Book of Enoch Henok

INTRODUCTION.
from aBr-ft^pfffi&g^-arbyss. He saw the
which the spirits of the dead await the day of judgment
; he looked upon the trees of knowledge and
of^life, exhaling fragrant odours from leaves which
never withered, and from fruit which ever bloomed
and he beheld the " great and glorious wonder " of
the celestial stars, coming forth through the " gates
of heaven."
Chapters xxxvii. to Ixxi. record the second vision
of wisdom, divided into three j)arables. The first
depicts the future happiness and glory of the elect,
whom Enoch beheld reclining on 'couches in the
habitations of angels, or standing in thousands of
thoii sands and myriads of myriads before the throne^
of God, blessing
and glorifying Him with celestial
song, as the Holy, Holy Lord of spirits, before whom
righteousness eternally dwells.
As Enoch uttered his prophecies respecting the
elect, before the existence of Christianity,_ijLJb
important to learn in what sense he understood the
doctrine of election. The language of the first
parable happily leaves no room for doubt— " The
righteous will be elected for their good works
duly weighed by the Lord of Spirits." ^ Election,
therefore, traced to its original source, means nothing
more than Divine " selection of the fittest "—
theory more consistent with the justice of God, than
^ Chap, xxxviii. 2,