Settlement of people descendants of Seth patriarchs Saint Enoch. Blavatsky E.P.
Sacred Bible story Old Testament Pushkar Boris (Bep Veniamin) Nikolaevich
Descendants of Cain and Seth.
Descendants of Cain and Seth.
Life 4:17–5:31
Cain's generation began to grow rapidly, and at the same time the struggle against nature, begun by his ancestor, continued. In the fight against nature, the descendants of Cain learned to mine copper and iron and make tools from them. Getting carried away material well-being and purely worldly concerns, the Cainites cared least about spiritual life. Such neglect of spiritual life developed countless vices among them. With this direction of life, Cainites could not become true representatives of the human race and, even more so, guardians of great spiritual treasures - the first promise of the Savior and the primitive religious and moral institutions associated with it. Cain's generation, with its crude everyday materialism and atheism, was only capable of perverting the historical course of development intended for humanity. This one-sided direction needed a counterbalance. And he really appeared in the generation of Adam’s new son, Seth, who was born after the murder of Abel.
With the birth of Seth, a generation of people began in antediluvian humanity who, in their spiritual mood, represented the complete opposite of Cain. In Cain's generation, people worshiped only material power and turned all their abilities (to the point of complete oblivion of God) to the acquisition of material wealth. In the generation of Seth, on the contrary, a completely different, more elevated direction of life was developed and developed, which, awakening in people a humble consciousness of human helplessness and sinfulness, it directed their thoughts to God, who gave fallen people hope for deliverance from sin, curse and death. This spiritual direction of life among the Sethites noticeably manifested itself already under the son of Seth, Enos: "Then, - says the Writer of Life, - began to call on the name of the Lord[God] » (Gen. 4:26). This, of course, does not mean that before that time there were absolutely no prayers in which God was invoked. Religion began to be expressed in external forms, and therefore in prayer, even under Adam. This expression only means that now in the generation of Seth, the calling of the name of the Lord God became an open confession of their faith in God, as opposed to the generation of Cainites, who, because of their godlessness, began to be called the sons of men. The highest exponent and representative of the spiritual life of the Sethites was Enoch, who "walked before God"(Gen.5:22, 24), that is, he always embodied in his life the height of original human purity and holiness. At the same time, he was the first to realize to what abyss of depravity and sinfulness the atheism of the Cainites could lead, and he acted as the first preacher and prophet to announce the terrible future judgment of God over the “wicked” (Jude 1:15). As a reward for this high piety and ardent faith, the Lord took him alive from the sinful earth (Heb. 11:5).
The generation of Seth, being the bearer of the true religion and the promise associated with it, naturally had to become the root from which the entire “tree of humanity” was to develop. In this generation, patriarchs appear one after another - great representatives of antediluvian humanity, who, being strong in spirit and body, were called upon through many years of labor to develop and preserve spiritual principles that were to form the basis of the moral life of all future generations. To successfully fulfill their purpose, by the special providence of God, they were endowed with extraordinary longevity, so that each of them could be a living guardian and interpreter of the promise entrusted to them for almost a whole millennium. The first man Adam lived 930 years; his son Seth - 912 years old; son of Seth Enos - 905 years; representatives of subsequent generations: Cainan - 910 years, Maleleel - 895, Jared - 962, Enoch - 365, Methuselah - 969, Lemech - 777 and Noah - 950 years.
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From the book The Evolution of Life. The path from God-man to man authorFratricide of Cain 8. And Cain said to Abel his brother: (let's go into the field). And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. “And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him...” Like death itself, appearing in the world as rent of sin,
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From the book Holy Scripture. Modern translation (CARS) author's BibleBirth of Seth 25. And Adam also knew (Eve) his wife, and she gave birth to a son, and called his name Seth, because, (she said,) God gave me another seed, instead of Abel, whom Cain killed "And I knew Adam still had his wife... and she gave birth to a son and called his name Seth..." In place of the two eldest
From the book of the Bible. New Russian translation (NRT, RSJ, Biblica) author's Bible26. Seth also had a son, and he called his name Enos; then they began to call on the name of the Lord (God) “Enos...” The name of this patriarch, literally translated from Hebrew, means: “weak, frail, infirm, mortal,” from where - as a derivative noun: “man”
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From the book Pocket Notes of a Young Priest author Skrynnikov Anthony3. The descendants of Cain are the secret kings of the Jewish people and the future rulers of the world. Anyone who has understood the structure of the human soul has already understood that the most valuable thing in it is the triune seed of immortal spirits. This triune seed turns a person into a rational being,
From the book Explanatory Bible by Lopukhin. OLD TESTAMENT.GENESIS authorDescendants of Cain 17 Cain knew his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time, Cain was building a city and named it after his son Enoch. 18 Enoch begat Irad, Irad begat Mechiael, Mechiael begot Methushail, and Methushail begat Lamech. 19 Lamech took a wife
From the author's bookDescendants of Cain 17 Cain knew his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time, Cain was building a city and named it after his son Enoch. 18 Enoch begat Irad, Irad begat Mechiael, Mechiael begat Methushael, and Methushael begat Lamech. 19 Lamech took a wife
From the author's bookEnoch, son of Seth The descendants of Adam through Seth are listed, not counting Adam and Seth themselves, for eight generations. They are described in somewhat more detail than about the descendants of Cain. These are the so-called antediluvian patriarchs. The names of Seth's genealogy are suspiciously similar to
From the author's bookDescendants of Cain It is completely incomprehensible why in our hospitals women on preservation and women preparing for an abortion are assigned to the same ward? Just some kind of nonsense. The other day I got into a conversation at the temple with a girl who felt faint because of it. She goes all out
From the author's book8. Fratricide of Cain. 8. And Cain said to Abel his brother: (let's go into the field). And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. “And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him...” Like death itself, appearing in the world as a quitrent.
From the author's book9. Cain's judgment and punishment. 9. And the Lord (God) said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don’t know; Am I my brother’s keeper? “Where is Abel your brother?” Following the example of the judgment of the fallen ancestors (3:9) and the judgment of their criminal son, the merciful God begins with an appeal (call) to
From the author's book25. Birth of Seth. 25. And Adam knew (Eve) his wife, and she gave birth to a son, and called his name Seth, because, (she said,) God gave me another seed, instead of Abel, whom Cain killed. “And Adam knew also her wife... and she gave birth to a son and called his name Seth..."In place of the two
5:1-32 Although Adam had many sons and daughters - 5:4, in Adam's genealogy the author focuses on the godly line of Seth, from which Noah was born. For further the narrative of human history concerns the descendants of Noah.
