What does the Book of Enoch say about Jesus?

Now there is in Jude a prophecy in general analogous; but copied they are not. In the book of Enoch the saints are judged, and the wicked destroyed. Judgment on the saints is unknown to Jude. It is the doctrine of the book of Enoch, because he holds the Jews to be God's people. He says just before, "while judgment shall come upon all the righteous"; executing judgment on the preserved is the doctrine taught. Nor is the destruction of the wicked in Jude; nor is there anything of the speaking of ungodly sinners in the book of Enoch. Both the words and doctrine are different; nor is there the least proof that the book was before Jude. My own conviction is that the book of Enoch was written after the destruction of Jerusalem - I suppose, in that case, after Jude's epistle. The idea that the prophecy was current before both is fair enough, but for copying there is no ground whatever.

There are many passages in the book of Enoch which would lead us to suppose they were taken from the New Testament - doubtless some merely proverbial sayings used by both. Both the chronological elements and the contents of the book lead, on the closest scrutiny, to the supposition that the book was written by a Jew, who was obliged to admit the judgment of his saints (those faithful to Judaism) and treated the Christians as a perverse set, had picked up a good many truths which a Jew could own, and wrote after the destruction of Jerusalem, but sought to make the Jews still believe in the accomplishment of the promises made to the nation. It is curious as exhibiting a picture of the current notions of that day. He puts the Christ as existing before the creation, but hidden; he calls Him Son of man; but this is in the Old Testament. He makes the flood come by the world getting a tilt. I do not then speak of this as unfair. It is second-hand and superficial; but it is a current notion, only it has no foundation.

390 He ministers greatly to the worship of angels, speaks of Son of man, Son of woman (Enoch 61) and of saints as mediators, intruding into things which he has not seen. Nothing properly Christian is mentioned, nor the law either.

He calls Messiah "the Elect One," as Clement of Rome, and makes Him exist concealed before creation, and Son of man. He would lead the Jews to hopes of deliverance about the time of Christianity.

He speaks much of the Son of man, the Elect, the concealed One revealing the wisdom of the Lord of spirits; but Judaism is set up by power. And the only notice of the Christian week is perverse men doing a great deal.

In Jude a prophesy of Enoch is quoted which is not found in the O.T. As Jude wrote under the inspiration of God this could have been revealed to him, as many other things in scripture have been, and which could have been known in no other way; or he may have been inspired to record what had been handed down orally. There is an apocryphal book called THE BOOK OF ENOCH, from which some believe that Jude quoted, though it is not inspired. But there is no evidence that the book was then in existence. It refers to the Messiah as 'Son of God,' which has been judged to prove conclusively that it was written in the Christian era. The passage in the book of Enoch, speaking of Christ executing judgement, is worded thus: "Behold he cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgement upon them, and destroy the wicked, and reprove all the carnal, for everything which the sinful and ungodly have done and committed against him." The traveller Bruce, on his return from Egypt in A.D. 1773 brought three MSS of the entire book in Æthiopic. In 1821 it was translated into English. The book purports to be a series of revelations made to Enoch and Noah.

Enoch 48:3. "And he" (the Son of man) "shall be the light of nations."

Enoch 62:15. . … "Before the Son of man from whose presence they shall be expelled."

The relation of the Evangelists' "Son of man" to that in the apocryphal book of Enoch ("Similitudes," chapters 37 — lxxi.) is discussed. This book was for long known only in Ethiopic, but for the last twenty years the first thirty chapters of it have been available in Greek. Deane, in his "Epigrapha," has dealt with so much as concerns the present topic (pp. 49-95; see in particular pp. 62, 89 f.). Amongst others, Réville (i. 192 note) is of opinion that the picture of the "Son of man" in this book "differs entirely from that common to the four Gospels." Stanton and Drummond agree in considering the book post-Christian.

Most think that it originated from Dan. 7:13. Charles holds that it came from the pre-Christian similitudes of the Book of Enoch (vi. 46, etc.). He, with Meyer and Schürer, treats it as having been a current Messianic title; but such is not the opinion of the majority. In Daniel (after Ps. 8:5 and 80:17. in the LXX.), in the Apocalypse and John 5:27, it is used without the article, and in the Synoptics, accordingly, becomes a new title: see Westcott's note in his posthumous "Commentary on the Gospel of John in Greek," p. 74 ff.

A. The existing book of Enoch, translated into the Ethiopic tongue, may have had a Hebrew original, as it is a Jewish production. Some contend that it preceded the birth of our Lord. It was probably after Jude gave the words of Enoch by divine inspiration, which also supplied the fact of the contest between Michael and Satan about the body of Moses. It is certain that, as Jude's words (vers. 14, 15) are divine truth, the corresponding language in the Ethiopic is false. For this spurious book makes the Lord to execute judgment on His saints, in direct opposition to His own word in John 5:24: the prevalent error of Judaism and Christendom.

The 1st or 2nd century fiction called 'The Book of Enoch' is an imposture that has borrowed from the inspired record. It contains quotations and allusions that are none too accurate, which in itself shows Jude did not copy from the book of Enoch. The translation from the Ethiopic[6] by George Schodde in 1881 has the following for the alleged copy by Jude in verses 14 and 15: 'And behold, he comes with myriads of the holy to pass judgment upon them, and will destroy the impious, and will call to account all flesh for everything the sinners and the impious have done and committed against him' (Enoch 1:9). A careful comparison will show that Jude does not use the same words as the apocryphal book. In fact the doctrine of the Book of Enoch has the Lord executing judgment upon his saints! Of course there will be a review of our conduct and also the ways of the godly remnant at the judgment seat of Christ, but there can be no execution of judgment upon them. Such teaching which is quite contrary to the rest of what Scripture teaches regarding those washed from their sins by the blood of Christ. I notice that almost all modern commentators (Benton, Baukham, Blagden [1910] and Green, for example) suggest that Jude copied from Enoch's book.[7] Happily there are some of the contrary part, namely, Darby, Gaebelein, Heijkoop, Kelly, McShane, etc.