conquerors.
Add to this a raw speculation, which is partially revealed in the stories of 1 Enoch: the Watchers' have brought with them powerful and discreet knowledge from the unseen heavenly realms. It is Enoch that tells us how this knowledge is supremely advanced. This new hybrid race is flooded with knowledge that possibly leads to what we would label advanced technologies. Such are the stuff of legends, heroes, and men of renown—and not just for their physical size, stature, and strength, but possibly of their minds, intelligence, and skills.
Drawing it all forward
As a Christian, I am going to make what might come off as an astonishing statement: I believe in aliens! No, not the Star Trek or Star Wars variety of beings from other planets. But what about other realms? Unseen realms? Realms beyond our physical limits, where we are blind and incapable of seeing, detecting, or determining? What lies are we open to in hearing and believing with our blind ignorance and our technological arrogance?
As humanity inches forward at 8 billion souls and as technology races ahead, perhaps beyond our control through the likes of AI, what are we faced with? If one considers "aliens" (ET) to be a reintroduction of ancient Nephilim spirits, re-embodied into some form of body, coupled with their memory of advanced science, math, physics, and technologies derived from them—then yes—the entire package starts making radical sense.
Of course, the entire trope of nonsense peddled in science fiction, the abandonment and mockery of God and everything Christ or Christian plays into the whole mash as well. For an eyes-open Christian who can connect the dots and do the math, the Enochian backstory provides places for all of the puzzle pieces put on the table in the last 100 years—from Darwin to NASA to AI.
What also makes good sense is for Jesus to drop the hints and clues that we need for the time that is coming in the form of statements like: "as were the days of Noah". Coupling this with the backstory of the Watchers' from 1 Enoch, connecting the dots in present-day canonical scripture and—viola! We have a coherent story that informs us of what we will be needing to know for the times ahead.
The Rapture will save us!
I used to believe that as well, but then I ran into a guy of good reputation and deep scholarship who said, "I can dismantle that. Want to see how?" Sure enough—after an hour or so, he systematically cast a whole range of doubts on every "rapture theory" I am aware of—and some that I did not even know existed. I have to say—the notion of a "I-don't-have-to-be-here" Rapture thing-a-ma-bob doesn't look as solid as I was taught. In fact, seeing it all dismantled makes me think that believing in any form of Rapture-as-rescue is just a cruel demonic joke, and we fell for it!
Now—that's not to say that I don't think there is a moment where Jesus has an angel blow a trumpet and the church is not caught up to be with Him in the clouds at some point. What I am saying is that I don't think we're going to magically escape watching (or experiencing) the world be shredded in judgment and ancient Nephilim "aliens" living and operating once more. What part we suffer in all of this is just about anybody's guess. Personally, I am done with theories about how the church is going to side-step all of this and go eat cake with Jesus while the world burns.
LOOK: If I am wrong, the Rapture happens, we escape, then feel free to find me at the banquet and rib me about this whole thing. BUT—if I am even remotely right and the Rapture isn't what your theory says, then I hope you'll remember this paper and have a copy of 1 Enoch at the ready!
But, but, but, but ...
Yes—I get the buts. I understand. What I am saying to you is that you don't know what that all means any more than the rest of us. You've got your theories. Fine. Good. Have them. But don't pretend like you know, because I've watched those theories get shredded to bits and left on the floor in front of me. I'm personally done. So—what interests me now? What's the hot topic?
If Jesus is right (isn't He always?) and the time just before His coming is a rinse-and-repeat of the days of Noah (it was bad, man, real bad!)—then—perhaps what we really want is for the horse-blinders of the last 1,700 years to drop like scales from our eyes so we can see what we are headed into. Perhaps then we can get a steel rod in our spine so we don't fold like a house of cards the first time that a so-called alien shows up and starts performing superhuman stunts trying to get us to disavow Jesus, God, and His bible story; demanding that we take up their story and call them heroes once again just like the days of Noah!
You see—you and I don't need 1 Enoch for today as much as we need it for tomorrow. Yes, there is actually a need today and that need is growing, but as each day progresses, the need grows and grows. If you don't get aboard now and start getting this Enochian story baked into your spirit and brain today, you might find it difficult to do an all-night-exam-cram as the proverbial SHTF (oh come on, Christian: stop being obtuse—you don't know what SHTF means? Ask your sinner buddy, he'll tell you)!
Pull it together!
It seems pretty safe to say that Jesus is coming very soon. Ancient Jewish calendrical cycles are lining up. Jubilee cycles are in play—namely—the last one. There is so much evidence around us that is screaming at us: HE'S COMING! GET READY! PAY ATTENTION!
If you are on-board and of a mind that Jesus is about to make that triumphal return on the clouds with bowls, vials, and other matters being poured out before, then perhaps it is time to lay down your fears and ignorance of last days materials like 1 Enoch, pick up a copy, and start to read, educate, understand, and draw some conclusions. If you think you're old enough to just die and go back to Jesus before it all happens, then—well—there's that, right? But—what if you're younger? What if you think you have 20, 30, 40, 50-plus years ahead of you? What then?
Tik-tok, dude. Tik-tok!