It is interesting that Noah was born by a descendant of Seth - Lamech 5:30, and this name is also found in a descendant of Cain - 4:18. Also the name Enoch is found in the line of Cain and Seth - 4:17, 5:18
It should be borne in mind that Enoch and Lamech from the line of Seth cannot be identified with the first and last descendants in the line of Cain. Enoch, the seventh in order from Adam (Cain's Enoch was the second from Adam 4:17), “walked with God,” and “God took him” -5:24, and the pious Lamech named his son Noah, hoping that the Lord would “comfort us" - 5:29.
Why can we say for sure that we are talking about different Lamech and Enoch?
Because the race of Cain perished in the flood; The family of Seth survived the flood.
5:1-3
We can say that God still took revenge on Cain for the murder of Abel, destroying all the offspring of this second in a row (after the devil) murderer.
Here is the genealogy of Adam: when God created man, He created him in the likeness of God,
2 Male and female he created them, and blessed them, and called their name man on the day of their creation.
3 Adam lived a hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness, in his own image, and called his name Seth.
5:4-7
Adam gave birth to Seth and it is said about Seth that he was born in the likeness... in the image of Adam. If Adam himself was created in the image and likeness of God, then the son of Adam, born in the image and likeness of his father, received from him the seal of his fall: an innate tendency to disobey God.
The days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters.
5 And all the days of Adam's life were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.
6 Seth lived a hundred and five years and begat Enosh.
Adam had many sons and daughters, but Scripture records those who played key roles in fulfilling God's purpose and clarifying human history. The children of Adam all inherited a tendency to sin, but among them there were both notorious sinners like Cain and those inclined to accept God's way of life. God, observing the development of the human family on earth, looked after for Himself those children who were more inclined towards righteousness than towards sin, and called them for Himself. And the periods of life of the human family were different, periods of veneration of God in it alternated with a decline in morality, as shown by a philological analysis of the names of the patriarchs
5:8,9
And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.
9 Enosh lived ninety years and begat Cainan.
The name Cainan reveals the identity of its meaning with the name “Cain”, i.e. “acquisition, possession”; and this, of course, does not cast any unseemly shadow on the descendant of Seth, since the very name of Cain, according to the idea contained in it, was significant and bright (4:1).
5:10-12
10 After Cainan was born, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years and begat sons and daughters.
11 And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died.
12 Cainan lived seventy years and begat Maleleel.
The name Maleleel means: “praise, glory to God, or one who praises Him, one who glorifies.”
5:13-17
After the birth of Maleleel, Cainan lived eight hundred and forty years and begat sons and daughters.
14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died.
15 Mahalelel lived sixty-five years and begat Jared.
16 After he begat Jared, Malalel lived eight hundred and thirty years and begat sons and daughters.
17 And all the days of Malalelel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died.
The name Jared comes from the Hebrew verb jarad - meaning “to descend, descend”, the name of this new patriarch may indicate him as a person from somewhere “descending, descending, falling” both in the physical sense (the descent of his descendants to live from some height) and about their moral decline.
5:18-21
Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years and begat Enoch.
19 After Enoch was born, Jared lived eight hundred years and begat sons and daughters.
20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died.
21 Enoch lived sixty-five years and begat Methuselah.
The name Enoch indicates its bearer as a renewer, a pioneer, a sanctifier, in a word - something new and, as a firstfruits, dedicated to God. But while Enoch the Cainite was the beginning of worldly power and their cultural dominance (expressed in the construction of the first city of the same name), Enoch the Sethite was the representative of faith, hope and piety. Enoch turned out to be one of those descendants of Adam whom the Lord called from time to time to preach the word of God and admonish the human family (Jude 14,15)
5:22-24
And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years and begat sons and daughters.
23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.
24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was no more, because God took him.
Enoch, although he lived an ordinary earthly life and had a family with many children, unlike his ancestors Adam and Eve, chose God’s way of life, exposing the wicked with the word of God and not resigning himself to evil. It was difficult for him alone to confront the entire human family that existed at that time, and since he alone carried the word of God, one can come to the conclusion that the vice of sin prevailed in the descendants of Adam compared to the desire for God's righteousness.
God freed Enoch from this life of a “black sheep”, doomed to loneliness, at an early age for that time - 5:23 (if we start from the average age of 80 years, then Enoch died at the age of about 28 years).
Where did Enoch go if God took him? Did he go to heaven?
According to the Bible, Enoch died, like all other believers, without receiving what was promised during his lifetime - Heb.11:5-13.
5 By faith Enoch….. , By faith Noah….., By faith Abraham…. By faith Sarah herself
...(did something)
13 All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but only saw them from afar, and rejoiced, and said about themselves that they were strangers and strangers on earth
Enoch was promised a judgment against all the wicked - Jude 14, 15, which he did not receive.
Enoch did not see death - he died so suddenly that he did not see the process of aging and death - Hebrews 11:5, but did not go to heaven. Why can you think so? Since before coming to earth in human form - Jesus was in the heavenly sphere with the Father - John 6:38,62 - therefore, he had exact knowledge that nobody from earthly people faithful to Jehovah didn't show up in the sky at least before he came to earth
In addition, human flesh is not adapted for life in the heavenly sphere - 1 Cor.15:50, Psalm 113:24. The earth was created for him - Isaiah 45:18.
Such studies of the Bible do not give reason to believe that any of the dead people of antiquity settled down to live in heaven. Some readers are confused by the expression “»
and he was no more because God took him
Where did you take it, to heaven? What does "God took" mean?
Let's see what Isaiah writes, for example, about the death of the righteous: The righteous man dies, and no one takes it to heart; and godly men
0622
admire [from the earth], and no one will think that the righteous
0622
admires
from evil.
2 He departs to the world; Those who walk on the straight path will rest on their beds.
(Isa.57:1,2)
The righteous man dies and rests (the expression “dead man” is not accidental).
