Genesis 1:1; “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This is about as basic and straightforward as it gets. God has ultimate control over everything that pertains to our lives, right down to the complete makeup of each and every thing that is on this planet. For people to think He’s just some ancient being that sits on a throne all day watching angels play, they have a concept that is totally wrong. All that there is in Heaven and on earth was created by Him. (ESV – all emphasis mine)

There was an archangel created by God that was possibly the most beautiful angel ever. Instead of glorifying the Father and giving Him all praise and glory, Lucifer believed he should be equal to the creator, and have a special throne just for himself. In essence, he mocked God.

Isaiah 14:12-14; “How you are fallen from Heaven O daystar, son of dawn! How you are cut down to the ground; you who laid the nations low. You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to Heaven. Above the stars of God, I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the Mount of Assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'”

Ezekiel 28:13-17; “You were in Eden, the Garden of God; every precious stone was your covering; sardius, topaz and diamond; beryl, onyx and jasper; sapphire, emerald and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created, they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the Holy Mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.

“You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade, you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the Mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings to feast their eyes on you.”

Is it any wonder why God hates destructive self-pride?

We hear of Michael and Gabriel throughout the Bible, but both of them are fully dedicated in their service to the Father. Jesus is God (John 10:30), and His dedication gave all of us unworthy humans a pathway to Heaven.

The time will come when there will be a battle in Heaven, and Satan will finally be cast out, as given in Revelation 12:7-9; “Now war arose in Heaven; Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back; but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in Heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan the deceiver of the whole world – he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” This will be during the great tribulation era, just before Jesus returns for His 1,000-year reign on earth. The final phase will be Satan and all his fallen angels being cast into the lake of fire forever that was made specifically for them (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10-15).

There is no pathway for Satan or his demons to gain forgiveness. They had been in the splendor of Heaven, yet they sinned against their Creator. Apparently, God allows a certain amount of free-will choice, and about a third of the angelic host chose to follow Satan (Revelation 12:4). Once they made their choice, the Father showed them what their action had brought on themselves. Galatians 6:7-8; “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but the one who sows from the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

All the people today that are falling under the influence of the devil and his demons are making their own reservations at the Great White Throne Judgment. Our Father is a God of love, not a tyrant. We are given everything we need to be able to make a choice as to where we will spend eternity. God wishes that everyone would call out to receive and accept His Son’s free gift (2 Peter 3:9), but in no way will He ever force anyone to do so. His true words are there for us to study, but first, one has to believe that the Bible is the true, inerrant word of God.

Those who have received and accepted Jesus and are a part of His precious flock are His forever (John 10). While in human form, we will sin until that time when we receive our immortal, forever bodies. God is faithful and just to forgive us when we confess that we have sinned, but still may cause us to be disciplined (1 John 1:8-10; Hebrews 12:5-8; Proverbs 3:11-12). As humans, Jesus died for us, and we have His promise of Heaven when we are with Him.

There are places in the world, even some places in America today, where there have been demonstrations that are purely anti-God. In one West Coast demonstration, there were photos of signs being held up stating that God should get out of their area. Quick question: has our entire West Coast experienced anything unusual lately? How about massive wildfires in some areas; extreme record-setting heat in others; drought in some, and flooding in others? Pestilence is definitely on the rise.

This is not only on the West Coast but other places as well. Jesus spoke of a turning away from Him in the days before the end of this age. It is estimated in some reports that the total number of true believers in America is somewhere between 10% and 12% of our total population. In other countries, it is even less. The number of Messianic Jews, the ones who believe Jesus is their Messiah, is between 1% and 2% worldwide.

Strangely, the places that are seeing an increase of people accepting Jesus are those where Christians are openly being persecuted, even to martyrdom. Iran, Red China, and some places in Africa have been named among them.

Satanic groups are openly declaring that Christians are “haters” because we do not accept their lifestyles. It is not an issue that we love everyone for their eternal soul, but we do not have to like and accept what they do or even to like them, for that matter. Our Jesus loved everyone on earth, but there were those that He openly disliked and told them what they were doing wrong. The Pharisees were at the top of that list.

