The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish religious work (part of the
Old Testament), and was written by Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. We learned from our study of Seth and Cain’s
genealogies, that both had a descendant named Enoch, however Jude makes clear
it was the Enoch who was “in the seventh generation from Adam.” This indicates the Enoch being spoken
of is the one in Seth’s genealogy, and this is the one for whom Seth’s genealogy
pauses to say: “Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with
God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him].” Genesis 5:24
The Book of Enoch is not currently
regarded as part of the Canon of Scripture as used by Jews, apart from the Beta
Israel canon. It is regarded as canon by
the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox Church, but no other
Christian group. The entire Book of
Enoch is available from a wide variety of public sources, and there are a
multitude of comparisons from the Book of Enoch that come up again and again
with the pages of the New Testament, showing every author of the New Testament
regarded the Book of Enoch as authoritative.
The fact it is mentioned here in the
Book of Jude (which is included in the Christian canon) gives us a reasonable
basis to at least see what Jude refers to when he says of the men of Sodom, It was of these
people, moreover, that Enoch in the seventh [generation] from Adam prophesied
when he said, Behold, the Lord comes with His myriads of holy ones (ten
thousands of His saints) to execute judgment upon all and to convict all the
impious (unholy ones) of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed [in
such an] ungodly [way], and of all the severe (abusive, jarring) things which
ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. Jude 1:14-15
Compare
to Enoch 1:1-9:
1 The words of the
blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect and righteous, who will be
living in the day of tribulation, when all the wicked and godless are to be
removed.
2 And he took up his
parable and said--Enoch a righteous man, whose eyes were opened by God, saw the
vision of the Holy One in the heavens, which the angels showed me, and from
them I heard everything, and from them I understood as I saw, but not for this
generation, but for a remote one which is for to come.
3 Concerning the
elect I said, and took up my parable concerning them: The Holy Great One will
come forth from His dwelling,
4 And the eternal God
will tread upon the earth, (even) on Mount Sinai, And appear from His camp And
appear in the strength of His might from the heaven of heavens.
5 And all shall be
smitten with fear And the Watchers shall quake, And great fear and trembling
shall seize them unto the ends of the earth. Enoch 1:1-5
NOTE: Compare to the first prophecy revealed within
the names of Cain’s genealogy which we looked at in the previous chapter of The Bed Keeper: "Man acquired a reed, a created herb on a stalk; a forged spear
dedicated to building a wall and altar to initiate teaching wisdom through
speech, by a city of fugitive Watchers who escape the destruction of God;
men smitten of God who are trained and capable for combat." (This is a prophecy of the Nephilim
escaping the total destruction of the serpent seed, because the only thing the
flood destroyed was "all flesh,"
not all spirits).
Also
compare to their reactions to Jesus: And when He arrived at the other side in the
country of the Gadarenes, two men under the control of demons went to meet Him,
coming out of the tombs, so fierce and savage that no one was able to pass that
way. And behold, they shrieked and screamed, What have You to do with us,
Jesus, Son of God? Have You come to
torment us before the appointed time? Matthew 8:28-29
Enoch 1
(continued)
6 And the high mountains
shall be shaken, And the high hills shall be made low, And shall melt like wax
before the flame
7 And the earth shall
be wholly rent in sunder, And all that is upon the earth shall perish, And
there shall be a judgment upon all (men).
8 But with the
righteous He will make peace. And will
protect the elect, And mercy shall be upon them. And they shall all belong to God, And they
shall be prospered, And they shall all be blessed. And He will help them all,
And light shall appear unto them, And He will make peace with them.
9 And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones
To execute judgment upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict
all flesh Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly
committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against
Him. Enoch 1:1-9
NOTE: So we see Jude quote verbatim from Enoch
1:8-9 which lends even more validity for using the Book of Enoch as an
authoritative study resource for Christians striving to better understand who
the men of Sodom were. Notice in
particular verse 5: And all shall be smitten with fear And the Watchers shall quake,
And great fear and trembling shall seize them unto the ends of the earth.
Enoch 6
1 And it came to pass
when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them
beautiful and comely daughters.
2 And the angels, the
children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another:
'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us
children.' Enoch 6:1-2
NOTE: Compare to: When men began to multiply on the
face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the
daughters of men were fair, and they took wives of all they desired and chose. Genesis 6:1-2
Enoch 6
(continued)
3 And Semjâzâ, who
was their leader, said unto them: 'I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this
deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.'
4 And they all
answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by
mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.'
5 Then sware they all
together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it.
6 And they were in
all two hundred; who descended [in the days] of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount
Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon
it. Enoch 6:3-6
NOTE: Compare to: When Mahalalel was 65 years old, Jared was
born. Mahalalel lived after the birth of Jared 830 years and had other sons and
daughters. So Mahalalel lived 895 years, and he died. When Jared was 162 years old, Enoch was born. Jared lived after the birth of Enoch 800 years
and had other sons and daughters. So
Jared lived 962 years, and he died. Genesis 5:16-20
Recall
also that the Hebrew meaning for the name Jared is: go down, descend, decline.
Enoch 6
(continued)
7 And these are the
names of their leaders: Sêmjazâz, their leader, Arâkîba, Râmêêl, Kôkabîêl,
Tâmîêl, Râmîêl, Dânêl, Êzêqêêl, Barâqîjâl, Asâêl, Armârôs, Batârêl, Anânêl,
Zaqîêl, Samsâpêêl, Satarêl, Tûrêl, Jômjâêl, Sariêl. 8. These are their chiefs
of tens. Enoch 6:7
Enoch 7
1 And all the others
together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one,
and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they
taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them
acquainted with plants.
2 And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants,
whose height was three thousand ells: Enoch 7:1-2
NOTE: “ell” is another word for “cubit.” A cubit is
about 18 inches. 3,000 ells therefore
would be about 4,500 feet. It doesn’t
seem likely that the “height” being spoken of here is a description of how tall
these giants were, but possibly how high into the mountains they may have
lived. As we’ll see later, the spirits
of the deceased giants will be referred to as “evil spirits.” It would seem logical then that the “height”
being spoken of by Enoch either refers to a physical habitat high in the
mountains, or is referring to their spirits inhabiting the skies immediately
over the earth, or as Paul said in Ephesians 3:10 regarding his preaching, [The
purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God
in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to
the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the
heavenly sphere.