God takes the righteous from the evil of the earthly world order of this century - DEATH, and does not take him to heaven to Himself, as some believe. The righteous rest on their beds in their graves awaiting the resurrection, for there will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust (Acts 24:15) 0622
:
Let's also look at the meaning of the word "admire" with Strong's index
0622
Poa
2. accept, take to oneself; 3. shoot,;
take away
4. destroy, destroy;
5. clean up (to oneself).
2. B(ni): 1. to be collected, to gather;.
to be taken, to disappear
That is, the righteous is taken from among the wicked of the earth; God takes the righteous from evil - with the help of death, and he disappears from among those living on earth. That's all.
A similar picture is what happened to Enoch: And Enoch walked with God; and he was no more, because God
03947
took his
03947
1. xql;
2. 3. shoot, take
, take possession, seize;
That is, Enoch, like every righteous person whom God decided to take away from evil from among those living on earth, rested in death.
Determining where Enoch or anyone else went is actually not difficult if the point of view of the Bible is known in principle - that all the descendants of Adam are destined to die. (Heb.9:27)
Why? Because because of Adam's inherited sin, there was not a single righteous person on earth who did not sin except Jesus Christ
(Rom.3:23: 5:12) Therefore, ALL Adam’s descendants, without exception, including Enoch, must go through the wages of sin - through death
5:25-27
(Rom. 6:23). To be resurrected after death by the voice of the son of God is the only hope for humanity (John 5:28,29)
Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years and begat Lamech.
27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.
The name Lamech, remember, means “a fierce man, a man of war and destruction.” For the descendants of Seth, a slightly inappropriate name, but, however, children of different spirits came into the world through the line of Seth, if God was forced to call Enoch to admonish them.
5:28-32
Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years and begat a son,
29 And he called his name Noah, saying, He will comfort us in our work and in the labor of our hands in [cultivating] the land which the Lord has cursed.
30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred and ninety-five years, and begat sons and daughters.
31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died.
32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The name Noah is interpreted in the biblical text itself in the sense of “calm, consolation” in the labors and work of cultivating the land.
Since Lamech himself, judging by the meaning of the name, was not distinguished by piety - by giving such a name to his son, he expressed the hope of lifting the curse over the earth, thanks to cultural successes, the planter of which he wanted to see his newborn son.
Noah lived most of his life in the antediluvian era and by the end of it he already had three sons - Shem, Ham and Japheth. The children of Noah before the era of the flood did not have time to become parents themselves, did not have time to deteriorate and become corrupted, so they managed to avoid the sad fate of the entire primitive world.
Meaning of Noah's names:Sim "glory": Ham - “heat”, “passion”, “ardor”; Japheth <йафэ> - - “beauty”, from <пата> “beautiful”, as well as “spreading”, “expansion” - from the verb- “to give space.”
In appearance, Seth was much more majestic than Cain and Abel and resembled Adam more than all his sons. With his nobility he resembled Abel. However, he inherited no more good qualities than Cain. Regarding the creation of Adam, it is said: “in the image of God he created him,” but after the Fall, man gave birth to children “in his own likeness and in his image.” Although Adam was created sinless in the image of God, Seth, like Cain, inherited the sinful nature of his parents. But he also learned about the Redeemer and was taught in righteousness. By the grace of God, he served God and glorified Him. Speaking to sinners as Abel would have done had he lived, Seth taught them to honor God and obey their Creator. “Seth also had a son, and he called his name Enosh; then they began to call on the name of the Lord.” Previously, the faithful worshiped God, but as the population of the earth increased, the difference between the two groups of people became more and more noticeable. Some openly professed their devotion to God, others expressed contempt and disobeyed Him.
Before the Fall, our first parents kept the Sabbath established in Eden, and after their expulsion from there they continued to keep it holy. Having tasted the bitter fruits of disobedience, they learned that anyone who tramples on the commandments of God will sooner or later learn that Divine decrees are holy and immutable and that punishment for their violation is inevitable. The Sabbath was revered by all the children of Adam who remained faithful to God. But Cain and his descendants did not observe this day, on which God Himself rested. They, at their own discretion, established days of rest and work, regardless of the command of Jehovah.
Cursed by God, Cain left his father's house. At first he began cultivating the land and built a city, which he named after his eldest son. He turned away from the face of God, uprooted from his soul the promise of a return to Eden, plunged into the search for wealth and pleasure in a land cursed for sin, and thus began a large group of people who worship the god of this age. The descendants of Cain achieved outstanding success in business, in acquiring earthly blessings, but they were indifferent to God and opposed His intentions for man. To the criminal murder first committed by Cain, Lamech, the fifth in his generation, added polygamy; with defiant arrogance, he recognized God only for personal gain, since the curse that follows every murderer ensured his personal safety (see Gen. 4:23). Abel led a nomadic life, living in a tent, and the descendants of Seth followed the same example, considering themselves “strangers and strangers on earth,” striving “for the best, that is, for the heavenly” (Heb.
11:13,16).
For some time, the descendants of Cain and Seth lived separately. The Cainites, moving away from the place of their first settlement, scattered across the plains and valleys where the children of Seth lived, and the latter, wanting to avoid their harmful influence, went to the mountains and pitched their tents there. And leading such an isolated lifestyle, the Sethites maintained their service to God in all its purity. But gradually, over time, they mixed with the inhabitants of the valleys, which led to disastrous consequences. “Then the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were beautiful” (Gen. 6:2). The children of Seth, captivated by the beauty of the daughters of the Cainites, upsetting the Lord, took them as wives. Many of God's worshipers were drawn into sin by the various temptations that constantly tempted them, and they lost their special righteousness. Having mixed with the wicked, we became like them in spirit and in actions; regardless of the restrictions of the seventh commandment, they “took them as wives as anyone chose.” The children of Seth went “the way of Cain” (Jude 11); rushed to earthly riches and pleasures and neglected the commandments of God. People, having come to know God, did not glorify Him, but “became futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Therefore, “God gave them over to a depraved mind” (Rom. 1:21,28). Sin, like deadly leprosy, has engulfed the entire earth.