One of our most important basic freedoms in America is freedom OF religion – not freedom FROM religion, as some groups would like us to believe. This was drafted into our Constitution so that people would be free to worship, or not, in whatever way they chose, as long as their rituals didn’t harm others. Human sacrifice is definitely out.

Today, the attitudes that are being influenced by Satan are non-tolerance of anything to do with Jesus. Through all the alphabet groups, people are dedicating their eternity to spend it with the devil in hell. Yet, they are willingly choosing him over Jesus and are open about it. Once they have taken their last breath here, their eternity is set.

Prior to that, anyone who will repent and call out to Jesus to be their Savior and forgive them will be forgiven. Romans 10:9-13 gives the steps. Although we do not have a record of what the thief on the cross’ lifestyle was, he asked Jesus to “remember” him. Jesus told him that he would be in paradise with the Savior that very day. In his most agonizing moments, our Savior saw fit to forgive this man and let him know he had a home in Heaven. That is a love that cannot be matched. That is how much Our Savior loves each of us.

Your choice – Your eternity. There are no special rituals or works or fees to have Jesus as your Savior. Ephesians 2:8-9 is specific that it’s through grace we are saved, not by works.

For the false prophets that are telling you there are many ways to heaven, or all religions worship the same God, please read John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 8:1; John 3:18 and 1 John 5:12. These are quite specific and to the point. God’s word is sincere and true (Titus 1:2), and He will not be mocked. Open your mind and your heart, and call out today. It will be the absolute best decision and action that you will ever have taken.

Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com

 

Importance of Enoch and The Book of Enoch

Enoch is an interesting person to study, given that his name is only mentioned a few times in scripture. He is only mentioned in Genesis 5, Luke 3, Hebrews 11, and Jude 1. What then makes him so important?

Facts We Know About Enoch

• Enoch is the seventh descendent of Adam and Eve and is mentioned in the list of the ten patriarchs in Genesis 5.
• Enoch is the first person to be translated [raptured]:

Genesis 5:22-24 – “And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

This makes Enoch fairly unique in Biblical circles – only one other has been raptured up to heaven without first experiencing death – Elijah. Enoch, having lived sixty-five years already, walked with the Lord three hundred more years after Methuselah was born, then was taken. Enoch walked in faith the 365 years of his life. No matter what happened, he trusted and obeyed Yahweh. Yahweh loved Enoch so much he spared him the experience of an early death. In the Sefer Hekalot, Rabbi Ishmael states that Enoch, just like Elijah, was taken up in sight of a vast crowd begging him to stay, ascending to Heaven on a horse. The Book of Jasher also tells us that “Enoch ascended into Heaven in a whirlwind with horses and chariots of fire.” (Jasher 3:36).

• Enoch did not keep silent about the sin around him:

Jude 1:14-15 – “Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, ‘Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

• Enoch’s faith pleased God:

Hebrews 11:5b-6 – “For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

• Enoch is listed as one of the sons of Adam:

Luke 3:37-38 – “Methuselah, who was the son of Enoch, who was the son of Jared, who was the son of Mahalaleel, who was the son of Cainan, who was the son of Enosh, who was the son of Seth, who was the son of Adam, who was the son of God.”

Inferences We Can Make About Enoch

• According to tradition, Shavuot is the day that Enoch was born and the day that he was also translated [raptured] to be with Yahweh. His rapture parallels Elijah’s rapture. His rapture also parallels the ascension of Yeshua – all three raptures were witnessed [1].
• Enoch is credited with the invention of the art of writing according to the Book of Jubilees, another book mentioned in Biblical scripture. He is also credited with teaching astronomy and arithmetic, according to the Sefer Yuḥasin.
• Enoch is seen by many as an example of the church being translated prior to the beginning of the tribulation period, especially since Yahweh said that the day of His coming would be like the days of Noah. Enoch’s name means: to teach, to train up; two primary purposes of the believing disciple. In Noah’s days, the unbelieving world was destroyed in the judgment, a believing remnant was protected, and Enoch disappeared before the judgment. At the end of days, the unbelieving world will again be destroyed in the judgment, a believing remnant of Israel will be preserved through the judgment, and the church will be translated just like Enoch – before the judgment!
• Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam. Seven is the perfect number of completeness in Hebrew, and his being of the seventh generation emphasizes his perfect standing in the eyes of Yahweh.
• Because Enoch has not yet experienced death, he may be the second of the two witnesses during the Tribulation Period, though some believe the second person will be Moses. Malachi 4:5 says of one witness: “Behold, I will send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of The Lord.” Moses, however, has already experienced death, and it is appointed to man only once to experience this event (Hebrews 9:27).