Finally,
we’ll recall that during The Flood, [In fact] the waters became fifteen cubits higher, as the high hills were covered. Genesis
7:20
This
may be in order to ensure that the tallest giant in the earth at the time would
not be able to stand above the water level, even if standing on the highest
hill. The waters covered the hills by
another 15 cubits, or about 22 ½ feet, which seems a much more likely
indication of how tall the giants were in order for David to be able to kill
Goliath by striking him in the forehead with a stone. It simply doesn’t seem likely that David was
able to sling a stone 4,500 feet (nearly a mile).
Enoch 7
(continued)
3 Who consumed all
the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them,
4 the giants turned
against them and devoured mankind.
5 And they began to
sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one
another's flesh, and drink the blood.
6 Then the earth laid
accusation against the lawless ones. Enoch 7:3-6
Enoch 8
1 And Azâzêl taught
men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known
to them the metals of the earth
and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of
antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones,
and all colouring tinctures. Enoch 8:1
NOTE: We’ll recall the account of Jezebel and King
Jehu from Chapter 4 of The
Bed Keeper, that she had, “…painted her eyes and beautified her head and looked out of [an upper] window.”
Again, we determined the account of Jezebel could be viewed as an
allegory of the apostate church, and now we seen here in Enoch 8:1 a direct connection
of the apostasy of the church to the apostasy of these fallen angels, who had
not only taught men how to make instruments of war (swords, knives, shields and
breastplates), but also taught women about the “beautifying
of the eyelids.”
We then see in the Book of Jude a direct connect between the men of
Sodom, and those in the church who “…have crept in
stealthily [gaining entrance secretly by a side door]. Their doom was predicted
long ago, ungodly (impious, profane) persons who pervert the grace (the
spiritual blessing and favor) of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and
immorality, and disown and deny our sole Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (the
Messiah, the Anointed One).” Jude 1:4
Enoch 8
(continued)
2 And there arose
much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and
became corrupt in all their ways. Semjâzâ taught enchantments, and
root-cuttings, Armârôs the resolving of enchantments, Barâqîjâl, (taught)
astrology, Kôkabêl the constellations, Ezêqêêl
the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiêl the signs of the earth, Shamsiêl
the signs of the sun, and Sariêl the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven.
Enoch 8:2
NOTE: Compare to: “And
the Lord said, Because the shriek [of the sins] of Sodom and Gomorrah is
great and their sin is exceedingly grievous, I will go down now and see
whether they have done altogether [as vilely and wickedly] as is the cry of it
which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” Genesis 18:20-21
Recall
also the warring and murderous nature of the men of Sodom that we learned in
Genesis 14. Enoch 8:2 therefore provides us with yet another confirmation that
the sin of Sodom was murder, not homosexuality.
Enoch 9
1 And then Michael,
Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven and saw much blood being
shed upon the earth, and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth.
2 And they said one
to another: 'The earth made without inhabitant cries the voice of their crying
up to the gates of heaven.
NOTE: Again compare to: And the Lord said, Because the
shriek [of the sins] of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is
exceedingly grievous,
3 And now to you, the
holy ones of heaven, the souls of men make their suit, saying, "Bring our
cause before the Most High." Enoch 9:1-3
NOTE: Compare to the second prophecy revealed
within the names of Cain’s genealogy which we looked at in the previous chapter
of The Bed Keeper: "I'm
a man of God! I'm mortal, where's God? God hears mankind's request and demands
these men go straight on to Sheol, the grave, the pit, hell, for humiliating
and lowering of a strong robust young man." (This appears to be a somewhat
complicated, parallel, intertextual echo between the blood of Abel crying up to
God for vengeance, and God avenging Abel by destroying the spiritual seed that
gave rise to Cain, and later the men of Sodom, the sins of which also
"cried up to God.")
Enoch 9
(continued)
4 And they said to
the Lord of the ages: 'Lord of
lords, God of gods, King of kings, and God of the ages, the throne of Thy glory
(standeth) unto all the generations of the ages, and Thy name holy and glorious
and blessed unto all the ages!
5 Thou hast made all
things, and power over all things hast Thou: and all things are naked and open
in Thy sight, and Thou seest all things, and nothing can hide itself from Thee.
6 Thou seest what
Azâzêl hath done, who hath taught all unrighteousness on earth and revealed the
eternal secrets which were (preserved) in heaven, which men were striving to learn. Enoch 9:5-6
NOTE: Compare to the first prophecy revealed within
the names of Cain’s genealogy which we looked at in the previous chapter of The Bed Keeper: "Man acquired a reed, a created herb on a stalk; a forged spear
dedicated to building a wall and altar to initiate teaching wisdom through
speech, by a city of fugitive Watchers who escape the destruction of God;
men smitten of God who are trained and capable for combat." (This is a
prophecy of the Nephilim escaping the total destruction of the seed, because
the only thing the flood destroyed was "all flesh," not all spirits).
Enoch 9
(continued)
7 And Semjâzâ, to
whom Thou hast given authority to bear rule over his associates.
8 And they have gone
to the daughters of men upon the earth, and have slept with the women, and have
defiled themselves, and revealed to them all kinds of sins.
9 And the women have borne giants, and the whole earth
has thereby been filled with blood and unrighteousness. Enoch 9:7-9
NOTE: Compare to Genesis 6: When men began to multiply on the
face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the
daughters of men were fair, and they took wives of all they desired and chose.
Then the Lord said, My Spirit shall not forever dwell and strive with man, for
he also is flesh; but his days shall yet be 120 years.
There were giants on the earth in those days--and also
afterward--when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they bore
children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
The
Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually.
And
the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at
heart.
So the Lord said, I will destroy, blot out, and wipe away mankind, whom
I have created from the face of the ground--not only man, [but] the beasts and
the creeping things and the birds of the air--for it grieves Me and makes Me
regretful that I have made them.
But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis
6:1-8
Enoch 9
(continued)
10 And now, behold,
the souls of those who have died are crying and making their suit to the gates
of heaven, and their lamentations have ascended: and cannot cease because of the lawless deeds
which are wrought on the earth.