For almost a thousand years Adam lived among men as a witness to the consequences of sin. He sincerely tried to stop the flow of evil. He was commanded to educate his descendants in the truth of God, and he carefully preserved and passed on to subsequent generations what God had revealed to him. Adam told his children and children's children up to the ninth generation about the holy and happy life of man in paradise. He repeated the story of his fall, talking about the suffering to which the Lord condemned him, convincing him of the need to strictly fulfill His law. Adam revealed to his descendants the mercy of God, who cared for their salvation. However, only a few listened to his words. He often heard bitter reproaches for perfect sin, which brought so much grief to his descendants.
Adam's life was full of sorrow, humility and repentance. After his expulsion from Eden, the thought of death terrified him. He was the first man to come into contact with the reality of death when his firstborn son Cain became the murderer of his brother. Consumed by the strongest remorse for his sin and deeply shocked by the death of Abel and the rejection of Cain, Adam experienced the most severe suffering. He saw that the depravity of people was increasing and would eventually lead the world to a flood; Although at first the death sentence pronounced on him by the Creator seemed too terrible, but then, observing the consequences of sin for a thousand years, he realized that it was mercy on the part of God to put an end to a life filled with suffering and sorrow.
Despite the lawlessness of the antediluvian world, that time was not an era of ignorance and primitiveness, as is often assumed. People had brilliant opportunities to reach the highest level of moral and mental development. They possessed remarkable physical strength and extraordinary intelligence. The possibilities for acquiring spiritual and scientific knowledge were endless. It would be wrong to think that if people of that time lived so long, then their mental maturation came later. Their intellectual abilities developed early, and those who feared God and lived according to His will grew in knowledge and wisdom throughout their lives. If it were possible to compare the famous scientists of our time with their peers of the antediluvian world, how insignificant they would seem in comparison with them in mental and physical terms. As a person's life shortened, his physical strength and mental abilities decreased. There are people who study from twenty to fifty years of their lives, and the world is amazed at their success; but how limited their knowledge will seem in comparison with the knowledge of those whose abilities have been developed through centuries!
It is fair that our contemporaries received advantages thanks to the Achievements of their predecessors. Men of great intellect who explored, invented and wrote left their legacy to their followers. However, the advantages of people ancient world were incomparably greater. Among them, throughout the centuries, lived one who was created in the image of God, of whom God Himself said “very well,” a man whom God instructed in all the wisdom of this world. Adam learned from the Creator the story of creation; he saw with his own eyes the events that unfolded over nine centuries and passed on his knowledge to future generations. Antediluvian people did not have writing and, therefore, books, but they had enormous abilities, excellent memory and accurately passed on their knowledge to their descendants. For centuries, seven generations lived simultaneously and had the opportunity to share their learning and experience.
The people of that time had the unique advantages of acquiring Divine knowledge through His creation, which had no equal. That time was a time of great light, not religious darkness. The whole world had the opportunity to learn the truth from Adam, and those who lived in the fear of God, in addition, learned from Jesus Christ and His angels. For many centuries, before their eyes there was a mute witness of the truth - the garden of God. At the gates of heaven, guarded by cherubim, the glory of God appeared, and worshipers came there. Here they erected altars and made sacrifices. Cain and Abel performed sacrifices here, and God came down from heaven to communicate with them.
Skeptics could not deny the existence of Eden as long as it was in public view and its entrance was guarded by angels. The sequence of creation, the garden, the story of the two trees, so closely connected with the fate of man - all this was an indisputable fact. While Adam was alive, few tried to dispute the existence of God, His supreme power and the requirements of His law.
Despite the increasing lawlessness, at that time there was a dynasty of holy men - they, ennobled and inspired by communication with God, lived on earth as if in Heaven. They possessed powerful powers of reason and amazing knowledge. They had a great and holy goal - to form a righteous character in themselves and leave an example of piety not only to their contemporaries, but to all future generations. On the pages of Holy Scripture the names of only a few, the most prominent of them, are mentioned; but throughout all the centuries God has had such faithful witnesses, sincere adherents.
Enoch is said to have lived sixty-five years and begat a son. After this he walked with God for three hundred years. Already in early period Throughout his life, Enoch loved God, feared Him, and kept His commandments. He belonged to the dynasty of those holy men who preserved true faith and were the progenitors of the promised seed. From the lips of Adam, Enoch learned about the dark history of the Fall, as well as the joyful news about the promise of God, and he trusted in the coming Redeemer. But the birth of his first child brought Enoch the deepest experiences; he became even closer to God. As a child of God, he became even more aware of his duties and responsibilities. Observing the child's affection for himself, his simple-minded faith in the power of his father, and himself experiencing deep tenderness for his firstborn, Enoch understood the wonderful love of God for people, who gave them His Son, and learned the trust with which the children of God should relate to the Heavenly Father. The boundless, unfathomable love of God manifested in Jesus Christ became the subject of his constant meditation, and with all the fervor of his soul he sought to manifest the same love to those around him.
“Enoch walked with God” not in a state of ecstasy or vision, but in all the daily duties of his life. He did not become a hermit, did not leave people, because he had to work in the world for God. In both his family and community he was a steadfast, steadfast servant of God.
His heart responded harmoniously to the will of God, for “will two go together without agreeing with each other?” (Amos 3:3). And this holy union lasted three hundred years. There are few Christians who would not become much more serious and dedicated if they knew the hour of their death and the imminent time of the coming of Christ. Enoch's faith became stronger and his love stronger even as the centuries passed.
Enoch had a strong, extraordinary mind and extensive knowledge. He was honored with special revelations from God. But despite his continuous communication with Heaven and the feeling of Divine greatness and perfection that never left him, he was the most a humble man on the ground. The closer his connection with God became, the more deeply he became aware of his own imperfection and weakness.
Depressed by the growing lawlessness of the apostates and fearing that their unbelief would weaken his reverent attitude towards God, Enoch avoided constant communication with people and spent a lot of time alone, indulging in meditation and prayer. So Enoch relied on God, striving to understand more and more deeply His will, which was to be fulfilled. For him, prayer was the breath of life; he lived in the atmosphere of Heaven itself.
Through the holy angels, God revealed to Enoch his intention to destroy the world with a flood, and also revealed to him more fully the plan of redemption. Using the spirit of prophecy, He showed him all the coming generations after the flood and the great events associated with the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time.