Facts We Know About The Book of Enoch

Many object to any mention or use of the Book of Enoch due to its exclusion from the Bible, but is this a valid reason to ignore what is says? I think not!

• The Book of Enoch was well known to Yeshua, the apostles, and the first-century churches, but the book later fell into disfavor with the powerful because of its controversial statements on the nature and deeds of the fallen angels.
• The Book of Enoch was thought to have been lost, but in 1773, rumors of a surviving copy of the book drew Scottish explorer James Bruce to Ethiopia, and he found that the book had been preserved by the Ethiopic church, which considered it to be on par with the other books of the Bible. Enoch is still revered in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church along with the Book of Jubilees. Together they are regarded as the 13th and 14th books, respectively, of their Old Testament scriptures.
• The Ethiopian text became known to modern students through a translation from this into English by Archbishop Lawrence in 1821. One of the most accurate translations of the Book of Enoch is the one translated by R.H. Charles, Doctor of Letters, in 1917.
• In 1956, during the excavation of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a scroll called 1 Enoch was discovered. This scroll is what is commonly referred to as The Book of Enoch. The Scrolls found at Qumran prove that the book was in existence before the time of Jesus Christ, as far back as at least the second century B.C, perhaps even older.
• The Book of Enoch tells us about Enoch’s activities and the timing of his rapture:

Enoch 81:5-6 – “And those seven holy ones brought me and placed me on the earth before the door of my house, and said to me: ‘Declare everything to your son Methuselah, and show to all thy children that no flesh is righteous in the sight of the Lord, for He is their Creator. One year we will leave thee with thy son, till you give Your (last) commands, that you may teach thy children and record (it) for them, and testify to all thy children; and in the second year they shall take you from their midst.”

Scripture appears to agree. Enoch taught his son, Methuselah, whose name can mean “his death brings.” Enoch was taken before this death. Upon Methuselah’s death, Noah boarded the Ark, and the rains and flooding started seven days later.

• The Book of Enoch was written to inform those who would be living in the end times.

Enoch 1:1-2 – “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.”

• The Book of Enoch can be divided into several sections, each of which has a particular theme. The first section tells about the time of Noah and Yahweh’s judgments on the earth and the fallen angels. The next section deals with Enoch’s rapture. Section three deals with astronomy and portals on the earth. The fourth section deals with sin and with Israel’s history from the time of Noah until the final judgment, including portions regarding the conversion of the Gentiles (i.e., the Bride of Christ), the resurrection, and the second coming of Yeshua. The final section deals with suffering, the denouncing of all evils, and the woes that will come upon the sinner.

Inferences We Can Make About The Book of Enoch

• The Book of Enoch is old. It may even precede the Book of Job. It is clearly referenced in Genesis and Leviticus.
• The Book of Enoch was considered as authentic scripture, especially the part about the fallen angels and their prophesied judgment.
• Many of the key words and themes used by scripture may be connected to the Book of Enoch, as over one hundred phrases and terms in the Newer Covenant find parallels in the Book of Enoch. The similarities in terminology and teaching are striking. Many of the phrases used by Peter, Jude, and others are virtually direct quotes from the Book of Enoch.

Quotes and References from The Book of Enoch

Numerous quotations and references from The Book of Enoch can be found throughout scripture:

• The name, Azazel, appears in Leviticus 16:8–10: “And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Yahweh, and offer him for a sin-offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Yahweh, to make atonement over him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness.” But nowhere in scripture do we find who Azazel is! Only by reading the Book of Enoch can we find the history and activities of Azazel!