11 And Thou knowest
all things before they come to pass, and Thou seest these things and Thou dost
suffer them, and Thou dost not say to us what we are to do to them in regard to
these.' Enoch 9:10-11
NOTE: Compare again to the second prophecy revealed
within the names of Cain’s genealogy which we looked at in the previous chapter
of The Bed Keeper: "I'm
a man of God! I'm mortal, where's God? God hears mankind's request and demands
these men go straight on to Sheol, the grave, the pit, hell, for humiliating
and lowering of a strong robust young man." (This appears to be a somewhat
complicated, parallel, intertextual echo between the blood of Abel crying up to
God for vengeance, and God avenging Abel by destroying the spiritual seed that
gave rise to Cain, and later the men of Sodom, the sins of which also
"cried up to God.")
Enoch 10
1 Then said the Most
High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him:
2 “Go to Noah and
tell him in my name ‘Hide thyself!’ and reveal to him the end that is
approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to
come upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it.
3 And now instruct
him that he may escape and his seed may be preserved for all the generations of
the world.” Enoch
10:1-3
NOTE: Compare to “And
God looked upon the world and saw how degenerate, debased, and vicious it was,
for all humanity had corrupted their way upon the earth and lost their true
direction.
God said to Noah, I
intend to make an end of all flesh, for through men the land is filled with
violence; and behold, I will destroy them and the land.
For behold, I, even I,
will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy and make putrid all
flesh under the heavens in which are the breath and spirit of life; everything
that is on the land shall die.” Genesis 6:12-13, 17
Again,
we have yet more evidence from Scripture that God didn’t destroy mankind simply
because He was unhappy with His creation, but to purify the human race so that
it would one day bring forth Jesus Christ. Had Jesus been born into the race of
humans on the earth prior to the flood, His flesh would also have been tainted
by the fallen angels. That was their plan to return to God by being resurrected
with Jesus. God saw their plot and prevented it, even as He regretted the
necessity to destroy the human part of the Nephilim in the process.
Enoch 10
(continued)
4 And again the Lord
said to Raphael: “Bind Azâzêl hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness:
and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dûdâêl, and cast him therein.
5 And place upon him
rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there
forever, and cover his face that he may not see light. Enoch 10:4-5
NOTE: This is the point in
which God is telling the angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. We recall the
angels had struck all the men of Sodom blind and the Lord “rained down fire and
brimstone from heaven,” which is worded here as “place upon him rough and
jagged rocks.”
Enoch 10
(continued)
6 And on the day of
the great judgment he shall be cast into the fire. Enoch 10:6
NOTE: While the fleshly
portion of the fallen angels had been destroyed at Sodom, now their spirit
forces needed to be bound until the great judgment. Jude words it as, “And
angels who did not keep (care for, guard, and hold to) their own first place of
power but abandoned their proper dwelling place--these He has reserved in
custody in eternal chains (bonds) under the thick gloom of utter darkness until
the judgment and doom of the great day.
[The wicked are sentenced to suffer]
just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent towns--which likewise gave
themselves over to impurity and indulged in unnatural vice and sensual
perversity--are laid out [in plain sight] as an exhibit of perpetual punishment
[to warn] of everlasting fire.” Jude
1:6-7
We
see Jesus make reference to it as well: Then
He will say to those at His left hand, Begone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! Matthew 25:41
Enoch 10
(continued)
7 And heal the earth
which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that
they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish
through all the secret things that the Watchers have disclosed and have taught their sons. Enoch 10:7
NOTE: Compare once again to
the first prophecy revealed within the names of Cain’s genealogy which we
looked at in the previous chapter of The
Bed Keeper: “The first, "Man
acquired a reed, a created herb on a stalk; a forged spear dedicated to
building a wall and altar to initiate teaching wisdom through speech, by a
city of fugitive Watchers who escape the destruction of God; men smitten of
God who are trained and capable for combat." (This is a prophecy of
the Nephilim escaping the total destruction of the seed, because the only thing
the flood destroyed was "all flesh,"
not all spirits).
Enoch 10
(continued)
8 And the whole earth
has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azâzêl: to him ascribe
all sin.”
9 And to Gabriel said
the Lord: “Proceed against the bastards and the reprobates, and against the
children of fornication: and destroy the children of fornication and the
children of the Watchers from amongst men and cause them to go forth: send them
one against the other that they may destroy each other in battle: for length of
days shall they not have. Enoch 10:8-9
NOTE: Compare to the
account of the war of kings from Genesis 14.
Enoch 10
(continued)
10 And no request
that their fathers make of thee shall be granted unto their fathers on their
behalf; for they hope to live an eternal life, and that each one of them will
live five hundred years.'
11 And the Lord said
unto Michael: “Go, bind Semjâzâ
and his associates who have united themselves with women so as to have defiled
themselves with them in all their uncleanness.
12 And when their
sons have slain one another, and they have seen the destruction of their
beloved ones, bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the day of
their judgment and of their consummation, till the judgment that is forever and
ever is consummated. Enoch
10:10-12
NOTE: Suddenly this (what
otherwise appears to be a heartless teaching) from Jesus makes a lot more
sense:
Matthew 10
5 Jesus sent out
these twelve, charging them, Go nowhere among the Gentiles and do not go
into any town of the Samaritans;
6 But go rather to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as you go,
preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand!
8 Cure the sick,
raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely (without pay) you have received, freely
(without charge) give.
9 Take no gold nor
silver nor [even] copper money in your purses (belts);
10 And do not take a
provision bag or a wallet for a collection bag for your journey, nor two
undergarments, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the workman deserves his support
(his living, his food).
11 And into whatever
town or village you go, inquire who in it is deserving, and stay there [at his
house] until you leave [that vicinity].
12 As you go into the
house, give your greetings and wish it well.
13 Then if indeed
that house is deserving, let come upon it your peace [that is], freedom from
all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin]. But if it is not deserving, let your peace
return to you.
14 And whoever will
not receive and accept and welcome you nor listen to your message, as you leave
that house or town, shake the dust [of it] from your feet.
15 Truly I tell you,
it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and
Gomorrah than for that town.
