Book of Enoch Part 1: Testing the Book of Enoch by Scripture Alone

Based on Bible Mysteries Podcast — Book of Enoch Part 1: Testing the Book of Enoch Against Scripture with Scott Mitchell and John Potts.

Before we talk about what the Book of Enoch says, we need to establish how a believer should approach any writing that is not in the canon of Scripture.

1. Scripture is the standard. God’s word is not corrected by outside material. Outside material is weighed by God’s word.

2. Inspiration is not the same as quotation. A biblical writer can quote a true statement from a source without endorsing the whole source as inspired.

3. God’s word is consistent with God’s word.When a text contradicts what God has already revealed, the contradiction tells you the text is not operating on the same level as Scripture.

   
   

And behind all of that is this: God promised preservation. Psalm 12:6–7 (KJV) says the words of the Lord are pure, and that He will keep and preserve them. If God did not preserve His word, then where has it ever been? And if the preserved word is not available to believers today, then the claim of preservation becomes meaningless.

Book of Enoch Part 1 and the Preservation of Scripture

One reason the Book of Enoch gets mishandled is because people first get unsettled about Scripture itself. They’re told, “The original Hebrew or Greek says…” as if anyone alive has ever held the original autographs in their hands. What we actually have are copies—and that’s true for every Bible manuscript on earth.

So the real question becomes: which copies reflect the preserved text God intended His churches to receive and use?

When someone claims the King James Bible “mistranslates” a verse, they’re not just making a translation argument—they’re often leaning on a different manuscript tradition and presenting it as “the original.” That language is misleading at best.

And this matters because once you convince people Scripture is unstable, you can elevate anything else you want—Enoch included.

Book of Enoch Part 1 Example: Psalm 12 and a Changed Emphasis

Compare the difference in emphasis people run into with Psalm 12:7.

• In the KJV, the context flows naturally: the Lord preserves His words.

• In some modern renderings, the line is moved toward preserving people.

God certainly preserves His people, but Psalm 12 is making a specific point: His words are pure, and He keeps them from an ungodly generation. When you blur that, you weaken the doctrine of preservation—and it becomes easier to sell believers on the idea that Scripture needs to be “fixed” by outside sources.

That pattern is as old as the serpent in Genesis 3: First, a lie of omission, then, a lie of alteration. Satan has always worked by handling God’s words deceptively.

Book of Enoch Part 1 Problem Texts in Enoch

Now we apply the test that matters: does the Book of Enoch align with Scripture—without forcing Scripture to bend?

Right out of the gate, Enoch’s opening words introduce a “days of tribulation” context and then make claims that run into immediate conflict with the Bible.

Book of Enoch Part 1 Conflict: Sinai vs the Mount of Olives

Enoch’s opening language includes the idea of the Lord appearing “even on Mount Sinai.”

But Scripture is clear about where Christ stands when He returns in glory: Zechariah 14:4 says His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives.

Sinai is tied to the giving of the Law. Paul is explicit that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes (Romans 10:4). And Galatians 4:24–26 makes Sinai part of an allegory connected to bondage.

So if someone asks me why I reject Sinai as the landing point of the Second Coming, the answer is simple: the Bible already told us otherwise, and Paul’s doctrine makes Sinai’s role clear. Christ does not return to reinstate bondage. He returns in power, judges the nations, and establishes His rule.

Book of Enoch Part 1 Conflict: “All Upon the Earth Shall Perish”

Enoch also says the earth will be “wholly rent in sunder,” and that “all that is upon the earth shall perish.”

Let’s define the phrase plainly: rent in sunder or rent asunder means violently torn apart into pieces. If that happens to the planet, nothing survives—period.

But Isaiah 24 does describe devastating judgment without describing the earth being shredded into pieces. The earth reels “to and fro like a drunkard,” it’s moved exceedingly, and it falls under the weight of transgression (Isaiah 24:19–21). That is catastrophic—yet the Bible still shows survivors.

And Scripture is unmistakable about survivors because Christ gathers nations after His return. Matthew 25:31–46 shows the Son of Man coming in His glory, sitting on the throne, and separating sheep and goats from among the gathered nations. That requires living people on earth after the tribulation.

So the claim “all that is upon the earth shall perish” cannot be true in the way it’s stated. The Bible’s sequence is clear: judgment falls, survivors remain, nations are gathered, and separation occurs.

Book of Enoch Part 1 The Watchers and a Strange Biblical Echo

The Book of Enoch repeatedly uses the term watchers for angelic beings. In Scripture, that term is essentially absent—except for one notable place: Daniel 4.

And that matters because Daniel 4 is written as the personal account of King Nebuchadnezzar—a pagan king who is also a strong type of the coming man of sin. It is not the normal vocabulary of the prophets and apostles. Scripture consistently uses language like angels, cherubim, seraphim, and so on.

So when I see Enoch leaning hard on the same specialized term used by a pagan monarch’s dream account, it raises questions. A man described as “walking with God” (Genesis 5:24) would not naturally be expected to speak about holy beings the same way a Babylonian idol-king does—unless something else is going on with the source material.

Book of Enoch Part 1 Jude’s Quotation and What It Proves

The strongest argument people make for Enoch is this: Jude quotes it. Jude 1:14–15 contains language that closely matches Enoch 1:9 about the Lord coming with “ten thousands” to execute judgment against the ungodly.

So what does that prove?

It proves that the statement Jude records is true. It does not prove the entire Book of Enoch is inspired.

Paul does something similar in Acts 17:28 when he cites a pagan poet—“For we are also his offspring.” The statement is true, but the source is not Scripture.

A quotation is not a blanket endorsement. Scripture can use a familiar statement, preserve what is true, and still reject the wider work as non-inspired.

Book of Enoch Part 1 Four Reasonable Explanations

When it comes to Jude and Enoch, here are the reasonable possibilities:

1. Jude had access to a questionable but well known Enoch text and the Spirit led him to cite the true portion.

2. A true Enoch tradition existed, but later versions expanded and drifted.

3. Enoch’s words were preserved by tradition, not by an authored book.

4. The Holy Ghost gave Jude the accurate prophecy directly—whether or not Enoch ever wrote a book.

The safest conclusion is the one that keeps Scripture in its rightful place: God preserves His word, and He does not need Enoch to do it. 2 Peter 1:20–21 reminds us prophecy is not man’s private interpretation; holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. If Enoch prophesied, God can preserve what matters—without canonizing a later work carrying contradictions.

Book of Enoch Part 1 Conclusion: Use Caution, Keep Scripture First

Here’s the takeaway:

• Inspiration is God-breathed.

• God’s word is self-authenticating.

• God’s word is consistent.

  
  

When the Book of Enoch conflicts with Scripture—especially in foundational, prophetic details—it tells you what you need to know. The book may carry historical value and may preserve some true concepts, but it is not Scripture, and it cannot be treated as equal to Scripture.

The Book of Enoch raises questions. The Bible determines the answers.

In the next part, we’ll continue testing where Enoch diverges, contradicts, or goes beyond what God has preserved in His word—and we’ll also address key topics people constantly bring up, including the issue of demons versus fallen angels.