While there is undoubtedly an abundance of temple allusions in the whole of Enoch apocryphal literature, I came across a good example today. I will certainly add more as I learn about them.
This example is from 2 Enoch. This apocrypha text is a pseudepigraphon, meaning its authorship is unknown, but is considered part of ancient Jewish literature. The oldest extant manuscripts of this text are in the Slavonic language, but was probably translated from Greek. The text probably was originally written sometime during the Second Temple period (Herod’s temple), between 516 BC and 70 AD. You can read an English translation of the text at Pseudepigrapha.com (which is an LDS site).
This text is unique in its depiction of Enoch, as Wikipedia notes:
For the first time, the Enochic tradition seeks to show Enoch, not simply as a human taken to heaven and transformed into an angel, but as a celestial being exalted above the angelic world.
Researching these things opens grand vistas of something deeper going on in ancient texts, particularly the traditions of Metatron, an angel that appears in mainly Jewish mystical texts, and has been attributed to a glorification or deification of Enoch, the son of Jared:
This Enoch, whose flesh was turned to flame, his veins to fire, his eye-lashes to flashes of lightning, his eye-balls to flaming torches, and whom God placed on a throne next to the throne of glory, received after this heavenly transformation the name Metatron. ((Gershom G. Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism (1941/1961) p. 67))
It is interesting that Enoch is glorified, receives a throne of glory, and a new name, Metatron. We will search out these things more fully in future posts. For the purposes of this post, 2 Enoch shows the beginnings or origins of a Metatron tradition in Enoch literature.
Much of the Enoch literature is apocalyptic in nature, as is this one, relating a vision or revelation. 2 Enoch is filled with imagery of Enoch’s ascension into heaven. Beginning in chapter 22, the character Enoch beholds a “tenth” heaven, and sees the Lord upon his throne, surrounded by concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God (cf. 1 Nephi 1:8): ((See also my commentary on the Round Dance.))
1 On the tenth heaven, (which is called) Aravoth, I saw the appearance of the Lord’s face, like iron made to glow in fire, and brought out, emitting sparks, and it burns.
2 Thus (in a moment of eternity) I saw the Lord’s face, but the Lord’s face is ineffable, marvellous and very awful, and very, very terrible.
3 And who am I to tell of the Lord’s unspeakable being, and of his very wonderful face? And I cannot tell the quantity of his many instructions, and various voices, the Lord’s throne (is) very great and not made with hands, nor the quantity of those standing round him, troops of Cherubim and seraphim, nor their incessant singing, nor his immutable beauty, and who shall tell of the ineffable greatness of his glory. ((http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/pseudepigrapha/enochs2.htm#Ch22))
Enoch bows down to worship the Lord
4 And I fell prone and bowed down to the Lord, and the Lord with his lips said to me:
5 Have courage, Enoch, do not fear, arise and stand before my face into eternity.
6 And the archistratege Michael lifted me up, and led me to before the Lord’s face.
Enoch is then given a promise of eternal reward:
7 And the Lord said to his servants tempting them: Let Enoch stand before my face into eternity, and the glorious ones bowed down to the Lord, and said: Let Enoch go according to Your word.
The Lord then commands Michael to anoint Enoch with oil, and invest him with garments, so that he may be made glorious:
8 And the Lord said to Michael: Go and take Enoch from out (of) his earthly garments, and anoint him with my sweet ointment, and put him into the garments of My glory.
9 And Michael did thus, as the Lord told him. He anointed me, and dressed me, and the appearance of that ointment is more than the great light, and his ointment is like sweet dew, and its smell mild, shining like the sun’s ray, and I looked at myself, and (I) was like (transfigured) one of his glorious ones.
The symbolism of the temple is quite clear. This text covers the themes of ascension, deification (theosis), exaltation, anointing, investiture, the garment of priesthood, and being made like one of His glorious ones.
This is wonderful stuff. Definitely makes you stop and think about the temple ordinances and ponder it all a bit more than we typically do.
For the vast majority of the Christian world, Enoch is a mystery. We LDS have been blessed with so much more knowledge about this incredible prophet, and great sources like 2 Enoch just give us more meat to chew on.
Excellent post! 2 Enoch is one of the best and clearest examples of the Heavenly Ascent and transfiguration of a human into a heavenly figure who can abide the presence of God. It’s amazing how, when you look at more and more of these ancient documents, you begin to see this pattern all over. You see similar images in 1 Enoch, 3 Baruch, Testament of Levi, Apocalypse of Zephaniah, Ascension of Isaiah, Hymn of the Pearl, Macarian Homilies, and many others. Ascension through the various levels of Heaven, entering the Heavenly Temple, being anointed, clothed in garments of light/glory, serving in Priesthood duties in Heaven, seeing the Face of God–all are themes that occur repeatedly. These ideas seem to be so clear and prevalent–but not in the Old Testament. We see them somewhat more clearly in the New, but these precious themes are largely absent in the Scriptures. This may be partially due to the idea that these are sacred temple doctrines and were not to be written down, but it is also quite obvious that there was a systematic suppression of these themes by later “orthodoxy.” For example, why does St. Jude mention prophecies of Enoch (Jude 1:14), and it is obvious that the Christians read Enoch, but there is no Enoch in the Jewish/Christian canon of Scripture? The doctrines are just a little too glorious for some, it would seem.
Thanks, Bryce, for the wonderful post.
Thanks for your comments Michael and David. These themes do seem to appear with substantial frequency in the apocrypha/pseudepigrapha texts, but they are largely absent from the Old or New Testaments. John’s Revelation is the most complete apocalypse that the current canon of scripture gives, and even this starts to teach about temple topics such as garments, new names, crowns of glory, etc. that don’t appear often in the other scriptures. Perhaps Revelation had just enough allegory, metaphor, and symbolism that it was saved from the chopping block.
Revelation, by the way, was on the chopping block for quite some time as I recall. Many of the early Church Fathers were somewhat distrustful of the book.
A must read concerning Enoch is Margaret Barker’s book The Lost Prophet ( The Book of Enoch and its Influence on Christianity). As she says, “The recovery of Enoch prompts us to look more closely at what is all around us, less we too miss the ‘many splendoured thing'”. I was interested to read that Enoch was told by the Lord to “stand before my face”. Learning to stand in the presence of the Lord is a prominent scriptural (see Rev. 6:17; Mal. 3:2; Daniel 10:11; 1 John 4:17; Enos 1:27; 2 Chronicles 29:11) and temple teaching. In the Garden, Adam and Eve stood in the presence of God. After the Fall, they knelt at the altars of sacrifice. As the plan of redemption was revealed to them and they obeyed it, their confidence strengthened so they could again stand in God’s presence. This confidence came by the power of the Holy Order of the Son of God. This is the same sequence we learn in the temple, being frequently reminded that we can stand in the presence of God. This sequence is symbolic of our heavenly birth, our fall, and our redemption. Mark Greene
Are there any Margaret Barker books that are not “must reads”? I have heard so much about her, and will shortly dive into her writing myself. I’m excited by what I will learn.
Another book I haven’t gotten into yet is Nibley’s Enoch the Prophet, which is undoubtedly also a great book on Enoch literature.
Great point about “standing before my face.” The goal of the plan of redemption is to bring Adam and Eve and their posterity back into the presence of God from whence they fell. The gospel and its saving ordinances are designed to do just that.
Interestingly, my professor, Andrei Orlov, who is an Enoch scholar (and not LDS), has actually read “Enoch the Prophet” by Nibley. He really enjoyed it and respects Nibley as a great scholar.
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