16 Behold, I am
sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as
serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves.
17 Be on guard
against men [whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God]; for they will
deliver you up to councils and flog you in their synagogues,
18 And you will be
brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to bear testimony
before them and to the Gentiles (the nations).
19 But when they
deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you are to speak; for what
you are to say will be given you in that very hour and moment,
20 For it is not you
who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 Brother will
deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children will take a
stand against their parents and will have them put to death.
22 And you will be
hated by all for My name's sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end
will be saved [from spiritual disease and death in the world to come].
23 When they
persecute you in one town [that is, pursue you in a manner that would injure
you and cause you to suffer because of your belief], flee to another town; for
truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before
the Son of Man comes.
24 A disciple is not
above his teacher, nor is a servant or slave above his master.
25 It is sufficient
for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant or slave like his
master. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub [master of the
dwelling], how much more will they speak evil of those of His household. [II
Kings 1:2.]
26 So have no fear of
them; for nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, or kept secret that
will not become known.
27 What I say to you
in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear,
proclaim upon the housetops.
28 And do not be
afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be
afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).
29 Are not two little
sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground
without your Father's leave (consent) and notice.
30 But even the very
hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear not, then; you
are of more value than many sparrows.
32 Therefore,
everyone who acknowledges Me before men and confesses Me [out of a state of
oneness with Me], I will also acknowledge him before My Father Who is in heaven
and confess [that I am abiding in] him.
33 But whoever denies
and disowns Me before men, I also will deny and disown him before My Father Who
is in heaven.
34 Do not think that
I have come to bring peace upon the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but
a sword.
35 For I have come to
part asunder a man from his father, and a daughter from her mother, and a newly
married wife from her mother-in-law—
36 And a man's foes
will be they of his own household.
37 He who loves [and
takes more pleasure in] father or mother more than [in] Me is not worthy of Me;
and he who loves [and takes more pleasure in] son or daughter more than [in] Me
is not worthy of Me;
38 And he who does
not take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming
wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of
Me.
39 Whoever finds his
[lower] life will lose it [the higher life], and whoever loses his [lower] life
on My account will find it [the higher life].
40 He who receives
and welcomes and accepts you receives and welcomes and accepts Me, and he who
receives and welcomes and accepts Me receives and welcomes and accepts Him Who
sent Me.
41 He who receives
and welcomes and accepts a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a
prophet's reward, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man
because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
42 And whoever gives
to one of these little ones [in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water
because he is My disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not lose his
reward. Matthew 10:5-42
NOTE: It seems that what
Jesus is actually referring to here is the possibility that some of the people
His Disciples would encounter would actually be human beings whose soul had
become inhabited by evil spirits (which we’ll learn later in the Book of Enoch
were the spirits of the destroyed Nephilim). Note that Jesus sends His Disciples to a
specific area as well, saying in verse 5-6: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and do not go into any town of the
Samaritans; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
In
verse 11-13 Jesus tells the disciples to only reside with people whom are
“worthy,” and to give only those who are deemed worthy, their peace. This seems to be because God’s verdict upon
the fallen angels would be that they would “have no peace.” For a disciple of Jesus to give them their
peace would be to expose them to becoming possessed of an evil spirit
themselves.
Notice
also in verses 14 Jesus tells His disciples,
And whoever will not receive and accept and welcome you
nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or town, shake the dust
[of it] from your feet. Matthew 10:14
This
would seem to fit since God we recall even the ground had become cursed by
these fallen angels. Notice now in verses 15-17 Jesus says,
Truly I tell you, it
shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and
Gomorrah than for that town.
Behold, I am sending
you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be
innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves.
Be on guard against
men [whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God]; for they will deliver
you up to councils and flog you in their synagogues. Matthew 10:15-17
For
Jesus to make such an obvious connection to Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as the
synagogues (where He referred to the Pharisees and Sadducees as “spawns of
vipers,” “brood of vipers,” etc. it seems that Jesus again is referring to the
sons of God, the fallen angels, who would not only possess men’s souls, but even
the very leadership of the Jewish faith.
We
see a parallel warning to this infestation even in the Christian Church being
foretold by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul who writes,
The [Holy] Spirit
distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from
the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines
that demons teach, through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars
whose consciences are seared (cauterized),
Who
forbid people to marry
1 Timothy 4:1-3
Finally,
we see in Jesus’ message (which again ushers in a single mission, to a specific
people, at a specific point in time, prior
to His sacrifice on the Cross),
Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon
the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to part asunder a man from his
father, and a daughter from her mother, and a newly married wife from her
mother-in-law--and a man's foes will be they of his own household. Matthew 10:34-35
What
to many people seems to be a contradiction of Jesus’ Own compassionate nature
turns out to be revealed as a very specific message that ushered in a very
specific mission. It is not applicable
to all Christians, as He had sent His disciples to the “lost house of Israel.” Yet many Christians mistakenly consider His
message here as justification for Bible bashing gays, by quoting Jesus out of
context and saying, “Jesus didn’t come
to bring peace, but a sword.”
He
DID come to bring a sword, but only for the evil spirits, whom God had already
said should have no peace. We see this
distinction just prior to Jesus’ ascension when He tells His disciples,
Peace I leave
with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives
do I give to you. Do not let your hearts
be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and
disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and
cowardly and unsettled.] John 14:27
Something
tells me the Christian Church should have more universally canonized the Book
of Enoch, as it seems to really tie up a lot of otherwise loose ends (speaking
from a Scriptural perspective). Let’s resume our examination where we left off:
Enoch 10
(continued)
13 In those days they
shall be led off to the abyss of fire, and to the torment and the prison in
which they shall be confined forever.
14 And whosoever shall be condemned and destroyed will
from thenceforth be bound together with them to the end of all generations. Enoch 10:13-14
NOTE: We see many parallels in the New Testament
writings in this regard, but none so specific as we find in the Book of
Revelation 21:8-9 which reads,
But as for the cowards and the ignoble and the
contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive,
and as for the unbelieving and faithless, and as for the depraved and defiled
with abominations, and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the
practicers of magic arts and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to
anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey
untruth by word or deed)--[all of these shall have] their part in the lake that
blazes with fire and brimstone. This is
the second death.