The Book of Enoch, Chapters 8-10, informs us that Azazel is one of the leaders of the angels who desired the daughters of men, and it was he who 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 coloring tinctures” (8:1-2). Azazel taught “all unrighteousness on earth and revealed the eternal secrets which were (preserved) in heaven, which men were striving to learn.” (9:6-7).

Chapter ten then goes into many of the reasons why Yahweh had to flood the earth. These events appear to be retold in Genesis 6. Furthermore, Enoch informs us that it is commanded that an angel, Raphael, was to “bind the hands and feet of Azazel and cast him into the darkness.” The other angels (watchers) that were involved were also bound and cast into the darkness (10:1-16:4). Both Jude 1:6 and 2 Peter 2:4 clearly appear to be referencing these events describe by the Book of Enoch.

• Jude 1:14-15 is virtually a direct quote of Enoch 1:9, which says: “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.” This theme is repeated in Deuteronomy 33:2-3; Job 5:1; Psalms 16:3 & 34:9; and in Zechariah 14:5. The phrase, “And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam,” which begins Jude’s verses, is found in Enoch 60:8, which says it this way: “my grandfather was taken up, the seventh from Adam.” Seven is the perfect number in Hebrew, and it emphasizes the perfect standing of Enoch in the eyes of Yahweh.
• Luke 9:35 – “Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!'”

The word translated “chosen one” is the Greek word eklegō [G1586]. It can be literally translated selected or elect one. The phrase “Elect One” is found throughout the Book of Enoch. According to the book, the Elect One would “sit upon the throne of glory” and would “dwell in the midst of them.” These phrases are also used throughout scripture in reference to Yeshua. So, when Luke tells us that Yeshua is the chosen, or elect one, Luke may simply be affirming that the prophecies given in the Book of Enoch have now been fulfilled.

Conclusions

Both Enoch and the Book of Enoch are worthy of study. Both have much to teach us about the time we live in. Enoch looked forward to see much of history up to the day of judgment and Messiah’s return. Several prophecies in the Book of Enoch have been fulfilled as noted by writers of the Biblical scriptures. Now, we can be sure that Yeshua will come and that he will do exactly as Enoch has also prophesied!

Enoch is an important person despite the minimal references to him in the Bible. He is the first to be raptured, and that event set the pattern for all future raptures in scripture – all involve horses. The just are taken out before Yahweh punishes the unbelieving and corrupt. Seven is the perfect number in Hebrew, and Enoch being the seventh generation from Adam emphasizes the perfect standing of Enoch in the eyes of Yahweh. Revelation 10:7 tells us that the mystery of God would be finished when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet. Scripture tells us that two witnesses will appear prior to this sounding. One witness will be Elijah. Perhaps, just as he was one of the first days’ witnesses, he will also be one of the two last days’ witnesses.

Enoch is the only prophet from the centuries before the Flood whose words have been preserved for us. The Book of Enoch, though well known to those at the time of Yeshua’s first coming, was written for those who will live in the season of tribulation. And how amazing that they have come fully to light once again at about the same time that Israel became a nation, mere decades before the rapture of the Bride of Christ and the tribulation period of seven years. While not considered scripture by many, the Biblical scriptures make liberal use of themes, phrases, and terms first coined by this book. It is not by accident or coincidence that this book is referenced and quoted by the Bible. Scripture confirms that this book is authentic and worthy of study.

Final Thought

The prophetic signs are burgeoning and not abating. Time is incredibly short – Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is coming soon – so be of great cheer, keep looking up, and keep maintaining an attitude of gratitude. Be sure you are believing The Truth, not The Lie. Be sure Yeshua is your Redeemer, King, and High Priest, and your sins are forgiven.

Note [1]: (https://www.raptureready.com/2020/02/14/i-saw-it-happen-by-jeff-van-hatten/)

Website: https://raptureparty.net

Email: jeff@raptureparty.net