Enoch was concerned about the question of the dead. It seemed to him before that both the righteous and the wicked would go to the grave, and that would be the end of it all. He could not comprehend what awaited beyond the line of death. He was given a prophetic vision regarding the death of Christ, he saw Him coming in glory, with ten thousand of all the holy angels to deliver his people from the graves. He also saw the corrupt state of the world before the Second Coming of Christ, saw a boastful, self-willed, presumptuous generation of people rejecting the only God and the Lord Jesus Christ, trampling His law underfoot and rejecting His salvation. He saw the righteous crowned with glory and honor, and the wicked, fleeing from the presence of the Lord, destroyed by fire.
Enoch became a preacher of righteousness, telling people what God had revealed to him. Those who lived in the fear of God sought fellowship with this holy man in order to listen to his instructions and pray with him. He preached God's message to all who were willing to accept the words of warning. He preached not only to the Sethites. In the land where Cain fled to hide from the face of the Lord, the prophet of God spoke about the wonderful events that passed before him in a vision. “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of His saints (Angels) to execute judgment on all and to convict all the wicked among them of all the deeds that their wickedness has done” (Jude 14:15).
He was a fearless denouncer of sin. Preaching the love of God, revealed in Christ, to his contemporaries and begging them to leave the ways of vice, Enoch condemned the increasing lawlessness and warned that the judgment of God would not be slow to be carried out on the wicked. The Spirit of Jesus spoke through the mouth of Enoch. This spirit is manifested not only in words of love, compassion and supplication - holy men are called to speak not only pleasant things. God puts into His mouth and heart His messengers and truths that crush like a two-edged sword.
Those listening to Enoch felt the power of God working in His servant. Some accepted his warnings and left their previous sinful lifestyle, but most mocked the terrible news and continued to follow the path of evil with even greater persistence. IN last days the servants of God will proclaim a similar message, which will be rejected with the same unbelief and mockery. The antediluvian world rejected the words and warnings of the one who walked with God. So the last generation will take lightly the warnings of God’s messengers.
Preaching tirelessly, Enoch never lost touch with God. The harder and more urgent his labors were, the more sincere and persistent were his prayers. At times he broke off all communication with people. Then, remaining for some time among people, he instructed them, helping them with word and example, and again withdrew in order to feel alone and quench the thirst for those Divine truths that only He alone can give. Being in such communication with God, Enoch became more and more like the Lord. His face shone with that holy light that shines on the face of Jesus. After he communicated with God, even the lawless looked with reverent fear at his face, on which rested the seal of Heaven.
The lawlessness of the world had reached such a limit that its destruction was predetermined. Years passed, the stream of human crimes expanded, and the clouds of Divine vengeance grew darker and darker. However, Enoch, a witness of faith, tirelessly moved forward along his chosen path, warning, praying, persuading, trying with all his might to restrain the flow of crimes and arrows of retribution. Although his warnings were rejected by the sinful, frivolous people, but, encouraged by the Lord, he continued to faithfully fight the increasing evil until God took him from the sinful earth to the holy abodes of Heaven.
Enoch's contemporaries considered this man crazy, because he did not even think about gold, silver and other treasures here on earth. Enoch's heart yearned for eternal treasures. He looked at the heavenly city. He saw the King in glory, seated in the midst of Zion. His mind, heart, all his thoughts belonged to Heaven. The more wickedness spread, the more heartily he yearned for the Father’s house. While still on earth, Enoch already dwelt by faith in the abodes of light.
“Blessed are pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). For three hundred years, Enoch strove for spiritual purity in order to be in harmony with Heaven. He walked with the Lord for three centuries. Day after day, he strove for closer unity with God: communication became closer and closer, until God took him to Himself. He stood on the threshold of eternity, only one step separated him from promised land, and then the gates opened, and the one who constantly walked with God on earth was the first of the people to enter the holy city.
Enoch's absence was keenly felt on earth. The voice that warned and instructed every day fell silent. Some of the believers, as well as the lawless, noticing his absence, thought that he, as usual, had retired. Enoch's friends then searched for him for a long time and diligently, just as the disciples searched for Elijah, but everything was in vain. Then they told others that he was nowhere to be found, for God had taken him to Himself.
By ascension of Enoch to Heaven, God wanted to teach people an important lesson. There was a danger that people, seeing the terrible consequences of Adam's fall, would fall into hopeless despair. Many were ready to exclaim: “What is the benefit of living in the fear of God and keeping His commandments?! Still, a terrible curse weighs heavily on humanity, and death is the destiny of all.” But the truths revealed by God to Adam, and then transmitted by Seth and embodied in life by Enoch, dispelled darkness and darkness and gave people hope that just as through Adam death entered the world, so through the promised Redeemer life and immortality would come. Satan tried to convince people that a blameless life is not rewarded, and sin is not punished, and that in general it is impossible for a person to observe Divine regulations. But in the case of Enoch, God states that “He is, and a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). The Lord showed what He will do for those who keep His commandments. Thus man is able to obey the Law of God; Even while living in the midst of a sinful, corrupt world, by the grace of God people can resist temptation and become holy and blameless. From the example of Enoch they saw the blessing of such a life; his ascension was for them proof of the truth of his prophecy regarding the future: for those who do the will of God - crowned with glory and joy eternal life, and for those who resist Him - bringing grief, condemnation and death.
“By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death; and he was no more, because God had translated him. For before he was taken away he received a testimony that he pleased God” (Heb. 11:5). In a world doomed to destruction, Enoch lived in such close communion with God that he was not allowed to be at the mercy of death. The godly nature of this prophet personifies the holiness of the lives of those “redeemed from the earth” (Rev. 14:3) at the Second Coming of Christ. Just as before the flood, lawlessness will increase in the world. Following the desires of their corrupt hearts and the deceptive wisdom of this world, people will rebel against the authority of Heaven. But, like Enoch, God's children will strive for purity of heart and to do His will so that their lives will be like Christ's. Like Enoch, they will preach to the world about the Second Coming of Christ, about the judgments that will befall sinners. By their own example, by the holiness of their words, they will condemn the sins of the wicked. Just as Enoch was taken into heaven before the flood that destroyed the world, so the living righteous will be taken from the earth before it is destroyed by fire. The Apostle says: “We will not all die, but we will all be changed suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are left alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Cor. 15:51, 52; I Thess. 4:16–18).