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls
filled with the seven final plagues (afflictions, calamities) came and spoke to
me. He said, Come with me! I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. Revelation 21:8-9
Enoch 10
(continued)
15 And destroy all
the spirits of the reprobate and the children of the Watchers, because they
have wronged mankind.
16 Destroy all wrong
from the face of the earth and let every evil work come to an end: and let the
plant of righteousness and truth appear, and it shall prove a blessing; the
works of righteousness and truth shall be planted in truth and joy for
evermore.
17 And then shall all
the righteous escape, and shall live till they beget thousands of children, And
all the days of their youth and their old
age shall they complete in peace.
18 And then shall the
whole earth be tilled in righteousness, and shall all be planted with trees and
be full of blessing.
19 And all desirable
trees shall be planted on it, and they shall plant vines on it: and the vine
which they plant thereon shall yield wine in abundance, and as for all the seed
which is sown thereon each measure (of it) shall bear a thousand, and each
measure of olives shall yield ten presses of oil.
20 And cleanse thou
the earth from all oppression, and from all unrighteousness, and from all sin,
and from all godlessness: and all the uncleanness that is wrought upon the
earth destroy from off the earth.
21 And all the
children of men shall become righteous], and all nations shall offer adoration
and shall praise Me, and all shall worship Me. And the earth shall be cleansed from all
defilement, and from all sin, and from all punishment, and from all torment,
and I will never again send (them) upon it from generation to generation and
forever. Enoch 10:15-21
Enoch 11
1 And in those days I
will open the store chambers of blessing which are in the heaven, so as to send
them down [upon the earth] over the work and labor of the children of men.
2 And truth and peace
shall be associated together throughout all the days of the world and
throughout all the generations of men.
Enoch 11:1-2
Enoch 12
1 Before these things
Enoch was hidden, and no one of the children of men knew where he was hidden,
and where he abode, and what had become of him.
2 And his activities
had to do with the Watchers, and his days were with the holy ones. Enoch 12:1-2
NOTE: Compare to Genesis
5:24 “And
Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship]
with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him].”
Enoch 12
(continued)
3 And I, Enoch was
blessing the Lord of majesty and
the King of the ages, and lo! the Watchers called me--Enoch the scribe--and
said to me:
4 “Enoch, thou scribe
of righteousness, go, declare to the Watchers of the heaven who have left the
high heaven, the holy eternal place, and have defiled themselves with women,
and have done as the children of earth do, and have taken unto themselves
wives: "Ye have wrought great destruction on the earth:
5 And ye shall have
no peace nor forgiveness of sin: and inasmuch as they delight themselves in
their children,
6 The murder of their
beloved ones shall they see, and over the destruction of their children shall
they lament, and shall make supplication unto eternity, but mercy and peace
shall ye not attain.”’ Enoch 12:3-6
Enoch 13
1 And Enoch went and
said: “Azâzêl, thou shalt have no peace: a severe sentence has gone forth
against thee to put thee in bonds:
2 And thou shalt not
have toleration nor request granted to thee, because of the unrighteousness
which thou hast taught, and because of all the works of godlessness and
unrighteousness and sin which thou hast shown to men.”
3 Then I went and
spoke to them all together, and they were all afraid, and fear and trembling
seized them.
4 And they besought
me to draw up a petition for them that they might find forgiveness, and to read
their petition in the presence of the Lord of heaven.
5 For from
thenceforward they could not speak (with Him) nor lift up their eyes to heaven
for shame of their sins for which they had been condemned.
6 Then I wrote out
their petition, and the prayer in regard to their spirits and their deeds
individually and in regard to their requests that they should have forgiveness
and length of days.
7 And I went off and
sat down at the waters of Dan, in the land of Dan, to the south of the west of
Hermon: I read their petition till I fell asleep.
8 And behold a dream
came to me, and visions fell down upon me, and I saw visions of chastisement,
and a voice came bidding me I to tell it to the sons of heaven, and reprimand
them.
9 And when I awaked,
I came unto them, and they were all sitting gathered together, weeping in
’Abelsjâîl, which is between Lebanon and Sênêsêr, with their faces covered.
10 And I recounted
before them all the visions which I had seen in sleep, and I began to speak the
words of righteousness, and to reprimand the heavenly Watchers. Enoch 13:1-10
Enoch 14
1 The book of the
words of righteousness, and of the reprimand of the eternal Watchers in
accordance with the command of the Holy Great One in that vision.
2 I saw in my sleep
what I will now say with a tongue of flesh and with the breath of my mouth:
which the Great One has given to men to converse therewith and understand with
the heart.
3 As He has created
and given to man the power of understanding the word of wisdom, so hath He
created me also and given me the power of reprimanding the Watchers, the
children of heaven.
4 I wrote out your
petition, and in my vision it appeared thus, that your petition will not be
granted unto you throughout all the days of eternity, and that judgment has
been finally passed upon you: yea (your petition) will not be granted unto you.
5 And from henceforth
you shall not ascend into heaven unto all eternity, and in bonds of the earth
the decree has gone forth to bind you for all the days of the world.
6 And (that)
previously you shall have seen the destruction of your beloved sons and ye
shall have no pleasure in them, but they shall fall before you by the sword.
7 And your petition
on their behalf shall not be granted, nor yet on your own: even though you weep
and pray and speak all the words
contained in the writing which I have written.
8 And the vision was
shown to me thus: Behold, in the vision clouds invited me and a mist summoned
me, and the course of the stars and the lightnings sped and hastened me, and the winds in the
vision caused me to fly and lifted me upward, and bore me into heaven.
9 And I went in till
I drew nigh to a wall which is built of crystals and surrounded by tongues of
fire: and it began to affright me.
10 And I went into
the tongues of fire and drew nigh to a large house which was built of crystals:
and the walls of the house were like a tesselated floor (made) of crystals, and
its groundwork was of crystal. Enoch 14:1-10
NOTE: We’ll recall from our
study of Pentecost in chapter 7 of The
Bed Keeper that “when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all assembled
together in one place, when suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the
rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they
were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were
separated and distributed and which settled on each one of them. And they were
all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept
giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words].”
Enoch 14
(continued)
11 Its ceiling was
like the path of the stars and the lightnings, and between them were fiery
cherubim, and their heaven was (clear as) water.
12 A flaming fire
surrounded the walls, and its portals blazed with fire.
13 And I entered into
that house, and it was hot as fire and cold as ice: there were no delights of
life therein: fear covered me, and trembling got hold upon me.
14 And as I quaked
and trembled, I fell upon my face.
15 And I beheld a
vision, And lo! there was a second house, greater than the former, and the
entire portal stood open before me, and it was built of flames of fire.
16 And in every
respect it so excelled in splendour and magnificence and extent that I cannot
describe to you its splendour and its extent.
17 And its floor was
of fire, and above it were lightnings and the path of the stars, and its
ceiling also was flaming fire.
18 And I looked and
saw therein a lofty throne: its appearance was as crystal, and the wheels
thereof as the shining sun, and there was the vision of cherubim.
19 And from
underneath the throne came streams of flaming fire so that I could not look
thereon.
20 And the Great
Glory sat thereon, and His raiment shone more brightly than the sun and was
whiter than any snow.
21 None of the angels
could enter and could behold His face by reason of the magnificence and glory
and no flesh could behold Him.
22 The flaming fire
was round about Him, and a great fire stood before Him, and none around could
draw nigh Him: ten thousand times ten thousand (stood) before Him, yet He
needed no counselor.
23 And the most holy
ones who were nigh to Him did not leave by night nor depart from Him.
24 And until then I
had been prostrate on my face, trembling: and the Lord called me with His own
mouth, and said to me: 'Come hither, Enoch, and hear my word.'
25 And one of the
holy ones came to me and waked me, and He made me rise up and approach the
door: and I bowed my face downwards. Enoch 14:1-25
Enoch 15
1 And He answered and
said to me, and I heard His voice: 'Fear not, Enoch, thou righteous man and
scribe of righteousness: approach hither and hear my voice.
2 And go, say to the
Watchers of heaven, who have sent thee to intercede for them: "You should
intercede" for men, and not men for you:
3 Wherefore have ye
left the high, holy, and eternal heaven, and lain with women, and defiled
yourselves with the daughters of men and taken to yourselves wives, and done
like the children of earth, and begotten giants (as your) sons?
4 And though ye were
holy, spiritual, living the eternal life, you have defiled yourselves with the
blood of women, and have begotten (children) with the blood of flesh, and, as the children of men, have lusted
after flesh and blood as those also do who die and perish.
5 Therefore have I
given them wives also that they might impregnate them, and beget children by
them, that thus nothing might be wanting to them on earth.
6 But you were
formerly spiritual, living the eternal life, and immortal for all generations
of the world. Enoch 15:1-6
NOTE: Compare to “And angels who did not keep (care for,
guard, and hold to) their own first place of power but abandoned their proper
dwelling place--these He has reserved in custody in eternal chains (bonds)
under the thick gloom of utter darkness until the judgment and doom of the
great day.” Jude 1:6
Enoch 15
(continued)
7 And therefore I
have not appointed wives for you; for as for the spiritual ones of the heaven,
in heaven is their dwelling.
8 And now, the
giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil
spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling.
9 Evil spirits have proceeded from their
bodies; because they are born from men,
and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be
evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called.
10 As for the spirits
of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the
earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling.
11 And the spirits of
the giants afflict, oppress,
destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause
trouble: they take no food, but nevertheless hunger and thirst, and cause
offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and
against the women, because they have proceeded from them. Enoch 15:7-15
Enoch 16
1 From the days of
the slaughter and destruction and death of the giants, from the souls of whose
flesh the spirits, having gone forth, shall destroy without incurring
judgment--thus shall they destroy until the day of the consummation, the great
judgment in which the age shall be consummated, over the Watchers and the
godless, yea, shall be wholly consummated."
2 And now as to the
Watchers who have sent thee to intercede for them, who had been aforetime in
heaven, (say to them):
3 "You have been
in heaven, but all the mysteries had not yet been revealed to you, and you knew
worthless ones, and these in the hardness of your hearts you have made known to
the women, and through these mysteries women and men work much evil on
earth."
4 Say to them
therefore: "You have no peace." Enoch 16:1-4
NOTE: Compare once again to Matthew 10:12-14 “As
you go into the house, give your greetings and wish it well. Then if indeed that house is deserving, let
come upon it your peace [that is, freedom from all the distresses that are
experienced as the result of sin]. But if it is not deserving, let your peace
return to you. And whoever will not receive and accept and welcome you nor
listen to your message, as you leave that house or town, shake the dust [of it]
from your feet.”
Enoch 17
1 And they took and
brought me to a place in which those who were there were like flaming fire,
and, when they wished, they appeared as men. Enoch 17:1
NOTE: We now see more
confirmation that angels can indeed appear as human men.
Enoch 17
(continued)
2 And they brought me
to the place of darkness, and to a mountain the point of whose summit reached
to heaven.
3 And I saw the
places of the luminaries and the treasuries of the stars and of the thunder and
in the uttermost depths, where
were a fiery bow and arrows and their quiver, and a fiery sword and all the
lightnings.
4 And they took me to
the living waters, and to the fire of the west, which receives every setting of
the sun.
5 And I came to a
river of fire in which the fire flows like water and discharges itself into the
great sea towards the west.
6 I saw the great
rivers and came to the great [river and to the
great] darkness, and went
to the place where no flesh walks.
7 I saw the mountains
of the darkness of winter and the place whence all the waters of the deep flow.
8 I saw the mouths of
all the rivers of the earth and the mouth of the deep. Enoch 17:2-8
Enoch 18
1 I saw the
treasuries of all the winds: I saw how He had furnished with them the whole
creation and the firm foundations of the earth.
2 And I saw the
corner-stone of the earth: I saw the four winds which bear [the earth and] the
firmament of the heaven.
3 And I saw how the winds
stretch out the vaults of heaven, and have their station between heaven and
earth: these are the pillars of the heaven.
4 I saw the winds of
heaven which turn and bring the circumference of the sun and all the stars to
their setting.
5 I saw the winds on
the earth carrying the clouds: I saw the paths of the angels. I saw at the end of the earth the firmament of
the heaven above.