(This chapter is based on Genesis 4:25 - 6:2)
Adam was given another son who was to be the heir of the divine promise and spiritual birthright. He was named Seth, which means "appointed" or "reward," for, said his mother, "God gave me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain killed." In appearance, Seth was much more majestic than Cain and Abel and resembled Adam more than all his sons. With his nobility he resembled Abel. However, he inherited no more good qualities than Cain. Regarding the creation of Adam, it is said: “in the image of God he created him,” but after the Fall, man gave birth to children “in his own likeness and in his image.” Although Adam was created sinless in the image of God, Seth, like Cain, inherited the sinful nature of his parents. But he also learned about the Redeemer and was taught in righteousness. By the grace of God, he served God and glorified Him. Speaking to sinners as Abel would have done had he lived, Seth taught them to honor God and obey their Creator. “And Seth also had a son, and he called his name Enosh; then they began to call on the name of the Lord.” Previously, the faithful worshiped God, but as the population of the earth increased, the difference between the two groups of people became more and more noticeable. Some openly professed their devotion to God, others expressed contempt and disobeyed Him.
Before the Fall, our first parents kept the Sabbath established in Eden, and after their expulsion from there they continued to keep it holy. Having tasted the bitter fruits of disobedience, they learned that anyone who tramples on the commandments of God will sooner or later learn that Divine decrees are holy and immutable and that punishment for their violation is inevitable. The Sabbath was revered by all the children of Adam who remained faithful to God. But Cain and his descendants did not observe this day, on which God Himself rested. They, at their own discretion, established days of rest and work, regardless of the command of Jehovah.
Cursed by God, Cain left his father's house. At first he began cultivating the land and built a city, which he named after his eldest son. He turned away from the face of God, uprooted from his soul the promise of a return to Eden, plunged into the search for wealth and pleasure in a land cursed for sin, and thus began a large group of people who worship the god of this age. The descendants of Cain achieved outstanding success in business, in acquiring earthly blessings, but they were indifferent to God and opposed His intentions for man. To the criminal murder first committed by Cain, Lamech, the fifth in his generation, added polygamy; with defiant arrogance he recognized God only for personal gain, since the curse that follows every murderer ensured his personal safety (see Gen. 4:23,.24). Abel led a nomadic life, living in a tent, and the descendants of Seth followed the same example, considering themselves “strangers and strangers on earth,” striving “for the best, that is, for the heavenly” (Heb. 11:13,16).
For some time, the descendants of Cain and Seth lived separately. The Cainites, moving away from the place of their first settlement, scattered across the plains and valleys where the children of Seth lived, and the latter, wanting to avoid their harmful influence, went to the mountains and pitched their tents there. And leading such an isolated lifestyle, the Sethites maintained their service to God in all its purity. But gradually, over time, they mixed with the inhabitants of the valleys, which led to disastrous consequences. “Then the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were beautiful” (Gen. 6:2). The children of Seth, captivated by the beauty of the daughters of the Cainites, upsetting the Lord, took them as wives. Many of God's worshipers were drawn into sin by the various temptations that constantly tempted them, and they lost their special righteousness. Having mixed with the wicked, we became like them in spirit and in actions; regardless of the restrictions of the seventh commandment, they “took them as wives as anyone chose.” The children of Seth went “the way of Cain” (Jude 11); rushed to earthly riches and pleasures and neglected the commandments of God. People, having come to know God, did not glorify Him, but “became futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Therefore, “God gave them over to a depraved mind” (Rom. 1:21,28). Sin, like deadly leprosy, has engulfed the entire earth.
For almost a thousand years Adam lived among men as a witness to the consequences of sin. He sincerely tried to stop the flow of evil. He was commanded to educate his descendants in the truth of God, and he carefully preserved and passed on to subsequent generations what God had revealed to him. Adam told his children and children's children up to the ninth generation about the holy and happy life of man in paradise. He repeated the story of his fall, talking about the suffering to which the Lord condemned him, convincing him of the need to strictly fulfill His law. Adam revealed to his descendants the mercy of God, who cared for their salvation. However, only a few listened to his words. Often he had to hear bitter reproaches for the sin he committed, which brought so much grief to his descendants.
Adam's life was full of sorrow, humility and repentance. After his expulsion from Eden, the thought of death terrified him. He was the first man to come into contact with the reality of death when his firstborn son Cain became the murderer of his brother. Consumed by the strongest remorse for his sin and deeply shocked by the death of Abel and the rejection of Cain, Adam experienced the most severe suffering. He saw that the depravity of people was increasing and would eventually lead the world to a flood; Although at first the death sentence pronounced on him by the Creator seemed too terrible, but then, observing the consequences of sin for a thousand years, he realized that it was mercy on the part of God to put an end to a life filled with suffering and sorrow.
Despite the lawlessness of the antediluvian world, that time was not an era of ignorance and primitiveness, as is often assumed. People had brilliant opportunities to reach the highest level of moral and mental development. They possessed remarkable physical strength and extraordinary intelligence. The possibilities for acquiring spiritual and scientific knowledge were endless. It would be wrong to think that if people of that time lived so long, then their mental maturation came later. Their intellectual abilities developed early, and those who feared God and lived according to His will grew in knowledge and wisdom throughout their lives. If it were possible to compare the famous scientists of our time with their peers of the antediluvian world, how insignificant they would seem in comparison with them in mental and physical terms. As a person's life shortened, his physical strength and mental abilities decreased. There are people who study from twenty to fifty years of their lives, and the world is amazed at their success; but how limited their knowledge will seem in comparison with the knowledge of those whose abilities have been developed through centuries!
It is fair that our contemporaries have benefited from the achievements of their predecessors. Men of great intellect who explored, invented and wrote left their legacy to their followers. However, the advantages of the people of the ancient world were incomparably greater. Among them for centuries lived one who was created in the image of God, of whom God Himself said “very well,” a man whom God instructed in all the wisdom of this world. Adam learned from the Creator the story of creation; he saw with his own eyes the events that unfolded over nine centuries and passed on his knowledge to future generations. Antediluvian people did not have writing and, therefore, books, but they had enormous abilities, excellent memory and accurately passed on their knowledge to their descendants. For centuries, seven generations lived simultaneously and had the opportunity to share their learning and experience.