6 And I proceeded and
saw a place which burns day and night, where there are seven mountains of
magnificent stones, three towards the east, and three towards the south.
7 And as for those
towards the east, one was of colored stone, and one of pearl, and one of jacinth, and those towards the south
of red stone.
8 But the middle one
reached to heaven like the throne of God, of alabaster, and the summit of the
throne was of sapphire.
9 And I saw a flaming
fire.
10 And beyond these
mountains is a region the end of the great earth: there the heavens were
completed.
11 And I saw a deep
abyss, with columns of heavenly fire, and among them I saw columns of fire
fall, which were beyond measure alike towards the height and towards the depth.
12 And beyond that
abyss I saw a place which had no firmament of the heaven above, and no firmly
founded earth beneath it: there was no water upon it, and no birds, but it was
a waste and horrible place.
13 I saw there seven
stars like great burning mountains, and to me, when I inquired regarding them,
14 The angel said:
'This place is the end of heaven and earth: this has become a prison for the
stars and the host of heaven.
15 And the stars
which roll over the fire are they which have transgressed the commandment of
the Lord in the beginning of their rising, because they did not come forth at
their appointed times.
16 And He was wroth with them, and bound them till the
time when their guilt should be consummated (even) for ten thousand years.' Enoch 18:1-16
NOTE: Compare to These
are hidden reefs (elements of danger) in your love feasts, where they boldly
feast sumptuously [carousing together in your midst], without scruples
providing for themselves [alone].
They are clouds without water, swept along by the winds;
trees, without fruit at the late autumn gathering time--twice (doubly) dead,
[lifeless and] plucked up by the roots; wild waves of the sea, flinging up the
foam of their own shame and disgrace; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of
eternal darkness has been reserved forever.
It was of these people, moreover, that Enoch in the
seventh [generation] from Adam prophesied when he said, Behold, the Lord comes
with His myriads of holy ones (ten thousands of His saints). Jude 1:12-14
Enoch 19
1 And Uriel said to
me: 'Here shall stand the angels who have connected themselves with women,
and their spirits assuming many different forms are defiling mankind and shall
lead them astray into sacrificing to demons as gods, (here shall they stand,)
till the day of the great judgment in which they shall be judged till they are
made an end of.
2 And the women also
of the angels who went astray shall become sirens.'
3 And I, Enoch, alone
saw the vision, the ends of all things: and no man shall see as I have seen. Enoch 19:1-3
Enoch 20
1 And these are the
names of the holy angels who watch.
2 Uriel, one of the
holy angels, who is over the world and over Tartarus.
3 Raphael, one of the
holy angels, who is over the spirits of men.
4 Raguel, one of the
holy angels who takes vengeance on the world of the luminaries.
5 Michael, one of the holy angels, to wit, he that is set
over the best part of mankind and over chaos.
6 Saraqâêl, one of
the holy angels, who is set over the spirits, who sin in the spirit.
7 Gabriel, one of the
holy angels, who is over Paradise and the serpents and the Cherubim.
8 Remiel, one of the
holy angels, whom God set over those who rise. Enoch 20:1-7
Enoch 21
1 And I proceeded to
where things were chaotic.
2 And I saw there
something horrible: I saw neither a heaven above nor a firmly founded earth,
but a place chaotic and horrible.
3 And there I saw
seven stars of the heaven bound together in it, like great mountains and
burning with fire.
4 Then I said: 'For
what sin are they bound, and on what account have they been cast in hither?'
5 Then said Uriel,
one of the holy angels, who was with me, and was chief over them, and said:
'Enoch, why dost thou ask, and why art thou eager for the truth?
6 These are of the
number of the stars [of heaven], which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord,
and are bound here till ten thousand years, the time entailed by their sins,
are consummated.'
7 And from thence I
went to another place, which was still more horrible than the former, and I saw
a horrible thing: a great fire there which burnt and blazed, and the place was
cleft as far as the abyss, being full of great descending columns of fire:
neither its extent or magnitude could I see, nor could I conjecture.
8 Then I said: 'How
fearful is the place and how terrible to look upon!'
9 Then Uriel answered
me, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said unto me: 'Enoch, why hast
thou such fear and affright?' And I
answered: 'Because of this fearful place, and because of the spectacle of the
pain.'
10 And he said unto
me: 'This place is the prison of the angels, and here they will be
imprisoned for ever.' Enoch 21:1-10
So
how interesting is all that? There’s
much more to the Book of Enoch than what was shared here. I intended only to
share the portions that helped us understand more about the angels who sinned.
It
seems to me the Church should reconsider her position on including it in the
canonization of the Holy Scriptures on a wider scale within the Christian
Church. As shared at the beginning of
this chapter of The Bed Keeper, The Book of Enoch is not currently regarded as part of the Canon of
Scripture as used by Jews, apart from the Beta Israel canon. It is regarded as canon by the Ethiopian
Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox Church, but no other Christian group. The entire Book of Enoch is available from a
wide variety of public sources, and there are a multitude of comparisons from
the Book of Enoch that come up again and again with the pages of the New
Testament, showing every author of the New Testament regarded the Book of Enoch
as authoritative.
The fact it is mentioned here in the
Book of Jude (which is included in
the Christian canon) gives us a reasonable basis to at least see what Jude
refers to when he says of the men of Sodom,
It was of these
people, moreover, that Enoch in the seventh [generation] from Adam prophesied
when he said, Behold, the Lord comes with His myriads of holy ones (ten
thousands of His saints) to execute judgment upon all and to convict all the
impious (unholy ones) of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed [in
such an] ungodly [way], and of all the severe (abusive, jarring) things which
ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. Jude 1:14-15
Now
that we have examined the relevant portions of the Book of Enoch (whom Jude
mentions in his epistle), let us now conclude our examination Book of Jude,
picking back up from where we left off in the previous chapter of The Bed Keeper:
Jude 1
16 These are
inveterate murmurers (grumblers) who complain [of their lot in life], going
after their own desires [controlled by their passions]; their talk is boastful
and arrogant, [and they claim to] admire men's persons and pay people
flattering compliments to gain advantage.