The people of that time had the unique advantages of acquiring Divine knowledge through His creation, which had no equal. That time was a time of great light, not religious darkness. The whole world had the opportunity to learn the truth from Adam, and those who lived in the fear of God, in addition, learned from Jesus Christ and His angels. For many centuries, before their eyes there was a mute witness of the truth - the garden of God. At the gates of heaven, guarded by cherubim, the glory of God appeared, and worshipers came there. Here they erected altars and made sacrifices. Cain and Abel performed sacrifices here, and God came down from heaven to communicate with them.
Skeptics could not deny the existence of Eden as long as it was in public view and its entrance was guarded by angels. The sequence of creation, the garden, the story of the two trees, so closely connected with the fate of man - all this was an indisputable fact. While Adam was alive, few attempted to challenge the existence of God, His sovereignty, or the demands of His law.
Despite the increasing lawlessness, at that time there was a dynasty of holy men - they, ennobled and inspired by communication with God, lived on earth as if in Heaven. They possessed powerful powers of reason and amazing knowledge. They had a great and holy goal - to form a righteous character in themselves and leave an example of piety not only to their contemporaries, but also to all future generations. On the pages of Holy Scripture the names of only a few, the most prominent of them, are mentioned; but throughout all the centuries God has had such faithful witnesses, sincere adherents.
Enoch is said to have lived sixty-five years and begat a son. After this he walked with God for three hundred years. Already in the early period of his life, Enoch loved God, feared Him and kept His commandments. He belonged to the dynasty of those holy men who maintained the true faith and were the progenitors of the promised seed. From the lips of Adam, Enoch learned about the dark history of the Fall, as well as the joyful news about the promise of God, and he trusted in the coming Redeemer. But the birth of his first child brought Enoch the deepest experiences; he became even closer to God. As a child of God, he became even more aware of his duties and responsibilities. Observing the child's affection for himself, his simple-minded faith in the power of his father, and himself experiencing deep tenderness for his firstborn, Enoch understood the wonderful love of God for people, who gave them His Son, and learned the trust with which the children of God should relate to the Heavenly Father. The boundless, unfathomable love of God manifested in Jesus Christ became the subject of his constant meditation, and with all the fervor of his soul he sought to manifest the same love to those around him.
"Enoch walked with God" not in a state of ecstasy or vision, but in all the daily duties of his life. He did not become a hermit, did not leave people, because he had to work in the world for God. In both his family and community he was a steadfast, steadfast servant of God.
Enoch's heart responded harmoniously to the will of God, for "shall two walk together without agreeing with each other?" (Amos 3:3). And this holy union lasted three hundred years...
Enoch had a strong, extraordinary mind and extensive knowledge. He was honored with special revelations from God. But despite his continuous communication with Heaven and the feeling of Divine greatness and perfection that never left him, he was the most humble person on earth. The closer his connection with God became, the more deeply he became aware of his own imperfection and weakness.
Depressed by the growing lawlessness of the apostates and fearing that their unbelief would weaken his reverent attitude towards God, Enoch avoided constant communication with people and spent a lot of time alone, indulging in meditation and prayer. So Enoch relied on God, striving to understand more and more deeply His will, which was to be fulfilled. For him, prayer was the breath of life; he lived in the atmosphere of Heaven itself.
Through the holy angels, God revealed to Enoch his intention to destroy the world with a flood, and also revealed to him more fully the plan of redemption. Using the spirit of prophecy, He showed him all the coming generations after the flood and the great events associated with the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time.
Enoch was concerned about the question of the dead. It seemed to him before that both the righteous and the wicked would go to the grave, and that would be the end of it all. He could not comprehend what awaited beyond the line of death. He was given a prophetic vision regarding the death of Christ, he saw Him coming in glory, with ten thousand of all the holy angels to deliver his people from the graves. He also saw the corrupt state of the world before the Second Coming of Christ, saw a boastful, self-willed, presumptuous generation of people rejecting the only God and the Lord Jesus Christ, trampling His law underfoot and rejecting His salvation. He saw the righteous crowned with glory and honor, and the wicked, fleeing from the presence of the Lord, destroyed by fire.
Enoch became a preacher of righteousness, telling people what God had revealed to him. Those who lived in the fear of God sought fellowship with this holy man in order to listen to his instructions and pray with him. He preached God's message to all who were willing to accept the words of warning. He preached not only to the Sethites. In the land where Cain fled to hide from the face of the Lord, the prophet of God spoke about the wonderful events that passed before him in a vision. “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of His saints (Angels) to execute judgment on all and to convict all the wicked among them of all the deeds that their wickedness has done” (Jude 1: 14,15).
He was a fearless denouncer of sin. Preaching the love of God, revealed in Christ, to his contemporaries and begging them to leave the ways of vice, Enoch condemned the increasing lawlessness and warned that the judgment of God would not be slow to be carried out on the wicked. The Spirit of Jesus spoke through the mouth of Enoch. This spirit is manifested not only in words of love, compassion and prayer - holy men are called to speak not only pleasant things. God puts into His mouth and heart His messengers and truths that crush like a two-edged sword.
Those listening to Enoch felt the power of God working in His servant. Some accepted his warnings and left their previous sinful lifestyle, but most mocked the terrible news and continued to follow the path of evil with even greater persistence. In the last days the servants of God will proclaim a similar message, which will be rejected with the same unbelief and mockery. The antediluvian world rejected the words and warnings of the one who walked with God. So the last generation will take lightly the warnings of God’s messengers.
Preaching tirelessly, Enoch never lost touch with God. The harder and more urgent his labors were, the more sincere and persistent were his prayers. At times he broke off all communication with people. Then, remaining for some time among people, he instructed them, helping them with word and example, and again withdrew in order to feel alone and quench the thirst for those Divine truths that only He alone can give. Being in such communication with God, Enoch became more and more like the Lord. His face shone with that holy light that shines on the face of Jesus. After he communicated with God, even the lawless looked with reverent fear at his face, on which rested the seal of Heaven.
The lawlessness of the world had reached such a limit that its destruction was predetermined. Years passed, the stream of human crimes expanded, and the clouds of Divine vengeance grew darker and darker. However, Enoch, a witness of faith, tirelessly moved forward along his chosen path, warning, praying, persuading, trying with all his might to restrain the flow of crimes and arrows of retribution. Although his warnings were rejected by the sinful, frivolous people, but, encouraged by the Lord, he continued to faithfully fight the increasing evil until God took him from the sinful earth to the holy abodes of Heaven.