17 But you must remember,
beloved, the predictions which were made by the apostles (the special
messengers) of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
18 They told you
beforehand, In the last days (in the end time) there will be scoffers [who seek
to gratify their own unholy desires], following after their own ungodly
passions.
19 It is these who
are [agitators] setting up distinctions and causing divisions--merely sensual
[creatures, carnal, worldly-minded people], devoid of the [Holy] Spirit and
destitute of any higher spiritual life.
20 But you, beloved,
build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like
an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;
21 Guard and keep
yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)--[which will bring you] unto life eternal.
22 And refute [so as
to] convict some who dispute with you, and on some have mercy who waver and
doubt.
23 [Strive to] save
others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire; on others take pity [but] with
fear, loathing even the garment spotted by the flesh and polluted by their
sensuality.
24 Now to Him Who is
able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you]
unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in
triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]--
25 To the one only God,
our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might
and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever
(unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it). Jude 1:16-25
Finally,
let's also take a look at what Ezekiel said the sins of Sodom were. (Keep in mind that although this is a partial list
of Sodom’s sins, it does not explain why Sodom was actually destroyed):
48 As I live, says the Lord God, Sodom your sister has
not done, she nor her daughters, as you have done, you and your daughters.
49 Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom:
pride, overabundance of food, prosperous ease, and idleness were hers and her
daughters'; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
50 And they were haughty and committed abominable
offenses before Me; therefore I removed them when I saw it and I saw fit. Ezekiel 16:48-50
In
closing, it seems plain to see from Scripture that angels took on flesh and
appeared as human men many times as God sent them to declare His messages to
humanity. This is also why God says in Hebrews 13:2,
Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality
to strangers [in the brotherhood--being friendly, cordial and gracious, sharing
the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some
have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2
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Part One:
UPDATE 10.27.12:
UPDATE 04.29.12:
Dear Valued Readers,
This blog is a work in progress. As events in the Church impact previously published posts, updates will be published at the end of each post in order to provide the utmost transparency and clarity to all concerned parties as this new move of God progresses. Readers may email thebedkeeper@gmail.com to discuss or comment on any posting. Please note that while all feedback is highly valued and appreciated, it may not be possible to reply to each email.
UPDATE 05.19.13: GREAT NEWS! Regarding the 04.29.12 UPDATE: After new considerations have come to light, I confidently continue my full personal endorsement of Lakewood Church as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship, and am pleased to encourage you to resume supporting this vibrant ministry financially. Details here.
UPDATE 03.05.13: GREAT NEWS! Regarding the 10.27.12 UPDATE: After new considerations have come to light, I confidently continue my full personal endorsement of Eagle Mountain International Church as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship, and am pleased to encourage you to resume supporting this vibrant ministry financially. Details here.
UPDATE 02.09.13: Listen in as Brian Anthony Bowen provides the NCK and Friends radio audience with valuable insights into Biblical support of Same Sex Marriage that the Church doesn't seem to want us to know!
UPDATE 05.19.13: GREAT NEWS! Regarding the 04.29.12 UPDATE: After new considerations have come to light, I confidently continue my full personal endorsement of Lakewood Church as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship, and am pleased to encourage you to resume supporting this vibrant ministry financially. Details here.
UPDATE 03.05.13: GREAT NEWS! Regarding the 10.27.12 UPDATE: After new considerations have come to light, I confidently continue my full personal endorsement of Eagle Mountain International Church as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship, and am pleased to encourage you to resume supporting this vibrant ministry financially. Details here.
UPDATE 02.09.13: Listen in as Brian Anthony Bowen provides the NCK and Friends radio audience with valuable insights into Biblical support of Same Sex Marriage that the Church doesn't seem to want us to know!
Part One:
Part Two:
UPDATE 10.27.12:
Eagle Mountain International Church took an official position on gay marriage in a sermon on 10.14.12. While not in support of gay marriage, Pastor George reminds his congregation that "those considered to be gay" are equally worthy of love and compassion. Pastor Terri continues to consider being gay as "being caught up in bondage." Several passages of Scripture were quoted to support their views, but no mention was made of any Scriptures that disprove their view, such as discussed in Chapter One: Born This Way and Chapter Two: God Sanctioned Gay Marriage. While I am not rescinding my endorsement of Eagle Mountain International Church as a safe space for LGBT people to worship, I am officially recommending we no longer support them financially. It is clear we have a long way to go in educating the Church, and I remain hopefully confident that after the 2012 elections are over, we will have more opportunities to walk further into the new revelations from God's Word shared throughout this blog. I encourage all LGBT people and our families to continue to hold Pastor George and Terri up in prayer, so that the eyes of their understanding may be flooded with light, and they come to more fully understand the prophetic role that LGBT people play in the spiritual life of the Christian Church, and the return of Jesus Christ.
UPDATE 04.29.12:
My previous endorsement of Lakewood Church is hereby retracted due to this interview: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/04/29/473250/joel-osteen-gay-sin/?mobile=ncwherein Pastor Joel Osteen declares that "being gay" itself is a sin. That is NOT what the Bible says, and I cannot support it, nor ask anyone else to. I explained this in a previous letter to Pastor Joel in response to his interview with Piers Morgan, which can be reviewed here. I apologize for the mixed messages my own comments may tend to manifest themselves as in this case, but it is an unfortunate result of Pastor Joel's own mixed messages, and his decision to tailor his messages to the audience to whom he is speaking at the time. Should he publicly apologize for his unScriptural comments, and declare he has come to understand the difference between saying "being gay is a sin" and "homosexuality is a sin" (to reflect Scripture's own narrowly defined context of married men who engaged in adultery on their wives to be with men...which has nothing to do with LGBT people), I hope to renew my endorsement of Lakewood Church at some point in the future....but not until then.
UPDATE 01.15.12:
Lakewood Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 11.22.11:
Eagle Mountain International Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 12.16.11:
Please also review the response shared with a debate panel regarding the Bible's position on homosexuality, that reveals the unScriptural stance "ex-gay" theology manifests itself as here.
Lakewood Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 11.22.11:
Eagle Mountain International Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 12.16.11:
Please also review the response shared with a debate panel regarding the Bible's position on homosexuality, that reveals the unScriptural stance "ex-gay" theology manifests itself as here.