Enoch's contemporaries considered this man crazy, because he did not even think about gold, silver and other treasures here on earth. Enoch's heart yearned for eternal treasures. He looked at the heavenly city. He saw the King in glory, seated in the midst of Zion. His mind, heart, all his thoughts belonged to Heaven. The more wickedness spread, the more heartily he yearned for the Father’s house. While still on earth, Enoch already dwelt by faith in the abodes of light.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). For three hundred years, Enoch strove for spiritual purity in order to be in harmony with Heaven. He walked with the Lord for three centuries. Day after day, he strove for closer unity with God: communication became closer and closer, until God took him to Himself. He stood on the threshold of eternity, only one step separated him from the promised land, and then the gates opened, and the one who constantly walked with God on earth was the first of people to enter the holy city.
Enoch's absence was keenly felt on earth. The voice that warned and instructed every day fell silent. Some of the believers, as well as the lawless, noticing his absence, thought that he, as usual, had retired. Enoch's friends then searched for him for a long time and diligently, just as the disciples searched for Elijah, but everything was in vain. Then they told others that he was nowhere to be found, for God had taken him to Himself.
By ascension of Enoch to Heaven, God wanted to teach people an important lesson. There was a danger that people, seeing the terrible consequences of Adam's fall, would fall into hopeless despair. Many were ready to exclaim: “What is the benefit of living in the fear of God and keeping His commandments?! All the same, a terrible curse weighs heavily on humanity, and death is the destiny of all.” But the truths revealed by God to Adam, and then transmitted by Seth and embodied in life by Enoch, dispelled darkness and darkness and gave people hope that just as through Adam death entered the world, so through the promised Redeemer life and immortality would come. Satan tried to convince people that a blameless life is not rewarded, and sin is not punished, and that in general it is impossible for a person to observe Divine regulations. But in the case of Enoch, God states that “He is, and a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). The Lord showed what He will do for those who keep His commandments. Thus man is able to obey the Law of God; Even while living in the midst of a sinful, corrupt world, by the grace of God people can resist temptation and become holy and blameless. From the example of Enoch they saw the blessing of such a life; his ascension was for them proof of the truth of his prophecy regarding the future: for those who do the will of God - crowned with the glory and joy of eternal life, and for those who resist Him - bringing grief, condemnation and death.
“By faith Enoch was so translated that he did not see death; and he was not, because God had translated him. For before he was carried away he received a testimony that he pleased God” (Heb. 11:5). In a world doomed to destruction, Enoch lived in such close communion with God that he was not allowed to be at the mercy of death. The godly nature of this prophet personifies the holiness of the lives of those “redeemed from the earth” (Rev. 14:3) at the Second Coming of Christ. Just as before the flood, lawlessness will increase in the world. Following the desires of their corrupt hearts and the deceptive wisdom of this world, people will rebel against the authority of Heaven. But, like Enoch, God's children will strive for purity of heart and to do His will so that their lives will be like Christ's. Like Enoch, they will preach to the world about the Second Coming of Christ, about the judgments that will befall sinners. By their own example, by the holiness of their words, they will condemn the sins of the wicked. Just as Enoch was taken into heaven before the flood that destroyed the world, so the living righteous will be taken from the earth before it is destroyed by fire. The Apostle says: “We will not all die, but we will all be changed suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” “For the Lord Himself, with a proclamation, with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air, and so always with Let us be the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:16-18).
Forefather Enoch. Museum of Frescoes of Dionysius. Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary |
The legend of Enoch has been preserved by different nations. Thus, in the city of Iconium there was a legend about King Anak, who lived 300 years before the flood (cf. Enoch’s lifespan on earth according to the Bible - 365 years) and begged the gods to have mercy on the human race, doomed to destruction. Enoch is also revered in Islam; he is mentioned as a prophet in the Koran.
Book of Enoch.
There are several known pseudo-apocryphal books bearing the name of Enoch. The most famous is 1 Book of Enoch, usually called simply “The Book of Enoch.” She is mentioned and quoted in the works of many church fathers, including Tertullian, Irenaeus, Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Justin the Philosopher and others.
The Book of Enoch has always been recognized by the Church as apocryphal and, obviously, constitutes a creation of a later period of time. It is remarkable that each of the three most important religious eras in the history of the Old Testament and New Testament is marked by a miraculous event of relocation to heaven: for example, the Patriarchal Church - in the person of Enoch, the Jewish Church - in the person of the prophet Elijah, and the Christian Church - in the miraculous event of the Ascension into heaven of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Perfector our salvation and His Most Pure Mother, the Ever-Virgin Mary, as the pious tradition of this has been preserved in Christian Church.
For a long time, the contents of the Book of Enoch could only be judged by quotations and reviews. However, in the 18th century its full text was discovered in Ethiopian, and since that time it has been published several times, both in the original and in translations. The book dates back to the 2nd-1st centuries BC. e. and represents a rich source for studying the religious worldview of the Jews of that era. As can be seen from a comparison of the epistle of Jude (15 and 16) and the book of Enoch (I, 9), it was also used by early Christian writers.
The memory of the forefather Enoch is celebrated on the Week of the Forefathers, on Sunday 2 weeks before the Feast of the Nativity of Christ.
From the stichera on the Sunday stichera:
Glory, voice 3. Germanovo: Council of the forefathers, lovers of leisure, / come, let us psalmically praise: Adam the forefather, Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek, / Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, / according to the law of Moses, and Aaron, / Jesus, Samuel and David, / with them Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, / and Daniel, and the twelve, / together with Elijah, Elisha and all, / Zechariah, and the Baptist, and who preached Christ, / the life and resurrection of our race.
From 8 songs of the canon by the forefathers on the Sunday of Saints, forefathers:
We commemorate the honorable fathers of Adam, Abel, Seth, and Noah, Enos, Enoch, and Abraham, Melchizedek and Job, Isaac and faithful Jacob, and let the creature cry out to the Lord. and exalts it to all ages.
(www.dionisy.com; dic.academic.ru; Bible. Old and New Testaments. Sinoidal translation. Bible Encyclopedia. arch. Nikifor. 1891; azbyka.ru; illustrations - pravicon.com; www.dionisy.com; www.agavaart.com).